(April Fools) Ostheer Update 5.5: Changes

As you already saw, we finished to post the last sneaky peaky about buildings, next one planned to be about it's Commander Tree. However we have decided, after a heated discussion, to change a little bit how the Ostheer will be depicted.

As we have enough resources for the Ostheer itself, we decided to make three Ostheer subfactions instead of making one faction, similar to Royal Marine Commandos and combining this idea with Foreign support units that our fans have been pushing around from time immemorial, gave us the necessary amount of units to make this possible.

The features of the subfactions will be:

Subfaction #1: Army Group North

Consisting mainly of defensive units together with elite shock troops, North focus on quickly taking ground and then securing it. Capturing the world one inch at the time. AG-North reinforces their ranks with Finish Troops and includes units such as the Bradenburgers, BT-42, 105mm LeFh18, Pantherturms and Kugelpanzer Reconnaissance Vehicles.

Subfaction #2: Army Group Center

Having twice as much tanks as the other AGs, AG-Center have a heavy focus on vehicle warfare. Together with support from Luftwaffe, they expect to crush their enemies. Certainly having Air Command's Sdkfz 263s to call in air support together with the 'Animals', such as Panthers, Tigers, Mice and Rhinos must crush all enemy resistance?

Subfaction #3: Army Group South

South gaining much of its strength from foreign troops that fight together with Germany. They have access to foreign troops such as Hungarian Toldi IIa, Italian Breda M37 Team. But the strength in the Troops of the Fatherland should not be underestimated. Proven in combat, they are the masters of Urban Combat. Having units such as the Flammpanzer III and Brummbär helps of cause. And in the Urban Environments, the Sturer Emil is free to kill anything that is coming up the chokepoint-like roads. Also due to having access to the massive HE-rounds, it has the ability to imminently destroy buildings.


Some Soviet Love

Some people might think that we have an attention deficit to our beloved Soviets, but that's wrong. As our comrades of Normandy 44 gave us permission to use some of content from their upcoming 2.0 update, we have decided to include a soviet reward faction. The Black Devils will at last see action on the Eastern Front. Being assisted by units such as the MG Teams, KV-85s, BA-10s and prototype units such as the "Object 416" and the "URALMASH-1" they are likely to crush all the Axis can throw at them.








Disclaimer: models and skins are not finalized.

Remember that Ostheer is still in Alpha stage and the design documents (units etc.) are unlikely to be final. However we felt this was such a huge change that we needed to share it with our community as soon as possible. We will release the next Sneak Peak (6) as usual in the middle of the month.

See you next then!

Last edited April 2, 2011 at 4:19 PM by Rizz

What can I say besides that I'm stunned...
Now it's gonna be +4 factions!!!  :o
I sure hope you, guys, know what you're doing, so it won't take forever to balance it all out. ;D
Also, I'd like to know weather there will be restrictions for AI usage of those factions, like that existing for the reward-brits.

Last edited April 1, 2011 at 2:30 AM by IJoe

Black Devils you would say???

Then the Soviet Marines will have a role to play in the next update, hopefully a subfaction that customizes our Soviet friends.

To the greatest modders of all time:

YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!

:o :o :o
This is too much to comprehend

Foreign Units?
Different Classes of Factions?
Soviet Reward Units?
Different Army Groups?


...
THIS IS EVERYTHING WE'VE EVER WANTED! I LOVE YOU EF DEV TEAM :D :D ;D

April Fool's gift?

tanky wrote:
April Fool's gift?

Hey! You're the first smart guy so far!  ;D ;D ;D

Nice prank. :D now, when will a proper update come out?

So, does that mean that Black Devils,  KV-85 and BA-10s will never be the part of Red Army? Pity

Damn, had me fooled  :P

Even I didn't buy the Ostheer Doctrine joke released last year, maybe this allnighter is driving me mad ;)

ReckLESS wrote:
So, does that mean that Black Devils,  KV-85 and BA-10s will never be the part of Red Army? Pity

+1 on the Black Coats.

april fools, anyway that would of been okay

Hmm, I'm extremely glad this is not the case (hopefully). Too many replacement armies just gets ridiculous. I should've known at the mention of mice in army group center. Also the Soviet experimental units don't sound like something they'd put in. I wouldn't abandon hope for Soviet reward units though...

dammit ritz!

I figured out the second I saw the news that it was April.



Can fool use this time. What is really new?

Nice april fool. And awesome pics anyway!

I myself tried to own my mathematics teacher this evening  ;D
Next is physics one.

i didn't believe it after i saw that Army Group Center could build a mouse tank  :)

Nice joke ;D, when i was reading this i knew that it is not true, to many work and that would be crash balance.

So that means no Finns and Brandenburgers and the Black Sea Marines? :(

By the way, technically I was one of the first. Rizz showed me it last night. Was caught by the Rhinos and Mice.

oh will i guess there is something ture about this news  :P

those are good idea's  but its too bad they are jokes :(

If wouldn´t have put in mice and sturer emil it would be much harder to realise

LoL...nice April fool!  ;D ;D ;D

Interesting concept. :) I hope it works out well. Pre-empted my Notion for a Rewards Axis Minor Powers Faction. :'(

Quote"With the co-operation of are brave Allies the Third Reich will last for a 1000 Years" ... Ernie Schiklgruber

Comments:
1. How is it activated? HAH HAH HAH!!! Good Joke I wondered about the 5.5 You mashugga's are gonna get a potato masher in your Christmas Stockings. BTW thanks you have given me a way to figure out this fucking posting toolbar works without getting any shit from the moderators or snipes from the hecklers ;D
2. I see only one drawback to the concept: It will detract from the Doctrine Duel in pvp. ???
3. I do not like the PanzerThurm build Ability!  :P
4. Sov MG Finally filled the role :) :) :) :-* Maybe,please please, can we get a skin with the wheeled carriage, gunmantlet optional 8) as they were removed in the field to reduce weight.
5. Sov AC Finally filled the role,  :) :) one tiny issue It looks like a BA 64 to me not a BA 10.  ;)


Some ideas for the Dev Teams consideration:

AGN
Finnish Ski troops>Gebirgs
1.Finnish Soumi(?)  8) 8) AT squads expert at ambushes during the Winter War Used in groups of two.
2.
AGC
3. Disaffected Soviet ethnic-minority Partizans

AGS
4 Italian Bergsalieri=>Gebirgs
5. Italian Paratroops < Fallschrimjaegers but Air Drop Deployment  ;D is an asset that every commander would drool over.  (not historical on the eastern front though).
6."Sicilian Fire brigade" 8) 8) : The Italians fielded a truck mounted AA gun that performed excellently in the ATG role.+-=PAK 40. with suppression ability it could quickly respond to deep Soviet penetrations and rear area partisan control. Enigma tells me it should have LR but limited sighting distance (rational:partisan hunting  requires more than one Squad to be effective. It would make the "Mark Target" ability useful. Saw action during :Operation Husky"
7.PvP Play/AI Play Concept Non player influenced Seasonal weather changes cycling through the Game. AI game setup menu could/should have a toggle on/off.

---

Enigma
Winter War historical relevance

Last edited April 1, 2011 at 5:41 PM by tpcoughlin

I'm an Italian and I think even 2 units of Italians is over doing it.

Many countries participated on the axis side, not just Finns and Italians, even if they were the primaries. If you're going to include one or two foreign units, you're stuck providing a foreign unit corresponding to nearly everyone's wants due to patriotism.

First Thought: Great :)
Second Thought: Bt won't that get too complicated?
Third Thought: Mouse?! OMG! they ruinnend the balance for all times...

Fourth Thought. WAIT! What date is it?!

Fifth Thought: LOOOOOOOOL  ;D ;D ;D  Nice one!

Cranialwizard wrote:
I'm an Italian and I think even 2 units of Italians is over doing it.

Many countries participated on the axis side, not just Finns and Italians, even if they were the primaries. If you're going to include one or two foreign units, you're stuck providing a foreign unit corresponding to nearly everyone's wants due to patriotism.

Well, I just dont want a french volunteer unit in the Ostheer, by as you said, patriotism... Dont want to see french traitors and murderers in the Ostheer.

At first, I though it was a real news. But I also realized 10 seconds later that it was the 1st april...  :P  ;D

Last year's joke was funnier.  ;D

Well they could do a Foreign Uint as something generic. If they're going by the Army Groups as doctrines, they could have skins for the foreign unit depending on the group you picked. For example, Finnish uniforms in the Northern Army Group, Italian skins for Southern Army Group, but the unit would continue to speak German with no stat differences.

^^ What's the point?
If you're so inclined, get yourself one of gazillion various skins to replace any one, that will be in the game, or make one, if you can/have a lot of spare time.

Besides that, I don't think, that doctrines, based on the army groups' names, are that much of a good idea,- after all an army group is supposed to be (and was in fact) somewhat universal.
It's not like all that some particular AG did was tank operations/airstrike/artillery. Not even roughly that, unless you plan to go down to stereotypes.

Last edited April 1, 2011 at 8:29 PM by IJoe

IJoe wrote:
^^ What's the point?
If you're so inclined, get yourself one of gazillion various skins to replace any one, that will be in the game, or make one, if you can/have a lot of spare time.

Besides that, I don't think, that doctrines, based on the army groups' names, are that much of a good idea,- after all an army group is supposed to be (and was in fact) somewhat universal.
It's not like all that some particular AG did was tank operations/airstrike/artillery. Not even roughly that, unless you plan to go down to stereotypes.

It wouldn't be five million skins. It'd be only three, maybe four (for those weird people with no doctrine)
The foreigners would be just simple cannon fodder infantry. The skins would be to give the unit different character accurate to their group.

ALothough maybe the army group idea is stupid, and only really lasted till 1943. Wasn't the war afterwards just a jumbled mess for the Germans?

Personally I do not care, I have already added my own skins and icons of the blue division,but anyway good idea and good conceps.

Last edited April 2, 2011 at 1:49 AM by hernan cortes

Red_Stinger wrote:

Cranialwizard wrote:
I'm an Italian and I think even 2 units of Italians is over doing it.

Many countries participated on the axis side, not just Finns and Italians, even if they were the primaries. If you're going to include one or two foreign units, you're stuck providing a foreign unit corresponding to nearly everyone's wants due to patriotism.

Well, I just dont want a french volunteer unit in the Ostheer, by as you said, patriotism... Dont want to see french traitors and murderers in the Ostheer.

At first, I though it was a real news. But I also realized 10 seconds later that it was the 1st april...  :P  ;D

I was speaking in reference to people whom belong to a country that participated on the Axis side of WWII.

Cranialwizard wrote:

Red_Stinger wrote:

Cranialwizard wrote:
I'm an Italian and I think even 2 units of Italians is over doing it.

Many countries participated on the axis side, not just Finns and Italians, even if they were the primaries. If you're going to include one or two foreign units, you're stuck providing a foreign unit corresponding to nearly everyone's wants due to patriotism.

Well, I just dont want a french volunteer unit in the Ostheer, by as you said, patriotism... Dont want to see french traitors and murderers in the Ostheer.

At first, I though it was a real news. But I also realized 10 seconds later that it was the 1st april...  :P  ;D

I was speaking in reference to people whom belong to a country that participated on the Axis side of WWII.

Does that make 'em less murderers?

IJoe wrote:

Cranialwizard wrote:

Red_Stinger wrote:

Cranialwizard wrote:
I'm an Italian and I think even 2 units of Italians is over doing it.

Many countries participated on the axis side, not just Finns and Italians, even if they were the primaries. If you're going to include one or two foreign units, you're stuck providing a foreign unit corresponding to nearly everyone's wants due to patriotism.

Well, I just dont want a french volunteer unit in the Ostheer, by as you said, patriotism... Dont want to see french traitors and murderers in the Ostheer.

At first, I though it was a real news. But I also realized 10 seconds later that it was the 1st april...  :P  ;D

I was speaking in reference to people whom belong to a country that participated on the Axis side of WWII.

Does that make 'em less murderers?

I shall remind you guys that this is just a game. Let's avoid this kind of discussions that doesn't bring anything productive. Every nation committed war crimes however, it doesn't matter because this is a game forum, not a history one.

About the foreign units, if devs change their mind and decide to bring finnish or italian support to EF, that doesn't mean the other axis allies ought to be there; Devs have the last word about what will be included and what not.

I hope see tigers in ostheer

I like the armys south, north etc...great aidea..simple but GREAT

No rats, mices, mikey mouse or Rinos, sturemil and tanks overpower

no trolls patriotic spams

blackbishop wrote:
I shall remind you guys that this is just a game. Let's avoid this kind of discussions that doesn't bring anything productive. Every nation committed war crimes however, it doesn't matter because this is a game forum, not a history one.

Completely true, so there was no need to start talking of "patriotism" of axis countries: it's not like these fought for independence or were attacked, right?
Or maybe nowadays "civilized" european "patriotism" extends to enslaving or exterminating other nations?  Well, I wouldn't be surprised!

ADD-ON:
To any moderator: if you do remove it, which you well might, don't hesitate on removing the post(s) that caused this one. I guess, I made it clear to how and why these are offending.

Last edited April 2, 2011 at 6:10 AM by IJoe

This seems legit.

Closing this down, you were right it's an April fools. Did it a bit last minute and could have been better (like last years).

Killar wrote:
If wouldn´t have put in mice and sturer emil it would be much harder to realise

If we hadn't put those in, people would seriously believe it being real, which is not always the best thing. They may then expect this, and then be disappointed that they are not there.