Hey, it’s SnakeF8!

I just returned from a small hiatus because I had orders to train at Fort Knox. Off topic, but as a Project Zomboid fan, being where the game took place felt weird. I should’ve made an announcement, but I was concerned it might drive people away. Hindsight 20/20, it would have been in my best interest to communicate that (mission failed we’ll get ‘em next time). This is my first major project, so I’m still learning with the engagement side of things. Being in ROTC, we had to do a month-long course called Advance Camp, and it’s designed to test everything learned throughout the past three years. Once I got home, I took a small break to recollect everything I learned to make the game better, but it also helped with keeping me anonymous with which regiment I was a part of.

So why does this all matter?

I want the character interactions within Soldiers’ Descent to feel as authentic as possible, and my team, squad, and platoon all played a part in that while I was there. Despite there being 38 of us, we were all close as if we’ve known each other for years. Being involved with all of these unique personalities drove inspiration while training. 

Two out of the three party members are/have been active duty personnel at one point, and the remaining member is a reservist. Up until now, I have never been in an active duty environment, but that is no longer the case. Even if it was for a short time, I now have a taste in how the active duty side of the military works, so I can now better write LT Dex and CPL Herder.

My time at Fort Knox was divided into two phases: garrison and the field. Garrison taught me a lot of doctrinal stuff which will influence how the party will interact with each other. Although there are other characters, most dialogue will be between the party. There was some practical stuff I also learned in case I want to add more features (rappelling, grenades, etc.). The field portion incorporated combat mission simulations, and even though I understand infantry warfare on a platoon level, sleeping outside for 12 days improved my understanding. That part isn’t going to impact gameplay much but more so the stories the party will share with each other, enriching backstories, authentic conversations, and character development. I even documented most of my missions to help out. However, there is one game mechanic my experience will bolster significantly.

Weapon recoil is something I want to get down to a science. I’m very well-versed with firearms, but my experience so far was mostly with semi-automatic weapons. I have shot machine guns in the past, but that was nothing compared to the time I was out in the woods. To keep providing more ammo, we had to use it all by the end of the day. That meant we all got to use the “giggle switch” on our M4s, and deplete our M249 and M240 belts. We were given blanks to shoot, so recoil was a little less than actual ammo. Despite this, it’s safe to say I understand how full auto recoil feels with three guns and two calibers (5.56 and 7.62x51). I can potentially extrapolate this knowledge with other guns and calibers, but since I’m prioritizing the full demo, I’m not making these changes on the tech demo.

Moving onto the game plan for this sprint, it’s mostly just working on cutscenes and events to build the demo. Once the 26th arrives, I will post about what’s being worked on, what worked, and what didn’t. Download the tech demo, join the Discord, and feel free to reach out to me for anything relating to Soldiers’ Descent!