This is a devlog for alpha build 0.D, which you can play for free on itch: https://aeoriii.itch.io/ironmirage.
I wanted to give everyone more of an insight to the changes and development of the game, and so this is a bit of longer (and hopefully more interesting) replacement to a changelog.
TLDR, the key points:
infantry rework: they’re deadlier against tanks and more stable
AI improvements to make them more unpredictable and interesting
Ordnance changes and APS to counter them
Wheeled vehicles with different movement playstyle
AI Improvements
This is the first of several planned iterations on the AI. Same as you, the AI operates in squads, where decisions are made and commands filter down to individual units. Squads can contact one another as well.
The new behaviors are based on the squad's cohesion, with future enemy squad types reacting differently.
These improvements may not be fully enabled in some of the tutorials/missions, compared to the randomized combat maps (simulator)
Flanking: Units can now split into groups to flank your attacks from multiple streets, if it’s advantageous to do so. This is more of a large-scale maneuver, so units will mostly only attempt flanks along roads.
There’s quite a bit of behind the scenes work on this, and I’m happy to hear how well it works or any issues that arise. It was surprisingly difficult to develop this capability and integrate it into the AI, and I might create a future devlog on the technical details and process.
Smoke: enemies may smoke when attempting an heavy assault, or when individual units feel especially threatened.
Threat level: Enemies now communicate detected threat levels, which feed into a squad-level decision to decide engagement behavior. Outgunned units may retreat or attempt to avoid concentrated opposition.
Advances: Enemy squads can advance a little less predictably.
Ordnance: Enemies now fire ordnance back at you when they feel it is advantageous to do so. This may be when your units are clumped up together, or when you try a large attack or retreat.
An audio warning has been added for incoming ordnance.
This is largely still a work in progress, and these changes may not all make the enemy harder to fight, but generally make them less predicable and interesting to fight. Let me know what you think!
Infantry
There have been some major changes to how infantry work, especially in terms of weaponry and tactics. Infantry are much more deadly in close ranges with anti-tank satchels, and have the capability to strike from afar with RPGs. Infantry have been given longer frontal range in addition to their 360 degree sight. The recon squad even have thermal sights equipped. Infantry also shouldn't bump/catch the side of walls as they move.
You can hold “C” to enter infantry view, without needing to mouse over an infantry unit.
Infantry heal faster in transports and resupply from their parent
Infantry can scale/pass through obstacles that vehicles would need to push out of the way
Infantry squads have been split into the following:
A light AT fireteam
A light recon fireteam
A medium squad with AT, satchels, and a HMG
A heavy squad with many weapons (this requires a vehicle with enough space for the compartment, such as the on the B-20)
The recon teams will likely come with future units such as jeeps and humvees. Their compartments are small enough that you can also put them on some of your tanks, if you can find space/make sacrifices to other capabilities.
Key differences in terms of infantry weaponry:
Instead of just machine guns, infantry have been given dedicated small arms.
RPGs have been added, which fire the same way as ordnance/ATGMs do on vehicles. (Press Q to enter ordnance aim, lmb to fire, rmb to cancel)
Infantry are now also equipped with anti-tank satchels which need to be thrown. These are deadly at close range but may struggle to hit fast-moving vehicles.
Mission 5 and multi-faction combat
A fifth mission has been added, which tests multi-faction combat. In this mission, your mercenary squad has been shadowing a stranded convoy and a third party for some time, and can ambush them while both are pre-occupied with one another. Depending on how you approach this mission, the difficulty might vary quite a bit but overall should be easier than mission 4.
The third faction, supplied by the Coalition, fields designs not usually seen by factions in the imperial sphere, unlike the prior missions.
Ordnance
Ordnance, especially rockets, have received some balance changes to make them less overwhelming against armor. They’re still excellent for stunning large groups of enemies though.
Ordnance will now show the predicted hit point when you aim. The UI has also been updated to make it more clear why you can’t fire, and will prevent ordering fire if the launcher is broken or reloading.
You can hold shift while aiming to switch to ground attack mode, where the ordnance will aim at the ground at your cursor, instead of firing straight. This is useful when attempting to hit infantry or avoid completely missing enemy units with rockets.
Manually guided wire ATGMs, like the ARCOS-1, require the firing unit to be stationary. If this isn’t the case, the missile may lose track and go off course.
Since the AI gets ordnance too, this makes head-on battles more dangerous. Fortunately the next point highlights a tool you have to defend against enemy ordnance.
APS
The first of several active protection systems have been added, the Khora 2 APS. This one works like a trophy system, firing a explosive round when incoming ordnance has been detected. Some ordnance will explode upon hit, whereas other, more fragile ATGMs may just be annihilated.
It requires a decent track on the target (based on angle and speed), and isn’t guaranteed to hit.
It may also end up detonating a rocket closer than you’d like, which may still cause some damage.
Wheeled Vehicles
Previously, wheeled vehicles like the truck and the B-26 APC could turn on a dime. They can still do this to some extent, as it can be a little frustrating to path them nicely all the time.
However, they now benefit greatly from straight/lightly curved paths and can make wide turns without reducing velocity much, unlike a tank which relies on differential steering. They do better on roads, and can even sort of drift a little.
A wheeled vehicle will have darker sections along the path which help visualize where they might need to slow down to make a tight turn.
C1 “Greyhound” and C1V2 “Wolfhound”
Two new wheeled guns has been added. This is the first Coalition unit, whose units will differ quite a bit from the design philosophy of the current units, prioritizing ambushes, firepower, and speed for high risk high reward maneuvers.
This is a glass cannon sort of vehicle, with a external stabilizer to help with firing on the move and should be kept behind your heavier units, or in an ambush/flanking role. Or you can drive it straight into the enemy formation and hope you’re fast enough. Up to you
B-20 APC family
The workhorse of every mechanized infantry division, the B-20 was designed as a cross between the MT-LB and the M113, with multiple variants to fulfill many roles. 0.D brings the B-20 with a complement of heavy infantry, the B-20 CFV, and the B-207. Future updates will add the others!
Weapons
A new class of physics-based weapons have been added, with the infantry satchel (on the drone assault and heavy squads) and the grenade launcher (found in the armory, and on the heavy inf squad/elite K-75BM).
The projectiles have some travel time and are extremely inaccurate if you’re on the move, or the enemy’s on the move. In the future, highly trained gunners should attempt to correct for that somewhat.
This should lay the groundwork for smoke/HE mortars and other support units in the future as well, so look forward to that.
These arcing weapons will continue to be improved, as units can't fire them over obstacles yet.
Magazine System
The grenade launcher also uses a new magazine system. This allows me to create weapons which fire several shots rapidly before needing a reload.
The C1V2 swaps out the 120mm cannon on its older C1 variant for a 3 round autoloading 105mm cannon, which rapidly fires 3 times before manual reloading.
Multiple launch rocket systems are being added and tested too, with the S2 rocket pod which fires 6 light rockets in rapid succession. So far it’s not on any unit but you can find it in the armory.
Armory
The armory has had some big graphical and UI improvements, although functionally mostly the same. Modules of different types now have more pertinent stats displayed. Crew will also be unloaded from units when shifted to the motor pool, and will auto-fill when added back to the squad.
A minor new addition: you can rotate the camera around units in the armory now! very futuristic.
Another one: right clicking loaded modules will fast-unequip them to storage.
Unfortunately the song which plays in the background of the armory, “La vie en rose”, is not public domain. Thanks to Shodanon for catching this. For now, I’ve replaced with another song from that era, and I hope to have a rotating set of similar songs added soon!
Buildings/Map
Mouse over buildings to view its structural integrity
Buildings at risk of imminent collapse will generate a notification
Some new 2x1 building models and interiors
Descriptions
Many modules and vehicles now have dedicated descriptions with some interesting tidbits of lore, this is a work in progress. Thanks to RadialPotato for helping me with these!
Crew
Crews now have skills. So far, only the three “special” characters have skills,
The regular mercenaries have updated placeholders, and get a chance to have some various skills as well.
Hull Pointing
A much-requested feature! Just as you RMB to aim a vehicle’s turret, you can RMB+CTRL to aim their body.
Look at Point
Another control which veterans of doorkickers will have experience with. This has been in the game at a limited extent, but hasn’t been highlighted or shown in the controls. Useful for holding an angle.
Queue Automove
Hold down shift when assigning multiple automove points to chain them.
Explosive Damage
Explosive damage has had the following changes:
Explosive damage is now uncoupled from area of effect range.
Explosive damage increases the chance of hitting more crew at once in a unit, and if the crew is tightly packed (such as in a tank) a penetrating shot will deal much more damage.
Movement
Engine modules are now differentiated by acceleration, torque, power, and reverse gear. I plan to expand/explain this better in the future.
Some balancing has been done to lightly reduce turret turn rates across the board, hopefully increasing the importance of covering all angles and rewarding strikes from unexpected positions.
Bug fixes
countless bug fixes and probably other things I’ve forgotten about :. And surely some new bugs I didn’t catch :((
It’s due to your feedback that the game can slowly become a better experience overall! A lot of the new additions/changes/improvements are from comments I received, so truly, thank you to everyone! Special thanks if you read this far.
So what’s next?
With the combat/armory systems in a pretty solid place, the next build should (fingers crossed) focus on progression, upgrading placeholder missions, adding more map objects, and prototyping the campaign mechanics.
In the coming months, I’ll also be working on more mission types, more content (enemies, vehicles, weapons), and more regions/map types.