Hey everyone, Welcome to Developer Briefing #17. This week we’re glancing forward as we look at some of the upcoming content coming to Hell Let Loose! Please keep in mind that the following is just a portion of what we’re working on, with the rest currently being held in a crate marked ‘Classified’ at headquarters. We’re not attaching dates for when the different pieces of content will arrive just yet, but as we head towards Early Access launch you can expect further clarity and information as we lock in the content from our side. [h1]Vehicles[/h1] As the team become happier with the state of play with the Panther and Sherman tanks that are already in the game, we can take the crucial steps to implement the next set of vehicles into Hell Let Loose. Currently, it looks like trucks will be the next addition, giving players extra mobility options for both themselves, and supplies. Support, Anti-tank, Engineer and Officer roles rejoice! Beyond that you can expect to see the addition of further armoured options, both on the heavier and lighter sides of our current offering… [h1]Advanced Movement[/h1] Vaulting waist-high walls is coming! That’s right, you’ll soon be able to haul yourself out of trenches, over fences and even over conveniently short walls. This should address those awkward situations when you’re pretty sure you should be able to make the jump, whilst also giving you a more authentic, tactical approach to engaging with battlefield terrain. [h1]Improved Animations[/h1] Continued refining of all animations, including TPP and FPP to give players a more engaging, responsive experience. This ranges from running animations to how soldier models respond to certain actions, such as bullet hit flinching and new context-sensitive death animations. [h1]Audio Improvements[/h1] We’ve been working extensively across the entire soundscape of the game according to the feedback given to us in the last playtest. Every single weapon sound has been revamped as we move closer to a quality we’re happy with. The distance fall-off on all weapons has been drastically increased to give better directionality and to make the battlefield more alive. As we continue to work on audio, we’ll be paying special attention to the handling of external and interior vehicle noises, environmental interaction audio with gunshots, as well refining existing sounds. This kind of content will be done in stages as the team works on implementation and player feedback. [h1]New Game Modes[/h1] Currently Hell Let Loose offers one game mode - Warfare - an intense tug-of-war down a single sector capture line. While we’re confident in the experience it offers players, we know there’s further work to do in better integrating the way resources, strategic freedom and Commander abilities work within this system. We’ve been pouring over the feedback channel in Discord, reading all the brilliant forum posts and have been having ongoing internal discussions as we brainstorm ways to add further complexity to this gamemode. Having said that, we’re not stopping there. The team are also working on two other game modes that will give players and the wider community more variation and options in the style of gameplay they experience in Hell Let Loose. The two modes currently being worked on are under the working titles of “Invasion” and “Campaign”. Whilst maintaining the core gameplay of Hell Let Loose, these modes will offer different experiences to what’s available right now - with a particular focus on returning the greater strategic decision-making abilities to the players while maintaining the important player-density. Much of the challenge behind Hell Let Loose metagame design is balancing the resources, map layout, player density and strategic freedom players have. We’re keeping tight-lipped while we work on the more detailed aspects of these modes, but we hope the names we’ve provided will give you something to work with! [h1]Commander Orders[/h1] The Commander isn’t finished just yet! He’s still got some more Orders to come his way. From abilities that have a physical (and painful) presence on the battlefield, to more supporting Orders, the Commander still has some additional functionality to give players the ability to carve out their own playstyle, rather than adhering to one template. [h1]Maps[/h1] You know of Hurtgen Forest and Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, but did you know the team are already actively working on the next two maps? We’re pleased to share with you that both Foy and Utah Beach are currently in active development and will be the next battlefields that you’ll be clashing on in the future. Now this Developer Briefing has been pretty wordy compared to our usual set-up, so lets get some eye candy in here! Below is an in-game image taken from Foy, a snow covered map that will give players whole new challenges to face, or turn to their advantage, in the heat of battle. Set in the Belgian village of the same name and made famous by Band of Brothers, Foy combines a dense destroyed urban environment with rolling fields and pine forest - giving one of the most diverse player experiences so far. Foy is largely finalised and is about to enter an optimisation pass. Don’t worry - we’ve got a whole folder of reference photos for winter uniforms. [img]https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/34012997/25fe733b859f6bc421433ce33858b0242597ca8d.jpg[/img] [i]You’ve got to admit, Foy will certainly be a ‘cool’ map![/i] [h1]HUD/UI[/h1] We’ve been working hard to make sure the technical aspects of the HUD and UI are functioning correctly as we move towards Early Access. As a result of that, the look of them could really do with some love. We’re going to be working across all UX, UI and 2D graphic elements within the game to give the game the same front-end visual polish that you find in the maps themselves. [h1]Cosmetic System[/h1] When you’re on the frontline, your soldier should be able to help reflect the individuality of the player controlling them. We also appreciate that not everyone looks the same! To address this, we’re currently working on the implantation of a cosmetic system for Hell Let Loose. This will start with the ability to pick a helmet for your soldier, before being expanded to include head and uniform options for each role. All customisations will be authentic, with nothing untoward or fantasy for that time period being included. Our design intentions here are twofold: [list] [*]To enable players to roleplay as an historical unit [*]To allow players to show their experience in their appearance [/list] We WILL NOT be using loot boxes in this system. [h1]The Battle Draws Near[/h1] That wraps up this week’s Developer Briefing! We hope you liked what you read. Of course, feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below! Just remember, this is a portion of what we’re working on and we’ll be sharing more with you all both on the lead up to and beyond Early Access launch. P.S. The Flamethrower is coming along nicely… Hell Let Loose is available to Wishlist now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/686810/Hell_Let_Loose/ Follow Hell Let Loose on [url=https://twitter.com/hell_let_loose]Twitter[/url] Like Hell Let Loose on [url=https://steamcommunity.com/linkfilter/?url=https://www.facebook.com/HellLetLoose/]Facebook[/url]