- Update - August 23 - 23 August 2026
Hi all,Managed to carve out some time this past week to address a couple of issues.Bugfixes/Changes:Tweaked tolerances of contested tiles during offensives.Units will no longer act on their own during offensives unless the Operations officer is active or the unit has been flagged as automated.Fixed potential crash when moving to new sector.Fixed potential crash when recalling units when no dugouts are available.Thanks for playing!
- Hotfix - April 5 - 5 April 2026
Hi all,Fixed a few minor bugs that were affecting field supply dumps.Bugfixes/Changes:Fixed issue in which manually-issued field supply dump resupply orders were not properly causing units to return to the supply dump.Fixed issue in which supply dumps were getting stuck at 0.3%.Fixed issue in which emptied field supply dumps were not properly refreshing the ground tile information popup, causing the supply dump to still display supplies at the dugout even if it was empty.Thanks for playing!
- Update - Dec. 12 - 13 December 2025
Hi all,Got around to fixing the Pilot experience issue that a few of you have reported in the forums. It wasn't really broken, it was just unbalanced. Namely, things like shooting down enemy pilots or evading them were not providing as much experience as they should have been given how rare they are compared to recon actions. So I've rebalanced things a bit. Shooting down opposing pilots especially has been given a boost to experience gain.I also noticed a few bugs in the Aerodrome while tweaking this issue, so I've gone ahead and fixed those too.Bugfixes/Changes:Rebalanced pilot experience gain so that Escort actions (successful hits, evasion, victories, etc) are given more weight.Fixed issue when cancelling air sorties, in which they would not actually be canceled until the next time the sortie was scheduled to be launched.Fixed issue in which cancelling a sortie would inadvertently l…
- Update - Oct. 6 - 6 October 2025
Hi all,Fixed a few more bugs that had been reported in the discussion forums.Bugfixes/Changes:Fixed issue in which animated sprites would not appear in-game until the game timer was started and units started performing assigned actions.Increased audio channels to reduce audio tearing when attacking with many units.Fixed issue in which units would retain their "Seen by Enemy" status even when withdrawn to the rear.Fixed bug in which units were not regaining Readiness when rotated to the rear.Thanks for playing!
- Hotfix - Aug. 26 - 27 August 2025
Hi all,A much needed hotfix, as this patch fixes a crash bug that is relatively easy to recreate under the right circumstances. I also relaxed the restrictions on tiles for Watch Duty orders, since artillery can be set to Watch Duty now.Bugfixes/Changes:Fixed crash that can happen when units are scheduled to multiple simultaneous scheduled orders.Reduced restrictions on tiles that can be used for Watch Duty, as Watch Duty never used to be an option for artillery units.Thanks for playing!
- Update - August 16 - 16 August 2025
Hi all,Thank you all for the interest and support over the past week. I've received some valuable feedback, so I've gone and fixed a few bugs and added some quality-of-life updates. I really appreciate everyone who gave the game a try, or maybe returned to it after supporting it in Early Access.Bugfixes/Changes:Fixed buttons being overlapped when viewing the detailed Units list instead of the Unit tree in the Order of Battle screen.Fixed bug with Deselect Type functionality in Scheduled Order screen. Some units would not be deselected even if their unit type matched the selected type.Added unit tree to Scheduled Order screen, allowing selection of units without closing the screen.Fixed bug in which too many units were being withdrawn at a time by the Administration officer.Fixed mass pathfinding issue when units would return from the rear in large numbers in which unit movement would be…
- 1.0 Release - 8 August 2025
Hi all,Nothing new this week, since there were no critical or game-breaking bugs in the previous build. Since I've more or less added everything I had planned to add in to the game at the start of this project - and then some - this means that the July 27 build will now serve as the official 1.0 release. For the next two weeks, On The Western Front will be at an all-time high release discount of 35%.This does not mean I will no longer support this game. Balancing, bug-fixing, and small quality-of-life updates are still on the table, so if anything bothers you feel free to point it out in the discussion forums. It's just that as the game has grown and I've added to it, it's become increasingly daunting to add even relatively small new features to it. So since the game is now in a stable state and contains pretty much everything I laid out in my roadmap, it's as good a time as any to rele…
- Update - July 27 - 27 July 2025
Hi all,Fairly small update this time, just spent this update tweaking some AI and adjusting balance a bit. Also managed to address some issues that were brought up in the discussion forums, thank you all for the continued feedback!This will hopefully be the last update before 1.0 release, unless there's some kind of critical issue. But barring unforeseen circumstances, the tentative August 8 release date still stands.Bugfixes/Changes:Units no longer chase targets into the open or into enemy trenches when engaging in melee combat.Added the ability to toggle V-Sync on or off.Added dragging over an area to suppress it to the Attacking tutorial, as well as an explanation for the difference between true line of sight and theoretical line of sight.Added dragging over an area to suppress it to the Help dialog, as well as an explanation for the difference between true line of sight and theoreti…
- Update - June 23 - 23 June 2025
Hi all,Fairly small update this time, just spent this update tweaking some AI and adjusting balance a bit.Bugfixes/Changes:Fixed bug in which wire tiles weren't transferring ownership after a successful offensive.Fixed bug in which communication trenches marked for construction after successful offensives weren't being resumed by the AI.Machine gun units are more proactive about placing themselves in blockhouses or casemates if any are available.Cavalry have been slightly slowed down.Thanks for playing!
- Update - May 25 - 25 May 2025
Hi all, An update focused entirely on bugfixes and quality of life updates. The main one is turning Add Supplies orders to AOE orders by default, instead of only when the current tile is fully supplied. Having supply and medical units run back and forth is an idea that sounds good on paper, but doesn't translate too well in practice. I'm hoping that this helps manage logistics a bit better even if it's technically less realistic. That being said, the last few updates over recent months have been mostly focused on AI changes, bugfixes, and quality of life updates. I've added all the major features I planned to add, and some I didn't even plan on adding when I began this project. While I don't intend to stop working on the game entirely, I feel the game is fully-featured and stable enough to justify a full 1.0 release. I'm setting a tentative date of August 8 (the black day of the German…
- Update - April 24 - 24 April 2025
Hi all, This update is mostly focused on quality of life issues brought on by recent additions. Namely, I've added the ability to select multiple scheduled orders at a time in the Scheduled Order subscreen so as to make it easier to add orders to groups. I've also added the ability to limit certain delegated orders to certain areas of interest, in case you want more control over where your staff officers schedule orders. It is important to note that the staff officer only tries to schedule orders where you want them to if possible. If he is unable to for some reason - for instance, scheduling Repair Trench orders for an area of interest that no longer has any trench tiles in it - then the logic will default to the previous logic in which the repair order will prioritize front line trenches first. Bugfixes/Changes: Can now select multiple active orders in the Scheduled Order screen. This…
- Update - March 18 - 18 March 2025
Hi all, Some fairly large changes in this update, mostly revolving around Scheduled Orders. The Scheduled Orders subscreen has been reworked to allow for several new features. First of all is the ability to group scheduled orders together. This allows you to view groups of orders at a time instead of having to constantly scroll through the entire list of orders. You can now also view scheduled orders by order type and unit type/size. Once an order type is filtered, you can see which units are assigned to that action. Clicking on a specific unit then allows you to see all orders the unit is assigned to. This allows you to manage which units are assigned to which order a little bit more easily. On top of all of this, I've changed the way orders are issued so that you can directly set the end time rather than guess-timating the duration. Not only is it more clear, it also facilitates the e…
- Update - Feb. 15 - 15 February 2025
Hi all, A fairly small update, addressing some important issues. I've also reworked the Attack Area orders (and their corresponding scheduled orders). When issuing Attack/Suppress Area orders, you can now hold and drag the right-click button to create an area to suppress. The units selected will select random tiles within the area to attack each tick, although they will not move to attack tiles out of range. This behaviour extends to scheduled orders over an area of interest. Previously, units would select a random tile in the area of interest and fixate on that one area for the duration of the order. Now they will rotate valid positions automatically. Bugfixes/Changes: Tweaked tile "painting" during offensives again, to allow the defenders to more easily retake tiles. Adjusted idle AI during offensives, so there are fewer instances of units standing next to each other idle. When assign…
- Update - January 31 - 31 January 2025
Hi all, Did some further work addressing some feedback in the forums, as well as tracking down and fixing some bugs I ran into myself when playtesting. Most notably, I've exposed some of the underlying base numbers of each unit for those of you who are interested in how the game is balanced. One notable omission, however, is in defensive numbers. The reason is due to the fact that defensive numbers are determined by things that are variable, like the attack type the defending unit is subjected to, as well as any environmental and attribute (morale, readiness, etc) based modifiers. So there's no way to accurately display base defensive stats. I've also added a couple of new upgrades in the HQ screen: AA Guns, which increase the range of anti-air batteries. Fortifications, which unlock the ability to reinforce trenches. Reinforced Concrete, which unlocks the ability to reinforce blockhous…
- Update - Jan. 12 - 13 January 2025
Hi all, Got some good playtesting in over the holidays, so this update focuses primarily on bugfixes. I focused quite a bit on cleaning up some of the logic around offensives and tile ownership, as the previous system was wildly inconsistent at times. Feel free to ask anything in the discussion forums for clarity, it all helps me out a ton. Bugfixes/Changes: Fixed bug in which some units were not relocating when proceeding to a different sector. Idle units only reposition themselves if the Operations officer delegation is turned on. Increased brightness of animated sprites to make them more visible. Fixed issue with sprites that caused walking animation for rifle units when moving left or right to break. Tracked down potential crash after multiple successful enemy offensives. Fixed further issues with scheduled order start time refresh. Fixed bug with enemy offensive tile calculation, r…
- Hotfix - Dec. 23 - 23 December 2024
Hi all, There were a few bugs that went under the radar while I was working on the last update, so I've uploaded a hotfix since they were actively harming peoples' playing experience. I apologize for any inconvenience. Bugfixes/Changes: Infantry units of all types can now suppress entrenched enemies without having to be in the same trench. Previously such units would only attack with a clear line of sight, but I've broken the check up into separate line of sight and line of fire checks. Selecting "Attack Area" will allow units to fire on an area that includes entrenched enemies and suppress them, but will not actually cause casualties. Fixed bug in which idle artillery units would retreat to the bottom of the map on their own. Fixed bug where units were ignoring 'cancel orders' commands. Thanks for playing!
- Update - Dec. 19 - 20 December 2024
Hi all, Some more gameplay and AI updates, as well as some quality of life updates. The most notable change is the addition of a new option when delegating tasks to your Operations officer, which lets you dictate how aggressive units will be when helping out nearby friendly units. The trade-off of large distances is that your units will be pulled out of position more easily. I've also disabled the start time for scheduled orders when a time of day (morning, day, evening, or night) is selected, to alleviate some of the confusion that would arise as a result. I really should have done this sooner, but this sort of thing is where user feedback really helps. I really appreciate all of the feedback I've gotten to date, it helps me immensely since I often become accustomed to the UI without realizing how confusing it might be to new players. Bugfixes/Changes: Added tutorial step in constructi…
- Update - December 1 - 2 December 2024
Hi all, One last feature before I focus entirely on optimization and AI improvements. Following on from the last update in which I added Workshop support, you can now upload and download localization files using the Workshop API in the Settings screen. Whatever localization file you currently have loaded in can be uploaded directly. Other than that, I've made a few AI improvements. The main reason for the quick turnaround this time is because I inadvertently disabled counter-battery fire and sight checks over open ground for testing purposes prior to the last update and forgot to re-enable it all. So a fairly significant part of the enemy AI wasn't working properly. Hopefully this game restores some of the challenge. Bugfixes/Changes: Can now upload and download localization files in the settings screen, accessible from the title screen. Downloaded localization files appear in your user…
- Update - November 24 - 24 November 2024
Hi all, I lied after the last update. I had one more major feature to add, which I've done in this update. There is now the option to upload and download custom maps using the Steam Workshop API. Note that this isn't full workshop support, just the ability to upload and download maps in-game. Uploading happens in the map editor itself, via the pause menu when you go to save the map you're working on. You also have the ability to delete any maps you've uploaded. Downloading happens in the custom map screen when starting a new game. A local copy of the map will appear in your custom map folder, and from there you can edit it or play it as you would with any map you've created yourself. As of now there is no functionality to update maps in real-time, since this would require full workshop support. Other than that, I received some detailed feedback in the forums, most of which I've addresse…
- Update - Nov. 11 - 11 November 2024
Hi all, Mostly spent this update hunting down some rare crash issues that would rear their ugly heads after long playthroughs with lots of changes and offensives happening. I also noticed a few quality of life issues and minor bugs that I was able to fix. The main quality of life update I've added was the ability to use ESC to cancel pending orders without de-selecting all selected units immediately. I found it rather annoying when this would happen and finally got around to fixing it. I've basically run out of new features to add to the game at this point, so quality of life issues and bugs are what I'm focusing on. I guess it's a sign that I'm actually nearing a full release out of Early Access, so please do mention any issues you find or anything you'd like me to add. I'll probably be much less inclined to tear apart and make major changes to the code once I'm out of Early Access, so…
