It's been a while since the last update, and there's been a lot in the works! The two biggest changes made to the game were the introduction of roles (player classes), and a transition to timed wave-based game-play loop. These have been made to both guide the player into gear specializations (so they can develop their own tactics and team combinations) and give more frequent inventory management opportunities, as the operation progresses. This also allows for more transparent wave compositions.
latest game trailer
Roles
5 base roles have been introduced to the game, each with a default load-out (which can be changed) that gear the player generally for a specific role (e.g. close-range engagement, long-range engagement, anti-tank, crowd control)
role selection
Roles foremost give gear cost reductions, to help guide the player to certain items that can be used together effectively. On top of that, each role can select up to 3 perks, which represent training specializations - allowing the player to develop tactics based on the gear they choose to requisition. These can drastically change the effective play-style of each role, giving more opportunity for team coordination (e.g. the marksman can specialize in anti-air, which can allow the grenadier to focus on other enemies)
perk system (choose 3)
Wave System
The previous game loops consisted of being pushed back 3 times before the operation was ended. This only gave 2 opportunities to purchase without pressure of needing to also defend. This made improving tactics/skill feel a little less quantifiable and overall didn't feel right. Waves allow the player to more accurately gauge how well they're doing, as well as what may be required to survive the next wave.
When the wave timer hits 0, no more enemies will spawn. Once the existing ones have been eliminated, the players will be able to purchase items, and prepare for the next wave. Once all players are ready (or the ready timer has expired) the next wave will start.
wave completed/preparation phase
AI Improvements
Initial builds didn't really focus on solo players as much, since the game is online co-op, but it was evident quickly that it made it both difficult to test in a sandbox, and get people interested in trying it. To address this, AI now gear themselves similar to the player, and move up/down the field depending on what type of gear they purchase. For instance, marksman will stay towards the back, whereas SMG users will move further up.
Kickstarter
This project was started to see how far web-games can be taken in terms of complexity. A good amount of time has been spent on it, but it probably won't be taken too much further unless there's a market-demand for it, as it won't pay the bills. If you're interested in the project, come check it out here If you end up just getting some enjoyment out of the game, that's cool too ;) It's been a blast to pursue a dream.
