CRS and ALL the team members have been more focused that ever! This article give a brief rundown of what the Teams are doing to improve your gaming experience physically and behind the scenes. There is literally too much to discuss in just one article! Along with the Team's synopsis is the introduction to the new "OCS Training Corps" created to streamline new HC applicants, CinC reports, and Squad of the Week! Read the article below...

CRS-Headquarters lit up this week as the CRS Teams push their end of January deadlines. With Several new team members this past month, their contributions have really made a difference! Listed below is a brief synopsis of what the Teams are up to. Please note, these are NOT the extent of what's cooking behind the scenes, nor are they sorted in any specific order of importance.

• Development Team - SNIPER62 - Bug/report/code fixes, hybrid supply, and finalizing the inbound hot-fix (just to name a few).
  
• Operations Team - PILOTMC - Checking on new hardware, and managing WWII Online Colo site
  
• Quality Assurance Team - SCKING - Testing and "breaking things" is their motto (I know a few in-game players who would fit right in hehe). I can attest that this team is very proficient!
  
• Community Dev. Team - SNIPER62 - Updating High Command tool site, updating new billing page (for non-Steam accounts page)
  
• Production Team - HATCH - Updating/creating/audit/testing physical models and terrain.
  
• Game Management - OHM - Monitoring Campaign #159 inside and out - literally
  
• Support Team - DWALIN - Billing and technical support management, live chat management on website
  
• Community Management - BLKHWK8 - Forums, community, and High Command management. Forums have been HOT!!!
  
• Marketing Team - CHIMM - Tutorial videos, and social media content/management.
  
• Biz Dev/Steam Store Manager - ZEBBEEE - Game/business analytics, Steam Store marketing and management

CRS is always looking to expand our Teams. WWII Online thrives off of players stepping up and helping to do more. We have found that many of our best people come from within as they typically have an already existing strong grasp of not only the game but also the depth of our community and its core values! There are many options if you consider joining some of our volunteer programs directly serving the game's operations as either a technical or non-technical person.

Have questions? Ready to help? E-mail here to apply: http://mailto:jobs@corneredrats.com. You can also go to http://www.wwiionline.com/volunteer to see all opportunities.

Steam account owners received an email inviting them to take a survey that will help us better understand their expectations from World War II Online, and point out the differences with our organic community. We are working hard to upgrade the game to a release state, but since our own wishlist is longer than you could imagine, your opinion will help select priorities.
If you own the game on steam (for free, with a DLC or a subscription), if you actively playing or not, please take the survey here.

A new team has been assembled to handle the new OCS (Officer Candidate School) applications. This group will be training applicants for both sides with a unified training to "fast-track" the process. Several squads replied to the Squads wanted for HC article earlier this week, and are going through the process as we speak. High Command teams are always looking for new officers. Join the Allied High Command or the Axis High Command to push your team to VICTORY!

Campaign 159 is today at its 11th day and Axis forces are pushing the lines to the West. Allies request reinforcmens to hold the line and push back East.
Read today'sWorld@war Gazette edition:


Allied Commander in Chief: Hateract:

S! Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied side.

This campaign thus far has put us to the test, and we find ourselves ever on the defensive. We can still turn the situation around. More importantly, these difficulties allow us to sharpen our mettle and to focus on the key points placed in the goals for this campaign before it began. We must maintain and continue our efforts to retain our fellow players through multiple missions and build strong squads and temns in order to combat what some days may feel like impossible odds. In addition to this, we must be creative in finding new ways to defend our territories and take the fight to the enemy, making sure to shake things up and provide the combined arms fun we seek from wwiionline. Hang tough, make friends, and be original! Together we can change the tide!

S!
Hateract, CinC, Allied forces


Axis Commander in Chief: LaFleur

The Axis juggernaut continues after its early gains in the opening week. Our officers and the Axis playerbase have adjusted well to the new supply and equipment environment differentiating armored and infantry brigades, resulting in great action on the ground.

Week 2 began with the Axis threatening the major cities of Brussels and Antwerp in the North while consolidating our positions across the Meuse in the Center and South. Action early in the week saw the Axis push further in the South towards the next major river via Laon, followed by action in the Center pushing as far as Mons and Bavay. The latter part of the week culminated on great victories in Brussels and Antwerp, with the Allies marching in the far north and crossing the bays to occupy the mainland from Breskens east on the shoreline. We have great momentum and our victories have been characterized by great communication and active leadership from our High Command officers.

Also this week the Squad HC program was rolled out to provide squads to nominate up to three officers from their squad for positions within HC that will be placed in a division associated with the squad. This is a great way for your squad to participate in ingame decision making and help coordinate missions with squad objectives. Training of new officers has been streamlined through a Joint Training Command led by our senior Axis Trainers, Coila and Imbrutus. The training process can now be completed in about a week if cadets are available for a few hours of ingame training. We have already had one squad start the process, and we look forward to having more squads take part.

In short, we have had a great Week 2 and our morale and execution have been excellent – let’s keep up the pressure on the Allies going into Week 3!

LaFleur – Axis CinC


Key points

• 20 active members
  
• Active since 6th October 2001
  
• Multinational squad represented in a number of European countries (United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany), and across the globe, (Australia/New Zealand, South America, Canada and The United States).
  
• Allied only
  
• Recruitment: Restricted. Contact them for details

Key personnel

• CO - B2K
  
• XOs – Aunghous, Blkhwk8, Goreblimey, Khbeowuf, Mundagurri, Shorty1, Snort

About “7th AST”
7th AST is one of the game’s oldest and best-known squads, formed in October of 2001. AST concentrate on Combined Arms warfare and are the allied side’s leading units when duking it out tank-to-tank or digging in to defend towns. In a nutshell, these guys are the workhorses of the allied side.

Look for 7th AST whereever the biggest battles are. Contact a recruiter for more information if this sounds like the kind of warfare you love to take part in.

Welcome to our brand new Tutorial Video Series. In this series we will be taking a look at some basics of the WWII Online game play and game mechanics. Even though this series is going to be geared towards the new recruit in WWII Online, hopefully we'll be able to give some tips and tricks that both new and veteran players can use on the battlefield!

We'll be covering various topics throughout this series, but please let us know if there's a topic that you're interested in learning more about!

The first topic we'll be covering is the WWII Online keymapper.

The Keymapper within WWII Online is a very powerful tool that can be very intimidating to a new player or someone who is unfamiliar with it. With the sheer number of infantry and vehicle options in game, opening up the keymapper for the first time can be scary. However, once you learn the basics, you'll be able to fine tune every action in game to exactly the key or controller button that you want. This flexibility makes sure that you can keep every important action that you can take on the battlefield right at your fingertips and ensure your mission is successful!

This video will focus on some options for setting up keys for infantry, but these same actions can be translated to any vehicle or class of vehicles in the keymapper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVVbbkZeD38

If you would like to find default key-maps for any unit in the game or want to learn more about the other actions available in the Keymapper, make sure to check out the YouTube tutorial video and the WWII Online Keymapper Wiki Page.

We hope this information will help you out on the battlefield and we'll see you in the next WWII Online Tutorial Video!

S!

Hello everyone,

Plans for the next roadmap are being discussed and we already agreed that 2019 will see more efforts to reinforce our Steam community and better answer your expectations.

I compiled a list of questions and I invite all of you, active and inactive players, to take this survey. This will help us select priorities, both regarding marketing and game development.

Note that I did read all the answers from the past survey (august 2018) and these new questions will provide us more detailed feedback.

Follow this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HHM32YY

S!
Zebbeee
Steam Community Manager

A lot has been going on behind the scenes! CRS is working on fixes that impact your immediate game play, and tools that help you manage your personal accounts. The previously mentioned hotfix is getting close to its release, and is in the hands of our Quality Assurance Team for testing. Steam Store "live-streams" have been making a huge impact as many new players enter the battle field! Allied and Axis CinC's express their Campaign 159 messages to all players, and WHIPs is featured as our QOTW (Squad of the Week)! Read the full article below...
Steam has opened up new doors, allowing Developers to live stream their games. These streams are shown on the store front page allowing thousands of players to see WWII Online first hand! A lot of questions and peaked interest has resulted in hundreds of new accounts! Keep an eye out for those "green tags" in game and help them experience all that WWII Online has to offer!



 
Our "organic" billing pages are getting a face-lift with a few new features!

As you can see, the new site is more direct and intuitive.



Your .bug reports are always sent to the Quality Assurance Team automatically, but one of the new features is the ability to view your .bug reports for you to reference and follow up on. 



The new site will be available soon!

 
The Gazette had a quick update from SNIPER62 (like he had nothing else to do hehe) and is back in action! Easy "snap shot" of the current Campaign status and interesting facts make this page an invaluable tool for HC Officers and players alike! View the site here.



Our Squad Tools site is not new, but seems to be overlooked by most. Squad management and Top Squad performance from any platform is at YOUR disposal! Just log in to the site here.



 
Hateract - Allied CinC report:

It has been a tough start to the campaign as many expected. The changes to the TOES listing has really changed the way in which we at AHC go about setting up defences and pressing AOs.

I wish to place on record my thanks to everyone on the allied side. You have fought like lions against the odds, and whilst we are on the back foot, I have no doubt that you will continue to give your all for the allied side.

AHC needs YOU. We need officers who are able to lead their fellow players into battle. Join us!

 

LaFleur – Axis CinC report:

The mighty AXIS rolled across its starting position lines late Monday for Campaign 159 (dubbed  the "Hardest Campaign Ever" due to the reconfiguration of Allied and Axis equipment levels more consistent with the historical differences between armored and infantry brigades).  With panzer supply down to a handful of Stugs and 232s in infantry units, and with infantry supply scaled down to size in armored units, this new style of campaigning has certainly been challenging for both players and the OKW.  But as with any new equipment or supply challenge, the key to success is communications and teamwork.  In the last month of Campaign 158, the Axis side really came together and started having and fun working together as a team even more so than in the earlier parts of the map. 

That momentum has clearly carried over to the Campaign 159, as Axis forces pushed back the initial Allied thrust in the Center/ North in the first 24 hours, after which the Axis countered with a blitzkrieg sweep into the South to turn the Allied flank and push them to the Meuse River all the way from Verdun to Stenay in the first 48 hours.  Sustained fighting and excellent teamwork also pushed our lines across the Meuse at numerous bridgeheads in the Center around Namur, Dinant, and Haybes by midweek.

As of Thursday the Axis had firm control over all strategic towns along the Meuse except Sedan, and it was time to focus on the North – Axis forces pushed West along the Sambre river and the towns above it to reach the outskirts of Brussels.  We turned back to the South leading into today, Friday, taking the last Allied stronghold on the Meuse and pushing across to create a zone of control west of the river one or two towns deep along its entire length.  The tireless work and team play of the Axis fighting forces its OKW officers have achieved great gains during the first week of Campaign 159, going from a town ownership ratio of 45/55 in favor of the Allies at the start to having 55% of the towns Axis as of this report.  Having said that, we are still in the early days and this is just Tier 0 – this will likely be a long campaign -  let's make sure we are fighting it on Allied soil from here to the end. Keep up the comms in-game in chat and on Discord and work together so we continue our march westward through the weekend and into the second week!

 


WHite Pudding Suppers - WHIPs

Key points

* 34 active members

* Active since 30th August 2011

* Multinational squad represented in a number of European countries (United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany), and across the globe, (Australia/New Zealand, South America, Canada and The United States).

* AXIS only

* Recruitment: Open to new and current players

Key personnel

* CO - Hastien

* XOs - Eesti, Majes99, Dandare9, Shini, Dwalin, Bb, Ny75, Bierbaer

About "WHIPS"

White Pudding Suppers, one of the AXIS' most prestigious units, have long since developed a reputation for being able to trigger a massive defensive response whenever they arrive to cause trouble. Make no mistake, these guys are extremely good at what they do.

WHIPS are a Spec Ops unit that specialises in both assaults and holding actions at Forward bases, along with airborne and naval raids on enemy facilities. They can often be found operating in close proximity to 12th Royal Lancers and the two squads maintain a

Healthy rivalry as they battle for supremacy in the Points and Map Movement standings. If you see these two squads going head to head, report it to your nearest High Command Officer ASAP as this is likely to be where the battles that change the course of a campaign take place!

Does being a virtual "Spec Ops" operator sound like your cup of tea? Join the WHIPs - You won't regret it!

04 DEC 2018 - 12 JAN 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fuHLpt5T74&feature=youtu.be

• Allies: HATERACT
  
• Axis: LAFLEUR

• 644th Wild Boar Division
  
• 1st Lituanian brigade "Iron Wolves"
  
• Susipartio

• White pudding suffers
  
• 12th Royal Lancers
  
• Feldjager

• Nily5000
  
• Dfire
  
• Mutan250

• Greentag01
  
• Weejocky
  
• Drake1

• Dfire
  
• Smoothie
  
• Delems

• Gretnine
  
• Delems
  
• Dfire

• Dertod
  
• Agave
  
• Eccles

• Grasmaster
  
• Delems
  
• Gretnine

• Smoothie
  
• Weejocky
  
• Simaraudeur

• Weejocky
  
• Covdad
  
• Lutenint

• Bigcatmimi
  
• Jb64
  
• Nily5000

• Base21
  
• Randy59
  
• Aceharts

• Weejocky
  
• Colsmith
  
• Bigcat110

• Canukflf
  
• Rotsechs
  
• Dfire

• Zippy
  
• Executor
  
• Heyden

• Rebel357
  
• Waldojr
  
• Charger186

Check out the stats of the ongoing campaign 159 here:
https://stats.wwiionline.com

Check the state of the fronline on our WORLD@WAR GAZETTE.

Spawn lists are now balanced against equal budgets per tier, and apportioned according to TO&E (Table of Organisation and Equipment) in roughly historical ratios.
The numbers have been adjusted for gameplay and equality in some respects, such as for engineers and sappers. Numbers are ballpark equal in terms of bayonets/dismounted infantry and also pretty much equal in terms of aircraft and naval platforms - reflective of a well-oiled deep supply chain.

CAMPAIGN 159 STARTS TONIGHT (Jan. 14) BETWEEN 7-9PM SERVER TIME!

Some differences will be noted between factions. These represent national characteristics and doctrine, such as the higher ratio of automatic weapons vs bolt-action rifles for the Axis and the greater dependence on infantry tanks for the Allies. What one side may lack in one respect is redressed in another - be it armor thickness, gun caliber, bomb weight, optics or speed - the trick here is to apply teamwork, to use your gear to best effect and to dictate the terms of engagement. Do not expect equality. Expect diversity.

The fundamental change from previous campaigns is the return to differentiated units: armor brigades are more armor heavy, infantry brigades are more infantry and anti-tank heavy than ever. In the air, fighter brigades and bomber brigades are also more pronounced according to their type, with but marginal ground-fighting potential. Naval and HQ units contain a sprinkling of everything for basic sustenance but can not be expected to for hold long against a full brigade.

These changes have been made to increase the WW2 flavor that is unique to this game, to give a whiff of the challenges soldiers faced in the real event. Challenge is what makes gameplay interesting: it is drama and desperation, it is the basis for opportunity and accomplishment.

The decision to separate armor from infantry will - hopefully - lead to more infantry fights, more of that "oh sheet" feeling when the armor arrives and likely some amount of resupply and interdiction going on in the rear. We want intense battles in the towns but we also want engaging gameplay in the hinterlands: low-level recon flights, sneak ambushes, armor duels and company-size armor columns.

The challenge for High Command is to use the armor wisely: the armor brigade is weak on infantry and should not be frittered away in line defense - keep it in reserve and only bring it forward when you really want, or need, to make your presence felt.


In the air
L’Armée de l’Air gets a few Curtiss H-81, whereas the Luftwaffe sees the introduction of the 109-F2 in small numbers. The RAF gets a gaggle of Spits and Hurris - no surprise there.

BEF Armor
The bulk of British armor comprises A13 and Vickers light tanks, with but a few Matildas as blunt and heavy instrument.

German Armor
Plenty PzII, fewer Pz38(t) and PzIII-F core with PzIV-D and Stug3B stiffening. A hard tier that will require Flak 36 and Stuka cooperation for the Heer to survive and prosper. Blitzkrieg in France is a gamble, just like it was!

French Armor
This is the only tier where indigenous French armor has a fighting chance. There’s plenty of cavalry tanks and good supply of B1bis heavy hitters - but the 2-man turrets poses a tactical challenge and speed is not the French’s strong suit. The French tank force was a fearsome instrument in 1940, and it is so here too!

Infantry
German infantry brigades have a slight edge in automatic weapons. A few Pak 38 antitank guns is the ace card, beside the venerable Flak 36. Also, the Sdkfz 251 makes an early debut. For the French, a few Mas40 semiautomatic rifles have found their way into the inventory and they also get some support from R35 infantry tanks. The British infantry brigades have their particular ace: Matilda infantry tanks, produced in considerable numbers and doctrinally attached to the foot-sloggers for support.

We'll get back with more intel on what's in store for tier1 and tier2 as they approach - in the mean time,

Good luck to Allies and Axis forces. Choose your side and enjoy the battle!
-Allied channel: https://discord.gg/37mNNdm
-Axis channel: https://discord.gg/hZySQUR


(and as always, if you find a glaring error do please let us know and we’ll do our best to correct it)

Congratulations to Allies that have won campaign 158 in 6 weeks! Stats will be published soon.

Next campaign starts on Monday 7PM server time.


Map has been set to let axis try to envade England. Will they succeed? Fierce battles over the North sea to be expected!



Choose your side and ask for help:

• Allied channel: https://discord.gg/37mNNdm
  
• Axis channel: https://discord.gg/hZySQUR

Please broadcast your game and share your screenshots!

Enjoy!

S!
Zebbeee

Happy Friday WWII Onliner’s! Today we’ll be discussing an upcoming patch that will fix some issues (DLL, High DPI, Clipping Issues, Vehicle Fixes, etc), and we’ll also cover (very briefly) the patch plan(s) currently on the list. You’ll also be hearing from the Axis and Allied Commander in Chief with the latest news from your side. Let’s jump right into it!


The next patch we have planned will work to fix some issues currently affecting the game. Release date not yet specified but we’re moving tasks to completion right now.

Here are some short notes for what to expect at this time (subject to change):

• Missing DLL: Currently not allowing some Windows users to load the game
  
• High DPI: For higher res displays, this will default their settings to WWIIOL application
  
• Clipping fixes: Several buildings have been tweaked to remove clipping issues
  
• Vehicle fixes:
  
  • Updated SA 37 Gun Crew
    
  • M10 and Achilles turret crew audio fixed
    
  • P38 & P39 Artwork and Gauge update
    
  • Panzer III L & N front viewport fixed
    
  • Update all Churchill internal art (front compartment)
• Country Map Icons: On the game map, we’re using day 1 map icons. Some improvements here.
  
• Mobile Spawn UI Checkbox: Added to AAR page and remembers your last selection

At this time, here’s a review of what releases are currently planned.

• 1.35.16.2 (described above)
  
• Big Terrain Pack (map expansion)
  
• 1.36 Hybrid Supply (Town Garrisons and moveable Divisions)
  
• Maintenance Pack (a series of fixes and improvements)

Get WWII Online for a whole year at less than $11/mo! Go to your account special offers now! Or support the war effort with our DLCs that don’t require any subscription!




Campaign 158 has seen a number of changes in how we play this game. Along with the introduction of a host of new equipment for the allied and axis sides, there has also been changes to the TOE system under which our Brigades and Divisions operate, edging us closer than ever to what can be considered a historical load out.

During the course of this campaign the allied OrBat has been reconfigured and consolidated in concert with WESTY91, our CRS Rep, to provide you with a more solid HC presence, along with the introduction of Goreblimey as a member of my Senior team. My hope is that with this new foundation we can grow, ensuring proper map coverage to ensure you have the supply needed to keep on bringing the fight to the enemy.

As always, High Command spots are open and we encourage everyone to join up and help their fellow players onward. We have many talented and experienced players who are natural leaders in the field and are often seen at the front creating missions and leading their comrades. Be sure to listen to their advice and coordinate with those mission leaders. As a team we can certainly accomplish more than we can playing alone.

It is my hope for the allies in the near future to take renewed effort in organizing our gameplay. A squad of 5, on discord, coordinating can outpace many times their number in effectiveness. If we work together in this regard, we will most certainly see improvement in those hours and days where we find ourselves outnumbered, or facing tough situations in the field. There are a massive variety of tools at our disposal to use, whether it be forums, in game, slack, or more. When these tools are utilized, not only will we see Allied victories, but the strengthening of the Allied community and identity.

Let's do our best to strive on as a group that enjoys our time online together, and our faction not just a game choice, but a place where players enjoy hanging out and building the unique friendships from across the world that only WWIIOL can provide.

Congratulations for a job well done so far, it is truly a pleasure to play alongside you guys. Let's see this campaign through to a well-deserved victory, and look on to further success in future campaigns.


Hateract, CinC, Allied Forces
Join the Allied DISCORD: https://discord.gg/37mNNdm



Axis we are fighting hard in Campaign 158 .We are down to the big push now with allies giving a strong attack , Axis have pushed back before and won the war , now is the time to push back and fight as one . With all the new and exciting things coming to WW2 online the future battles are going to be Great

With all the recent changes that we have seen in WW2 from new planes, new armor, new inf with different loadouts it’s all coming together and with the supply changes coming soon to town based supply its going to make for some intense fighting across the map with all airfields having supply , all navy towns having supply, big changes are on the way and with more supply spread across the map communication will be key to Axis wins , Squads are the Key.With a squad they fight as one , guard what they cap , help cut allied caps as others cap , tank columns, trucks running in ATG’s , Air battles ,Sea battles and the benefits just go on and on

Remember axis that HC is always looking for new members , we now have faster training material , Discord for chat and Slack chat program for PC and smartphone that will keep you in the loop at all times , We have reserve Hc program as well for those who want to fight hard but just help out .

So as we near the last of our factory towns keep fighting and hold the line push back if we can and have Fun but keep fighting to the last cap


Lafleur, CinC, Axis Forces
Join the Axis DISCORD https://discord.gg/hZySQUR



Access to SMGs are unlocked for all free reservists during this weekend. Campaign 158 is about to be won and an "intermission campaign" will start soon until both High Commands have their plan ready for campaign 159.

S!

Salute everyone,

Today we updated our store logo to fit the artwork used both on the organic website, our facebook page and our newsletters.

This picture is part of the original box packaging and does better reflect our passion for WWII History.



If you are an artist and would like to submit proposals for future branding opportunities, or if you want to help out the marketing team, feel free to contact me!

zebbeee@corneredrats.com or add me as a friend

Campaign map on January 9th 2018 6AM EST
https://webmap.wwiionline.com/



USA have entered the war since a few hours with the Sherman Firefly Mk IC.
They are fighting together with french forces to push axis out of Belgium.

They recently liberated Tongeren, Hurtgenwald and Eupen, despite British forces having been pulled back to recover from their heavy losses during the last days.

Axis are holding strong despite the loss of important production factories in the East. A few of their counter-attacks succeeded on Leopoldsburg and Arendonk.

Since the beginning of the campaign 158 on December 4th 2018, Allies have reported 130,515 deaths and Axis 127,168 deaths.
Altogether, WWII Online soldiers have spent 2,736,880 minutes in the battlefield.

Which side will you support in the struggle ? JOIN NOW!
Allied channel https://discord.gg/37mNNdm
Axis channel https://discord.gg/hZySQUR