Discussion about the details of the game

[GRB 090423]

Explain the details of the game.

1) The game is designed for single-player mode or multiplayer?
2) Which game engine is used? (Glyph X ?)
3) Which sides of the conflict will be represented in the game?
4) Will the game correspond to historical reality?
5) Will there be a beta test with real players (buyers) and how to get into it?
6) Will there be a video interview with the developer?

 

[Chris Groves]

Explain the details of the game.

1) The game is designed for single-player mode or multiplayer?
2) Which game engine is used? (Glyph X ?)
3) Which sides of the conflict will be represented in the game?
4) Will the game correspond to historical reality?
5) Will there be a beta test with real players (buyers) and how to get into it?
6) Will there be a video interview with the developer?

Hello We will have more news, gameplay, insight from our team, and more for The Great War: Western Front in the coming months, and we'll make sure to share all of that here. On your first point, though - during the game's reveal earlier this year, we confirmed that there will be single-player and multiplayer modes in the game!

 

[GRB 090423]

I hope that you will be able to organize more information guides and will not keep us in the dark...

 

[FinalAdvance]

Explain the details of the game.

1) The game is designed for single-player mode or multiplayer?
2) Which game engine is used? (Glyph X ?)
3) Which sides of the conflict will be represented in the game?
4) Will the game correspond to historical reality?
5) Will there be a beta test with real players (buyers) and how to get into it?
6) Will there be a video interview with the developer?

here are the facts as I have experienced them

1: the campaign is sadly only single player, but you can play skirmish maps multiplayer
2: i don't know sorry
3: you will get the allies made up of mostly french, a decent amount of british, 2 companies of indians and 4 companies of belgians. With research you can get canadians, Australians, and extra indians. In 1917 you will be reinforced with American units. Most units will be classified as "basic infantry" but france and england will get a few companies of "elite infantry"
on the other side you will get Central powers. Central powers are made up exclusively by germans but you will get conscripts, basic infantry, and elite infantry
4: Debatable. There will be news reals with information on what happened in the general timeframe of when you are in the game but despite notifications of the allies attacking in the somme (which isn't even a tile in the game) and simultaneously from verdun the AI has never actually attacked me into or out of verdun in any of the games I have played so far. Similarly while their will be a news article about the central powers and their first use of chemical weapons and gas I myself have never been attacked by a chemical attack excluding friendly fire.
5: The game is now in full release so that ship has sailed
6: there are a number of "dev diaries" still on youtube

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

I noticed increased range for units in enhanced trenches. Never read that anywhere in descriptions. Just popped up as an icon on a unit card I inspected. would be nice to know, I built these trenches only to funnel tanks.
Gas is either a temp health debuff and sometimes a flat health tax on units affected. It never is explained which does what. But I used it only twice - it's simply too expensive. Same as airburst or basically any other improvement.
Basic trenches all the way. I build the MG nests just for fun and the barbed wire. The mortars seem extraordinarily useless.
Infantry have grenades but they never use it against other trenches. Why? Specialists are basically useless in general combat, but the grenadiers are at least useful as AT group.
Tanks were utter e in demo - now they seem in a pretty OK spot.
Planes are buggy and require way too much research to become useful. Bombers are mildly useful.
I saw AI use spy sabotage once on me. I simply don't bother about the tree, not worth the investment.
Bunkers I never used - expensive for questionable return.
H art is kinda expensive. I like the idea of flushing inafantry out the trench with gas but yeah, not really good investment. L art sucks at damage - given they dish out so high fire rate that is almost unbelievable, it is extremely useful on the attack. It's all you need. Heavy you don't really need. The use of artillery in defense is also not worth the cost.
Campaign AI can be ground easily into submission. You like turtle and the odd battle? AI either throws the national will at you or just turtles up, too. Then it's somewhat "Im Westen nichts Neues".

 

[FinalAdvance]

The range bonus applies to all trenches not just advanced firing trenches. I never thought to test if the higher quality trenches grant a higher range bonus, but as far as I can tell better trenches just reduce received damage from attacks firing in (artillery, tanks, planes)
I agree gas attacks and airburst shells are too expensive. Higher tier gasses do get some kills but not a lot that I can notice. Its best use is in concert with light arty supression. you suppress the enemy trench line, get close as you dare, then drop gas just before entering the trench with your own units. The gas will, if they don't have gas masks (so only good for the first turn or two of researching) the enemy will retreat out of the trench into the open. Time it well enough and you will be shooting them in the back from their own trench lines.
With the AI's love of endless bombardments I disagree with the basic trenches all the way view. I've had very good results from using advanced concrete trenches. I agree with the mortar opinion but will be first to admit they are the best option for dealing with tanks. If you think the AI is going to send tanks at you build their arc to just barely cover your front trenches. When the AI invariably moves their tanks just past your front line they will get bombarded by the mortar and reasonably deleted. Trench raiders with grenades are also good if you can keep em alive long enough to play tag with the tank. barbed wire has been a saving grace in too many battles for me to treat it as a joke. Mgs have failed me too often to assign any value.
I also hate that the infantry companies will never frag enemy trenches. It would be nice if units would shoot at each other in the trenches. Even if regular infantry won't try to frag from inside a trench line at least let the trench raiders throw grenades out of one trench and into another. They're trench raiders, I'm supposed to be terrified of them being in my trenches. All they're good for is forcing an opening on the outermost trench line and they will die in the attempt.
The FT's are still a little weak in damage output and health but they're good enough to not be useless. When the AI uses tanks they are manageable if a little bit difficult. When I the player use tanks you best know i'm getting that sweep and no one can stop me.
The unreliability of planes to actually shoot at anything including bombers means I have given up on the entire tech tree except for a challenge. I'll use fighters to stop the enemy from using bombers but that is as far as I care to go.
I agree with the intelligence tree. Even the "extra research for events" is of no value. Far as I can tell there is only 1 "research reward" event in the whole game. And thats when the british blockade germany
I think the artillery damage is nerfed for the player. I feel like my companies suffer much higher casualties under heavy and even light arty barrages than when I barrage them. On elite difficulty even hiding in trenches you absolutely must hide away from enemy barrages. They will delete ANYTHING of yours under their own bombardments. Their own units will, of course, run through it like light hail.
yeah if you don't initiate any combat the AI does just hand you great victories with their failed offensives. Its part of why I want them to keep captured control points between battles. IRL towards the end of the war it was less a line of trenches facing each other and more "a collection of outposts connected by trench lines" ground was taken with impromptu raids of small units targeting small areas rather than the early war great offensive doctrines.