"Enemies are almost smart enough that we'll need less of them... as it's getting too brutal." — Jesus
Development of our PvE game modes continues to move forward, with a major focus this month on enemy behavior, encounter design, and overall game flow.
We've made significant improvements to the AI systems that power our new PvE enemies, while continuing to refine the three game modes currently in development. New enemy types are beginning to take shape, including a scout and patrol drone designed to search for players and call in reinforcements when threats are detected.
The team has also been experimenting with new movement behaviors and combat patterns that make encounters feel more dynamic and engaging. Enemies are becoming more durable, more coordinated, and more capable of applying pressure to players throughout a mission. In fact, our internal testing has reached a point where even veteran players are struggling to complete some of the new game modes on normal difficulty. While we'll be dialing things back to strike the right balance, it's a good sign that the systems are beginning to challenge players in meaningful ways.
As development continues, our focus remains on creating PvE experiences that are replayable, rewarding, and capable of delivering a different style of gameplay alongside Iron Rebellion's existing PvP modes.
As with any new system, not every idea works perfectly on the first attempt.
One area that continues to receive significant attention is the Defense game mode. While the core concept is proving fun, we're still refining how enemies interact with and prioritize the objectives players are tasked with protecting.
We've also been experimenting with a new "drive-by" attack behavior that allows enemies to approach players, launch attacks, and then continue moving before circling back for another pass. Early versions of this system resulted in enemies colliding directly with players, creating some unintentionally chaotic encounters. After several iterations, we've adjusted their navigation behavior to better maintain distance while preserving the aggressive feel we were aiming for.
Our new scout drone has also produced some interesting lessons. The current prototype searches for players and calls in larger enemy waves when it detects them. At the moment, players tend to destroy these drones immediately, often without realizing what role they serve in the encounter. We're continuing to iterate on the design and improve communication so players can better understand the threat they represent.
As PvE development progresses, we're placing greater emphasis on enemy identity and encounter variety.
Rather than relying on large numbers of identical opponents, we're working to establish distinct roles and personalities for each enemy type. New enemies are being designed with unique movement styles, combat behaviors, and tactical purposes that help create more varied encounters from mission to mission.
This reflects our broader AI philosophy: quality over quantity. Our goal is to create enemies that flank, coordinate, scout, and pressure players intelligently rather than simply overwhelming them through numbers alone.
At the same time, we're continuing to refine the core gameplay loop of PvE missions. Our focus remains on delivering experiences that are easy to understand, highly replayable, dynamic, and polished.
June is shaping up to be a busy month for the community.
The Blaze Festival, organized by community member NoPugBurritoForYou, is taking place later this month. Think of it as the Mech Olympics: a celebration of teamwork, creativity, adaptability, and fun. Whether you're a veteran pilot or completely new to Iron Rebellion, everyone is welcome to participate.
Campaign for The New Frontier, hosted by Mithril Headset, also begins this month. This multi-week interactive campaign allows players to join rival factions, complete missions, and influence an evolving story through real in-game battles. New players are welcome, and community members will be available to help pilots get started.
Join our Discord to learn more and participate in these events.