Road to Forgotten Hope 2.4: Part 2

Hello and welcome back to another update of Forgotten Hope. It is the second day in our series of release updates, and today we will be revealing the major updates to our tanking system.

However, before we get to all of that, we first have the changelog for version 2.4 for your viewing pleasure. You can download it here. Also, in case you haven't heard, Forgotten Hope, version 2.4 will be released this Friday, the 15th of July. Be sure to check back tomorrow to get the pre-release client files.

Since the inception of Forgotten Hope 2.0, amongst one of the larger problems was the tanking system. Armored battles were plagued with the problem of 'frontal armor accounting for nothing'. Also there was no limitation as to how fast your turret could move to name another major problem. However, thanks to the hard work of Kev4000 and the betatesters, the tanking systems have received a much needed overhaul.

Firstly, each tank has been updated to use what we on the development team commonly refer to as the 'Angled Damage Modifier'. This feature was present in Forgotten Hope 1942, and while previously thought impossible, has now been brought into the world of Forgotten Hope 2.4. This new addition will bring about the end of 'side-shooting tanks from the front'. When hitting highly angled surfaces from 60 - 90 degrees, the damage dealt will drop accordingly down to zero.

Also coming in 2.4 is our new turret traverse system. In previous releases of FH2, the traverse rate could not be set since players could alter this unfairly by adjusting their mouse sensitivity. This in turn made any intended balance and gameplay settings ineffective. Now however, this has been changed so that the turret of a tank turns in a much smoother manner, and is not effected as much by changes in sensitivity Finally, players now have the choice to either aim with their mouse or the arrow keys.

Other changes to the tanking system include a sharper turning radius and a decreased field of view. The gray area in the above screenshot represents what you saw in 2.3, while the area that is in color shows what you will see in 2.4.

But perhaps the greatest addition to the immersion factor in 2.4, is that high explosive projectiles now work and show up properly online. Immersion wise, this totally changes the feel of the game. You will no longer be killed by 'invisible explosions', as there will literally be 10x the explosions going off when you play online.

Up next we have some in-game screenshots of a tank that almost did not make it into the upcoming release. It's the M4A3 (76)W Sherman tank!

By the time of the Battle of the Bulge, the M4A3 was the main Sherman variant in use. While the base version was fitted with a 75mm gun, this one was armed with the more powerful 76mm M1 gun, and therefore, was more effective at knocking out enemy armor. The M4A3 (76)W was made by both Pointblank86 and Herc and was exported by Kev4000.

The last item for today is the fifth and final map that will be featured in version 2.4. This time, players will find themselves amongst a picturesque landscape with a vast array of powerful tanks and armored vehicles at their disposal. The map, Vossenack was made by Kettcar with the finishing touches done by Lili Marlene.

In the middle of September 1944, the allied advance was grinding to a halt. The rapid advance east after the collapse of the German forces at Falaise stretched the allied supply lines, the German forces on the western front were regaining their strength and were digging in along the Siegfried Line. Although the area had little strategic value for the allies, offensive operations were started in the middle of October, in part to keep as many German forces tied up to prevent them taking part in the defense of Aachen. After a month of heavy fighting the frontline had barely moved forward, so on November 2nd 1944, a new offensive was launched into the Hurtgen Forest, centered around the small town of Vossenack...

That's all for today, but be sure to come tomorrow for more news. Until then, feel free to visit our IRC channel channel and our public forums to discuss this update and other news.