Hi everyone, today's dev log is about grenades, which work quite differently in this game compared to others in the genre. Let's dive in so you're not surprised the first time you play.
In many turn-based tactics games, grenades are a tool against randomness. If you miss your shot, the trusty grenade can save you. But in Mars Tactics, grenades require more effort to use. In return, they provide you with more tactical options.
At the core of the design is a mechanic that makes units automatically scramble away when a grenade is thrown at them.
Targets run from a grenade.
But dodging an explosion is not a free move. It costs an action point. So one way to counter is to suppress your targets first, which reduces their AP.
Targets are suppressed first, then eliminated by a grenade.
Chucking a grenade can also force targets out of cover and into potential firing lanes.
Units take into account where a grenade is thrown from. This gives you some control over where they will run away to.
Keep in mind this mechanic applies equally to AI and player units. If a grenade is thrown at your units, they too will run away automatically. I understand you might be concerned because this takes control away from you. But I've spent a lot of time making sure units run away intelligently, taking into account the terrain layout, where a grenade is thrown from, where it lands and the position of enemies. And after a lot playtesting since last year, I think it’s working very well.
Plus, you’ll have other tools to defend against grenades, including special equipment and unit Traits. Here's an example of a soldier with a Trait that throws grenades back if the unit has enough AP.
Soldier with a special Trait throws a grenade back.
Lastly, I just want to remind you that despite your best efforts, your units will die. And that's expected. By design, death is a big part of this game. I want Mars to feel like a meat grinder, not a battle of superheroes. To that end, I'm balancing the game so that the loss of a single soldier will not derail your campaign.
Well, that’s it for this dev log. Look forward to your thoughts in the comments. There's actually a lot more to talk about grenades (different types, physics, throwing accuracy, etc), so I will probably write a part 2 later.
If you don't want to miss future dev logs (they do not appear on the store page), be sure to Follow (and Wishlist!) the game here and these dev logs will appear in your Steam News section. Or you can follow me on Discord, Twitter or Reddit where I always post a link to these. Lastly, you can subscribe to the newsletter if you want an email alert when I make a post.
-Yuji
PS: A very special thanks to DCello for sharing the idea for this mechanic.