Dev Brief #219 | First U21 Experimental Branch Test | Weapon & Armor Changes
EXPERIMENTALUpdate 21 introduces Conquest mode, a long-requested weapon fire selector, and a massive overhaul to tank armor and ammunition roles.
Key Changes
- 1New Conquest mode officially added to Hell Let Loose and HLL: Vietnam
- 2Implemented weapon fire selector functionality for 11 weapons (Caps Lock to toggle)
- 3Heavy and Medium tanks rebalanced to specialize in Anti-Tank and Anti-Infantry roles respectively
- 4Added M1903A3 and M1903A4 Springfield rifles to US Forces
- 5Increased tank hull resistance values (e.g., Medium front hull 16% to 30%)
- 6Increased Commander vehicle spawn limit from 5 to 8
- 7Reworked Luchs tank to damage engines of all tanks and destroy Lights from the rear
- 8Added new 'Marksman' loadout for US Rifleman and blowtorches to all Crewman
- 9Increased Firefly damage and turret rotation speeds for German/British tanks
- 10New prone collision system implemented to reduce environmental clipping
All Changes
🚩Game Modes(1)
- newConquest: Conquest mode officially joins Hell Let Loose and Hell Let Loose: Vietnam
🗺️Maps(2)
- newJuno Beach: Conquest mode available on Juno Beach - Day for testing
- newCarentan: Conquest mode available on Carentan - Day for testing
🔫Weapons(21)
- newM1903A3 Springfield: Added the M1903A3 Springfield bolt-action rifle to US Forces
- newM1903A4 Springfield: Added the M1903A4 Springfield to replace the existing Springfield Sniper rifle
- newMG34: Implemented fire selector functionality for the MG34
- newFG42: Implemented fire selector functionality for the FG42
- newSTG 44: Implemented fire selector functionality for the STG 44
- newBAR: Implemented fire selector functionality for the BAR (fast and slow auto)
- newThompson M1: Implemented fire selector functionality for the Thompson M1
- newThompson M1928a1: Implemented fire selector functionality for the Thompson M1928a1
- newBren Gun: Implemented fire selector functionality for the Bren Gun
- newSten Gun MK2: Implemented fire selector functionality for the Sten Gun MK2
- newSten Gun MK2 (Canadian): Implemented fire selector functionality for the Canadian Sten Gun MK2
- newSten Gun Mk5: Implemented fire selector functionality for the Sten Gun Mk5
- newPPSH 41: Implemented fire selector functionality for the PPSH 41
- changeM1 Garand: Increased visual weapon sway when looking around for the M1 Garand
- changeM1903A3 Springfield: Increased visual weapon sway when looking around for the M1903A3 Springfield
- changeKar 98k: Increased visual weapon sway when looking around for the Kar 98k
- changeSMLE No 1 MK III: Increased visual weapon sway when looking around for the SMLE No 1 MK III
- changeMosin Nagant: Increased visual weapon sway when looking around for all non-sniper Mosin Nagant variants
- nerfSTG 44: Increased recoil for the STG 44
- buffBren Gun: Greatly reduced visual screen shake when firing the Bren Gun
- nerfBren Gun: Slightly increased recoil for the Bren Gun to match reduced visual shake
🚜Vehicles(19)
- buffCommander: Increased Commander vehicle spawn limit from 5 to 8
- buffLuchs: Reworked Luchs tank to damage the engines of all tanks
- buffLuchs: Luchs tank can now damage and destroy any Light tank from the rear
- buffHeavy Tanks: Heavy tanks rebalanced to carry more Armor Piercing (AP) ammunition
- nerfHeavy Tanks: Heavy tanks High Explosive (HE) ammunition capacity reduced
- buffMedium Tanks: Medium tanks rebalanced to carry more High Explosive (HE) ammunition
- nerfMedium Tanks: Medium tanks Armor Piercing (AP) ammunition capacity reduced
- buffMedium Tanks: Medium tanks received a larger HE shell blast radius than most Heavy tanks
- buffVehicles: Increased turret rotation speeds for several German and British tanks
- buffFirefly: Increased Firefly damage to improve effectiveness against armor
- changeVehicles: Adjusted fuel costs for the Panzer IV and Sherman Medium
- buffSherman Medium: Improved low-speed handling for the Sherman Medium
- fixPanzer IV: Improved collision and physics for the Panzer IV to reduce flipping
- buffSPA: Added an extra gunner zoom level to all SPAs
- buffHeavy Tanks: Increased heavy tanks' front hull resistance from 32% to 36%
- buffHeavy Tanks: Increased heavy tanks' side hull resistance from 16% to 28%
- buffPanther: Increased Panther tank upper side hull resistance from 16% to 23%
- buffMedium Tanks: Increased medium tanks' front hull resistance from 16% to 30%
- buffSalvage: Increased salvaged fuel returns for all vehicles by 1.5x to 2x
🎮Gameplay(7)
- newRifleman: Added new level 6 'Marksman' loadout for US Rifleman with M1903A3 and explosive ammo
- changeRifleman: Removed level requirement for the Rifleman role during the experimental branch
- changeTank Commander: Changed US Tank Commander default weapon from Thompson to M3 Grease Gun
- buffCrewman: Added blowtorch equipment to all default Crewman loadouts
- buffTechnician: Added the ability to build nodes with the Technician wrench
- changeAnti-tank: Changed default US Anti-tank primary weapon from M1 Garand to M1903A3 Springfield
- fixProne: Implemented new prone collision system to reduce clipping into environment
🖥️UI/UX(2)
- newFire Selector: Fire modes can now be toggled by pressing Caps Lock on keyboard
- changeFire Selector: Audio and animations for fire select switches are currently Work In Progress
Summary
Conquest Mode
Update 21 officially introduces Conquest mode to Hell Let Loose and the upcoming Hell Let Loose: Vietnam. This experimental test features the mode on Juno Beach and Carentan, incorporating community feedback from previous iterations.
Weaponry & Fire Selector
A long-requested fire selector feature allows players to toggle between fire modes on 11 different weapons using Caps Lock. Additionally, the M1903A3 and M1903A4 Springfield rifles have been added to the US arsenal, alongside handling changes for several rifles and recoil adjustments for the STG 44 and Bren Gun.
Armor & Vehicle Overhaul
Tanks have undergone a significant role rebalance. Heavy tanks now focus on anti-tank combat with increased AP ammo, while Medium tanks specialize in anti-infantry with more HE ammo and larger blast radii. Survivability has also been buffed across the board with increased hull resistance values, and the vehicle spawn limit for Commander abilities has been increased from 5 to 8.
Gameplay & Loadouts
Several roles have received loadout changes, including the new 'Marksman' loadout for the US Rifleman and the addition of blowtorches to all default Crewman loadouts. A new prone collision system is also being tested to reduce environmental clipping.