This is one of the biggest updates we have done so far. Many parts of tactical combat have been improved: shooting, armor, wounds, explosives and the enemy AI. We've also made major changes to the strategic map gameplay. The campaign and the story have been refined too, with new missions, dialogue and intel. There are still many things that are work in progress and need to be balanced, but we are very interested to hear how it plays for you.

Please note that save games from earlier versions are not compatible with this update, so you will need to start a new campaign.

Strategic map

Animated gif - strategic movement

Hideouts

One of the biggest changes in this update is how the campaign plays between missions. The strategic map now runs in real time, and you can move your squad freely anywhere on the map instead of jumping between locations. You can pause time or speed it up whenever you want.

Your base of operations is now a hideout. From the hideout you trade, hire operatives, rest and head out with your squad. The hideout also has a stash where you can keep gear safe between missions.

What you carry out in the field is at risk. Cash and other valuables are added to your funds when you get back to the hideout. If your whole squad is lost, the campaign no longer ends there. Everything they were carrying is lost, and you return to the hideout to regroup and continue.

Some missions are now raids: get in, take what you can and make it to the extraction point. Several existing missions have been turned into raids with reworked levels and more loot containers.

There are new levels for encounters out in the forests and along the roads. Many outposts and other levels now have several possible starting positions, so the same mission can play out differently.

Enemy patrols

You are no longer alone on the map. Army patrols and other enemies roam around, and if they spot your squad they will come after you. You can try to lose them, which is easier in forests and towns and much harder out on the open road.

Points of interest (work in progress)

The map is now dotted with points of interest such as houses, cabins, farms, villages, warehouses and spots along the roads. Your squad can search them, and you never know quite what you will find. A search can turn up loot, reveal a new mission, contact or event, or run you straight into the enemy.

Story

The story has been restructured into 10 story missions with new briefings, dialogue and intel. Several missions have new or reworked levels and new locations on the map.

The intel files you find are collected in reworked intel database. There are now 19 files to find, telling more about what is really going on.

Tactical combat

Shooting

Hit chance has been reworked. The percentage you see is now explained with a point-by-point breakdown, and the aiming view shows how much of the target is exposed and how steady your aim is. Cover now hides parts of the target instead of giving a flat penalty, so you can still hit whatever is showing.

A shot now either hits solidly, grazes the target for half damage, or misses. Head shots are more deadly than before and helmets now protect only a part of the head. Enemies that haven't noticed you are especially vulnerable.

The attack tooltip has been rebuilt and now shows:

• Hit and kill chance for the attack
• What affects your hit chance, and a tip on how to improve it
• Warnings if the shot is blocked or will trigger enemy opportunity fire
• Expected damage on the target's health bar

Weapons, ammo & armor

Weapon stats are now based on real-world properties such as caliber, barrel length and weight, which makes the differences between weapons feel more natural. For example a shorter barrel handles faster but loses some power and range.

• 6 new calibers and new ammo types
• Burst fire on rifles such as the M16A4 and AK-12
• Weapons with built-in suppressors (AS VAL, Vintorez)
• Attachments now fit based on magazine type, muzzle thread and sight mount

Light & vision

Light now affects how far units can see. Darkness and night shorten vision range, while lamps and other lights make the area around them easier to see. Sneaking at night is now more of an option, but be careful when moving through lit areas.

Enemy AI

The enemy AI has been rebuilt. Enemies now have roles such as assault, support, sniper, ambusher, flanker and sentry, and each role has its own preferences for range, cover, movement and searching.

In combat enemies look for better positions, avoid walking into your opportunity fire, reload behind cover and throw grenades at grouped up operators. When they lose sight of you, they remember where you were last seen and come looking.

Wounds, stamina & medical

There are also new kinds of wounds. Leg wounds that slow movement and stuns from hits to the head. A hard enough hit can also knock an operator out for a couple of turns.

Stamina is now part of every action. Shooting, throwing and moving tire your operators, and exhausted operators can't run or take fully aimed shots. Stamina recovers each turn, and a bit faster if you don't use all your action points.

New medical items treat different wounds: IFAK, AI-2 medkit, hemostatic bandage, morphine, painkillers, combat stim and surgical kit. Painkillers and morphine mask the effects of wounds for a while so a wounded operator can keep fighting.

Carry weight

Inventory is now weight based. Each operator has a carry limit in kilograms and everything counts, including ammo and attachments. A heavy load slows aiming and movement and tires the operator faster, and going over the limit makes each step cost more action points.

Explosives

Grenades and other explosives have been reworked. They can now be thrown or planted on a tile next to the operator, and set to go off on impact, on a timer or with a remote detonator. New explosives include impact grenades, breaching charges and demolition charges. Timed charges go off at the start of your next turn, which gives the enemy a chance to react.

Destruction

Destruction has been improved and optimized a lot. Buildings now collapse more realistically when enough of their structure is destroyed, walls break apart in 1x1 meter pieces, and there are new destruction effects and sounds. Operators can now crouch through holes in walls, so blowing your own entrance is a real option.

Animated gif - Destruction

Other changes

• Running is faster.
• AI-controlled units can now use ladders and climb.
• Picked up items stack with the ones you already carry.
• Reloading uses the fullest ammo stack.
• Small objects and foliage no longer stop bullets.
• Longer shadow distance.
• The game now asks if you want to share anonymous gameplay statistics to help us balance and improve the game. This is optional and can be changed at any time in Options.
• Lots of bug fixes.

Graphics & sounds

• Massive performance optimizations
• Cloudy and rainy weather, with cloud shadows
• New sky and clouds
• Backdrop improvements
• Day and night on the strategic map
• Strategic map visual improvements
• Water improvements
• Fog of war looks better at a distance
• Roofs, walls and trees fade out more cleanly when they block the view
• Larger muzzle flashes
• Ragdoll and hit reaction improvements
• Smoother unit movement
• Milder depth of field when aiming

Animated gif - Wall transparency

New level backdrops

Thanks for reading and playing the game! As always feel free to leave feedback.