Dev Update - Road to Closed Beta 2
Hello everyone!
Since our first beta back in May, we’ve been a bit silent. Well, that’s normal. And that silence ends… today!
We were silent because we’ve been working digesting all the feedback we received from you - thank you for taking a moment to answer our surveys! We converted all that feedback into tons of improvements, fixes, changes and even new content based on what you liked / disliked!
We’re pouring all our efforts into making United 1944 as good as we can make it, and as community-focused as possible. Your input is vital to making United 1944 unique.
That’s why it’s taking us a bit longer than expected to announce our second beta, but rest assured that it’ll be soon, and it’s going to be GREAT!
Below you can see all the work we’ve done so far since our last beta, and all the improvements and changes you’ll be able to find the next time you jump into the frontlines of battle.
[h3]Bootcamp[/h3]
[h3]Map improvements[/h3]
[h3]Weapons[/h3]
[h3]Day-night cycle[/h3]
[h3]3P movement[/h3]
[h3]Team balancing[/h3]
[h3]QoL improvements[/h3]
Oh, and “one more thing”…
We’re excited to announce that we’re investigating a new game mode! This is going to be an alternative to Domination, so players will have two ways to battle. The new game mode prioritizes our “strategy” heart even more. An experience more focused on conquest and defense of bases, where territory control strategy is deeper and requires advanced teamwork. We can’t confirm when the new mode will be ready, but we’re so excited we wanted to share the news with you all!
That’s all for now. We will soon announce the dates of our next beta, where you will have the opportunity to test all of the above, so please stay tuned for updates and make sure to join our Discord and follow us on Twitter to stay updated.
Also, if you still didn’t add UNITED 1944 to your wishlist, remember to do it - that helps us a lot! :)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2152790/UNITED_1944/
On behalf of all the development team, thank you so much for your support. Together, we are about to embark on a truly extraordinary adventure. The second closed beta is the next step in our shared journey, and we can't wait to see what we'll achieve together!
Since our first beta back in May, we’ve been a bit silent. Well, that’s normal. And that silence ends… today!
We were silent because we’ve been working digesting all the feedback we received from you - thank you for taking a moment to answer our surveys! We converted all that feedback into tons of improvements, fixes, changes and even new content based on what you liked / disliked!
We’re pouring all our efforts into making United 1944 as good as we can make it, and as community-focused as possible. Your input is vital to making United 1944 unique.
That’s why it’s taking us a bit longer than expected to announce our second beta, but rest assured that it’ll be soon, and it’s going to be GREAT!
Below you can see all the work we’ve done so far since our last beta, and all the improvements and changes you’ll be able to find the next time you jump into the frontlines of battle.
[h3]Bootcamp[/h3]
- Firstly, we’ve redone the bootcamp. It kinda worked originally, but some mechanics weren’t explained as well as they could. The new bootcamp presents building, skill tree and the game loop in a much clearer way. We want everyone on the frontlines and ready to battle as quickly as possible!
[h3]Map improvements[/h3]
- We’ve made lots of improvements to the Africa map, and you’ll notice an important change in the design when you navigate through its streets. We addressed some level design issues that were affecting team balancing. Basically, the Ally side had a 60% victory ratio. This is normal: balancing maps is a fine art! We have rebuilt about 1/4 of the map.
- But we didn’t stop there! We’ve also been polishing our second map, France, so it can be playable for the 2nd beta. We want to give you the feeling of what fighting after D-Day was like as the Allies and the Axis fought inland in Normandy.
[h3]Weapons[/h3]
- Everybody wanted more weapons. Hence, we’ve added new weapons! The Bren and the Type 99 are part of a new family of weapons, the Light Machine guns or LMGs. That weapon family belongs to the end game alongside the MMGs. This family focuses on offensive capabilities for suppressing enemies or a little bit extra firepower to attack and destroy enemy fortifications, without compromising player mobility. Both weapons have similar layouts, but contrary to popular belief, the Type 99 is not a copy of the Bren, in fact mechanically they do not have anything significantly in common. Both weapons are based on the Czechoslovakian ZB vz. 26. Fun fact: the Japanese were the only nation in WW2 to add a bayonet to a light machine gun, in this case the Type99, which we did not add to the game.
- We got the logical feedback that some weapons were overpowered, and others too weak. After analyzing all the data, we meticulously worked on fine-tuning the controls and responsiveness of the SMG, shotgun and semi auto, aiming to strike an immersive and compelling experience, and making sure all weapons are interesting to play and feel different.
[h3]Day-night cycle[/h3]
- We got a lot of feedback about our day-night cycle. Players loved the idea, but felt our night was too dark. What is this, Resident Evil? We have redone the night code so it adds a cool different atmosphere, but is not obtrusive for players.
[h3]3P movement[/h3]
- While the majority of players were happy with our network performance, we saw reports of players who had trouble following enemies. Therefore, we’ve spent long hours making 3P movement and traversal improvements - that means that you’ll have better tracking of other players when aiming at them.
[h3]Team balancing[/h3]
- Another area of work has been our team balancing system. Balancing a multiplayer game is tricky, especially one with squads and player parties. Beta 1 sometimes could deliver non-optimal team balancing, because the balancing was done as players joined. Now, we have moved to a system where balancing is computed when everyone is ready. This means we have all the information, and can thus guarantee a more balanced session for everyone.
[h3]QoL improvements[/h3]
- We’ve also added the Allied players HP UI so you can easily check on the health of your teammates and run for medical support when needed.
- We’ve implemented a new toxicity system. A well-designed toxicity control system plays a vital role in shaping a healthy and welcoming gaming environment. Hence, by integrating reporting mechanisms, behavioral analysis, and community involvement, we aim to cultivate a culture of respect and inclusivity within United 1944. This, in turn, enhances the overall gaming experience for everyone and ensures that United 1944 remains a source of entertainment, camaraderie, and enjoyment for everyone.
- We’ve implemented international keyboard support to accommodate AZERTY and QWERTZ layouts, to ensure accessibility and usability for users worldwide.
- By popular request, we’ve added voice chat to the main menu, so when you’re in a party you don’t lose communication with your friends and teammates when the game session finishes.
- Needless to say, we’ve worked a lot on bug fixing to make the beta 2 as stable as possible, especially considering that the second beta is going to be much bigger in capacity.
Oh, and “one more thing”…
We’re excited to announce that we’re investigating a new game mode! This is going to be an alternative to Domination, so players will have two ways to battle. The new game mode prioritizes our “strategy” heart even more. An experience more focused on conquest and defense of bases, where territory control strategy is deeper and requires advanced teamwork. We can’t confirm when the new mode will be ready, but we’re so excited we wanted to share the news with you all!
That’s all for now. We will soon announce the dates of our next beta, where you will have the opportunity to test all of the above, so please stay tuned for updates and make sure to join our Discord and follow us on Twitter to stay updated.
Also, if you still didn’t add UNITED 1944 to your wishlist, remember to do it - that helps us a lot! :)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2152790/UNITED_1944/
On behalf of all the development team, thank you so much for your support. Together, we are about to embark on a truly extraordinary adventure. The second closed beta is the next step in our shared journey, and we can't wait to see what we'll achieve together!