The new Main Battle Tank is the heaviest combat vehicle currently in the game. Besides having a new model, higher durability against most types of attacks and a more powerful main cannon compared to existing armored vehicles, it also expands on some of the existing game systems.
Unlike APCs and IFVs, the MBT is unable to transport troops, but makes up for it with its combat capabilities. It can simultaneously engage two different targets at the same time. On top of the main turret there is a smaller machinegun turret, which prioritizes engaging infantry while letting the main cannon prioritize vehicles.
Paired with the new vehicle, I also added a system where units firing projectiles try to predict the target's movement and lead their shots. This helps the MBT, other vehicles and also AT infantry land their shots against moving targets much more consistently.
Turret movement has also been adjusted slightly. Turrets now accelerate into larger turns, allowing them to rotate faster over long distances without making small aiming corrections feel almost instant.
In concept, the new map is an expanded version of the existing Dry Foothills map, but in gameplay it definitely feels like a new map with just a few familiar details from the old one.
The main reason I went this way is that the smaller map just does not work particularly well anymore. Many unit types can now see and shoot far enough that there isn't much room for tactical movement. The smaller size also causes issues with mission generation, especially when allies and reinforcements are involved, as there simply aren't enough good spawn locations available.
Because of this, the original Dry Foothills map is no longer used in Career Mode.
The procedural road mesh generation system I created recently has also made working on maps considerably faster. Roads used to be one of the more tedious parts of creating a map, but now it's almost like playing some city building game, laying out road networks and thinking about how they could affect tactical decisions and troop movements.
Alongside the new map, I ended up touching up most of the existing maps as well, replacing their old roads with the new system. In many cases I also expanded the road networks and added dirt roads, giving vehicles more valid routes and players more tactical options.
Dirt roads now work similarly to paved roads rather than just being a terrain texture. Vehicles can properly recognize and use them for navigation.
I want to see how these changes affect the way players approach missions and how the AI makes use of the additional routes. Based on that, I can make future maps and road layouts more interesting.
On the visual side, I also updated the vegetation shader. Besides some smaller performance improvements, trees can now have more color variation, which helps make vegetation-heavy areas look less monotonous.
The AGM-L-16 Pathfinder now has a new fire-and-forget missile option.
Unlike the existing missiles, these don't require the player to continuously aim at the target until impact. Instead of aiming at a ground impact point, the weapon locks directly onto an enemy vehicle. Once fired, the missile keeps tracking that target on its own, even if the vehicle moves.
This makes them especially effective against moving vehicles and also allows the player to quickly launch missiles at multiple targets without having to guide each one individually.
In Career Mode, these missiles are more expensive than the regular option, but they are also much more reliable against moving armor.
If the target is destroyed before the missile reaches it, the missile will continue tracking towards the last target position rather than switching onto another vehicle.
There is also a new player squad type, the CQB squad.
It's still a fairly experimental squad type that will likely need some balancing, but I wanted to start testing how a more specialized infantry unit would fit into the game.
CQB squads are currently equipped with shotguns. Compared to regular rifle squads, they have a shorter spotting range, but at close range they detect and react to enemies faster. Their weapons are also more accurate and deal considerably more damage at short distances.
This gives them a strong advantage against other infantry in narrow urban areas and other cramped environments. At longer distances, rifle squads still have the advantage and can engage them much more safely.
Until now, Escalation mostly kept increasing over the course of a Career.
I've changed some objective types so they can now reduce Escalation instead. Protect objectives are currently the main way of reducing it, although some other objectives can also have a negative Escalation value.
Objectives now show how much Escalation they can add or remove when zoomed in on during a mission.
Mission offers also preview the possible minimum and maximum Escalation change before accepting the mission. The final result depends on which objectives the player completes, fails or skips.
This should give players at least some control over lowering Escalation instead of it always moving in one direction.
- Ingmar
Added a new canyon desert map, expanding on the concept of Dry Foothills with a considerably larger playable area.
Added the MBT (Main Battle Tank) unit type. Unlike APCs and IFVs, it cannot transport infantry, but has greater durability, vision range, accuracy and firepower.
MBTs can independently engage multiple targets at once, using the main cannon primarily against vehicles and the secondary machinegun turret against infantry.
Added the CQB (Close Quarters Battle) squad for the player. CQB squads use shotguns and have a shorter spotting range than rifle squads, but react faster and are considerably more effective against infantry at close range.
Added fire-and-forget missiles for the AGM-L-16 Pathfinder. These missiles lock onto enemy vehicles and continue tracking them after launch, making them especially reliable against moving targets.
Added target leading for projectile weapons. Vehicles and AT infantry now predict target movement when firing, improving their accuracy against moving targets.
Added turret rotation acceleration. Turrets can complete larger turns more quickly while keeping smaller aiming adjustments slightly delayed.
Added dirt roads as a proper road type rather than only a terrain texture. Vehicles can recognize and use them for navigation.
Added the ability for some mission objectives to reduce Escalation. Protect objectives are currently the main source of Escalation reduction.
Mission offers now show the possible minimum and maximum Escalation change.
Objectives now show their possible Escalation gain or reduction when inspected during a mission.
Added a new vegetation shader with support for more tree color variation.
Dry Foothills is no longer available in Career Mode, as its smaller size no longer works well with the current unit ranges and mission generation systems.
Replaced the old roads on High-Altitude Settlement, Petrochemical Complex, Patagonia Heights, Flatland Airbase, Eastern Escarpment, Quarry and River Basin with the newer road system.
Expanded the road networks on High-Altitude Settlement, Petrochemical Complex, Patagonia Heights, Flatland Airbase, Eastern Escarpment and Quarry with additional dirt roads and route options.
Improved navigation mesh detail around roads, helping vehicles follow both paved and dirt roads more reliably.
Vehicles now follow roads more closely instead of cutting corners as heavily.
Vehicles are now more likely to prefer roads for longer-distance movement orders, while short-distance orders continue to favor more direct routes.
Improved the terrain thermal shader, making terrain detail sharper and more closely match the shapes visible in the color view.
Sandbox Mode friendly-fire options are now disabled by default.
Vehicles no longer eject an empty shell at the beginning of a mission.
Slightly reduced the anti-armor effectiveness of 40mm APC and 40mm IFV weapons.
Reorganized long-distance navigation data, making maps quicker to work on and slightly improving navigation performance.
Added support for vehicles with multiple independently operating turrets, each able to target and prioritize different enemies. The MBT is currently the only unit using this system.
Missions with very large numbers of allied and enemy units can still run into performance bottlenecks, particularly from vehicle physics and navigation.