Jan 11, 2023

Company of Heroes 2 - John_RE

Objectives & Intent

Welcome to the Company of Heroes 3 Multiplayer Tech Test! This is our last big development push before launch and we’re extremely excited to finally get it into your hands.

Your participation will allow us to prepare for launch by testing our infrastructure on a larger scale. The test also helps us identify new bugs and issues that cannot be caught without having thousands of people playing the game at the same time.

Your feedback during this test is critical. Though the game is essentially ready for launch, your feedback on your experience - everything from faction balance to units to systems and more - will help inform fixes and patches in the first few weeks and months of the game’s life. This will also help us iterate on quality-of-life improvements, feature priorities, future iterations of gameplay elements and content.

Test Objectives

Server load and stability

Match performance - server calls during matches
Logins - server is capable of handling large numbers of player logins
Matchmaking - server can match players quickly and efficiently based on our parameters

Queue testing

We will be changing access to certain game modes during the Multiplayer Tech Test to monitor how the queues work individually. This will vary with the number of players testing at any given point in time and will be communicated in Community Spaces (forums, Discord) and social media.

Client stability & compatibility testing

A large group of players testing the game with different PC set-ups will give us the chance to test a lot more hardware and software configurations than we would ever be able to do with our team. We will be focusing on learning about:

Hardware issues

Software configuration issues
Crashes - We will be monitoring crash reports to ensure CoH3 is optimized for as many configurations as possible. Help us by filling in the Bugsplat report should you get one! Our team reads every single one of these and the more information we get, the better we can understand the issue.

Bug Reporting

With a large group of players, we are going to be able to discover new bugs and issues that we never had the chance to encounter during internal testing. This will help us squash as many critical issues in the launch window as possible. {LINK REMOVED} Be sure to select “Report Feedback or Bug” under “Nature of Enquiry.”

Client and server maintenance & patching

As we plan to support CoH3 for a long time, we are using this test to make sure we are ready to deliver updates and perform maintenance without a hitch. We will be testing this both on the client side (when you need to download a patch through Steam) and on the server side (when the update is deployed via our servers and downloaded in-game).

Available Features

Mission Zero – First time launch tutorial (skippable). Note that there are many tutorials and first-time-user tooltips that will not be present in this test, but you will be able to experience them at launch.
As this test is Multiplayer focused, Tactical Pause will not be available. However, at launch, Tactical Pause will be available in the singleplayer Dynamic Campaign Map in Italy, in the North African Operation, and in singleplayer Skirmish.
Multiplayer Modes & Skirmish vs AI:
1v1
2v2
3v3
4v4
All 4 Launch Factions
US Forces
Wehrmacht
British Forces
Deutsches Afrikakorps
All 12 Launch Battlegroups
US Forces: Airborne, Armored and Special Operations Battlegroups
Wehrmacht: Luftwaffe, Mechanized and Breakthrough Battlegroups
British Forces: Indian Artillery, Armored Support and Air & Sea Battlegroups
Deutsches Afrikakorps: Armored Support, Italian Combined Arms and Italian Infantry Battlegroups
Maps (Note: We will have more multiplayer maps included for launch!)
1v1
Road to Tunis
Twin Beaches
2v2
Pachino Farmlands
Torrente
3v3
Gazala Landing Ground
L'Aquila
4v4
Mignano Gap
Winter Line
Automatch & Custom Games
Victory Point Mode
Annihilation (see note below)

Schedule

Registration
January 4th – January 13th
Playtest registration can be found on the CoH3 Steam store page here.

Multiplayer Tech Test
Wednesday, Jan 11th @ 10am PT to Monday, Jan 16th @ 10am PT

Planned Downtime
January 12th from 1pm PT to 3pm PT
Dependent on player numbers

Backup Downtime
January 13th – 10am PT to 12pm PT
We will only use this downtime if we did not conduct maintenance on January 12th
Dependent on player numbers

Once the planned downtime is complete, we will be providing access to the Annihilation victory condition.

Player Feedback

For those that have been with us since we first revealed Company of Heroes 3, you know we want to hear your feedback and you know we take it seriously. Please share your thoughts and concerns, as that’s how we continue to improve CoH3 in the days ahead.

As a reminder, we won’t be able to make any major design, feature, or gameplay changes before our official launch on February 23rd. However, your feedback will inform future iterations, balance changes and patches in the weeks and months ahead. Our team’s focus for launch will be to squash any newly discovered critical bugs and crashes – anything that’s a showstopper. For example, if your game consistently fails to launch, that is something we need to know about so we can fix it before launch.

You can fill out this survey after you have played the Multiplayer Tech Test to help us continue our work on CoH3! {LINK REMOVED}

You can leave your feedback on the community forums here.
Or on our official Discord: https://discord.gg/companyofheroes

Where to Report Bugs

{LINK REMOVED} Be sure to select “Report Feedback or Bug” under “Nature of Enquiry.”

Should your game crash and you receive a Bugsplat screen, please add as many details as possible in the comment box and click “Send Error Report.” Like we said, our team reads every single Bugsplat report we receive, so please submit them as they help us track and resolve issues!

Known Issues & Bugs

To replay the tutorial mission, you will need to delete your save file under Documents > My Games > Company of Heroes 3 - Playtest
If a user begins a game in a Custom lobby and a player tries to join after that lobby is no longer available, they may encounter a crash.
Twin Beaches has the incorrect territory point income and Victory point count.
Battlegroups may show as pink placeholder boxes after finishing an automatch game.
If a player leaves while a match is loading, there may be an error loading match stats afterwards.
There is a slight chance that if the host of a lobby searches for an automatch game, then fails the search and leaves the party, once they try to rejoin they will not see themselves in the lobby.
If a lobby host selects “Start Match” as a player is changing their Faction selection, they may load into the game with Battlegroups that do not function.
The Smoke Launcher ability on the Panzer III cannot be used more than once.
When certain units pick up a team weapon from a different faction, they may use that unit’s voice lines.
White Phosphorus tracer rounds have the wrong color.
The 251 Medium Carrier is missing a voiceline to indicate when Auto-Reinforce is enabled or disabled.
Stuka Anti-Tank Loiter ability is not functioning as intended.
All Loiter abilities are targeting units in a larger area of effect than intended.
Constructing and repairing may cause certain units to t-pose.
Text chat box may get wider than intended when typing long messages.
Wehrmacht Sniper is missing Veterancy descriptions.

FAQ

How do I sign up for the Multiplayer Tech Test?
Visit the official Company of Heroes 3 Steam store page here and scroll down to this prompt.

Click “Request Access” - if it is before the test has begun on January 11th, you will be notified that you have been registered. Once the test begins, we will be providing access to all players. The test will not be restricted or limited in any way to anyone that has registered. After the test is live on January 11th, if you have clicked “Request Access,” you should now have a prompt to download the test.

I've requested access but I can't seem to play or can't find the game?
If you've followed the steps above, the game should be in your Steam library. Open your library and search for Company of Heroes 3 - Multiplayer Tech Test.

Do I need to pre-order Company of Heroes 3 to access the Multiplayer Tech Test?
No. The Multiplayer Tech Test will be available for free to any Steam user that wishes to have access. Request access and download the test using the steps above.

Are you limiting access to the Multiplayer Tech Test?
No. You don’t need to “stand in line” or wait your turn to get access. All players who have requested access will be granted it once the test begins on January 11th. We may be limiting modes as we test our servers (outlined above under Queue Testing), but we will not limit player access.

How long is the Multiplayer Tech Test running for?
The Multiplayer Tech Test will begin on Wednesday, January 11th at 10am PT and will close on Monday, January 16th at 10am PT.

How do I report a bug?
{LINK REMOVED} Be sure to select “Report Feedback or Bug” under “Nature of Enquiry.”

Where can I leave feedback?
You can leave us feedback on our official forums here.
You can also join the discussion or look for teammates on our official Discord server here: https://discord.gg/companyofheroes

How can I get help with a technical issue?
You can view our knowledge portal here.
You can also submit a ticket to {LINK REMOVED}

Will the Multiplayer Tech Test support WASD camera control or customizable keys?
Yes, full WASD camera controls will be available, along with the ability to customize keys.

Will the Multiplayer Tech Test support localization in other languages?
No, but all localization will be available for launch on February 23rd. You can find the list of all supported languages on our Steam page.

What are the minimum and recommended hardware specifications for CoH3?

Minimum:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel i5 6th-gen or AMD Ryzen desktop processor with 4 cores @3GHz, or equivalent performance
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950, AMD Radeon R9 370, or equivalent performance
Storage: 40 GB available space

Recommended:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel i7 8th-gen or AMD Ryzen desktop processor with 8 cores @ 3GHz or equivalent performance
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, AMD Radeon RX 5600, or equivalent performance
Storage: 40 GB available space

If you're still reading this, we thank you for being a dedicated Company of Heroes player and helping us to make the best game possible! See you on January 11th!

Follow us on your social channel of choice for Company of Heroes news, memes & tech test instructions:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube

Jan 11, 2023

Winter Survival: Prologue release date is set! ❄️

Winter Survival: Prologue - Sewek

Hey, survivors! 👋

It’s been a while since we shared some details about Winter Survival. First of all, we’d like to thank you for being patient. We’re thrilled that many of you out there cannot wait to experience our brand-new game. Having said that, we’ve been working hard to further improve the game, and thus, shed some light about it!

As you probably guessed by reading the title of this announcement, Winter Survival: Prologue has a release date, and it’s sooner than you might think. The Prologue will be available for you to try on February 6th, 2023, as a part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest event. We hope that you’re as excited as we’re right now, and we cannot wait to see what your experience with the Prologue is.

What is more, we’re constantly gathering feedback regarding the current stage of the game, so as soon as the Prologue is live, feel free to send it to us so we can prepare the game for the Early Access release even better.

Key features of the Winter Survival: Prologue:

Story-driven experience – a mix of story-driven, fully narrated content with key survival features for you to discover
A unique sanity system – you’re just a regular person - wild animals and darkness scare you. Push yourself too hard, don’t sleep enough, and bad things will happen… Want to survive, free from insanity? Learn to take better care of yourself. Or maybe you’re looking for a challenge? Let the madness inside then and let it rule your mind. See how far you can go before you break.
Stealth is your best friend – every animal has a range of hearing and sight, so pay attention to stay out of their way. Here, you are the prey, and the best thing you can do is avoid everything that wants to eat you.
Expect the unexpected – The winter will chill you to the bone. So do everything you can to survive on your long and cold journey home. This is nature at its deadliest – the culmination of its forces against you.
The Wilderness – remember that during your journey back home, you will encounter a variety of different animals. Some of them are harmless, but some will do everything to tear you apart.

However, that is not the end of surprises! We've prepared a fresh set of screenshots for you, so check them out below. Please keep in mind that it's still work-in-progress, and some of the things that you see below might still be a subject to change.

That’s it for today, survivors! We cannot wait to see you on February 6th, 2023! 🔥Remember to follow us on social media channels so you can stay up-to-date with any news. Last but not least, you can add the Winter Survival: Prologue to your wishlist so you will be notified when the game launches. 🐻‍

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175210/Winter_Survival_Prologue/

Winter Survival Facebook
Winter Survival Twitter
Join our official Discord server

Jan 11, 2023

Multiplayer Tech Test

Company of Heroes 3 - John_RE

Objectives & Intent

Test Objectives

Server load and stability

Match performance - server calls during matches
Logins - server is capable of handling large numbers of player logins
Matchmaking - server can match players quickly and efficiently based on our parameters

Queue testing

Client stability & compatibility testing

Hardware issues

Bug Reporting

Client and server maintenance & patching

Available Features

Mission Zero – First time launch tutorial (skippable). Note that there are many tutorials and first-time-user tooltips that will not be present in this test, but you will be able to experience them at launch.
As this test is Multiplayer focused, Tactical Pause will not be available. However, at launch, Tactical Pause will be available in the singleplayer Dynamic Campaign Map in Italy, in the North African Operation, and in singleplayer Skirmish.
Multiplayer Modes & Skirmish vs AI:
1v1
2v2
3v3
4v4
All 4 Launch Factions
US Forces
Wehrmacht
British Forces
Deutsches Afrikakorps
All 12 Launch Battlegroups
US Forces: Airborne, Armored and Special Operations Battlegroups
Wehrmacht: Luftwaffe, Mechanized and Breakthrough Battlegroups
British Forces: Indian Artillery, Armored Support and Air & Sea Battlegroups
Deutsches Afrikakorps: Armored Support, Italian Combined Arms and Italian Infantry Battlegroups
Maps (Note: We will have more multiplayer maps included for launch!)
1v1
Road to Tunis
Twin Beaches
2v2
Pachino Farmlands
Torrente
3v3
Gazala Landing Ground
L'Aquila
4v4
Mignano Gap
Winter Line
Automatch & Custom Games
Victory Point Mode
Annihilation (see note below)

Schedule

Player Feedback

Where to Report Bugs

Known Issues & Bugs

Sound Quality may be defaulting to Low or Medium in the settings, which can degrade the audio experience. Please ensure your Sound Quality is set to High.
To replay the tutorial mission, you will need to delete your save file under Documents > My Games > Company of Heroes 3 - Playtest
If a user begins a game in a Custom lobby and a player tries to join after that lobby is no longer available, they may encounter a crash.
Twin Beaches has the incorrect territory point income and Victory point count.
Battlegroups may show as pink placeholder boxes after finishing an automatch game.
If a player leaves while a match is loading, there may be an error loading match stats afterwards.
There is a slight chance that if the host of a lobby searches for an automatch game, then fails the search and leaves the party, once they try to rejoin they will not see themselves in the lobby.
If a lobby host selects “Start Match” as a player is changing their Faction selection, they may load into the game with Battlegroups that do not function.
The Smoke Launcher ability on the Panzer III cannot be used more than once.
When certain units pick up a team weapon from a different faction, they may use that unit’s voice lines.
White Phosphorus tracer rounds have the wrong color.
The 251 Medium Carrier is missing a voiceline to indicate when Auto-Reinforce is enabled or disabled.
Stuka Anti-Tank Loiter ability is not functioning as intended.
All Loiter abilities are targeting units in a larger area of effect than intended.
Constructing and repairing may cause certain units to t-pose.
Text chat box may get wider than intended when typing long messages.
Wehrmacht Sniper is missing Veterancy descriptions.
A rendering bug is causing lighting shadow artifacts.
A map bug is causing large patches of terrain to lose its decal dressing.

FAQ

How do I sign up for the Multiplayer Tech Test?
Visit the official Company of Heroes 3 Steam store page here and scroll down to this prompt.

Jan 11, 2023

EVERING Chapter 2 is now available!

EVERING - Vach

The second chapter of EVERING is finally here!

'Echoes from the Circle' delves deeper into the story and characters. You'll discover more about the Legend of the Hero, visit new towns and cities and meet more charismatic characters. This new content increases the game's length by 7-8 hours, which added to Chapter I brings the total to 12-14 hours!

In this chapter Eldar and his companions cross the border of Onnya to reach Yest, where they will meet Laric, an apprentice alchemist who knows more than he seems to. Together they will unravel the mysteries surrounding the Legend of the Hero, although they may catch someone's attention...

But that's not all. We have also made numerous changes in the first chapter to improve the game experience (Remember that these changes do not modify the story):

Second chapter! Added new plot, areas, characters, skills, abilities, dungeons, bosses...

Added the possibility to change the language of the game from the main menu (it is necessary to return to the main menu and restart the game [F5] for the change to take effect)

Increased amount of experience when using skills (Techniques, Spells, Tricks or Recipes) in combat.

Totally renewed Magic system. Magic levels up with each use and new and more powerful magics are unlocked.

Added animations for more status items (Bell, Antidote, Lamp...).

New area magics added (Igno Zona is now called Meteor).

Lue recovers HP when defending.

New item: Catalyst. Increases magic damage temporarily.

New item: Ice bomb. Ice element damage to all enemies.

Added new skill for Eldar in Chapter I: Throw. It causes damage and may confuse the enemy.

Jövla learns new skills (Gambits) when equipping new weapons.

Added a new skill (Gambit) for Jövla in Chapter I: Sharp Instinct, it allows to see the HP, weaknesses and strengths of the enemy.

Calibrated the probability of appearance of enemies with the Seal of The Keeper.

Added the book "Status Effects" which explains the status effects and their cure.

Added controls tutorial.

If you missed any skill or magic, Captain Roglan will teach them to you. Look for him in the Palace gym.

Animations for skills and magics completely revamped.

Added the possibility of running away from the fights against bosses and Breach enemies. For now this doesn't affect the development of the plot.

Improved the system of side quests. It's now possible to accept a side quest even if it has been rejected (Soon it will be possible to consult the active side quests!).

New icons for the stat modifying status effects (Attack, Defense, Agility).

Added Location in the save file.

Added new save points in Chapter I.

Modifications in status and skill icons to make them clearer.

Adjustments in graphics, texts and music.

Other minor adjustments.

As we have already told you, due to the extensive changes to the magic system and translation, it won't be possible to transfer and continue a previous save file. Our intention was always to make it possible to keep and continue saved games but, in order to make a better game, we had to make this difficult decision.

As compensation, we've included a chapter selector when starting a new game. By selecting Chapter II, you will travel directly to the new content, with the most convenient level, equipment, items and skills. It also starts with a brief summary of the events to refresh your memory.

The full version of EVERING will consist of three chapters. Follow us on Twitter to know what is coming and take a look a new locations and features.

We want to keep a close relationship with our community, listening carefully to all the feedback you can give us, as well as bug reports and other errors. You can contact us through our Discord server, Twitter or via email.

Purpure Studio is a 2 people team and, although we put a lot of effort in making sure that there are no bugs, it's likely that there will be some. We want the final version of EVERING to be bug free and we count on you to help us create a better game.

Thanks,

Purpure Studio :)

Jan 11, 2023

Winter Survival: Prologue release date is set! ❄️

Winter Survival - Sewek

Story-driven experience – a mix of story-driven, fully narrated content with key survival features for you to discover
A unique sanity system – you’re just a regular person - wild animals and darkness scare you. Push yourself too hard, don’t sleep enough, and bad things will happen… Want to survive, free from insanity? Learn to take better care of yourself. Or maybe you’re looking for a challenge? Let the madness inside then and let it rule your mind. See how far you can go before you break.
Stealth is your best friend – every animal has a range of hearing and sight, so pay attention to stay out of their way. Here, you are the prey, and the best thing you can do is avoid everything that wants to eat you.
Expect the unexpected – The winter will chill you to the bone. So do everything you can to survive on your long and cold journey home. This is nature at its deadliest – the culmination of its forces against you.
The Wilderness – remember that during your journey back home, you will encounter a variety of different animals. Some of them are harmless, but some will do everything to tear you apart.