SITREP // INITIATIVE, GEAR, AND THE COMBAT LOOP [0024]

// SITREP [0027] [DEV] [2026-06-04-1100] [KAOS // DV-98] [NAFOSEC // NCC-RIGA] [RE: WORLD TURN, GEAR, CONSIDERATIONS]

A lot has moved since our last update. The concurrency system is in, the gear system keeps deepening, and there are some things about where the combat layer is heading that are worth talking through openly.

WORLD TURN // CONCURRENCY

The world turn system that shipped in the last couple of builds is worth talking about because it solves a problem that's been sitting under the surface for a while. When combat starts and the game shifts into turn based mode, everything outside the engagement kept running in real time. Patrols moved unchecked. Units outside the fight had no structure. Half the map was operating under one set of rules and the other half was running loose.

The world turn system puts everything under round control the moment combat starts. Units in contact fight through the tactical phase. Units outside contact take a structured action each round. When all engagements resolve the map returns to real time. Every unit on the map is accounted for at all times.

GEAR // MODULAR MOLLE SYSTEM

The modular MOLLE system keeps moving forward. The goal has always been that what you see on your operator reflects what they're actually carrying. Plate carriers don't have built in storage, you attach a rig and the rig determines your pouches and what goes in them. Ceramic and steel plate inserts determine your actual armor protection values. Magazine pouches accept the magazines they were physically designed for. Weight and volume constrain what you can carry.

The core of the system is in. Right now we're filling it out, attaching the right pouches to preconfigured kits, adding weight and volume values to items, and continuing to refine the palette of gear available. The logic is there. We're building on top of it. Steam post image

WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT // COMBAT RESOLUTION

There's something we've been turning over for a while that's worth sharing, not as an announcement, just an honest look at where our thinking is going.

Outside of contact the map runs as it always has. You move your operators freely, react to what you see, reposition in real time. But there's an optional layer we've been thinking about adding, the ability to plot routes, set waypoints, assign facing directions before committing to a move. You wouldn't have to use it. Click and move still works exactly the same way. But for players who want to plan a coordinated approach before stepping into a dangerous area, that layer would be there.

When contact starts and the game shifts into turn based mode, the idea we keep coming back to is plan and execute. You plan your operators' actions for that beat, movement, firing positions, facing, all of it within their available AP, and then you commit and watch everything execute simultaneously. Your side, their side, the chaos of it playing out at once. Then it pauses and you plan the next beat. Full tactical depth, full AP constraints, initiative still governing the order. You plan, you commit, and then you find out what happens.

It's not a departure from what we're building. It's the next layer of it, adding the weight of commitment and the tension of execution to a system that already works.

This isn't a decision we've made, it's something we're actively thinking through. If you have thoughts on it we'd genuinely like to hear them.

WHAT'S COMING BEFORE EA

Lots in motion as we head toward early access. Among the things we're working on:

• Deepening the triage and battlefield wounding systems

• Context menus and smoother interaction, right click to move, right click for options, less friction between intention and action

• Tooltips and expanded item information

• Command wheel refinements and expanded commands, adding prone, obstacle traversal, and additional operator actions

• Deepening the mission system

Hold the Line. Always Forward. Слава Україні. Героям слава. //-- BACKER GAME KEYS CAN BE ACCESSED VIA UPLINK PORTAL: https://burnedhorizons.com/uplink All keys listed in your Operator Service Jacket (Uplink Profile) so far can be activated, but currently only the base game can be installed. Once activated, the Forward Deployed Supporter Pack, Soundtrack, etc. will prompt an install closer to 1.0. ADDITIONAL KEYS CAN BE OBTAINED BY DIRECTLY SUPPORTING THE GAME'S DEVELOPMENT VIA THE DIRECT BACKER PORTAL: https://burnedhorizons.com/dbx WISHLIST/FOLLOW ON STEAM | JOIN THE DISCORD

REVIEWS: TURN BASED LOVERS, POPULAR AIRSOFT, GAZETTE DU WARGAMER