[img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/c6acef26285819f123dd21db8579a6342df6bff6.png[/img] Greetings, Commanders! In a [url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1128860/view/7035276872094648131]recent poll[/url] we've asked you whether you would prefer us to release the Offline Mode as soon as possible, even though campaign progress between playing offline and online is not shared - and most of you said that yes, the sooner, the better. [i][b]You have spoken:[/b][/i] [list] [*] [b]50.2%[/b] voted for releasing the update as soon as possible [*] [b]37.6%[/b] would rather wait with the release until progress sharing is ready [*] [b]12.2%[/b] were fine with either choice [/list] [i][b]And we heard you[/b][/i] - therefore we chose the absolutely fastest way to get the update into your hands; it is now available in an [b]open beta[/b]! Until Monday, October 21, you can try out all the new content and features that the update we dubbed "Steel Rain" will bring; the only part of it not implemented yet is a full set of localization, the beta is available in English, Russian and Ukrainian only, all the other languages will be added for its final release. As usual with our betas, we may prolong it, depending on your participation. We understand that 37.6% is still a significant amount of players who would rather wait - however, for those of you preferring this option, [b]nothing needs to change[/b]; you can continue playing the game always online as you have until now, as the Offline Mode can be switched on and off (more details below). [h2]Why an Open Beta?[/h2] The Steel Rain Update is the biggest addition we've made to Men of War II since launch. There are many new or changed features and content to experience, and even though we have tested it thoroughly, we would still like to get feedback from you, our fans and Men of War enthusiasts, to see if we missed anything that needs to be fixed or improved, before we roll it out for everyone. If you decide to help us and try it out, please let us know what you think about the update either here in the comments, in [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/1128860/discussions/]Steam Discussions[/url], or on the [url=https://discord.com/invite/cEKmM9yUQr]Men of War II Official Discord server[/url]. [h2]How to access the update beta?[/h2] It's very simple, really. Just go to your Steam library and find Men of War II, right click on the title, select Properties => Betas, and in the drop-down menu labelled Beta Participation, select "Beta branch for the Steel Rain update". Your game will update and a new start-up option will appear for you when you run the game: "Play Steel Rain Update Beta.” [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/986edafca28c01e02c55900cde5b1f5f8a45e718.png[/img] You can of course opt out of the beta at any point: just follow the same steps, but pick "None" in the beta selection menu. [h2]What is included in the update?[/h2] [h3]Offline Mode[/h3] The flagship feature of the update, and the one most requested by the community since launch. You can now switch between playing the game online (default setting) and offline; and of course if you start the game up without an Internet connection, it will run in offline mode automatically. Just move your cursor to the cog wheel "Settings" icon in the upper-left corner. There you can also easily see an indicator telling you which version you are playing at the moment - green for online, red for offline. [table equalcells=1] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/91263c8670dd3c3eb35bf24c36cde008c77a9f2c.png[/img][/td] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/c28cc8cdb7b25c958c797b4ee94db0e1c862deb5.png[/img][/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/e0dc7e8a14113c9484fde03aeaa4325d47509840.png[/img][/td] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/0893f7e9501660822c3483aa4a0d70f70b9f5a16.png[/img][/td] [/tr] [/table] In the Offline Mode, you can play any single-player mission or campaign (including Conquest and Raid), and you have access to setting up a "multiplayer" lobby, for the purposes of playing custom matches with AI bots. You will of course not require to be connected to the Internet to play, and multiplayer functionality will not be available until you switch back to the Online Mode. The online and offline versions of the game are somewhat separated for technical reasons however, and at the moment, the progress you have made in a campaign while playing offline cannot carry over to when you're playing online (and the other way round). We are working on a way to make it possible to share the progress (or import it from one mode to the other), but that will require more time - we will keep you posted. [h3]New Content[/h3] As we have announced previously, the Offline Mode is not the only addition we are making to Men of War II with the Steel Rain Update. There are 8 new units, all focused on the theme of rockets and missile launchers: [table] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/432a4d9a5c60af3a1dc87e949b514c4b0648e02a.jpg[/img][/td] [td][b]BM-8-24[/b] A Soviet MLRS for closer firing support, useful for “Hit and Run” attacks.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/5250d5c379b6ae64aa7f20b9cb86cf0917ff61c3.jpg[/img][/td] [td][b]BM-31-12[/b] A Soviet Tier 6 MLRS. Bigger rockets and more armor. [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/a3393ca82c8e9dcef89e10aa66ea1bc9584500b8.jpg[/img][/td] [td][b]40 WHIZ BANG[/b] An American Tier 6 alternative for Calliope, with slower but deadlier rockets.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/0127ceed2108770472b47a59f012ec3ed4501a2f.jpg[/img][/td] [td][b]T27 Xylophone[/b] An American MLRS with fast reloading speed, for firing support directly on the battlefield.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/626cb63e7be47be219251d25dc305a420b9006d5.jpg[/img][/td] [td][b]T27 Xylophone mounted on GMC[/b] An American truck-mounted MLRS. Two Xylophones, twice the firepower![/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/b9f705e9d47ccaf50c4d70badb1c27242342a99e.jpg[/img][/td] [td][b]T27 mounted on Willys MB[/b] More American "meme jeeps" means more fun![/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/1688b6756ca80530c1ad42f1f5682173124a9792.jpg[/img][/td] [td][b]Wurfrahmen 40[/b] A German MLRS and by many accounts the "most broken unit" from Men of War: Assault Squad 2 makes its debut in Men of War II, in a more balanced state.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/a6b8ea34136b0a9811a5aa0e0ab026d976949bb7.jpg[/img][/td] [td][b]Pz I Ausf B with Wurfrahmen 40[/b] A non-traditional feat of German engineering, but deadly nonetheless.[/td] [/tr] [/table] And to make the best use of the new units, each nation received a new battalion: the 3rd Mortar Regiment. These have zero logistic timers for mortars and Rocket artillery and -50% Battle rank Modifier for Mortar units, and -25% for Rocket Artillery units. [h3]New Gameplay Mechanics[/h3] [list] [*] [b]Added game speed control[/b] in singleplayer; now this feature is available in any game where the player is alone. Including in Conquest, Raids or [b]even a custom lobby with bots[/b]. [*] [b]Added a "turbo mode" in single-player games[/b]; now the simulation of the game world will be calculated as quickly as the computer's performance allows, significantly improving the quality of simulation, especially on powerful PCs. We expect almost everyone to notice a somewhat less “arcadey” feel of the game, however. [*] Added the ability to select Competitive or Realism settings at the start of a single-player game. [*] Added inventory sharing system for looting. A wide range of grenades and ammunition is shared, including disposable grenade launchers (panzerfausts). Items and ammunition are evenly distributed within one hotgroup between infantrymen within a radius of 20 meters from the looting location. [*] Added inventory inspection by guns (a gun can be ordered to inspect a container). [*] Artillery Spotters now give bonuses to mortar fire. The aiming bonus is not as significant as for howitzers, but it opens up new tactical possibilities. [*] Orders to fire on positions now work more ammunition types; you can now order to shell enemy positions with phosphorus, shrapnel, smoke or fragmentation shells, not only high-explosive. [*] Self-propelled mortars M4 and Sdkfz 251/2 received a new type of ammunition - the Illumination Shell. It has a limited range, but reveals the fog of war in a noticeable radius. We hope these units will now become useful as support in your offensive operations. [*] Air defense guns now show the radius of their automatic fire on aircraft highlighted on the minimap. This will allow you to better understand what area the gun covers when choosing a position for it. [*] You can also highlight the return fire radius of any selected unit on the minimap - just press down the "alt" button and look at the minimap. This is especially convenient in realistic battle settings when all guns have a limited fire radius and you need to understand how close you need to get to the front. [/list] [h3]Changes to Multiplayer and Match-making[/h3] [list] [*] We have reworked the [b]display of players in a match-making queue[/b], now a lot of additional information will be displayed - the number of players in different geographical regions, with different MMR ratings, the ratio of different types of battalions being used... [*] [b]Reworked scoring in PVP[/b] - the amount of points for winning and losing will be approximately the same. [*] Updated network library. (improved stability of connection with the server) [/list] [h3]Visual Improvements and New Effects[/h3] [list] [*] [b]A new air refraction effect[/b] - explosions now look more immersive due to the fact that the blast wave displayed in this way corresponds to the spread of damage. A haze of warm air is now visible above a fire. [*] [b]New technology for creating special effects of reactive gases[/b] - now, instead of individual clouds, you can make a stretched trail or a three-dimensional translucent pipe. This makes it possible to achieve a more realistic and detailed effect regardless of the camera position. [*] Improved overlay of blood special effects on different surfaces. [*] Added a more noticeable effect for [b]hitting sandbags[/b] for improved feedback. [*] [b]PBR textures[/b] added to M3A1 Stuart, M4A4 Sherman, Pz I B, Pz III Ausf N, Pz B2, Marder 2, Ot-34, Stug 3F and Dodge WC family of vehicles. [*] Added reflections of particles in water [*] Added shadows on particles [*] Fixed the imposition of shadows from the landscape [*] Reworked settings for reflections and shadows in the game options [*] Added smooth fading of light sources at a distance [*] New piers design on the Port map. [/list] [h3]Sound Effects Improvements[/h3] [list] [*] Transport and armored vehicles have received a new sound scheme and pleasant idle sounds of the engine purr. [*] New sounds of incoming artillery shells - different calibers now have different sounds. [*] Sounds of incoming rocket projectiles have been added. [*] New movement sound for the Sd Kfz 251 family. [*] New sounds of rocket salvos for MLRS. [*] Sounds of opening and closing doors have been added to cars. [*] New sound of the RS-82 missile flight. [*] New sounds for the Willys vehicle family. [*] New sounds for the GMC truck family. [*] New sounds of movement for the T-60 tank. [/list] [h3]Unit Rebalancing[/h3] [list] [*] Willys 50 cal. Combat rating increased from 17 to 20 [*] Flamethrowers. Combat rating decreased from 9 to 6 [*] American riflemen and veteran riflemen. Smoke grenade added. [*] Slugger and Hellcat. Increased unmasking value after firing and the radius of the noise zone that must be left to avoid detection. [*] Stug 3 Ausf B, Sdkfz 251/9 and M8(SPG). Increased accuracy at a distance of up to 70 meters. [*] Regimental guns M1927, M1943, LeIg 18 and recoilless rifle LG-40 - slot capacity increased from 3 to 4 [*] Maxson - combat rating increased from 14 to 21 [*] M16 (Spaag) - combat rating increased from 17 to 24 [*] F-22 gun - reload time increased by 0.5 seconds. [*] Browning M2 (mounted machine gun) - combat rating decreased from 9 to 6 [*] Sdkfz 251/16 Combat rating increased from 25 to 30. [*] USSR M3 APC. Combat rating increased from 39 to 36. [*] USSR M2 APC. Combat rating increased from 50 to 49 (Soviet APCs are cheaper due to the difference in the armament of motorized riflemen). [*] Sdkfz 251 Ausf C APC. Combat rating decreased from 39 to 35. [*] Sdkfz 251/10 APC. Turret rotation speed slightly increased. [*] Sdkfz 221. Accuracy penalty on the move decreased. [*] All rocket launchers. Accuracy penalty when aiming the gun increased. This was done to shift the role of the MLRS from killing single high-priority targets to the artillery preparation gun. [*] Nebelwerfer stationary MLRS - coupling time decreased from 10 to 8 seconds. [*] BS-3 Accuracy at a distance of 120+ meters decreased. [*] The control radius of the wooden and concrete pillboxes has been decreased. Now it is only 5 meters larger than that of a regular house. [*] The control radius of the dugout has been decreased. From 50 to 35 meters. [*] Stormpioners. The discount in the engineer regiment has been reduced from 60% to 20%. [*] The armor of wooden turrets has been reduced so that they can be penetrated more easily by small arms. [/list] [h3]Improvements to the Editor[/h3] [list] [*] Added the ability to customize element texmods in the Folliage brush. [*] Added the ability to load what you have been working on recently (Load Recent) in the map/mission loading window. [*] Added the ability to cover the map with a reference decal in the landscape editor. [*] Reworked the height map panel in the editor [*] Added export / import of the height map with maximum accuracy for working with external programs [/list] [h3]Various Other Improvements and Fixes[/h3] [list] [*] Fixed camera rotation to the cursor when switching to the TPS mod. Now the camera after switching to the TPS mod looks either at the scatter circle or at the course of the vehicle (if there is no weapon). [*] Added selection of the settings module in the mission launch window. Now you do not need to go to the options and forcibly enable or disable the package with realistic settings. [*] Significantly improved fps lock accuracy in settings [*] Added ability to quickly switch between game settings presets [*] Added ability to load .png images with palette [*] Reworked logic for applying packages [*] Increased the maximum number of corpses and vehicle wrecks on the battlefield. [*] Closed a vulnerability that allowed airstrikes to be carried out while flying behind the map. Now the air defense will get the aircraft there too. [*] The circular menu of orders is no longer called for aircraft and supporting infantry (medics/engineers/miners). [*] Fixed a vulnerability allowing infantry to walk through walls using the house entry command. [*] Fixed setting vehicles on fire by penetrating the tracks with Armor-Piercing Incendiary Tracer Rounds. [*] Improved the script for detonating an MLRS where launcher is not armored. If the launcher is loaded and is affected by a shock wave, or a direct hit by a shell occurs, the ammunition will detonate. [*] Fixed the placement of the 5th soldier on the armor of the Sherman M4A1 for tank landing. [*] Fixed a bug due to which smoke grenades of tanks could not be armed on stones. [*] Fixed the effect of the course machine gun on the assault tiger. [*] Fixed problems with the spawning of craters with incorrect textures or lighting for different biomes. [*] Fixed hostile empty houses in the Minsk mission. [*] Increased the starting CP (Command Points) in Special PVE modes. [*] Raid for the USSR. Fixed a bug due to which mission branches were blocked. [*] Medical equipment added to Raid and Conquest campaign technologies. [*] Fixed a number of bugs with daily tasks. [*] Updated league rewards [*] Removed the ability to recall a unit to the rear in missions where there is no way to call them back [/list] Thank you to everyone who has already purchased Men of War II and is fighting in the trenches of World War II with us – let us know what you think about the game by writing a review here on Steam, posting in the [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/1128860/discussions/]Discussions[/url] or chatting with us on the [url=https://discord.com/invite/menofwarii]Men of War II Official Discord server[/url]. Our journey is just beginning, and we can’t wait to share more info and updates with you. As a reminder, if you are experiencing problems with the game and are receiving an error message you are unclear about, we have prepared a troubleshooting guide explaining the most common errors and hints for how to remedy them [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/1128860/discussions/0/4522262398818164349/]here[/url]. [url=https://discord.com/invite/menofwarii][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41550994/a2b8491e3c2576de7a04c8197be3e99334e67e08.png[/img][/url]