The Great War 1918 - The Offensive begins

Without further ado here’s what version 1.01 contains:

New maps!

Flanders Fields (4p)
A map by MonolithicBacon and don_Durandal
This is not really a new map as it has featured in several of our old screenshots and people have often asked to play on it. MonolithicBacon has taken matters into his own hands and made it possible.



This 4-players map features a muddy no man’s land pockmarked by artillery craters and littered with the debris of years of stalemate. Players start in an extensive trench system complete with combat and communication trenches.
The concept is inspired by an old 2p map by Vietcalm, aptly called “The Great War”.



Péronne (4p)
A map by MonolithicBacon
The town of Péronne was recaptured in August 1918 when the Australian Imperial Force stormed the German defence line on the Somme during the Battle of Mont St Quentin. This action was described as the greatest military achievement of the war by British general Henry Rawlinson.



This map is taking a unique approach by introducing the mod’s first urban map, and only half of one at that. The South end of the map introduces sweeping hills of dry, cracked limestone and mud, while the northern end is the ruined town itself. Don't let the buildings fool you, however: trench warfare, even in the streets, is still the aim of the game.



Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt (4p)
A map by MonolithicBacon
This is a map based around the initial crater caused by the Hawthorn Ridge Mine (Over 100tonnes of explosives), opening the floodgates for the Battle of the Somme. Muddy, wet and steeped with natural obstacles, this takes the "original" idea of a trench map and turns it on its side. As the rush for the ridge let to an attack on German lines, all of the trenches present on this map can be more of a hindrance than a help, and players will have to choose where to defend wisely.



New units and models!

Fahrpanzer
Model and texture by Krätzer, animation by don_Durandal
The Gruson “Fahrbare Panzerlafette” is an armoured turret armed by a 360° revolving 5.3cm quick-fire gun. It was originally designed to be used in fortress emplacements, with rails to drive it into shelter when not in use. With the Western Front set in Belgium and northern France, away from German pre-war fortifications, the Fahrpanzer saw a new use in the trenches.
The Fahrpanzer can be built as a defensive emplacement by German players who chose the “Defence in depth” commander tree. It replaces the former “Drachen observation balloon” research and ability.



Piper
Bagpipe model by Relic, animation by don_Durandal
WW1 was the last war where bagpipes were used in combat in any significant number. The courage of pipers in leading their unit over the top saw them suffer heavy losses and never again did the British Army allow pipers in combat (although a couple of strong-headed commanders disregarded this order since then, but this story is for others to tell).
The piper is a unique unit recruitable at the company command post. It is available to all reward choice since we decided that uniform choice should never impact gameplay.
Note that the bagpipe’s playing can be buggy at times. The lack of sound tools and the specific circumstances of having a melody played by a unit (instead of random looping sounds) means that the soundtrack is not entirely reliable at this point; this is however the only way this could have worked. Had we kept the music as a single track (instead of small parts) it would have kept playing even if the piper died as the game engine is unable to interrupt sounds once they start playing.



Sappenpanzer
Model and texture by don_Durandal
The Sappenpanzer was an early attempt at giving soldiers body protection against shrapnel and fragments. It was tested in 1916 but proved too heavy and cumbersome to be used by anyone but soldiers in static positions, like sentries and machine gunners. Only the steel helmet survived the trial (although without the bulletproof forehead armour plate) replacing the outdated leather and brass Pickelhaube with its conspicuous spike in all frontline units in the course of 1916.
The Sappenpanzer is an upgrade for Landser groups. It increases their survivability against shrapnel and fragmentation weapons, such as grenades. It comes at the cost of lower mobility though.



...also
- improved emplacement textures by VanAdrian.
- fixed the animations of the male Mk IV tank model
- BEF officers will now properly use a whistle when using their charge ability
- optimized all rifle models.
- fixed the SMLE's muzzle flash
- improved and optimized all German infantry models
- improved and optimized the highlander model and skin

New translations!
- added a Chinese translation by Saukopf
- added an Italian translation by Franz93

…and of course
Balance Changes!

++ Shared Changes ++

- Janne252, who made our trench-spawning code, has come up with a new code for poison gas weapons. Units wearing gas masks will now be unable to use some of their abilities, making green cross / whitestar and yellow cross a bigger hindrance.
- Descriptions have been updated to better reflect the functionality of all upgrades and abilities.
- reduced the upkeep cost of all tanks and artillery.
- Rifle Grenades have had their damage lowered.
- Field guns can shoot above trenches.
- increased the rotation speed of all Field Guns.
- increased the health of all field guns.
- lowered the accuracy of male tank guns vs. field guns.
- increased the accuracy of all field guns.
- lowered the reload duration penalty of field guns when firing at long range.
- raised the cap on snipers to 3.
- increased the radius and proc rate of Blue Cross / KSK.
- Landser groups, stormtroopers, 08/15 teams, MG Sharpshooters and infantry sections can use "hold position" when in cover.
- the observation ability of Platoon Leaders and Command sections now lasts 30 seconds. The uncloaking effect of enemy units still only last 5 seconds.
- fixed the range of re-crewed howitzers.

++ German Imperial Army ++

- The assault pioniers' concealing smoke ability no longer grants invisibility.
- added a visible cone of fire to the Minenwerfer.
- raised the movement speed of the Minenwerfer.
- The Minenwerfer properly requires tier 2.
- increased the A7V's mobility.
- The A7V can use "stop tank".
- increased the accuracy of the A7V's side machineguns.
- Trench requirements have been lowered to tier 1.
- The 08/15 LMG team's "Vision Slits Aim" (button enemy vhc) no longer requires veterancy.
- The "Hindenburg Line" doctrine will allow strongpoints with the "aid station" upgrade to heal surrounding infantry.
- decreased the cost of the strongpoint's upgrades to 40 munitions.
- lowered the cost of the "2nd line rush" commander ability to 35 munitions.
- lowered the cost of the "Drumfire" commander ability to 200 ammunition.
- Pioniers can now repair vehicle by default, although at half the rate of those with the "Maintenance Crew" upgrade.
- Pioniers with the maintenance crew upgrade take x1.5 damage when repairing instead of x3.
- The pioniers’ "demolitions" and "maintenance crew" upgrades are now exclusive. They no longer have a cost, but require researches found in the tier 1 building.
- Specialised pioniers and assault pioniers can throw light anti-tank mines.
- Increased the suppression caused by the MG08 in the starting bunker and upgraded strongpoints.
- increased the accuracy of the Mauser AT rifle vs. tanks.
- Concentrated charges (bundled grenades) will "stick" when used on tanks. They can now only be used on buildings and tanks.
- replaced the stormtroopers' "throw egg grenade" ability with assault.
- Landsers start with soldier armour.
- Landsers can be upgraded with Sappenpanzer (shrapnel armour).
- The “Drachen observation balloon” commander upgrade and ability has been replaced with the Fahrpanzer emplacement.
- The rally point marker can now be selected in the UI.
- The rally point marker will now last until manually removed. An ability has been added to dismiss the rally point.
- The Field Liaison Post no longer requires the Company Depot.
- increased the health degeneration caused by Yellow Cross gas.
- The Platoon Leader's abilities have a shared timer of 30s now.
- the Platoon Leader's Forced March ability can no longer stack with the movement bonus from the Officer's All-Out-Assault ability.

++ British Expeditionary Force ++

- A piper unit has been added to the Company Command post.
- AT grenades now require an ammo dump upgrade. The bomber upgrade is no longer required.
- crawling will be deactivated when trench raiders retreat.
- lowered the cost of the Strafing Run to 50 ammunition.
- lowered the experience bonus of the "Feedback" upgrade in the Assault Infantry commander tree.
- The command section's observation ability is now properly visible.
- The command section's observed barrage ability now requires a "trench maps" upgrade at the ammo dump.
- Howitzers' creeping barrage ability requires the "trench maps" upgrade.
- increased the suppression caused by the Vickers MG in the starting pillbox, MG emplacements and MG teams.
- The Whippet starts with a frontal MG only. The side MGs need to be upgraded.
- The cost of Trench Raiders has been lowered to 220 manpower.
- Platoon outposts will now be indicated on the tactical map.
- The "RE Field Company" commander upgrade now also decreases the reinforcement cost of RE field sections. New sections will start with 6 men.
- The "RE Field Company" commander upgrade no longer unlocks mills bombs for RE Field Sections.

Download links:
https://hotfile.com/dl/230292321/43618cb/TGW1918_v1_1.exe.html
http://uploading.com/files/acc_thankyou/c4d125c8/TGW1918_v1_1.exe (un-tick "use download accelerator")
http://www.speedyshare.com/nhkYB/TGW1918-v1-1.exe
Torrent:
http://www.file-upload.net/download-7747788/TGW1918_v1_1.exe.torrent.html

You can find an installation guide here:
http://www.moddb.com/mods/the-great-war-1918/tutorials/tgw1918-installation-guide
In case of bugs and errors, you can find a troubleshooting guide here:
http://tgw1918.dailyforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=122

Earlier this year we released version 1.0 of the mod, with the German Imperial Army and British Expeditionary Force as playable factions. This was after a long period of development during which we showcased various units of these two factions, starting with the announcement of the mod’s reactivation back in December 2009.

As back then, this update begins a new period during which we’ll make thematic previews of our new faction while the team keeps developing it. As with the previous factions this will not be finished overnight. We can already promise an interesting and well fleshed-out new faction with lots of new models, including weapons, vehicles, guns and more.

In the meanwhile we will also keep releasing balance updates for version 1.
The French Army in 1918

__________________________________________________________________________

The French Army in 1918

With the fall of Imperial Russia in 1917, the French Army had become the biggest land force of the Entente and allied powers. Even with the prodigious expansion of the BEF during the war and the steady arrival of American troops, the French were still holding most of the Western Front by themselves, as well as sending expeditionary forces in the Balkans, Italy and the Middle East.
By 1918 the French Army had managed to close the tactical and technological gap with its main opponent, the German Army. New modern models of artillery were being produced en masse, tanks were seen in increasing numbers and the red trousers-clad infantry masses of 1914 had turned into heavily armed and well-trained specialists arrayed in squads and platoons.

It was however a spent and bloodied force that held the field in 1918. The offensives of the earlier years had been very costly in soldier lives, and even though Verdun had successfully been held it hadn’t been without a cost. By 1918 France had already lost about a million soldiers dead or missing and countless others wounded or disabled. The French soldier had remained stoic in his sacrifice until the failure of the Nivelle offensive and the mutinies of 1917. Nevertheless the decisive victory at La Malmaison had shown what the French army was still capable of under the right leadership.



Aimed at the BEF, the German spring offensive had spared the French in February 1918. However in May the German storm breached through their lines on the Chemin des Dames; it required every available reserve, US support and the first engagement of the Renault FT light tanks to plug the gap.
In July the French Army, with the support of British, US and Italians units, decisively halted the German offensive on the Marne for a second time. For the allies the tide of war had finally turned. Under the lead of the allied Generalissimo Ferdinand Foch and its commander Philippe Pétain, the French army would then launch a series of counter-attacks, never stopping until the armistice.
Despite its exhaustion, the French army of 1918 still consented to a further sacrifice of 300’000 lives.



The French Army is a new faction for The Great War 1918, a mod for Company of Heroes 1.

It will feature new units, new vehicles and its own set of doctrines and abilities.
As was historically the case in 1918 this faction will be technologically based, with steel making up for the blood it can no longer spare.



Models by The_Soldier, Cireva and B-Dizl
Textures by don_Durandal

(This is the first preview in a series. It is too early to ask why we didn't include such or such unit.)