Some hotfixes for issues: The game should no longer black screen after the conclusion of the final mission. A key cause of the issue with airplanes randomly landing on the ground, and treating these as the airfield, should have been fixed. Thanks again for the support of the game
Some hotfixes for issues:
[H6-1] The game should no longer black screen after the conclusion of the final mission. [H6-2] A key cause of the issue with airplanes randomly landing on the ground, and treating these as the airfield, should have been fixed.
Some hotfixes for potential issues with saving games: Fixed long-standing issue where saved game maps do not render properly. Resolved cases where game can fail to save properly in certain missions The Last_Application_Exit and Last_Mission_Entry emergency backup save feature sho
Some hotfixes for potential issues with saving games:
[H5-1] Fixed long-standing issue where saved game maps do not render properly. [H5-2] Resolved cases where game can fail to save properly in certain missions [H5-3] The Last_Application_Exit and Last_Mission_Entry emergency backup save feature should now be working again.
27 months (time flies) of The Slush Force brings some bug-fixes and significant performance improvements, such as: -- Optimized building physics and collision detection to reduce CPU usage. -- Improved road‑following behavior by unit pathfinding. After all, the roads cost a lot o
27 months (time flies) of The Slush Force brings some bug-fixes and significant performance improvements, such as:
--[F5‑1] Optimized building physics and collision detection to reduce CPU usage.
--[F5‑2] Improved road‑following behavior by unit pathfinding. After all, the roads cost a lot of tax dollars to build, so why not use them!
--[F5‑3] Updated engine backend to optimize performance and reduce CPU/RAM usage.
--[F5‑4] Streamlined the menus to improve user experience.
--[F5‑5] Optimized explosive behavior. Explosions now explode more efficiently, as nature intended.
--[F5‑6] FPV drones should now actually lock onto targets rather than strike the ground near them. (That is after all, the appeal of using them.)
--[F5‑7] Aircraft now properly lead moving targets when strafing ground units.
--[F5‑8] Aircraft ordered to evacuate during real‑time combat now immediately land at the airfield at the end of the encounter.
--[F5‑9] Fixed bug where the wrong vehicle sometimes appeared in the garage view. The garage is no longer haunted.
--[F5‑10] Resolved issue where repeatedly withdrawing units from combat could cause enemy units to freeze on the map.
--[F5‑11] Fixed no‑clip bug where vehicles could fall through the garage floor, plus a null pointer that sometimes trapped the game in purgatory at the "After Action Report" screen.
--[F5‑12] Reduced FPV drone range to 6 km, due to the fact that fiber optic transceivers are not yet invented.
--[F5‑13] Updated cruise missile "P1984A" to supersonic flight speed.
--[F5‑14] Possibly fixed disappearing plane/vehicle glitch. If they vanish again, they’re doing it on purpose.
--[F5‑15] Resolved rare issue where aircraft sometimes fail to fly and immediately fall to the ground upon spawning. (It seems the airplane engine manufacturers have remembered to actually install them.)
-- Decreased the difficulty of all missions -- Removed alien anti-tank units in M1-1 -- Removed most alien anti-tank units in M1-2 -- Added 1x anti-tank soldier to conscript squad -- Decreased the reload time of all machine gun-type units -- Decreased the reload time of all RPG-t
--[F4] Decreased the difficulty of all missions --[F4-1] Removed alien anti-tank units in M1-1 --[F4-2] Removed most alien anti-tank units in M1-2 --[F4-3] Added 1x anti-tank soldier to conscript squad --[F4-4] Decreased the reload time of all machine gun-type units --[F4-5] Decreased the reload time of all RPG-type units --[F4-6] Decreased the number of alien reinforcements in M1-5 --[F4-7] Decreased the number of robotic alien units in M1-6, replaced with regular infantry units --[F4-8] Increased the view range of airborne units using the F-45S type battle rifle --[F4-9] Decreased the number of robotic alien units in all M2 missions --[F4-10] Decreased the number of alien hover tanks in all M2 missions, replaced with mech assault squads --[F4-11] FPVs and loitering munitions now available in some missions from M2-2 onwards --[F4-12] Added FSGUSH ORGANIZATION units to M2-2 onwards as recruitable units --[F4-13] Increased the fire rate of FPV and loitering munitions
--[H4-1] Soldiers should now have a lower tendency to run into areas which are on fire... --[H4-2] Removed "Air Combat" button from Encounter Screen --[H4-3] Vehicles should no longer have a tendency to fall through the floor... --[H4-4] Increased the collision box of the alien commando model --[H4-5] Fixed issue with campaign map squad display showing the wrong squad units
Those familiar with 21st century tactics would instantly recognize the asymmetric impact of drones and loitering munitions on the battlefield. But wait a second, you may ask. Doesn't The Slush Force take place around the end of the Cold War era? Well, as it turns out, some of the
Those familiar with 21st century tactics would instantly recognize the asymmetric impact of drones and loitering munitions on the battlefield.
But wait a second, you may ask. Doesn't The Slush Force take place around the end of the Cold War era?
Well, as it turns out, some of the best engineers and military scientists have figured out the cost-effectiveness and efficacy that loitering munitions and FPV quadcopters bring to the fight against alien invasions.
... So it only makes sense that these devices are used as intended.
New and Upcoming
The latest monthly update brings with it a series of bug-fixes, the addition of several loitering munition types as fire support units, and the first part of the next part of the campaign (in which these new fire support units feature prominently).
A list of the most significant bugfixes is as follows:
[F3-1A] Vehicles should now be able to be used to ram aliens (this also triggers a corresponding achievement). [F3-1B] Vehicles which run over friendly units will cause their morale to be affected. [F3-2] The competence of enemy units (marksmanship, coordination, etc.) now properly scales by difficulty. [F3-3] Fixed bug where "defend commander" mission would sometimes cause game crashes. [F3-4] Squads should no longer sometimes face the rare issue of doubling in size for no reason, crashing the game. [F3-5] Enemy squads should no longer teleport away in rare cases at the start of combat. [F3-6] Pressing a certain red button should no longer result in glitched units in the subsequent mission. [F3-7] Soldiers should now exhibit basic self-preservation instincts and avoid running towards fires. [F3-8] Decreased cruise missile overshoot (it should now reduce overestimation of target). [F3-9] Fixed bug where alien mechs will sometimes spontaneously disassemble.
In the near future, additional missions will be added to the newest portion of the campaign.
As always, thanks for supporting the project, and stay tuned for more!
Greetings! It has been a eventful first month for The Slush Force . The next section of the campaign is in active development and will also be available soon. A list of changes: -- Recruitment screen will now be locked in missions where recruitment is not available. -- Fixed pote
Greetings! It has been a eventful first month for The Slush Force. The next section of the campaign is in active development and will also be available soon.
A list of changes:
--[H1-1] Recruitment screen will now be locked in missions where recruitment is not available. --[H1-2] Fixed potential unexpected triggering of achievement "Invincible and Legendary" --[H1-3] Fire support panel text now should fit the screen properly. --[H1-4] Add buttons to automatically send a selected aircraft to airfield (if it is able to). --[H1-5] Buttons to automatically send a selected aircraft to airfield should now no longer appear if there is no aircraft in the selected squad. --[H1-6] Squads with available movement points will now have blinking icons, while those which can no longer move will appear dull in color. --[H1-7] Steam stats (e.g. artillery and aircraft usage) should now update correctly.
--[H2-1] Soldiers no longer slowly ascend to the heavens if you right click repeatedly during deployment phase. --[H2-2] Expelled a phantom button from the main menu (previously, the game would crash if you clicked on it). --[H2-3] Vehicles no longer sometimes descend to perdition if you right click repeatedly during deployment phase. --[H2-4] Aircraft display should no longer wildly flicker in certain cases. --[H2-5] Destroying 5 enemy units in one blow should now correctly trigger the appropriate achievement. --[H2-6] Fixed bug where defeat screen would not trigger in certain missions. --[H2-7] Decreased difficulty of mission "Cauldron of Fire". --[H2-8] Game saves should now properly display time of last save. --[F2-1] Game now autosaves on application exit and on a new mission load. It is hoped this will facilitate gameplay and reduce the impacts of forgetting to frequently save the game. --[F2-2] Right clicking on an enemy one time will set it as a target, and a second time will also send movement command --[F2-3] Status of soldiers are now displayed in the weapons screen, clarifying if they are reloading, firing, or if sight line is obstructed.
--[H3-1] Settings are now properly adjusted based on previous selections upon application start. --[H3-2] Options screen now also better shows the keybindings for the game. --[H3-3] Options screen can now be accessed during the real-time combat phase. --[H3-4] Tank cannons should no longer oscillate uncontrollably if you drive too close to an enemy unit. --[H3-5] Added campaign mission selection in the menu. --[H3-6] Fixed erroneous loss condition in mission "Red-Eye Flight" --[H3-7] Fixed resolution error in the options menu --[F3-1] Added aircraft automatic return to base button
"One cannot measure progress by lines on a map." - General William C. Westmoreland Over 3 years ago, The Slush Force started out as a pandemic-era project to pass time and learn programming. Initial prototypes of this game were a 2-D platformer type of thing (think along the line
"One cannot measure progress by lines on a map."
- General William C. Westmoreland
Over 3 years ago, The Slush Force started out as a pandemic-era project to pass time and learn programming. Initial prototypes of this game were a 2-D platformer type of thing (think along the lines of "Super Mario clone").
This video was from 2 years ago, and it seems quite hard to believe that even in the first year of development, so much evolution occurred!
In those 3 years, there have been plenty of ups and downs and even moments where the project was almost aborted.
But thankfully, it still remains standing.
Learning to design and program this game has spanned much of my college, graduate school, and post-graduation career.
I guess progress indeed cannot be measured by lines on a map...
Stay turned for what happens tomorrow (22 December).
What is Planned for at Release
At this point in time, the core mechanics of The Slush Force are completed, and a good part of the campaign is ready with a sizeable remainder still in development (balancing, playtesting, und so weiter).
The first and second campaigns will be available at release, along with a corresponding set of Steam achievements.
The missions in the first campaign covers the initial contacts with, and apparent victory over, alien forces.
"Sir, what do you mean these things are not of this world?"
Unfortunately, the threat posed by the apparently incompetent alien invasion is overlooked. Shortly thereafter, they return in force...
"I told you they'd come back!"
The second campaign deals with larger scale combat against this much stronger invasion, including tank combat, airstrikes, artillery, and grinding urban combat.
"Someone's having a good time out there for sure..."
But even then, you seem to have a strange asymmetrical advantage that the aliens do not...
Roadmap for the Future
Next year will be an exciting year for The Slush Force, with major updates planned that will bring the game into its final state.
The first major update for the game will be planned to release at the end of January or beginning of February. This will contain the third campaign, which will introduce significant amounts of new fire support options and a very different way of playing the game.
The second major update is anticipated for the end of February or beginning of March, containing the fourth campaign, which will bring the story to a potentially explosive conclusion.
Any bugfixes may be included in each major update, or any number of small hotfixes.
Please feel free to report any bugs that you find by contacting the support email.
"This is the hand that we are dealt, and so these are the cards that we must play."
One (or more) sequel(s) is (are) also in the works, potentially focused on (i) air combat and/or (ii) exploration of the alien teleportation portals. Stay tuned for more news on those sometime next year...
In the meantime, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all who have followed this project, whether you have been around for years or just came across this page today.
There is a saying that “all battles are won in the mind”. In The Slush Force, this is not entirely true. However, we cannot ignore the reality that morale and psychological factors are indeed very important for combat effectiveness. Morale and Morale Damage Obviously, it is stres
There is a saying that “all battles are won in the mind”. In The Slush Force, this is not entirely true.
However, we cannot ignore the reality that morale and psychological factors are indeed very important for combat effectiveness.
Morale and Morale Damage
Obviously, it is stressful to be shot at! All weapons in The Slush Force deal some amount of suppression. Near-misses are somewhat damaging to morale, but actually getting hit will naturally cause extreme panic.
The loss of your squad's armored car is sure to be a shock!
Vehicle-mounted weapons as well as explosives (such as those you see on tanks and planes) are the most effective at suppression. Alien weapons are also quite intimidating.
I would not want to be on the receiving end of that...
That alien is definitely going to have a bad day...
The Effects of Stress
As you probably guessed, stress is not the best factor for high performance!
The speed at which soldiers become stressed out is determined by various factors, including their training, their own bravery, and their brothers-in-arms.
Reservists, policemen, and other poorly trained troops will panic a lot more quickly...
In contrast, paratroopers, special forces operators, and other elite units will be less shaken by recent events and recover more quickly from morale damage...
Seeing death and destruction is good for the mind (NOT!), and your soldiers will perform worse under these stressful conditions. For instance, they might miss more frequently, find it harder to reload, may refuse to advance forwards, or in extreme cases could even run from the battlefield.
How are you feeling today? The heart rate monitor (bottom, second from right) and the unit cards (top) can provide useful insight into the status of your soldiers, including their morale!
Tactical Implications
Artillery, vehicles, or aircraft can all be used tactically to suppress a very powerful enemy unit and harm their fighting ability. More numerous enemy units could also be suppressed so that you can defeat them in detail.
Not every round needs to hit the target to leave an impact!
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for further updates!
You can rarely win any battle without ground forces. This is indeed true in The Slush Force . It all comes down to the boots on the ground... Soldiers on foot are still your most numerous and versatile option for conducting ground combat operations. Infantry units come with many
You can rarely win any battle without ground forces.
This is indeed true in The Slush Force.
It all comes down to the boots on the ground...
Soldiers on foot are still your most numerous and versatile option for conducting ground combat operations. Infantry units come with many types of equipment depending on their role.
With a few exceptions, infantry in The Slush Force is typically organized into squads consisting of between 6 - 11 soldiers, each with a specific role and carrying corresponding equipment.
A rifleman of some kind is the most common loadout in most squads. As the name suggests, they are usually equipped with a semi-automatic or select-fire rifle:
A rifleman takes position next to a defeated extraterrestrial.
Some soldiers use more quick-firing weapons. Automatic riflemen and the more heavily armed machine gunners can better suppress enemies:
A machine gunner (center) advances along with other members of the squad.
For more armored targets, assault engineers can use heavy weapons, such as grenade launchers and anti-tank weaponry:
An assault engineer prepares to destroy an enemy fighting position.
Instead of just throwing bullets at the enemy, we also have to hit them! Marksmen and snipers carry scoped rifles for range and accuracy:
A squad marksman takes an aimed shot at an enemy soldier.
While most squads come with a versatile mix of loadouts, losing a key member of the squad can put you in trouble!
Did someone call a taxi?
Some squads are deployed with a vehicle, which vary widely in their nature and characteristics. In general, however, vehicles will greatly enhance the squad's movement speed on the map and can also provide a boost to the squad's firepower.
Armored personnel carriers (APCs), armed with machine guns or autocannons, can cheaply increase a squad’s firepower.
Soldiers from a mechanized squad advance under the support of an APC.
...at the same time however, APCs tend to explode at the first sight of enemy anti-tank weapons...
An APC is lost to enemy fire.
Tanks for the help!
Need something more survivable?
Infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) also equip machine guns or autocannons, but have stronger armor. This comes, of course, at a significantly higher cost.
An IFV in combat.
Lastly, main battle tanks (MBTs) have great firepower, heavy armor, and can… well, tank heavy fire, so to speak. However, these will generally be less available than APCs and IFVs.
An MBT provides cover for a friendly infantry unit... or is it the other way around?
Thanks for tuning in to this preview of The Slush Force! More content will be out soon as the game heads towards a release!
