Hello, commanders! Today we will explain how Fog of War and the unit spotting/detection system have changed and evolved in Men of War II compared to previous games in the series.

First of all, let's discuss the new Fog of War. At a glance, it may seem the same as before: each unit has its field of vision, but the significant changes become apparent very quickly once you start playing. In the previous Men of War games, an enemy unit would become visible in the Fog of War immediately after each shot. This worked the same way for all units; for example, a towed gun would become visible in the same way as a tank with completely different characteristics.



In Men of War II, we wanted to add an extra layer of tactics and more variability to the visibility mechanics, making infantry, tanks, and artillery gameplay styles even more distinct from one another and giving the units the same tasks to perform on the battlefield as they have in reality - to achieve true "role-playing realism”. And in many ways, this became possible thanks to the new Fog of War.

Units now have different parameters that determine how easily they become visible to the enemy. The number of shots fired before detection differs for all units and even depends on other circumstances as well. In general, one shot from a rifle or mortar in the rear will not result in the unit being detected in the heat of battle, but a shot from a massive gun like the 203mm B-4 is likely to reveal its location. For a unit to become visible, it must make enough "noise". Any shot in the game creates a certain level of noise. The “louder” the noise, the higher the visibility level, and for each unit, this is different. The noise accumulates, which causes intensive shooting to eventually reveal the shooter's location, even coming from a humble Mosin rifle. The noise accumulation is influenced by many factors, including the number of consecutive shots fired, the caliber of the weapon, the amount of weapons firing in a small area, and so on. How it looks, and plays can be explained by the example of playing for the artillery division.


The combat interface displays particular indicators with a lightbulb symbol to make the spotting level control more convenient and informative. They reflect the spotting status of the unit:

1. Nothing. No indicators on the screen. Your unit is invisible to the enemy.


2. A diamond with a translucent green light bulb. You made some noise by firing, but the enemy still couldn’t see you.


3. A diamond with a red light bulb. Your unit is making too much noise and drawing attention to itself. It is still not visible to the enemy, but they now see the characteristic flashes in the Fog of War (we'll explain more about this below).


4. A diamond with red eye. Your unit becomes visible to the enemy in the Fog of War and on the mini-map.

These indicators are displayed directly on the screen in the center at the top and as an icon above the unit. Keep an eye on them; being informed means being prepared!


If you make too much noise and reveal your position, an experienced enemy will try to destroy your unit by calling in bombers, sending in saboteurs, or shelling with artillery.


And here comes the counterattack. We need to change the position as quickly as possible!

In the context of playing as an artillery battalion, this system adds a lot of realism and an unprecedented level of immersion. "Artillery duel" and "Counter-battery warfare" — will not be the main focus of the game, but they are definitely an important part of the game experience in Men of War II.

Earlier, we wrote about flashes in Fog of War when a unit makes enough “noise”. Let's focus on this in more detail now.


This is the transitional stage of the unit. It is still not clearly visible to the enemy, but based on the "noise", its location can be estimated. This happens at a high level of noise when the icon with a red light bulb is displayed above the unit. The higher the noise level during the "red light" - the smaller the area where flashes are displayed, and thus the enemy has a more precise estimate of your unit’s position. It will be easier for the enemy to hit you with “blind fire” from their guns, even if they still don't see the unit on the map.

Alright, but what if a unit is constantly being detected, and every shot sends you into a desperate scramble for its life? Camouflage is here to save the day.

Camouflage is a mechanic unique to the Men of War series. Most units have a special button on their hot bar, with an icon in the form of a branch with leaves - "mask a position with a camouflage net or greenery".


After pressing the button, camouflage bushes and nets begin to be applied over the unit. When the indicator is filled - the unit will be camouflaged.


Camouflage allows you to "dampen" a small part of the noise from the shot, which slows down the increase in the visibility level and makes it reset faster. It also does not allow enemy reconnaissance planes to detect your unit from the air. Even ordinary scouts can only see a camouflaged unit from a shorter distance.


If a unit does not have camouflage, it will be quickly detected by an enemy reconnaissance aircraft.

Bonus fact: one effective means of combating aircraft is anti-aircraft guns, which can be added to the battalion. Or you can use the help of an ally playing for a battalion with air defense specialization. But we recommend putting some distance between your unit and the anti-aircraft gun; otherwise, the aircraft may reach its target before it is hit by air defense.

You can also detect a unit using saboteurs and artillery spotters. They can penetrate enemy territory and remain unnoticed until enemy units discover them. Artillery spotters are one of the special units that are not visible in enemy territory in game modes using the Front Line mechanic. Most of the other units are invisible to the enemy only in your territory (unless they make too much noise and get spotted), but always visible in enemy territory. With their help, you can penetrate the enemy's rear and find the enemy gun hindering your team’s attack.


There they are, and we not only see the enemy gun perfectly but also get a bonus to aiming our artillery thanks to the Spotters’ special ability. All that's left is to take the shot…


The enemy is defeated!

However, the enemy has the opportunity to escape from such a situation. What should you do in their place? Suppose you continue to be fired upon after changing positions, even though you are sitting quietly, and the eye mark (detection) does not go away over time. In that case, someone is following you, a saboteur or an artillery spotter.

At this point, the right decision would be to change position again and call in an infantry squad, which will find the saboteurs and teach them not to spy on other people's guns.

The enemy is not sleeping, and your positions, even in the very rear, are never completely safe. The game has specialized battalions of saboteurs, as well as squads of saboteurs in infantry battalions.

Bonus fact: even ordinary bushes can give camouflage to a unit if you control a soldier or a small gun. So you don't always have to spend time masking them manually when nature can do it for you.

So, today we have learned a little more about the revamped Fog of War mechanics in Men of War II, levels of detection, and how familiar types of troops are revealed in these new conditions. And this is just a tiny part of the gameplay we showed you from the narrow point of view of the huge, unwieldy, but powerful towed guns. For example, this mechanic works differently for infantry and saboteur battalions.

Stay tuned for more news, and soon we will tell you even more about important and exciting innovations in the game, but before that, you can check the new mechanics in the upcoming Open Beta — May 11-15. The process is simple:

• You need to head over to the Men of War II Steam store page where you will have the option to ‘Request Access’ for a ‘Men of War II Playtest’ - you can do so right now and get an e-mail notification once the beta goes live. Otherwise, clicking the button at anytime during the beta will grant you instant access.
• If you have already taken part in the Multiplayer Tech Test, you do not need to sign up again, the ‘Men of War II Playtest’ will simply become available to install/play in your Steam Library once the beta starts.
• Wait and jump into the action on Thursday, May 11.

The open beta will feature a varied selection of multiplayer maps and modes, and implement a number of gameplay changes based on community feedback from March’s multiplayer tech test. But please understand, it is still not a finished game, and even more polish and tweaks will be implemented before release.

Men of War II will be available in 2023. Remember to add the game to your wishlists!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/

And if you want to stay up to date on all news about Men of War II, join the game's official Discord server, and follow Fulqrum Publishing on social media!