link Hi, friends. The last few months we are preparing Soldiers: Arena to show to the people. There is still much to be done, but as far as it is goes, we’re more or less done with the gameplay and optimization, and now we can work some more on cosmetic improvements. We get rid of temporary solutions, modify interfaces, configure controls, hotkeys, repair uncritical bugs, which usually did not get our attention beforehand. So we polish, decorate, simplify. And in today's diary, we'll talk about some changes in the management and gameplay of infantry, about specialized squads and their differences. We added the possibility to spread the units on the move. Moving the mouse up and down while pressing the RMB, you can specify the distance that the units will keep when moving.
Dispersal in the area not only allows you to quickly capture the territory but not to lose the entire detachment from a single shell or machine-gun fire. And you can also control how close to each other the units will take place in the cover.
We changed the mechanics of an artillery strike. Scouts, saboteurs and elite snipers now have signal grenades that, when exploding, spawn a pillar of smoke. Ten seconds later, in the smoke-marked area, the artillery gives a volley of three 105-mm shells. Since the shot making the artillery "outside the map," no additional cooperation with the allies is required. Only time for observation tower to see your signal and for artillery to aim. Ten seconds is quite a lot in game time, so an attentive player has a chance to react and retreat. Saboteurs, scouts, and snipers do not affect the front line and are visible by other units whey are half-way down the view range. Due to this they can not only get close enough to throw grenades but to also reach the weak points in the enemy’s rear and destroy howitzers, mortars, machine guns, fortifications, and some inattentive tanks.
In Soldiers: Arena, having opened a new unit in the development tree, you do not obtain discounts on the previous one. And we spare no effort to make them realistic, unique and relevant throughout the game. One of the tools to achieve this goal is the fine-tuning of each unit and weapon. Let’s take a close look, for example, to the heavy assault infantry of different nations and how their weapons and tasks differ. Storm Troopers of the USSR, the Rangers of the United States and the German Panzergrenadiers are inhomogeneous squads, with fighters with different equipment. This is an infantry elite that has been in lots of battles, with better survival characteristics, and a bonus to capturing and strengthening buildings.
link Stormtroopers:

• 3 stormtroopers with a submachine gun (PPS-43, grenades (AP, AT, smoke), dynamite, bulletproof vest)
• 1 stormtrooper with a flamethrower (Flamethrower, grenades (AP, AT, smoke), bulletproof vest)
• 1 stormtrooper with a machine gun (BAR, grenades (AP, AT, smoke), bulletproof vest)

In reality, such squads were used as anti-bunker infantry, therefore there is no infantry in the game, which could compete with them during the storming of buildings. Thanks to bulletproof vests, they are less afraid of small arms, and thanks to the flamethrower, they are much more scary to any other infantry. As one of our designers likes to say - "Flamethrower does everything better". Unlike most infantry with assault rifles, they are armed not with PPSh, but with PPS-43, which is characterized by better accuracy, but smaller cartridge. And dynamite with a remote fuse. Just imagine how many unforgettable moments you can give to the enemy!
link Rangers:

• 2 rangers with submachine gun (Thompson, Bazooka, grenades (AP, HE, smoke), bulletproof vest)
• 2 rangers with a shotgun (Winchester 1912, grenades (AP, HE, smoke), sandbags, bulletproof vest)
• 1 ranger with a machine gun (BAR, grenades (AP, HE, smoke), sandbags, body armor)

Body armor, a set of grenades, bazookas and a machine gun make them multifunctional and dangerous for any opponent. The ability to install barricades from bags helps to strengthen on the ground. But the main feature of the rangers is shotguns. In Soldiers: Arena, they are extremely honest and harsh. In close combat (and only in it) one shot from a shotgun can quite kill several enemy infantrymen. So, when it comes to storming trenches, fortifications or close combat, the rangers are unparalleled.
link Panzergrenadiers:

• APC Sdkfz 251 Ausf C
• 1 grenadier driver (MP-40, grenades (AP, AT, smoke))
• 2 grenadiers with a rifle (G43, grenades (AP, AT, smoke))
• 2 grenadiers with Assault rifle StG 44 (Panzerfaust, grenades (AP, AT, smoke))
• 2 grenadiers with submachine gun MP-40 (Panzerfaust (x2), grenades (AP, AT, smoke))
• 1 grenadier with a machine gun (MG-42, grenades (AP, AT, smoke))

Panzergrenadiers are armed somewhat worse than similar detachments of the USSR and the United States and do not have bulletproof vests, but have much greater mobility. Panzerfausts and cumulative grenades will help you cope with any vehicles. Sdkfz 251 Ausf C makes it possible to reduce the distance to an enemy tank, heavy machine gun or fortifications without guaranteed death in the process. And thanks to more infantry in the unit and a wide roster of small arms - this is the strongest unit in the game in sense of the density of anti-personnel fire. As you can see, each of these units has its own characteristics and strengths, despite the fact that their main task is the same - an assault. In our opinion, there should be as few as possible unremarkable units in the game. So we will continue to customize and emphasize the features of them, and you can write down what strengthenings for the infantry you would like to see. Wish you all the best.

[ 2018-09-14 01:37:20 CET ] [ Original post ]