Been a very busy month behind the scenes for the team as we work on more Contract missions, internal redesign of how SP and MP will converge to fuel the Faction Wars campaign and some major updates to the games graphics and animations. We are not ready yet to share the vision that the players have help shape for SP and MP, but we are at a point with some of the new updates to the game graphics, animations and physics. No more floating mechs! One legacy issue, we pulled in from Aftermath, was that it was built on a platform made for FPS and lacked the ability to do cool things like IK (Inverse kinematics). We are now in process of implementing IK which is being combined with our animations. This is a big change that will really affect the way the chassis moves and reacts to the environment, including giving them a much more sense of weight. Example 1 (Viper standing on uneven ground)

Above is old vs new IK on mech Example 2 (Abolisher)
As you can see the feet and legs of the mech chassis now conforms to the ground instead of floating above the ground. This may seem like a simple thing, but in our next Dev Dairy we will share some video and these changes will become very apparent in how the mechs move. Higher Fidelity environments Another part of what we are working on are higher fidelity environments. This includes more detail to the terrain and the objects in the levels, along with larger environments more similar in size to the Arctic Battlefield. Speaking of that battlefield, here is a shot with the new terrain which really bring to life the feel of being in more of a glacier type environment.
Other larger environments are in the works
Coming next The above changes are still a bit away from being released, and in the next Dev Diary we will share all the some more of the behind the scenes happenings. Coming in the near term we are focusing on providing more SP contract missions and improvements to current MP missions. Next Dev Diary will coming in about a week! Look at for shots of the work we are doing behind the scenes, and we will also share with you the player inspired re-envisioning of Faction Wars! To join the conversation hit the forums: http://steamcommunity.com/app/266470/discussions To keep up to date join the official game group: http://steamcommunity.com/games/dhmc

[ 2015-08-29 18:57:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

WARNING: THIS GAME IS CURRENTLY IN EARLY ACCESS AND IS CONSIDERED IN ALPHA. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF A GAME, PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE THIS ITEM. YOU WILL EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE BUGS, GAME RE-BALANCING AND PERSISTENT STAT RESETS DURING THE DEVELOPMENT PERIOD OF THIS GAME.

In the year 2210, fifty years after the start of the machine wars, the battle mech is the premier weapon of war. Standing over 35 feet tall and weighing up to 40 tons, these hulking behemoths are walking arsenals of firepower and armor that have no other rival in a theatre of war. As part of your factions Mechanized Corps, you will need to utilize your intellect to custom configure battle mechs that suits both your play style and the mission parameters as well as hone your skills and cunning as a pilot to survive

Play on your own or join the action online in a persistent warzone called “Faction Wars” that enables you to not only fight for domination over mission zones to earn unique unlocks and achievements, but also create and manage squadrons, and tracks player and squadron stats.

Dark Horizons : Mechanized Corps is the sequel to the 2005 Independent Games Festival Finalist “Dark Horizons Lore” reviewed on The Junkyard http://legacy.the-junkyard.net/reviews.php?action=viewreview&id=46.

Currently Implemented Features:

• Intense mech based combat. Unleash your firepower and tactics on your opponents. focus your attacks to localize damage to destroy weapons, equipment or even cripple and more readily destroy enemy mechs.
  
• Customize multiple mechs to suit different styles of play or mission types. Choose from 4 different mech classes, 41 different weapons and pieces of equipment, custom paint styles and colors and more. You can employ any of these saved configurations in-game as you play.
  
• Play any mission offline versus bots, in instant action mode.
  
• Or get into the action online against up to 16 other players (per mission)! NOTE: 32 players being worked on.
  
• Earn stats for leaderboards and achievement unlocks in a persistent game environment.
  
• Faction Wars, persistent online battle.
  
• Multiple mission environments, with 6 zones currently available.
  
• 4 games modes including Attrition, Team Death Match, Free for All, and Mini-nuke.
  
• Create or join a squad and fight together to take control of various mission zones online.
  
• Pilot progression through military ranks that also unlock faction bonuses.
  
• Implementation of 3 main factions (Federated States, Eastern Confederation, Overload Mercenary Guild).

NOTE: The Faction Wars system is currently still in development, but out first order of business after EA launch is to work on getting the persistent stats feeding into the online war map system.

Features that are in development

• 32 players for online missions.
  
• Addition of dozens of new and unique weapons and equipment to configure your mech with.
  
• More mechs for each class, providing additional unique configuration options to try out.
  
• Faction Wars, the persistent online war component will be implemented on a ongoing basis with features like:
  
  • Variable spawn points per mission based on which faction has control over that mission online and other factors.
    
  • Contract missions for mercenaries and faction pilots.
    
  • Co-op missions with special raid and recon missions.
• Deploy equipment in-game at various locations throughout each mission to construct bases that will help secure key locations and enable your team to take control of the mission against your opponents.
  
• Additional Game play modes like Siege, Raids, and Arena mode.
  
• Addition of new missions through out Early Access.
  
• Support for additional platforms (Linux/SteamOS/Mac).