Invasion Machine News

[h2]What's happening to the game lately[/h2]
The last time I posted here, I laid out a near-term roadmap for the game.
In the nearest future, there was supposed to be 3 major developments:
1. Buildings should become destructable and vulnerable to explosions and CAS.
2. Units should be able to garrison in the buildings.
3. Add the game saves.

I've just completed and released the first step of these - the buildings on the map are now destructable, and you can flatten them with badly placed CAS. Be warned, though - doing so will devastate your relations with the locals. Neither any surviors of the damaged house, nor their neighbors are ever likely to work with you again.
If you happen to destroy a building, you can order it's reconstruction, though. The mechanic for it is identical to opening the social projects - you order some of you units to work on the project, and need to provide the construction materials from your HQ.

[h2]Other news[/h2]
The newest build of the game features automatic (and anonymous) bug reporting. It's capable of notifying me of the crashes and fatal errors in the game (exceptions). It will not notify my about any content issues, like flying cars or stupid AI, so I still do appreciate those reports, but it definitely will let me catch those worst cases easier. You can opt out from the reporter in the game settings, if you really want to. The reporter's been up since yesterday, and it already caught 1,500 instances of (mostely the same, repeated) errors.
I've already started patching them and will release a hotfix in a couple of days.

[h2]What's next[/h2]
The garrisoning. It's gonna be a big update, affecting the gameplay in many different ways. No longer will the AI always lay out in the open. They'll be trying to setup new forms of traps, using the cover of buildings.
I'm also considering adding ammo limit and enemy weapon stockpiles in the same update, but will need to flesh the idea out if I do.

[h2]What about the game saving?[/h2]
In short - I'll be working on it after the nearest updates. Truth be told, this is a feature I was always going to delay as much as possible, because for me to add it into an incomplete game means I will have to be tweaking and reworking it with every future upgrade I do.
To say even more - making the game saveable is probably the single biggest task in the entire project.
But having said that - this is also the single most requested feature for the game, so - you (will) have been heard. Once I finish the nearest updates - I will begin implementing the saves.

[h2]So what comes before it?[/h2]
I'm currently working on making the buldings destructable. This is the first part of the "garrisoning update", planned to come out in a few weeks. When the entire feature is complete, you'll be able to raze entire buildings with CAS (though it definitely will not be encouraged), rebuild the demolished structures to regain lost support, as well as use the buildings as protection for your troops. The same goes for the AI units, who in turn will start using the buildings for their ambush missions.

Before the big update is out, I'll also deploy a small bugfix-only build (bug tracker: https://trello.com/b/BQiZ1I7t/invasion-machine-bug-tracker).

[h2]tl;dr; you have been consistently asking for the save games, so I'm gonna be working on it soon.

The current near-term roadmap for the game updates is:
Destructable + Rebuildable buildings >> Units garrisoning in buildings >> MAKING YOUR GAMES SAVEABLE[/h2]

The minor update I promised recently is now out - bumping the game to version 0.3.6.
The goal of this one was to give you some of the patches for long standing bugs, because I didn't want you to be forced to wait for them until I'm done with the nearest big roadmap development (the garrisoning).

So, to keep things short, the most important changes in this one are:

• You can no longer develop social projects if you don't have construction materials stockpiled near it (or just loaded intoa car parked near it). You can choose the cargo your car leaves with in the dispatch menu, similarly to how it was done before.
  
• Your dispatch will no longer get broken after a longer playthrough (this was actually caused by civilian vehicles entering your unit roster by mistake). This bug was in the game since the beginning, but I only recently was able to reproduce it myself, after I got a game log from one of the players.
  
• There is new areas on the map. A new town and a farmland area.
  

[h2]The game's bugtracker is now publicly visible, and you can always see what I'm currently working on, and which of the issues have already been reporter. Link here: Invasion Machine Bug Tracker[/h2]


I will now start working on the next step of the roadmap - the garisonning in buildings/ destructable buildings. This will be a big undertaking, again requiring me to write quite a few new systems and interactions, so you can expect this update to take a while. I will keep posting updates about it. By "take a while" I mean 3 weeks, or so.

[h2]tl;dr; there is an update out, with changes to the game map, bugfixes to the most annoying bugs (well, sans pathfinding) and a new "stockpiling construction materials" mechanic, now required for developing the social projects. Next update will be the garrisoning in buildings / destructable buildings, but it will arrive in 3 weeks or so.[/h2]

[h2]What is happening with the project[/h2]
The last post I made was about the development roadmap, and I've gone radio silent. At least that may have been the impression if you're not on the game's Discord (you don't have to be there if you don't want to, I'm just trying to say that Discord is to me a much more immediate form of interaction, so I'm mostly posting the updates there). So, for all those of you who want to see the updates here - this is a summary.

[h2]What happened recently[/h2]
The last update introduced many under-the-hood changes to the game's mechanics. It allowed me to make custom loadouts and weapons for your troops (even if it's not yet used to the full capacity), added new, random loadouts for the enemy and introduced some new weapons. It may or may not look like much. On the tech side - it was required to prepare the game for the more interesting updates in the future, like equipment tech tree.

[h2]And what about the roadmap? What's happening now?[/h2]
It's still valid. I'm actually beginning to work on garrisoning + destructable buildings, which will be another one of those big (and long?) developments, but will transform the gameplay quite a lot. Enemies will be hiding in buildings and shooting out of them. You'll be able take structures over. It's gonna be fun.
Nothing changes in terms of the plans for the projects.

[h2]Nearest update - next week[/h2]
Because garisonning will be a big update, I'm first preparing something smaller, to tide the active players over. Next week I will release version 0.3.6, containing multiple bug fixes, some major changes to the map, and a more complicated mechanic for building Social Projects (you'll now need to stockpile and guard construction materials to move your projects forward).
With that released, I'll be back to working on the planned roadmap step, as described above.

[h2]And what about the bugs?[/h2]
There's now a couple of places where bug can be reported - here, on Discord. But in the end, I'll be gathering them all in a publicly visible bug list, where you can see what's been noticed, what's been fixed and what's about to get released in the nearest patch. The list is here:
If you don't see a bug there - it might not have been reported, yet.

[h2]When will I be able to save the game?[/h2]
After garrisoning, I'll start working on game saving. I wanted to wait longer, for technical reasons mostly, but it's the most often requested feature, so - you (will) have been heard. It's gonna be the next priority.

Let me start off by thanking each on of you who already decided to support the game. The current build stresses the "early" part of an early access, and what you're playing right now is just a fraction of the game's future content. I know it has it's problems, and I'm working on them.
I've been saying before that this game is not a typical RTS title, and thankfully pretty much all of you understand it and are on board with my ideas. That's great, and now that the first week after the release is behind me - I'm ready to move forward with the project.


Some of you are reporting commonly occurring issues, some of them rather severe, so at this point I'm focused almost exclusively on bugfixing. There's already been one release since the update, with the next one coming this week (most likely on Thursday evening CET).

[h2]If you already have the game in your Steam library, please make sure you have the auto-updates enabled for it (right-click on the game title and select game settings). This game will be updated a lot, and you'll want to play the latest version of it.[/h2]

Of the worst still outstanding issues we have:

• car pathfinding (often failing to find the quickest route, as well as getting stuck in the far village)
  
• unreadable UI (too much transparency, not enough contrast, overlapping windows)
  

Both will be addressed in the coming weeks. I won't even be mentioning game crashes and smaller usability issues, missions getting stuck, etc. - because all those things have been brought to my attention and are being worked on as well.


I will be working on a nicer, a little more interactive roadmap in the coming days, but before it's ready, let me just list the nearest term plans here, so you're not kept completely in the dark until it's up.
Note: I know not everyone has Discord, but if you do, and are interested in this game, you can join here: https://discord.gg/G4zX63s - we discuss the game daily, probably most of it will never end up on Steam until I create the next update.

Having said that, here's the steps:
[h2]Bugfixing[/h2]
I cannot continue adding more layers of complication into the game until I fix some blocking issues. I think the most important one here is the car pathfinding (I'm actually working on it right now) - at times it's plain pitiful. Before I continue adding more features and complications - I need to bring it up to a more acceptable state.

[h2]Soldier specializations and loadouts[/h2]
Basically, the game's right now missing both the marksmen (for both you and your enemies), and the machinegunners for some more effective suppression. I consider both those roles essential for the game. Along with that, I'd like to add a first layer of troop customization, where you'd be able to select the general loadout of your men (the weapon, and therefore the role; med supplies; additional ammo). Along with it, the unit dispatch menu could use a do-over, because right now it's unnecessarily complicated.

[h2]Garrisoning/ destructible (and rebuildable) buildings[/h2]
Right now neither your troops nor the enemy can shoot from within the buildings. Also, right now, even if you drop your CAS directly onto a building - it won't touch it, or the people inside.
With the update, you'll be able to take over buildings (after first breaching and searching them), even with civilians inside (they'll hate you for it). Your men will be able to use the openings as firing positions, and explosions will be able to collapse the whole structure.
Demolished building will be rebuildable for both the civilians and your men (to their previous shape and function), with the use of a new resource - the building materials.

[h2]More densely populated map, more POIs[/h2]
With the map being a rather desolate place right now, it will be time to add more unique (and functional) structures. There's gonna be at least one more village, inaccessible to vehicles, located on high ground.
There's gonna be new unique structures, serving as possible social projects for you to develop - a water distribution center, a power station, a factory, farmland and cellular network infrastructure. All destructible. All rebuildable, each with it's own effects on the local life quality.

[h2]Politics[/h2]
Both your faction and the enemy will be able to send political figures on campaign trails. This will mean a constant political tug of war between the factions, causing you to more rapidly lose civilian support if your only strategy is a military domination.

[h2]Saving the game[/h2]
I know many of you consider it an essential feature (I also think it's understandable), so while I had my reasons to delay it as much as possible (both because along with future game updates, your saves are gonna keep getting broken, and because it's such a heavy task that as I work on it - it will pause other progress on the game), due to popular demand - I'll be adding it sooner. You win :)

[h2]Structure Building[/h2]
Because it should be a big part of a more permanent presence of your units on the map, you should be able to build various defensive structures. Sandbags, machinegun nests, traffic checkpoints.
In the end, I'd like the player to be able to build a permanent combat outpost of sorts, which he'd later have to re-supply using his convoys.

[h2]Smoke cover, explosives and APCs[/h2]
Right now your enemies are somewhat powerless against you. With their rusty AKs and the occasional technical, your men completely dominate the map most of the time, so in this update I'll introduce RPGs, mortars, more technical units and some old APCs for your enemy.
Your men will get access to smoke cover, AT weapons and new MRAP units.


The points I described above are just the first steps. For one - the community is constantly feeding me with ideas, and I haven't yet added any of them to the list. On top of that, there's some bigger projects planned, which will change the game quite a lot.

[h2]Special Forces[/h2]
SF units with their own, new missions. Recon, snatch and grab, and anything we come up with together.
I don't want them to become just infantry with beefier stats, but rather another flavor for the game.

[h2]Helicopters[/h2]
Troop transport for your own men, as well as a quick means of casevac. Will be a scarce resource, with big penalties for your relations with the high command, if lost.
PJs - an additional unit you won't get direct, full control over. Similar to fire support, you'll be able to call them in, and will be tasked with preparing and keeping a secure LZ for them.

[h2]Tanks and other mechanized units[/h2]
This game is mostly about infantry. I want it to always be a story of a handful your men, having to deal with an overwhelming task given to them. Tanks and other advanced units will never play a major role in the game, but I'm open to adding them as additional fire support units, in limited quantities.
The enemy will also get their own tanks, in even more limited quantities.