Developer Muzzy Lane has released their latest developer diary for turn-based grand strategy title Making History: The Great War, and this time the focus is on combat.
Product manager Chris Parsons says that combat in The Great War ”represents a synthesis” of all the studio’s previous games, but with several new elements added to reflect the unique nature of World War One warfare.
The Great War is creeping ever closer to a full release. The grand strategy title is now in beta with all nations playable, and Muzzy Lane has raised the price on Steam to $29.99 from now until launch, at which point it will go up to $39.99.
Without further ado, you can read the full developer diary below on combat in Making History: The Great War.
The mechanics of combat in Making History: The Great War represent a synthesis of all our previous games, with new elements added to reflect the unique facets of World War I-era warfare. Our goal was to make military management clear and intuitive, yet also ensure that a diverse range of units and actions lends the game strategic depth.
Cities with the proper training infrastructure can build individual units, which the player can then assemble into groups, which are essentially armies, fleets, and air wings. How to compose those armies is one of the key military decisions you will have to make. Sometimes, fielding one unit type makes sense: a force of Marines, for instance, will be most successful for an amphibious landing, and groups of Mounted Infantry will allow you to rush men to key areas. Often, however, a mix of unit types will be valuable: an army of Infantry and Engineers, for example, will be most effective when attacking entrenched enemies. Naval warfare presents similar choices: while fleets of cruisers are the most cost-effective to build and use, a combined force of can harness the range of its battleships, the planes of its carriers, and the anti-submarine capabilities of its destroyers.
Back on land, The Great War places Artillery in its own category to reflect the enormous role that it played during the First World War. Artillery units can bombard from adjacent regions to damage units and defensive infrastructure, but are vulnerable to attack if not defended by other land forces. They can also cause devastating friendly fire casualties if used at the wrong moment. The most advanced Artillery units can attack
from two regions away, but can only move by rail.
Used extensively for the first time during this period, air units are also a key component of a nation’s military in The Great War. Though military aviation began as a means of observing enemy troop movements, opposing pilots soon began shooting at each other, leading to the first dogfights. In The Great War, fighters and bombers can attack enemy targets in nearby provinces, and reduce friendly fire casualties from artillery if present during a land battle. Rigid Airships also play a vital role, as they are able to attack over far longer distances than any fixed wing aircraft of the period. Once you establish air superiority, observation blimps can significantly reduce friendly fire incidents and increase the accuracy of your artillery without even entering the contested region.
Other than the Marines, Engineers, Mounted Infantry, and Cavalry units mentioned above, several other specialized units on land and at sea can augment your armies. When fighting battles over the world’s great mountain ranges, Mountain Infantry will have the upper hand; while the elite Assault Troops can perform hit-and-run raids into enemy trenches, doing devastating damage. Anti-Air Guns, an Artillery unit, can accompany armies and help neutralize the enemy’s air force. At sea, submarines will allow you to launch surprise attacks against all other ship types save destroyers, and can strangle your enemies’ commerce. Finally, advanced nations will be able to field the first tanks, which, while unwieldy, can be useful components of a combined arms assault.
Devoting your energies to researching the right technologies and building the proper training facilities are crucial for the future of a country’s war effort. Larger nations – including all of the Great Powers – will be capable of building more modern forces like Infantry and Engineers right away, and will need to develop higher levels of those units to stay competitive as the game progresses. Smaller countries will havesome catching up to do, as many start with only militia and cavalry at their disposal. And as our dev diary on the economy made clear, a strong industrial base will be crucial for supplying your country with needed artillery pieces, planes, ships, and, eventually, tanks.
Once your armies engage the enemy, a variety of factors will influence the results. Modifiers will take factors like terrain, fortifications, war weariness, and how well the armies are supplied into account. Each turn, the side with the most casualties loses morale, while the side with fewer losses gains it. The amount of morale gained or lost depends, of course, on the relative size of the armies: a group with ten units that loses two will lose far less morale than a three unit army that suffers identical casualties. Since loss of morale reduces the group’s combat effectiveness, a severe loss can quickly lead to defeat.
Ultimately, unit composition, morale, timely reinforcements, long-term research planning, a strong economy to supply your troops, and thoughtful deployment will all help determine your success during combat in Making History: The Great War. It took the militaries of the world over four years to master modern combat; can you do better?
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