For this latest edition of Frontline News we wanted to give the stage to our recently revealed Austro-Hungarian soldier, and showcase some of the details of his equipment and weaponry we’ve been working on.


Early war officer and squad in Pike-Grey (Hechtgrau)

As is always the case during our development of both Verdun and Tannenberg, we greatly value realism. Not only when it comes to gameplay, but also in visual details of any size. Maps, characters, or gear, we want it all to look authentic. This also holds true in regards to the recently revealed K.u.K. Trooper. And now that our Austro-Hungarian cat is out of the bag, so to speak, we wanted to highlight some of the realistic weapons and gear we have fitted him with.


Late-war squad in Field-Grey (Feldgrau)

Some troopers are wearing the Austrian M1917 helmet. This was a domestically made update to the well-known German M16 helmet, of which the Austro-Hungarian forces initially received 500.000 units. At the end of the war, another 500.000 local versions were added, which differed in colour, chinstrap, and placement of rivets.



Late-war KUK squad Equipment

The M1910 Entrenching tool’s main difference to its predecessor is the pointed tip. By the end of 1915 this model ruled them all, and replaced all previous models in the field. It was so sturdy, some were even reissued to the Wehrmacht in WWII. All shovels came with a carrier and were traditionally carried on the left hip, often strapped together with a bayonet (appropriately called the ‘German manner’). The most commonly encountered bayonet is the M1895 Mannlicher rifle version, which originally came with a black painted scabbard. Some scabbards were repainted however at a later stage of the war.



Close up of in-game backpack

The unofficially named M1888/15 canteen came from different manufacturers, which was only reflected in name and date stamps. When it comes to weapons, Many Steyr-Mannlicher rifles saw use. But as shown by our recent Facebook poll, the M95 is amongst the most popular.


In-game first-person view of inserting an en-bloc clip in the m95

So there you have it. The K.u.K. Trooper in all his glory. What do you think? No, seriously, what do you think? We are always looking for constructive feedback. Everything we have shown so far is work in progress, so we genuinely value your feedback if you feel a certain model could be improved. Thanks and we hope you enjoyed this edition of Frontline News!

And if you can’t get enough of the Steyr-Mannlicher rifles, check out the video’s from C&Rsenal, who helped us with getting the in-game audio sounding as realistic as possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xeeE1E9Wwk
History of the M95

For this latest edition of Frontline News we wanted to give the stage to our recently revealed Austro-Hungarian soldier, and showcase some of the details of his equipment and weaponry we’ve been working on.


Early war officer and squad in Pike-Grey (Hechtgrau)

As is always the case during our development of both Verdun and Tannenberg, we greatly value realism. Not only when it comes to gameplay, but also in visual details of any size. Maps, characters, or gear, we want it all to look authentic. This also holds true in regards to the recently revealed K.u.K. Trooper. And now that our Austro-Hungarian cat is out of the bag, so to speak, we wanted to highlight some of the realistic weapons and gear we have fitted him with.


Late-war squad in Field-Grey (Feldgrau)

Some troopers are wearing the Austrian M1917 helmet. This was a domestically made update to the well-known German M16 helmet, of which the Austro-Hungarian forces initially received 500.000 units. At the end of the war, another 500.000 local versions were added, which differed in colour, chinstrap, and placement of rivets.



Late-war KUK squad Equipment

The M1910 Entrenching tool’s main difference to its predecessor is the pointed tip. By the end of 1915 this model ruled them all, and replaced all previous models in the field. It was so sturdy, some were even reissued to the Wehrmacht in WWII. All shovels came with a carrier and were traditionally carried on the left hip, often strapped together with a bayonet (appropriately called the ‘German manner’). The most commonly encountered bayonet is the M1895 Mannlicher rifle version, which originally came with a black painted scabbard. Some scabbards were repainted however at a later stage of the war.



Close up of in-game backpack

The unofficially named M1888/15 canteen came from different manufacturers, which was only reflected in name and date stamps. When it comes to weapons, Many Steyr-Mannlicher rifles saw use. But as shown by our recent Facebook poll, the M95 is amongst the most popular.


In-game first-person view of inserting an en-bloc clip in the m95

So there you have it. The K.u.K. Trooper in all his glory. What do you think? No, seriously, what do you think? We are always looking for constructive feedback. Everything we have shown so far is work in progress, so we genuinely value your feedback if you feel a certain model could be improved. Thanks and we hope you enjoyed this edition of Frontline News!

And if you can’t get enough of the Steyr-Mannlicher rifles, check out the video’s from C&Rsenal, who helped us with getting the in-game audio sounding as realistic as possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xeeE1E9Wwk
History of the M95

East Prussia Map - Extended Preview



More news from the Front! This latest edition of Frontline News focusses on the East Prussia map, giving you a closer look and inside information. For the occasion level designer Sjors Janssen takes to the stand, to share his experience in recreating this area for Tannenberg:



‘’East Prussia is the first map we developed with Tannenberg's new 32 vs 32 playstyle in mind. Its setting is inspired by the area of northern Poland. What really sets this map apart is the vast amount of forest. The forest offers a lot of variation, with its bordering managed woodlands, meadows, lakes, simple country roads and the odd farm. Following the frontline of the depicted scenario, there are heavily guarded and partially overrun positions of the Central Powers, heavily bombarded sectors with torn up trees, and collapsed trenches.




What's been really new to the development of this map within the 1914-1918 WW1 game series are the open ranges and the scale of the environment. We've spent a lot of time improving the look and feel of the natural environment with the creation of indigenous vegetation and new rendering tech.



We always look closely at the photo sources available from that time, to try and recreate the types of defensive structures that were designed during WW1. What has been really exciting to me personally is our stride to include recognisable elements of local culture close to the front line. We've been careful to select building styles, ways of harvesting grass, livestock, hedges and styles of fencing to provide a more authentic feel to what the cultural landscape would have been like historically.’’ - Sjors Janssen, Level Designer



We hope you enjoy these posts with our personal stories and experiences, from different members within our team. Frontline news will return early next month with a brand new extended preview, focussing on another aspect of our upcoming Tannenberg release.

East Prussia Map - Extended Preview



More news from the Front! This latest edition of Frontline News focusses on the East Prussia map, giving you a closer look and inside information. For the occasion level designer Sjors Janssen takes to the stand, to share his experience in recreating this area for Tannenberg:



‘’East Prussia is the first map we developed with Tannenberg's new 32 vs 32 playstyle in mind. Its setting is inspired by the area of northern Poland. What really sets this map apart is the vast amount of forest. The forest offers a lot of variation, with its bordering managed woodlands, meadows, lakes, simple country roads and the odd farm. Following the frontline of the depicted scenario, there are heavily guarded and partially overrun positions of the Central Powers, heavily bombarded sectors with torn up trees, and collapsed trenches.




What's been really new to the development of this map within the 1914-1918 WW1 game series are the open ranges and the scale of the environment. We've spent a lot of time improving the look and feel of the natural environment with the creation of indigenous vegetation and new rendering tech.



We always look closely at the photo sources available from that time, to try and recreate the types of defensive structures that were designed during WW1. What has been really exciting to me personally is our stride to include recognisable elements of local culture close to the front line. We've been careful to select building styles, ways of harvesting grass, livestock, hedges and styles of fencing to provide a more authentic feel to what the cultural landscape would have been like historically.’’ - Sjors Janssen, Level Designer



We hope you enjoy these posts with our personal stories and experiences, from different members within our team. Frontline news will return early next month with a brand new extended preview, focussing on another aspect of our upcoming Tannenberg release.

Welcome to the first edition of Frontline News! We wanted to include you in some of the hard work going on behind the scenes, by adding personal stories to the content that we share.

Below you’ll find additional intel relating to the two most recent Tannenberg previews that we posted, provided by Jim ‘Volcol’ Chilton, lead artist and newborn YouTube celebrity (thanks to the video video from The Great War)!



German Infantry 1914
Germany entered the Great War in 1914 with a well-equipped and quite substantial force. Able to mobilise up to 4.5 million men (including reserves) in 1914 alone, the German army was a formidable force. The uniforms and equipment in 1914 somewhat mimed the uniform and equipment used in previous conflicts on the European battlefields. Like most armies, the German regular was largely issued with aging equipment – which included often impractical headgear and uniform colour schemes. The famous pickelhaube for example being a common sight on European battlefields for decades. The infantryman shown also has equipped a Gewehr 88 rifle, instead of the Gewehr 98 rifle. The scale of the European armies in WW1 often saw many units equipped with older rifles.

In creating the new artwork, we have drawn from our experiences with Verdun and how our character art techniques have changed down the line. Using a new approach from the start of Tannenberg character creation has enabled us to get much better material definition, with next to no performance impact. The creation of the new artwork has also allowed us to further improve the visuals of the equipment and uniforms, as well as open up doors to more improvements in the foreseeable future.



Mosin 91/07 carbine
Like many nations around the turn of the century, there was an increase in demand for a common weapon design that could be easily converted between infantry and carbine variants. Russia was no exception to this trait, and upon adopting the Mosin Nagant M91 for the Russo/Japanese war, limitations were recognised. Seeing the urgent need for a more compact weapon for machine gun units, sappers or even artillery crews, the carbine was commissioned. With around 300,000-350,000 of the rifles produced, this seemingly high number (enough rifles to equip the British Expeditionary Force at least twice) is dwarfed by the millions of M91 rifles produced.


Coming from Verdun, weapon artwork should also see great improvements with new texture/material processes and game engine upgrades. Audio improvements - with historical accuracy guaranteed by C&Rsenal - and a more accurate representation in animations should help provide a much more immersive experience with the new weapons. The Mosin carbine is already proving to be a formidable weapon in the right hands.

Feel free to join us on Discord , if you want to chat some more about this subject (or any other subject for that matter).

Cheers!

Welcome to the first edition of Frontline News! We wanted to include you in some of the hard work going on behind the scenes, by adding personal stories to the content that we share.

Below you’ll find additional intel relating to the two most recent Tannenberg previews that we posted, provided by Jim ‘Volcol’ Chilton, lead artist and newborn YouTube celebrity (thanks to the video video from The Great War)!



German Infantry 1914
Germany entered the Great War in 1914 with a well-equipped and quite substantial force. Able to mobilise up to 4.5 million men (including reserves) in 1914 alone, the German army was a formidable force. The uniforms and equipment in 1914 somewhat mimed the uniform and equipment used in previous conflicts on the European battlefields. Like most armies, the German regular was largely issued with aging equipment – which included often impractical headgear and uniform colour schemes. The famous pickelhaube for example being a common sight on European battlefields for decades. The infantryman shown also has equipped a Gewehr 88 rifle, instead of the Gewehr 98 rifle. The scale of the European armies in WW1 often saw many units equipped with older rifles.

In creating the new artwork, we have drawn from our experiences with Verdun and how our character art techniques have changed down the line. Using a new approach from the start of Tannenberg character creation has enabled us to get much better material definition, with next to no performance impact. The creation of the new artwork has also allowed us to further improve the visuals of the equipment and uniforms, as well as open up doors to more improvements in the foreseeable future.



Mosin 91/07 carbine
Like many nations around the turn of the century, there was an increase in demand for a common weapon design that could be easily converted between infantry and carbine variants. Russia was no exception to this trait, and upon adopting the Mosin Nagant M91 for the Russo/Japanese war, limitations were recognised. Seeing the urgent need for a more compact weapon for machine gun units, sappers or even artillery crews, the carbine was commissioned. With around 300,000-350,000 of the rifles produced, this seemingly high number (enough rifles to equip the British Expeditionary Force at least twice) is dwarfed by the millions of M91 rifles produced.


Coming from Verdun, weapon artwork should also see great improvements with new texture/material processes and game engine upgrades. Audio improvements - with historical accuracy guaranteed by C&Rsenal - and a more accurate representation in animations should help provide a much more immersive experience with the new weapons. The Mosin carbine is already proving to be a formidable weapon in the right hands.

Feel free to join us on Discord , if you want to chat some more about this subject (or any other subject for that matter).

Cheers!

Experience intense First World War infantry combat on the Eastern Front with the upcoming Tannenberg!

https://youtu.be/sE32n9kUddU

This is a standalone expansion to Verdun, the first realistic World War One FPS. As the second entry in the 1914-1918 WW1 Game Series, Tannenberg will be packed with the same historical accuracy, attention to detail and meticulously designed combat as Verdun, applied to a lesser known but no less intense theater of WW1.



Tannenberg features scenarios inspired by battles from throughout the war, in locations ranging from dark forests near the Russian border to snowy plains and burned villages. This is not the trench warfare of the Western Front! Expect to fight across open fields, and adjust your tactics accordingly. Choose your role from a variety of squads and weapon loadouts, and unlock more as you play!

More details will be released as we get closer to release. Make sure to add Tannenberg to your Steam wishlist now!

Experience intense First World War infantry combat on the Eastern Front with the upcoming Tannenberg!

https://youtu.be/sE32n9kUddU

This is a standalone expansion to Verdun, the first realistic World War One FPS. As the second entry in the 1914-1918 WW1 Game Series, Tannenberg will be packed with the same historical accuracy, attention to detail and meticulously designed combat as Verdun, applied to a lesser known but no less intense theater of WW1.



Tannenberg features scenarios inspired by battles from throughout the war, in locations ranging from dark forests near the Russian border to snowy plains and burned villages. This is not the trench warfare of the Western Front! Expect to fight across open fields, and adjust your tactics accordingly. Choose your role from a variety of squads and weapon loadouts, and unlock more as you play!

More details will be released as we get closer to release. Make sure to add Tannenberg to your Steam wishlist now!