I worked on the mission loading systems to give more control over how missions are generated. The most visible part is the ability to pick a spawn point for ground troops. Later this system should also provide hints about objectives and enemy locations before entering the mission. It also establishes the foundation for setting custom mission parameters, like preferred objective types or expected enemy composition.
UI for picking ground troop start locations.
The research system is meant to address two things.
First, it reduces the learning curve for new players. You start with simple weapons (for example, cannons with frag rounds) and gradually unlock more advanced options (cluster landmines, lasers, sabot rounds, smoke screens).
Second, it gives ongoing goals. Something new to unlock regularly, or a powerful late-game weapon players may have seen online and want to try themselves.
I want the research tree to feel wide rather than deep. Most unlocks should be reachable quickly, with steady progression as you play. It’s not intended to be a long or repetitive grind, and the full tree should unfold naturally over regular play. Exact pacing will need testing.
Research will be grouped into:
Base upgrades: Resource management and ammo manufacturing.
Squad upgrades: Ground unit types.
Gunship upgrades: Altitude, speed, fuel efficiency, survivability, countermeasures, camera zoom levels, night vision, thermal vision, enemy tracking.
Weapon upgrades: Weapon platforms, weapon variants, ammo types.
Most of the underlying code is in place. Next step is linking all systems cleanly and improving the visuals.
I’ll be working on anti-air behavior, expanding enemy AA options, and adding countermeasures for the player.
What weapon or system should not be locked behind research tree and why?
Ingmar Trump
Solo Developer