Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance News

[p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]With the release of the new Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance: Uprising Conquest Mode DLC, we wanted to share some facts from ‘under the hood’ of this exciting new mode, as well as update you on the SAVE GAME functionality that was put into the game after taking player feedback.[/p][h3]
QUICK SAVE AVAILABLE[/h3][p]You can enable Quick Saves (F5–F8) by selecting the Custom difficulty setting.[/p][p]However, for the best experience, we recommend playing on the standard difficulty levels — Normal, Medium, Hard, or Realistic — where Quick Saves are disabled.[/p][p]The campaign is carefully balanced with the intention that manual saving is not available during missions. (Don’t worry — automatic saves occur at least every 20 minutes.)[/p][p]Don’t be afraid to take losses. Sometimes it’s better to skip a day, regroup, and build up resources to repair or improve your army. Study your units, learn the enemy’s capabilities, and check the skull icons beneath each sector to gauge their strength before committing to an attack.[/p][p]And remember: retreat is always an option. Every enemy loss weakens their sector — even if you don’t win the battle. [/p][p][/p][h3]Under-the-Hood Insights – Uprising Conquest Mode[/h3][p]I had also reached out to one of the architects of the game, who many in the Terminator community (especially on Discord) will know as Mack, and asked for some ‘inside information’ about what is going on with the new mode, that may not be obvious from the first play.[/p][p]So here we go. Strap yourself in and get ready for an intel download.[/p]

1. [p]The number of skulls shown on a sector represents the strength of the enemy occupying it. If an enemy attacks one of your sectors, their power level will be displayed on the briefing screen. Higher power means more enemy reserves and shorter intervals between attack waves.
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2. [p]If you skip a day while one of your sectors is under attack, you will lose that sector. If multiple sectors are attacked on the same day, you can only defend one of them.
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3. [p]The mission type for "generic" sectors (e.g., Domination, Capture and Hold, etc.) changes over time. You can view the current mission type in the briefing screen before deploying.
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4. [p]You can withdraw your units from the battlefield for repair, refuel, resupply, or recovery. Once restored—or immediately, if you choose—you can redeploy them, provided reinforcement slots are available.
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5. [p]You may retreat from a mission with your units still alive. This will count as a loss, but you will retain any experience gained and not waste the day.
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6. [p]AI-controlled sectors take damage after battles. The higher the power of the defending sector, the more damage it receives. In player battles, sector damage is determined by how many enemy units you eliminated. Damage lowers the sector’s power level (skulls), but it regenerates over time - at different rates depending on the faction.
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7. [p]In Domination missions, if the enemy captures a control point and you’re defending, that point disappears. The enemy’s reserve count takes damage for every control point still under your control. (Applies only to Domination missions.)
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8. [p]In Total Elimination missions, your goal is to ensure the enemy loses more points than you. Eliminating enemy units deducts more points than simply controlling more points on the map.
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9. [p]You must control at least one Critical Sector to continue playing. Losing all your critical sectors ends the campaign. You begin the campaign with one critical sector.
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10. [p]The shop inventory resets daily. If an item or unit goes "out of stock," skip a day and it will become available again.
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11. [p]Enemy reserves in a mission depend on three factors: enemy power level (shown in the briefing), the total number of enemy-held sectors, and a hidden faction modifier. Legion has the lowest modifier—but the most powerful units.
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12. [p]As you capture more sectors, Legion will begin to take notice and respond by deploying more advanced units over time.
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13. [p]If you connect your territory to an allied faction's sectors, you’ll receive all of their sector rewards—excluding resource income.
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14. [p]You can assist allies in attacking or defending a sector if you have a connection to their territory or share a border with the contested sector.
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15. [p]Legion can conduct Deep Raids against enemy sectors—including yours. These raids target sectors not adjacent to the attacker’s territory.
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16. [p]Deep Raids always have the same power level, but the number of enemy reserves still depends on the attacker’s total sectors and hidden faction modifier.
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17. [p]Your sergeant may inform you of random in-game events, including supply requests from survivors, deserters fleeing your camp, or the discovery of supplies in the wasteland.
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18. [p]In “generic” missions (Capture and Hold, Domination, Total Elimination), both player and enemy spawn zones are randomized. Each mission usually has four possible spawn configurations.
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19. [p]In Assault missions (usually for critical sectors), AI defenders have massive—but finite—reserves.
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20. [p]Radiation and poison gas do not damage infantry units that are inside vehicles, unless they are manning exposed mounted guns (e.g., hatches).
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21. [p]Only marked abandoned vehicles count toward the “Collector,” “Exhibition,” and “Junkyard Army” achievements.
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22. [p]Once you take control of a marked abandoned vehicle, it is considered collected and will no longer appear in future playthroughs of that mission—even if you didn’t extract it.
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23. [p]After a faction attacks a sector, it will not attack that same sector again for two days. (This does not apply to the player faction.)
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24. [p]To unlock Movement airstrikes, you must assist the Movement faction in their battles.
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25. [p]There are two win conditions for the Uprising campaign:
    a. Capture Sector 18 (Mount Taylor Research Facility)
    b. Destroy the Cartel
    You can continue playing after completing either objective, as long as enemy factions still control sectors.
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26. [p]If you annex the Movement faction, they will assist you during the assault on Sector 18 with militia forces.
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27. [p]Enemy factions have spawn guards at their deployment zones. This is to counter player camping at deployment zones.
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28. [p]Factions can be destroyed without your involvement.
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29. [p]If a battle feels unwinnable, don’t hesitate to retreat. You can always rebuild and replace lost forces.
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30. [p]There are 198 marked abandoned vehicles scattered across the campaign map.
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31. [p]Your supply stock cannot drop below zero. You can maintain a large army even when supplies run out—but you won’t be able to resupply or purchase new units until you recover.
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32. [p]Any sector that becomes disconnected from your HQ (Critical Sector) will automatically convert into a Marauder sector by the end of that day. This does not apply to sectors owned by Marauders or Legion. [/p]
33. [p]You can enable quicksaves during missions in the custom difficulty settings.
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[h3]And Finally[/h3][p]The Uprising DLC is now released and more intel will appear over the next few weeks — so do join the discussion on our official Discord for even more information! I’m always there (Mark.H), as is Mack, ready to answer your questions.

JOIN DISCORD
[/p][p]And as usual, I’ll leave the last words to Major Stevens, returning to lead the fight in Uprising:
[/p][p]“Good job, soldier. If we're to form a resistance, we'll need people and field bases like this one to build from. There's a long way to go yet, though.” 
[/p][p]Gear up and lead the Resistance, the Uprising is about to begin. Stay sharp, fighter. Humanity is depending on you.[/p]

[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]The wait is over. Uprising, the massive new expansion for Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance, is officially out now.

This DLC introduces a full sandbox-style, rogue-like campaign that puts you in command of the Resistance across 22 dynamic sectors in the post-apocalyptic United States. With no scripted paths and multiple factions acting on their own, every decision you make, every battle you win or lose, shapes the course of the war.

You’ll clash with the unpredictable Marauders, who thrive in chaos and strike when sectors are left isolated. Face off against the relentless war machine of Legion, always expanding and always hunting. Watch for the Cartel, a ruthless paramilitary force with its own agenda. Support the struggling Movement, your last true allies in this war-torn world. And deal with the enigmatic Integrators, whose advanced tech may be the key to turning the tide, if you can gain their trust.

Raid Marauder strongholds, scavenge vehicles, and recruit new troops to reinforce your army. From high-level planning on the sector map to intense tactical combat on the ground, Uprising hands you full control of the fight ahead.

Build your army. Command your front. The Resistance is counting on you.

v1.07.1145 [/p][p]Additions [/p]

• [p]New Uprising Conquest Mode added. [/p]
• [p]New achievements added. [/p]
• [p]Autosaves every 20 minutes on Uprising DLC sectors [/p]
• [p]"Enable quicksaves" option added to custom difficulty settings for Uprising DLC. You can enable it to make quick saves on all missions (Only two quicksaves can exist at once).[/p]
• [p]5 new music tracks have been added to the OST[/p][p][/p]

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[p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Get ready, the war’s about to heat up.

Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance: Uprising drops next week on July 29th, and it’s bringing a full-blown sandbox campaign with it. You’ll be leading the Resistance across 22 dynamic sectors, battling Legion, the Cartel, and whoever else gets in your way. Build your army and shape the future, one fight at a time.[/p]

[p]With the release of the new Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance: Uprising Conquest Mode DLC on the near horizon, we thought it would be a good time to journey back to the world of Terminator for more intel on what to expect.[/p][p][/p][p]You can see some of the new content this mode bring on the Steam page here: [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Save Game System Update[/p][p]In the last dev diary, we mentioned the team's decision to limit save functionality in Uprising to reinforce the roguelike feel. However, following player feedback, we've adjusted our approach.[/p][p]New save options include:[/p]

• [p]Quick Save Option: Can now be enabled via custom difficulty settings. It’s off by default to preserve the roguelike experience, but available for those who prefer flexibility.[/p]
• [p]Autosaves: Now trigger every 20 minutes during all missions (not just long or complex ones).[/p]
• [p]Victory Saves: Completing a mission will now autosave, letting you exit and return later to collect trophies or salvage vehicles.
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[p]We hope these updates strike a better balance between challenge and player choice.
[/p][p]Following the Games Story[/p][p]Although Uprising delivers a more open, roguelike experience, it still follows the storyline we began in the main game and continued with the We Are Legion DLC last year.[/p][p]In this DLC, you take on the role of an officer tasked with helping build and sustain the rising Resistance, battling against the various factions entrenched in the heartlands of the United States.
[/p][p]Your commanding officer is a returning character—Major Stevens, last seen assisting Lt. Church in the final mission of the base game. From a former military base captured from the Marauders in Alabama, you’ll manage and expand your army, fighting across multiple sectors to reclaim territory from Legion, the Marauders, and the Cartel. You'll also support your Movement allies and decide whether to befriend—or oppose—the enigmatic Integrators.[/p][p](The Uprising begins, capturing the Alabama base from the Marauders)[/p][p][/p][p]Sectors and the Army Store[/p][p]Each sector you capture provides unique units to your Army Store. For example:[/p]

• [p]Capture the Island Sector near your initial base to unlock Bradley tanks.[/p]
• [p]Take control of the Integrator base on the new Riverside Village map in the north to unlock Integrator Dozers and Technicals.
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[p]The composition of your army is shaped not only by what you capture, but by the route you take across the map.[/p][p]And of course, any vehicles and weapons abandoned on the battlefield can be salvaged for use in your growing force.[/p][p][/p][p]Allied Sectors[/p][p]You can only attack sectors adjacent to ones you already control. However, forming an alliance with a faction—such as the Movement—allows you to use their territory as a bridge to reach new areas.[/p][p]In one of my playthroughs, for example, this let me link up with Movement forces stationed near the Legion’s main base, opening a path for a full-scale attack with my army.[/p][p][/p][p]Legion Deep Raids[/p][p]Legion can deploy airborne forces using the same carrier technology introduced in the We Are Legion DLC. This enables them to launch Deep Raids, striking even sectors fully surrounded by friendly territory.[/p][p]That means your main base—or even secondary bases—can come under sudden assault. Defending these becomes critical to surviving the machine onslaught.[/p][p][/p][p]Quality of Life improvements[/p][p]We've made several QoL upgrades across the DLC and the base game. For example:[/p]

• [p]Training upgrades are now visually indicated directly on unit icons within the army management screen.[/p]
  • [p]You’ll see a small “upgrade available” icon—like this one on the Templarios unit or the Heavy Weapons Squad below.[/p]

[p](Templarios have an available upgrade)[/p][p][/p][p]Further Updates[/p][p]When the DLC releases, development doesn’t stop there. Conquest Mode's open-ended design gives us plenty of room to expand.[/p][p]Look forward to:[/p]

• [p]New unit types[/p]
• [p]Additional mission types[/p]
• [p]Emerging world events in future updates and DLCs
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[p]And Finally[/p][p]The Uprising DLC is nearly here. Keep an eye out for more info dropping soon—and join the discussion on our official Discord! I’m always there, ready to answer your questions.
Join Discord
[/p][p]And once again, I’ll leave the last words to Major Stevens, returning to lead the fight in Uprising:[/p][p][/p][p]“Divided… the machine has us beat. But together…together there is a way forward…if we choose to resist!.” [/p][p][/p][p]So, see you on the battlefield soldier very soon, the Uprising is upon us![/p]

[p]With Lieutenant Church heading north in search of new recruits and allies for the growing Resistance, the task of holding the heartlands has fallen to you, the player, charged with managing our forces and standing firm against the relentless advance of Legion’s hordes.[/p][p]And so, here we stand, preparing to face the challenge of our newest addition: Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance: Uprising![/p][p]The new Conquest Mode DLC is being released very soon, and so I thought it would be a good time to give a bit more detail on some of the new quality of life features that have been introduced.[/p][p]You can see some of the new content that the Mode will bring on the Steam page here: [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Faction Icons[/p][p]We released a screenshot of the world map last month. I wanted to show you the updated version with new faction icons now in each sector that they own. To be honest, this was due to a number of color blind people who noted they couldn’t tell the difference between some of the factions. I think you’d agree, the new faction icons make that much easier to see.
[/p][p](Conquest Map showing new faction icons)[/p][p]
No Saves for a Rogue Like Experience[/p][p]So, the team made the decision for the Uprising Conquest Mode to remove the Save Game function during most battles. [/p][p]There are still some autosaves during a few ‘critical’ missions when objectives have been met,  but these are slightly longer,harder missions. For most battles, there is no save, as battles should be somewhat shorter, with missions being won or lost in 15-20 minutes. [/p][p]There will always be an autosave BEFORE the mission, which is made every time you press DEPLOY in the mission briefing screen.[/p][p]However, as there are many elements that are RANDOM, when you re-load a mission from that save, you will likely get a different experience. Your spawn point(s) may be different, the enemy will attack from a different direction and encounters may be different. Even skipping a couple of days may mean that the mission will be somewhat different.[/p][p]This has been designed to create the Rogue Like experience that the Conquest Mode gives you.
[/p][p](Mission Briefing screen showing Deploy - and is that a new map!!)[/p][p][/p][p]Retreat[/p][p]With the more Rogue Like game flow of the mode, we have provided a RETREAT option during battles which allows you to extract your troops immediately.[/p][p]This allows you to sneak into sectors and ‘steal’ trophies and scavenge vehicles, without starting a large-scale battle. You can also help to weaken an enemy (if you can’t destroy it in one go), as all destroyed units will temporarily reduce your opponents strength (reserves). When attacking the sector again, the enemy will be weaker. And if that sector is cut off from its key point, then its ‘strength’ will not be replenished.[/p][p]So, retreat becomes a very useful feature to sneak, and not be overwhelmed.
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(Retreat option is found on the Menu. There is still honor in leaving, to fight another day)[/p][p][/p][p]Evacuation & Re-deployment[/p][p]Throughout the missions in the Uprising Conquest Mode, the EXIT area is always available, allowing players to extract units from the mission battle, back to the Army Reserves screen.[/p][p]This then allows you to re-supply, heal (if you have spare troops available), repair and refuel vehicles. It then allows you to re-deploy them if you have a slot remaining for that unit type.[/p][p][/p][p]One-Button Extraction[/p][p]When you have gained a victory on the battle, when you have achieved the objective, whether that is domination, defended a point for a given amount of time, or depleted the opponents so they retreat, a VICTORY button appears, allowing for a quick extraction if you wish.[/p][p]This finishes the map, and your units are returned to the Army Management screen.[/p][p]So, you do not have to move all your units to the EXIT area to extract them.[/p][p]You can use the VICTORY extraction whenever you like once the battle has completed, so you may want to spend some time scavenging for vehicles and weapons, get drivers into vehicles, picked up weapons, and then press VICTORY to extract with your new found loot.[/p][p][/p][p]I have found playing the Mode, that with Extraction abilities, you can use tank drivers and other specialised drivers to drive vehicles off the map, remove the driver out of the vehicle, and then re-deploy them without a vehicle, to search and drive other vehicles off the map.
[/p][p]Abandoned Vehicle Markers[/p][p]Most maps will have abandoned vehicles, and as these are discovered, you are informed by an officer, and a marker is placed on the map. This is very useful when salvaging the battlefield after a fight.[/p][p](An abandoned vehicle marked on the map. An Integrators Plasma Howitzer!)[/p][p][/p][p]And Finally[/p][p]There will be more information dropping about the Uprising Conquest mode before it is released, so please do watch out. And I am always available to answer your questions, when I can, on the official discord channel here.
Join Discord
[/p][p]And finally, I want to leave the last word to Major Stevens, who returns for the new Uprising Conquest Mode. Here is some dialogue of his straight from the game:[/p][p]“The mission's in crisis in the heartlands. Legion, barbaric Marauders, Cartel gangs, those blasted machine cultist Integrators - friends are hard to come by, but we got a few left still. We'll need to rally with every last one of em, soldier, 'cos I ain't ready to say die to the machine. Not yet.” [/p][p]So, good luck on the battlefield soldier, the Uprising is almost here![/p][p]
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