All Quiet in the Trenches News

[h3]Balancing[/h3]

• [p]Adjusted Skill trigger balance:
  - Requirements for very rare abilities slightly eased
  - General abilities (with few requirements) now have lower priority[/p]
• [p]Troop morale is now properly clamped in all calculations (previously, real morale could be higher or lower than the full/empty UI bar indicated)
  [/p]
• [p]Rat infestation in camp can no longer occur when supplies are low[/p]
• [p]Rat infestation in camp now ends automatically when no supplies are left[/p]
• [p]Success chance when dealing with rat infestation now depends on the traits Quick/Slow, Attentive/Inattentive, and the Poacher ability (also grants XP)[/p]
• [p]Fitness now has a greater impact on chopping firewood[/p]
• [p]Firewood chopping is now required for one additional month[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Bugfixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed an error with escorted soldiers when they were wounded between two positions[/p]
• [p]Fixed an error when using Aimed Shot on a troop with no soldiers left (e.g. if they were already taken out earlier that turn)[/p]
• [p]Prevented cases where movement was still possible during Aimed Shot, causing an error
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare issue in Search for Fugitive Pilot[/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare issue in Chop Firewood[/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare issue in Listen to Comrades
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed fire efficiency reduction not resetting after soldiers removed their gas masks[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect danger calculation for certain situations (e.g. Sniper)
  [/p]
• [p]Projects in the trench with danger level 2 or higher now correctly show that soldiers gain XP[/p]
• [p]Tooltips for soldier drag&drop in projects now always appear in the foreground[/p]
• [p]Fixed attribute tooltip text occasionally spilling outside the background frame
  [/p]
• [p]Various minor bug fixes[/p]
• [p]Typo fixes[/p]

[p]The Soldier Update (Version 0.10) is now live![/p][p]This update puts the soldiers themselves even more in the spotlight: their development, their relationships, and their role on the battlefield. In addition, two new faces are joining the troops, Georg Ackermann and Jan Fleckner, who bring new dynamics to everyday life in the trenches with their own stories and personalities.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The core features of this update are:[/p]

• [p]Experience and skill system with 13 unique abilities for soldiers[/p]
• [p]Two new soldiers: Georg Ackermann and Jan Fleckner[/p]
• [p]Relationships between soldiers: friends and rivals system[/p]
• [p]Troop morale, revised NPC logic and further adjustments in battle[/p]
• [p]Expanded content: journal entries, projects, illustrations[/p]
• [p]Improvements to project view and readability[/p]

[p][/p][p]In our Dev Diaries, we delve deeper into the new content:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]For those who would like to finish their current playthrough: Version 0.9 will remain available via Steam Beta. Since save files are not compatible across versions, you can continue your current game there.[/p][p][/p][p]We wish you impressive, moving and exciting experiences with the new update! Your Totally Not Aliens Team[/p][p][/p][h2]Patchnotes 0.10.0[/h2][h3]Features[/h3]

• [p]Added Experience and Skill System[/p]
  • [p]Soldiers now gain experience both passively and through projects[/p]
  • [p]13 new, unique skills can be unlocked over time[/p]
  • [p]Positive traits can be learned and negative traits removed, depending on a soldier’s actions[/p]
• [p]Added two new soldiers: Georg Ackermann and Jan Fleckner[/p]
• [p]Introduced Friends & Rivals System:[/p]
  • [p]Relationships change dynamically based on personalities[/p]
  • [p]Mini-events trigger depending on relationships between soldiers[/p]
  • [p]Relationships influence performance when soldiers work together[/p]
• [p]Introduced Troop Morale:[/p]
  • [p]NPC troops now behave differently depending on their morale level[/p]
  • [p]Morale affects various factors in battle[/p]
  • [p]War fatigue, exhaustion, and fitness are simulated at battle start for each soldier individually, influencing troop morale[/p]
• [p]Added general content:[/p]
  • [p]5 new projects[/p]
  • [p]18 new journal entries[/p]
  • [p]New illustrations for the journal[/p]
  • [p]New loading screens featuring artists from KG Brücke
    [/p]

[h3]Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Improved project view: layout adjustments, new tooltips and added right-/double-click functionality[/p]
• [p]Added a new sans-serif font option in settings for easier reading[/p]
• [p]Increased text size and adjusted UI elements where needed
  [/p]
• [p]Complete overhaul of NPC troop logic[/p]
• [p]Reworked logic for separated soldiers[/p]
• [p]Reduced lag during NPC troop calculations by spreading certain computations across multiple frames
  [/p]
• [p]Prevented unfitting journal entries from appearing for soldiers with less than one month of service[/p]
• [p]Prevents certain attributes (e.g. grief for deceased soldiers) from being set for soldiers who did not actually know the soldier in question
  [/p]
• [p]Added relationship value display for Elisabeth, Laroche, and Hennek[/p]
• [p]Project danger display in the trenches now now adapts dynamically to the circumstances (e.g. the effects of 'Under Artillery Fire')[/p]
• [p]Unified sorting of feedback indicators in projects and attributes[/p]
• [p]Loading screens now scale better with different resolutions[/p]
• [p]Soldiers are no longer removed from projects when the target changes (e.g. during suppression)[/p]
• [p]Adjusted cutscene camera when highlighting shots[/p]
• [p]Tutorial battle cutscene now properly waits for artillery
  [/p]

[h3]Balancing[/h3]

• [p]Reworked stress mechanics in battle:[/p]
  • [p]Increases more slowly[/p]
  • [p]Regenerates faster[/p]
  • [p]No regeneration while flanked, suppressed, or in melee range[/p]
  • [p]Stronger impact on morale[/p]
  • [p]Reduced impact on exhaustion
    [/p]
• [p]Reworked fervor mechanics in battle:[/p]
  • [p]No longer has tiers[/p]
  • [p]Higher chance to gain[/p]
  • [p]Reduces stress more effectively[/p]
  • [p]Stronger impact on morale
    [/p]
• [p]Adjusted melee combat balance:[/p]
  • [p]Troop morale now plays a role[/p]
  • [p]Slightly reduced randomness[/p]
  • [p]Defeated units in melee can no longer be dragged into another melee fight while retreating
    [/p]
• [p]Adjusted general impact chances:[/p]
  • [p]Increased chance of 'Staying Behind' for cautious soldiers[/p]
  • [p]Slightly reduced chance of injury[/p]
  • [p]Slightly lowered injury severity from gunfire
    [/p]
• [p]Increased hit and 'near miss' chance for grenades at close range[/p]
• [p]Increased time before retreat decisions are made in battles[/p]
• [p]Troop morale now influences retreat decisions
  [/p]
• [p]Reworked balance for getting wounded in the trenches[/p]
• [p]Reduced number of bandages distributed by Hennek[/p]
• [p]Guaranteed a new recruit in turn two if the player has fewer than three soldiers[/p]
• [p]When a soldier gains a mood, there’s now a chance that an opposing mood is removed if the soldier already has three different moods[/p]
• [p]Prevented certain events from triggering in the first turn of a new phase[/p]
• [p]Slightly adjusted chances for some journal entries
  [/p]

[h3]Bugfixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed error when requesting new recruits from the lieutenant[/p]
• [p]Fixed machine gun-related error[/p]
• [p]Fixed error during battles involving separated soldiers[/p]
• [p]Fixed rare error in a Schmidtbauer journal entry
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed attributes incorrectly applying to deceased soldiers, which caused follow-up issues in supply calculations and more[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with escorting prisoners not working properly in battle[/p]
• [p]Fixed potential incorrect troop positioning after melee when soldiers were in different positions[/p]
• [p]Fixed cases where a broken rifle could no longer be repaired[/p]
• [p]Fixed soldiers occasionally being unable to move after loading a battle save[/p]
• [p]Fixed some dead soldiers not being displayed after loading a battle save[/p]
• [p]Fixed minor issues in the “Eating Rats” event
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed UV issues for camp clothing[/p]
• [p]Fixed minor issues in shooting animations[/p]
• [p]Fixed exhaustion not being shown in the stress tooltip[/p]
• [p]Fixed several ration display errors[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect page display in the load game sub-menu[/p]
• [p]Project window now shrinks relevant attributes instead of hiding them
  [/p]
• [p]Revised some English translations in journal entries[/p]
• [p]Updated several English translations from v0.9[/p]
• [p]Fixed multiple typos in both German and English
  [/p]

[h3]Other[/h3]

• [p]“New Soldiers” start option (available only in this update!)[/p]
• [p]Added new credits screen[/p]
• [p]Added “Messenger Curse” Easter egg[/p]
• [p]Various smaller changes, tweaks, and fixes[/p]

[p][/p][p]The wait is nearly over! The Soldier Update (Version 0.10) is being released on Thursday. Before then, we would like to show you some of the changes that haven't yet been mentioned in our dev diaries so far.[/p][p][/p][h2]UI and readability[/h2][p]We have improved readability throughout the game. All fonts in the game have been enlarged. Individual menus, such as the journal, have been adjusted in terms of size and appearance.[/p][p]You can now also select a sans serif font in the options, which makes reading easier.[/p][p]We hope this will make the game more accessible for people with dyslexia and for those playing on the Steam Deck. Please give us your feedback once you've had a chance to try it out.[/p][p][/p][h2]Further changes[/h2][p]With the Soldier Update, you can now assign a new soldier to an existing one in your troop to help them get around. Depending on who you assign, the new soldier's opinion, personality and other attributes may change.[/p][p]We have also introduced new tasks in the camp to make the troops' daily routine more varied. Some new journal stories have been written in response to specific situations in the game, and new illustrations have been added to other journal stories.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Beta[/h2][p]Last but not least, the beta started today. You can now try out the update via the Steam Beta Branch. Thank you to everyone participating in the beta and supporting us with bug reports during this phase![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]It's not long now until the release of the Soldier Update (0.10)![/p][p]In this Dev Diary, we want to show you how morale and a completely new NPC troop logic will affect the course of a battle.[/p][p][/p][h2]Troop morale[/h2][p]In battles, the troop morale of enemy and allied troops is now displayed. It is calculated from the average morale of the active soldiers in the troop.[/p][p]Troop morale directly affects the firepower of each individual soldier and also individual commands, such as the outcome of close combat or ‘fire back’ when suppressed. The morale of each individual troop also influences the course of the battle, i.e. which side will retreat first.[/p][p][/p][p]Troop morale is also divided into three levels: Resolute, Stable and Demoralised. These individual levels have a direct influence on how a troop behaves in battle.[/p][p][/p][h2]Stress, Fervor, Commands and Balancing[/h2][p]With the introduction of troop morale, the stress of soldiers now plays a greater role. Stress increases more slowly and usually decreases more quickly, but it has an even greater effect on morale.[/p][p]However, if a troop is suppressed, flanked or within melee range, none of the soldiers can reduce their stress. This means that you have to actively change position to boost morale or, for example, to prevent the soldiers from panicking.[/p][p][/p][p]This should introduce a new tactical component: retreat and targeted weakening of enemy morale now play a greater role. Failures such as grenades that barely miss their target become more forgivable, as they still weaken enemy morale.[/p][p]Furthermore, the individual levels of the Fervor attribute have been removed. However, fervor now greatly reduces stress per turn. Soldiers can also gain fervor more quickly if, for example, they hit an enemy soldier, rescue an allied soldier or even successfully cut through barbed wire (depending on their personality).[/p][p][/p][h2]Revision of troop logic[/h2][p]As part of these new features, we have completely redesigned the calculation of actions and commands for NPC troops.[/p][p]Decisions are based on countless factors: cover, danger, injuries, equipment, proximity to the enemy, lines of sight, and much more. The old troop logic added up all these factors in order to ultimately perform the hopefully most reasonable™ action. This was usually very functional, but increasingly confusing and, in some situations, unrealistic and incomprehensible.[/p][p]An example: A troop is in the best position for a close combat attack with movement to another position. However, it could also suppress at its current position, treat an injured soldier and search for equipment at the same time. The current position may even offer better cover. Although close combat was weighted very highly, this troop could decide to hold its position because all these values added up to a higher total.[/p][p][/p][h2]Intermediate layer for logic[/h2][p]An intermediate layer for the behaviour of troops on the battlefield has now been introduced. The higher layer (basic logic) consists of linking the main command (offensive, defensive and retreat) with the morale levels (resolute, stable and demoralised), resulting in a total of 9 different basic logics.[/p][p]This basic logic only determines a behaviour pattern at first. A few examples:[/p]

• [p]Advance: ‘We want to move safely to the target position.’[/p]
• [p]Suppress: ‘To support allied troops, we want to effectively suppress enemy positions.’[/p]
• [p]Rally: ‘We want to regenerate our morale and gather scattered soldiers.’[/p]
• [p]Evacuate: ‘We want to rescue the wounded and take them to the hospital.’[/p]
• [p]Loot: ‘We want to search for ammunition, bandages or grenades.’[/p]
• [p]Destroy: ‘We want to eliminate enemy troops.’[/p]
• [p]and more ...[/p]

[p][/p][p][c]Basic logic (e.g. Offensive & Determined) -> Behaviour pattern (e.g. Advance) ->
Troop action (e.g. Move to position x) & Soldier commands (e.g. Move & Covering fire)[/c][/p][p][/p][p]To pick up on the example from earlier: The behaviour patterns of the troop are evaluated individually and they decide on Destroy in this situation. This behaviour leads to the troop engaging in close combat. In the next round, they may then decide on Evacuate in order to bring the wounded soldier to their current position or to return to their previous position.
[/p][p][/p][p]The basic logic has different ratings: a resolute troop on the offensive will give higher weight to Destroy or Advance, while a demoralised troop will have the highest multiplier on Rally.[/p][p]This new system is not only intended to force more realistic and comprehensible decisions, it is also much easier to debug.[/p][p][/p][h2]War weariness of NPC soldiers[/h2][p]Last but not least, NPC soldiers are now also simulated over the course of the war. Among other things, their war weariness or exhaustion at the beginning of a battle is influenced.[/p][p]Troops have different values: some start out more determined and stronger, while others appear weakened and less motivated. As the war progresses, all troops are sent into battle with increasingly lower morale.[/p][p][/p][h2]Conclusion[/h2][p]With these changes, we want to bring more transparency and depth to the battles. The new troop logic will not be perfect at release, but it will be much easier to understand and adapt, allowing us to expand it over the course of Early Access. It also opens up new tactical possibilities: enemy troops do not have to be physically defeated, but can be deliberately demoralised. The focus is not on eliminating enemies, but on forcing the opponent to surrender![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]Two new soldiers will be added to the game in the upcoming update 0.10:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Support from the Brücke-Museum[/h2][p]In designing Fleckner, we received a great deal of support from the Brücke-Museum in Berlin, and we would like to express our sincere thanks to our contacts Johannes Berger and Isabel Fischer for their invaluable assistance. Above all, they helped us to understand the impact of the First World War on German artists, especially those from the Brücke group and their circle, and how they experienced the war and processed it in their art. They also provided us with the following three images to use as loading screens in the game and helped us to contextualise them in relation to the First World War:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We are very excited to hear about your experiences with the two new soldiers after the release of our upcoming update 0.10.[/p][p][/p]