Hell Let Loose News

Hey everyone,

Welcome to Developer Briefing #43! This week we’re thrilled to share with you a first look at new gamemode coming to Hell Let Loose!


What is the 'Offensive' gamemode?
The Offensive gamemode is the second to be introduced to Hell Let Loose, and with Warfare will make up the two key game modes that will sit within the Campaign metagame (we’ll explain more about this in the months to come). While Warfare is about two teams attempting to push each other back, Offensive pits one team of attackers against one team of defenders.

We felt that the best way of introducing the Offensive gamemode was with one of the most iconic Offensive battles of World War Two - the US landing at Omaha Beach.

Key features:
Instead of defending a single sector against the enemy team, Defenders will now need to defend two strongpoints per sector line. Should both of the strongpoints in this line be captured, the defenders will need to fall back and defend the new frontline. If they are able to hold the line for 30 minutes, they will win the battle. Once they lose a strongpoint, they won’t be able to retake it. It is important to note that while a player can capture a sector from anywhere inside it in Warfare - in Offensive they must be within the strongpoint.


Win Condition: Attackers:
Must capture all four sector rows before finally capturing one of the enemy’s two HQ strongpoints in the final fifth sector row in order to win the game.

Defenders:
The defending team must stop the attackers from gaining a sector row within the 30 minutes. If they hold the attacker at a row for more than 30 minutes they will be victorious.

Opening Stages Attackers:
On beginning the game, Infantry and Recon units are able to decide their sector of attack. Once they’ve chosen it, they’ll spawn into one of several Higgins boats in that sector and begin the journey to shore. As they reach shore, the ramps will go down and they’ll need to clear them immediately and get straight to cover - be it a sunken obstacle or sandbar. From there, they’ll need to push up to take the first strongpoints in order to progress up to the bluffs.

Armored crews will be able to choose a sector to spawn in much like the Infantry, however the Armored crews won’t spawn on landing craft. Instead they’ll spawn beside their Armored landing craft and will need to scramble to quickly mount up in their tanks before the Germans get to their positions on the bluff. From there, the Armored crews will need to begin shelling the bluffs and suppressing the MG positions in order to protect the first landing wave. Note that the attackers begin the game with 1000 resources.






We’ve studied large numbers of Veterans accounts to recreate the specific mix of armor and infantry that landed on the beach that morning.

Defenders:
On beginning the game, the Defenders have two primary choices as to where they spawn - at front line Garrisons, or at the rear HQ.

Be aware that the Defenders start with 0 resources, and will therefore need to quickly construct resource nodes in order to begin using Commander abilities, artillery and to spawn in vehicles. The reason for this was to emulate both the surprise of being attacked, as well as to balance the ability for attackers to make headway in the first sector row.

We also felt that being shot by a Luchs while you’re in a Higgins boat on your way to shore would not be an enjoyable experience (and that historically the Germans were caught without their armor to assist them at the beaches).

Layout:
Two randomly chosen sectors per row are active. They can be separated by an inactive sector.

Tips:

• We recommend the US Commander begin calling in support on the bluffs in order to screen the initial landing.
  
• We also recommend the Officers to prepare smoke to mask the landing location prior to the ramp dropping.
  

Offensive and Warfare have been designed to be universal and will be available on all Hell Let Loose maps. Over the coming patches and updates, we’ll be introducing layers to existing maps and new maps. For example, Foy will receive both an Offensive German layer (in which the Germans attack and US defend), as well as an Offensive US layer (in which the US attack and the Germans defend). To differentiate these different layers, we’ll be setting them up with different weather and lighting conditions. For example, the Allies may attack at dusk, while the Germans may attack in dense fog. We feel this is a great way to create new experiences in maps that players are already familiar with.

Lastly, please know that we as a team are committed to creating the best experience possible. We’ll be watching for your feedback about the battle on Omaha Beach, as well as the Offensive mode more broadly.


Please note: Offensive Gamemode is the renamed Invasion Gamemode. We felt that “Offensive” was far more accurate in the context of World War Two and would apply to all maps - new and old.


That's it for this week! We'll see you back here next week for another Hell Let Loose developer briefing!

Hey everyone,

Welcome to Developer Briefing #42! This week we’re incredibly excited to share with you more information about our next map coming in Update 3, Omaha Beach!

Playable on both our existing gamemode and the upcoming ‘Offensive Mode’, we’re confident that Omaha beach will be a whole new experience unlike anything else for the Hell Let Loose community…




The beach!

Your battlefield!

Created using archive footage and satellite imagery, you won’t just be playing on a map called Omaha Beach, you will be playing on an accurate recreation of Omaha Beach itself!

100 players will clash on this shore.

Fight to capture or defend the actual emplacements from that historic day.

A potential operating base for the United States or last grasp hold of the beach for the Germans? You decide!

Clash at the crossroads!



In Offensive Mode players on the United States will begin the match at sea in Higgins Boats and be dropped off in waves as they assault the beach defended by players on the German side.

Yes, you read that correctly, we can officially confirm that beach landings via AI controlled Higgins Boats are coming to Hell Let Loose in Update 3!



You wanted beach focused combat and you’re getting it!

Fight high and low along the beach terrain.

Hold the line as the Germans using an extensive system of trenches and bunkers.

Furious CQC will occur once the Americans begin their push into the deeply entrenched German position!

We’ll be sharing exactly how Offensive Mode works in next week’s Developer Briefing, but for now we can tell you that it’s an attack and defend mode involving multiple simultaneously active capture points and a shifting focus across the battlefield as the match progresses.

What does that mean for Omaha? Well if the United States are able to take the beach and its defences they will then have to push past the shore and take the areas beyond the beach as the Germans dig in and attempt to stop the Allied offensive.

Village squares...

Lush fields...

And landmarks!

Omaha Beach and the new Offensive Mode will launch in Update 3 when it arrives in the near future.

Hell will be let loose...


Join us for next week's Developer Briefing when we'll be detailing Offensive Mode!

We'll see you on the beaches...

Hi everyone!

This week Patch 7 is bringing you the first iteration of our progression and commendation system, alongside a bunch of other crash fixes and functionality improvements. We’re very hard at work on Omaha Beach and our new Offensive gamemode that will accompany it.

We deep dived into how our progression and commendation system works in detail HERE.





The progression and commendation system has now been implemented into the game! This is an early iteration of this and we’re sure that we’ll need to balance this further according to community feedback.

During the first few weeks of implementation we’ve restricted the total amount of customisations options available while we make sure the rate of progression is near where we want it. If we can quickly confirm that the rate of progression matches our testing, we’ll start introducing new customisation options for both career level unlocks and role unlocks.

Ultimately, we’ll be continually introducing new customisation options in nearly every patch and update as we progress through Early Access. In addition to this, the customisation options you’ll initially have access to will be more on the vanilla side of things. We’ll be introducing historically accurate but much more visually appealing options for the higher levels as we go (this applies for all three categories of optimisation).

Please note, if we introduce a new customisation option for a level you’ve already unlocked then it will be available to you immediately.




In the near future we will be implementing the Barracks customisation functionality in-game when you go to select your role. This will allow you to change your uniform, character and helmet in a map-appropriate setting. We will also be introducing the ability to change your primary weapon loadout with this addition too.




Fixed:

• Kickstarter/Pre-Order Helmets remain equipped in the Barracks/In-Game after a user disables the DLC.
  
• Kickstarter helmet mouse over info now correctly shows that the Kickstarter helmet is for Captain tier or higher.
  
• We now stop players being able to repeatedly switch teams before they spawn. This is to make “ghosting” much harder to achieve.
  

Fixed:

• Players can still use leadership voice when not part of a Unit if they create and leave a Unit.
  

Fixed:

• Player retains the limited camera rotation from vaulting or climbing by having the map change via RCon or Map Vote whilst mid animation.
  

Fixed:

• Front-end UI headings do not remain highlighted when they are currently selected.
  
• Removed unnecessary kick con on a player’s own name.
  
• Removed unnecessary scroll bar in the 'Common' section for the 'Keybindings' sub-menu.
  
• Faction emblems appeared to be of a low resolution on the Victory screen.
  
• On the scoreboard while in-game, 'next match in 0:00' appears instead of the time remaining in-game.
  
• The Unit UI does not visually update correctly if a player that was kicked on the Deployment Screen joins or creates a Unit.
  

Fixed:

• Swapping a players team via 'Switch Teams Now' and 'Switch Teams On Death' on RCon does not update the players team for leadership VoIP.
  
• Swapping a Commander using RCON "Switch Teams Now" or "Switch Teams On Death" automatically makes them a Commander on the team they were swapped to and causes multiple other major issues.
  

Fixed:

• Soldier customisation appear to not decrease in detail over distance once rendered in by being nearby.
  
• Two US helmets had a noticeable LOD drop off at close range.
  
• Added a tooltip to the score type icons in the tab scoreboard and after round scoreboard.
  

Fixed:

• On Foy, player is able to get stuck within a tree's collision box when approaching while in prone position.
  

• The R667 bunker had incorrect bullet collision.
  
• There is a scarecrow inside a house that had blood particle effects when shot.
  

• Omaha Beach
  
• Offensive Gamemode
  
• Queuing for servers.
  
• Making MG deployment more responsive, fluid and polished.
  
• Total firearms sound overhaul.
  
• Large scale skeletal mesh and vram optimisations.
  

• Continuing HUD and UI updates.
  
• Implementing mocap and making large changes to our TPP animation systems. These will result in a much more natural look and feel.
  
• Our FPP experience - with a focus on gunplay - is being overhauled in a separate branch.
• This is to both match our new TPP look, but also to greatly increase the fluidity of the FPP experience.
  
• Continued optimisations.
  
• Diving (performed by proning while sprinting). This is wrapped up with our FPP overhaul currently.
  
• Bullet penetration.
  
• Map balancing (addition of cover and other features in locations that are either boring or creating a tedious gameplay experience).
  
• Wheeled vehicles.
  
• Three new maps are currently at different stages of development.
  
• Updating all audio and SFX. We’ve been testing reflections and different reverb volumes alongside all new weapon fire and reload sounds.
  

If you’re enjoying Hell Let Loose, you can help us by leaving us a review on Steam.

See you on the frontline!

Hey everyone,

Say hello to Omaha Beach, your next map for Hell Let Loose!

We're doing a full spotlight on the map this week and we're excited to give you a peek at what's coming...



The upcoming ‘Offensive Mode’ will focus combat on the shore front itself, you know what that means...



See you on Thursday for the full briefing!

Hey everyone,

Welcome to Developer Briefing #41! This week we’re sharing a look at the beginnings of our progression system!

When creating the progression system we wanted to make sure it was fair, engaging and rewarding for our players. Our key goals were:

• Allow other players to get a sense of your experience - both generally and specifically per role.
  
• Use it as a way to unlock new customisation options.
  
• A way to reward long-term players, with an emphasis on rewarding all types of play - including non-combat play or great teamwork or atmosphere.
  

Please keep in mind, this is the first iteration of progression. We want to make sure it works as intended and isn’t open to boosting abuse, so we’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the system when it goes live in Patch 7.

Also note, if aspects of the progression system are tested in a live environment and have significant issues (e.g. leveling too fast or too slow) we’re keen to reserve the ability to wipe progress made for all players. However, if no significant changes need to be made once tested in a live environment, we’ll will not seek to wipe. If any wipe does occur, we’ll notify the community in advance.




Progression in Hell Let Loose will have two different paths, ‘Career Progression’ and ‘Role Progression’. What they are and how they work is explained below:



This is your ‘main’ level-up. No matter what role you play you will always be contributing to this score and increasing it.

Total levels: 100

Scoring: Your total experience is derived from your score in-game - with a particular focus on your score at the end of the game.

Your score is made up of the following -

• Combat (destroyed vehicles and killed infantry)
  
• Attack (time spent in enemy controlled territory)
  
• Defence (time spent defending your own territory)
  
• Support (aka non-combat role actions - reviving players, deploying Outposts and Garrisons, dropping ammo etc.)
  

Score is calculated in the following way -

Step 1:

At the conclusion of the game, we take your personal score (500) and add it to your total unit score (2000). This is to represent the unit-based effort and reward players who may have contributed greatly but not had it rewarded (the driver of a tank vs a gunner with 100 kills).

Step 2:

Add points for your time in match.

For each minute you spend in-game, you’ll be awarded 5 experience points (with a total of 450 for a full 90 minute battle). This is to reward the players who stick out the total battle until the very end.

For the sake of example, let’s say you played a full game (2500 + 450 = 2950).

Step 3:

Your current total score Match completion multiplier: Victory +50%, Defeat +25%.

Perhaps the most significant modifier on your experience earned is whether you win or lose. We felt that incentivising total team victory was the most important thing above all. Hell Let Loose is a game of individual moments that make up a much, much larger battle. We also felt that it was important to reward players who lost, but stayed for the whole battle.

For the sake of this example, let’s say you won (2950 + 50% = 4425).

Step 4:

Commend.

After the game, you’ll be presented the scoreboard and have a chance to Commend one other player on your team (you cannot Commend yourself). You can do so by simply clicking the Commend icon next to their name. Commending a player takes their total score and adds another 10% on top of it. A single player can earn up to 5 Commends.

We recommend that you use your Commend to reward:

• A Medic who was running through gunfire to pick you up.
  
• An Officer who communicated well and lead you to victory in gunfights.
  
• A Commander who organised the team and consistently delivered Supplies and Strikes as you needed them.
  
• A new friend made on the front-line
  
• A veteran teaching a new player the ropes
  

Hell Let Loose is about communication, strategy and tactics. We know that if we tried to mechanically reward players for awesome moments of interaction we’d fail miserably, so we’re keen to give you the power to do so.

When designing the exp gaining mechanics for progression we were keen to make sure every role had viable and equal progression options – all you need do is play your role! For example, Medics won’t be at a disadvantage to more kill focused classes and Riflemen can earn exp by having teammates use their ammo box and capturing zones. What we’re saying here is your KDA isn’t the defining driver of exp gain. We’d much prefer you to settle in, chat to your unit and try to win, than attempt to grind out levels.

We also felt it important to reward both victory and defeat, giving those who won the match a larger boon whilst also rewarding those on the opposition who fought until the very end a boost for their valiant last stand and keeping the action going until the match climax.
Please note, leaving midway through a battle will result in only your player score being saved to your progression. You will not receive the end of round bonuses.

TLDR:

Calculation of player score is done at a UNIT LEVEL, this is designed to reward good unit play and those fulfilling the responsibilities of their role.

Winning and losing side both earn match completion bonus, with the amount depending on which side they were on.




Each of the 14 roles in Hell Let Loose has an independent ‘Role Level’. This progression is separate from your Career Level but levels up alongside it.

Total levels: 10 per role
Scoring: Same as Career Level
Further points: As above.
Match completion multiplier: As above.
Note: Takes longer to level up than Career Level.

This progression system is for players to show their experience within a given role, to give the specialists and ‘mains’ a badge of honour to show that they’re experts in a given role.






Both a player’s Career and Role Level as visible in-game on their teammate’s HUD and Scoreboard.
The HUD, when visible, will look like this:

[Player Name] [Player Level][Role Level][Role]


Having both Player and Role Level viewable will mean that players using a role they don’t normally play can still highlight their overall game experience.

The scoreboard, like this:






As you level up in both Career and Role Level, players will unlock new customisation options to show off their veterancy or otherwise use as they see fit.

Note: These cannot be purchased with real world money and are only earnable through gameplay.

The types of customisation rewards players can earn will fall into three categories:

• Helmets
  
• Faces
  
• Body/Uniform
  

When progression first launches we are offering a small amount of new unlocks, primarily winter uniforms for the applicable roles.



This is intentional, before we go all in with the customisation unlocks and add more we want to make sure the progression system is working as intended and not open to boosting/glitching.

The team already have more content lined up on both Career and Role progression trees, we just want to make sure it isn’t open to abuse. In our eyes these cosmetics should be rewarding and hold prestige for those that have earned them.




As mentioned at the start of the briefing, progression is coming in Patch 7 pretty soon. This is the first iteration and we look forward to hearing what you all think when it arrives!

• More customisation options unlocks are coming once we’re happy with the systems performance!
  
• Let us know if progression works for you, or if it doesn’t!
  
• Which role are you going to specialise in first, if any?
  
• If necessary, we can tweak exp values etc!
  

If you’re enjoying Hell Let Loose, you can help us by leaving us a review on Steam.

We’ll see you on the frontline!