Matrix Games Signs Battleground Europe!

[Alex Fiedler]

World War II Online Expansion Available This Month Through Matrix Games

Matrix Games and Playnet (www.playnet.com) are very proud to announce a partnership to bring the new World War II Online: Battleground Europe to North America for the first time via the Matrix Games digital download system. Take control of a soldier fighting in World War II in a persistent massive multiplayer world of first-person combat with infantry, tanks, planes and ships.

This expansion to World War II Online boasts an improved graphical engine, new units and classes, new fields of battle, and much, much more! In Battleground Europe, you control an Axis or Allied soldier as you battle on land, sea, and air. Defeating enemy soldiers gains you experience, unlocking new weapons and vehicles. Also, as you gain ranks and fame you may be assigned to fulfill a command role, determining the grand scheme of things. Play well enough and you could soon find yourself in charge of thousands of other virtual soldiers.

The Battleground Europe world features over 600 cities and 29,000 buildings. The zoneless map covers 350,000 Km (Over 217,000 miles) of terrain with a whopping 4,000,000 trees. Battles can destroy any of the 200 bridges in the game and the servers can support thousands of players online simultaneously.

Whether you want to be a British Sharpshooter or a German fighter-pilot, Battleground Europe has an assignment waiting for you. Every soldier can make a visible contribution to the final shape of the battle for Europe!

World War II Online: Battleground Europe is planned for release in North America via the Matrix Games Online Store digital download and game on demand system in mid-December, 2005

[elmo3]

Interesting news. Isn't the game available for digital download elsewhere already? If so what will Matrix bring in the way of added value? Thanks.

[Zakhal]

ORIGINAL: elmo3

Interesting news. Isn't the game available for digital download elsewhere already? If so what will Matrix bring in the way of added value? Thanks.

Well for one thing its more available here in the matrix shop than in the abstract "elsewhere" place.[:'(]

[elmo3]

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to support Matrix. I've been playing around in the training ground but not activated an account for the free trial. Will wait to see what the deal is here and then decide.

[elmo3]

For those who are interested, there is a great trailer for the game here:

http://www.worthdownloading.com/game.php?gid=1523

[Erik Rutins]

The full version has only previously been released in Europe. There is a basic client available for download, but we will be offering the same full version that went into European retail stores, which includes some bonuses and extras. I should have more details on this in the coming week.

Regards,

- Erik

[elmo3]

Thanks for the followup Erik.

[elmo3]

I'm a 14 day free trial right now. Any news on this yet from Matrix? Thanks.

[ravinhood]

Is it free to play like Guild Wars??

[elmo3]

No, but we don't know what Matrix will offer yet. In any event I can't see it being free although that would be a good price. [:D]

[ravinhood]

Heh Guild Wars has set the new standard for playing mmo's and mmog's and mmorpgs online for me. FREE does it best.

[Zakhal]

ww2ol monthly cost is around two sixpacks. Its less than my hourly wage as a trainee.

[elmo3]

Getting ready to pull the trigger on this one Erik. What is the deal from Matrix? Thanks.

[Erik Rutins]

Press release with more info is scheduled for today, we should have the release up next week, FYI.

[elmo3]

Thx!

[OrionX]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Press release with more info is scheduled for today, we should have the release up next week, FYI.

It's next week. Any news? [;)]

I was a WWIIOL player for many years. I have the oriognal but the lack of online players made me drop the game about 10 months ago. I would like to know more a bit about it. And, any news on the North African expansion?

[hardcase]

There was a new update today..here is the readme..typical Christmad Patch and they update every 6 weeks or so...Sniper were added..10 scoped Enfield per Army Base Spawn List.

Battleground Europe - WWIIOL ============================ Version 1.21.0 (12-22-05)

Brigades:

Placement (Moving an HQ Unit on or off the map): • The Off Map locations are the "Training Grounds" placed at the edges of the map near the cities of Stromness (UK), Brest (FR) and Kiel (DE). • HQ Units can be placed Off Map at any time [same delay penalty as a rout, however] • DivHQ cannot be placed from Off Map to a frontline town • Placing a DivHQ from Off Map will also place Off Map Brigades belonging to it • Brigades are automatically placed from off map at their DivHQ

Movement: In order to move a HQ Unit the following rules must be met. • HC players can move the brigade they are in by selecting the destination on the map and typing /moveb • HC players can move the DivHQ of the brigade they are in by selecting the destination on the map and typing /moved • The destination CP Owner must be of the same side as the HQ Unit • The destination CP must have one or more country and branch matching military facilities (An army base for ground brigades, etc.) • MEach individual brigade or division may move once every 15 minutes

Additional movement rules for Army Units. • The destination CP must be within one link (land or water) • The destination CP must be shared by or adjacent to at least one *other* member of the Division UNLESS all other members of the Division are Off Map

Overrun, Fallback and Routing: • Players who are defending against an attack may issue the /overrun command to inform the HC of the status of the defense • An HC Officer in a Brigade operating in a contested town that is reporting overrun may choose to Fallback using the /fallback command • When the /fallback command is issued, all HQ Units in the CP will attempt to fallback • When the CP where an HQ Unit is located becomes controlled by the enemy, the /fallback command will be executed automatically • When a fallback is attempted the HQ Unit will try to move first to the CP in which it was last located • If it cannot move to that CP based on the movement rules above it will attempt to move to another CP preferring to move towards its Divisional units • If a Brigade cannot fallback it will be routed • Routed units are placed Off Map and can be re-placed per the above Placement rules

Mission Origins:

Players can post missions with an origin that is: • In the same CP as their DivHQ • In the same CP as their Brigade HQ

Additional Mission Origins for Army Brigades: • A depot in a contested CP adjacent to their Brigade HQ with a valid link (own both depots, no enemy firebase) back to their Brigade CP • Army bases in a CP with an Air or Naval HQ Unit

When an origin becomes invalid, all missions from that origin will be closed. Players on the mission will be able to continue on-mission until they despawn, but then must choose a new mission.

Mission OIC: • Mission leaders can transfer leadership of the mission to another player with the /makeleader <NAME> command • If a mission leader goes link dead a new mission leader will be automatically chosen based on rank and time on mission • If a mission leader chooses to leave the mission the mission is cancelled and all players are notified

Spawning and RTB:

Whenever a player requests to reserve a new vehicle, they do so at their current mission origin. If the player is on a mission for which the origin is no-longer valid, they will be unable to reserve a new vehicle.

If you RTB to a same-country, same-branch facility (e.g. a British Rifleman to a British Depot, a French Destroyer to a French harbor, a German BF109 to a German Airfield) then your vehicle will be reserved for you at that facility for respawning. For this to occur the facility must be open but does not require a valid supply link.

However if you cancel the reservation or allow it to expire (7 minutes) then the vehicle will be surrendered to the supply system.

Return/Supply rules:

Manual vehicle resupply is controlled by Brigade HQ and Division HQ locations. Depending where you spawn your vehicle and where you return it, the vehicle will either be supplied (delivered to the spawnlist at that location), returned (delivered back to the original spawnlist) or returned with a delay.

Rules are, in order:

Supply occurs if: • Vehicle is despawned at its origin CP • Vehicle spawned from your Brigade , despawned at your Brigade • Vehicle spawned from your Division , despawned at your Brigade (resupply) • Vehicle spawned from your Division , despawned at your Division

Returned (Sent back to origin with no delay): • Vehicle spawned from your Brigade, despawned at your Division

Returned with a delay: • Vehicle spawned from your Brigade, despawned at another Division/Brigade • Vehicle spawned from other than your Division/Brigade, despawned at any Division/Brigade • Vehicle is despawned anywhere else

Oversupply: • Oversupplying is only allowed when despawning at your Brigade • When the last brigade is moved from a town any overstock at the town is scuttled

Infantry: - Added sniper infantry class - Added new Luger - Added new Mills Grenade - Tested all weapons for boresighting - Corrected boresight on the following: Thompson Boys Mk1 Bren Mas36 M1935a FM29 Mp40 Luger PZB39

Vehicles: - Added Churchill Mk. III - Changed Blen IV loadout to 500lb. bombs - Increased tank tread and gun thresholds - Fixed crew concussive resistance on crewman in PzIVG - Fixed S35 to match historical speeds - Replaced guages on C47 with Allied set - Fixed gauge in Bf110C

Sounds: - Added new sounds for infantry gear - Added new infantry footstep sounds - Added several new infantry weapon sounds - Added new Tiger sounds Thanks MIKE!

Terrain: - Added new city building - Added new posters to buildings - Added new names to builders bridge

New CPs: France (last build actually, was missed in readme.txt) - Val-de-Vesle - Mourmelon - Suippes - Ste.Menehould - Clermont-en-Argonne

Germany: - Hermeskeil - Morbach - Bernkastel-Kues - Hahn (previously was airfield only) - Zell - Cochem - Kaisersesch - Ulmen - Mendig (previously was airfield only) - Koblenz (Bisholder AF, airfield only) - Bad Sobernheim (Sobernheim AF, airfield only)

HUD/UI: - Decreased font size

Map: - Brigade locations are marked with a flag - Added new sidebar to map with several new search, filter and info options - Moved Mission Creation to the map - Objectives are now marked with a red (attack) or green (defend) outline of the CP name - Contended CP have an orange background - Heavy ews icons are now full red, normal ews icons are now red with a black interior - Facility map objects are no longer clickable if they are not visible; improves mouse targeting of cps

Missions: - Added /makeleader command - When a mission leader unexpectedly goes offline a new mission leader is selected based on time on mission and rank - When a mission origin is captured the mission is cancelled and all players on that missino are notified

Oversupply: - Cannot oversupply between ABs in the same CP - Ground units cannot oversupply a non-frontline CP - Can only oversupply facilities where your brigade is located

On despawning a vehicle the vehicle will remain after your reservation is expired/cancelled only if: - There is capacity for the vehicle and one of: - The facility is or is supplied by where the vehicle was spawned from - Vehicle was supplied by your brigade and is being despawned at your brigade - Vehicle was supplied by your division and is being despawned at your brigade - Vehicle was supplied by your division and is being despawned at your division

Gameplay: - Reduced initial table build time when a CP becomes frontline to 10 minutes - Reduced military facility table build times when a CP becomes contested to 10 minutes - Reduced table capture time to 60 seconds - Reduced time it takes to achieve an RDP cycle

Global: - Added new materials for material based lighting effects - Fixed post render filtering to work with FSAA (need to select in driver not in Settings) - Fixed an object shading issue - Fixed CTD on loading with post-render filter unchecked - Updated several translations - Improved game server stability

Settings: - Removed option to select "Clear Viewport" in settings.exe

[hardcase]

Each player who purchases the Box Version New Release will receive 3 key codes for 2 week free play, which wont be release till after New Years. Each existing player prior to Dec 6th got 1 code. You can beg for on on the Battleground Europe web site and might find one.