Dev Diary #44: Battle Tank
Many have been asking a lot about this, and we can finally show it: an actual battle tank that players can use to go full war mode!
This is a shorter diary, presenting the new vehicle, but we are, of course, working on lots of other things simultaneously, like the Construct loot overhaul we talked about last week.
Also, next week, a new UI developer will join the team, so we can finally go full speed on UI improvements!
[h2]Why a Battle Tank?[/h2][hr][/hr]For a long time, we wanted to keep the scope of the game a little bit under an actual “war” and wanted to focus on more mobile and special forces-oriented operations. For that, setting up a full-blown battle tank was just too much, as it implied being very heavy, difficult to deploy, and slow. This did not really fit the RMC doctrines we had in mind.
However, we have since changed our mind and feel that an actual battle tank, or at least the option to use it, expands what's possible in the game and gives players more freedom in how they set up their armies.
From a lore perspective, a battle tank makes sense for the Rogue Army to use, and to be honest, the faction is in dire need of some armored support. Its infantry and support units were already good, but the faction struggled to provide staying power, as it was mostly infantry-based. Well-equipped player units could go all-in on anti-infantry equipment and go easy on AT options, which made army building against them a bit one-dimensional.
The battle tank will help close some big gaps in Rogue Army lists and make fighting them more interesting. Also, as with all vehicles, we try to keep them usable by the player as well, so you can loot and use them yourself if you want to.
Rogue Army Battle Tank
[h3]The Battle Tank in combat[/h3]The Battle Tank will be the heaviest classic vehicle in the game besides the Rogue Army Heavy Tank, which is more of an assault gun and not a normal tank.
It has more armor and hitpoints than the RMC IFV, but it is, of course, a lot slower and more expensive to deploy.
The turret comes with a heavy slot in front and a light slot on top. For this, we had to implement a rotating turret on a rotating turret, so our animators also had something new on their hands.
The Rogue Army version comes with the very classic loadout of a medium machine gun to suppress infantry and provide defensive fire, as well as a long-barreled tank cannon to hunt vehicles over long range.
[h3]RMC Battle Tank and RMC Heavy Tank[/h3]
The 3D model is not completely finished yet; we have to do some final touches, and we will also create an RMC skin for when the player uses it.
On top of the Battle Tank, the Rogue Army Heavy Tank will make a comeback and will be available to the player again soon!
We had to adjust the model to fit the new modular vehicle and weapon system. However, the main gun will stay and will not be swappable! So the heavy tank will always feature its signature howitzer, with the light weapon slot on top being free to swap in any light modular vehicle weapon.
[h2]New 3D Weapon Models[/h2][hr][/hr]As many players have been asking about when and if there will be actual 3D models for infantry weapons, here is an update on that: Yes! Eventually, all weapons will have a correct 3D model in the game.
Here is a quick glimpse at the new set coming up:
[h3]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h3][hr][/hr][p]You can find us on Discord, BlueSky, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit for discussions, updates, and feedback. You can also subscribe to our monthly MENACE newsletter on our website.
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]
This is a shorter diary, presenting the new vehicle, but we are, of course, working on lots of other things simultaneously, like the Construct loot overhaul we talked about last week.
Also, next week, a new UI developer will join the team, so we can finally go full speed on UI improvements!
[h2]Why a Battle Tank?[/h2][hr][/hr]For a long time, we wanted to keep the scope of the game a little bit under an actual “war” and wanted to focus on more mobile and special forces-oriented operations. For that, setting up a full-blown battle tank was just too much, as it implied being very heavy, difficult to deploy, and slow. This did not really fit the RMC doctrines we had in mind.
However, we have since changed our mind and feel that an actual battle tank, or at least the option to use it, expands what's possible in the game and gives players more freedom in how they set up their armies.
From a lore perspective, a battle tank makes sense for the Rogue Army to use, and to be honest, the faction is in dire need of some armored support. Its infantry and support units were already good, but the faction struggled to provide staying power, as it was mostly infantry-based. Well-equipped player units could go all-in on anti-infantry equipment and go easy on AT options, which made army building against them a bit one-dimensional.
The battle tank will help close some big gaps in Rogue Army lists and make fighting them more interesting. Also, as with all vehicles, we try to keep them usable by the player as well, so you can loot and use them yourself if you want to.
Rogue Army Battle Tank
[h3]The Battle Tank in combat[/h3]The Battle Tank will be the heaviest classic vehicle in the game besides the Rogue Army Heavy Tank, which is more of an assault gun and not a normal tank.
It has more armor and hitpoints than the RMC IFV, but it is, of course, a lot slower and more expensive to deploy.
The turret comes with a heavy slot in front and a light slot on top. For this, we had to implement a rotating turret on a rotating turret, so our animators also had something new on their hands.
The Rogue Army version comes with the very classic loadout of a medium machine gun to suppress infantry and provide defensive fire, as well as a long-barreled tank cannon to hunt vehicles over long range.
[h3]RMC Battle Tank and RMC Heavy Tank[/h3]
The 3D model is not completely finished yet; we have to do some final touches, and we will also create an RMC skin for when the player uses it.
On top of the Battle Tank, the Rogue Army Heavy Tank will make a comeback and will be available to the player again soon!
We had to adjust the model to fit the new modular vehicle and weapon system. However, the main gun will stay and will not be swappable! So the heavy tank will always feature its signature howitzer, with the light weapon slot on top being free to swap in any light modular vehicle weapon.
[h2]New 3D Weapon Models[/h2][hr][/hr]As many players have been asking about when and if there will be actual 3D models for infantry weapons, here is an update on that: Yes! Eventually, all weapons will have a correct 3D model in the game.
Here is a quick glimpse at the new set coming up:
[h3]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h3][hr][/hr][p]You can find us on Discord, BlueSky, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit for discussions, updates, and feedback. You can also subscribe to our monthly MENACE newsletter on our website.
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]