Greetings, Commanders!
The Men of War II Open Beta is back, giving you a chance to check out some of the progress the development team has made. However, showcasing the state of the game and giving you an opportunity to enjoy it are not the only reasons for the Beta - we need to learn what you think of the latest changes and see how the server infrastructure handles them. Thanks your participation, we can make sure the game's launch next year will be a smooth and pleasant experience for everyone!
Therefore we implore you, please, once you have played the Beta, share your thoughts with us here in the comments, in Steam discussions, or better yet, come join the official Men of War II Discord server. There you can not only chat with our team and other fans of the game, but also find team-mates for multiplayer matches or try to take on the Fulqrum Publishing team throughout the Open Beta period.
We cannot stress this enough - your feedback from the previous Beta rounds has been absolutely invaluable. We read all your opinions and suggestions, and each and every single player can impact the final version of the game. We hope the repeated playtests and the changes you could see implemented have proven our dedication to working with our amazing community and making Men of War II as enjoyable for our fans as possible.
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We have previously announced what new content and changes this beta round brings, but to recap:
- There is a new "Officer" PVE game mode, available through the multiplayer lobby. This is a challenging scenario which will test your strategic prowess, as you must skillfully balance offensive and defensive tactics and strive to protect an NPC officer for a given amount of time; if the enemy manages to eliminate him, it's game over.
- To access it, you need to set up a lobby with "PvE" match setup mode, "Special Battle Mode" game mode and "Officer, Witch's Vale" map, as shown on the screenshot below.
- You will be able to play on 4 new multiplayer maps we have not shown before: Witch's Vale, Village, Champagne and Polesie. 6 more will make a repeat appearance: Borovaya, Winter March, Airfield, Suburb, Bazerville and Farmland. We have prepared screenshots of the pivotal locations on the new maps as well:
 New Map - Witch's Vale |
 New Map - Village |
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 New Map - Champagne |
 New Map - Polesie | [/tr]
(click to enlarge)
- We have replaced two of the single-player missions (Ambush and Battle of Coisson - don't worry though, they will of course return with the game's release!) with new ones to grant you a fresh single-player or co-op experience too: In “Convoy”, you get to join the Allied forces as US troops in Normandy, 1944, breaking through a German siege to bring a convoy of desperately needed supplies to allied defenders. In “Through the Snow”, you can take on the role of a Wehrmacht battle group’s vanguard, capturing the high points over a crossroads to cut off Soviet forces from their retreat path.
We are also happy to announce that two of our most requested additions are now included:
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[*] A match-making queue has been implemented for the Classic PVP mode, using the Realism game setting.
[*] Matches played through the Lobby system will now also let you progress by unlocking new battalions and collector's units.
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On top of that, the amazing team at Best Way have managed to improve the quality of both sound and visual effects and at the same time shorten the loading times when starting a match. In terms of graphical fidelity, this upgrade is most noticeable in the quality of lighting effects, reflections, shadows and some models and textures - just check out the screenshots below!
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(click to enlarge)
The Open Beta is live now and will run until November 21:
- You need to head over to the Men of War II Steam page where you have the option to ‘Request Access’ for a ‘Men of War II Playtest’ - this will grant you instant access to download the "Men of War II Playtest" application in your Steam Library.
- If you have already taken part in any of the previous tests, you do not need to sign up again, the ‘Men of War II Playtest’ should already be available to install/play in your Steam Library.
Complete list of Open Beta content
3x PvP Match Setup Mode:
- PvP
- Combined Arms
- Classic
2x Game Settings:
- Competitive
- Realism
4x PvP Mode (also playable against AI bots):
- Front Line
- Assault Zones
- Combat
- Incursion
2x PvE Game Mode:
- Line Defense
- Officer
10x Multiplayer Maps:
- Witch's Vale
- Village
- Champagne
- Polesie
- Borovaya
- Winter March
- Airfield
- Suburb
- Bazerville
- Farmland
3x Single Player / Co-op Missions:
- Towards Freedom
- Convoy
- Through the Snow
Overview of other updates made since the previous round of Beta:
Gameplay Changes:
- "Classic mode" now has its own match-making queue and leaderboards
- Loading times have been shortened
- Allow PVE/lobbies players to complete tasks to gain new battalions and supply points
- Improved vehicle pathfinding
- Multiplayer (PvP with battalions)
- Added leaderboard for Combined Arms
- Added match-making & leaderboard for "Classic" Match Setup
- Balancing changes based on player feedback for "Classic" Match Setup
- Adjustments for "Realism" game setting
- "Realism" game setting - Added HP bars when dealing damage to players’ allied and own infantry units
- "Realism" game setting - No detection of infantry/vehicles on enemy territory
Units
- Added Goliath self propelled mine as a regular unit. Special unit orders for controlling Goliath were added to the engine.
- Added T95 heavy tank destroyer as a collectable unit.
- Added highly requested officers with binoculars as a regular unit.
- Fuel trucks with barrels can now build fuel stations.
- The fuel station should now replenish both vehicles and fuel trucks.
UI Improvements:
- Improved filter in Learn/Units
Sound Improvements:
- Improved sound quality
- Support of stereo sounds playback in 3D
Miscellaneous:
- Updated special effects
- Tons of bug fixes & improvements
If you haven't yet, don't forget to wishlist the game so you don't miss any news and updates, and join the official Men of War II Discord server if you'd like to chat with us and your fellow fans.
We are looking forward to seeing you on the battlefield, Commanders!
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