ICBM: Escalation News

Hi everyone!

You might remember that our last update was announcing that we’ve started beta testing. Now that we’ve had some time to let the beta run, we think it’s worth sharing how it’s been going!

As expected, there’s been a lot of bug-stomping going on as the first builds hit the ground, and we’ve been hard at work getting the game running more smoothly. With our small group of testers, we’ve gotten some great feedback on the balance of the game and have been taking steps to make it even better, from control improvements, bug fixes, AI tweaks and new features. So, let’s take a peek.

Naturally, one of the hardest challenges has been striking a balance between conventional warfare and nuclear weapons. Needless to say, nukes can be a bit overpowering, so it’s been an ongoing process, but the new addition of CBRN defence tools, a refined ‘accuracy’ system for ballistic missiles and a complete overhaul of the chemical weapon system should help swing the balance back to where it needs to be, and also add a bit of historical flair and realism to the game.

By popular demand, chemical weapons have been rerolled as a way to quickly dispatch and slow down enemy armies, at the cost of being indiscriminate, causing collateral damage and also turning you into a bad person.

We’ve also introduced multi-selection for units! Fans of the first ICBM might have noticed that you could originally only select one unit at a time. While this was good enough for the original and fit well with the style and tactics of the game (it’s not exactly good form to order every single one of your silos to attack the same target, one nuke will usually do it, for example) the sequel demands a little more finesse, with the increased scope of units, and especially with the advent of mobile land units and conventional warfare. To that end, we’ve implemented unit multi-selection, and there’s plenty of ways to use it! You can click and drag a box around the units you want, or select all of a particular unit type, add or subtract units to a group, and even assign groups or individual units to hotkeys. This can be handy if, for example, you want to move a few army groups and their supporting elements at once, or if you want a silo with a 25 megaton ICBM on speed-dial if the enemy tries anything funny.

Multi-select in action. Take note of all the units attached to the unit menu. You can quickly select individual units within the group and issue specific orders to them on a whim.

On top of that, there’s also been plenty of smaller, less dramatic tweaks and fixes. We could talk about how a line in the 4th tutorial was slightly reworded to be clearer, or how the engine handles complex modifiers is slightly different, and a dozen other things that are utterly uninteresting, but just know that we’ve been keeping busy making the game better.

I fixed a typo. Whoop-de-doo.

So, where do we go from here? After our latest patch drops, we’ll be able to get more feedback and fix any major issues that arise, and once things are more stable, we should be able to expand our pool of testers and start poking around at the multiplayer side of the game and make sure everything’s running smoothly. And while our testers are doing that, we’ll be dipping our toes into the campaign…

So, that’s it for this update. We’ve had our hands full keeping up with all the feedback we’ve been getting, and the game is getting all the better for it. We’ll see you again when it’s even better!

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!