Progress Update No.8
Welcome to the Progress Update No.8 of the Bundeswehr Mod for SQUAD! This is LieutenantK, i am the project manager of the Bundeswehr Mod for the military tactic shooter SQUAD. The first half of 2023 was a bit slower for us, compared to 2022, but we have fresh progress to show anyways! First things first: Our V1 release is coming closer and many of our V1 faction assets are implemented or in implementation right now! We are looking for additional talent to speed this process up. Read more about this below. Our topics for this Blog Update:
- Team & Staff changes
- General Faction Progress
- Vehicle Progress – A V1 Newcomer!
- Weapon Progress – Wallpaper Qualities!
- Leveldesign Progress – Trench Warfare!
- Implementation Sneak Peak
- We are looking for talents!
Team & Staff changes
Since our lastupdate in january 2023, we were glad to greet new team members in our midst! Scout (2D/Textures), MQXL (Leveldesign), Phtevie Wonder (Cinematics / Animation) are the newest team additions! Welcome guys!
General Status Update
Let´s start with a general overview. The Team is finalizing many assets currently. Our 3D Artists mostly finished their jobs. Sounddesigners, Animators, Leveldesigners, Environmental Artists and our 2D Artists are in the spotlight now:
Our Holy Lord Jesus presents amazing progress with the characters. Our first female character is the pilot squad leader. More female roles will follow, each with a unique face and uniform. We choose to include female player models, since woman play a important role in the real Bundeswehr today and can be found even in the special forces KSK.
News also from our Sounddesigner and Soundengineer ArchRevenant! New Microphones equal newly recorded weapons sounds now. Yes. Because the previous recordings wheren’t good enough obviously. We will take them! 😉
KnoblauchKnut and i added classical German rifles to the Seebrigade emblem. Together with the anchor on navy blue ground, they symbolize the German marine infantry better in our opinion. We hope you like it as well! If you want to know more about our subfactions, read here.
Vehicle Progress – A V1 Newcomer!
Our faction vehicle development shows some impressive progress as well. The newcomer to our V1 release is the Boxer SPZ (IFV), the new wheeled infantry fighting vehicle of the Bundeswehr. Read more below!
But first things first: Our NH90 TTH variant of OWI’s NH90 model is finished in terms of 3D modeling, decals and textures. MrChulo did an awesome job with “Germanizing” the helicopter both in 3D and textures. Our KnoblauchKnut provided awesome decals. We love the finished asset a lot! The Helicopter will come in a Logistics configuration with limited troop transport capability (2+9), but with enough wheeled loggy like supply points. The transport variant will come with limited supplies, but with the ability to transport two full squads (2+18). The helicopters are equipped with two MG3’s, belted with armour piercing tracer, meaning: It can harm unarmored vehicles and lightly armored vehicles like MRAPs and APCs. The amount of lead delivered is nearly the same to a M2 Browning cal.50, which is why the damage per time will be comparable. In exchange, our helicopters will be less tanky than vanilla SQUAD helicopters. We believe enough players can deal with the flying mechanics by now, which warrants a bit more realism in our opinion. Let’s test this theory as soon as possible!
We present the basic 3D model of the Lance 2 turret for the Boxer IFV. It is equipped with a 30 mm auto cannon (incl. air burst ammuniton), a 7,62 mm coaxial MG and two Spike LR anti tank missiles in direct attack mode (it’s called MELLS in the Bundeswehr). It also got smoke launchers and a proper hunter-killer function (The vehicle commander operates a independent stabilized 360° periscope). The armour of the German wheeled IFV will be on par with the vanilla Bradley IFV, but it combines a better autocannon and the mobility of a striker APC with this platform. The transport capacity will be realistic (3+6) at first, since it is ment to be played in combination with mechanized infantry and not as a mere troop transport (group size of SQUAD is 9 currently.). We are aware, this package is VERY powerful, which is why we won’t have too many of these spawn at once usually. Players will have to use it with caution.
We are aware, the current Lance 2 turret version might not be the one, which ultimately will end up with German Boxer IFV variants. We choose to do it anyways, since it allows us to have a proper IFV with our V1, based on the Boxer GTK chassis, since the tracked Puma IFV can only come later with our V2. We might change the turret, once the first Boxer IFV enters service.
Fresh progress also with one of our oldest vehicle models. We decided re-do the base model of the Dingo 2 in big parts, since we learned better workflows in the meantime. The exterior 3D model is mostly finished now. MrChulo is reworking the interior currently. Our Dingo 2 will be able to transport 6 persons (2+4), since it is a bit bigger and longer than a US Army MRAP. It is equipped with a FLW200 stabilized remote weapons station with M2 Browning HMG and with smoke launchers.
Good news about the M113 Panzermörser as well! Our friend InovationSR from the Brazilian Armed Forces Mod for SQUAD added some insane details to the 3D exterior model. He is currently working on the interior (yes it will have a fully modeled interior!). The M113 Mortar Carrier is equipped with a 120 mm Tampella mortar, smoke launchers and a MG3 for self defence on top of a open cupola. It can transport 4 crew and it transports some additional ammunition. It’s armour is on par with vanilla APCs and it is amphibious. We will have to figure out how to balance this asset the best. We are thinking about adding two at once on big map layouts (>4×4 km) only, so you could drive up next to a mortar FOB and fire with 3 – 4x 120 mm mortar tubes at once. If used with the so called “shoot and scoot” tactic, it will make it more difficult for the enemy team to just send a small infantry detachment – a greater effort to spot and counter this asset might be warranted! Our intention is to raise the importance of a good mortar squad and player based artillery in general.
Weapons Progress – Wallpaper Qualities!
Let’s check out the progress in weapons development for the Bundeswehr Mod! In my opinion, the guys outdid themselves with the below presented screenshots, which is why you can download them in 4K and can use them as Wallpapers! Enjoy!
Art0mis refined the HK G36A3 with the 40 mm AG36 under barrel grenade launcher and it looks amazing! It will come with double optics in game (red dot + magnified scope) and working transparent magazines as well. So called HEDP or high explosive dual purpose grenades will come with this weapon. This 40 mm grenade damages light vehicles and it has a fragmentation function as well, for fighting infantry too. We recommend to use it against MRAP windows, to take out crew members, or damage engine compartments. However, it comes only as one of three 40 mm ammunition options (limited carry capability) of the German grenadier role, so use it wisely or have a rifleman with fresh supplies around! It’s damage value will be on par with a short cal.50 salvo, but lower than a RPG.
Saber Rider nearly finished the HK G28E2 designated marksman rifle of the Bundeswehr. It is a single fire variant of the HK417 and it comes with double optics, bipod and transparent magazines with working bullet count as well! The magazine is currently in preparation. The additional red dot ist standard with the German Army and it will allow the marksman to become more useful in close quarters situations, which he will encounter relatively often, since he is ment to stay close to his squad and work as part of the team. Mind, as an alternative DMR rifle we will provide the G3A3DMR with bipod and magnified optic too, since it was simple to make for us from the vanilla G3. More options are good in our minds!
Speaking of options: The G22A2 bolt action sniper rifle of our faction made some progress too. Saber Rider began texturing of it’s standard magnified scope. The G22A2 is firing 300 Winchester Magnum, which is a intermediate caliber in between 308 Winchester (7,62 mm NATO) and cal. 50 (12,7 mm NATO). It will take out infantry on longer ranges with one shot at the torso and it will be able to pierce through armored glass with AP bullets.
Last but not least: We proudly present our HK MP7A1 submachinegun! Lenni (3D) and scout (textures) did an amazing job! The SMG will come with a red dot optic, a built in foregrip and 40 round magazines. Mostly helicopter pilots, squad leaders and some special roles will have this weapon as an option. It is clearly a CQB full auto weapon and not ment for long range engagements above 200 – 300 m. It is chambered in 4,3 x 30 mm. The damage will be slightly less than a 5,56 mm NATO bullet, but above a 9 mm parabellum pistol round. This intermediate caliber was created to pierce through soft armour and older plate armour of Russian VDV paratroopers. Again: Epic wallpaper material!
Leveldesign Progress – Trench Warfare!
Below, you see the latest progress in level design on our first map layout “Fulda Gap: Battle for Zillbach”. Our newest addition to the level design team MQXL did an amazing job with our trench and bunker assets on top of one of the heights around the village fortress of Zillbach, an alternative route for Redfor, for when the Autobahn viaducts are blown up with our new destruction mechanics for SQUAD.
The trench segments orient themselves on real life counterparts and on NATO handbooks for combat engineers. The Zick-Zack style insures a enemy assaulting a trench line, can’t just shoot from one end to the other. Behind every bend of the trench, a defender can suddenly appear! Better bring handgrenades and your best CQB gameplay. The trenches come with metal cladding (NATO) and with makeshift wooden cladding (Redfor), in two different depths. The deeper trench segments are so called communication trenches, made for safe passage from and towards fighting positions and bunkers. They are wide enough for two players to pass each other or to fight together. The less deeper segments come in hip or breast height and offer a protected fighting stance, while keeping infantry protected, if it moves with heads down.
We will add more unique trench segments, such as field bunkers (earthen, not made from concrete), earthen dug outs and mortar pits later on. Stay tuned here! We prepared two massive concrete bunkers for NATO forces too, which are inspired by WW2 and cold war era bunkers. They come with a guard room with a angled firing port to protect the entry, a group room with bunk beds, a radio, room for storage and a combat room. The two provided variants are a ATGM Bunker and a MG Bunker, optimized for SQUAD FOB assets. Our MG3 on tripod will feel at home here most certainly! It will become a major task for attacking forces to spot these hidden overgrown bunkers and keep them unmanned for good, if you know what i mean?
Our Spawn Hab received a proper German fire & rescue plan and fire extinguishers, since safety first and so on. 😉 Great job by KnoblauchKnut and Cpt.Brotzeit again. We are constantly adding easter eggs like these. Keep a look out for them, once you play on our map!
Fixed prepared vehicle firing positions, optimized for main battle tanks, provide a high level of protection for defending combat vehicles. Once they drove into them, their lower hulls are nearly impossible to hit. Opposing players will need to use combined forces to dislodge defending vehicles from these positions. Using artillery, air strikes and flanking maneuvers will do the trick too. But defenders better keep their heads on a swivel! Our German forest roads allow for clandestine movements of armored vehicles through the thick hessian forest, but will also provide ambush ally’s for infantry. Be aware: Our forests are not made for heavy vehicles to just drive off road. Only nimble vehicles like the Wiesel’s will pass through more easily.
UE4 Implementation Sneak Peak
The following impressions are not highly polished screenshots, but they provide a first look into the integration process of our faction assets, such as player weapons and vehicles. We are fascinated by seeing our creations drive and shoot, hopefully so you are!
The Wiesel MK20 tracked weapons carrier already learned to drive. At the moment, Cpt.Brotzeit is integrating the turret mechanics (floating ammo trays in picture). I bet you can’t wait to operate this tiny tanquette in SQUAD too!
A short impression of our G36A3 firing on the test range. Mind, the sounds are the ones recorded with the old microphone set up by ArchRevenant and they will be upgraded. Also the animations are a heavy WIP.
We updated the G3A3 ZF scope sight picture to a more realistic one – a small change, which will enhance gameplay with the G3 of the squadleader anyways. The second picture shows the sight picture of the G28E2 DMR, with working ranging tool.
This short video shows the working sight picture of our FLW200 weapons station. Mind the working laser distance measure on the bottom (No Sound).
We want you or your support!
In the name of the whole BW-Mod Team: Thank you very much for your interest! If you liked what you saw, make sure to visit our Discord. If you want to support us, you can either send a donation via pay pal our way – helping us finance modding tools, licences and servers – or if you are up to it, maybe support our team with your talent. We are still looking for help in textures, animation, level design and UE integration! Drop by and leave some work samples of yours in our recruitment channel! If you are a content creator (streamer), please make sure to post your channel when joining our discord, so admins can assign you the appropriate role.
LieutenantK out!
