Over the months we’ve shown you many new visuals, ranging from the new squads, maps and set pieces, to the new weather system en weapons. But developing Tannenberg, we didn’t just focus on the visuals, taking into account all the small details the 1914-1918 WW1 Game Series is known for. We’re also quite proud of our sound and music. Responsible for the tunes is composer Bart Delissen, who shared some insights with us on the creative process.

When I compose for media, I always force myself to motivate my musical choices from a design perspective and to have a clear concept of what kind of music a given project needs. The audience of Verdun cares a lot about historical accuracy and realism. The people from M2H and Blackmill Studios said they would like to have quotes from WW1 era military marches in the spawn/win/lose stingers for each nationality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0ERxyObaGQ Belgians Squad Anthem

Most of these marches are very brisk, uplifting pieces of music. They wouldn’t instantly fit the tone and atmosphere of Verdun when used ingame. I transcribed those musical quotes to fit into a heavier, darker symphonic sound, reminiscent of the output from classical composers during the war period, who were all traumatized in some way or another. This concept resulted in a dark, modernistic sound that was very suitable for the trailers as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh8hsH9P9xE Alpenjäger Squad Anthem, You Can Find More On Our Channel

For Tannenberg, we didn't only translate the voice acting scripts into Russian & Hungarian, but the entire musical language and atmosphere as well. We wanted to give Tannenberg more musical weight, so the musical and orchestral material is more extensive. I listened to Eastern European war songs, Orthodox hymns and the music of the great Russian composers from the late tsarist era. These three elements have brought me to write the main theme to Tannenberg, where I wanted the horns to sound like a big threatening bell, to be followed by a soaring choir melody that would reflect both hope and misery of the Cossacks in battle.



All Hallows’ Eve isn’t just about scares and candy, there are also some great deals to be found. Joining the festivities is Verdun, which is available on Steam during Halloween at a 50% discount! And the horrors of war will also be reflected during this time on our channels, so keep an eye out for themed posts!

Over the months we’ve shown you many new visuals, ranging from the new squads, maps and set pieces, to the new weather system en weapons. But developing Tannenberg, we didn’t just focus on the visuals, taking into account all the small details the 1914-1918 WW1 Game Series is known for. We’re also quite proud of our sound and music. Responsible for the tunes is composer Bart Delissen, who shared some insights with us on the creative process.

When I compose for media, I always force myself to motivate my musical choices from a design perspective and to have a clear concept of what kind of music a given project needs. The audience of Verdun cares a lot about historical accuracy and realism. The people from M2H and Blackmill Studios said they would like to have quotes from WW1 era military marches in the spawn/win/lose stingers for each nationality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0ERxyObaGQ Belgians Squad Anthem

Most of these marches are very brisk, uplifting pieces of music. They wouldn’t instantly fit the tone and atmosphere of Verdun when used ingame. I transcribed those musical quotes to fit into a heavier, darker symphonic sound, reminiscent of the output from classical composers during the war period, who were all traumatized in some way or another. This concept resulted in a dark, modernistic sound that was very suitable for the trailers as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh8hsH9P9xE Alpenjäger Squad Anthem, You Can Find More On Our Channel

For Tannenberg, we didn't only translate the voice acting scripts into Russian & Hungarian, but the entire musical language and atmosphere as well. We wanted to give Tannenberg more musical weight, so the musical and orchestral material is more extensive. I listened to Eastern European war songs, Orthodox hymns and the music of the great Russian composers from the late tsarist era. These three elements have brought me to write the main theme to Tannenberg, where I wanted the horns to sound like a big threatening bell, to be followed by a soaring choir melody that would reflect both hope and misery of the Cossacks in battle.



All Hallows’ Eve isn’t just about scares and candy, there are also some great deals to be found. Joining the festivities is Verdun, which is available on Steam during Halloween at a 50% discount! And the horrors of war will also be reflected during this time on our channels, so keep an eye out for themed posts!

With the Early Access release drawing nearer we are still hard work testing the current builds, for which we still need more help. We have already been getting a lot of new testers on board. Recently another group of 1,400 soldiers has been released into Tannenberg so we are picking up speed. But we have more room so if you haven’t already, you can join Tannenberg Alpha Testing using the link below. We do ask you to have at least 20 hours of Verdun playtime. We need experienced soldiers!

Join the Tannenberg Alpha: http://steamcommunity.com/app/633460/discussions/0/2217311444342949200/

Do realize, testing games in such an early state is a delicate matter. We don’t only require your valuable feedback, but also your secrecy. Signing an NDA is a serious matter so please don’t post anything from your Alpha Testing experience. And if you find a bug you’d like us to squash, let us know here:
http://bugs.verdungame.com/forums/4-alpha-testing/

We started things off in June with the first Frontline News, featuring a video the devs did with The Great War on Youtube, with some additional information courtesy of Lead Artist Jim ‘Volcol’ Chilton. Since then we have shared a lot of new in-game action and items with you, showcasing a lot of new assets. A good occasion to get some additional information on the art process, straight from the source!

How have the last month been progressing?
The last few months have (expectedly) been pretty busy. There’s been a lot of finalisation of assets and general little tweaks and edits here and there, to make the scenes, weapons, and characters better before launch. A lot of fixes have been approached based on feedback from the community. There’ll always be improvements going on behind the scene.

Any notable changes in certain models or items that we have only seen in an older state, that you are really proud of?
The weapons have seen a set of new textures created, now with a higher texture resolution. Doubling the texture resolution has allowed for much a much better result, with rifles having much nicer wood stocks, and metals. I’m particularly pleased with the Cyrillic markings on the Russian pieces.


Mosin Carbine and m95 Stutzen example


The maps have some serious set pieces. Do you have personal favourites you would like to put in the spotlight?
The buildings in Poland are some of the first I’ve ever done, and with the aforementioned strict technical limitations (the amount of materials we use being one major performance factor). All In all I’m super pleased with the results. I’ll never think something is perfect, but as an artist it will always be a learning process. I’m really happy with the weapon art I’ve produced also, some of the items were a joy to create but not so much to research.

Which changes in the engine allowed you to do new things with the art and design you are really happy (or surprised) with?
We’ve been keeping up with Unity's 2017 new features with each patch. The art process is pretty standard but in terms of visuals, I’m really pleased with the improvements to environmental effects (not my area). The new fog and weather system works exceptionally well, and can make for a whole different feel from round to round.

Is there a particular part of the higher graphical fidelity you are especially impressed with? Has the new weather system had any effect on creating the art and assets?
The environmental and weather changes haven’t really impacted the art process too much – but have presented a few challenges in getting snow to work well from model to model.

Which of the new units had the most challenging outfits or weapons to model?
Great coats are difficult to approach. We don’t utilise cloth based physics/simulation – so including them in game and getting them to look reasonable is quite frustrating. The characters in general saw a few issues highlighted in previous Tannenberg updates, we’ve since then fixed what we can easily (uniform colouring etc) as well as general improvement. The weapon rigging for the HMG’s was quite a challenge, getting machine gun belts working well for the mounted guns took quite a while to rig.

And which kind of assets in general have been the most challenging to create?
Everything presents its own challenge. I suppose the three areas that have been the biggest challenges for me as of late are the Panzerzug rework – I haven’t done much in the way of vehicle artwork before. The church was also a challenge, given technical limitations and the scale of the asset. Foliage, I had never approached before, so working on new trees (from an existing base) was extremely frustrating and time consuming but rewarding.


Winter trees example

Is there a particular weapon or item you especially enjoyed working on for Tannenberg, as someone genuinely interested in WW1?
Personally I’m really pleased with the Mannlicher m88/90. It was quite a simple item to approach but a really rewarding project and unusual weapon, one that I hadn’t been familiar with until it’s inclusion into Tannenberg.


As the release is getting closer we are able to share more and more inside information, so as always, keep an eye out for upcoming posts and editions of Frontline News. We have more interesting topics coming up!

With the Early Access release drawing nearer we are still hard work testing the current builds, for which we still need more help. We have already been getting a lot of new testers on board. Recently another group of 1,400 soldiers has been released into Tannenberg so we are picking up speed. But we have more room so if you haven’t already, you can join Tannenberg Alpha Testing using the link below. We do ask you to have at least 20 hours of Verdun playtime. We need experienced soldiers!

Join the Tannenberg Alpha: http://steamcommunity.com/app/633460/discussions/0/2217311444342949200/

Do realize, testing games in such an early state is a delicate matter. We don’t only require your valuable feedback, but also your secrecy. Signing an NDA is a serious matter so please don’t post anything from your Alpha Testing experience. And if you find a bug you’d like us to squash, let us know here:
http://bugs.verdungame.com/forums/4-alpha-testing/

We started things off in June with the first Frontline News, featuring a video the devs did with The Great War on Youtube, with some additional information courtesy of Lead Artist Jim ‘Volcol’ Chilton. Since then we have shared a lot of new in-game action and items with you, showcasing a lot of new assets. A good occasion to get some additional information on the art process, straight from the source!

How have the last month been progressing?
The last few months have (expectedly) been pretty busy. There’s been a lot of finalisation of assets and general little tweaks and edits here and there, to make the scenes, weapons, and characters better before launch. A lot of fixes have been approached based on feedback from the community. There’ll always be improvements going on behind the scene.

Any notable changes in certain models or items that we have only seen in an older state, that you are really proud of?
The weapons have seen a set of new textures created, now with a higher texture resolution. Doubling the texture resolution has allowed for much a much better result, with rifles having much nicer wood stocks, and metals. I’m particularly pleased with the Cyrillic markings on the Russian pieces.


Mosin Carbine and m95 Stutzen example


The maps have some serious set pieces. Do you have personal favourites you would like to put in the spotlight?
The buildings in Poland are some of the first I’ve ever done, and with the aforementioned strict technical limitations (the amount of materials we use being one major performance factor). All In all I’m super pleased with the results. I’ll never think something is perfect, but as an artist it will always be a learning process. I’m really happy with the weapon art I’ve produced also, some of the items were a joy to create but not so much to research.

Which changes in the engine allowed you to do new things with the art and design you are really happy (or surprised) with?
We’ve been keeping up with Unity's 2017 new features with each patch. The art process is pretty standard but in terms of visuals, I’m really pleased with the improvements to environmental effects (not my area). The new fog and weather system works exceptionally well, and can make for a whole different feel from round to round.

Is there a particular part of the higher graphical fidelity you are especially impressed with? Has the new weather system had any effect on creating the art and assets?
The environmental and weather changes haven’t really impacted the art process too much – but have presented a few challenges in getting snow to work well from model to model.

Which of the new units had the most challenging outfits or weapons to model?
Great coats are difficult to approach. We don’t utilise cloth based physics/simulation – so including them in game and getting them to look reasonable is quite frustrating. The characters in general saw a few issues highlighted in previous Tannenberg updates, we’ve since then fixed what we can easily (uniform colouring etc) as well as general improvement. The weapon rigging for the HMG’s was quite a challenge, getting machine gun belts working well for the mounted guns took quite a while to rig.

And which kind of assets in general have been the most challenging to create?
Everything presents its own challenge. I suppose the three areas that have been the biggest challenges for me as of late are the Panzerzug rework – I haven’t done much in the way of vehicle artwork before. The church was also a challenge, given technical limitations and the scale of the asset. Foliage, I had never approached before, so working on new trees (from an existing base) was extremely frustrating and time consuming but rewarding.


Winter trees example

Is there a particular weapon or item you especially enjoyed working on for Tannenberg, as someone genuinely interested in WW1?
Personally I’m really pleased with the Mannlicher m88/90. It was quite a simple item to approach but a really rewarding project and unusual weapon, one that I hadn’t been familiar with until it’s inclusion into Tannenberg.


As the release is getting closer we are able to share more and more inside information, so as always, keep an eye out for upcoming posts and editions of Frontline News. We have more interesting topics coming up!

In order to do justice to the different strategies employed on the Eastern Front we have created a brand new game mode for Tannenberg, which reflects the different terrain and movement. Read on for extra information on Maneuver!


Positioning and movement are all important in Maneuver

Positioning obviously plays an extremely important part in military strategy. Enveloping and surrounding your enemy is a tried and tested tactic, cutting them off from their supply line and creating great tactical and strategic advantages. This is also known as Kesselschlacht, or Cauldron Battle for those less versed in German. The Western Front also had its fair share of encounters where this strategy played a role (the famous Von Schlieffen plan used this strategy at a large scale), but on the Eastern Front this was the bread and butter on nearly every occasion. The battle at Tannenberg itself is a prime example for the deployment of this strategy at the Eastern Front. That’s not to say there wasn’t any static fighting of course, but enveloping and surrounding was the backbone of military strategy during the war.


The Von Schlieffen plan, strategic movement at a grand-scale

With Maneuver we combine the strategic nature of the fighting on the Eastern Front that people are familiar with the operational and tactical nature of encounters in those environments. Based on the term Maneuver-warfare, we bring the mindset of trying to envelop your enemies in pockets of resistance to the (64-player) online battlefield.


Knowing the layout of the new maps will go a long way

Outflanking the enemy, capturing important tactical positions around the enemy will yield the players in-game benefits, and will lead to victory faster by cutting them off from their Headquarters. In addition, we wanted to give a more thematic context to capturing certain points, which is why we included signal stations and ammo dumps to further extend the focus on the logistical challenges of war, as one would expect in an RTS rather than FPS scenario.

Tannenberg Alpha

No pressure, but we really want you!

And finally another reminder that the Tannenberg Alpha testing is still going strong. Signing up doesn’t guarantee an invite but we are doing our best, and we’re about to send out a new batch of invites.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIlKCIbNkW7fjrDv2eRWnbtCjP03hF5KEP7vk6XNMfmwXtIw/viewform

Have a good weekend!

In order to do justice to the different strategies employed on the Eastern Front we have created a brand new game mode for Tannenberg, which reflects the different terrain and movement. Read on for extra information on Maneuver!


Positioning and movement are all important in Maneuver

Positioning obviously plays an extremely important part in military strategy. Enveloping and surrounding your enemy is a tried and tested tactic, cutting them off from their supply line and creating great tactical and strategic advantages. This is also known as Kesselschlacht, or Cauldron Battle for those less versed in German. The Western Front also had its fair share of encounters where this strategy played a role (the famous Von Schlieffen plan used this strategy at a large scale), but on the Eastern Front this was the bread and butter on nearly every occasion. The battle at Tannenberg itself is a prime example for the deployment of this strategy at the Eastern Front. That’s not to say there wasn’t any static fighting of course, but enveloping and surrounding was the backbone of military strategy during the war.


The Von Schlieffen plan, strategic movement at a grand-scale

With Maneuver we combine the strategic nature of the fighting on the Eastern Front that people are familiar with the operational and tactical nature of encounters in those environments. Based on the term Maneuver-warfare, we bring the mindset of trying to envelop your enemies in pockets of resistance to the (64-player) online battlefield.


Knowing the layout of the new maps will go a long way

Outflanking the enemy, capturing important tactical positions around the enemy will yield the players in-game benefits, and will lead to victory faster by cutting them off from their Headquarters. In addition, we wanted to give a more thematic context to capturing certain points, which is why we included signal stations and ammo dumps to further extend the focus on the logistical challenges of war, as one would expect in an RTS rather than FPS scenario.

Tannenberg Alpha

No pressure, but we really want you!

And finally another reminder that the Tannenberg Alpha testing is still going strong. Signing up doesn’t guarantee an invite but we are doing our best, and we’re about to send out a new batch of invites.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIlKCIbNkW7fjrDv2eRWnbtCjP03hF5KEP7vk6XNMfmwXtIw/viewform

Have a good weekend!

As the winter draws closer, we’re happy to say it’s time for Frontline News once again. Yesterday saw the exciting announcement that Tannenberg will be launching on November 16th, and also revealed the new 64 player Maneuver game mode - check out the FAQ for more info, and expect a more detailed preview of the Maneuver mode soon.

Today though, we’ll be talking about weather variants for maps and focusing on the Russian Cossack squad. Enjoy!


A fearsome adversary in close quarters.

New Squad: Russian Cossacks
The Cossacks are here! In Tannenberg they serve as the Russian assault squad, with a focus on close combat and taking ground. Although trenches are a rarer sight on the Eastern Front this doesn’t mean that melee weapons and grenades are less valuable. Of course a straight charge across an open field into machine guns isn’t going to end well no matter how sharp your sword is, but the maps in Tannenberg also feature thick forests, buildings and ruins. This is where the Cossack Shaska can give you the edge against opponents with bayonets or entrenching tools. Alternatively, a well placed grenade can take them out from a safer distance.

Before they get in that close, the Cossacks have several primary weapon options, but the most common will be the Dragoon variant of the Mosin-Nagant M1891 rifle. Longer than the carbine version but shorter than the infantry rifle, the Dragoon variant would serve as the base for the later M1891/30 rifle which was the standard issue rifle from 1930 to 1945. Most of the Dragoon rifles would be retooled into M1891/30s.


The Dragoon variant of the Mosin-Nagant used by the Cossacks.

The Shashka, and other weapons
The Cossacks aren’t the only troops in Tannenberg to carry a blade - the image below also shows off the Austrian M61 Sabre (available in one of the loadouts for the K.u.K officer), the Russian M81, and the Shaska itself.


All elegant weapons, but it’s the soldier wielding it who really makes the difference.

Weather conditions may vary
One of the graphical improvements in Tannenberg is a wider range of more atmospheric weather conditions, from summer sunshine to winter snows. The weather won’t change during the playtime of a match, but the range of possibilities will provide variation and some subtle gameplay challenges - spotting enemy soldiers in dark forest undergrowth will be more challenging when there is fog hanging in the air and clouds overhead, while a blanket of snow will make targets stand out more than usual as they cross open fields. As with Verdun, the range of weather options for a map will be appropriate considering the conditions seen during historical battles in the area.


Don’t just take our word for it, see for yourself how much difference the weather makes!

Westie’s Youtube
If you’re looking for a summary of everything we’ve revealed so far, Youtuber Westie did a nice video on Tannenberg where he discusses the preview content we’ve released so far. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNTS2OPrkyY
That’s it for this edition of Frontline News, but we’re already looking forward to seeing your reactions to the next preview. Stay tuned!

As the winter draws closer, we’re happy to say it’s time for Frontline News once again. Yesterday saw the exciting announcement that Tannenberg will be launching on November 16th, and also revealed the new 64 player Maneuver game mode - check out the FAQ for more info, and expect a more detailed preview of the Maneuver mode soon.

Today though, we’ll be talking about weather variants for maps and focusing on the Russian Cossack squad. Enjoy!


A fearsome adversary in close quarters.

New Squad: Russian Cossacks
The Cossacks are here! In Tannenberg they serve as the Russian assault squad, with a focus on close combat and taking ground. Although trenches are a rarer sight on the Eastern Front this doesn’t mean that melee weapons and grenades are less valuable. Of course a straight charge across an open field into machine guns isn’t going to end well no matter how sharp your sword is, but the maps in Tannenberg also feature thick forests, buildings and ruins. This is where the Cossack Shaska can give you the edge against opponents with bayonets or entrenching tools. Alternatively, a well placed grenade can take them out from a safer distance.

Before they get in that close, the Cossacks have several primary weapon options, but the most common will be the Dragoon variant of the Mosin-Nagant M1891 rifle. Longer than the carbine version but shorter than the infantry rifle, the Dragoon variant would serve as the base for the later M1891/30 rifle which was the standard issue rifle from 1930 to 1945. Most of the Dragoon rifles would be retooled into M1891/30s.


The Dragoon variant of the Mosin-Nagant used by the Cossacks.

The Shashka, and other weapons
The Cossacks aren’t the only troops in Tannenberg to carry a blade - the image below also shows off the Austrian M61 Sabre (available in one of the loadouts for the K.u.K officer), the Russian M81, and the Shaska itself.


All elegant weapons, but it’s the soldier wielding it who really makes the difference.

Weather conditions may vary
One of the graphical improvements in Tannenberg is a wider range of more atmospheric weather conditions, from summer sunshine to winter snows. The weather won’t change during the playtime of a match, but the range of possibilities will provide variation and some subtle gameplay challenges - spotting enemy soldiers in dark forest undergrowth will be more challenging when there is fog hanging in the air and clouds overhead, while a blanket of snow will make targets stand out more than usual as they cross open fields. As with Verdun, the range of weather options for a map will be appropriate considering the conditions seen during historical battles in the area.


Don’t just take our word for it, see for yourself how much difference the weather makes!

Westie’s Youtube
If you’re looking for a summary of everything we’ve revealed so far, Youtuber Westie did a nice video on Tannenberg where he discusses the preview content we’ve released so far. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNTS2OPrkyY
That’s it for this edition of Frontline News, but we’re already looking forward to seeing your reactions to the next preview. Stay tuned!

Prepare yourselves for a winter offensive! Tannenberg is going to be released November 16 on Steam Early Access.

Watch the announcement trailer:
https://youtu.be/zL7cEuh4nF8

This will be your chance to experience Tannenberg’s new Maneuver game mode, which sees up to 64 players engage in an unpredictable battle to outflank and encircle enemy positions. Bigger maps, more players and multiple objectives create deep and engaging matches where the tide of battle can turn quickly thanks to smart infiltrations, tenacious defenses, and the occasional last-ditch assault!

Tannenberg is expected to be in Early Access from November 16 until sometime in Q1 2018, and the focus will be on polishing and balance. The price will be $17.99, with a discount for Verdun owners.

Until then, watch this space for more previews and informative Frontline News posts! You can expect a more detailed post on the mechanics of the Maneuver game mode quite soon. If you have other questions, check out the FAQ.

Grab your shashka, wrap up warm, and get ready for battle on November 16!

Prepare yourselves for a winter offensive! Tannenberg is going to be released November 16 on Steam Early Access.

Watch the announcement trailer:
https://youtu.be/zL7cEuh4nF8

This will be your chance to experience Tannenberg’s new Maneuver game mode, which sees up to 64 players engage in an unpredictable battle to outflank and encircle enemy positions. Bigger maps, more players and multiple objectives create deep and engaging matches where the tide of battle can turn quickly thanks to smart infiltrations, tenacious defenses, and the occasional last-ditch assault!

Tannenberg is expected to be in Early Access from November 16 until sometime in Q1 2018, and the focus will be on polishing and balance. The price will be $17.99, with a discount for Verdun owners.

Until then, watch this space for more previews and informative Frontline News posts! You can expect a more detailed post on the mechanics of the Maneuver game mode quite soon. If you have other questions, check out the FAQ.

Grab your shashka, wrap up warm, and get ready for battle on November 16!