BattleNodes: Unity Dev Report #2 news

Welcome back to the BattleNodes: Unity Development Report. Here are today's topics:

• Terrain preview - a look at the Civilian District
• Design decisions - talking about game length
• Power overwhelming - introducing the Psionic Operative

Last time we got a glimpse at the Mining District, the North-Eastern zone of the map. Today we are moving a little bit south and will explore the Civilian District.
This zone is a lot bigger, as the total area is almost double the size of the Mining District. The Civilian District served as living quarters for the people who used to work on the space platform. It features a large variety of shops, casinos, leisure areas and...other forms of entertainment a city can offer.
While there aren't any people of the streets, the bright lights and glowing neon banners give away the atmosphere that was before the conflict started. Some may call it a waste of energy, others - nostalgia.

One thing a developer should take into consideration when designing either a mod or a game is the fun factor. One of the main aspects here is game length, more precisely how long do players prefer to stay in a game/match before things get a bit repetitive.

The average game length in BattleNodes is designed to be at around 15-20 minutes. This gives players the opportunity to play at least 2 games an hour, given that they have a limited time at their disposal and just want to jump in a game, play for a while then go to school, work, bed or outside.

This does not mean that comebacks are not going to be possible. Since BattleNodes does not have any snowball mechanics (we will talk about this another time), a team who dominates is not guaranteed to win, if their opponents eventually manage to regroup and push the enemy back.

Today we will also reveal the first playable character in the game: the Psionics Operative, or PsiOps.
The Operative is a caster class, generally weak in the physical damage and defense department, but "strong in the Force".

The Operative is able to channel Psionic energies to bring down their foes or to protect their allies.

There are very few humans born with psionic powers. Those that possess such powers are forced to enlist right after they finish college. They go through a very rigorous training, in which they are taught how to control and use their psionic abilities to their full potential.
Being very few, the members of the PsiOps Division are considered very valuable and are treated with respect even by the Dominion High Command leaders. Their psionic powers are increasing over time and the Emperor is concerned that some day they will be a threat to him. This is why most PsiOps are required to retire very early and are sent on exotic planets, as far away as possible from the Dominion capital world, on an all-expenses-paid trip for the rest of their lives.

With this we're wrapping up the second BattleNodes: Unity Development Report.
If you are interested or simply curious, you can visit the mod's website at: Moddb.com
See you soon!