Iron Assault Progress Update news

Hello folks,

This is just a "brief" collective update on everything that has been added to the project since the last demo, and also some news on the next demo.

Burning Stuff Down

Certain props can now catch fire. There are also a bunch of new debris effects and some more subtle changes have been made to the way particles handle velocity.

Melee Weapons

A new class of weapon has been added. These close range options can only go into specific melee slots, and not every mech will have such a slot.

Unit Database

Every mech now has an entry in the infobase, so you can read up on its stats and get a little lore snipped if you want. Speaking of mechs:

New Mechs With A New Palette:

8 new mechs have been added for both the player and AI, bringing the total up to 12. These have been reexported in a new, much more vibrant palette. They stand out more clearly now.

Scaling System:

NPCs can now be scaled to arbitrary sizes and remain fully functional. In practical terms this just means there will be more of an apparent size difference between a light, medium and heavy mech.

New Environment

A good deal of the art for the arctic is done, and the foundations for the first mission have been put down. The vehicle you see there in the last shot is a new one, a heavy armored transport you'll be seeing in some convoy ambush type missions. Don't worry: as long as I draw breath I will never inflict a convoy escort mission on you. That's the ReformedJoe Guarantee (tm).

Other Stuff and The Next Demo

• Changes to enemy AI, including: a massive fix for their LOS checking, a slight delay between seeing you and being able to shoot you, the ability to utilize lock on weapons and they can now follow simple patrol paths.
• ECM and Jamming system. Your sensors can now be jammed. This comes in 2 forms: environmental interference and enemy action. Interference can be overcome with advanced sensors, but active enemy jamming requires ECM to counter. Only special enemy units can jam you. ECM also helps to defend you from enemy lockons.
• New props, FX, UI elements, etc...
• A bunch of tweaks and bugfixes that are too numerous to recount.

Initially I was going to roll out a new version of the demo with the new art and various fixes, but I think now I'll wait until the second operation is finished. Demo 2 will be much more substantial and will include most of the stuff I've rambled about here.

You can try the current demo here if you really want to.

Until next time.