Greetings pilots! Rayne here with another dev blog, this time, as promised, we're going to be going over what's changing in update 0.39....
0.39, or "Squadrons" as we're calling it, adds the first pass off the squadron/deck building system to the game, as well as new mechanics such as the inability to switch teams during game-play, repair and rearm and timers for those features, and a host of bug fixes and improvements including a UI back-end replacement.
Let's get started shall we?
Firstly, when you log in for the first time post 0.39, you will be welcomed with the new lobby screen, in this screen, you can see your currently active Squadron, highlighted in orange, and buttons for Editing the Squadron and Changing the Active Squadron. You'll also see the "Create New Battle" button which will allow you to start a new match. The way matches are made now has changed.
In this screen, you can see that when you go to create a new battle, the match you can start is limited to the "Generations" of your current squadron. In this example, your squadron is Generation 1 and 2 helicopters, and can fight on both of our Viet Nam maps. As a note, when you go to join a match in progress, the same rules apply. You'll see the Icon that denotes generation access as well as text that says "Helicopters of Generation "number" fight on this map."
When you enter a match, you are now greated with a "Selection" screen that shows your squadron as it stands, including repair timers that might also be on them should you need to respawn or repair them.
To leave a helicopter for repair, if it has not yet been shot down, simply land back at base and press "G" this brings up the selection screen, showing you the repair timer for all helos in your squadron that are being repaired. The more damage you have, the longer this process will take. Think of it like leaving the helo with the mechanics to perform field maintenance.
Also new in the update, is soldier replacement and weapon reloading also take time based on the number of soldiers, and the ammount and types of weapons. We're hoping to add a deeper level of tactical gameplay here. The risks you take with your aircraft, your men, and the weapons you use will have an effect when you return to base. So keep this in mind!
Now, on to the squadron system itself. When you click "edit squadron" you will be brought to the following screen,
Here you can see several pieces of information,
-The point value for your helo in it's current configuration in gold with a star directly above the helo.
-The Helicopter itself (camera is being reworked)
-The nation Icon on the bottom left and the Generation Icon on the bottom right.
-The total point value of the squadron
-The "Generation Lock" which shows you that this squadron can fight in Generation 1 and Generation 2 battles, but 3 and 4 are of limits. Notced by the orange highlight and greyed out buttons.
Now, when you click on a helicopter in the selection list, you will get the following screen,
Here, you can see the "Flight Qualities" overview. This shows the stats of the helo, the name, basic info etc. What you should pay attention to is the different point costs for changing the loadout. As you can see in the above with the Mi-24A, it's stock loadout is 11 points and the upgraded loadout costs 12. You can also see in the above screen that we let you go pretty wild with your squadron names, as well as the button to "add" the helo to the current squadron up in the top left. Simply type in the name and hit enter, and you're done. As for the troopers button? That gets you here,
With this menu, you can raise and lower the normal ammount of regular soldiers, or add more "Special Operations Units" such as MANPAD's, RPG/SMAW, and (coming soon) Mortar Troops. These units will raise the cost of the helicopter when you add it to the squadron as a note, so keep that in mind if you want to bring a chinook with uber troopers for map control. Now, just a small note here, that this feature is currently disabled, though it will be unlocked when we get the new soldier model in the game. So, just stay tuned, it's coming, I promise!
So, that's about it folks. That's the overview as it stands. As stated in the previous blog, you can play with all this by accessing the beta branch via the properties menu > beta tab.
We are hoping to have this fully operational in a week or two and on the live game for those that would rather not deal with a beta, or those that are waiting for this update.
We'll keep you updated on the condition of the beta as the week moves on. Feel free to reply with any questions and comments and feedback as a whole. We'll get to it! Also, join the discussion on the steam forums or our home forums.
Thank you all again for your support and patience.
-Rayne
Community Manger
JetCat Games