Company of Heroes 2 can be a challenging experience for any first time player. Fundamentally, the sequel to the award winning original is based off the same blueprint. Underneath the design, however, lies several changes and additions sure to confuse even the most experienced veteran during their first few games on the Eastern Front. In this guide, we'll cover these changes to help ease the growing pains associated with this exciting, new chapter in the
Company of Heroes franchise.
Essence 3.0
Essence 3.0 is the technology behind
Company of Heroes 2. With this engine, Relic Entertainment has progressed significantly in providing both a visually appealing and technically impressive video game. As an example, in the original
Company of Heroes, weather wasn't possible until an upgrade to the Essence engine that came with the release of
Opposing Fronts. With Essence 3.0, weather is not only included, but also affects the environment in real-time.
Outside of new features brought into the game by the engine, Relic has also added to the basic functions of the game. These basic changes will be the main cause of confusion for first time players. Every change can be grouped into one of four distinct categories: User Interface, Environment, Unit Behaviour, and Unit Modifiers.
Please note this guide is based off of the closed beta. Anything listed in this guide may or may not change due to the contents of future patches.User Interface
The first change players will notice is the user interface. Although the game is in the beta stage, the interface is unlikely to drastically change between the beta and retail release. Generally speaking, everything is in the same place as the predecessor with a cosmetic change.
An overview map is still available by pressing the NumPad key "Insert", but as of this guide's posting, the territory resource number isn't present. A few buttons have been added near the minimap to give a few hotkeys a menu presence. "Next Idle Infantry", for example, is one of the buttons added.
Where's my fuel at?
The only crucial interface element to move is the resource counter whilst the unit modifier information panel has been completely removed. A unit description has been added in its place.
Doctrines received the most dramatic change on the
Company of Heroes 2 user interface. Players are still able to select a specific doctrine "commander", but abilities are no longer chosen by the player. Abilities are unlocked automatically as players earn command points. Some abilities, like the PPsH upgrade for Conscript Infantry, are passive while others, like the Ostheer's Tiger tank, must be activated through a click. Units activated by commanders are placed as buildable units in appropriate building menus.
Customization of the doctrine commanders is available in the form of unlocking new ones. This is a larger part of the new Customizer option, which allows players to select different unlockable items such as intelligence bulletins and season-specific camouflage. Intelligence bulletins, a new addition to the
Company of Heroes franchise are small boosts to construction speed, unit experience gain, and other parts of the game.
