USC: Counterforce News

USC:CF v0.50.0a, build 231214

NEW

• Xmas 2023 event
  
  • Will last a couple of weeks (keep your eyes peeled for details!)
    
  • During the event, you can collect Xmas presents in every non-Defend the Base mission. These are items scattered on the ground in 3 flavors, a total of 15 in every mission. Carry them with you when finishing the mission (or extracting) to add them to your total collected amount!
    
  • Collect 150 Xmas presents for a surprise in-game reward after the event. The details & availability of this will be disclosed later. You can see your collection progress in the Profile menu.
    

• New enemy: Wunderwurm
  
  • Those who played the previous USC game would surely remember this weird, little, colorful worm -- an extra rare specimen, and a true "pleasure" to deal with. Now they are back, dressed for the season for the time being, but intent on staying indefinitely. :D
    
  • Has a psionic 3x3 area attack that can reach you even through closed doors and walls within range (7); it deals physical damage, plus Tranq. and Shadow
    
  • Has a 7x7 aura that heals aliens that pass through or stand in it; the Wunderwurm itself benefits from this while moving, though to a lesser extent
    
  • Can teleport away in a range of 15 as a means of escape when it's severely injured -- or when it just feels like it...
    
  • It levitates: floor hazards don't affect it, and it counts as full-height when targeting (also can't take full cover behind crates); you can also target grids behind it with any weapon, as it is rather small
    
  • Has a chance to leave shadow trails behind as it moves, though not as efficiently as a Shadow Envoy
    
  • Leaves behind some Asura-49 when killed (1-4, based on difficulty and luck); this item must be extracted or held in inventory until mission completion for it to be added to acquisitions
    

• New weapon: Bio-rifle
  
  • A high-tech heavy arm available without unlocking
    
  • It's very expensive, and not a "conventional" damage dealer, rather a versatile tactical tool that also circumvents high armor and other resistances of most aliens to deal huge damage if used properly
    
  • Inject: deal poison damage to an alien or heal (!) a marine with this free-targeted attack in a range of 1-7
    
  • Cloud spray: mass infect aliens with biotoxin in a 3x3 area AND leave behind toxic pools that can infect aliens that pass through later
    

• New ammo: BioShell, used by the Bio-rifle
  
• Added new rock types (big, small, and debris) for better variety on the planet surface
  
• Added new blood & gore graphics to make the carnage more visually varied :D
  
• Added an option for reduced blood & gore under Settings/Graphics
  

CHANGES

• Floating text for damage on objects and walls will no longer be shown if all effects are actually 0
  
• Diagonal movement next to walls is now possible in some cases where it previously wasn't, but was strongly indicated by graphics (mostly in the spaceship environment)
  
• You can now actually get a prototype version of the Flamethrower
  
• Elemental effects that are incompatible with each other can no longer spawn on new weapon prototypes (incendiary, acidic, and cryo are not compatible with each other)
  

FIXES

• Fixed a rare critical bug when using a disperse-type attack (Flamethrower, Bio-rifle) that could cause a soft lock-up
  
• Fixed a bug where the debris of some objects (fenced artifacts in mines, some DTB objects, and the new "server console" object) would block you from moving an object onto the grid and from picking up items from the ground
  
• Fixed a bug where area effects were applied twice to a unit that has been knocked back in some cases
  
• Fixed a bug where aliens were not processing status effects in their first turn of a mission [regression]
  
• Fixed a bug where the first autosave in a mission with no FoW did not save properly the status of the FoW being revealed
  
• Fixed a very rare potential issue where the game could lock up when attacking with the Flamethrower AND dying in the process
  
• Fixed a very rare potential issue where deleting loadouts in Squad Assembly could lead to problems later when reloading the squad
  
• Fixed the number in the Action Point cost popup being displayed in red in some cases when you play a game after exiting a DTB Construction phase
  
• Fixed Greater Shadow Envoys not displayed as an "outlying biosign" in Defend the Base! mode
  
• Fixed some Operations awarding much more Profile XP than intended
  

Hey Marines!

The Campaign in USC:CF will feature a grand strategic layer on a planet map, persistent global inventory management, unit progression with XP gains and permadeath, narrative elements with lore & choices, and even more, compared to the non-Campaign game modes. But how will the Campaign start, what choices will the player have in creating a Campaign session, and how will those affect the course of the game? Today, we’re going to tell you a bit more about this.

[h3]Starting a Campaign[/h3]


From the Main Menu you’ll find yourself on the Campaign setup screen. The Campaign will feature a slot-based save system, but that doesn’t mean you can’t save manually or have multiple saves if you’re not playing on Hardcore (“Iron Man")—the main purpose of this system is to let you easily differentiate between save files belonging to different playthroughs!

In addition to the Difficulty setting known from the other game modes, which will not only control enemy number and strength but also the amount of loot and some other elements (don’t forget, in the Campaign, what items and ammo you spend will remain spent—you'll have to find means to replenish the stock!), there’s the Campaign length/complexity setting that controls how big a war you’re getting yourself into. With the Story option, the background simulation that runs the alien hordes and controls the flow of the whole Campaign will be more simplistic, letting you follow a clear path and finish the story in 15-20 hours if everything goes well. On Normal, you’ll see much more alien activity and more battles, will have to make more strategic choices, and will have to be wiser with your spending and overall management to be able to complete the story in about 50 hours. Full-scale is for the real strategy enthusiast who is not afraid to micro-manage everything—many, many battles await against an enemy on multiple fronts, against the scarcity of resources, and the weight of all choices that cannot be unmade.

[h3]Affiliation[/h3]


As a Fleet Commander of the USCF, you’re not above the intricacies of global politics and corporate espionage. The greatest mega-concerns that run Earth in 2308 have a huge stake in all United Space Command activity, and not everyone is always playing by the book—of course not! At the beginning of the game, you’ll have to choose an affiliation—or you can choose not to have one outside of USC. This choice will affect your Relations and Renown, two new systems that will be important during the Campaign. By navigating the world of politics, agreeing to or rejecting (or failing!) secret missions, selling information to, or withholding intelligence from the different firms, your Relations with them will change. A good relationship will grant you perks, like access to exclusive weapons and items. Renown, on the other hand, measures your dignity as an officer, and if you don’t engage in fishy agreements with non-military agencies, that will boost it dearly. Renown may be used in a far subtler way than Relations, like facilitating a resolution between warring factions, requesting additional reinforcements, or holding the morale of your crew high even when things go awry. The Relations and Renown system will be a secondary layer to the Campaign, one you can mostly ignore if you’re only interested in the war strategy, but it will give your choices even more weight in certain situations. And of course, every mega-concern may have a hidden agenda that can influence the course of the war, so you’d better be prepared!

[h3]Personal avatar[/h3]


You didn’t think you could wage war remotely on a planet many lightyears away from Earth, did you? You, as Commander, will be among your marines aboard the deck of your flagship and will have the option to go into battle with them when you want, or when the necessity arises. At the start of the Campaign, you will be asked to customize your avatar. This avatar will be one of the many units on the roster, representing you, personally. You can choose not to go into battle yourself, and if everything goes well, you’ll never have to; but fighting alongside your marines can boost their morale and your Renown. Some secret missions from affiliations will also require that you oversee the operation in person. And, of course, if the flagship—horribile dictu!—ever gets attacked, you’ll have to fight for your life alongside your fellow crewmates. If your avatar dies, the game is immediately over—but, of course, you can always reload a previously saved game… granted you’re not playing on Hardcore!

Stay tuned for more updates on the Campaign. We're not done sharing sneak peeks at what we're working on and what's waiting for you!

❄️ The USC: Counterforce team 🎁

Hey Marines!

[h3]Round two! USC: Counterforce is at a 25% discount during the Steam Autumn Sale.[/h3]

You thought it was over? Well, surprise! Time to jump into the game and face the new threats we added with the Halloween major update, plus you get to use a flamethrower set them on fire. What's not to love about grilling a ferocious alien?



[h3]25% Off - Limited discount during the Steam Autumn Sale[/h3]
It’s never too late to give yourself the chills! Prep your marines for a deadly journey to wipe the aliens off the face of M-8322. We're offering a 25% discount on USC: Counterforce during the Steam Autumn Sale from today to November 28! Grab a copy of the game and exterminate the aliens!

[h3]Update Highlights - Halloween update[/h3]
Gear up! There's a handful of aliens to take down! The game will put your skills and tactics to the test! Exploit any opportunity—weapon, environment, positioning, collateral damage and more—to turn the situation to your advantage. If you love the smell of burnt aliens in the morning, then now is the time to get the game. Have some roasted bugs with your flamethrower!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574870/USC_Counterforce/


The USC: Counterforce team

Hey Marines!

Missed the Halloween goosebumps? No worries, USC: Counterforce is at a discount! We recently released our Halloween major update, adding new enemies and the flamethrower!

[h3]25% Off - Limited discount during Turn-Based Carnival[/h3]
It’s never too late to give yourself the chills! Dive into a mission you wish you were never assigned to… We're offering an exclusive 25% discount on USC: Counterforce during the Turn-Based Carnival from today to November 21! Grab a copy of the game and exterminate the aliens!

[h3]Update Highlights - Halloween update[/h3]
Lock and load! New terrifying aliens have joined the horde! But fear not, you now have a flamethrower to burn them to the ground! Let's start the fireworks with this weapon and discover new features! With new tactical possibilities, upgraded weaponry, and new features, the game will test your abilities and strategies!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574870/USC_Counterforce/


The USC: Counterforce team

Hey Marines,

[h2][h3]We've made adjustments to our roadmap to ensure USC: Counterforce reaches its full potential and delivers an immersive, engaging, and challenging experience. As a result, there will be fewer updates until the full release. We want to be completely transparent with you and share our reasoning.[/h3][/h2]

Since the game's Early Access release, we've added new content such as Defend the Base! mode, the spaceship environment, new gameplay mechanics, a new operation, new weapons and items, new enemies, and community suggestions.



[h3]Focusing on the Campaign:[/h3]
One of the key aspects of USC: Counterforce is its Campaign. We have decided to shift our primary focus towards developing and polishing this core feature. We believe that the Campaign is the backbone of the game, and we want to make it an engaging and exciting open-ended Campaign mode with a non-linear storyline.

[h3]Quality over quantity:[/h3]
By taking a step back from more frequent updates, we can allocate more resources to improving USC: Counterforce, optimizing gameplay, polishing, balancing, and fixing any existing issues, on top of the scheduled updates and Campaign.

[h3]Listening to feedback:[/h3]
Your feedback is invaluable throughout the development process. While we may have fewer updates, we still actively want to engage with you, taking your feedback into account and publishing patches. By reducing the update cycle, we can carefully assess and implement the suggestions and answer questions you may have while focusing our energy on the Campaign.

[h2]Updated Roadmap[/h2]



That being said, get ready for an intense end of the year! A new deadly weapon, a new alien, and a Xmas event that promises to be anything but resting for your marines. It's shaping up to be a bloody Christmas! As we step into the new year, explore a new environment featuring a new operation, a new alien will join the horde and we're cooking up a special Lunar Year event for you!

[h3]We will keep you informed of our progress and development milestones as we work towards the full release of USC: Counterforce.[/h3]

Stay tuned for more updates as we work diligently to bring you an exciting and challenging experience with the Campaign. We want to thank you, your support means a lot to us and we believe that we can make the best game possible with your contribution.

The USC: Counterforce team


PS: If you missed it, we're participating in the Turn-Based Carnival starting tomorrow on Steam and the game will be at a discount!