The virus is loose across the Bay Area. Flashpoints are erupting across the peninsula as entire districts fall into chaos and infected swarms push deeper into civilian zones.
CERC forces are already in the field.
Embedded military reporters and frontline operators are transmitting battlefield coverage directly from active operations. The images you are about to see were captured during recent combat deployments across the region.
These transmissions come directly from the front.
The battle for the Bay Area has begun.
🎧 Update On Progress…
Civilian Evacuation Mechanics Progress Update
For the full original overview of the Civilian Evacuation Mechanics check out this articleView game pageOver the last four weeks, we’ve made major progress on the Civilian Evacuation Mechanics. These updates represent a shift from early implementation into full system integration, touching population control, logistics, AI behavior, and overall match pacing.
Below is a summary of the last four weeks of development while we work to iron out the new main mechanics of Civilian Evac.
Also consider opting into "Legacy" and try the older version of Cepheus the rebuilt was based on to get some insight on what er are aiming to do differently this time around
Week One | CERC HQ | #83
A major new gameplay system is currently in development, focused on changing how players handle the outbreak over time.
Calypso is nearing readiness after a public playtest exposed pathfinding and gameplay issues. The map itself is largely complete, with dense terrain, cities, and chokepoints designed to support base building and flanking strategies. Current work is focused on resolving those issues before pushing the map to experimental.
Legacy locations are also being reworked into standalone scenarios. Iron Wake is being adapted into a pandemic style map with carrier based deployment and inland progression. Additional island maps are being planned to support shorter session formats while larger regions continue development.
Combat pacing is being adjusted based on feedback. Early waves are being tuned to ramp more gradually, with fewer special infected. Balance changes to juggernauts, weapon damage, and anti air systems are in progress, alongside fixes for issues like bird targeting and rally point bugs.
At the same time, early work has begun on a civilian evacuation system. The current focus is on building out screening checkpoints, isolation zones, evacuation areas, and euthanization options, along with staff management. Infection detection is intentionally limited early on, with research planned to unlock better tools. Logistics systems like buses and helicopters are being explored for moving civilians between zones.
Next steps are focused on continuing evacuation system development, expanding research mechanics, and preparing for infection spread across multiple locations.
View game pageWeek Two| CERC HQ | #84
Civilian evacuation development is expanding into a broader population control system that is still actively being built and refined.
Work is underway on zone to zone population management, allowing players to move, contain, or eliminate civilians depending on strategy. Building level mechanics like purge and condemn are being developed to tie directly into reputation and long term stability.
DNA gameplay is also being reworked. Current work includes implementing drops, collectors, and faster gathering, with scientists playing a larger role. This system is intended to support future progression tied to infection control.
Map updates are continuing, with a refreshed island and another standalone map in development. Weapons are being expanded, and ongoing balance work is targeting vehicles and time to kill.
Several issues are still in progress, including infected bird behavior, inconsistent AI, and bugs in DNA collection. Upcoming work is focused on buses, evacuation intake systems, and overall polish as the feature moves closer to a testable state.
View game pageWeek Three | CERC HQ | #85
Development is now focused on scaling the evacuation system into a larger gameplay layer, with multiple systems being implemented and iterated on simultaneously.
Current work includes evacuation intake, zone routing, and automated transport. Systems like buses and depots are being built out to support large scale population movement, with an emphasis on managing flow, capacity, and safety.
Maps are continuing to be updated and rebuilt to better support navigation and combat flow, aligning environments with the needs of these new systems.
Additional mechanics are in development, including DNA collectors, martial law controls, and a reputation system. Work is underway to support dynamic militia formation as a response to player actions, though this is still being implemented and tested.
Because many of these systems are recent additions, there are active issues with population transfer logic and pathfinding. These are currently being addressed through ongoing iteration.
Next steps include completing evacuation flow, expanding militia behavior, and preparing for early testing on a larger scale city map.
View game pageWeek Four | CERC HQ | #86
Work continues on expanding and stabilizing evacuation systems as they move closer to broader testing.
Current development includes transport buses, overpopulation mechanics, and early versions of autonomous security teams that can be equipped and assigned. Managing population flow between zones is becoming a core focus, with failure cases like overcrowding and instability being actively tested.
Militia behavior is also being developed further, with escalation tied to reputation and civilian losses. These systems are still being tuned and expanded.
Additional work includes map updates, pathfinding improvements, early co op support for evacuation systems, and broader balance passes across combat and AI.
There are still known issues, particularly with buses, pathfinding, and UI behavior, which are being actively worked on.
Next steps are focused on completing evacuation systems, refining AI and balance, and preparing the first wider playable build.
View game pageWeek Five | CERC HQ | #87
Tonight : TBD
Current Status
Where Things Stand
The immediate goal is to get the first experimental build out within the next week or two. There is still a lot in motion, and key parts of the evacuation system are still being built and layered together before the full experience is playable from start to finish.
How Development Is Being Handled
Right now, most of the work is happening in isolated chunks.
Individual systems are being built and tested independently, then integrated as they come online. At this stage, the focus is not just adding features, but getting everything to function together as a complete gameplay loop.
What We Are Solving
The current focus is on finishing and stabilizing the remaining core pieces:
Intake, evacuation flow, and euthanization so the full population loop works end to end
Bus system issues including AI behavior, pathfinding, and collision
Zone to zone transfers to ensure population movement is reliable under load
Final integration of evacuation systems with already implemented supporting systems
Recent bugs and edge cases reported over the last week during testing
Most supporting systems and top level civilian mechanics are already in or close to being finalized. The remaining work is focused on getting these last pieces working together cleanly so the system can run from start to finish without breaking.
What Comes Next
The priority is getting a complete start to finish loop that is stable enough to play without breaking.
Once that is in place, the next step is pushing the build into experimental so players can begin stress testing it in real gameplay conditions.
Community Playtesting
Once the system is baked in, the plan is to move into rapid public playtesting with the community, running sessions daily or every couple of days to quickly iron out issues and refine the design.
If you want to be part of that process, consider joining the Discord. These playtests will come online quickly as the system becomes playable, and it will be the best place to get involved early.
🎙️ Next CERC HQ – Livestream Details
🕔 When: Weekly Saturdays – 7 PM EST (New Time!)
💬 What is CERC HQ:
Welcome to Cepheus Protocol HQ, your ultimate weekly briefing on all things Cepheus Protocol! Join the Halcyon Winds team as we explore the latest updates, reveal behind-the-scenes development stories, and answer community questions about the game. From exciting new features to design challenges, this is your all-access pass to the evolving world of Cepheus Protocol. Tune in every week and stay ahead of the outbreak!
Co-op Progress
Total Revamp based on Community Feedback
Level Design Updates
📺 Where to Watch:
🎤 Don’t miss our Live Q&A! We’ll be answering questions from the community during the stream.
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