With 2025 now being fully underway: As we haven't done one in a while, we figured we'd give you a summary of all of the stuff we were up to in 2024, from general engine improvements to a variety of different things that go boom.


Starting out we have some of our more serene additions, namely in improved reflections (as seen below) and a fully-featured night sky!


Now featuring over 5000 different individual stars, the Moon's phases, and the faint Milky Way, Afterconflict's night sky now looks a lot more beautiful, especially to the keen astronomers among you all!


But similarly in the day, we also have our first iteration of rain to Afterconflict; while perhaps duller than a clear, vibrant night's sky, a simple rainy day can be beautiful in its own right.


To complement all of the above, we've introduced functionality into our editor to allow you to edit the weather parameters on your map, including the clouds, the wind, fog, and even the location of your map to have the position of the Moon and its phases properly reflected!





To cover off our recent editor improvements, we've also been working on the ability to edit VFX in-game, which has has generally helped to sped up development of said visual effects!



We know that our vehicle previews have been particularly popular when we release them; so, in the words of a legendary waterproof adhesive salesman: "How 'bout a little more?"

We previously showed off a high-poly preview of the ZIL-131 in a prior development update, but now here's some proper screenshots of it in-game!





One inclusion we've been frequently asked about is one of the most common fixtures of any abandoned Soviet facility: individual first aid kits.

But fret not, Afterconflict will indeed include the accursed "cheese" kits (probably nicknamed that due to their resemblance to either an American Single or Сырок Дружба, depending on one's origins).

The AI-1 and AI-2 kits were produced en-masse in the USSR for wartime scenarios, filled with both fairly benign and worryingly potent "treatments" designed to (theoretically) allow the Soviet population to survive if NBC warfare came into play.

Most infamous is the civilian AI-2 kit's inclusion of "Taren", which ended up causing more issues than would probably have been fixed in an actual war.


Fortunately, the military AI-1 kit swapped out the AI-2's notorious Taren for 2 syrettes of Afin, an organophosphate poisoning remedy which was intended to keep soldiers in the fight during chemical warfare long enough to get proper medical attention (in theory anyway).

A later development on the AI-1 resulted in the AI-1M kit, which made minor improvements such as replacing the 2 bottles of 5 antibacterial Tetracycline tablets with 2 bottles containing a single Doxycycline capsule, and is what you see in the preview below.


In regards to other (far more vaguely) pill-shaped Soviet developments of the 1980s, we also have our new models of the RGO and RGN impact grenades; their infamousness comes from their fuse, the UDZ, which notoriously suffers from reliability issues, especially when compared to the relatively foolproof UZRGM.


But thus far this update's been pretty centric on Eastern equipment, so before we continue previewing different bits of weaponry, how about we look at some NATO firearm food, namely the 7.62 DM41 Weichkern (Ball) and orange-tracing DM21A1 Leuchtspur (Tracer) rounds typically fired out of West German G3 rifles?


Continuing on, we've got a good a good few new updated models to show off, so rather than dawdling, we'll just show them to you!

Namely:

The ever-functional Makarov Pistol (PM).





The compact AKS74.





The even-more-compact AKS74U.





And the evidently-not-compact-at-all (even without the PSO-1) Dragunov Sniper Rifle (SVD).





We also have something new; calling back to the intro, while the UDZ fuse makes the RGO and RGN's capacity to go boom a bit suspect, what our new RPG-7V fires DEFINITELY goes boom!
(...unless whatever's being hit happens to have both a load of wire fencing tied/taped/nailed/otherwise affixed to it and a reasonable amount of luck.)





While some of the more esoteric rounds such as the OG-7V weren't around at the time Afterconflict takes place, we will still have a variety of different rounds to be used, starting with the humble PG-7V as seen below.


But dumb-fire rockets can typically only get you so far, and when you're in need of a fast aircraft deleted out of the sky from several miles away, systems like the 9K31 (Strela-1) can do just that.

Just be sure the skies are fairly clear, otherwise the 9M31 missile might get other ideas and try to thoroughly and brutally dispatch an errant cloud instead of the enemy attack aircraft fully loaded with ordnance rapidly approaching your position.


As an intermediate option, there is the option of more modern SPAAG systems such as the Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer (or just FlakPz) Gepard, which has the capacity to accurately shred aircraft at an alarming rate.


And if all else fails, one can certainly try to offset a single dumb-fire rocket's lack of precision by simply flinging more of them at a target in a salvo, like this demonstration of S-5s being fired from an Mi-24P.


(Note: The usage of such a concept in a surface-to-air capacity was effectively last tried in earnest by the Germans in 1945 with the Fliegerfaust, results were sub-optimal to say the least.)

But worry not, the 7.62 round preview wasn't the only NATO content we have in this update, because here's a preview of one of NATO's most iconic weapons, a hydraulically driven, seven-barrel autocannon firing 30mm AP and HEI rounds at around 3900rpm, the GAU-8, exactly the sort of thing all of the above are designed to avoid ever having to feel the effects of.


But all this talk of what's going on the air reminds me that we've got plenty of ground ordnance to show off too!

First off, we have the 9K111 (Fagot) ATGM; called the "AT-4 Spigot" by NATO forces, the Fagot served well as the workhorse ATGM for a variety of Eastern Bloc forces during the Cold War.


Said ATGM was often also used on a variety of IFVs, such as the BMP-1P and BMP-2, the latter of which we also have a preview of, namely of firing its main 30mm 2A42 autocannon at night, both under passive and active night vision modes with the assistance of an infrared spotlight.


But leaving the big boys for last, we have the T-72B and our first previews of it firing!


Most obviously is the main gun, which with the T-72B's 1A40-1 Fire Control System allows it to accurately hit moving targets at ranges out to 4000m (5000m for HE ammo), so expect to see more of that sort of thing in future.

A more understated aspect of the T-72B and its 1A40-1 FCS however is its ability to fire Gun Launched ATGMs (GLATGMs), namely the 9K120 "Svir" missile system firing the 9M119 missile, using the 1K13-49 sight's daylight channel, which we've recreated below!


As ever with how things have been over the past few years, nothing has been especially easy, but still we persevere and hope to make Afterconflict the best game it can be!

If you have any particular ideas or suggestions regarding anything you've seen in this development update, do be sure to tell us your thoughts!

And last, but not least:




On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our X/Twitter feed too.

2023 is coming to a close and we figured we'd give you an end-of-year summary of what we've been doing for the last 3-or-so months since our last development update, from various different overhauls to the addition of a few new weather systems!


Starting hot off the heels of our previous dev update, some of you requested to see our UAZ-469 with its canvas top cover down, and we have exactly that (in a couple of different configurations) as a preview of the sorts of vehicle customisation you can expect to see in Afterconflict!


Personally I prefer the sanctity of a structure that prevents both the driver and passengers from being smushed/dismembered/both by what is effectively a very large metal brick if said metal brick inexplicably rolls over after hitting a particularly nasty pothole and careening into a ditch, but a stern commitment to looking and staying cool is still amicable.


But pivoting to rugged Soviet gear that doesn't carry with it a severe chance of death if used improperly (unless one is particularly determined), we also have a high-poly preview of our overhauled Obr. 1988 "Afghanka" uniform and SSh-68 helmet!


Only standardised as a replacement for the Obr. 1969 uniform in 1988, the Afghanka uniform was gradually rolled out during the course of the Soviet-Afghan War (hence the nickname) as a more distinctly modern upgrade to its more "traditional" predecessor, and would in short order inspire the production of the UTV cut of the East German field uniform, among other experiments in fellow Soviet satellite states.

While the Afghanka uniform was a fairly brazen interpretation of the US's Battle Dress Uniform, Soviet helmet design never went through the aramid armour renaissance as with the US PASGT system and similar among other NATO nations, so the SSh-68 remained the USSR's go-to combat helmet (along with the millions of SSh-40s and SSh-60s both in circulation and sat in storage), but despite the fact that it came about far earlier than the Afghanka uniform, our rendition of the conical helmet is of the later model, sporting an improved chinstrap.


But while grunt gear is always fun to look at, sometimes you just want to look at some more specialised equipment where the serial numbers cap out in the thousands instead of the millions, so let's jump over the Iron Curtain and look at something a bit more high-tech, shall we?

First developed in 1987, the 3rd Model M4 Muzzle Brake Suppressor (3rd Model M4 MBS) quickly became a staple among USSOCOM units (itself a newly formed command at the time) looking for what was at the time the best of the best in suppressor technology for their numerous 5.56 carbines; it was first seen by the general public when photographed on the carbines of Delta Force operators during Operation Acid Gambit in 1989, the opening act of Operation Just Cause.


The 3rd Model suppressor's finest hour would be in 1993 during Operation Gothic Serpent where one was fitted to the Model 723 M16A2 Carbine of Delta Force's Master Sergeant Gary Gordon who, alongside Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart, would famously defend the crash site of Super Six-Four against insurmountable odds in what would prove to be a last stand, a feat that would posthumously earn them both the Medal of Honor.

During the engagement, Gordon's carbine was passed to Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant, the pilot of Super Six-Four and sole American survivor of the incident, before their position was overrun and he was captured by Somali forces.


Our rendition of it as seen here is mounted on an M16A1 Carbine (Model 653), which is sure to provide those playing as US special operations forces a certain level of discretion while picking off targets.


But for those of you that who wish to stay out of day-time raids in the 100+°F afternoon Mogadishu heat, a more subtle option is to operate at night, and a prime option for US troops doing so to get an edge over the opposition is the AN/PVS-4 Night Vision Sight, the US military's go-to small arms night vision scope since the late 70s.



Though it's obviously built for the night, in a pinch it can be used during the daytime with the addition of its daylight cover, which we have a demonstration of here, though it does come at the disadvantage of having a reduced, triangular field of view.


Ironically, due to their design the Soviet NSPU (1PN34) and its successors do not have the same FOV restriction as the PVS-4, though do suffer from a chronic fisheye effect.

On the topic of the NSPU however, the NSPU's adjustment dials are now animated!


In general, we do not intend on understating the gulf between NATO and Warsaw Pact night vision technology in Afterconflict, as in reality it will simply be another element of the battlefield to strategise around while chasing victory, so as a point of reference, here is our comparison between the Soviet PNV-57E and newly added American AN/PVS-5B Night Vision Goggles, each with their own various quirks.


And finishing off today's coverage of Soviet gear we'll be using one of the USSR's more underwhelming military creations, the RGD-5 grenade, to demonstrate our new addition of explosive shockwaves affecting vegetation that they come into contact with!


Relating to making our environments more lively, we've been overhauling our Village map in various different ways, from adding detail to the primary village itself, to expanding it outwards and adding surrounding settlements to bring it closer to the sort of scale you can expect to see in Afterconflict as a whole!





All of these adjustments along with the map itself have been created using our ever-evolving in-game map editor, meaning that without the installation of any external SDKs you'll be able to make maps and mods for Afterconflict with the same tools that we do!


To frame all of our various locales, we've also been implementing various overhauls to our weather systems, primarily relating to clouds.


A change that's now virtually constantly present is cloud shadows, from the occasional dimming of the ground due to a singular, whimsical cloud obstructing the ground for a fleeting moment, to the inverse of a single pillar of light penetrating an otherwise drab, overcast day, they've added a lot of character to the in-game world!





Though people probably don't usually think much on these things (because they're normal), fog is effectively just clouds at a low altitude, and as a result of the work on further improving our clouds, we've also implemented raymarched volumetric fog, which, aside from simply looking pretty cool and foreboding, is sure to provide a lot of tactical opportunities to players that relish in close-range ambushes.


In addition, said clouds and fog also include Mie Scattering, which, in layman's terms, means clouds (including fog) now scatter light from the Sun as it passes through them, resulting in more tonality!


Over time we'll be further expanding on our weather systems to encompass various other weather conditions, so be ready for it when it arrives...



To finish things off, as the older ones were getting a bit long in the tooth with our more recent advancements we've updated our Store page screenshots that you can see below.







While things still haven't always easy-going this year, given the circumstances, we still have our dogged determination to make Afterconflict the best that it can be, and to keep up our momentum going into 2024!

To that end, we'll be focusing on even more overhauls to various aspects of Afterconflict that we hope will have even more sweeping improvements to the game as a whole, so keep an eye out for it and you'll likely see them very soon!

And, as ever:



On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our Twitter feed too.

We're back with a new development update, we've been doing all sorts of stuff since our last development update from new content on both sides of the iron curtain to all sorts of engine improvements, so instead of just waffling on and giving a summary of it all:

Starting off, we have the big one; the last time you saw us showcasing vehicles they were largely stationary, but no longer.
While still a work-in-progress like everything else, vehicles are now drivable in Afterconflict!



We're applying the same philosophy to our vehicles as we have to our infantry gameplay, namely in our absolute adherence to trying to simulate combat, in doing this we're making sure to take into account the simulation of various factors like vehicle suspensions, meaning trucks like this here M923 will feel suitably mobile over rough terrain!



On the matter of trucks we've got a few new eastern examples to show off to you, those being an in-game look at the exotic-looking Czech V3S and a high-poly render of the classic Soviet workhorse (and basis for the 9K55 Grad-1 as the 9P138), the ZIL-131!




Both of these trucks will no doubt be useful when ferrying Warsaw Pact forces and their supplies to the front lines!



But let's now hop back over to the west like a trip to West Berlin and focus on a modern American classic, the M1025 (based on the M998) while we showcase some more advanced vehicle functionality, mainly regarding lights.



But first, some jiggle physics.




Now, one of the primary advantages that US forces had over the forces of the Warsaw Pact and even many NATO countries during the Cold War was their night-fighting capabilities, which over time would prove a decisive factor in the US's ability to sustain a relentless 24/7 operational capability.


This was primarily as a result of the US's impressive wide-spread issue of high-quality night vision devices, and while still not as prolific as the issue of such devices to US forces in the modern day, you can still certainly expect this to be a significant factor while playing as or against US forces in Afterconflict.



Where the M1025 comes into this is the matter of how it can be fitted with either a standard hooded blackout light that reduces the visibility of the vehicle while driving to avoid detection (such as by enemy aircraft), or, when operating with night vision devices, an infrared headlight, allowing drivers equipped with night vision to see clearly while those without night vision devices only see darkness.


However, one must always keep in mind that if you can see an IR light through your night vision devices, so can the enemy if they have them, no matter how primitive...


But when the going gets tough and you need some roadside assistance, simply turning on your old-fashioned hazard lights will have you covered.



Just be sure to keep in mind that all of these lights can be taken out with a well-placed shot or clumsily-done accident, so be careful!


That swiftly leads us on to a double-feature, as we can now look at the UAZ-469 and use it to give you a WIP preview of something many of you will likely be elated to hear about: Afterconflict's component-based vehicle damage system!



Unpretentious and spartan in its design, what the UAZ-469 does not make up for in comfort, it makes up for in its general robustness as a light utility vehicle that very much sticks to its principles with little/no thrills or frills involved (maybe aside from a sore backside after a less-than-leisurely drive).



But frankly, what's even less comfortable than the seat of a UAZ-469 while going down the road of the average Soviet farming village is the prospect of the fabled goat's drivetrain failing and trying to find a working phone in a 20-kilometre radius, and that comfortably brings us to our new component-based vehicle damage system!


As mentioned prior, in Afterconflict we're dedicated to simulating vehicles with the same level of depth as we are with our infantry, and as a result, instead of using a more "traditional" vehicle HP system, we're implementing a component-based damage model that'll simulate the same kinds of failures and damage as you may expect if you ripped through the side of a LUV with a magazine of 7.62x39 in real life (E.G: If the radiator is damaged or destroyed, the engine will quickly overheat)!


We'll be going over our advanced vehicle damage and armour modelling in far more depth in the future, so get excited and be sure to keep an eye out for it!


Speaking of infantry, let's get back to the matter of the gear that soldiers carry rather than the gear carrying soldiers; we have all sorts of bits and pieces to show off!

Starting off, we have both our overhauled RGD-5 and F-1 grenade models for both the USSR and DDR (with the Soviet F-1 and RGD-5 using the UZRGM and UZRGM-2 fuses respectively while both DDR examples use the DS-62 fuse)!



But we haven't just approached our grenade models with such deference for the details as we're also taking into account their unique performance nuances, as you can see with this demonstration of the RGD-5s top-and-bottom biassed fragmentation pattern!


But now onto something that's exploded figuratively rather than literally, we have our new M9 pistol model with an exploded view of its components!



During our modelling process, going to these sort of depths generally allows us to better understand how everything works and add functionality where often it may be missed elsewhere (such as the M9's trigger bar moving correctly).


Continuing on with the late 80s US military adoptions that standardised the weaponry issued between branches, we've got more M16A2 content for you: starting off with how we've made sure to make its controversial rear iron sight design as complicated as they are in reality!


Though regardless of one's opinion on the M16A2's iron sights, around the same time following on from the prior 3X20 scope (also in-game), the 4X20 scope was released onto the market and often found its way onto military M16A2s as COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) purchases!



But the M16A2's iron sights are not its most controversial feature, that distinction goes to the replacement of the prior M16's SAFE/SEMI/AUTO fire modes with SAFE/SEMI/BURST, a design supposed to reduce the amount of ammunition expended by the average infantryman, but due to its questionable implementation resulted in a less refined trigger pull and a "burst memory", which we've faithfully recreated in-game!


On a more positive note however, the M16A2 also brought along with it a new barrel twist rate of 1/7 designed to fire the new NATO standard SS109 cartridge designated as M855 Ball and M856 Tracer in the US military, as opposed to the M16A1's 1/12 twist rate and its M193 Ball and M196 Tracer cartridges- all of which are included in Afterconflict!



Just be sure to keep in mind that firing ammunition designed for a 1/12 twist barrel through a 1/7 twist barrel and vise-versa may have less-than-stellar results.



...but regardless of the results it's still likely a better outcome than to be in combat and checking your magazine only to see a bare follower staring back at you.


Over on the other side of the Iron Curtain however, while by the 80s things had largely evened out, up until the 60s before the M72 LAW had been created and cloned as the RPG-18, the conundrum of what to do in the situation where one asks oneself "There's an M59 over there but I don't have a missile launcher or anti-tank grenade to deal with it, what do I do?" was largely answered.

The answer?

In this case, the 57-BZ-231 and 57-Z-231 7.62x39 cartridges, designed to punch through light armour and/or hit fuel lines and any other flammable sections of a vehicle that upon igniting would knock it out of action.


Speaking of AKs, as those of you that have followed us so far were probably expecting this segment: The one where we talk about how we've once again made our AKs even better!


Cutting straight to the chase, we've improved upon our AK74s as you can see here with both wood and "plum" polymer furniture Soviet examples...


...and our various East German offerings in the MPi-AK-74N, MPi-AKS-74N, and MPi-AKS-74NK!







Moving back to an earlier topic, we also have improvements to that which the East German production AK74s' optics rails were standardised for, night vision optics, namely with the addition of visual effects such as light streaking.


These new effects apply to most night vision devices in general, the light streaking in particular can look especially impressive with tracer fire.


If all else fails, at least you have the clip-on ZVN-64 to aid in shooting at night (now animated)!



...just please don't give yourself permanent "night vision" by focusing the sun's rays directly into your corneas via a high-power scope, it won't go well for you.


In general, try to avoid doing stupid stuff that'll rattle your senses; while it may seem like a funny idea of dispose of an old car with explosives, aside from the shrapnel, the blast-wave of explosions will likely give you a concussion if you're too close to them, make a habit of not being around while they're going off.


But for when you're looking to unpretentiously blast the enemy and explosives aren't able to provide the precision you seek, a good battle rifle is a great option to do just that, and today we have both a fully-textured in-game look at our G3A2 (the predecessor to the G3A3), and a preview of a high-poly render of our British L1A1 SLR, the Imperial-pattern variant of the FAL which you'll likely be seeing more of in the future!


Between the original G3 and the far more well-known and well-documented G3A3 sits the G3A2, evidently more modern than its predecessor with the older style flip-sights replaced with the more recognisable drum-type sights, the older single-rib receiver replaced with a full-frame receiver, and the CETME Model B style hole-cut flash hider replaced with a stab-cut flash hider, the G3A2 does however lack the plastic furniture and "Freischwinger" of the G3FS-based rifles (of which the G3A3 is effectively the base model).





In general throughout this update you may've noticed a rather big leap in the quality of Afterconflict's visuals and your eyes do not deceive you as through improving our custom engine's renderer we've added all sorts of different visual improvements, including but not limited to: generally improved in-game lighting, HDR bloom, improved motion blur, overhauled volumetric raymarched clouds (currently primarily cumulus clouds with more types to come later on), and more!




We hope you enjoyed this development update; as stated earlier, we're planning to at some point do an in-depth special showcase of our advanced vehicle damage and armour modelling, so keep an eye out for that!

If you have any particular ideas or suggestions regarding that or anything you've seen in this development update, do not hesitate to tell us!



On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our Twitter feed too.

While 2022 has certainly not been the greatest of years, given the circumstances (as detailed in our last development update), we've still made various great strides in Afterconflict's development, from the addition of a new plethora of machine guns to various under-the-hood improvements which we'd like to summarise here today before the year ends!


Starting off simply and with no need for introduction, we have our newest rendition of the humble AKM (and its dovetail-railed brethren the AKML), with a few improvements over our previous examples!









In addition to the base Soviet AKM we've also overhauled the distinctive East German production AKM which should also need no introduction at this point, the MPi-KM!









As opposed to the AKMS which has a different base receiver to the standard AKM, the MPi-KMS-72's side-folding stock can be fitted to virtually any standard AKM-style receiver with no alterations. Our new model in question is of a later type built in the 1980s that features a new type of finish (as opposed to the prior bluing) along with features typical of later production AKMs such as a cast gas block.





For the DDR, this streamlined production considerably (streamlining that would also be seen a lot during the 1980s both with the DDR's 7.62 and new 5.45 offerings) while also providing a new style of folding stock that would be adopted by many of the other countries of the Warsaw Pact later on, such as on the Polish Wz. 1988, the Romanian md. 86, among others.





Last time you saw the high-poly stage of our new Soviet RPKs, including the RPK, RPKS, RPKL, and RPKSL, and this time you can see them in all of their glory!









As mentioned before, the RPK74 (and subsequently the RPKS74, RPK74N, and RPKS74N) was largely a (relatively) simple rechambering of 7.62 RPKs that came before it, however that did not stop there from being a rather large diversity in variants produced with the usual array of folding stock options along with the introduction of polymer plum furniture during the mid-80s!









Without the ability to produce any themselves, the East Germans simply resorted to purchasing their RPKs from the USSR, designating them as the "leichtes Maschinengewehr Typ Kalaschnikow", or lMG-K for short. While it could vary, when received by armourers in the DDR many of these RPKs were outfitted with East German parts, particularly the upper handguard and pistol grip, and this is faithfully reproduced in Afterconflict!





In general, the RPK was also widely exported to virtually any Soviet-allied state or movement that could afford them, though later on the RPK74 was priced beyond reason for many states; East Germany, despite being relatively well-off as far as Soviet satellite states go, only imported some RPK74s (designated as the lMG-RPK-74) due to what was seen as an unreasonable price point.





On a related note, we've also now improved our iron sight adjustment system, which now like scopes can now be adjusted for windage on those that support it, such as on the RPK:


But for those who require more firepower for their infantry (which evidently did not include the DDR on account of their lack of usage of it in favour of the lMG-K), the Soviet PKM is a no-brainer, so long as the user is tolerant of the requirement for a squire ammo bearer to carry its heavy ammunition boxes with them.





As in real life, in Afterconflict we hope to portray said heavy ammunition boxes as suitably cumbersome in-game, which we hope will not only emphasise the manning of a GPMG as a crew effort (for individual users, LMGs are far more practical), but to show the practical distinctions between the Warsaw Pact's preferred steel GPMG ammo boxes, and their NATO counterparts such as the American M4 Bandoleer for the M60 GPMG which was instead made of the much lighter cotton with a truly revolutionary addition: a shoulder strap.





While the DDR may've lacked the ability to produce things such as RPKs (until the introduction of the lMG-K-500 series in the mid-late 1980s anyway), what they definitely didn't lack was the ability to produce high-quality optical devices, and the EDF 7x40 binoculars remain a good example of that fact!





Short for "Einheitsdoppelfernrohr 7x40", the EDF 7x40 retained the functionality of the DF 7x40 (their predecessor) while offering a few quality-of-life improvements, namely their more compact form-factor and reticle illumination via a radioactive element, rather than needing a separate light source.





Similar to early examples of the PSO-1, both the EDF 7x40s and DF 7x40s have the ability to detect infrared light via the use of a filter contained in the left eyepiece which can be moved into place whenever required by the user.



While this may be advantageous for the viewing of large IR lamps (mostly used on vehicles by nations in the Warsaw Pact), it is less so when trying to use this feature to view the IR light sources of forces that do not have to rely on them due to a prevalence of passive night vision devices, so exercise caution when attempting to do so.





To finish off, there have been various under-the-hood improvements to Afterconflict's engine over this year, and while we're looking forward to showing them all off in time (the visual ones at least), the one that certainly seems the most aesthetically pleasing and thematically appropriate during the twilight hours of 2022 is our updated recreation of the Earth's atmosphere.





...or, as some have called it: Prime Desktop Wallpaper Material.





Well, when we said we've got "many things on the way in 2022", war was certainly not on the cards; but now, 10 months later, while Russian cruise missiles and drones are still raining down on civilian positions (which has impacted the work of our developers via persistent power outages), work on Afterconflict still continues undeterred.

As we head into the new year, we're proud to state that we're in the final stages of preparation before announcing something very promising that we're sure you'll be as excited to see as we are to announce it, so keep an eye out for it soon!

And, of course:



On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our Twitter feed too.

As many of you may know, half of our development team is from Ukraine, and as you could imagine the Russian invasion of Ukraine, their home, has impacted development somewhat as priorities shifted from what to work on to mere survival in a matter of minutes as Kalibr missiles rained down on them in the initial blitz as the rest of us could only look on in horror as our friends were at ground zero.



Even now, over 4 months on, as Russian offences stall or outright collapse, as their forces have to rely more and more on outdated equipment such as T-62s and BMP-1s, and as their Kalibr cruise missiles have largely been replaced with Kh-22s or worse, air raids still occur on a daily basis, often multiple times a day.

As shown recently in Kremenchuk and Serhiivka, clearly non-military targets, with over 40 dead and rising in total with many more injured including children, both done with Kh-22s (which have ironically become scarier than the Kalibrs on account of their pure unpredictability derived from them being Soviet relics with terrible accuracy), civilians are still being targeted, and while Ukrainian air defence systems still do a great job in thwarting most Russian air attacks, our friends still need to prepare for the worst when the sirens sound.

So, unsurprisingly, development has slowed down a bit, but still work continues in-between air raids, and during that time all sorts of interesting stuff has been worked on!


After we posted Development Update 15 we actually had a sly last-minute addition to cap off 2021 in the form of a video showcasing the ability to directly load a weapon's chamber (within reason), specifically on the KS-23, along with the requirement to manually rechamber your weapon when necessary:


In the case of the KS-23, directly loading the chamber when it runs dry as opposed to loading from the bottom then racking the slide is a faster way to get it running again, and making sure to keep tabs on your weapon's state of readiness in combat will prevent you trying to fire a shot only to be met with a worrying *CLICK*.

In Afterconflict, as in real life, weapon familiarity will give you a distinct edge over your opponents.

On the topic of speed, especially in close-quarters, we have another new weapon handling addition in the form of point-shooting:




Known as "Aimed Quick Fire" in US military nomenclature, point shooting is useful when a split second is the difference between life and death in close-quarters, using night vision goggles, or while firing with a respirator that proves intrusive in acquiring a decent cheek weld!

In terms of things that you probably don't want to encounter in close quarters, lest it serve as an ersatz flashbang, we're now allowing players to use the AKS74U without its iconic flash hider (6P26), resulting in it belching out even more flames than usual when fired:


Who knows, in future we may even allow you to attach the AKS74U's flash hider to the standard AK74, a common feature of the Transnistrian Army's AK74s... for some reason.

For those of us that like to admire our virtual arsenal just as much as we do, we've now expanded on our in-game weapon inspection mechanic:


Now instead of simply playing a quick animation, holding the weapon inspection bind will allow you to admire your weapon from both sides at your own leisure!

...just be sure not do be caught off-guard while doing it by an enemy that doesn't even have the sense of chivalry to at least let you finish first.

On the contrary, something you should absolutely not look at if you can help it is the Sun, doubly so through a magnified scope:


As you can see, those that look at the Sun through a scope in both Afterconflict and real life are gonna have a bad time, so for peace of mind for both yourself and your ophthalmologist, we suggest against it.

Though, in combat, it pays to fight with the Sun at your back, your enemies using scopes fall victim to the Sun's light blinding them, giving you the advantage.

Besides those operating in the Land of the Midnight Sun, at night the Sun usually isn't around to blind anyone, however those using night vision may still find themselves with issues relating to visibility with objects up close due to a lack of focus:










As you can see, and as mentioned earlier, in addition to focusing issues, using night vision goggles often doesn't gel well with using weapon iron sights, especially with rifles that require a good cheek weld to use them properly, so consider this drawback carefully when considering whether to use night vision goggles over a night vision scope and/or the humble flashlight.

And now, as seen in in its untextured high-poly form in our last development update, everybody's favourite Forbidden Fire Alarm/highly explosive Soviet anti-personnel mine, the PMN-2, now fully textured in all of its green glory (also in tan!):




As mentioned before, in Afterconflict laying mines will, depending on the mine in question, be as tedious of a process as in real life (systems such as FASCAM exist for a reason), so if you are going to lay a trap for the enemy, be sure to carefully think it through before committing to it.





Speaking of untextured high-poly models, before we get to the part we're sure the Americans among us have all been waiting for since our last development update, we've got some more Soviet weaponry to show off!

Developed as a variant and complement to the AKM and a spiritual successor to the RPD, and later used as the basis for the Yugoslavian M70B1 and M72B1 rifles, the RPK served with distinction as the USSR's primary 7.62x39 light machine gun for many years, with a very robust design by nature of it sharing many parts with the AKM (sometimes being nicknamed perhaps derisively as the "AK But Long").



Of its interchangeable parts, the RPK's magazine is its most notable on account of it originally primarily using a 75-round drum as standard, however over time due to the drum's bulkiness, lack of reliability, and the large amount of time required to load it in the first place, most were put into storage in favour of 40-round magazines being made standard.

Both will be available as customisation options in Afterconflict not only for the RPK, but AKs too!



Unsurprisingly, due to the standard RPK's bulkiness, VDV units were issued a folding-stock variant of the RPK named the RPKS, which as opposed to the AKMS's under-folding stock, used a side-folding design.



When an optics mount was needed (primarily for night vision scopes), the RPKSN was used which retains the RPKS's side-folding stock, with accommodations made for a dovetail rail.



After the introduction of the AK74, naturally the RPK74 followed, which served as the LMG counterpart to the AK74 just as the RPK did to the AKM before it, and this high-poly rendition features its later-style "plum" furniture!



As opposed to the AK74 which was an entirely new design when compared to the AKM, the RPK74 was effectively a rechambered version of the base RPK, modified to fire 5.45x39 ammunition; while a drum magazine was prototyped, only 45-round magazines (a 5 round increase from the RPK's 40 round magazine on account of the 5.45x39's reduction in size and weight over 7.62x39) became standard-issue.



Once again, unsurprisingly just as the RPKS served as the folding-stock variant of the RPK, the RPKS74 is the folding-stock variant of the RPK74.



Also, just as the RPKSN was a variant of the RPKS including a dovetail optics mount, the RPKS74N is the variant of the RPKS74 possessing an optics rail, albeit with a more unified design than the RPKSN/RPKSL's various rail types.



Be sure to keep an eye out for our next development update, where we'll have all of these RPKs fully textured!

In addition to these high-poly RPKs, we also have a WIP high-poly model of our improved Soviet Obr. 1988 "Afghanka" uniform, another example of us bringing various older assets of ours up to a higher quality!



As a final interjection before we get to our M16s, though we're sure it certainly isn't an unwelcome one, and certainly not a piece of Soviet weaponry, we have a brand new Polish rifle, commonly known as the "Tantal", and somewhat less commonly as its full name: 5,45 mm karabinek wz. 1988!



Unlike countries such as the DDR which was authorised to produce the AK74 under licence as the MPi-AK-74N, Poland didn't have this luxury and had to design its own 5.45x39 rifle themselves, albeit taking design "inspirations" from other countries, with its base design being that of the AK74, its wire folding stock being a clone of the DDR's wire folding stock design first introduced on the MPi-KMS-72, etc.



Now, for what you've all been waiting for since the last development update (especially our American fans), and we're sure are in no need of introduction, an assortment of our new, fully textured M16 models!

M16A1 (Model 603):







XM177E2 (Model 629):





M16A1 Carbine (Model 653):





M16A2 (Model 645):





M16A2 Carbine (Model 727):





We'll be adding to this list over time (don't think we've forgotten about the USAF's M16, the M231, etc.), but for now, we're sure these will suffice.

For a more in-depth rundown on each of these models, check our previous development update, and if you spot any errors on any of these models that are in need of correction, do not hesitate in letting us know and we'll get to fixing it!




Our intention is for anyone to be able to open Afterconflict, go into the editor, and make something cool, so be sure to keep an eye out for future updates where we'll go further in-depth regarding what our editor is capable of!

And so, to cap off this development update we thought we'd show off our new Steam Store page screenshots that those of you that've kept a close eye on it may've already seen, but we're sure you won't mind taking another look:











While any timetable for the near future cannot be that certain given the circumstances, we are still working hard on Afterconflict and intend on releasing our planned Singleplayer Firing Range Demo when possible, make sure you follow us on Steam and add Afterconflict to your Steam Wishlist to be notified whenever we release a new update!



On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our Twitter feed too.

As 2021 comes to a close (feels like déjà vu) we'd like to round up the advancements we've made since our last development update, such as our improved weapon handling, foliage being able to be set ablaze, and high-poly renders of our family of M16 rifles for the United States and other NATO forces, along with a general summary of some of the progress we've made in the year!

So, little time to spare, we'll jump straight into our first showing, our improved PSO-1 (ПСО-1) model!



While our previous PSO-1 model was serviceable in terms of functionality, we shall not rest until we provide you the players with the most authentic models we can muster, and considering one of our developers had recently come into possession of an authentic original Soviet PSO-1, we only saw it as right to model it after it!



In addition to the model looking nicer in general, we've also added a lot more functionality to the PSO-1 in the form of a few new features.



After hearing your pleas of "WHERE НАГЛАЗНИК", we made it a priority to give the PSO-1 its correct eyecup which as in real life gives the shooter a bit more scope stability (reducing scope shadow) at the cost of a lack of peripheral vision.



Like many other elements of weapons in Afterconflict, the PSO-1's eyecup can be removed based on the player's personal preferences and play-style, so be sure to experiment and figure out which you're more comfortable with using when you play!



For the PSO-1's second feature addition, some context in the form of another new addition is needed.

As you saw in Development Update 15, the Soviet T-72B (Т-72Б) tank has arrived in Afterconflict, and with it we intend to properly reflect its real-life capabilities in-game, and one of those capabilities is that of its "Luna" (Луна) Infrared (IR) Spotlight which shines a bright beam of IR light virtually invisible to the naked eye but visible with devices such as night vision.

Here you can see the said spotlight as viewed at night through the NSPU (НСПУ) night scope (as originally seen in Development Update 13):


Now that you're up to speed, our second feature addition of the PSO-1 is the oft-forgotten IR light detector present on earlier models of the scope; when activated, the filter highlights IR light, even during the daytime, as seen here:


However, due to its general ineffectiveness, especially with NATO forces largely focusing on passive night vision devices over active ones (I.E: Requires an IR light source to illuminate targets) even on vehicles, the PSO-1's IR detector was removed on later production models, but that certainly hasn't stopped us from including it!

On the subject of vehicles (though not on the subject of infrared on account of it actually using a photocontrast homing system instead), we also previewed the Soviet 9K31 Strela-1 (9К31 Стрела́-1) (known by NATO as the SA-9 "Gaskin") attempting to shoot down an American A-10, albeit unsuccessfully:


Though unsuccessful in this attempt, the 9K31 and other similar SAM systems will be invaluable in the defence against enemy air assets while playing Afterconflict.

But while the skies are certainly to be feared, there's still plenty down on the ground to be feared, including the elements themselves.

An often understated part of combat ever since it was first discovered and weaponized is fire, from the Romans using incendiary arrows to burn enemy ships to the Soviets using incendiary ammunition to burn the fuel tanks of lightly armoured vehicles, we thought it right to depict fire as the destructive, unpredictable force it is in reality.

So, to that end we've started small with the ability for grass to be burnt, largely from sources such as tracers burning on the ground, incendiary ammunition, back blasts, explosions, etc. under the right conditions, however for this example the flammability of the grass was turned up for demonstrative purposes (along with a current lack of sound):


Eventually, we intend to give the player the ability to set all foliage ablaze, making tactical arson a viable strategy when in pursuit of a scorched-earth policy against the enemy team, because the enemy can't use vegetation as concealment if you've already burnt it down!

In terms of the player's own abilities, we've now given the player more control over weapon handling in various different ways!
Firstly, we've separated changing your weapon's magazine and chambering a new round, giving more control to a player performing an action such as changing ammo types (or trying to look cool), or a very worrying [click] for the unfortunate sod that forgot to chamber a round before getting into a close quarters battle:


Along with this, you can now also hold back your weapons bolt by simply holding your rechambering button, giving a more tactile response to reloading your weapon:


Aside from simply looking cool, this system also works the same for checking your weapon's chamber, allowing you to better track if your weapon is loaded without having to simply rely on HUD elements:


In the near future we intend to further iterate and innovate with this system, so stay tuned for that too!

Something you should always keep track of however is what ammo type you're using, as using the wrong sort of ammo with the wrong sort of gun (E.G: M855 in an M16A1/M193 in an M16A2) can have dire consequences, one of the best examples is that which you can see here:


As you can see, trying to fire 7.62x39 US (УС) ammo without the PBS (ПБС) suppressor it's designed for does not generate the required level of pressure needed to cycle the bolt, effectively turning your selective-fire assault rifle into a bolt-action rifle with a bullet that is effective at a few hundred meters at absolute most, even less in practical terms.

To complement this, we've also overhauled our Soviet ammunition models to add some more well-deserved detail!

In order:

5.45x39: PS (ПС), T (Т), US (УС)


7.62x39: PS (ПС), T-45 (Т-45), US (УС), Z (З), BZ (БЗ)


7.62x54R: LPS (ЛПС), T-46 (Т-46), PS Snajperskie (ПС Снайперские), PZ (ПЗ), B-32 (Б-32)


But don't think for a second that our overhauls have stopped there, we've been improving and updating things across the board, including our beloved AKs (or more specifically, AKMs)!





As you can see, we've been making improvements to our AKM model and are currently in the high-poly modelling stage, and we'll be excited to show you the complete, detailed model in the new year with all of the small details you've come to expect of us!





But just before we jump over the Iron Curtain to see some new NATO high-polys (or perhaps while jumping over on account of the topic), we'd like to show your our new high-poly of the Soviet PMN-2 (ПМН-2) anti-personnel mine, the first of its kind in Afterconflict!





In Afterconflict, planting mines won't be quite as simple as many other shooters, with various factors you'll have to take into account such as the time taken to deploy it, the time it takes for the mine to arm after being deployed, and whether all of this is even worth the time if the enemy is liable to simply walk around or even over it, so if you decide to plant a mine, make it count.





Now for something a lot of you have been waiting for while we've been listing off a large list of our AK variants: our large list of M16 variants!

Over time, AR-15 style rifles have become ubiquitous, seen in all sorts of different configurations with all sorts of different attachments, but it's not so often that the more retro AR-15 style rifles get the attention they deserve, and we seek to rectify that!

Starting off strong, we have the M16A1 (Model 603), improved from the XM16E1's (Also Model 603, confusingly) many shortcomings, the M16A1 served with distinction with the United States Army as their standard service rifle for near 20 years before it was replaced by the M16A2 during the mid-1980s, however it would continue to serve in a limited capacity all the way into the 2000s.



While the US Army demanded that the M16 design include a forward assist, the United States Air Force had no interest in this feature, so while the Army and other branches used the M16A1, the USAF elected to use the M16 (Model 604), and while many M16A1s would be rebuilt into M16A2s, later USAF M16s being rebuilds of previous USAF-issue rifles such as the M16 was effectively the standard.

The USAF were not the only NATO force to use the M16 either, as the British Armed Forces acquired a number of M16 rifles of different varieties (mostly "slickside" ones such as the Model 604) for limited issue in a variety of locations such as Northern Ireland, Germany, the Falklands, Belize, Borneo, and Hong Kong, especially to special units such as the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS).



While the M16 was designed from the ground-up to be light and portable, there was still a demand for a smaller carbine variant of the rifle to be used by those working within confined spaces such as vehicle and aircraft crew, along with special forces units.

So after some teething issues with the Model 605, GX-5857 (Model 607), and the earlier iterations of the XM177 series with the XM177 (Model 610) and XM177E1 (Model 609), the XM177E2 (Model 629) was developed: sporting a 11.5" barrel length and distinctive flash hider/moderator, while it did still retain some of the issues of the earlier models, it nonetheless served with distinction with United States special forces units such as the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG)

The slickside USAF counterpart to the XM177E2 would be the GAU-5A/A (Model 630).



While the XM177E2 was created during a time of great experimentation, the M16A1 Carbine (Model 653) created the initial blueprint for what would later become the M4 Carbine (Model 920), with its 14.5" inch barrel length and default use of a standard M16A1 flash hider over the XM177 series' unusual flash hider/moderator; the M16A1 Carbine would never become standard issue, but that wouldn't stop it from becoming a common staple amongst various forces of the US Armed Forces, especially special forces units such as the United States Army Rangers and United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams.

Similar to the M16, and to a degree the XM177E2, the M16A1 Carbine also found its way into the hands of British special forces units.



As mentioned earlier, during the 1980s an updated version of the M16 designed to fire the new NATO standard SS109 round (having been developed as the M16A1E1) was made standard across the entire US military, albeit with an at times controversial array of updates spearheaded by the United States Marine Corps (USMC): such as a vastly more adjustable set of rear sights (preferred by the US Marines due to its greater capacity to be used for target shooting) and non-resetting 3-round burst (which will be depicted accurately in Afterconflict).

When newly named M16A2 (Model 645) was introduced, the USAF finally standardised with the other branches of the US military and made the M16A2 their standard service rifle, albeit the fact that, as alluded to earlier, many USAF "M16A2"s were Frankenguns, created with the parts of earlier models of USAF M16s (which we intend on allowing you to do in Afterconflict)!



And the last M16 high-poly we have for you here today (though by no means the last we intend on including in Afterconflict We already know how much you want to see the M231) is one that most of you are likely to recognise in one form or another, the M16A2 Carbine (Model 727); just as the M16A1 Carbine was the 14.5" barrel answer to the M16A1, the M16A2 Carbine was the 14.5" barrel answer to the M16A2, with all of its changes (for better or for worse), along with a few more specific improvements from the M16A1 Carbine such as replacing the older style collapsing aluminium stock with the plastic "fiberlite" one.

While the M16A1 Carbine set the blueprint for the M4 Carbine, the M16A2 Carbine would be largely indistinguishable from the early XM4 Carbine (aside from its unique barrel profile), with the final, early-production M4 Carbine only largely being different in the addition of a MIL-STD-1913 rail to its upper receiver.

While the M16A2 Carbine had less time to settle in and disseminate amongst US forces than the prior M16A1 Carbine, it still found use among specialist units such as USMC Scout Sniper teams.



While we've given our AKs a lot of attention over the last year or so, worry not, we'll be giving the same level of attention to our NATO weaponry too in the new year, and if you spot anything we could improve upon, whether NATO or Pact-centric, do not hesitate to contact us about it!



As with last year, while things have been tough for all of us, we have managed to make great strides in our development of Afterconflict in 2021, from the addition of functioning compasses and advanced scope functionality, to our first highly detailed tank and the ability to set the world ablaze And who could forget the North Korean Type 88-1?, we've got many things on the way in 2022 that we're sure you'll be just as excited about as we are!




On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our Twitter feed too.

As with the bridge between Development Update 12 and Development Update 13, we've got a large amount of new content to go through, so instead of laboriously going through each addition in this short summary, how about we just go right ahead and show you some of the highlights?

First off, we're not going to play coy, we know what a lot of you are here for: Our New T-72B tank!



This is the first of what we hope to be many highly-detailed tank models in Afterconflict, ready to storm over the battlefield and batter enemy lines to bits.



The T-72B is fitted with "Контакт-1" (Kontakt-1) Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) bricks that vastly improves its resistance against most conventional attacks NATO forces may mount against it!



If they actually hit the ERA bricks, that is.



Over time we plan to add an assortment of tank models for our different factions that we think tank aficionados should be happy with; if you have any pointers or suggestions you'd like to bring to our attention, do not hesitate to make a note of it here, on Twitter, or on our Discord server!



On an infantry level, we've made various improvements to our ballistic simulations, the first of which we'd like to show being bullet fragmentation, which may occur if a bullet strikes a hard surface and subsequently shatters, potentially meaning an injury for anyone unfortunate enough to be close enough to get struck by the fragments.

Bullet Fragmentation Example from an MPi-KM Firing 7.62x39:

We've also improved tracers in various ways, from carefully studying the properties of various kinds of tracers and how they work (Colour, Colour Shift, Duration, Etc.), to now simulating tracer bounce, which sometimes occurs when a tracer round doesn't penetrate, ricochet, or shatter upon hitting a surface, which often results in it "bouncing" and continuing to burn on the ground (which can become a fire hazard if you're not careful, always practice proper range safety!).

Improved Tracers Being Fired from the BMP-2, AKM, and G3A3 Respectively:

Tracer Bounce Demonstration:

But don't think that bullets are the only projectiles susceptible to bouncing and ricochets; projectiles that have a profile that may make them susceptible to ricochets such as the warheads of Soviet RPGs (which, at low angles, may have their body hit a surface before the fuse), are now able to ricochet in Afterconflict!

RPG-22 Ricochet Demonstration:

On a slightly less lethal front that's more receptive to gun range safety, we also have the Soviet "Б-8" (B-8) binoculars for all most of your battlefield observational needs, a hardened design in service since 1930s; why fix what isn't broken?





On the environmental front, we've been implementing various additions that'll make Afterconflict feel as true to life as possible; this time we have 2 main additions:

Improved wind effects, which not only affects foliage, but projectiles too, meaning you'll need to account for wind speed and direction when taking longer shots in high winds:

...especially when taking precise shots with scopes and slower projectiles such as sub-sonics:

Fog, which can be a blessing to the more infiltration-focused player just as much as it can be the bane of a trigger-happy marksman's existence:



For our fans of East German gear, we have a new preview for you too; as some of you may know, in the late 1980s the DDR developed a new uniform, ranking system, and webbing set commonly abbreviated as "UTV" to be introduced in the year 1990, and a large amount of the new pieces of gear were produced between 1986 and 1989 and could often be seen worn by East German officers inspecting NATO forces during that time.

As Afterconflict's timeline takes place in the late 1980s/early 1990s, the Nationale Volksarmee forces in Afterconflict will have UTV gear as an equipment option to be selected while playing as them- so here's a preview of just that!



We've taken note of how much positive feedback we've been getting regarding our addition of vehicles, so just as we started with it, we'd like to cap this development update off by focusing on just that!

Starting off, we have a follow-up to our showcase of the Mi-24P in Development Update 13, specifically showing off a WIP version of a simple S-8 rocket barrage- simple, but effective.

Continuing with the theme of destruction, we also have a WIP preview of the 9K111 Fagot, known as the AT-4 Spigot to NATO forces, a fierce Soviet ATGM introduced during the 1970s.

On a less destructive but nevertheless tactically important note we have the first highly-detailed vehicle model we've introduced to Afterconflict, the US's M939 series of trucks, specifically: the M923A1!






And, to finish, here's a short and simple demonstration of a burning BMP-2!




On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our Twitter feed too.

Since our last development update back in April, we've been working on all sorts of new additions you'll no doubt be pleased with, such showcasing the new, textured version of our Type 88-1 from our last update, showing off different gameplay additions such as leaning and advanced scope mechanics, our improved night time visuals and equipment to go with that, vehicles and the means to destroy them, you may even spot some snippets of a map we previously showed off in Development Update 9...

We've got a lot to go through- so let us not dally, and get on with it!

As already mentioned, since Development Update 12 we worked further on our rendition of the North Korean Type 88-1 and released a showcase video on April 15th, the Day of the Sun, officially making it the first ever fully-modelled, fully-textured, fully-featured rendition of the rifle in existence; presented for your enjoyment!


In terms of other improvements, we've also been improving some models on the NATO side of things, such as our model of the G3A3; though we'd not had any particularly negative feedback regarding our G3A3 model (that we know of), there were various things that we thought imperative we fix, from improvements to the iron sights, to adding the "Freischwinger" bracket.









Speaking of improved iron sights, we've altered the way that iron sights appear to better simulate how they appear to the human eye, here's an example with the already mentioned G3A3's rotating diopter drum sights.


Outside of iron sights, we've also been overhauling our optical sights, they've been overhauled to such a degree in fact that we made an entire video explaining it that also serves as a tutorial for those interested in using optics to their fullest in Afterconflict, check it out!


Although it's not showcased in this video, we did a separate showcase showing the adjustment of the reticle of optics such as the PU-1, allowing an intelligent scope user to make the most of even the more basic devices they may find themselves using.


There's also the matter of resting one's weapon on more awkward surfaces, which though important even for firing generally, is even more important for those using scopes, so for that we have also introduced dynamic "smooth" leaning, which while generally keeping you better protected against enemy fire, gives you more stability to return fire, both horizontally and vertically.


In terms of specific models of scopes, we've added a few; relating to the G3A3 we first have the first model of the standard "Zielfernrohr" for the G3, a scope that can be fitted as standard to virtually any G3 rifle to effectively convert it into a marksman rifle, of which were abundant in the Bundeswehr.







However, our next newly added showcase requires a tad bit more context in its addition.

Recently, we've been focusing on improving the appearance of the dark nights of Afterconflict, and with this we've added various new gameplay options to claw your way to victory in the dark, from the stars in the night sky being astronomically correct, to various (authentically flawed) night vision devices, which brings us on to-



The NSPU is the first night vision device we added to Afterconflict, a relatively solid, relatively rugged, relatively reliable scope that lets the average infantryman accurately observe and fire at an enemy at night- or in the day, if you so choose to do so!






In addition to this, we also have a few examples of night vision goggles to show off. Although by the 1990s many militaries of the world had only just started to issue night vision goggles specifically designed for ground troops as opposed to those designed for vehicle crews on a larger scale, it did not stop various forces (especially special forces) from using goggles designed for said vehicle crews like the Soviet PNV-57Es for far more infantry-oriented tasks, and we have a preview of the PNV-57Es in use here:


Despite the pilfering unfortunate faliings-off-the-backs-of-trucks of various sets of PNV-57Es, Soviet vehicle crews are certainly not lacking in terms of the resources needed to crush anything that stands in their way, with machines such as the 2S1, BMP-1P, BMP-2, T-80U, and the BM-21, NATO forces must still keep their anti-tank defences ready if Warsaw Pact firing demonstrations are anything to go by.

2S1


BMP-1P


BMP-2


T-80U


BM-21


But do not think that only Pact vehicles are to be feared for their ability to go toe-to-toe with NATO armour, as with disposable rocket launchers such as the RPG-22 (heavily based on the US's M72 LAW), even infantry are to be feared, those who show complacency are likely to find their end at the hands of an emboldened conscript clutching a freshly fired missile launcher.



Though it is to be feared on the ground, NATO air crews are relatively safe from disposable RPGs as they dominate the skies and rain down hellfire with such feared designations as the AH-1F, and the infamous A-10A.

AH-1F


A-10A


But they should not be so bold thinking they have the air war won, as there too are feared names in Pact-controlled skies too, from the near limitless numbers of multi-faceted Mi-8s, to the legendary Mi-24P, the "Hind F".

Mi-8


Mi-24P


If you're being chased by them, try losing them in the trees.



On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our Twitter feed too.

As we work further on our West German content that we showed off in our last development update we've also been working on a few other additions. This includes the addition of vehicles, compass models, barrel heat haze, weapon resting, overpenetration mechanics, scope shadow simulation, scope parallax, and one final, more irregular inclusion, the North Korean Type 88-1 rifle.

Starting off, those who have been following our Twitter page have likely seen our previews of various new vehicle models present at the NATO and Pact ranges in-game; so far these include the BTR-70, T-64BV, Ural-4320, Leopard 1, TPz 1 "Fuchs", and the M939 truck.

BTR-70


T-64BV


Ural-4320


Leopard 1


TPz 1 "Fuchs"


M939 Truck


Currently these vehicles are only stationary and their lower-poly models only temporary, but later on we intend on both improving said models and making them fully functional, allowing you to tear up the battlefield at a faster pace, on a larger scale.



On a much smaller scale, we've also been adding faction-specific compasses, which will function as an actual usable item in-game, instead of just a standard HUD element like many other games (which trivialises map navigation and reduces communication between squad members to quickly shouting out various random exact compass coordinates).



So far we've modelled the Soviet Adrianov compass, which faithfully served the USSR for many years, both in a military and civil capacity, and the East German Marschkompaß (or Marschkompass) F73, which was also widely used for both military and civil matters.



Each faction will have their own appropriate compass design, so keep an eye out for the West German CONAT compass and the United States' famous M-1950 compass soon!

In reality, firing off a large amount of rounds in a short period of time will cause a weapon's barrel to heat up, this results in not only the barrel expanding and reducing accuracy, but if the barrel is hot enough it'll create a heat haze, which will rise from the barrel and affect visibility, as seen here.



If you're thinking about firing rounds on full-auto at all, it pays to have your weapon rested on a surface, which we've also implemented!



In Afterconflict, weapon resting not only steadies your weapon, allowing you to take more precise shots, but it also allows you to freely and smoothly peak over cover, ensuring that you're in the best possible position to fire, whether it be returning fire on an enemy that has opened up on you, or setting an ambush.



We've had a lot of great reception regarding the accuracy of our weapon ballistics, and we thank you greatly for it!



Since reception has been so great, we've been showing off the trajectory of rounds fired in our firing range (including ricochets), along with their velocity, as seen here!



Along with the valid reason for the implementation of this feature being "because it looks cool and people enjoy us posting screenshots and videos of it", it also serves an important purpose in testing another feature we've recently implemented, that being overpenetration.

Here's an example of 7.62x39 being fired from an AKM through wood, brick, and sheet metal.



Penetration varies depending on material, that means that unlike in many other FPSes where basic cover gives you the comfort that you're protected against enemy fire, in Afterconflict you must choose your cover wisely depending on the enemy's position, armament, etc., lest you sit in a wooden shack and it gets hosed by 7.62x51 MG3 fire...



Contrary to indiscriminate machine gun fire, scopes allow for more precise, deliberate shots at long ranges, and we have made it a priority that they are portrayed as accurately in-game as possible, and one of the ways we have recently improved that is by adding a physically accurate scope shadow simulation, making scopes feel like scopes, not just a circle showing a zoomed in picture of whatever's in front of it.



Our dedication to the realistic portrayal of scopes also includes the portrayal of scope parallax; scope parallax occurs when you move your eye position while looking down a scope (especially those with higher magnification), causing the reticle to seemingly shift position (though the reticle itself doesn't move, it's just perception-based), making accurate fire difficult.



We'll be showing this off in more depth during the coming days, so keep an eye on our Twitter feed to see it first.






After being unable to acquire a licence to produce the Soviet Union's AK-74, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea looked for other means of producing their own version of the rifle, which led to surprise among Soviet advisors to North Korea when it was found that the DPRK had requested assistance from the People's Republic of China in creating a Juche AK-74.



The PRC's assistance had proved quite fruitless however, as the Chinese had little success themselves in replicating the 5.45 AK-74 (only succeeding in the late 1980s, ironically being named by Norinco as the Type 88S and a 7.62 version as the Type 88SB), which led to the Soviets intervening and giving official assistance in developing the DPRK's domestic version of the AK-74 which would result in 2 rifles, the standard Type 88, and its folding-stock counterpart, the Type 88-1 (sometimes referred to as the Type 98 and Type 98-1 for modernised versions of the Type 88 and 88-1 respectively), which we have here for you today.



Appearing in public for the first time in April 1986, being examined by Kim Il-sung and his son, Kim Jong-il, among a few other examples of newly DPRK-produced equipment and weaponry, the Type 88 and 88-1 would be phased into service with the Korean People's Army from the late 80s into the early 90s, initially with elite units, and eventually trickling down into the equipment stocks of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards.



While the standard full-stock Type 88 is quite similar to the Soviet AK-74, ignoring a lot of the more minor details, the Type 88-1 (which the KPA seemingly prefers over the standard Type 88) has an unusual side-folding stock which, rather than folding to the left like most conventional side-folding AK rifle stocks, instead folds to the right, similar to the Chinese Type 56-2's comparably awkward folding stock design, perhaps a vestigial feature of China's involvement in the Type 88-1's development?



After many hours of meticulous research, we have been sure to faithfully recreate every detail of the 88-1, from its unique side-folding stock to various different minor eccentricities, constructing the most accurate recreation of the Type 88-1 rifle to date, and we'd love to hear your thoughts.







On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs, and our Patreon-exclusive Discord channel, "The Bunker", is where we post exclusive WIP content that our patrons will be able to see before anyone else!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our Twitter feed too.

As 2020 comes to a close we'd like to further update you on the state of our WIP West German weaponry, Standortschießanlage map, and a summary of some of the progress we've made in the year!

With no time to spare, we'll jump straight into our first showing, the textured G3A3!







While the G3A3 we showed off previously only had the more modern, plastic furniture option that became standard for most G3 rifles since the introduction of the G3A2 in June 1962, wooden G3 furniture stayed in Bundeswehr stocks along with a lot of original G3 rifles well into the 1990s, and so because of this we've added wooden furniture for the G3A3 as a customisation option.

This was a frequently requested addition, so we hope you enjoy it!

If there are any additional G3 customisation options/variants that you'd like to see (such as the original G3, G3A1, G3A2, etc.), be sure to tell us either on our Discord server or Twitter!









Second up we have the P1 pistol, showing from its new acceptance marks that it is ready to serve (West) Germany, as its hardy design had for over 40 years prior.









A far less uniformly liked design however was the Bundeswehr's "M68" Kampfmesser, now showing off its distinctive green plastic grips not known for being particularly strong.

However, jab somebody hard enough with a sharp piece of metal and it'll kill them, right?



Germany has always been renown for its efficiency, and a Germany cloven into two as East and West Germany is no exception to this, so it shouldn't be a surprise that this same efficiency carries over to the Bundeswehr's choices of grenades, choosing to streamline the DM41, DM21, and others into a single design that can be switched from a standard fragmentation grenade, to a high-explosive grenade with a simple twist at the base.

You can now see the DM51's markings displayed not only on its fragmentation sleeve and spoon, but also on its high-explosive core.

As a side note, do you think we should add the DM41, DM21, etc. too, or even the DM41A1 which possesses the same fuse as the DM51, the DM82 (the DM51A1 would then be upgraded to use the DM82A1B1)?



In addition to weaponry, we've also been working on our first West German character model; though they're not yet textured we do have a few high-poly models for you to appreciate and critique, such as the "Modell 1A1 modifiziert" stahlhelm ("M1A1 mod." for short) and early-style rubber G3 magazine pouches!

What do you think?





Finally, we've been working further on our new NATO/West German firing range map that'll be released alongside the first release of the West German faction. This firing range is modelled after the "Standortschießanlage" (StOSchAnl), a type of firing range used by the Bundeswehr for training soldiers in marksmanship, a well-regarded trait for NATO forces.

You'll be seeing more of this firing range as we show more previews of our West German faction very soon!





This year Afterconflict has made great strides, from the of the KS-23 and AKM being added earlier in the year, to the addition of various gameplay features such as blind firing and staged reloading, to introducing the DDR/East German faction!



As seen in our roadmap, we're now moving into DEFCON 4, we'll be working far more on NATO faction content, so be sure to stay tuned for that!



We also launched our Patreon fund this year which has helped us in making sure Afterconflict is being developed at the pace we'd like, we're truly grateful for those of you who have donated to our cause and those that are considering doing so into 2021!

What we're essentially saying is:



And, of course:

So-far we have been developing Afterconflict out of our own pockets, and while we intend to continue developing Afterconflict no matter what, the ability to be comfortable in the knowledge that our rent is paid, food is on our tables, and any hardware issues we may face can be promptly fixed goes a long way in enabling us to be more focused on developing and expanding the game.



One of our Patreon rewards is exclusive access to a channel on our Discord server, which we'd like to invite you to join!



On our Discord server we discuss everything from the game and Cold War history to posting photos of hedgehogs, and the Patreon-exclusive Discord channel is called "The Bunker", and it's where we post exclusive WIP content that you'll be able to see before anyone else!

We hope you enjoyed reading this development update, if you wish to keep up to date with all Afterconflict updates, be sure to follow our Twitter feed too.