What are Operations?
[hr][/hr]Operations are, on the most basic level, a series of 3 to 5 missions. Each mission is a single tactical battle fought on a procedurally generated tactical battle map. The missions are connected in a tree-branched fashion so that players have a choice of which mission to take on next on each level of the operation. All Operations will resolve in a single final mission, but the nodes before will usually offer more than one mission to choose from. It is important to note that only one mission can be resolved on each level, so the player can not backtrack or do multiple missions on a certain level. All vehicle losses and damages will carry over between missions as well as elements lost in squads, so players have to be extra careful to not take too much damage early in the operation or to ensure that they have enough reserves to replace losses. Once an operation is completed, certain rewards are gained, and all squad elements are refilled and vehicles repaired. Squad Leaders or Pilots who permanently die will, of course, not return. The same goes for vehicle chassis, as they can also be permanently destroyed.Operation Rewards
[hr][/hr]If players beat the final mission of an operation, they will receive hard-to-come-by OCI points used for upgrading their strike cruiser. They will also gain Authority, which is important for keeping the crew aboard the Impetus in check. Finally, they will increase their trust in the Wayback Faction that tasked them with the particular operation. Increasing trust will gradually unlock more upgrade options for the Impetus as the locals offer to supply knowledge and space wharf capacities to upgrade the Impetus. Failing an operation can come easily, as failing a single mission will have the whole OP fail. In this case, no OCI points are gained, and also trust with the local faction will not rise but fall. Rewards earned for individual missions that have been completed until that point can, of course, be kept. Squads and Vehicles will be restored either way to ensure that players are not as easily heading down a spiral that is impossible to recover from.
Above is concept art of how operations will look in MENACE. This screen is heavily WIP and uses some placeholder text and art, but it shows all relevant elements.
On the right-hand side, the mission tree is visible, with the currently available missions, the mission path, the strategic assets connected to each mission, the mission difficulty, and the successfully completed missions.
On the left-hand side, the mission summary of the currently selected mission is visible with all relevant details like Mission Type, Biome, Weather, Daylight, Objectives, Supply Limit, and rewards. Based on this information, the player can choose which node to hit next. This will, of course, depend on the expected rewards but also on difficulty, personal preference, and how well prepared the player is for that particular mission type.
Mission Rewards
[hr][/hr]As shown in the concept, each mission has a variety of rewards that are granted on successful completion. All of these will be kept even if the operation fails at a later stage.- [b]Promotion Points[/b]: These are used to promote and “level up” squad leaders, and how many you get depends on the mission performance.
- [b]Strategic Assets[/b] (more on this further down)
- [b]Items and Equipment[/b]: Each mission grants an item of a certain type, ranging from body armor to weapons, accessories, and even vehicle parts.
