We looked at the relationship between sound and stealth in our previous devlog. There is, however, one other element that we didn’t touch on when it comes to stealth: visibility.
As a Special Forces squad, Thunder relies heavily on the element of surprise, and perhaps more important than not being heard is not being seen. For that reason, most Thunder missions are deliberately planned to take place under night fall. Moving under the cover of darkness, Thunder can use its technological advantages and the element of surprise to both gain the upper hand and to catch the enemy off guard. However, it can be difficult to spot any relevant items, enemies or booby traps in pitch black, so you should equip your operators with something to help you see in the dark.
A flashlight is a solid option to help you during night time missions. Mount it to the side of your weapon and/or sidearm and it’ll allow you to see where you're going, and hopefully reveal something of interest. Be careful with the light, though. Enemies are bound to inspect any light they spot in the distance, so this could work against you when trying to go under the radar.
Hidden as you may think you are, if you shine a flashlight on the guard's face, they'll be alerted.
You can also equip your squad with night vision goggles. They attach directly onto your head or can be mounted on certain headgear. While adding some extra weight and potentially hindering your field of view, night vision goggles will prove to be priceless in engagements after dark, and open up a variety of tactical options. Is the opposing force relying on a generator to provide light? Take it down and use the confusion and darkness in your favor. Can you get a clean shot on a key light source? Do it! While some insurgents might be equipped with flashlights, others won't and they may be easier to take down or force into submission.
A soldier with the Pro-Tec helmet with mounted PVS-7 Night Vision Goggles.
As always, be sure to read your surroundings. Try to detect any potential advantage that could be gained by reaching a key location, or by destroying a certain element, and complete your mission.
As usual, join us on our {LINK REMOVED}Discord Server for more frequent updates and for any questions you may have. We're also on Twitter and Facebook, should you prefer to follow us there.
As a special forces team, Thunder is expected to act swiftly, infiltrate, complete their objectives and exfiltrate.
One of the most valuable tools an Operator can use, when trying to achieve these objectives, is silence. Approach your enemy stealthily, like a cat on the prowl, so that unaware opposition forces will pose little to no threat. Taking them out or arresting them silently will prevent alarms being sounded, and, consequently, any plans they may have to defend against an assault will be rendered useless – or at least delayed to a point where their impact will be significantly smaller.
You can silently take down an enemy
You can get close to an enemy and force him to surrender
This is very important. Alerted enemies will have their arms at the ready and will see you approaching from the angles they're expecting trouble from. Also, reinforcements can arrive, catching Thunder off guard. In some cases, the alarm might force the enemy to make a move, leading to them fleeing the area or destroying crucial evidence that might have guided you a step in the right direction. This will force Thunder to react, shaking what could have been a sound plan and forcing the squad to improvise, therefore increasing the mission difficulty.
Footsteps are among the things that can alert enemies and they can be heard from various distances, depending on the speed of motion. Sprint and the enemy will be able to hear it from several meters away, sparking their curiosity and alertness. Crouch and move slowly and you'll be able to approach a distracted enemy to a point where you can take him out silently without causing much of a commotion.
Sound radius while moving crouched and aiming down sight
Sound radius when moving crouched
Sound radius when sprinting
When heard or spotted, you'll be forced to engage the enemy. Taking them out before they have a chance to raise the alarm, either by shouting to their nearby companions or by shooting at you, can help you complete your objectives, and this is where silencers come into play. Some guns, like the MP5SD6 or the AS Val, have built-in suppressors that'll muffle the sound of gunshots. Other weapons have specific silencers that can be attached to their muzzles at the expense of some projectile muzzle velocity, and they will add some extra weight onto the weapon. A silenced weapon will have a much smaller radius of detection for the shots being fired, enabling you to safely eliminate enemies from a distance.
Unsuppressed weapons will, of course, alert any nearby enemies, although this won't necessarily mean that every single enemy in the mission area will flock towards Thunder or know exactly where they are. Some enemies will scan Thunder's last known position, but some others may be assigned with the task of protecting a certain area. In any case, if they don't find Thunder, they'll gradually lower their guard, assuming you might have left the area. In other cases, the enemies might just be too far away to hear the engagement and get involved in it. However, certain loud noises, like explosions or demolitions, might alert them!
We hope that knowing what alerts opposition forces will help you tackle the difficult missions you have ahead of you, Operators. As usual, we'll be happy to answer any questions you might have on our Discord server.
As highly qualified tactical operators, you'll have an entire arsenal at your disposal. We've already mentioned that an assortment of pistols, submachineguns, shotguns, assault rifles, DMRs, light machine guns, and sniper rifles will be available for the completion of your missions. You'll be able to equip weapons with compatible optics, muzzle, and side attachments. Flashlights, laser sights, and silencers will be useful throughout the campaign in several situations.
Grenades will also be available to equip. Frag and incendiary grenades can be used to clear out entrenched enemies. Smoke grenades will help you cover your team's movement. Flashbangs will disorient enemies... there'll be a few of them to pick from and expect most of them being used by opposing forces too.
There is, however, more gear available. A Medkit is something your squad shouldn't go without. Patching up your wounds will enable you to stay in the fight even after a few cuts and bruises. An optic cable is a small fiber optics device that'll allow you to peek under certain doors and gather information on what's behind it, changing the risk factors that every breach comprises and allowing you to decide how to proceed. Open the door, kick it in, blast it in or flush them out?
A Lockpick kit will also prove useful to open locked doors without making too much noise, giving your team access to otherwise inaccessible areas. Wire cutters are a simple, yet effective tool to approach the enemy from an angle where he isn't expecting you.
Certain gear will do more than allowing you to open doors, though. M112 demolition charges will allow you to set up a diversion while you attack a different flank or, on a more straightforward approach, it'll help you breach certain walls, obliterating them and any enemies caught in the blast. Last but not least, the M18 Claymore will enable your squad to deny the enemy an approach from a certain flank. Whether you're going for a risky approach or making a run for it, a carefully placed Claymore will keep some of the enemies at bay.
We'll be showing more gear in the future. We hope you enjoyed this week's devlog. And, as usual, join us on Discord for an eye to eye with the team behind Thunder Tier One.
Thunder Tier One's campaign takes place in the 90s, across several areas in Eastern Europe. It's a race against time with a Terrorist group threatening to release devastating chemical weapons. To properly create scenarios based on real-life locations in Eastern Europe, we've been gathering references and slowly and methodically adding them to the maps.
It's a time-consuming process, sculpting the world where the action is going to take place. Since players will be able to change the camera angles and zoom levels, and also review their mission performance using a replay system allowing them to dive deeper into the world of Thunder Tier One, we're paying special attention to detail in regards to mission scenarios. We're investigating woodland areas, mountains, small cities, natural caves, and coastal areas to gather as much information as possible to help us create the Thunder Tier One world.
Details such as vehicles, TV sets, beverages and magazines will be scattered around the game, being as faithful to their real-life counterparts as possible.
When it comes to lighting, time of day and realism will be of the utmost importance. Players will need to gear up properly, you wouldn't want to be caught in the crossfire in pitch black conditions without night vision goggles and a flashlight.
The same goes for the in-game soundscapes. We want a small city to sound exactly like it should at specific times. So in the early hours of a cold morning, there will be dogs barking in the distance and droplets of water raining down from the dark roofs. All this will create a realistic atmosphere for you to dive right in and forget about the time passing by.
We'll be back with more news about the development of Thunder Tier One soon. Thank you for reading and, as always, please join our Discord Server if you want to be the first to know about what's to come!
These are strange times. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down and the nostalgia-ridden universe of Thunder Tier One is no exception. We've been working from home, keeping in touch on a daily basis, and pushing forward with what's on the roadmap for Thunder.
AI has been gradually polished and adjusted. We want the enemies to be challenging and to force the players to think and plan, instead of bursting in and shooting at everything that moves as if protected by an invisible bubble. AI soldiers will make decisions on the spot, this includes flanking, changing positions from cover to cover, hiding and ambushing Thunder operators whenever the situation requires or allows it. There is still a lot to be done, though, as we want to add some more layers of complexity and allow for more realistic approaches to specific situations.
We've also been working on adding a lot of content to the game, including dozens of weapons such as pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, DMRs and sniper rifles. The same goes for gear, we’ve added helmets, vests, armor, pants, hats and backpacks. A lot has been going on in that department, from the modelling and in-game implementation to considering weapon attachments and paying special attention to weapon characteristics like rate of fire, type of ammunition and how the reloading process occurs.
This brings us to another topic of our development process. We're working on fine detail animations for reloading, vaulting, climbing and many others, gradually adding them to the game and making sure everything runs smoothly and looks and feels realistic.
Another thing we haven't talked about is the inventory system. We do plan to show it to you in a detailed devlog, but we've been waiting because we want to show you something close to what you'll get when the game is released. For now, know that you'll be able to search for ammo, weapons and utility items on the battlefield. Frisking an enemy combatant and using his weapon when you're low on ammo can also prove invaluable. This is something you'll see the AI controlled soldiers do as well. When they run out of ammo, they'll look for other weapons and ammunition they can use to complete their mission.
Suppressed AKM with PBS-1 and side-mounted PSO-1
The rest of our time and resources are being applied to the missions you'll see on the single and multiplayer campaigns on Thunder Tier One. We've been working hard on creating vivid, realistic and dynamic mission maps that'll make you want to explore them in as many ways as possible. We've been gathering references and building up a realistic world, making it nice and tidy so that you can blow it all to pieces! We're aiming for 10 campaign missions and quite a few multiplayer deathmatch arenas, and we can't wait to show them to you!
Suppressed L96A1 with PMII optics
Stay tuned for more information about Thunder Tier One! Join us on Discord for more information!
When you go weapons hot, you don't want to be exposed. In any sort of tactical firefight, cover is the key factor in most decisions a squad leader makes. Proper cover secures a position and opens up more possibilities for fire and maneuver.
There are different kinds of cover, however. Some types of cover, like shrubs, bushes or tall grass, offer nothing other than visual concealment. You can use them to approach enemies unnoticed, but when the guns start blazing you'll want to find something better. Trees, rocks, walls, vehicles and other obstacles will act as both concealment and hard cover, shielding you and your operatives from damage and also breaking the line of sight for your enemies. This will give you some breathing room to make the next decisions regarding positioning and movement.
When we approached the ballistics in Thunder Tier One, on Devlog #003, we showed that some cover is penetrable by certain projectiles. Today, we'll discuss how some cover can... well... stop being "cover". Certain objects are destructible in Thunder Tier One. That concrete slab or wooden bench you’ve been hiding behind could become a pile of rubble at any given moment, meaning it not only fails to provide any cover, but also clutters what used to be a clean route.
To assess damage, we're using Nvidia's Apex Destruction system, allowing us to explore with appropriate depth the sort of destruction mechanics we're aiming for. Part of the challenge is making it so that destructible objects and their respective debris feel and look the same for all players on a server. To do that, we have to be able to properly keep track of every destructible object and its current state, so that when players load up a game – or join a multiplayer session mid-game – these crucial objects that may or may not act as cover remain consistent for all players involved.
The blue markers indicate regular materials that provide cover.
With some portions crumbled, some areas don't offer cover or concealment. They are highlighted in red.
These aspects also need to be understood by the AI soldiers, so that they can react to any changes in their surroundings – either by identifying cover positions and possible escape routes or by assessing that a given cover offers safety no longer. In any case – depending on the type of ammunition you are firing – there are several possible outcomes when you shoot at an enemy behind cover:
1- Your bullets will shatter against the obstacle and do nothing. 2- Your bullets will pierce the obstacle and cause damage if they hit the enemy. 3- You destroy parts of the cover, rendering it ineffective, with a chance of hitting your enemy in the process.
In any of these cases, bullets will suppress the soldier and hinder his aiming and movement. So, as a rule of thumb, it is always good to pop some rounds in that general direction when you're changing positions, hopefully into some sort of cover in a flanking position.
Given this, always remember to move between covers, provide cover fire and check your cover points for any vulnerabilities. Your lives may depend on it.
We hope you enjoyed this week's devlog. We'll be back soon with more news about Thunder Tier One. Join us on Discord for more details!
We'd like to discuss the rules of engagement for when you're out there in the field. As a Thunder operative, your duty is to maintain the order and execute your mission in a clean sweep. Civilian casualties are to be avoided at all costs and, if possible, you should try to apprehend suspects alive and unharmed.
So today, we're approaching the matter of arrests.
You can command an enemy combatant to surrender and issue an arrest command. This won't mean, however, that he'll always comply with your orders. His willingness to surrender will depend on a number of factors, each of them with its own weight and relevance.
A stealthy approach, catching an insurgent off-guard, will weigh the scale in your favor as a surprised enemy will feel he has no time to react to a weapon aimed at him. This is particularly relevant if done at close range. Sneak up to him, approaching silently, and command him to lay down his weapons. He'll likely comply and all you have to do is cuff him or order one of your operatives to do so.
Having him at the tip of your weapon is also important. You're more likely to succeed if your weapon is aimed at him rather than pointing at the ground in front of you.
If you enter into combat, however, it will still remain possible to force an insurgent to surrender. He will resist, of course, particularly if he's well-armed and surrounded by his fellow insurgents, outnumbering Thunder operatives. An injured soldier will be more prone to surrender, and a stunned or incapacitated combatant will most likely lay down his weapon – if he's still holding it in the first place. Wounding an insurgent will make him more compliant to your commands but even an unharmed insurgent will comply if he loses hope in winning the engagement. Watching his companions fall will lower his morale, making him more prone to surrender.
In long engagements, lack of ammunition can also be a factor. When an insurgent depletes his ammo supplies, he'll scan his surroundings for weapons and ammunition. If he is unsuccessful, he'll avoid Thunder operatives and is very likely to surrender.
That is all for now regarding the rules of engagement, operators.
We'll be back soon with more news about Thunder Tier One. Join us on Discord for more details and information.
The battlefield is an unforgiving place on Thunder Tier One. Ammunition and supplies are often scarce and scavenging for ammo isn’t always an option when bullets are flying over your helmet. However, as an elite special forces squad, Thunder One has added support when needing to resupply and reinforce its unit.
In dire circumstances, once per mission, players will be able to deploy a Tactical Goat – the pet mascot of Thunder One. Equipped with satchel bags filled with supplies, the Tactical Goat can infiltrate behind enemy lines without alerting opposition squads and deliver supplies to the task force. Despite being stealthy, the Tactical Goat is not invisible and may be fired upon if the enemy spots it.
During engagement, the Tactical Goat's speed and agility will help him avoid direct contact with enemies and, if hit, the Goat will recover some health by eating certain parts of the map - something we'll explain in a forthcoming devlog.
So, make sure you keep your mascot safe and your soldiers resupplied.
We'll be beck with more news about Thunder Tier One soon. In the meantime, join us on Discord to get the news first-hand.
Following on from our previous notes about ballistics and weight, we'd now like to focus on armour – tying the two concepts together.
While setting up loadouts, one must bear in mind that not all gear offers effective ballistic protection. The loadout for each mission should take into account inventory space – namely for magazines, grenades, and utility items – while ideally also offering some degree of protection.
Some ballistic gear, however, may impair the use of other equipment that's more suitable for inventory space, so balance needs to be considered when setting up for a mission.
It is important to balance the two to avoid weighing down a soldier to the point where his agility and dexterity – thus his efficiency on the battlefield – are compromised. The speeds with which your character can switch his weapons, reload, vault over an obstacle or sprint away from danger will all be affected by his loadout.
Operatives will have ballistic protection gear in the form of helmets and vests, while other gear such as tactical rigs, face masks and elbow, knee and shin pads may eventually be added to the game. Each piece of equipment is labelled with its protection category:
Class A gear will offer medium level protection against shrapnel, low level protection against small calibre weapons and negligible protection against heavier rounds. This equipment is usually the lightest, thus enabling greater mobility and inventory capacity.
Class B gear will offer high level protection against shrapnel and medium level protection against small calibre weapons. While it offers very limited protection against rifle calibre weapons, its protection against high calibre weapons is negligible.
Class C gear will provide high level protection against small calibre weapons and reasonably low level protection against rifle calibre weapons, while offering maximum protection against shrapnel.
Class D gear offers the greatest amount of protection, shielding its wearer almost completely from most small calibre weapons and shrapnel, and offering medium level protection against rifle calibre weapons. It adds a low degree of protection against high calibre rounds too. Usually, however, this armour class is quite bulky and heavy, therefore lowering soldiers’ manoeuvrability and speed.
Protection class depends on the material, body areas covered and the armour characteristics that determine weight. Materials vary from Nylon or Kevlar to Titanium or Steel and can have paddings or plates from different materials to reinforce the armour at certain points, adding protection (and weight!) to the equipment you carry.
The Body Armor Mk2
The Body Armor Mk2, for instance, offers Class C protection, with ceramic plates adding extra shielding to the Kevlar vest. By comparison, the 6B5-18[7b] allows titanium plates, offering a higher degree of protection, with the trade-off of increased weight and bulkiness for a Class D vest.
The 6B5-18 Vest
It’s up to you to decide how to gear up for a mission.
