MENACE - Dev Diary #26

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Dev diary #26 for MENACE:

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Dev Diary #26: Vehicle Defects

Despite having talked a lot about vehicles in the past, we never explained how their health, damage, or defects work. You will see that vehicles and infantry are handled very differently in the game in a lot of aspects:

Vehicle vs. Mechs
Before diving into the actual damage mechanics, we should take a step back and look at the different types of vehicles in the game. While there are various types within each category, the biggest difference lies between vehicles and walkers.

Vehicles include any machine that uses tracks, wheels, or similar to propel itself forward.

Mechs use any number, mainly two, of legs to traverse the battlefield.

Vehicles tend to be heavier and thus more resilient to enemy fire, while most mechs have the advantage of sporting two weapon slots that can carry additional firepower. Vehicles also have directional armour values, while mechs have the same armour facing all directions. Vehicles are usually much heavier armoured in the front, less so on the sides, and the least in the back.

Differences in Movement
Due to their strong inertia, vehicles are faster when moving in straight lines, especially when additionally taking advantage of roads. A vehicle on a straight road will move across a big portion of the map in one turn.

However, the big forward inertia and speed make it hard to take quick turns. Driving around corners or obstacles requires vehicles to slow down significantly to prevent losing control. In the game, turning a vehicle costs a substantial amount of action points, so good planning ahead is needed.

Ensuring the vehicle has a straight and obstacle-free path of approach is crucial to maximizing its speed.

While not reaching these high speeds, mechs or walkers have the advantage of being able to turn on the spot. They do not need to pay any additional AP to change their facing or direction; this makes them very manoeuvrable and flexible on the battlefield.

While vehicles excel at moving through open terrain, mechs or walkers are king in confined spaces like settlements. Vehicles can become bogged down very quickly when navigating narrow roads and alleys. Enemies can also quickly flank them and attack their flank or rear for maximum effect.

Mechs or walkers are highly maneuverable in settlements and move just like infantry units, allowing them to quickly change positions, face any emerging threat, and react swiftly to changes on the battlefield. They also do not have a weak spot, such as low rear armor.

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