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Dev Diary #12 - Mission Types in MENACE

In MENACE, tactical battles go beyond destroying all enemies. There is a wide variety of mission goals, many of which do not require you to dispatch all opposition.

Let’s take a closer look at the challenges that await you.

[h2]Missions in MENACE[/h2][hr][/hr]A mission is a single turn-based tactical battle deployment that is fought on a procedurally generated 3D map. Each mission has a certain mission goal that needs to be completed in order to win the battle. 

If a battle is won, the player’s performance will be rated depending on certain factors like losses suffered, speed, and others. Each mission grants new items to loot and promotion points to promote squad leaders and pilots and unlock new perks for them.

A mission in MENACE is not an isolated fight but will always be part of an “Operation,” which is a cascade of connected missions. The player will always have some choices on what mission to take on next to complete the operation, but more on that in a later diary.

Now let’s look at the individual mission types:

Note: More mission types are in the works.

[h3]Capture Area[/h3][hr][/hr]One of the most common tasks for a strike force is to enter a contested area and gain control of certain important assets like supply depots, infrastructure, factories, and others. The opposing force will, of course, try to rush in its own forces and contest control of these areas.


The player will deploy in a decently sized deployment zone at the southern map border while all enemy forces deploy at the northern map border. In the center of the map, one or two “capture areas” are placed.

Both forces rush to the areas as quickly as possible. 

Each capture area is usually around nine tiles large and has a certain number of capture tickets attached to it. Each unit within the area will capture one ticket per turn, so having multiple units in the area allows for fast capture. 

Enemy units within the area will prevent the player from capturing it, so clearing the enemy out before taking over is essential. Ideally, the player reaches the capture areas first and suppresses the approaching enemy before they can reach covered positions from which they can mount an assault.

Once all capture areas are secured, the mission will automatically end as a success, no matter how many enemy units remain on the field.

In this mission, speed is absolutely essential, so it's crucial to use transport vehicles, perks that allow extra movement, like “sprint,” or drugs that grant additional movement or actions.

[h3]Hold Ground[/h3][hr][/hr]Once important objects are captured, enemy forces will attack them and try to take them over. This can also be a civilian settlement that has to be protected from a pirate raid or a military arms depot that Rogue Army forces want to take over to bolster their arsenal.


This is a passive mission in which the player must hold out for a finite amount of rounds while the enemy keeps pressing the attack. The map will have a rather large area in the middle that has to be defended for the duration of the mission. The area will usually be placed in the center of a settlement or other structure.

The player has to deploy their forces around the target area while the enemies advance from all four map edges. This is also one of the few missions with unlimited enemy reinforcements that keep rushing in. 

The hold ground area has a certain number of tickets. Each enemy unit that stays in this area will reduce the tickets by one per turn, so it is crucial to stop them from entering the area or flush them out quickly once they are in.

Once the tickets are reduced to zero, the mission is lost. 

Often, the battle will take place in built-up areas like settlements that offer lots of cover for advancing enemies. One of the most important parts of winning this mission is to spread out your forces in the capture area so that they can instantly react to an advancing enemy and bog them down with suppressive fire before they can get to cover and dig in.

[h3]Sabotage[/h3][hr][/hr]Unlike the open battles of other mission types the Sabotage missions can be done more covertly. The goal is to reach one or more target areas and execute a “sabotage” skill while being next to them. After all targets have been sabotaged the player has to move all units to a designated evac zone and exfil to complete the mission successfully.


The player deploys at the southern map border while the extremely numerous enemy forces deploy all over the map. 

The big twist in this setup is that enemy units start in “patrol mode,” where they do not share vision with other units. Once the fighting starts, only units in the vicinity that see what's going on join the fight. Often, many enemy units can be outmaneuvered and passed by without having to eliminate them. 

The key to success in this mission type is making the most of cover and concealment, scouting out enemy patrols and positions ahead of time, and being fast once the fighting starts.

[h3]Rescue Civilians[/h3][hr][/hr]Not only military units take part in the fighting in MENACE. Sometimes, civilians get caught up in the fighting and become targets themselves.

In the Rescue mission, your goal is to find and rescue civilians or VIPs from enemy holding cells.

In this setup, there will usually be one or more bases with holding cells on the map. The player will deploy at the southern map border while enemy forces surround the civilians. Once the player moves a unit close to the civilians, you gain control of them and have to move them back to the southern map border for extraction.


The enemy forces guarding the prisoners are relatively weak, but once the action kicks off, strong reinforcements will come from the northern half of the map to try to stop the civilian extraction. The civs have no armor and can quickly perish if caught in the crossfire. If that happens, the mission is, of course, lost.

The key to winning this mission is to approach all civilians at the same time to ensure that the enemy reinforcements do not prevent your access to a second or third civilian position and slow you down.
Once you are moving the civilians out, it makes sense to deploy elements with machine guns and other suppressive weapons to delay and hold off the reinforcements trying to catch up to you. Then, it is a matter of effectively leapfrogging backward to your extraction zone without leaving a friendly unit behind and in danger of getting overrun on retreat.

You can also load civilians into transport vehicles, which is usually the fastest and safest way to transport them to the extraction zone.

[h3]Base Assault[/h3][hr][/hr]Finally, we have the most brutal mission in which your goal is to eliminate as many enemy units as possible. The setup is usually an enemy base, stronghold, or other defensive position prepared to defend itself in the upper half of the map. The player can deploy all along the southern border and start the assault there. 


The enemy is placed in heavily fortified positions, and they might have bunkers, barricades, guard towers, automated sentry guns, or minefields to aid their defense. The mission is won once a certain percentage of enemy forces are destroyed or dispersed.

This mission will require players to consider where to attack the fortified positions and how to take out structures, walls, and bunkers. Bringing rocket launchers, grenades, and other weapons that are effective against objects is key. Also, it might help to focus on a single vector of attack and overwhelm the defenders with a massive force instead of attacking from all sides with weak forces. 

Good reconnaissance is crucial in this mission, as a single sentry turret armed with an EMP cannon can stop your armored assault dead in its tracks. Similarly, a heavy machine gun position can easily suppress your infantry on approach if you are not prepared for it. 

[h3]In Summary[/h3][hr][/hr]


Mission

Key Challenges

Winning Strategy



Capture Area: Seize control of contested zones by capturing key locations.

Enemy forces rush in to contest control; capturing is blocked until enemies are cleared.

Move quickly, suppress enemies before they reach cover, and use transport vehicles or movement-enhancing perks.



Hold Ground: Defend a strategic area against waves of attackers for a set number of turns.

Enemies advance from all four directions with unlimited reinforcements.

Spread forces to cover all approaches, use suppressive fire, and prevent enemies from entering the objective area.



Sabotage: Reach and destroy key targets before extracting to the evac zone.

Enemy units start in patrol mode but will engage once alerted; heavy resistance if spotted.

Use cover, avoid detection when possible, and plan an efficient exfil route.



Rescue Civilians: Extract civilians or VIPs from enemy-controlled holding cells.

Weak initial guards, but strong enemy reinforcements will attempt to cut off extraction.

Rescue all civilians at once, use suppressive weapons to delay pursuers, and load civilians into transport vehicles for faster extraction.



Base Assault: Destroy or rout a significant percentage of enemy forces in a fortified base.

Defensive positions include bunkers, automated turrets, and minefields.

Use explosives to breach defenses, focus attacks on a single front, and scout enemy positions before committing to the assault.


[h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr]That's it for now! We'll see you next Friday.

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 — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2432860/MENACE/

And here are the recent prior Dev Diaries in case you've missed them:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/515203109058773566
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/534342772300185779
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/512950040394727468

Dev Diary #11 - Action Points and Attack Calculation

We already talked a lot about specific combat mechanics and stats in MENACE but today we will lay out the basic action point system and combat mechanics. How are attacks modeled, hit chances calculated and casualties accounted? Let’s dive in!

[h2]Action Points in MENACE [/h2][hr][/hr]While many turn-based strategy games and franchises have swapped to the popular “2-actions” system, we will stay true to the genre's roots with a classic action point system.

Each entity on the battlefield has a pool of action points, used up by any action a unit can take. The idea behind this is that all actions take a different amount of time, and this system can model that with far more granularity than a 2-action system.

Each unit starts with 100 Action Points (AP) per turn. The available amount is relatively stable but can change under certain circumstances.

For example, when a unit is suppressed, it begins its turn with 30 AP less.

  • A typical skill use, like firing a squad weapon or throwing a grenade, costs 40 AP.
  • Heavy special weapons, such as firing a rocket launcher, typically cost 60 AP and cannot be used twice in a turn.
  • Movement also costs AP, though the number of points needed depends on both the unit’s movement type and the surface being traversed.
Moving on a concrete road is much faster than slogging through muddy ground. Wheeled vehicles generally require fewer AP per tile than tracked ones, but certain surfaces may be impassable for them. Vehicles also need AP to turn, unlike infantry.

Careful management of your Action Point economy is essential to overcoming the tactical challenges in MENACE. As the game progresses and units acquire more perks, equipment, and weapons, the decisions about which skill or action to use—and when to use it—become increasingly complex.

[h2]Attack Mechanics [/h2][hr][/hr]Below is the rundown of how an attack is calculated in the game. Buckle up—this will get a bit technical.

Attacks usually begin with the attacker spending the action point (AP) cost for the corresponding skill. There are exceptions, such as off-map abilities, but we’ll set those aside for now.

Example Scenario: A Marine Squad uses its Squad Weapon to fire at a Pirate Scavenger Squad.

  • The target is 6 tiles away.
  • The target is in the open.
  • The target is in default stance.
  • The target is not suppressed, damaged, or injured.

1. Paying AP for the Attack[hr][/hr] The K-PAC assault rifle used by the squad has two attack skills:
  • Salvo – Costs 40 AP, firing three shots in quick succession to maximize damage.
  • Sustained Fire – A separate option not covered in this example.
Since Salvo costs 40 AP, the squad can use it twice per turn, but we’ll only consider one use for the calculation below.

2. Determining Hit Chance[hr][/hr]Calculating an attack’s hit chance starts with the attacker's base accuracy. In this example, that’s 70, meaning a 70% chance to hit. Weapon and skill modifiers come next, and both can increase or decrease accuracy. Suppressive fire, for instance, trades accuracy for suppression. In this case, no modifiers are applied.

Distance matters. Every weapon has an ideal range and shots beyond that suffer an accuracy dropoff per tile. Assault rifles typically have an ideal range of four tiles. A sniper rifle, while precise at long range, struggles in close quarters due to its size and weight. Here, the shot is taken from six tiles away—two tiles past the rifle’s ideal range. With an accuracy dropoff of six per tile, this results in a 12-point reduction, bringing accuracy down to 58%.

This is a simple scenario. Other factors could come into play: an attacker in a deployed stance gains 15 accuracy, while a deployed target reduces hitchance by 15%. Light cover reduces accuracy by 20. A suppressed shooter loses 50 accuracy, and a pinned target lying prone imposes another 50-point penalty. Additional modifiers include terrain, smoke, lighting, perks, skills, and accessories, all of which can affect the final hit chance.

Factor
Value
Base Accuracy
70%
Weapon & Skill Modifiers
±0% (None Applied)
Distance Penalty (6 per tile, 2 tiles over ideal range)
-12%
Final Accuracy
58%


3. Number of Shots[hr][/hr]Once hitchance is established, the next factor is shot count. Every weapon and skill determines how many times an attack is repeated. Each repetition is treated as a separate attack, with hit-or-miss calculations applied individually, along with damage, suppression, and armor impact.

A standard assault rifle salvo consists of three repetitions, meaning three shots per squad member using that weapon. Squads typically have five members, though this varies. Some squad members may swap their standard weapon for a special one, like a machine gun or grenade launcher, reducing the number of members using the primary weapon. If a squad takes casualties, fewer members contribute to the attack. Special weapons are unaffected by squad size, as only one member ever operates them.

In this example, the Marine squad carries a medium machine gun, so only four of the five members are firing their assault rifles. Three repetitions per shooter results in 12 total shots at a 58% hitchance.

Factor
Value
Hit Chance
58%
Shots per Shooter
3
Number of Shooters
4
Total Shots
12
4. Determine Hits[hr][/hr]With the number of shots known, the next step is determining how many land. Here, seven out of 12 shots hit the pirate squad.

Suppression mechanics affect this phase. If a target is suppressed mid-attack, they may involuntarily shift stance—moving from standing to deployed or even pinned. This can cause part of the attack to resolve against a standing target while the remainder is applied to a suppressed or pinned enemy. Early hits matter, as they may alter the conditions for later shots.

5. Armor Penetration[hr][/hr]Landing a shot isn’t enough—it must penetrate armor to deal damage. Each projectile undergoes this check individually.

The assault rifle in this example uses an intermediate caliber, effective against standard body armor but dealing relatively low damage. Its penetration value is 30, with a penetration dropoff of 1.8 per tile. Unlike accuracy dropoff, which applies to shots beyond the ideal range, penetration dropoff is calculated from the point of origin. Effective penetration is then compared against the target's armor to determine penetration probability. Armor also degrades with use, lowering its effectiveness over time.

For this scenario, penetration starts at 30 but suffers a 10.8-point dropoff due to range, reducing effective penetration to 19.2. The pirates’ armor is undamaged at 30, resulting in a penetration chance of 82%. Out of the seven shots that hit, five successfully penetrated.

Factor
Value
Total Shots Fired
12
Shots that Hit
7


Armor Penetration
Value
Base Penetration
30
Penetration Dropoff (1.8 per tile, 6 tiles)
-10.8
Effective Penetration
19.2
Target Armor
30
Penetration Chance
82%
Shots that Penetrate
5


6. Armor Damage[hr][/hr]Shots that penetrate armor deal damage to hitpoints, while those that don’t reduce armor durability instead. Each weapon has a separate armor damage stat with its own dropoff. In this case, the rifle’s armor damage value is 9, with a dropoff of 0.6 per tile. This reduces its effective armor damage per shot at six tiles to 5.4. With two non-penetrating shots, the total armor durability reduction for the pirate squad is 10.8 points.

Armor Damage
Value
Base Armor Damage
9
Armor Damage Dropoff (0.6 per tile, 6 tiles)
-3.6
Effective Armor Damage per Shot
5.4
Non-Penetrating Shots
2
Total Armor Durability Reduction
10.8

Armor durability is tracked as a squad-wide value rather than on a per-member basis. Each element contributes to the total, and when a member is lost, the squad's armor pool is reduced accordingly. Some weapons specialize in breaking down armor rather than penetrating it, making follow-up attacks more effective.

7. Hitpoint Damage[hr][/hr]Penetrating shots deal hit point damage, which also suffers a dropoff. Here, the rifle’s base damage is 9, with a dropoff of 0.8 per tile. At six tiles, each penetrating shot deals 4.2 damage. Since five shots penetrated, total hitpoint damage amounts to 21.

Hitpoint Damage
Value
Base Damage
9
Damage Dropoff (0.8 per tile, 6 tiles)
-4.8
Effective Damage per Shot
4.2
Penetrating Shots
5
Total Hitpoint Damage
21
8. Elements Lost[hr][/hr]The pirate squad consists of five elements, each with 10 hitpoints, for a total of 50. The attack reduces their hitpoints to 29, meaning two elements are lost, as one element perishes for every 10 hitpoints lost.

Pirate Squad Status
Value
Total Elements
5
Hitpoints per Element
10
Total Squad Hitpoints
50
Hitpoints After Attack
29
Elements Lost
2
Suppression[hr][/hr]Suppression is as complex as damage calculation, if not more so. Every projectile applies suppression, even if it misses, and shots landing nearby still contribute partially. Losing squad members also generates significant suppression.

Full details on suppression mechanics are covered in Dev Diary #7.
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/535466136352851020

Summary[hr][/hr]These calculations may seem intricate, but the system was designed around two core principles. First, realism—combat follows a simulation-based model that accounts for factors like distance and ballistic dropoff. Second, accessibility—players don’t need to track exact numbers to make informed decisions. The UI presents only the final results, keeping things intuitive while still offering deeper weapon stats for those who want to optimize their strategy.

[h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr]That's it for now! We'll see you next Friday.

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 — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2432860/MENACE/

And here are the recent prior Dev Diaries in case you've missed them:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/534342772300185779
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/512950040394727468
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/535466769966436075

Dev Diary #10 - Pirate Faction Preview

Today, we want to deliver a little sneak peek at one of the enemy factions in MENACE: The Space Pirates. We will show some of their units and highlight the lore behind the faction.

[h3]Space Pirates in the Wayback System[/h3][hr][/hr]While a rare issue in the Core Worlds, spiracy, as some amusingly refer to, is a significant force of social decay in the Wayback. In recent years, the Planetary Jingwei's grasp of the pirate problem has severely weakened. Nowadays, pirates run free, operating in bands that raid and pillage defenseless colonies.

Space pirates spend lots of time in space and are slightly out of their element when fighting on the ground. They are bad guys, albeit often bumbling and incompetent, with a sense that the smarter pirates are probably running the show off-stage. They obsess over trinkets, a catchall term for loot, with a primary want for goodies that come from outside the system.


[h3]Tactics and Units[/h3][hr][/hr]As mentioned above, the faction Space Pirates encompasses many different groups of outlaws, criminals and looters roaming the Wayback, trying to prey on the weak. Their roster focuses on high mobility and reckless assaults. Weapons are improvised and repurposed—rarely accurate but packing a lot of raw firepower, especially when firing on the move.

Space Pirates use a variety of transport vehicles to quickly move across the combat map and close in on their enemies. While these vehicles offer some protection, pirates are especially vulnerable when disembarking. Anticipating when and where they will land and keeping a squad ready to react is essential to prevent an overrun.

Pirates tend to use two primary transport vehicles depending on squad size. Larger squads ride in heavy trucks, while smaller squads use light jeeps.

With very few exceptions, all pirate vehicles and weapons can also be employed by the player.


[h3]Pirate Squads[/h3][hr][/hr]Scavengers: A gang of regular space pirates equipped with makeshift assault rifles and frag grenades. Against armored targets, they also use improvised RPGs. They come in large squads and try to overwhelm enemies with reckless aggression and firepower.

Chain Gun Team: A small team of scavengers with a portable chain gun. Lacking accuracy but making up for it with sheer firepower, perfect for suppression while advancing. The makeshift nature of the gun makes it prone to jamming.

EMP Gunners: A specialized pirate team normally tasked with disabling automated defense mechanisms when boarding spaceships. Their EMP gun disables enemy mechs and vehicles on the battlefield. While not dangerous to infantry, they can easily take out vehicles caught out of position.

Boarding Commando: Heavily armored assault specialists. The first to board spaceships and brute-force through defenders. While not well adapted to open battlefields, they are extremely dangerous in close quarters, wielding Corridor Sweeper Shotguns, Thermite Grenades, and Stun Grenades.


[h3]Pirate Vehicles[/h3][hr][/hr]Rocket Truck: An improvised, highly mobile artillery system. Suppresses large areas with massive rocket barrages, though individual missiles are very inaccurate. The truck must reload every other round. It is not very resilient and relies on speed to stay safe. If critically damaged, there’s a chance it cooks off, launching rockets in random directions.

Chain Gun Truck: Using the same chassis as the rocket truck and basic transport, this vehicle delivers mobile suppressive firepower. The truck-mounted version of the chain gun is heavier and deals more damage but is still prone to jamming.

Laser Truck: A specialized version of the pirate truck with a repurposed spaceship laser cannon mounted on top. This truck is a major threat to heavily armored vehicles. The cannon generates extreme heat and must vent periodically to remain operational.

Flame Truck: A heavy truck with high durability but minimal armor. The flamethrower mounted on top covers large areas in fire, devastating entrenched infantry. However, the flammable liquid inside the truck makes it prone to catastrophic explosions when damaged.


[h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr]That's it for now! We'll see you next Friday.

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 — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2432860/MENACE/

And here are the recent prior Dev Diaries in case you've missed them:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/512950040394727468
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/535466769966436075
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/535466136352851020

Dev Diary #9 - Perks and Promotions

The goal of this Dev Diary is to explain how the performance of Squadleaders and Pilots improves over the course of the game. Instead of the classic experience point system, MENACE works with deliberate promotions to unlock perks.

[h3]Promotion Points and Mission Rating[/h3][hr][/hr]Promotion Points are earned through completing missions, fulfilling bonus objectives, exceeding mission requirements, or completing events. Unlike OCI components, Promotion Points are rewarded for each individual mission, so even if you fail an operation, you will gain Promotion Points.

Mission Rating Factors:

  • Persistent Factors: Logistics (supply points used), casualties (lost elements), and mission difficulty.
  • Optional Factors: Speed of completion, civilian casualties, collateral damage, and destroyed enemy elements.
Higher ratings yield more points. Promotion Points accumulate like other resources and can be spent after each mission.


[h3]Promotion and Demotion[/h3][hr][/hr]Unlike a classic experience system, promoting a character is a deliberate decision by the player and does not happen automatically.

  • Ranks: Promotions range from 1 (Lance Corporal) to 8 (Master Gunnery Sergeant).
  • Cost Scaling: Each consecutive promotion for the same character is more expensive than the previous one, making it costlier to focus on a single character rather than distributing Promotion Points among multiple leaders.
  • Strategic Choices: Players must decide when and whom to promote, rather than funneling kills and experience into favored units.
  • Comeback Mechanic: High-ranking promotions are costly, but new characters can be hired and ranked up, allowing them to catch up to veterans over time.
Demotion
Demoting a character is possible, with a small portion of Promotion Points refunded, though the affected leader will not be pleased.

A promotion-based system aligns with the game's military setting, giving the player, as commander of the Impetus, full control over who deserves a promotion.



[h3]The Perk Tree[/h3][hr][/hr]Each Squadleader and Pilot has an individual Perk Tree.

Perk Structure

  • Unique Perks: Automatically unlocked and exclusive to each character.
  • Regular Perks: Shared across multiple trees, but with unique combinations per character.
  • Four Tiers: Unlocking higher tiers requires a specific number of total perks, regardless of their tier level.
Perks do not necessarily become more powerful with each tier, but some require deeper investment. While some characters lean toward certain roles, perks allow flexible builds and varied playstyles without locking characters into rigid roles.

Perks can be passive or active, unlocking tactical combat abilities.


Currently, there are over 40 perks in the game, alongside unique character perks, with more planned. This system gives players ample room for experimentation, supporting diverse builds and strategies. The ultimate goal is maximum replayability and build freedom.

[h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr]That's it for now! We'll see you next Friday.

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 — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2432860/MENACE/

And here are the recent prior Dev Diaries in case you've missed them:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/535466769966436075
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/535466136352851020
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/535466136352850185

Dev Diary #8 - OCIs (Operational Capability Improvements) and Off-Map Abilities

In this week's diary we will talk about the role of your strike cruiser in MENACE and the possibilities and upgrades it offers over the course of the game. Making use of these not only helps in your struggle against the MENACE, but also defines your playstyle.

[h2]The TCRN Impetus[/h2][hr][/hr][Quote]“A marine company is a self-contained operational unit consisting of an interstellar ship (usually a light strike cruiser) with medical facilities, several infantry squads, light vehicles or mechs, and one or more dropships and aerial support craft. Due to the vast distances in space, a marine company is expected to operate autonomously in responding to any distress calls, and either resolving any conflict or holding the line until reinforcements arrive.”
The player enters the Wayback system aboard the strike cruiser “TCRN Impetus” - TCRN meaning Terran Congressional Republic Navy. It serves as a base of operations where you rest, refit, and customize your troops. The ship itself can be upgraded in various ways, where the OCI system comes into play.

[h2]The OCI System[/h2][hr][/hr]OCI meaning “Operational Capability Improvement” are upgrades and ad hoc installations that are executed while the ship is in active service.

These OCIs come in three types: Armament, Electronics, and Hull. The Impetus has 10 available slots for installing OCIs (this number may still vary). 3 for Electronics, 3 for Armament and 4 for Hull upgrades.

While upgrades of a certain type have to be built into the corresponding slot, each upgrade can be installed multiple times and the effects will stack. We currently have around 50 OCIs planned and will be adding more during Early Access. This allows for an almost unlimited build variety and each player will end up with their very own configuration of the TCRN Impetus.

Typical OCIs are things like a med bay to heal infantry squads between missions or a sensor array to provide more detailed information on enemy units before a deployment. Stacking up these OCIs will heal squads even faster or provide even more detailed information respectively.


[h2]How to acquire OCIs[/h2][hr][/hr]Acquiring OCIs in MENACE comes with two prerequisites. First of all an OCI has to be unlocked and made available for installation. Then the actual installation of the upgrade requires a resource called “components” (this name is not final).

Although a few very basic OCIs are permanently unlocked right from the start of the game (unguided missile strike, medical bay, sensor array, vehicle repair bay and dropship strafing run) things will get a lot more interesting once you gain trust with the local factions and get access to more specific and advanced upgrade options for the Impetus.

Increasing trust with a faction happens mainly through accomplishing operations in their favor. Each new level of trust will unlock a new OCI and make it available for installation.

Bear in mind though that losing trust with a faction might also reduce your OCI options again.
The “components” needed to install OCIs are gathered by completing operations in the Wayback. The amount of components earned depends on the length of the operation and your overall operation rating.

Individual missions do not earn components, the whole operation (a series of missions) has to be completed successfully in order to gain components for OCIs.


[h2]Offmap Abilities[/h2][hr][/hr]OCIs can have a wide variety of effects ranging from passive boni to active skills - so called offmap abilities.

Passive effects are pretty straight forward and usually will affect the game outside of the tactical combat layer.

Offmap abilities on the other hand can be used during the tactical combat. A basic offmap ability would be a dropship strafing run, where a gunship performs a close air support mission and hits enemies with its board weapons.

Usually these abilities target an area and the time it takes from calling in a strike to the weapon hitting its target is about one turn. Getting the most out of them requires some planning and preparation - like suppressing enemy units so they can't leave the targeted area of effect.

Of course there is a whole range of abilities that can be called in, for example smoke curtains, supply drops, area scans or air dropped mines. Each offmap ability can be used once per installed OCI, so as mentioned earlier it is possible to install the same OCI in multiple slots for multiple uses.



[h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr]That's it for now! We'll see you next Friday.

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 — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2432860/MENACE/

And here are the recent prior Dev Diaries in case you've missed them:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/535466136352851020
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/535466136352850185
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/512947503265480935