WARNO News

Rejoice, commanders!

The latest milestone for WARNO, the major OUDINOT update, is now live! Don’t hesitate, strap in, muster your troops, and get playing. But while waiting for the download, read today’s Devblog, detailing all the new features, divisions, units, mechanics, and other content brought to you by OUDINOT and related patch.



We had planned to release OUDINOT two days ago, but the last version was plagued with a host of issues. We have a new version, tested and validated, but usually, we don’t release major updates on a Friday afternoon. The simple reason is that if something goes wrong over the weekend, we have a harder time to fix it.

In this case, we debated between rebranding the milestone GROUCHY and delaying it to next week, or naming it HAIL MARY. We opted for the latter.
Without further ado: let’s welcome to the stage a very shy OUDINOT!

Check out the OUDINOT’s update logs below. There is more: we also took some time to detail a rework of NATO’s 3rd Armored Division, as well as list the new Unit Traits, including what they do in-game, and why!

[h2]OUDINOT milestone overview[/h2]
Now, to be exact: OUDINOT will only bring the two new divisions and units (see below). Furthermore, next to this milestone, a major patch including all the other relevant new features and mechanics, from Unit Traits to maps, is now available.

• OUDINOT’s two new divisions focused on the fictional Battle for Berlin (1989): NATO’s Berlin Command and Warsaw Pact’s Unternehmen Zentrum.
  
  • Read more about the multinational Berlin Command, with its mix of equipment and fighting against overwhelming odds, in this dedicated DevBlog here.
    
  • Check out the urban warfare experts of the combined East German and Soviet Unternehmen Zentrum in this DevBlog here.
    
  • OUDINOT also contains a host of new units including (but not limited to) F-117 stealth fighter-bomber, FV432 Rarden, SPW PZH, Wachtschützen, etc.
    

• New tutorials, from basic infantry tactics to how best to use SEAD planes.
  
• A new map, Rock, a 83km² battlefield playable in 3vs3, with lots of verticality in its environments.
  
• A new 2v2 version of Loop map.
  
• The Black Forest map rework. Read more about it in this DevBlog.
  
• New Destruction mode variant of:
  
  • Mount River
    
  • Vertigo
    
  • Danger Hills
    
  • Triple Strike
    
  • Death Row
    
  • Cyrus
    
  • Volcano
    
  • Iron Waters (newly announced)
    
  • Chemical (newly announced)
    
  • Geisa (newly announced)
    
  • Crown (newly announced)
    
• New Unit Traits system. See below for a full overview of each trait, what it does in-game, and our reasons for creating them.
  
• New Amphibious ability for certain land vehicles.
  
• New destruction textures.
  
• Major combat system rework, increasing the importance of Suppression.
  
• New hit points/suppression UI display (newly announced).
  
• Command unit overhaul. After capturing a command zone, command units are no longer required to stay inside one to control it.
  

However, some things didn’t make it into this patch on time. These should come shortly, namely FOB (Forward Operating Bases) and the new urban map Twin Cities. Expect these to be delivered as soon as possible!

[h2]The 3rd Armored Division rework[/h2]
With the introduction of the new Unit Traits system, we decided that the American 3rd Armored Division should focus more on the new IFV Infantry trait. This trait gives mechanized infantry fire teams, transportable by Infantry Fighting Vehicles, a so-called “shield against suppression” when dismounted and fighting near an IFV.

First off, a new command unit will be featured by the “Spearhead” division in-game: the M2A2 Bradley CP, found in the Logistics tab. Though not a transport, the vehicle still grants the IFV Infantry bonus to nearby fire teams.



Furthermore, we are adding Fire Team (AT-4) units to 3rd Armored Division’s arsenal. On top of this, all Fire Team units (AT-4, LAW, and Dragon) will be available with three cards each. On the other hand, the Mech. Rifles units are reduced to one card only.

Lastly, Mech. Rifles LDR. units are replaced by the smaller Fire Team LDR. units, riding into battle in a Bradley and featuring the IFV Infantry trait.

[h2]The new Unit Traits detailed[/h2]
We have already talked about the new Unit Traits to a certain extent, but we can now share the full list with you. This includes in-game descriptions, effects, and brief explanations of our intention with each trait.

Reservist

• This unit is made of part-time soldiers, such as hastily called-up reservists, former police, or militia. While not cowards, with less training and older equipment, they should be considered second-rate troops.
  
• Reservist units take more suppression in combat.
  

This trait will be given to non-military police forces, such as the BGS, FR. Reserve Polizei, Vopos, as well as reservist or militia units (Heimatschützen, KdA, Reservistes, etc.). British Territorials are not included, as historically, they lean closer to being active reserves. They will remain veterancy locked, however.

Leader

• This headquarters unit features commanders and critical command-and-control equipment, including radio and other communication devices. This allows for more effective tactical leadership on the battlefield.
  
• Leader units grant +1 Veterancy level to all nearby units.
  

By default granted to all command units and vehicles, this trait can be found with infantry and other units such as tanks, APCs, IFVs, or helicopters.

Resolute

• This unit is composed of soldiers who are highly motivated, well-drilled, or politically indoctrinated. Going into battle with plenty of enthusiasm, these eager troops will endure even the hardest battlefield conditions in stride.
  
• Resolute units take less suppression in combat.
  

Foremost, this trait was introduced to represent East German troops, considered by friends and foes as the most ideologically indoctrinated and determined of all Warsaw Pact forces. The Resolute trait will be featured with all their front-line troops, except for units such as artillery, AA, logistics, and reservists. A few non-DDR units, such as the French Legionnaires Paras, will also gain this trait.

Military Police

• This unit features the oft-detested military police. As law enforcement, they ensure order behind the lines and instill harsh discipline within the army’s ranks.
  
• Military Police units grant a suppression regeneration bonus and remove any Reservist trait of nearby units.
  

All current military police units, including MP, Prévôté, RMP, and Feldjäger, will receive this trait. The Warsaw Pact counterparts to these units will soon be added.



IFV Infantry

• This unit is composed of soldiers trained for combat with Infantry Fighting Vehicles and fight side by side once dismounted. This follows common mechanized infantry doctrine.
  
• IFV Infantry units take less suppression in combat when near an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (doesn’t have to be their own).
  

This trait is granted to both Infantry Fighting Vehicles and the troops they carry: Fire Teams, Motostrelki (BMP), Mot. Schützen, Arm. Rifles, Chasseurs, etc.
Special Forces

• This unit represents an army's crème de la crème: highly trained professionals, well-equipped, and with more combat experience than regular troops.
  
• Special Forces units take less suppression in combat, move faster, and deal more damage - on top of the Elite veterancy level.
  

Featured by all special forces, both “rifles” and “recons.” This includes: Green Berets, Spetsnaz, SAS, LRS, Commando, Fernspäher, East German Fallschirmjäger, etc.

GSR

• This recon unit is equipped with a portable Ground Surveillance Radar, detecting targets beyond visual range. Once deployed, it needs to remain stationary to function.
  
• GSR units receive a +1 Optics level when not moving.
  

This trait is featured in small (4-6 strong) special forces recon squads: LRS, Fernspäher, SAS Patrol. More units of this kind will be added later to some nations lacking them.

Shock

• This unit features hardened soldiers specifically trained and equipped for close-quarter battles, assault operations, and hand-to-hand combat.
  
• Shock units inflict more suppression when fighting at close combat ranges, including woods and urban terrain.
  

The Shock trait will apply to all airborne forces and all combat engineers.

Airborne

• This unit is trained to be inserted onto the battlefield through the air. Highly mobile but lightly equipped, airborne troops can rapidly deploy ahead of the regular army.
  
• Airborne units can deploy further ahead, using Forward Deployment, but only during the initial deployment phase.
  

This trait can be found in all current airborne forces, as already identified by the current parachute icon and Forward Deployment mechanic.

Recon

• This unit excels in reconnaissance, gathering intelligence, and spotting targets. Recon troops are light units, masters in moving quickly on the battlefield and observing enemy units undetected.
  
• Recon units can deploy further ahead, but only during the initial deployment phase.
  

This trait is granted to all current recon forces as already identified by the current goggle icon and Forward Deployment mechanic.

Security

• This second-line infantry unit is only lightly equipped for combat, tasked instead with patrolling and securing the rear. These soldiers guard against enemy saboteurs and infiltration attempts.
  
• Security units increase their Optics and identification levels to Good when not moving, similar to Recon units, although they remain classified as Infantry.
  

This trait will apply to several dedicated rear-echelon troops - which can (or not) also carry the Reservist trait. This includes Sicherungs, Vopos, Wachtschützen, FR. Polizei-Reserve, RAF Rifles, etc.

Amphibious

• This vehicle is designed to operate on land and water. Thanks to their waterproof hull, they can slowly ford streams and cross rivers.
  
• Amphibious vehicles can enter and cross waters at 1/3 of their normal (offroad) speed.
  

This trait identifies all vehicles able to cross water.



Transport

• This vehicle is designed to move infantry units on the battlefield. Transports can range from fast jeeps and trucks to even helicopters.
  
• Transport units can carry infantry squads, groups, or teams.
  

To better identify them, this trait is featured by all current transport units.

Sniper

• This unit contains highly trained sharpshooters who excel in infiltration tactics, camouflage, and reconnaissance. Equipped with powerful scoped sniper rifles, these specialist soldiers can engage targets at long ranges without being seen.
  
• Sniper units gain a +1 Stealth level when not moving.
  

The latest trait is currently granted to… no one. But we will include dedicated sniper units in all divisions in a single batch in the near future!



[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
That’s all for today. We won’t keep you any longer. Start up WARNO and get playing!

Don’t forget to join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello!

We hope you are well. In today’s DevBlog, we have a bunch of exciting things to share, so better strap in. This includes taking a closer look at a major overhaul of one of our 2v2 maps - Black Forest as well as some new units to show off.

Keep reading to find out more!

[h2]Black Forest: a map reworked[/h2]
Last spring, we released Black Forest, a 2v2 map with a total surface of 54 km² and a strong focus on wooded areas. So much so that a sizable chunk of the maps consisted of trees, which created a suboptimal experience. If you recall, Black Forest has multiple attack lanes, including one on the extreme flank of the battlefield. With command zones grouped in the central region, the large mountainous forest dominated the map but without offering a lot in terms of gameplay.



Black Forest was criticized for being too… forested. Our military engineers - read talented map designers - have worked hard to fine tune this battlefield and make it more accessible. This means cutting down some trees. Instead of just deleting the woods and thickets, we created a new sawmill building. Now, there is an actual real-life reason the forest has been cut down!



[h2]Felling the woods[/h2]
So, having heard your calls for some heavy-duty leveling, Black Forest received some much-needed attention (and trimming).



We have cut through the Black Forest mountain. Fresh paths, usable by all types of ground units, have been created. This opens up a host of new flanking opportunities.



Those trees weren’t felled without reason! Sliced and diced, the wood is kept in temporary storage at a new sawmill on the map's highest point. This area features a lot of cover, making it an ideal place for infantry ambushes.

[h2]New objectives[/h2]
We have also widened the front line by opening up the forest, with several new potential hot spots and combat areas. In addition, we moved two main command zones creating high-density defensible sections of Black Forest.



The other command zones encourage flanking operations and long-range combat.

[h2]A more dynamic Black Forest[/h2] Black Forest felt slower than other WARNO maps. With the removal of the woods and some of the forested areas in the center, we hope to have made the battlefield more dynamic.



Some slight lightning changes amped the atmosphere with many more shades of green. What do you guys think?



The rework on Black Forest couldn’t have been possible without your feedback, as commented about by you, the player, in our official Map Feedback channel on our Discord server. Drop by if you want to share your constructive thoughts. We take all into consideration!

Thank you for improving the design of Black Forest. Let us know what you think!



[h2]New Units[/h2]
As OUDINOT is dropping a bit later - as you know, because of some serious back-end issues - it doesn’t mean the rest of Eugen team remained idle. Although OUDINOT patch is being beta tested as we speak, we are putting the delay to good use by adding new units to the upcoming major milestone.

We have already added the new SPW FUG and SPW PSH as vehicles for the East German internal security units. We are also fleshing out the West German Bundesgrenzschutz, or BGS in-game, the federal border police. These units will be large reservist recon squads equipped entirely with MP-5 submachine guns. A quick note, the BGS units include the first (and so far only) female model in WARNO.



Much like the East German security forces (Grenzer, Vopos, Wachregiment), the BGS can count on their own patrol vehicles to police the frontier. These will come, in-game, in two variants: a recon transport APC, the SONDERWAGEN 4 with Good Optics, featuring an HK-21 MG, and an unarmed SONDERWAGEN 4 AUFK. with Very Good Optics. Both will be added to NATO’s new Berlin Command division.



[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
That’s it. Quite a read, but we hope you liked it. Just a bit longer, commander. OUDINOT’s release is around the corner!

Don’t forget to join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commanders!

Happy New Year from the whole Eugen team. May 2023 bring you glory and happiness on the WARNO battlefields and beyond!

While we would have loved to present to you OUDINOT update at the start of the year, to get you playing a new and improved WARNO, we need you to wait just a bit longer. As we are working on a major overhaul - as described in this DevBlog here - we want to make sure everything on the backend is peachy perfect. And that takes time.

If you are curious about all the cool new things coming to WARNO keep on reading!

[h2]What we are working on[/h2]
Yes, we heard you loud and clear. You are itching for the next update to drop for WARNO, but patience is the name of the game. Next to limited manpower and some much-needed Christmas holidays - we also want to make sure we deliver the best possible version of WARNO to you. And good things take time. Patience, we promise you won’t have to wait much longer.

Now, we are both going to deliver you the official OUDINOT milestone, bringing you two new divisions. At the same time, we are working on a host of other improvements and content. These might drop sooner rather than later.

What will OUDINOT bring?



Two new divisions, including new units, focused on the Battle of Berlin (1989). These divisions come on top of the base game’s divisions, as originally advertised, and are a big Eugen thank-you to the community. These divisions will be free for all Early Access owners of WARNO and will be part of the OUDINOT milestone.

• NATO’s Berlin Command, made up of detachments of four different Allied nations, is well-suited for urban combat. New units include FV-432 RARDEN fire-support vehicle, RAF RIFLES security squads, DETACHMENT “A” Green Berets saboteurs, CHIEFTAIN Mk.10 (in their unique Berlin camouflage paint job), M198 155m towed howitzers, and French AMX-13/90 light tanks. Read more about this battlegroup in the preview here.
  
• Warsaw Pact’s Unternehmen Zentrum, tasked with “liberating” West Berlin with hard-hitting Soviet and East German troops. Command new units such as the elite WACHSCHÜTZEN assault squads, BM-21 (Napalm) MRLS, ZiS-3 76mm dual-purpose and ZiS-2 57mm AT gun, as well as new rocket loadouts for the Su-17 and Su-22M4, including 240mm rockets and UPK pods/80mm rockets. Read more about this mixed division in this preview here.

The above is officially part of OUDINOT milestone. There is more, though. The following improvements and additions will be made available as soon as possible.

What else can you expect?
A host of new maps. This includes:

• The new map Rock. Read more about this new battlefield in this preview here.

• New 2vs2 version of Loop.
  
• New Destruction mode versions of:
  
  • Mount River
  • Vertigo
  • Danger Hills
    
  • Triple Strike
    
  • Death Row
  • Cyrus
    
  • Volcano

There is even more
Next to maps, even more changes and updates are coming to WARNO. Such as?

• The new Unit Trait system, which allows us to differentiate each unit better, giving them character and different playstyles:
  
  • For instance, Special Forces are clearly superior to regular infantry, while Military Police keep the weaker-willed soldiers in line.

• Using this new traits system, we will soon be featuring the long-requested Snipers. They will gain extra stealth when not moving.
  
• The new Amphibious capacity is also treated as a unit trait.

• New destruction textures, pimping up that World War III vibe.
  
• A new, updated combat system, which is detailed in this DevBlog, giving more realism and increasing the importance Suppression has.
  
• The new Forward Operation Base (FOB), of which can be seen more in this DevBlog here (at the bottom).

• Command Vehicle updates, meaning that these special leader units won’t be required to remain in a Command Zone after capturing it.

That’s quite the list, but there is more. The following is almost finished, so we're hoping to be able to add them in the next update too ... or the one after:

• Twin Cities map
  
• More Destruction Mode's maps
  
• New tutorials
  
• New Operations (solo missions).

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
Just a little bit longer, commander. OUDINOT will be released when it is ready, which should be around the corner.

Don’t forget to join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commander!

We have arrived at the end of the year. Happy holidays are in order! As in previous years, the Eugen Systems team will go on a much-needed break, but we’ll be back in full force in the new year!

Before we leave you to be merry for Christmas, let’s talk a bit about some festive music - WARNO’s original soundtrack.
How did we create the stirring sounds to accompany World War III?



[h2]Musical inspiration[/h2]
During WARNO’s development, not only did we want to have everything top-notch in terms of visuals, game mechanics, authentic units, sound design, and the tremendous “oomph” of things going boom… we also needed music.

When we had to decide what kind of soundtrack to use for World War III, we deliberated. The safest bet would have been to work with some generic all-purpose tracks. Nobody would have really disliked them, but neither would they have stood out.



We decided we didn’t want to go that route. For WARNO, we wanted a memorable soundscape, recognizable and with a “heavy” character. A lot of work in the audio department went into making this vision a reality. The choice was simple: the music had to follow this approach.

So, how do you build an original soundtrack “with heavy character”? You pick a style and let your music coalesce around it.

[h2]A style fit for the ages[/h2] WARNO takes place in 1989. As such, we hit upon synthwave, a modern-sounding tribute to the typical sound of the 80s. This style reflects a coming-of-age of music heavily marked by the use of synthesizers, electronic musical instruments invented in the 60s, but especially used a lot in the 1980s.



We started digging into the huge musical repertoire of the internet. We searched everywhere and everything: YouTube, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and many online music catalogs. All of it to find the exact music that would fit the game.

At the same time, Eugen members were showing military video clips, often with a punchy melodic background. It was at this moment we stumbled upon THE musical track that would form the basis of all our future work:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Let’s welcome to the stage Mauzer. The music featured in this collection of historical clips was just fantastic. A quick search gave us the name of the song and artist, which turned out to be French - what a coincidence. The artist was Triptidon, and the song, Sinful. We felt the music to be punchy, uplifting, synthwave-ish, and, if we might say so, “battle-tested.”

We used this song as the musical reference for future soundtrack searches.

[h2]The WARNO trailer[/h2]
One year ago, the time came to officially reveal WARNO to the world. We needed a good track for this announcement trailer. None of the music we had gathered until this point was as fitting and convincing as Sinful. We didn’t plan to include it in the game, but it was getting close to inevitable, as we required some sort of music.



We contacted Triptidon and made a deal. The arrangement was friendly and straightforward. This was great because many of us at Eugen liked his music. Do check out Triptidon when you can!

With games and movies, we often underestimate the impact the soundtrack has on the overall game experience and enjoyment. It’s a shame because music plays a huge role in defining the atmosphere of a game. This is no exception with WARNO’s trailer: the combo of visuals and great tunes should lift it to a different level.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]The early days of Early Access[/h2] WARNO launched into Steam Early Acess in February 2022. We included several music tracks, with a heavy emphasis on our chosen style, which received a lot of positive feedback.

There was one issue, however. The soundtrack contained no original music. Our work was focused on selecting and licensing existing tracks, none of which would be exclusive to WARNO. This meant that some players might recognize a song from a different place, which is not what we want to happen too often. It dilutes the character of the game and the identity of the WARNO’s soundtrack.

Moreover, the soundtrack contained several quieter songs but only one real punchy, bombastic track. Having a hard time finding these, we decided to kill two birds with a single stone and started crafting some songs ourselves.



[h2]Original music[/h2] Eugen contains many multidisciplinary team members, with some of them well-versed as musicians. Some of the original music was composed by our crew, and after some rounds of iterations, we got more uptempo “aggressive” tracks.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Integrating these tracks into WARNO would restore the chill and punchy balance. What do you think? Sounds awesome?

[h2]The studio[/h2]
So, where is all of this magic created? Check out the setup for all the musical awesomeness that is Let’s Go and Silicon Tribes. We are packing some heavy ordnance!



The red-blinking synth below the screen on the left is an Access Virus TI, and the mini-keyboard at the bottom of the screen to the right is a handy MIDI controller called the MPKmini by Akai. The electric guitar is a GIO from Ibanez; this is the one you hear on Silicon Tribes. Finally, the strange-looking hexagonal-titled thingy on the right is an Axis-49 from C-Tru (basically a MIDI keyboard pimped with hexagonal keys).



On the software side, the DAW is the GNU/Linux version of Bitwig Studio. It contains a bunch of built-in synthesizers and FX - some of them actually sound pretty good!

No setup would be complete with a solid pair of monitors. Some of you might have already spotted the unmistakable Rokit 6 speakers from KRK.

And the SNES mini? For inspiration, of course.

[h2]Music outtro[/h2]
With the first two tracks gaining positive reactions from WARNO’s playerbase, we took it as a sign that we were going in the right direction. We chose to add more original songs and compile them into an official OST playlist on YouTube.

We’re glad the music has been received well, as we were not entirely sure about the direction to take and how the songs would pan out. Using generic music would have been the simple choice, but we are happy we stuck to our guns and went for a more stylistically unique way. More tracks to come in the future!



For now, let’s crush and defeat the enemy with the blood-pumping sound of the amazing kick drum. Let us know what you think!

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
A musical ending to the last DevBlog of the year. The first week of January sees our return to the offices. It has been a pleasure, commander. Let’s make 2023 a kick-ass year (and expect some new content drops at the very beginning)!

From the whole Eugen Systems team: we wish you happy holidays and all the best for 2023.

Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello!

As we are nearing the end of the year (and the start of a wonderful new one), we have some exciting WARNO news to share with you.

As you know, we are busy working on the next milestone for our game - OUDINOT. Now, it is not the only thing that’s been cooking in Eugen’s kitchen.

Recently, our attention has been steered toward a major overhaul of how combat works within WARNO. In today’s DevBlog, we can go into more detail!

[h2]Working hard behind the scenes[/h2]
Every day the Eugen team works hard to make WARNO the best possible game. This takes time, effort, and resources. We listen carefully to what our community has to say and hear your pleas for new content loud and clear. Creating new features or mechanics for WARNO needs time, and as a living project, developing new systems, or updating old ones, might suck up even more. Be patient, please. Lots of exciting things are coming WARNO’s way.



The more realistic combat system is a major overhaul, as it affects not only the current state of the game but also the upcoming OUDINOT milestone. We need to ensure everything is aligned, tested, bug fixed, and working properly. That is one reason OUDINOT is taking longer, as we want to make sure it meshes well with the new system.

So, what can you expect?

[h2]A more realistic combat system[/h2]
Looking at combat in WARNO in its current form, we weren’t satisfied with the binary aspect of what happens when two units engage each other. The outcome is always the same: either one or the other gets destroyed. Suppression, resistance to it, and the management of units in combat feel too trivial and fleeting.

We want to anchor suppresion at the heart the combat, to emphasize the role it plays on the battlefield. We want to offer more variety when two units meet and be more realistic in the process. Combat should also offer the opportunity to break a unit’s morale instead of just beating the unit to death, rinse, and repeat. Routing a unit should be as much a valid outcome as its complete destruction.



A fresh approach, a more realistic combat system, would offer several benefits over the old format:

• It would make combat more realistic and WARNO as a whole more authentic.
  
• Gives the player a larger margin of error during combat. This allows them to recover units, not simply lose them.
  
• Increase a unit’s Time to Kill (TTK) ratio, thus lowering micro-management and the game's overall pace.
  

[h2]The combat system overhaul in detail[/h2]
So, we went designing. We are still working on the new system, so we can’t give you an exact release date yet. But we can show you how future combat in WARNO will play out. Let’s go through each new element.

Updating suppression and its effects
In the current (old) format, suppression occurs with hits and near misses, but only with HE weapons and munitions, and at a minimal level with AP and HEAT ammunition. We decided to add more heft to the suppression mechanic across the board, especially the latter types of weapons.



This means that after the overhaul, each weapon in-game will still deal suppression, even if the shot is a hit or miss. The level of suppression depends on the munition’s type and caliber, but will be more than in the original form. For instance, one consequence will be that near-misses of AP munitions will directly affect tightly grouped tanks, suppressing several of them if they are packed too close. Better not rely too much on these armored blobs, commander!

Of course, depending on the community's feedback, we will refine and tweak the amount of suppression.

Combat experience: a unit’s ability to endure
Resistance to suppression will be one pillar of a unit’s experience level. The new system will increase this importance. Veterancy level will influence a unit’s resilience to suppression in various ways:

• Better resistance to suppression received (think of it as the “shield” variable).
  
• Faster regeneration to normal state after suppression received.
  
• Better resilience to casualties. For instance, the survivors receive extra suppression if a soldier gets killed in a squad. Veteran and elite soldiers, combat-hardened as they are, will be less affected.
  

The more experienced a unit, the slower it will suffer from suppression, the less affected it will be when receiving damage, and the quicker it will return to a neutral state.

[h2]New unit traits[/h2]
We haven’t finished yet. The new combat system will also include a new feature. We will add traits to units. Steel Division 2 fans might recognize how a similar variant of this system exists in the World War II cousin of WARNO.

When the next patch comes, it will introduce units traits, which should look something like this:

• Special Forces - these are the most experienced of units and receive a bonus to combat situations up and above the Elite veterancy experience level. This means infantry units with this trait will enjoy even more resilience to suppression, increased movement, and faster rates of fire.
  
• Shock - these troops will have the ability to inflict additional suppression on their targets in close-quarter combats (such as urban terrain or woods). This represents the greater emphasis on close combat, including hand-to-hand fighting. Paratroopers and assault engineers will be priority candidates to feature such a trait.
  
• IFV Infantry - soldiers riding into battle with infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) will also get an extra suppression resilience bonus but only as long as they are fighting next to an IFV. These half-squads are pretty small (i.e., the American Bradley’s Fire Teams), and doctrine dictates they fight dismounted and in close coordination with the vehicle that brought them on the battlefield. They receive the bonus if they stick close to an IFV (it doesn’t have to be their own).
  
• Other Traits - We have several other traits in the pipeline, which we hope to talk about in detail in the near future. These include Leader, Military Police, GSR, Indoctrinated, and more.
  

[h2]The list continues[/h2]
We are not done yet! You can expect a couple more changes.

Improving suppression display
We are adding a hit points gauge on the unit label to better display the difference between suppression and physical damage. This will help players see the state of their units at a glance without having to open up the unit’s information panel. The suppression gauge will come with a coloring system, letting you know when the time has come to really move your unit out of harm’s way.

Command unit change
We will also introduce a major change to how to command units work. After the patch, command units don’t have to remain in a capture zone once they have captured it. This change stems from our feeling that the old Wargame: Red Dragon mechanic led to too many cheesy tactics, including the infamous “CV sniping.” In our experience, this is detrimental to the game.

By not having a command unit remain in a command zone, we aim to improve the game by:

• Simplifying the in-game rules.
  
• Removing all micro-management related to watching over, or moving units from, command zones far behind the front line.
  
• Allow more aggressive plays with command units, with players using them as true leader units, boosting the experience level of friendly units in battle.
  
• Giving Command Helicopters, those often overlooked units, a second life. They can be used to quickly capture a zone and move away again.
  

[h2]Before we bid goodbye[/h2]
So, all the above changes are in the works, with most of them completed. They still require additional testing before we are ready to release them into the wild, though. The changes also directly affect the OUDINOT milestone. All need to be in the best state possible before we can share them with you. So, we don’t have a launch date yet - we ask you to remain patient for a bit longer.

Now, the above changes might result in some lively discussions, but keep it civil and play it calm, cool, and collected. We sincerely believe these will make for a better WARNO and a more fun experience for all players, whether new or veteran.

Talk in peace, and leave the actual fighting for the WARNO battlefields, commander!

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commander!