MENACE News

[p]How special weapons for infantry squads work in general has been explained in a previous diary. This week, we want to give some examples of what type of special weapons you will encounter in MENACE. Of course, this is just a random selection, and more special weapons will be added all the time.[/p][p][/p][p]Special Weapons[/p][p]In MENACE, every squad can equip one special weapon. These weapons are normally more cumbersome but also more powerful than squad weapons. [/p][p]Special weapons enable a squad to handle situations where their standard weapons are ineffective.[/p][p]The actual weapons showcased in this diary are a random selection. Most of these will be available in different tiers and variants throughout the progression of the game, so it might be better to think of the shown varieties as special weapon “archetypes”.[/p][p]Names, icons, and point costs in the images are a work in progress. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]No special weapon[/p][p]Remember it is always an option to not equip a special weapon on a squad. This will free up points for other items and make the squad weapon attack more powerful, as one more person is shooting.[/p][p]This might be especially worthwhile for squads that rely on their squad weapon for dealing damage, such as specialized close-quarters units with SMGs and similar weapons.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Light Machinegun[/p][p]Used mainly to suppress enemies, but also can be devastating to groups of enemies out in the open. The light version does not apply a ton of suppression. Still, it can be used on the move, making it very useful for assaulting positions or delivering fire support in complex situations where mobility is crucial.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Medium Machinegun[/p][p]This gun delivers suppression more effectively and over longer ranges, but must be fired while the squad remains stationary. Using the weapon to its full effect requires [/p][p]Some planning ahead is necessary, as bad positioning is difficult to remedy once the weapon is deployed.[/p][p]To take full advantage of its capabilities and provide reliable fire support even in extended firefights, additional ammo bags are recommended as an accessory.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Grenade Launcher[/p][p]This handheld grenade launcher has a limited range, but it is light enough to be fired on the move. Its main advantage is that the grenades ignore cover and can hit multiple elements on impact. This is especially important in built-up areas or other situations with a lot of cover, as the shooter does not require a direct line of sight.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Plasma Rifle[/p][p]An experimental weapon that comes with some unique effects. It is perfectly suited as a counter to heavy infantry and light vehicles. Additionally, its attack reduces the armor of buildings or vehicles with each hit, making the target more vulnerable to subsequent attacks.[/p][p]The plasma rifle requires a competent shooter and good positioning, as it does not suppress its target very effectively and relies on actually hitting its target to be effective.[/p][p]Additionally, it comes with very limited ammunition, so you must make every shot count.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]RPG (pirate variant)[/p][p]A light anti-vehicle weapon that can be fired on the move. Decent against light vehicles and small buildings. Pirates will frequently use this weapon against the player's vehicles and occasionally against their armored infantry. The range and accuracy are not very high, but the gun is inexpensive and versatile.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Rocket Launcher[/p][p]This weapon specializes in destroying enemy vehicles and hard points. Sporting a high accuracy and armor penetration, a lot of armored assets can be taken out with a single shot. Be aware of its low ammo count and high price, though. The squad has to be stationary when firing.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Sniper Rifle[/p][p]A classic sniper rifle. The squad must remain stationary when shooting, but the weapon boasts a very high range and accuracy. Damage and armor penetration are decent, so it can be employed against heavy infantry and, in a pinch, even against light vehicles. [/p][p]Missed shots do not apply a lot of suppression, but taking out an element does, so make sure you hit your target. The weapon can not take out entire squads on its own, but it is great for supporting other units and engaging distant targets that will not be able to return fire.[/p][p]Hitting enemies in heavy cover from the front might be too much even for a sniper rifle, so engaging units on the move or in the open is preferable.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Commando Mortar[/p][p]A small mortar that can be carried by infantry squads and used while the squad is stationary. Although somewhat inaccurate, it can be used to provide suppression and fire support over long distances without a line of sight.[/p][p]Not yet implemented, but we plan to make it capable of shooting smoke shells as well.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Flamethrower[/p][p]The infantry flamethrower is the perfect tool for assault squads that need to flush enemies from cover. Not only does it deal a significant amount of damage to large groups of enemies, but its primary use is denying areas by setting them ablaze, forcing the enemy to displace while automatically hitting the targeted tile.[/p][p]It can also set vegetation, buildings, and even vehicles on fire.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p]DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle)[/p][p]Smaller and lighter than a regular sniper rifle, it can be fired on the move. With a higher rate of fire and good range, this weapon is ideal for accurate fire support against lightly armored enemies.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Pirate Chaingun[/p][p]A special weapon used extensively by pirates in a light version that can be fired while on the move, and a heavier version that is usually mounted on vehicle hard points.[/p][p]The chaingun can put out a lot of fire, but has rather low accuracy and armor penetration. The more bursts are fired during a turn, the higher the chance that the gun jams.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr][p]That's it for now! We'll see you next Friday.[/p][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 — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Check out Dev Diary #21, where we answer several of your questions in a comprehensive F.A.Q.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]Dev Diary #22: Off-Map Abilities[/p][p]We briefly mentioned off-map abilities in Dev Diary #8 previously. This week, we want to look a bit closer at these potentially decisive abilities that can turn the tide of battle:[/p][p][/p][h2]What are off-map abilities?[/h2][hr][/hr][p]Off-map Abilities are powerful abilities that do not originate from units on the tactical battlefield. In almost all cases, they have a limited number of uses, and most will have a delay between requesting them and their effect on the battlefield.[/p][p][/p][p]This could be a distant artillery emplacement or a missile shot down from the strike cruiser hovering over the battlefield. Planning ahead is definitely required as the situation on the battlefield is very dynamic: Units are changing positions, new threats emerge, and your troops might have taken out a position before the off-map strike hits. [/p][p][/p][p]Most off-map abilities have a single use. They can be activated from the tactical combat UI. In many cases, the player selects an ability and then determines a location where it will be effective. After that, a timer counts down until the ability actually arrives on the battlefield.[/p][p]It is essential to note that enemy units will not be aware of incoming off-map abilities and therefore will not actively avoid them.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]How to Acquire Off-map Abilities[/h2][hr][/hr][p]Off-map abilities can be acquired through either OCI ship upgrades to your strike cruiser or through strategic assets that can be acquired when completing tactical combat missions. The player's strike cruise has a certain number of OCI upgrade slots that can accommodate various improvements. Some might increase healing rates of elements between missions, increase players' intelligence rating, or grant off-map abilities to use in combat. [/p][p][/p][p]Strategic assets are special rewards tied to tactical combat missions. There are many different ones, and we will discuss them in a later diary, but some grant additional off-map abilities as well. [/p][p][/p][p]Once an off-map ability is acquired, it can be used in every tactical combat, so you don't have to worry about not having it ready in the next mission. Also, once acquired, it does not need any additional resources to be employed.[/p][p][/p][h2]Offmap Ability Examples[/h2][hr][/hr][p]To get a better idea of what you can do with these abilities, here is a set of examples. Please note that we continually add new ones throughout development as well.[/p][p][/p][h3]Dropship Strafing Run[/h3][p]A marine dropship equipped with a high ROF rotary machine gun, or Minigun, that strafes targets in a line. The attack will hit 5 tiles in a row that players can select when activating the ability.[/p][p]This attack is most effective at striking large clusters of infantry, but can damage light vehicles as well:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Unguided Missile Strike[/h3][p]A large but unguided missile strike shot from the strike cruiser in low orbit. A massive impact that will destroy almost anything it directly hits and severely damage units and structures nearby. [/p][p][/p][p]However, it has a high chance of scattering, so relying on it to directly hit the target is a risky strategy.[/p][p][/p][p]In this example, the strike is aimed at a defensive pirate turret to clear the path for advancing vehicles that this EMP weapon would disable. Unfortunately, it misses the target but still manages to inflict some damage and a “defect” on it. Note the large crater that can be used for cover by infantry units:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Supply Drop[/h3][p]As all special weapons and most accessories have limited uses, many units will run out of ammo during long engagements.[/p][p][/p][p]The supply drop is a large ammo crate dropped by a low-flying dropship onto the battlefield that can fully restock any ammo of a unit picking it up. Refilling anti-tank capabilities or other specialized weapon systems on the fly can be crucial to maintaining the fight. Especially as it is sometimes hard to foresee where the most intense fighting will take place:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Energy Cannon[/h3][p]An especially advanced and powerful weapon is the so-called Energy Cannon, which emits a high-powered beam from a lower orbit that cuts across multiple tiles, leaving a trail of devastation.[/p][p][/p][p]Almost any object or unit will be obliterated by this attack, but Infantry can get lucky with dodging the beam, at least partially:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr][p]That's it for now! We'll see you next Friday.[/p][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 — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Check out Dev Diary #21, where we answer several of your questions in a comprehensive F.A.Q.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]Over the past weeks, many questions have emerged regarding MENACE's features, our development progress, and our plans for Early Access. [/p][p][/p][p]This week's Dev Diary will feature a selection of the most frequently asked questions and our corresponding answers. Bear in mind that we have an iterative design process, and sometimes, it is very difficult for us to give definitive answers to certain questions—we just don’t know yet! This is especially true regarding nice-to-have features.[/p][p][/p][p]In addition, we don’t see the Early Access phase of the game as pure polishing. It’s actual live development incorporating the community's feedback, so you can expect quite a few changes.[/p][p][/p][h3]RELEASE & PLATFORMS[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Q: When can I play it?![/p][p] A: MENACE is scheduled to release on Steam Early Access in the Fall of 2025. We are not planning to do any open betas before that, so we’re afraid you’ll have to wait just a little bit more! We are tinkering with the idea of a combat demo, but we will announce when we have more concrete info on that.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: What will MENACE's overall price be for Early Access, and when can we expect a release date?[/p][p] A: It’s still too early to discuss what the price of the game will be. It might make sense to look at games with comparable size and production value to get a rough idea. As for the release date of the release date… stay tuned, Fall is coming![/p][p][/p][p]Q: What percentage of planned features does Overhype hope to have implemented before launching into Early Access?[/p][p] A: Regarding actual features and not content I would say 80%. Although it’s very hard to estimate, because if we feel something is missing during EA we will simply sit down, design a new feature and implement it.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will MENACE be available on GOG?[/p][p] A: Our publisher Hooded Horse will take that call.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Is MENACE planned to be Steam Deck compatible or Verified?[/p][p] A: Our publisher Hooded Horse will take that call.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will MENACE be playable offline?[/p][p] A: MENACE is a single-player game without online features, so yes.[/p][p][/p][h3]CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE & REPLAYABILITY[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Q: Will there be an "end" to the campaign or an overarching plot, as opposed to Battle Brothers’ indefinite sandbox?[/p][p] A: Yes, MENACE has an overarching plot. You are the commander of a strike force tasked with bringing an isolated frontier system, the Wayback, into the fold of the Republic. When you get there you realize there is a bigger threat that might put the entire system at risk, and then spill over to the rest of the Republic. You have to find a way to neutralize this new foe (the titular MENACE) before it gets out of control. Thus, unlike in Battle Brothers, you need to beat the MENACE or you will eventually lose the game.[/p][p][/p][p] A piece of trivia: Battle Brothers was originally designed to end after defeating a late game crisis. The open end style of the game was not planned in its original concept.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will there be different types of crises like in BB?[/p][p] A: There aren’t crises (as they appear in Battle Brothers) per se. There is a looming threat that you have to beat, the MENACE, and operations – series of 3 to 5 missions (tactical battles), connected with loose story arcs, where losses carry over from one mission to the next. You can read more about operations in this dev diary.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will there be an endless mode?[/p][p] A: Right now we do not have an endless mode planned.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: How long is one campaign supposed to last?[/p][p] A: Over 30 hours.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: How long does it take to beat the game?[/p][p] A: It can vary a lot, because although the MENACE will spread and grow stronger as time goes by (so you cannot just ignore it or weather it, as you could with late game crises in BB), and you lose the game if you don’t take action, we want to give players the ability to take their time and play at their own pace. Thus, you can “speedrun” the game or take it slowly, so the length of a single playthrough is hard to estimate.[/p][p][/p][h3]STORY & NARRATIVE DESIGN[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Q: Obviously, I know you can’t spare spoilers, but how will campaigns progress and conclude?[/p][p] A: The starting point is already known: you are the commander of a strike force sent to a frontier system, cut off from the Core Worlds, to pacify it and bring it back to the fold.[/p][p] The story will be carried by a few fixed points (comparable to the XCOM story missions), but apart from that everything is procedurally generated.[/p][p] We don’t want to spoil anything about the main storyline itself, so we cannot discuss much about its conclusion. Let’s just say that either you beat the MENACE or you don’t…[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will there be multiple origins to pick from when starting a new campaign?[/p][p] A: Not in the same way as in Battle Brothers. The origin is the same, you are always the commander of the strike cruiser TCRN Impetus, a republic Marine Corps strike force sent to the Wayback System. But you will get to select your starting squad leaders and pilots from a pool of characters, making every playthrough unique.[/p][p][/p][p] More ways of putting a twist on a new playthrough might be added eventually.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will any story content be added in conjunction with or instead of the planned main story?[/p][p] A: There will be a lot of story content, especially focusing on the squad leaders and pilots. That’s why they are handwritten and named, as opposed to the procedurally generated characters that are at the core of Battle Brothers. This allows us to create unique, meaningful dialogs, persistent relations, developing characters and their personalities… Having this group of wildly different personalities interact with each other and try to get along is one of the main points of the game’s storytelling. On top of that, operations and missions are procedurally generated, so there is still a lot of emergent narrative in MENACE.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: If DLC expansions are a possibility, would they be more narratively focused given the squad leader emphasis?[/p][p] A: We’re still developing the base game, it’s way too early to start thinking about DLC expansions. Although we will most probably add more Squadleaders no matter what kind of DLC we come up with.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will Overhype post about cut or unimplemented features during development?[/p][p] A: We started our dev diaries months ago; you can read them to learn more about the development of the game, some design challenges that we have encountered along the way… but we prefer to focus on what we are doing and what you will find in the game rather than what was left at the design table.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will the word “bro” appear as a nod to Battle Brothers?[/p][p] A: Looking for Easter eggs is fun. That’s all we want to say for now![/p][h3]SANDBOX, MODDING, AND COMMUNITY TOOLS[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Q: How open is the game planned to be? Will there be options for a sandbox-style mode?[/p][p] A: The player will have a decent amount of agency over the speed of progression through the game, but there won't be an endless sandbox mode. At least it’s not planned right now.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Is the game planned to have modding tools released with it?[/p][p] A: Yes, we plan to add Steam Workshop Support.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Is there any chance of Workshop support?[/p][p] A: See above.[/p][p][/p][h3]TACTICAL MECHANICS & COMBAT SYSTEMS[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Q: Why legs?[/p][p] A: So you have more things to blow up, of course![/p][p][/p][p]Q: Do characters have permadeath? How crippling is it?[/p][p] A: Yes, there’s permadeath: If a character dies, they are gone for good, comparable to Jagged Alliance 2, which also had written characters that could permanently die. Other characters will react to these deaths in different ways; we want it to be meaningful and leave a footprint in your playthrough. However, for a squad leader falling during a mission doesn’t necessarily mean dying, and players will have tools to mitigate the chances of death.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: I'm wondering about the “fail a mission, lose the operation” system. Is there room for partial failure or strategic recovery within an operation?[/p][p] A: At the moment that is not planned, although you can save between missions and try a different approach when you load.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Can players draw or place markers down on the prep map to assist in planning?[/p][p] A: Not yet planned, but it sounds fun. It especially might make sense for streamers illustrating their strategy for their audience.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Do you plan to implement modern-ish combined arms elements into tactical gameplay, such as electronic warfare, drones, or ISR?[/p][p] A: Most types of indirect combat support will be implemented through so-called “off map abilities”. Area scans, smoke drops, electronic warfare, EMP strikes, close air support, etc. On top of that squad leaders might bring drones, mines, motion scanners or other equipment as “accessories”.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will there be drones or robots players can deploy, similar to how Battle Brothers used attack dogs?[/p][p] A: Yes, most likely in the form of “accessories” that squad leaders bring into the combat zone as part of their loadout.[/p][p][/p][h3]RECRUITMENT, FACTIONS, AND CUSTOMIZATION[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Q: Will we be able to recruit from other factions or just use their gear?[/p][p] A: Squadleaders have a very wide variety of backgrounds. There are former pirates, mercenaries, hit-men, royal bodyguards, and more. Rules wise they are mainly falling into two categories: Marines and Non-Marines.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will there be different factions or starts the player can pick from?[/p][p] A: The player can choose a number of marine squad leaders at the beginning of the game, but the initial roster will always be composed of marines. You are commanding a Marine strike force, after all. As the playthrough progresses you’ll meet other factions and have the opportunity to recruit from different backgrounds.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Are dropships or strike ships customizable or persistent, or are they just abilities?[/p][p] A: All upgrades are done on the strike cruiser, but some of them get delivered by the drop ships. So by customizing your strike cruiser, you indirectly customize your drop ships. Offmap abilities delivered by the strike cruiser or the dropships will work in slightly different ways.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will squad leaders be 100% fixed in stats/traits, or is there campaign-to-campaign variability?[/p][p] A: Stats and traits are fixed for each squad leader, as it’s part of their personality and backstory. The perk tree should have enough flexibility to create a different build in each playthrough. You can read a bit more about the individual perk trees here, and more about squad leaders here:[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Q: Will we have a limited number of replacements? Will we need to recruit from local populations?[/p][p] A: As they are written characters, the number of squad leaders is finite. You will start out with a team of Marine squad leaders and move on to recruit from the Wayback population afterwards. However, we are aiming at having at least 16 squad leaders on the Early Access release, and more will be added further down the road. We currently aim for 26 at the Full Release, but we keep adding more all the time so it depends on our work load how many we manage to implement at the end of the day.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Is there any chance for a customized squad leader, even alongside the written characters?[/p][p] A: Not really. A random or custom-generated character would always be a second-class character without any personality or interaction with other squad leaders, which is an essential part of the game. We will have to see how everything plays out during the EA though.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will every marine have a fully written backstory, or will there be some procedurally generated/customizable soldiers, too?[/p][p] A: They are all written characters. Otherwise it’s not possible to give them meaningful, persistent interactions. One of the things we missed a lot in Battle Brothers.[/p][p][/p][h3]EQUIPMENT, GEAR, AND VISUAL PROGRESSION[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Q: Will there be named-item equivalents in MENACE?[/p][p] A: They are planned, but not in the game yet; although they will work a bit differently than named weapons in Battle Brothers (you’ll see). [/p][p]You can read more about weapons here:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Q: Will there be legendary location equivalents, too?[/p][p] A: Can't say yet.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will there be legendary equipment or locations?[/p][p] A: Can't say yet.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: What kind of company or troop customization can we expect?[/p][p] A: Regarding visual customization: Hard to say yet. It’s not ruled out, but time and resources are limited. When you choose to implement feature A, you will have to leave out feature B – and the core mechanics must come first. Having said that, having color choices for vehicles is a real possibility (although maybe added during EA). Of course this would need to be incorporated into the UI as well, which is always more work than it seems.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Can we rename squads or their leaders? How customizable are loadouts? Can I equip all shotguns or change colors?[/p][p] A: Renaming squad leaders doesn't make sense in this type of game, as they all are proper characters interacting with one another. A lot of lines for each character are also voiced by voice actors, which makes changing names impossible.[/p][p] If we add cosmetic customization then most likely in the form of changing colors for your armor, vehicle etc. Loadouts are completely customizable, there is no fixed equipment.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will cybernetics be included, like a soldier returning with a prosthetic or implant?[/p][p] A: We have some ideas for that, but nothing concrete yet.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: As units gain experience, will they display trophies or visual upgrades?[/p][p] A: No. The look of a unit will be determined by their equipment.[/p][p][/p][h3]SQUADS, LEADERS, AND INTERACTIONS[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Q: Will there be unique events between squads, like Davkul cultists in BB?[/p][p] A: We have all kinds of events planned/written. Anything is possible.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: How many squad leaders or heroes will there be?[/p][p] A: The plan is to have at least 26 for the Full Release.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: How do squad leader relationships work mechanically? Do bonds or rivalries offer bonuses or penalties?[/p][p] A: Their interactions are already mostly implemented, but the concrete gameplay consequences are still being discussed.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Any chance for co-op or multiplayer campaigns?[/p][p] A: Not planned right now. Creating a multiplayer game is something completely different from a single-player game, and our vision was always creating a single-player experience.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: What about hot-seat co-op?[/p][p] A: Not planned, but who knows what the future brings.[/p][p][/p][h3]AUDIO, ART, AND PRODUCTION[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Q: Are the current voice lines final? Will there be improvements or more polish there?[/p][p] A: We will add more lines for all characters. The whole voice line system is still under construction.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Any news on who’s doing the soundtrack?[/p][p] A: We will dedicate a Dev Diary to that topic.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will sound design continue the high standard set in Battle Brothers?[/p][p] A: Absolutely. It’s a keystone element of Battle Brothers, essential for immersion, and we are going to keep the same high standard for MENACE.[/p][p][/p][h2]Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed[/h2][hr][/hr][p]That's it for now! We'll see you next Friday.[/p][p][/p][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 — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]And here are the recent prior Dev Diaries in case you've missed them:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p]

This week, we give you a snapshot of our active development and show you what we are working on right now. As always, everything we show here is a work in progress.

[h3]UI[/h3][hr][/hr]We are in full swing implementing the second iteration of the tactical combat UI and HUD. As soon as we make enough progress and the UI is in a proper shape, we will be able to share actual gameplay footage. This is also one of the final puzzle pieces we need to prepare a small combat demo for the game.

As part of the UI rework, we overhauled all unit icons. Inspired by NATO military symbology, the player should be able to roughly estimate a unit's role by just looking at its icon.




[h3]Art[/h3][hr][/hr]We are implementing more squad leaders all the time while at the same time trying to keep up with creating the corresponding character illustrations. For now, a lot of these are implemented as work-in-progress versions and will be finished later.


[h3]Concept[/h3][hr][/hr]As we are in the process of onboarding a technical artist, we are preparing some rough concepts for different subtypes of biomes for each of the game's classic biomes.

In this example, the basic biome would be called “temperate” as you would find it on the planet “Backbone”. The different subtypes of biomes would be temperate highlands and temperate marshlands.

Bear in mind that these concepts are just a very basic guideline for tech art, intended to illustrate roughly what we are aiming for.


[h3]Level Design[/h3][hr][/hr]Our main focus at the moment is adding more operation types to the game. Right now, we are working on another operation type for the pirate faction. Each enemy faction will have multiple different types of operations, each consisting of a unique set of missions. Of course, we will keep adding more operations during development.

Below, you can see a screenshot from our chunk system editor, which we use to create templates for procedurally generated parts of the map. In this case, it's a rogue forces defense line for the “breakthrough” mission type.


[h3]3D[/h3][hr][/hr]The 3D department is focusing on implementing the dynamic vehicle weapon system, which allows the player to equip their vehicle chassis as freely as possible with all available weapons.

We showed a basic concept in an earlier Dev Diary. Now, the system is actually shaping up and will soon be ready to be implemented. This gives the same freedom you already have when equipping squads to the vehicles and allows for an insane number of weapon load-outs.


[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/515209445812209259
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/515208181997109524
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/515207543396499582

The best protection against any weapon is not being seen in the first place. In MENACE, players and enemies have a lot of tools and tactics to avoid being seen or detected by the enemy and shape the battle in their favour.

Let’s dive in:

[h2]Vision Range[/h2][hr][/hr]The basis for any ranged combat system is, of course, the vision range of combat units. This is set at around nine tiles for most infantry, but this is not set in stone. This is the tile range on which the fog of war is lifted, and an enemy or neutral unit is revealed, which can thus be shot at.

Vehicles usually have a lower vision range despite most of them having electronic optics that enhance the driver's vision. The use of these devices is just slower and more cumbersome than being out in the open and looking around. Also, it reduces situational awareness, and that is why some especially heavy vehicles will have a minimum view range. An enemy unit standing right behind a tank might be invisible to the crew as it is too close and at a lower angle. In general, walkers will have more situational awareness than tanks as they can turn more quickly, are higher, and more mobile.


[h2]Lines of Sight[/h2][hr][/hr]Now it gets a bit controversial as the lines of sight rules in MENACE are different from many other games. Due to the larger scope of the game and the squad-based nature of units, we realized early in development that we would have to make some compromises and abstractions when calculating lines of sight.

The guiding principle here was to have a system that has maximum predictability for players and not necessarily maximum realism. Players not being able to accurately predict from what point of the battlefield they can see and shoot at an enemy, or at what point they are safe from enemy fire, leads to big misplays, massive frustration, and can easily cost you a mission.

That is why we decided to have 1x1 tile obstacles as well as 1x2 obstacles, not block lines of sight or lines of fire. Any obstacle that is 3x3 or bigger will use raycasting between tiles to determine if a tile is visible or not, and completely block any line of sight or fire.


As the line-of-sight-blocking obstacles are easily identifiable, players have a clear understanding of vision lines on the battlefield and can use them effectively.

When a squad is taking cover behind a 1x1 building, we can assume that they are pressing up against the wall but are still bending around corners to see and shoot. This is not visually modeled in the game animations, but it explains why units can still see and shoot from behind these objects.

Of course, standing next to any object grants directional cover and “concealment,” so it is still crucially important to keep your troops in cover.


[h2]Detection Versus Concealment[/h2][hr][/hr]Determining if a unit is within vision range of another unit is only the basis of determining if it is actually visible. We do have two factors from opposing sides that influence the final outcome.

Firstly, we are looking at concealment. Concealment depends on the characteristics and the position in the environment of the target unit. Each point of concealment reduces the effective vision range of all enemies against this particular unit. So if a unit is standing 9 tiles away from an enemy, it is visible. Still, if it has 1 point of concealment, this reduces the effective vision of that enemy by 1 down to 8, making the unit invisible. Another enemy standing closer by will, of course, still see that unit.

Concealment is gained through different means. Units might have promotions (perks) or accessories that increase their concealment. One example is infiltrator armor, which increases concealment, and another is a camouflage kit, which also increases concealment.


The environment itself is the main concealment mechanic, though. A unit in cover automatically gains concealment depending on the type of cover it is using.

Terrain features like high grass that units can move into are even more effective for hiding. Finally, some objects can contain units, like a dense forest or a bunker, both of which increase concealment.


An opponent's detection stat reduces the concealment of a unit. This stat can also change based on promotions or equipment like thermal vision devices and others. The detection is deducted from the enemy’s concealment when determining if a unit is visible or not. A detection of 1 versus a concealment of 1 will simply cancel out.

Example:
A Marine squad is hiding in tall grass, 9 tiles away from a Pirate unit. The grass provides +1 concealment, and the Marines are wearing infiltrator armor for an additional +1. The Pirate unit has no detection bonuses.

• Total concealment: 2
  
• Pirate detection: 0
  
• Effective vision range: 9 - 2 = 7 tiles

Since the Marines are 9 tiles away, they remain invisible to the Pirate unit.

In the game, we have a UI overlay that highlights exactly on which tiles an enemy will see you based on the concealment of your unit and that tile. This enables players to actually play around with the mechanic and not move somewhere and hope for the best.

We also decided to use a deterministic detection system rather than a random or chance-based one. Having it be chance-based will introduce too much uncertainty and randomness that is not easy for players to understand. In turn, this might lead to players ignoring the mechanic altogether, as it just sets them up for miscalculations and misplays.

[h2]Shooting and Visibility[/h2][hr][/hr]When a concealed unit is shooting any of its weapons, it will automatically be revealed to the enemy, no matter how high its concealment is. It will vanish again at the end of its turn, but the AI does remember where it last saw a unit and will move towards that position or just blind fire there.

The exception to this is silenced weapons, which do exist but are rather hard to acquire. They come with modded weapon variants and will not come as separate accessories. A unit with a silenced weapon will not be revealed to the enemy when shooting from concealment.

Example:
A Scout unit with high concealment is positioned in a forest tile, 8 tiles from an enemy tank. The Scout is equipped with a regular anti-vehicle rocket launcher.

• Before shooting: The Scout is concealed due to terrain and perks. The tank does not detect them.
  
• Upon firing: The Scout immediately becomes visible to all nearby enemies, including the tank.
  
• After firing: The Scout returns to concealment at the end of the turn, but the AI still remembers the shot’s origin and may send units or fire at that tile.
  

Now compare with this:

• Same Scout, but now equipped with a silenced modded rifle.
  
• The Scout fires from concealment.
  
• The unit remains hidden. The enemy never detects the shot’s source.
  

Making effective use of concealment will help your units to stay alive and attack from advantageous positions without the enemy being able to fight back efficiently. On the other hand, a hidden unit in your flank can disable your advancing tank with a single rocket into its side or rear armor. Due to their lower visibility sending vehicles into enemy territory without infantry support will set them up for short range ambushes by hidden enemies.

So, before you reveal your hiding place by shooting from concealment, you have to make sure you are in the best possible position. Or it might be better to hold your fire until the enemy moves into an even better ambush position.

[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/515208181997109524
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/515207543396499582
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/642433677808108044