Acheron 2021 Development Summary feature

Dear Marines,

2021 was a tough year for all of us, including the Acheron development team. Fortunately, we have still managed to make some progress during the last 12 months, although we haven't shared
all of it with you yet. Since this is the last day of the year, what better time to go through all the new features and work in progress than now!

WEAPONS

COMPLETE OVERHAUL
The most notable changes that made it into the mod already concern the handheld weapons. They've been through lots of changes which resulted in improved recoil, deviation and damage of the projectiles.

If you expected some visual improvements though, you won't be disappointed! We've collected a couple great-looking animations for our weapons, too! We thank for most of those to Develop013 (who has just recently returned to the modding scene!) but also to EnemySniper and Chuc.

HUD OVERHAUL
As you might have noticed on the images above, the HUD has been toned down quite a bit. Many of its elements have been reserved for specific gadgets or situations (such as ammo counter for the pulse rifle, minimap for the motion tracker or lifeline for the medical hub/when standing close to a medic).

And since the crosshair is now gone, the player can now turn on an IR helmet sight by using the 'Q' comm rose. The same method was used to rework the Smartgun eyepiece.

NEW GADGETS AND MECHANICS
M42A 20X Scope and Deployable Bipod
We've also done some improvements to some of the weapon/gadget models. As you may have seen the M42A has received a proper 20X ballistic scope and I can tell you that scoring a headshot to an alien from 300 metres has never felt more satisfying! Moreover, the sniper rifle can now be shot with the bipod folded or deployed.

M240 Wetshot
M42A isn't the only primary weapon with two modes of fire (folded/deployed bipod). Another such weapon is the M240 flamethower which is now capable of firing in a so-called "wetshot" mode, when the nozzle burner is switched off and the operator can spray the target with a stream of liquid fuel which can then be ignited (even by using a sidearm!).

More Grenade Launcher Shells!
For the fans of the grenade launcher, we have some good news! All the grenades (except for the M40 HE grenade) are now used exclusively as grenade launcher shells (as originally intended) and we finally have all seven of them - the latest addition being the M230 Baton round (black cap). Although rarely issued to Colonial Marines, this low-velocity projectile can be shot directly at the target or bounced off of surfaces.

We also have to mention the M72A1 Starshell round (white cap) which can provide illumination over a dark battlefield!

Improved Ammo/Medical Hub
It was no secret that the ammo/medical hub models needed some quality improvements. Well, now they not only have a new handheld model but both of them also received a unique stationary model (the textures could still use some more work).

Used Magazines
With each reload, the player now drops the (empty) magazine on the ground!

Legendary Kits
The legendary pickup kits also finally found their way into the mod! You can now find kits of Cpl. Hicks, PFC. Vasquez and PFC. Hudson on each map. Each kit contains one legendary weapon, unique to the character that it belongs to.

Free hugs!
That's right, a facehugger! It lacks textures and most of all it lacks an egg to be launched from but we'll get there eventually.

VEHICLES

APC OVERHAUL (work in progress)
The APC has received a lot of attention from us lately. New LODs for better optimisation, new collision meshes for better interaction, new interior model - you name it! It still needs some retexturing but we've finally completed the model of the rear compartment for passengers. The driver's compartment is the next item on the list!

And once again, the removal of certain HUD elements meant we had to incorporate them into the vehicle screen itself. We've taken inspiration from the sentry gun screens from the movie!

DROPSHIP (work in progress)
There's not much to say about the Cheyenne other than that it is being worked on. You've already seen the picture but here it is anyway!

MAPS

BRACKEN'S WORLD (work in progress)
There's no doubt that the mod could really use some new maps but at the same time, they're arguably the most time-consuming feature when it comes to their development. Of course, that hasn't stopped us from at least trying - you might remember our good old friend 'Bracken's World' from a screenshot I shared ages ago. It is a kelp-farming colony from one of the Aliens: Colonial Marines comics.

Although being far from finished, it has turned from a vast empty field of kelp into a strange surface covered with a futuristic mega-structure. The outpost (once finished) should hide an alien hive for a new game mode (please, keep reading for more details on that).

GAME MODES

CONQUEST: HIVE ASSAULT
We've spent some time trying to come up with a unique "aliens" twist on Battlefield's classic Conquest mode and this is what we've come up with. Conquest: Hive Assault is essentially your standard Conquest: Assault mode with the Marines attacking. The key difference is that one of the flags is a Hive where the alien Queen rests. The Hive functions as a base which can only be neutralised by eliminating the Queen but in order to do that, the Marines have to first fight their way to the Hive and then through its tight corridors packed with aliens and eggs with facehuggers before finally reaching the Queen's chamber. It might be fair to compare this part of the mode to the boarding of a Titan in the classic Titan mode. Once inside the chamber, the surviving Marines will have a choice to either try taking out the Queen to neutralise the Hive or destroying her "eggsack" (the easier target) to prevent her from spawning more eggs.

As for the base of the attacking team, the Marines will spawn in the hangar bay of the USS Sulaco. They will be able to pick (and perhaps even customise) their kits in the Armory, board either the M577 APC or the M579, its AA variant, and use the Cheyenne dropship for a combat drop. All this is theoretically possible, we just need to finish all the assets before trying.

We haven't been posting too much throughout this year for various reasons but we hope that you're all happy with the progress we've made nonetheless. As we have hopefully shown, there are many things currently in development which - when completed - should change the gameplay quite drastically. Let's hope that 2022 will give us enough strength to finish all these subprojects and release the Alpha build. I think you all deserve that for sticking with us for so long. Thank you for that, it truly means a lot to us!

In the name of the whole Acheron development team I'd like to wish you guys a happy new year! May your dreams come true and your families and friends stay safe!