Foxhole's massively multiplayer war has now left early access
Latest update adds player-built factories and trains
Massively multiplayer games rapidly calcified around a specific set of design ideas (eg. World Of Warcraft) and so many other attempts to jam a load of players onto a single server quickly disappeared (eg. most games by Improbable or Amazon).
Foxhole is one of the few to do it successfully: a single, massive World War 2 battlefield in which players don't just fight at the frontlines, but form supply routes, build defenses, and otherwise take the reigns of the logistics of war. After five years in early access, Foxhole released version 1.0 today.
Titled "Inferno", the 1.0 update comes with several major additions. Those include new tools for logistics players, including the ability to build factories that can operate as production centers and shipping ports. Players will need to manage "power grids, oil pipelines, and mining operations" in order to efficiently supply their side of the war.
Inferno also brings trains, which players can design and construct and which enable supplies to be carried to frontlines at great speed. You can also construct armored combat carriages ready to fire on enemy soldiers who may be trying to sabotage your railway lines.
You can read about all the new additions over on Steam, including flamethrowers and flame tanks, rocket artillery, heavy tank classes and more.
I've not played nearly enough Foxhole, but I find it very exciting. It's a game idea that seems drawn directly from a wild what-if. As in, what if Company Of Heroes but all the soldiers were real players? What if Company Of Heroes but crossed with EVE Online?
To celebrate leaving Early Access, Foxhole is currently 25% off on Steam at £17.84/€18.74.