Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront News

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Hi everyone, we have some progress to tell you about.
We are currently in the final stage of preparation for the next phase. It will consist of a multiplayer test with limited content. The date is to be announced. It will give you a single war stage and a set of maps, and this phase will run for exactly one week. During the week, we will add conquest mode.
Conquest will be available for the closing weekend only. After the weekend, the open beta will end officially.
We will then take your feedback, use it for the quick final polish and prepare Call to Arms: Gates of Hell for release!

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Call to Arms: Gates of Hell is a project in which we have always been in close touch with the community, and the community has given us tremendous support and feedback over the years.
Therefore, the fact that phase 1 of the OBT gave us valuable feedback was no surprise. We were curious how you would comment on the different aspects of gameplay and the associated new dynamics, besides finding glitches.

We took your feedback about improving the logic for tank combat, and decided it should be overhauled. The result includes revised ranges at a gun-by-gun basis, adhering to how effective at longer ranges some guns were compared to each other. We also made sure that different projectiles for the same gun have longer or shorter ranges, depending on how they performed in real life.
We have redesigned our penetration curves to depict the frequent fights (Most WWII fights happened at 700-1200m). At the usual engagement distances in the game, the penetration values will be closer to those, so that the tank vs tank combat relates better to the WWII experiences.

While doing so, we have also taken steps to help reduce and limit farshooting and other exploits which could become a problem in competitive multiplayer.
Long story short; your feedback has been used to improve balance and historical use of each type of cannon, while keeping it as realistic as we can within our game’s design philosophy.


We have made an important design choice with heavy assault guns as well. We're keeping them as direct fire weapons, because that is how they were used in real life.
There is a widespread misconception that support tanks have longer ranges and operate in an indirect manner, but at the same time they used to have a flatter trajectory and accuracy, like direct-fire weapons. The result is that units like the KV-2 or StuH 42 are long range weaponry with ranges superior to that of the big AT guns. In reality, these vehicles were used as direct fire weapons only (there are exceptions like the SU152, which could do both direct and indirect fire).

Therefore, we have re-assigned these kinds of units to fulfill the direct fire role.
In reality, they were used at shorter ranges than other specialised AT guns, and this is how we will implement them in CtA: GoH. New units have been established to cover the gaps left behind by the support gun redesign.

In the future we'd like to add a switch to change between direct and indirect fire for some units. We could improvise it now but we’d rather do it in a proper manner later. It should not just change the gun's characteristics, but also third person behaviour, and AI should be able to change it too depending on range of engagement.


Our Gates of Hell soundscape is reaching the final stages of completion, and recently all small arms sounds were upgraded to the release quality. We took the opportunity to take in some of the feedback about sounds which you guys posted in our Discord server and added other improvements of our own which we decided to add for the immersion factor. For example, in third person you will now hear the bolts sliding, casings being dropped and it will feel like a more engulfing experience.

Subscribers of the open beta will also have noticed additional improvements since the latest update, including matching explosion sounds to the length and feel of the actual effect, added built-in sounds to the human animations (crouching, drinking, etc) and there are more details planned in this regard.

We hope to deliver a project of extraordinary audio quality and consistency. We raise the bar every day, so there will also be sound improvements after the release as we see fit.


We keep updating the game with new and improved models; we’re working on optimization, we’re improving missions and much, much more.

Here is a good example: our new Panther D in the works.

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We also included the 122 mm M1931/37 (A-19) cannon. This Soviet cannon, which although a howitzer-type artillery, had very good anti-tank ballistics and will certainly become a worthy contender to the Tiger’s armour from long range:

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In preparation for the upcoming multiplayer test, we’ve recorded a PvP match with some of the testers. Remember, bots will also be available for everyone during the test and you can host PvE battles as well.

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• We recommend subscribing to the youtube channels we display on our own channel for the near future
  
• Before release, we will start a “meta game” mini-game using our Discord server
• After release, we will start a “mod of the month” competition

That’s it for now, thanks for stopping by and good luck in the open beta!

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Hi everyone, here’s a short update on the beta.
It’s been great to see how people are enjoying CtA: Gates of Hell so far.
We have been working hard to process all the feedback we have received in the past weeks; time to implement a couple of changes.


We’ve worked our rear ends off to sift through all of the reports and clean out some bugs, and now it’s time for you to see the results. This is the changelog for the update that is about to be pushed:

• Added back the 1st soviet campaign mission.
  
• Added mining section at the end of training 2.
  
• Added realistic burst mechanics for weapons (shot amount, delays, zeroing,..). Now weapons adhere to documented practical rates of fire.
  
• Added many new FX, from diesel exhausts to massive HE impacts on objects.
  
• Added new animations.
  
• Added new cursors.
  
• Added sandbag fortifications to vehicles.
  
• Improved gun ranges, accuracies and penetration curves, making farshooting unfeasible.+
  
• Improved training 1.
  
• Improved third person views.
  
• Improved numerous existing animations.
  
• Improved numerous sounds.
  
• Improved shellholes (visual improvements and realistic sizes).
  
• Improved LODing.
  
• Improved interface.
  
• Improved support tanks and standardised them with a direct-fire game logic.
  
• Increased damage taken on soldiers, particularly soldier’s arms.
  
• Increased MG effectiveness at long range.
  
• Increased AT grenades damage, able to break hull of medium and heavy tanks in one grenade, if the explosive charge is strong enough to breach the armor.
  
• Decreased MG accuracy for humans when standing and kneeling.
  
• Decreased regen rate of supply trucks.
  
• Decreased flame particle gravity. Lower/flatter trajectory for flamethrower weapons.
  
• Decreased ammo carried in nebelwerfers from 60 to 30 (more inline with bm13_studebaker).
  
• Decreased slightly human run speeds to make them slower than the mechanised counterparts.
  
• Decreased heat required to set wood buildings on fire.
  
• Decreased durability for tankette tanks with just MG's (t27, panzer1, etc).
  
• Fixed crash on save game.
  
• Fixed crash when currentSelection is gone when a button command comes.
  
• Fixed crash if closing a game while in TPC.
  
• Fixed that now grenade trajectory is not locked as the grenade is being thrown.
  
• Fixed that reload and bolting animations no longer stop/delay: move, change stance or any other orders given by player.
  
• Fixed numerous issues of 3d models, and their game logic.
  
• Fixed some vehicle glitches / suspension / X models / armour
  
• Fixed numerous quality of life issues.
  
• Fixed numerous localization entries.
  
• Fixed some scripts in missions.
  
• Fixed some performance issues.

Depending on your personal settings, your beta game will update automatically, no action from your side is required if you’re already in the open beta.

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So now you know a part of what we’ve been up to. Of course, we are also preparing open beta phase 2. As we said, there will be some news pretty soon, so be sure to catch the news the minute phase 2 is ready. Your best bet to be the first to hear about it is to be on our official Discord server, you can find it HERE.
On Discord, we will be entertaining you with our screenshot competition and a meta game (which will be exclusive to our Discord) for some extra entertainment.


If you want to try our open beta, you still can! Simply subscribe on our store page by hitting the button like in the image below.




That’s it for the moment, let us know what you think in the comments & enjoy the improvements!

Hello everyone, hope you’re all having fun with the beta so far! It’s been a massive success and we got some very useful feedback from you.
We said we would do an update too; here it is, but please keep in mind this is not the start of phase 2.


We are about to update the Open Beta soon and here is what is coming with it:

• The 1st German Campaign Mission: “The Big Prize” which replaces “Absolute Zero”.
  
• Numerous fixes to reported issues
  
• Overhauled the soundscape
  
• A number of new features, including a major new addition we mentioned in last week’s devblog: You can now toggle direct control between the Classic and Third Person modes instantly at any moment. We are sure many of you will enjoy this new feature, so let us explain what this means.

In Gates of Hell, third person mode retains the Fog of War and keeps weapon damages at the same values and similar accuracies as when you are in classic direct control mode. It merely changes the position of the camera for the player. The one gameplay change it does make, is remove the range limitation on weapons. We are working to balance this by reducing weapon accuracy and reducing shell penetration values beyond their intended ranges. In multiplayer, game hosts will have the option to choose which modes can be used, choosing to allow the hybrid system or to restrict it to one of the modes.

The mode toggle in your controls

Beta subscription is still open, if you want to have a good look at Call to Arms: Gates of Hell, subscribe today on our Store page!



If you take part in the test, you should know that for now, only the english version is available. Full localization will be included in the release version, in several languages.

That’s it for now, enjoy the update!

One of the things some people asked about lately was to get more information about our armour and damage model. Today we will explain how our damage model works, what it takes to accomplish such a system, and why we did this.



Let’s start with the question of why we built a new system.
Previous games in the GEM engine, such as Men of War assault Squad 2, feature a highly intertwined and outdated damage system where it has health and RNG combined. Each tank has an amount of durability, which is deteriorated until it breaks. The amount of damage dealt is a multiplier of the penetration or blastwave. So, if you get up close and shoot with a small AT rifle with high penetration, you will deal more damage than a big gun with 10x the shell size, but shooting from far away.
This was absurd, and therefore required the MoW developers to add an additional random chance of breaking the component when pierced. So a big shell had a big chance of breaking or exploding the vehicle. But otherwise, if you were unlucky, it would deal no extra random damage and you were better off with an AT-rifle!
Some players may feel it’s “pseudo-realistic” to fire a 88mm shell at a vehicle and have a random chance of exploding it or a chance it does nothing. While this makes the gameplay more unpredictable and spontaneous, it most certainly is neither realistic nor fit for competitive or calculated gameplay. We absolutely wanted to change this.

Our armour model is very complex yet consistent, so that it benefits those players with intricate knowledge of vehicle warfare and promotes studying the different vehicles, their armour thicknesses, and the position of internal components.
All our vehicle’s components have a set of real hitboxes. Our components are: Chassis, turret(s), gun(s), engine, fuel, ammo rack and transmission. This list is longer than in any conventional RTS game out there, but we want a bigger list of damageable vehicle systems for a more immersive and compelling experience.

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If you pierce any of these components, an amount of damage is dealt to the component. It is possible to damage more than one component with one shot; if you manage to pierce the hull and it still has enough kinetic energy left to pierce the ammo rack, you will deal damage to both. Each component has a certain structural integrity, which is damaged by the penetrations or blasts. When the integrity is depleted, the component may be broken, and then destroyed.

Here is where the system gets realistic and deep: The amount of damage dealt depends on multiple factors. The size of the shell primarily. Does the shell type have fillers which cause internal blastwaves? (APHE will deal more damage than regular AP). The kinetic energy of the shell also has a big impact (if you pierce with more speed and penetration power, there is more energy induced into the internal spalling and speed of shattered fragments, ergo, more damage). Due to the combination of all factors, no two penetrations will deal the same damage. We do not have random damage factors explicitly inserted into the equations, the natural variance of all the factors does that for us.

To add diversity and spontaneity to tank combat, the breakage of certain components may trigger one or another consequence, always consistent with the end result. For example, if you pierce the ammo rack and destroy this component, it will mean there will be an ammunition ignition inside the vehicle which will always lead to its destruction, unless it has no ammo. It may cause an instant explosion, or it may cause a cook-off, or it may cause a very slow cook-off if the amount of ammunition remaining is not very plentiful. Needless to say, you will not cause any of these ammunition ignition events if your shells do not reach the actual ammo rack area. No longer is this a random chance when piercing any part of the hull.

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Both the projectile damage dealt and the structural integrity of the components have mathematical values associated with them, which are not seen by the player. They simply help with consistency and to be able to make the system work in a logical manner. Therefore, we don’t consider them ‘healthbars’, because they are neither visible as a “bar” nor they represent health. They are a “helper” to make things consistent. For example, it takes 2-3 successful penetration shots from a 45mm 20K shell to disable the hull of an enemy Panzer III. If you are shooting at the ammo rack you may get to disable the vehicle with one or two shots. If you shoot APCR which has no HE filler, you will require more shots, but the higher penetration will mean your shots are more likely to penetrate in the first place. If you shoot once at the turret, once at the hull, once somewhere else, you will end up killing the vehicle crew members in the different compartments but not so much actually disabling the vehicle because you’re not focusing your fire. This could be a good tactic for killing the crew and capturing a vehicle!

Next. You destroyed the fuel component. Is it a diesel or a gasoline-powered engine? This will determine a very flammable or less flammable result. One more layer into the system.

All in all. The realistic aspect and detail of our damage model means you can achieve reliable results if you know what you are doing. Another example: you are a german Pak-38 shooting at a soviet T-34. You are an experienced player who knows where the fuel, ammo, transmission and other components are located inside the T-34. You should not shoot at the engine nor fuel area, because it’s a diesel vehicle which has less volatility than a gasoline counterpart. You also have issues shooting at the superstructure, because your shells have a small caliber (50mm) and this, combined with poor normalization in your APCR-shells, have issues against the sloped armour of the T-34. Read about penetration mechanics HERE. You should aim for the hull to disable the vehicle, but you will aim between the second and third roadwheel, because under those wheels there is vertical flat armour and a juicy ammo rack behind the armour.

Which leads us to another topic: do not be hesitant to shoot in between the wheels on the track area. For the first time in GEM2 games, we model our wheels and our track hitboxes accurately. This means you can shoot in between the wheels, and the shot will not be “caught” by the tracks.
Tracks are not the only hitbox accurately modelled. Do you know you can kill an enemy AT-crew member with your sniper by shooting in the aiming holes in the shields?

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As you can see, this system is very deep. Some players may be “concerned” that it always takes around the same amount of shots to take out a tank in the same situation. But the hard reality is, the system is consistent and if you keep aiming at the same spot with the same shell from the same distance, it’s likely that you repeat similar input every time. Just learn how to do it better! We plan to do something in the future to enable people to learn the different vehicles better.

It takes a lot more time to model vehicles this way. But it’s worth it if you know what you are doing!



The crew will not be spared from this armour redesign. The first thing we did was to ensure crew stunning and deaths are conditional to where the penetration happens. Only when being pierced in specific locations of the fighting compartment will specific crew members be likely to die. And the size of shell and the type of ammunition on impact will naturally have an important effect on the crew’s survival chances. What would you rather be subjected to? A high velocity projectile that makes clean holes without splintering and may or may not hit you, or perhaps a HEAT shell causing a jet of superheated plasma and molten metal squirting in all directions?

We introduced a seat replacement mechanism. If your gunner is dead, this is obviously a very important position which you will want covered to regain the fighting abilities immediately. But it will take several seconds for a replacement crew member to retake that seat.



To make the system more manageable, we redesigned our vehicle damage visualization accordingly.
In the vehicle view, it is now possible to see the state of your components. A clear image will tell you your vehicle is fully functional. As it becomes red, it’s becoming unserviceable, because it was damaged from piercing shells or from explosion blastwaves. What we try to represent here is the crew’s assessment of the state of the vehicle: If your vehicle had been damaged, you’d be able to evaluate the functionality state of the systems, but never a quantifiable number which tells you the structural integrity remaining. So we went for the colour-coding. In previous GEM games, one could not tell the state of components, except when they were broken.
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When a component is red, you can repair it. When it is black, it’s destroyed beyond repair, such as a wheel torn off. Tankmen and engineers can repair more quickly than others, but nonetheless any infantry can repair. Repair kits are limited, and you can replenish them with engineering vehicles. It didn’t feel right that you could endlessly repair vehicles with one kit, like on previous games.

Moreover, we also represented minor repairs into the game. If your turret is damaged but still functional, you can repair it and ‘patch’ it up to mint condition. You will, however, still be depleting one repair kit, so you must be cautious. On the other hand, you will have a more survivable vehicle in a better condition when going into combat again, which may give you an extra edge.

So that’s the real story of our damage model. Some people are under the impression our armour model is that of vanilla CtA, or ‘Men of War Assault Squad 2’ or other games in the GEM2 series, but as you have now seen, this is definitely not the case.



Talking about armour systems and tank combat, we have been developing for some time a highly realistic and intricate redesign of 3rd person. Every tank will have realistic gunsights, with realistic zoom (magnifications) to add to the experience.

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You will be able to appreciate how AT guns and dedicated tank destroyers were more suited for precise firing (most of the time) thanks to their superior magnifications. Since we know there are people who like third person and people who like the classic direct control, we made both systems work at the same time, at your convenience, so the player can switch in real-time between his preferred mode. More about this later.

As you can see, we’re working hard for beta phase 2. Stay tuned!

We are very pleased with the results of the Phase 1 of the beta test and we have collected tons of feedback. We are glad you enjoyed the beta even those who had difficulties having the english version only. Do not worry, we will have you covered on the release.

After the weekend we will end phase 1 and start preparing for the next phase very shortly.

Many new features and ideas will be implemented as a result of your feedback. Thanks for making this game even better!