February is soon over and another month of development is complete. With Operation Two: For King and Country lined up for the next update for Beyond The Wire and only a couple of months away, we’ll take a closer look at some of the progress being made on the project.
The British are coming! The player models for the BEF have been completed and ready to be textured. With new equipment, uniform and clothing we’ll have a complete breakdown of the faction closer to release, but for the moment check out these amazing models!
Work has continued on the fields of battle for Operation Two. With Poelcappelle having been prototyped and now whiteboxed, the dressing of the level has started. This map from the third battle of Ypres will contrast sporadic farm ruins and wide-open no man’s land and will be fought over by the BEF and German Empire.
As the first world war dragged on, the French army began to suffer a shortage of Lebel rifles. To make up for the deficit, a modified version of the colonial 3-round clip-fed Mle 1907 Fusil was produced, with the main difference of being able to mount the standard Lebel pattern bayonet. The new rifle was initially issued to the Foreign Legion and allied countries starting in 1915, later being sent to regular French infantry units and the segregated African-American regiments of the U.S. Army. It was well-liked for its quick reloading en-bloc clips but found lacking for its capacity of only 3 rounds.
A large, bulky, simple, and reliable revolver – the M1883 was adopted shortly after the founding of the German nation to replace percussion handguns still in service from the formerly independent kingdoms. Firing slowly from a single-action trigger, reloading slowly from individual cylinders, and firing a cartridge slightly weaker than a .45 ACP, it was nothing spectacular by the time of the first world war – but still saw some limited service throughout the conflict.
The bayonet for the SMLE will see much action in the trenches of the Western Front, both rifle-attached and in hand-to-hand combat.
The British smoke bomb and grenadehigh poly models below showcase the personal explosives that the BEF forces will be engaging with.
The rifle grenade the Brit's will be employing - this intricate model is finished and awaiting the final touches of development. Standby for the upcoming BEF faction reveal for further detail on the weaponry and equipment that will be coming in Operation Two.
Based on older Maxim gun designs, the new Vickers Mk I was adopted by the British army prior to the war. Despite this, there was only a small handful available at the outset, and the British went to France mostly with older Maxim models in service – the Vickers becoming more common by 1915 and 1916. As the war progressed a variety of mounts were produced, such as for anti-aircraft fire or rapid redeployment, many of which were improvised as well. With its bulky weight and water-cooled design, the weapon could sustain accurate fire for long periods of time, and could even be used in an indirect-fire role - creating a 'beaten-zone' which denied the enemy reinforcement routes.
Further animations while operating heavy machine guns are also on the way. Players using certain mounts of HMG will side-step around the pivot point, adding a much more realistic movement for the operator, and adding to the immersion felt on our battlefields.
[video width="1920" height="1200" mp4="https://playbtw.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/HMG-animations.mp4"][/video]
Aiming to deliver even more immersion on the frontline, audio cues have been added when players are shot. There will now be subtle audio feedback depending on the situation, such as when friendlies suffer a headshot around you, or you register a hit on an enemy player.
Another QOL addition coming soon will be the theme music for each faction for round win and loss scenarios. Adding our flare to the recognisable national anthems, these songs will greet you at the end of your battle.
[audio mp3="https://playbtw.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/German-Win.mp3"][/audio]
German Victory Theme
[audio mp3="https://playbtw.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/German-Lose.mp3"][/audio]
German Defeat Theme
[audio mp3="https://playbtw.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/French-Win.mp3"][/audio]
France Victory Theme
[audio mp3="https://playbtw.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/French-Lose.mp3"][/audio]
France Defeat Theme
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