Grosso modo huit ans après sa sortie, les amateurs de cette série de wargames facile d’accès seront probablement ravis de voir arriver aujourd’hui une nouvelle importante mise à jour. En résumé les développeurs ont écouté les souhaits des joueurs afin d’ajuster de nombreux aspects divers du gameplay. On appréciera particulièrement la compatibilité avec le système PBEM++ de Slitherine, la mise à jour de différentes cartes et textures pour les unités, un système de classement pour ceux voulant comparer leurs scores, l’équilibrage du mode multijoueurs, et même pour ceux qui préfèrent jouer avec une manette l’option pour utiliser ce matériel sur PC. Bref, de nombreux détails utiles.
A lire également cet interview : The Insider – Order of Battle: World War II “Version 10”: a game-changing update, article dans lequel Slitherine explique rapidement certains choix.
Pour plus d’informations sur Order of Battle – World War II, voyez cette fiche sur Steam ainsi que notre guide des extensions. A lire en complément notre article Blanc et rouge, un AAR pour Order of Battle. Ou encore précédemment ces autres récits de parties : Order of Battle – Blitzkrieg : assaut à l’ouest et Order of Battle – Winter War : un drink pour Mr Molotov. Vous trouverez aussi l’ensemble de nos tests de Order of Battle et de ses add-ons sur cette page.
Rappelons au passage que le jeu de base est jouable gratuitement, ce qui vous permet d’essayer le premier chapitre (donc une mission) de la plupart des extensions. Une bonne idée pour découvrir la série, comme pour s’initier facilement aux wargames.
Communiqué
Order of Battle: World War II Patch Notes, July 26th 2023
Version 10(!)
Roughly 8 years since Order of Battle: Pacific first released, we are now proud to present the latest update to Order of Battle: World War II.
As you can see in the detailed changelog below, this is not just the usual incremental patch update. We’ve moved the game to support a whole new version of Slitherine’s PBEM++ system and in doing so are the first Slitherine game to use the new Multiplayer Rating System. We have also added the ability for players to set up multiplayer games as either Paired and/or Ranked types.
Our designers have been reading and responding to community requests and have updated many of the scenarios in Order of Battle’s campaigns. Not just fixing up bugs but also going through and adding units that have been added in subsequent updates, new AI commanders and also the ability to have the AI use period-appropriate camouflage skins. We’ve also tweaked a few of the units in the database to make them more usable for players and modders.
We’ve also updated several multiplayer maps to make them more balanced and more likely to reach a natural completion and updated the UI when browsing your list of active multiplayer games.
Finally we have added support for game controllers into the PC version of the game. This is a version of the UI that was created for console players and can be used either with a game controller whilst playing on your TV or with your Steamdeck in your hands.
You can download the patch from here.
Don’t miss the article about this new patch here.
Also, a new tournament is about to start, sign-up here.
Full Changelog:
– Updated the game to use the latest version of Slitherine’s Pbem servers giving access to updated multiplayer functionality.
– Added support for Multiplayer Ratings.
Similar to the system used in chess, this Elo based ranking system creates a new persistent Rating for players who take part in Ranked games and Ranked Tournaments.
Beating players with a rating higher than yours will give you a larger points boost whereas winning against players that are much lower ranked than you will give a much smaller increase.
You can see a player’s Rating from the in-game Games List or from the Ratings list on our website
Players are also free to opt out from having their rating shown by going to their Multiplayer Profile and selecting the Opt Out option.
– Added new options when creating a new 1v1 Multiplayer game:
Paired : Players can choose to have their games start as “paired” games (just like in tournaments). The system will create two matches for you, with you as Player 1 in one game and Player 2 in the other, for a fair test of skill!
Ranked : Players can choose for games to be Ranked matches. When you play a Ranked game the result contributes towards your Order of Battle “multiplayer rating”.
“Ranked” and “Tournament” games are indicated with icons on the Multiplayer games list
– Added Support for Game Controllers when playing Order of Battle on PC. You can opt-in to Game Controller support from the Options->Controls screen.
This is ideal for players who prefer to play on their TVs or using Steamdeck.
Boot the game in Steam Big Picture or use SteamDeck and the game will automatically start with Controller control scheme active
To switch back, press ESC then Y on your keyboard
– Updated three of the classic Order of Battle Multiplayer Maps. They now give results that can be recorded by the Game Ratings system and we have tweaked them to be more likely to give a result:
Bootcamp Battle
changed start RP 1000 > 1200, turn income (updated) RP 40
changed naval CP 5 > 6
added another primary objective « take enemy ports » (the main supply bases at the coast) which gives you an instant victory
reduced no. of turns to 30
cosmetic changes, for example added gold flags instead of normal, plus markers in objective overview popup
Dubno Fields
has now 4 gold flags in the center, plus 1 for each side’s main supply base
win by taking these 4 *while* holding your main base (control = 5)
this type of victory is only active after turn 5 to limit super-rushes to the center
added instant victory objective for taking enemy main base far behind the front
adjusted supply output
minor cosmetic changes
Arctic Fox
increased turn no., Win requires control of 7 gold flags now
gave both sides « Drop Tank » from start as the early fighters have low fuel only
key gold flags for each side are now more towards the center, so that people don’t have to go all the way to the edges to win
increased start RP and turn income, initial advantage to Sov, Fin gets more by event after few turns
Sov cannot use paras
Also updated Bootcamp Battle – GBvUSSR
Tweaked Jungle and Hills slightly
Fixed issue with reinforcements arriving one turn late for British
Updated Wake Island Assault [Tournament Settings] Pre-deployed Medical Jeep as Auxillary Unit in North East
Added new Japanese deploy point in mouth of lagoon
Fixed VP Awarding for disbanded units
Fixed visibility on Marshall Islands
Fixed unflagged Supply near USA HQ
Updated HQ Victory Points to new standard (121 starting pool, reduced by 8 per turn)
– Added Correctly Camouflaged (“skinned”) Enemy Units as an option to most of our Single Player Campaigns
In Afrikakorps, WinterWar, the early Soviet DLCs and the whole German trilogy players can now opt to play with skinned AI units
– Added AI commanders in many battles of the German and Soviet DLCs, which makes these maps slightly more challenging, and included unit types that were added to the game only in later releases.
– Fixed outstanding niggling issues in many single player campaign missions such as:
one-shot Nuke bombers don’t give back CP
disbanded units reappear on core import in linked DLCs
Kursk objective fails, then corrects itself
– Enabled kicking inactive players from games with more than 2 players.
Added colour coding to player lists to show which player is on-turn and if any players have resigned
– Fixed an issue where usernames were case-sensitive when logging in to multiplayer
– Fixed an issue where restarting a replay would count as a “redownload” of a game turn, which was causing some users to be flagged as cheating when they weren’t
– Updates to the units file:
QF 3.7-inch mountain gun changed to move 2
Scammell Pioneer available for UK, RAF, India
Hun inf 42 changed end date to conform with inf 43 intro
Ger AVs Greif, Bussard changed to shallow draft
Aus eng 40-42 use all CP 2, Aus eng 41 dates fixed
Aus hvy inf intro/end dates corrected
NatChi 20mm AA/AT switches corrected
reduced Archer inf attack and movement
reduced Achilles inf attack
FW 190 F/G costs changed,
FW 190 G air att reduced, ground att increased
Ger eng 39 intro date changed to sep 39
Ger standard inf 41 and above accepts light halftrack SdKfz 250 TP
added series entries to Ger 8wheeled recons
One-use nuclear bombers cost 0 CP
Most UK/commonwealth inf types accept both British and Allied truck in editor
Towed UK/commonwealth units accept both British and Allied truck (unless they require heavy TP) in editor
