Introduction
I’ve been playing WW2 games since 2002 (BF1942) and the original Call of Duty but certain pieces of the war were always missing in this and that game, and I’ve always dreamed about a WW2 title that would encompass all the major fronts and all the major armies.
Enlisted look(s/ed) like the perfect base game to implement this.
1. Early War (1939-1940)
Maps: battles in China, Khalkhin Gol, Poland, Benelux, Finland, France, Narvik, Battle of Britain, North Africa (Sidi Barrani)
Early War (1939-1940) reference weaponry
| Faction | Infantry Weapons | Tanks | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | Mosin M91, Suomi KP/-31 | Vickers 6-Ton, T-26 (captured) | Fokker D.XXI |
| France | MAS-36, MAS-38, FM 24/29 | Somua S35, Renault R35 | MS.406 |
| Germany | Kar98k, MP34(ö), MP-38, MG34, PzB-39 | Pz II, Pz III (37mm), Pz 35(t) | Bf 109E |
| Italy | Carcano M91, Breda 30 | L3/35, M11/39 | Fiat CR.42 |
| Japan | Type 38 Arisaka, Type 11/96 LMG, Type 97 AT | Type 97 Chi-Ha, Type 89 I-Go | A5M Claude |
| Poland | Kb wz.98a, wz.28 BAR, wz.35 AT | 7TP | PZL P.11c |
| UK | Lee-Enfield No.1, Bren MkI, Boys AT | Matilda II, Vickers Mk.VI | Hurricane MkI |
| USSR | Mosin-Nagant, DP-27 | T-26, BT-5, BT-7 | I-16 |
2. Global Escalation (1940-1941)
Maps: Siege of Tobruk, battle of Greece, Pearl Harbor, Wake Island & Eastern Front (Białystok-Minsk, Smolensk, Kiev, Siege of Leningrad and battles in Karelia, Rostov, Rzhev, Sevastopol, Odessa, Moscow)
Global Escalation (1940-1941) reference weaponry
| Faction | Infantry Weapons | Tanks | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Kar98k, MP40, MG34 | Pz III J (50mm), Pz IV F1 | Bf 109F, Ju 87B |
| Italy | Carcano M91, Beretta M38 | M13/40, Semovente 47/32 | Macchi C.200 |
| Japan | Type 99 Arisaka, Type 100 SMG | Type 97 Chi-Ha, Type 95 Ha-Go | A6M2 Zero |
| UK | Lee-Enfield No.4, Sten MkI | Crusader, Matilda II | Hurricane II |
| USA | M1903, Thompson M1928 | M3 Stuart | P-40B |
| USSR | Mosin-Nagant, PPD-34/38 | T-34/76 (1940), KV-1 | IL-2 |
3. Turning Point (1942-1943)
Battles of 1942-1943 such as Stalingrad, Kharkov, Rzhev, Kursk, Caucasus, Guadalcanal, El Alamein, Tobruk, Gazala, Burma, Operation Torch, Sicily, Monte Cassino, Solomon Islands
3. Turning Point (1942-1943) reference weaponry
| Faction | Infantry Weapons | Tanks | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Kar98k, MP40, MG42 | Pz IV F2, Tiger I | Fw 190A |
| Italy | Carcano M91, Beretta M38, FNAB-43 | M14/41, Semovente 75/18 | Macchi C.202 |
| Japan | Type 99 LMG, Type 100 SMG | Type 1 Chi-He, Type 1 Ho-Ni | Ki-61 Tony |
| UK | Lee-Enfield No.4, PIAT | Churchill IV, Sherman III (75mm) | Spitfire MkIX |
| USA (Army) | M1 Garand, M1 Bazooka, M1 Carbine | M4 Sherman (75mm) | P-47D |
| USA (USMC) | M1903A3, Reising M50 | M3 Stuart, LVT(A)-1 | F4F Wildcat |
| USSR | PPSh-41, SVT-40, PTRS-41 | T-34/76 (1942), SU-76 | Yak-9 |
4. Total War (1944-1945)
Maps: Normandy, Market Garden, Bulge, Operation Bagration, Konigsberg, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Courland, Seelow Heights, Berlin, Peleliu , Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Manchuria
4. Total War (1944-1945) reference weaponry
| Faction | Infantry Weapons | Tanks | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | StG44, MG42, MP40, VG2 & MP3008 (Berlin) | Panther G, Tiger II, Jagdpanther | Fw 190D, Bf 109K |
| Japan | Type 100 SMG, Type 99 LMG | Type 3 Chi-Nu, Type 97 Chi-Ha | Ki-84 Frank, Ki-49 Helen |
| UK | Sten Mk V, Bren MkIII, PIAT | Sherman Firefly, Comet, Churchill VII | Tempest Mk V, Mosquito |
| USA (Army) | M1 Garand, M9 Bazooka, M1919A6 | M26 Pershing, M4A3E8 | P-51D, P-47N |
| USA (USMC) | M3 Grease Gun, M1918A2 BAR, M2 flamethrower | M4A3R3 Flame Tank, LVT(A)-4 | F4U Corsair |
| USSR (Europe) | PPS-43, SVT-40, Mosin M44 | IS-2, T-34-85, SU-100 | IL-10, Yak-3 |
| USSR (Far East) | Mosin M44, PPSh-41, DP-27 | T-34-76 (1943), SU-76M | IL-4, Yak-9 |
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Visuals and cosmetics
It is paramount that every faction, era and front had their appropriate looks.
E.g. German soldiers:
E.g. Pz III – note the different paintjobs, markings and insignia:
Panzer III Ausf.E during the Invasion of Poland
Panzer III Ausf.E from the 13th Panzer Division in France
Panzer III Ausf.E in Russia during the winter of 1941
Panzer III Ausf.E in service with the Afrika Korps
Panzer III Ausf.L was used in the Soviet Union during the summer of 1943
Panzer III Ausf.M in Normandy, 1944
Note that the insignia changes through the years:
- White Bar Crosses, July 1939
On 13 July 1939, the Inspektion der Kraftfahrtruppen (Inspectorate of the Motorized Forces) issued an order that introduced the Balkenkreuz on all armored vehicles. The order was published in the 21 July 1939 edition of the Allgemeine Heeresmitteilungen (army bulletin).
A very specific regulation is assigned for each type of vehicle, in our case – Pz III:
- Outlined Bar Crosses, October 1939
On 26 October 1939 the Inspectorate of the Motorized Forces issued an order that superseded the July 1939 order. The order was published in the 7 November 1939 issue of the army bulletin.
Bar width approximately 2,5 centimeters.
These bar crosses are not to be painted on the turrets like previously, but only on the superstructure.
Plane decals were equally regulated:
Similarly, British, Soviet, American, etc. armies all had marking regulations, and those were not random
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How could this work
Disclaimer: I didn’t study to become a game developer, nor do I have the data on player numbers/budget, so this is all pure speculation.
However,
Each era-faction combo could be a separate preset/loadout with locked gear limits, maps, and opponents.
Example:
| Preset Name | Unlock Requirement | Equipment Pool | Maps | Enemies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USSR (Early War) | Start | Mosin-Nagant, DP-27, T-26, BT-5, I-16 | Khalkhin Gol, Karelia | Japan, Finland |
| USSR (Escalation) | Complete Early War | PPD-34/38, T-34/76 (1940), KV-1, IL-2 | Kiev, Moscow, Sevastopol | Germany, Italy |
| USSR (Turning Point) | Complete Escalation | PPSh-41 box, SVT-40, T-34/76 (1942), SU-76, Yak-9 | Stalingrad, Kursk | Germany |
| USSR (Europe 1945) | Complete Turning Point | PPS-43, T-34-85, IS-2, IL-10 | Berlin, Königsberg, Vienna | Germany |
| USSR (Manchuria 1945) | Unlocks with Europe | PPSh-41 drum, T-34-76 (1943), SU-76M | Manchuria | Japan |
Key Design Principles
- No Cross-Era Contamination
- A player using Germany (Early War) cannot face USSR (Europe 1945).
- Matchmaking pools: Early War (1939-40), Escalation (1940-41), Turning Point (1942-43), Late War (1944-45).
- Progression = New Theaters, Not Upgrades
- Unlocking USSR (Turning Point) doesn’t “upgrade” your Early War gear – it grants access to a new preset for 1942-43 battles, and each Era has its own pool of available weapons.
- Early War BT-7 is available only for 1939-1940 and 1940-1941 lobbies.
- Faction-Specific Grind
- Leveling UK (Global Escalation) unlocks:
- Weapons: PIAT (1942)
- Maps: Tobruk, Gazala
- Opponents: Italy (1941)
- Does not affect UK (Early War) or UK (Total War) presets.
- Historical Matchmaking
| Battle (Year) | Allied Preset | Axis Preset |
|---|---|---|
| France (1940) | France (Early War) | Germany (Early War) |
| Stalingrad (1942) | USSR (Turning Point) | Germany (Turning Point) |
| Okinawa (1945) | USA-USMC (Total War) | Japan (Total War) |
Interface example:
[ FACTION SELECT ]
► USSR
├─ Early War (1939-40) [Lv. 12]
├─ Escalation (1941-42) [Lv. 8]
├─ Turning Point (1942-43) [LOCKED: Complete 100 Escalation matches]
└─ Total War (1944-45) [LOCKED]
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“Global Conflict” Matchmaking System example
Core Principle: Players queue as Axis or Allies → System assigns random faction + era preset based on need.
- Queue Selection:
- Player chooses only Axis or Allies (no specific faction/era).
- Optional: e.g. “Prefer Early War” checkbox for enthusiasts.
- Player queues as Allies → gets randomly assigned France (Early War).
- Map: Battle of France → Gear auto-set: MAS-36 rifle, SOMUA S35 tank.
- After the match the XP gained goes towards unlocking Char B1 and MAS-38 SMG for France 1940 ‘faction’.
(E.G. in case of Late War random placement the Player gets basic Late War gear with possibilities to upgrade to better Late War gear, not starter Early War bolt actions)
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Historical Loadout Restrictions
Example A: Panther tank is in 1942-43 era but was never deployed to North Africa.
Question: what happens if a Germany 1942-43 preset is loaded onto a North Africa 1942-43 map?
Solution: Panther icon greyed out from selection, Pz IV F2 is the best available option for North African maps.
NB: despite Tiger 1 actually being in North Africa, it would still be greyed out as it’s impossible to balance out with Allied North African tanks.
Example B: Panther, Tiger and Ferdinand are in 1943 era and they fought at Kursk 1943, but can’t be balanced by any Soviet tanks of that time.
Question: what happens if a Germany 1942-43 preset is loaded onto a Kursk map?
Solution: Panther, Tiger and Ferdinand are greyed out for Kursk 1943.
NB: Pz III, Pz IV, Marder and STUG made up >90% of all German AFVs at Kursk.
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Disclaimer: all weapons/vehicles/mechanics mentioned here are for reference only and don’t represent final thoughts on ‘balance’ and are not inteded to make any side suffer.
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TLDR: I believe the “4 factions 5 BRs each” system is holding the game back and doesn’t allow it to explore any new fronts or armies that don’t fit that formula.
