THE OLD RULES AND PROGRESSION // DEVLOGS #2 AND #3
// DISPATCH UPDATE
We’re posting two devlogs today as a catch-up drop — pulling everyone into sync on where Burned Horizons is headed. From here on out, new devlogs will release every Monday.
For the latest versions — including edits, notes, and extras — you’ll always find them first on our Discord and the d-logs.
[hr][/hr]
* [ EARLY CONCEPT ART — NOT FINAL ]
⬤ D-LOG ENTRY [0002]
[// DEV]
[2025-06-09-1025]
[POE // DVG-98]
[NAFOSEC // NCC-RIGA]
[RE: THE OLD RULES]
I’m a visual person. So you start with the art.
For me... realism isn’t just about the mechanics.
It’s in the depth and detail of what you’re seeing.
The more real the image, the more real it becomes.
An operator that looks like a cartoon — yeah, you can use your imagination and make that work.
But there’s still a disconnect.
So... you try to make the art reflect reality.
The gear feeling right — fatigues with weight, webbing that looks field-worn,
a plate carrier that makes sense for who this guy is.
But the more real it all looks, the more hollow the old systems feel.
You finish the art for an operator → now he needs a backstory → where did he serve → where’s he from → how did that impact his behaviors/skills → what skills does he have → ranks → roles → terms → structure → formatting → regional details → and on it goes. The train just keeps chugging.
So, how to make them real and not just pixels on a screen?
Well, I started with how actual people behave.
Which means XP, skill trees, role/class guardrails, RNG stats (INT, STR, DEX)
just weren’t gonna cut it anymore.
You don’t level up in a real fight.
You don’t get better at suppressive fire because you looted the right bush or jogged across a tile.
And war changes people.
The old rules don’t hold. So, you write new ones.
The start is UCD/S + Scars → then Roles → Archetypes → Specialization Pathways → Attributes
FWIW: Not saying all games are ‘bad.’
Some hit the tone just right but fail in other respects.
Some get further along with mods.
But many of them — even the good ones — make tradeoffs for financial considerations (like greater appeal).
This is especially true of games in this genre.
[hr][/hr]
⬤ D-LOG ENTRY [0003]
[// DEV]
[2025-06-16-1000]
[POE // DVG-87]
[NAFOSEC // NCC-RIGA]
[RE: PROGRESSION]
You don’t “level up” in a real unit.
You survive. You adapt. You get fractured.
You get better — or you don’t.
And what changes you isn’t a point bar.
It’s what you’ve lived through.
>> SCARS
Scars aren’t upgrades.
They’re what’s left behind — good or bad.
Maybe it makes you faster under pressure.
Maybe it makes you flinch when you shouldn’t.
But it sticks. And people notice.
Squads remember. So does the system.
>> UCD/S
Unit Command Designation / S
Two layers. Both leveled.
UCD-1 to UCD-4 tracks your standing inside NAFOSEC — from probationary to field leadership.
S-1 to S-5 measures cohesion and trust — what the unit sees in you, not just what you’ve done.
UCD is about who you are in the structure.
S is about who shows up when the pressure hits.
And somewhere past UCD-4... there’s a UCD-5.
You won’t see it in early deployments —
but if you stick with someone long enough, it’s there.
It’s not a class unlock.
It’s what you become when the system stops needing to ask.
Operators may also carry Legacy Tags — VETERAN, RELIC, NON-STANDARD, ASSET-R.
You won’t see those right away either.
They follow UCD-5.
They aren’t cosmetic.
They affect how people see you —
and how command calculates risk when your name comes up.
>> ROLES + SPECIALIZATION PATHWAYS
Everyone starts with a Role.
Not a class. A function. A signature.
CT-17, AF-75, RW-31 — they’re not kits.
They’re starting points.
From there, behavior takes over.
Specialization Pathways emerge based on what you do — and how often you do it.
Nothing is lost.
You keep what you’ve earned.
You don’t discard your role — you expand on it.
//-----
SUPPORT THE OP
👉 WISHLIST + FOLLOW // Every mark adds weight to the push ahead.
OPN-FULCRUM // PHASE 2 → JAN 2026. Mission-critical funding op to carry Burned Horizons forward. Stay locked in — followers get the deployment notice first.
ALPHA SIGNUPS // Open. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/3985330/view/501710244523540881?l=english
We’re posting two devlogs today as a catch-up drop — pulling everyone into sync on where Burned Horizons is headed. From here on out, new devlogs will release every Monday.
For the latest versions — including edits, notes, and extras — you’ll always find them first on our Discord and the d-logs.
[hr][/hr]
* [ EARLY CONCEPT ART — NOT FINAL ]
⬤ D-LOG ENTRY [0002]
[// DEV]
[2025-06-09-1025]
[POE // DVG-98]
[NAFOSEC // NCC-RIGA]
[RE: THE OLD RULES]
I’m a visual person. So you start with the art.
For me... realism isn’t just about the mechanics.
It’s in the depth and detail of what you’re seeing.
The more real the image, the more real it becomes.
An operator that looks like a cartoon — yeah, you can use your imagination and make that work.
But there’s still a disconnect.
So... you try to make the art reflect reality.
The gear feeling right — fatigues with weight, webbing that looks field-worn,
a plate carrier that makes sense for who this guy is.
But the more real it all looks, the more hollow the old systems feel.
You finish the art for an operator → now he needs a backstory → where did he serve → where’s he from → how did that impact his behaviors/skills → what skills does he have → ranks → roles → terms → structure → formatting → regional details → and on it goes. The train just keeps chugging.
So, how to make them real and not just pixels on a screen?
Well, I started with how actual people behave.
Which means XP, skill trees, role/class guardrails, RNG stats (INT, STR, DEX)
just weren’t gonna cut it anymore.
You don’t level up in a real fight.
You don’t get better at suppressive fire because you looted the right bush or jogged across a tile.
And war changes people.
The old rules don’t hold. So, you write new ones.
The start is UCD/S + Scars → then Roles → Archetypes → Specialization Pathways → Attributes
FWIW: Not saying all games are ‘bad.’
Some hit the tone just right but fail in other respects.
Some get further along with mods.
But many of them — even the good ones — make tradeoffs for financial considerations (like greater appeal).
This is especially true of games in this genre.
[hr][/hr]
⬤ D-LOG ENTRY [0003]
[// DEV]
[2025-06-16-1000]
[POE // DVG-87]
[NAFOSEC // NCC-RIGA]
[RE: PROGRESSION]
You don’t “level up” in a real unit.
You survive. You adapt. You get fractured.
You get better — or you don’t.
And what changes you isn’t a point bar.
It’s what you’ve lived through.
>> SCARS
Scars aren’t upgrades.
They’re what’s left behind — good or bad.
Maybe it makes you faster under pressure.
Maybe it makes you flinch when you shouldn’t.
But it sticks. And people notice.
Squads remember. So does the system.
>> UCD/S
Unit Command Designation / S
Two layers. Both leveled.
UCD-1 to UCD-4 tracks your standing inside NAFOSEC — from probationary to field leadership.
S-1 to S-5 measures cohesion and trust — what the unit sees in you, not just what you’ve done.
UCD is about who you are in the structure.
S is about who shows up when the pressure hits.
And somewhere past UCD-4... there’s a UCD-5.
You won’t see it in early deployments —
but if you stick with someone long enough, it’s there.
It’s not a class unlock.
It’s what you become when the system stops needing to ask.
Operators may also carry Legacy Tags — VETERAN, RELIC, NON-STANDARD, ASSET-R.
You won’t see those right away either.
They follow UCD-5.
They aren’t cosmetic.
They affect how people see you —
and how command calculates risk when your name comes up.
>> ROLES + SPECIALIZATION PATHWAYS
Everyone starts with a Role.
Not a class. A function. A signature.
CT-17, AF-75, RW-31 — they’re not kits.
They’re starting points.
From there, behavior takes over.
Specialization Pathways emerge based on what you do — and how often you do it.
- Stick to your lane? You refine it.
- Drift hybrid? The system adjusts.
- Shift entirely? It doesn’t wipe the slate.
Nothing is lost.
You keep what you’ve earned.
You don’t discard your role — you expand on it.
//-----
SUPPORT THE OP
👉 WISHLIST + FOLLOW // Every mark adds weight to the push ahead.
OPN-FULCRUM // PHASE 2 → JAN 2026. Mission-critical funding op to carry Burned Horizons forward. Stay locked in — followers get the deployment notice first.
ALPHA SIGNUPS // Open. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/3985330/view/501710244523540881?l=english