ICBM: Escalation News

Hi everyone!

In this dev diary, we’re going to be talking about our first beta! It’s just landed on Steam and we’re super excited to show off what we’ve been working on!

To start, we’re going to be working with a relatively small group of testers so we can dig in deep and get some really detailed feedback. The response we’ve gotten from the beta sign-up has been overwhelming and was much, MUCH bigger than we expected, so we’re grateful for all the support we’ve gotten so far. Unfortunately, this comes with the caveat that we can’t take everybody. But, don’t worry, because this is just the first beta test and as we make progress, they’ll get bigger and bigger with more and more participants. As of the time of writing, we haven’t named any names yet, but if you don’t get accepted early on, it might just be a matter of time. You’ll know if you’ve made it if you get an email from Slitherine with instructions on how to join, so keep an eye on your spam folder. Most of the administration for the actual testing is going to be on the official ICBM Discord, so make sure to drop in!

So! On to the beta itself! In our first round of testing, we’re going to be getting a feel for the pace of the game, the way the AI behaves, some of the strategies and how effective they are, and overall, just get some first impressions.

Our testers will have access to the original game modes from ICBM 1, including the original multiplayer experience, single-player skirmish matches, and a freshly redone tutorial explaining all the new mechanics. With 5 times as many technologies as the original, even more units, and a much, much more complex overall strategy and gameplay loop, the ICBM: Escalation experience should feel much different from its predecessor, so establishing how it feels early on is important. Our testers will also get a glimpse of the graphical facelift that the units, menus and map have received.

The AI is now capable of effectively leveraging land assets like special forces, armies and mobile launchers. Instead of just bases and installations, the war on the ground is going to get a lot more dynamic!

One of the crowning achievements of ICBM: Escalation is the introduction of conventional ground warfare, which adds an entirely new dimension to the game. Although players will have the choice of if they want to engage with it and attempt to invade other factions, they’ll have to be on guard, because the AI is now capable of using armies, and they’re ready and willing to invade anyone who’s not prepared! The new mechanic of escalation, from conventional warfare, to tactical nuclear warfare, and eventually total nuclear annihilation is the biggest step forward we’ve made, and also the focal point of the beta test.

ICBM may be focused around nuclear war, but that doesn’t mean that armies can’t pose a threat to you either!

So, hopefully all goes well with the first round of testing, and we can forge ICBM: Escalation into a top-notch nuclear wargame. A quick thank-you to our testers in advance before we get started, and remember, if you’re disappointed about not making it into the beta, it might just be a matter of waiting! We’ll see you again in the next dev diary!

We are excited to announce the opening of sign-ups for the beta of ICBM: Escalation.

The beta is set to commence in March and will feature both single player sandbox gameplay and multiplayer up to ten players, along with a spectator mode. As we approach the launch date, we will provide additional details regarding the content of this beta.

Stay tuned and register here: BETA

Hi everyone!

Welcome to our first dev diary of the new year! This time we’re going to be taking a closer look at the game, in both a figurative and literal sense. We’re going to be talking about the operational scope of the game, as well as some of the visual elements, the new map, and the different zoom levels we have to tie everything together. So, let’s get started!

As you’ve probably gathered by now, ICBM: Escalation takes place all over the world. After all, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles are pretty aptly named, they go between continents. But, that being said, ICBM: Escalation, does offer the potential to fight at a wide variety of ranges. At its core, you’ll be using strategic-level assets and weapons to accomplish your objectives, but that could mean anything as far reaching as heavy ICBM silos and spy satellites, to something as short-ranged as anti-aircraft batteries or even just a platoon of commandos. Being able to zoom in much more than before creates a variety of challenges when it comes to the UI and giving players relevant information at the right time. You need to know enough, but not too much either! So, let’s start zoomed in and work our way out.

Now, even though the zoom level is dynamic and you can seamlessly pick any zoom level you want, there’s 4 general levels we have with different visual features. The highest zoom level we have is something we like to call the Tactical View. This view offers the highest level of detail and lets you see everything up close.

The Tactical View

At this level, you can make out the 3D details in the terrain and the models of the units themselves. With the addition of ground warfare and territorial occupation, this can be useful if you need to fine-tune your unit’s movements, check the range of their weapons and sensors, get a feel for the situation on the ground, or simply get a good view of a ground war unfolding in front of you.

Another shot of the tactical view. The increased level of detail will come in handy for ground wars.

Or, naturally, so you can watch cities burn from up close.
We know you’re here to blow stuff up. It’s okay, you can admit it.

The next zoom level we have is the Regional View. The regional view is great when it comes to dealing with fighting in individual regions and seeing the front lines. The units are still discernible as 3D models, but it’s also zoomed out enough that you can review their orders, coverage zones and progression on the battlefield, and how much progress they’ve made in occupying the enemy territory.

The regional view. Perfect for orchestrating mass invasions or using theater-level weapons like SRBMs.

Next up is the Factional View. At the Factional level, the focus starts to shift away from ground occupation and tactical weapons, and begins to focus on the overarching strategic side of things. The 3D models switch to icons to reduce clutter and make things a little clearer, and there’s less ‘noise’ to distract you from the big picture. From the factional view, it’s easier to get a picture of your faction’s overall strategic position, how your defences are laid out and where they might be lacking, the positioning of your armies and nuclear forces, and any known enemy threats that might be closer than you might like. In essence, it’s good for looking at yourself (or a specific rival) in particular.

The factional view. Take note that when units are close together, they’re bundled together under a single icon to reduce clutter and make things clearer.

And lastly, we’ve got the Global View. From the global view, you can see most, if not all, of the entire planet. This is the best zoom level to review your long-range strike plans and to understand how everything is unfolding in the world as a whole, which is especially important now that factional boundaries can be changed with a well-executed invasion. It’s also great if you need to track long-range weapons like incoming ballistic missiles, which is definitely going to be important!

The global view. Take note of the dark abstract icons, which make units even more visible from a distance.

And, just like in ICBM 1, you can always switch between the Map view and the Globe view - the former lets you see more at once, but the latter gives you a better understanding of distances, as the flat map view inevitably gets distorted with latitude and makes things less clear when missiles start coming over the north pole.



Now, ICBM: Escalation is going to involve fighting at all sorts of levels, but all of it is going to be equally important. A special forces team taking out an over-horizon radar site can have a massive impact, just as a group of armies invading a province can, or how a good SAM network can put a hard stop on a bombing campaign, and of course, how ICBMs themselves can potentially level cities around the world. All of these things can have tremendous and equally significant strategic impacts, but they all happen at vastly different ranges. But, thanks to this new zoom system, you’ll be able to watch and direct the carnage from any distance! We hope you like what you see, and we’ll see you around for the next dev diary! Happy 2024!

Hi everyone!

We’re going to be covering a few different things in this dev diary, but all of them have one common bond: They all relate to weapons of mass destruction, and more specifically, the thing that makes a WMD a WMD. Let’s talk about WARHEADS!

Nuclear weapons are the obvious starting point for this discussion, so we’ll start there. In ICBM: Escalation, you’ll need to develop a nuclear program and research increasingly sophisticated warhead designs in order to build up a respectable stockpile and ensure that your nukes have the heft they need to efficiently annihilate your opposition.

First, you’ll have to research how to build nukes in the first place. Every arms race needs a starting line! Having nukes may seem like a given in a nuclear war game, but this is a feat that, in almost 80 years after the trinity test, only 9 (possibly 10) countries have successfully pursued and accomplished. After developing rudimentary fission-based weapons, the door will open to basic thermonuclear devices, and then to increasingly efficient and modern designs. Sufficiently advanced warhead technology will pave the way for deadly MIRV systems, as well as specialized nuclear EMP weapons, which can utterly paralyze the civilian economy, and diabolical salted bombs that produce insidious amounts of fallout. Warhead technology is all about packing a bigger punch into a smaller package. If you’re planning on a more conventionally-oriented strategy, this might not be as important, but if you want to rain fire, you’ll need to make sure your warheads are up to the task!

A salted weapon is a nuclear device designed to produce increased amounts of radioactive fallout by transmuting a surrounding material into a radioactive isotope. There is no public record of one ever being built because of the danger they pose and their repulsiveness as a concept.

There’s more to having a nuclear arsenal than just designing a bomb. You can’t put just anything in a nuke, and weapons-grade plutonium doesn’t grow on trees. Sourcing weaponizable material is a major hurdle for any nuclear program, and it’s one you’ll have to face as well. The production efficiency system from the first ICBM is making a return, except this time, it’s up to you to decide how high it gets and how quickly. By default, you’ll have access to basic first-generation uranium enrichment, which is very slow and inefficient, but you’ll be able to research new enrichment methods that will increase your nuclear production capabilities and let you build atomic weapons more quickly and efficiently.

With advanced warheads, you can develop some particularly virulent MIRVs and have unfathomable horror at your fingertips… Of course, building them isn’t cheap either!

Alternatively, if you’re feeling impatient or don’t want to invest as much time and effort into a WMD program, you’ll also be able to cheaply and efficiently build chemical and biological weapons to wreak havoc on enemy armies and population centers. Chemical weapons will devastate enemy troops and are dirt-cheap to produce from the start, whereas bioweapons can decimate enemy cities over time and can eventually overpower lesser nuclear weapons as a casualty driver. Take note, bioweapons don’t discriminate, so you should think twice before dropping one close to home…

Chemical agents can be used to slow down armies and inflict serious casualties. They’re also much more accessible than nuclear weapons, and just as liable to make you a war criminal.

So, with the (very real) difficulties and costs associated with developing a nuclear program, and the amplified threat posed by enemy armies and conventional forces, you’ll now have to juggle between developing your nuclear program and your delivery systems while also keeping the enemy out of your borders. How aggressively you choose to pursue nuclear weapons is up to you, but your conventional capabilities might suffer for it. This is where things get really interesting: Do you choose a doctrine that relies on nuclear deterrence, or do you lean on your armies and conventional weapons to keep you safe? And what does that mean if you end up in a war with somebody who’s taken a different path? How far can you push them, or how far can they push you? And who comes out on top if things escalate?

Developing nuclear weapons and their delivery systems is much more in-depth and intensive than before, and it’s a more difficult investment to make with the threat posed by invading armies. But, the overwhelming destructive power that a well-developed nuclear arsenal provides is an undeniable asset, especially if you can leverage it to decisively destroy your opponents. And if you get into a full-scale conflict, you’ll be in serious trouble if your nuclear forces aren’t up to the task!

And that wraps up our fourth dev diary. Hopefully it piqued your interest and gave you a bit of insight on what to expect. As always, let us know what you think! We love to hear everyone’s thoughts and we’re always listening. Until next time!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to our 3rd official dev diary, which happily coincides with ICBM’s 3rd anniversary! That’s right, 3 years ago on November 17th, 2020, ICBM hit the stores. For those of you who have been with us for a while, thanks for holding on all this time and making the world a more radioactive place. This could be an opportunity to get all sappy and sentimental about the past and all the good times we’ve had, turning cities into parking lots and glowing charcoal, but we can do that later. This is a dev diary after all, so let’s not focus on the past 3 years, let’s focus on what’s next! Let’s talk about the sequel, and let’s talk about NAVAL WARFARE!

Having a powerful navy is a hallmark for any great power. Being able to control the sea allows you to project power all over the world, and in the era of nuclear power and atomic weapons, that’s never been more true, if the status and prestige of aircraft carriers and ballistic missile submarines is any indicator. Naval warfare is a big topic, so let’s (literally) start at the surface, and make our way down.

The surface warships in ICBM: Escalation start with early post-WWII designs. Old-school, brute force brawlers that rely on heavy armor and huge guns to come out on top. As your naval technology advances, your ships will continuously get smarter and more tactful. The cold war introduced a great many new technologies and warships were quick to pick up on many of them. By upgrading the base designs of your ships, you can pave the way for individual weapon systems like cruise missiles, SAMs, CIWS, and eventually ballistic missile defences, laser weapons and even railguns. The performance of a warship depends heavily on what equipment it has at its disposal, but the platform itself matters just as much!

An early carrier group. All conventionally powered gunfighters, including the plane.

The WWII-era designs that emerged at the beginning of the cold war were not well-adapted to the concept of fighting with missiles, and likewise, the designs of the 1980s weren’t expecting to be wielding lasers either. Upgraded hull designs provide better survivability and speed, but more importantly, access to better weapons in greater volumes. Your first ships will barely be able to use missiles at all, but as they advance they’ll be slinging them by the dozens. Each generation packs a bigger punch than the last, as you go from the last generation of gunfighters all the way to the first generation of stealth ships.

Stealth ships, anti-air lasers and railgun fire. THE FUTURE IS NOW!

The balance of power between the types of surface ships is similar to ICBM 1, but in many ways they’re much more capable than before. Carriers can project air power anywhere that’s even close to a coastline, and as we mentioned in the last dev diary, the multirole fighters they carry can pack a serious punch. Carriers also now have access to electronic warfare aircraft which are armed with anti-radiation missiles for SEAD missions, so they can pick on enemy air defences. Not only that, they also come with naval helicopters for reconnaissance and anti-submarine support, as well as the ability to deploy special forces, for all sorts of wetwork.

Cruisers retain their role as the heavy hitters at sea, armed with a huge compliment of guided missiles for land-attack and anti-ship missions, while also now sporting a sonar and limited anti-submarine weapons for self-defence, but most importantly, access to nuclear cruise missiles, to turn naval engagements and strike missions into a much shorter, much messier affair. Meanwhile, destroyers maintain their role as the fast, versatile all-rounders that excel at tracking enemy submarines, providing air defence, and now, with the addition of landing ships and resupply ships, making sure that unarmed vessels think twice before going out without an escort.

So where does that leave submarines? Similarly to surface ships, submarines can be upgraded through several generations, starting with basic post-war, boat-hulled diesel-electric designs. After that, they adopt the teardrop hull and nuclear propulsion, and become faster, quieter and more dangerous with each new iteration. By nature of their work, submarines don’t have as many weapons to choose from, but a savvy naval commander can keep them well out of sight and use them to wreak havoc at sea.

Danger isn’t always apparent. Make sure your sonar is up to snuff.

Attack submarines (i.e. the ‘normal’ ones) have been revised, and have taken on their rightful role as superlative hunter-killers, capable of easily dispatching anything at sea in a one-on-one fight. Though they’re quite expensive and still vulnerable to anti-submarine helicopters, destroyer patrols and of course, other submarines, their unrivaled stealth and powerful anti-ship weapons make them terrifying opponents for other vessels. They can also covertly deploy special forces on enemy shores, allowing them to silently wreak havoc on land and sea, and also have the privileged position of being the only unit that can field nuclear torpedoes, making them especially deadly as naval combatants.

Cruise missile submarines, also known as SSGNs, have a very apt name. They’re submarines that fire cruise missiles. Lots of cruise missiles. Although they may not be as stealthy as attack submarines or as deft in a duel, their ability to suddenly surface and saturate a target with guided missiles should absolutely not be underestimated, especially when they have the option to field tactical nuclear weapons as well.

And lastly, of course, are the SSBNs. Ballistic missile submarines. The boomers. Naturally, SSBNs are some of the most dangerous units you’ll encounter in ICBM: Escalation. Combining civilization-ending firepower with stealth, SSBNs can be relied upon to survive an initial nuclear exchange, and then emerge from the depths to deliver a devastating retaliation strike. Being able to easily reposition means they can also maneuver around missile defence systems and deliver a devastating surprise attack. They are, however, expensive to field, and the difference between one staying hidden or being found can seriously change the strategic balance. So, it might be worth doubling-up on submarine patrols and naval helicopters if you think your enemies might be investing in them, and you should also take care not to lose your own either!

Don’t you see? Surviving an initial attack gives SSBNs options. You can attack a city and take one million lives, or attack enemy launch sites and save ten million lives. Use your imagination!

And, as briefly mentioned earlier, naval warfare is even more important now that transport ships are here to bring armies into the fray. Opposing armies can load onto landing ships and invade from the sea, so if your coastlines are left undefended, you might be opening yourself up to an unwelcome visit! Conversely, you can also leverage your own naval forces to open up a beachhead for your armies and also ensure they have a clean run on their invasion routes. If you didn’t get much use out of carriers in ICBM 1, you might change your mind after you bomb an enemy army into the stone age and annex some oceanfront property on your enemy’s continent!

The navy makes it possible to fight on the beaches, on the landing grounds, and in the fields, and in the streets.

And that concludes our third dev diary. Let us know what you think and what’s got you the most excited. We’d love to hear your feedback on this! We’ll be back with another dev diary in a bit. Thanks again, and happy 3rd birthday, ICBM!