Hello everyone,
In our previous logs, we noticed that many of you are highly interested in the combat gameplay and feel that the publicly shown demonstrations have been limited. We completely understand this – in fact, our team is currently undergoing a major iteration of the combat system, and we've only recently solidified a clearer and more complete design direction.
Therefore, this dev log will focus on introducing the foundational design philosophy behind combat. A quick disclaimer: the current combat gameplay is still in its early stages. What you've seen in demonstrations is still quite far from our final vision, so we kindly ask for your feedback, but please be gentle!
Combat's Role: Strategy First, Operation Second
In CIVIREVIVAL, the game is divided into the Macro Strategic Map (galaxy view) and local Battle Maps (tactical view). When your fleet is adjacent to an enemy fleet on the strategic map, they enter a "Standoff." At this point, you can choose whether to manually intervene in the battle. If you do not participate manually, the outcome will be automatically determined after a countdown.
Our consistent design principle is: we don't want players to be overly focused on operational details. The outcome of war should be determined primarily by strategic-level decisions (such as fleet composition, tech path, and diplomatic relations). However, we also reserve the possibility for players to overcome numerical disadvantages through tactical manual operation.
The Battlefield and Deployment
Battles occur on dedicated, horizontally-oriented battlefields. Both fleets deploy from opposite ends of the map. There is a Deployment Phase before the battle begins. In a recent iteration, we removed the "Fog of War" from the battlefield. This allows players to see the enemy's ship composition before the fight starts, enabling more strategic formation deployment and counter-play, while also speeding up the overall battle pace.
Weapon Types and Ship Roles
Currently, the key attribute defining a ship's function is its weapon range. We broadly categorize weapons into two types:
Short-Range Weapons (e.g., Missiles): Shorter range, but wider attack arcs, suitable for assault and close-quarters combat.
Long-Range Weapons (e.g., Lasers): Long range, but narrower firing arcs, excelling at dealing precise damage from the rear.
In the future, we will gradually add more weapon types to enrich tactical possibilities, such as:
Radiation-type Weapons with fan-shaped area-of-effect damage.
Arc Weapons that can chain between multiple targets.
...and more.
Different combinations of weapons and hulls will create diverse tactical roles. For example, a small frigate equipped with short-range weapons can become an "Assaulter" that disrupts enemy formations, while the same hull equipped with long-range weapons can play the role of a highly mobile "Guerrilla Unit."
There is much more depth to the combat system than what's covered here. We will continue to share more progress in subsequent logs. Thank you for your attention and support. See you next time!