Overhype Studios, the team behind Battle Brothers and now hard at work on the sci-fi strategy RPG MENACE, has been very active lately, sharing numerous details about this exciting new project that seems to be shaping up impressively. In recent days, they’ve given us a look at the Strategy Layer, followed by an in-depth preview of the Combat System. Just a few hours ago, new updates and information about the game’s weapons surfaced, so let’s dive into the details.
In their latest development update for MENACE, the team provided an in-depth look at the mechanics behind the game’s weaponry. They broke down weapon types, their stats, and the skills tied to each one. Here’s a summary of the key points:
Squad Weapons and Special Weapons
Weapons in MENACE are divided into two main categories: squad weapons and special weapons. Squad weapons are standard-issue firearms, such as shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, and battle rifles. These weapons are distributed evenly across all elements of a squad, meaning larger squads incur higher supply costs.
On the other hand, special weapons provide unique tactical options, allowing a single squad member to wield a more powerful or specialized weapon, like rocket launchers, mortars, machine guns, or sniper rifles. Special weapons often require stationary deployment to operate effectively, emphasizing their heavy-duty role on the battlefield.
Ammunition
Ammunition management introduces an additional layer of strategy. Squad weapons feature unlimited ammo to ensure basic functionality throughout combat. Special weapons, however, come with limited ammunition, requiring careful planning and mid-combat resupply to maximize their impact. Vehicles follow a similar principle, often combining weapons with unlimited and limited ammo capacities, such as a machine gun paired with a finite-use rocket launcher.
Skills related to Weapons And Stats
Weapons also grant skills to the units wielding them. These skills, often attack-focused, vary by weapon type. Squad weapons typically offer a single attack skill, while special weapons may provide multiple options, like a mortar capable of firing both explosive and smoke rounds. The size of a squad impacts the effectiveness of squad weapons, as more elements result in more shots fired. Conversely, special weapon efficiency remains consistent regardless of squad size, maintaining their utility even as squad numbers dwindle.
Weapon stats in MENACE are meticulously detailed to capture their tactical nuances. These include:
- Trade Value: Reflects the rarity and market worth of the weapon.
- Range: Determines the maximum effective distance, with some attacks impacting adjacent tiles for broader coverage.
- Hit Point Damage & Armor Damage: Quantify the damage inflicted on unprotected and armored targets.
- Armor Penetration: Assesses the likelihood of breaching armor based on comparative values.
- Suppression: Measures the psychological impact on enemies, even when shots miss or hit nearby tiles.
- Elements Hit: Caps the number of squad elements a single shot can kill, ensuring balance.
- Fire Rate: Indicates how many shots are fired per attack, with squad size amplifying this for squad weapons.
Dropoffs
The concept of dropoffs adds realism by modeling the decline in weapon effectiveness over distance. Long-range shots experience reduced accuracy and diminished kinetic force, impacting damage, armor penetration, and suppression. This creates an “ideal range” for each weapon type, aligning with its battlefield purpose. For instance, submachine guns excel in close combat, while sniper rifles thrive at long distances but falter in close quarters. Some exceptions, like rocket launchers, bypass dropoffs due to their explosive mechanics.
These systems ensure that weapons in MENACE are not only tools of destruction but also pivotal components of your strategy. Balancing firepower, resource management, and positioning will define your success in this dynamic combat simulation.
I’ll also note that MENACE is currently in development, with a planned release window set for Q3 2025. The game will launch on PC via Steam.
