Dev Update: Deathmatch Core Loop!

This past month of development has been incredibly exciting, especially because I have been working on the foundation of what will become Hoverise Rebellion's core gameplay cycle. The Core Loop is the heart of any game, and for us, it is all about the HoverTank combat experience, especially in classic Arena Shooter modes like Deathmatch.

In this devblog, I will focus on the overall progress I made in architecture, movement systems, and attacks. I may later go deeper into each feature, because there is truly a lot to share about every single one of them.

So, let's begin!

Full Core Loop

This month I focused on building the complete cycle, from the moment a player enters the main menu, selects a game mode, and fights all the way to victory or defeat. Here is a diagram of that flow:

1. Main Menu - Game Mode Selection (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, etc.) 2. Match Lobby - Waiting for Players - Match Start for Listen Server or Dedicated Server 3. Deathmatch - Team Deathmatch Combat - HoverTank Spawn - Combat with abilities and weapons - Respawn after death 4. Match End - Results Screen - Option to Return to Main Menu or Play Again

This flow may look simple on paper, but each of these steps involves a huge amount of technical and design work to ensure the experience is smooth, fun, and stable. From network management and state synchronization to ability design and combat balance, every part is crucial to the game's success.

Team-based game modes

In addition to classic Deathmatch, I am also implementing team-based modes like Team Deathmatch. At the code level, the system carefully handles player assignment, scoring, and win-condition logic for every HoverTank, projectile, and ability used.

This may sound trivial, but the way I developed it makes it adaptable and extensible for different game modes. For example, it allows asymmetric teams, objective-based modes, and could even support more than 2 teams per match. 4 or 6 teams? We would have to explore where that could best apply.

Network optimization for chaotic matches

I constantly test network quality in multiplayer matches. I observe whether the number of shots and abilities happening at all times feels smooth and responsive for players connected to a server under latency and packet-loss conditions. This is especially important in a game like Hoverise Rebellion, where combat is fast and chaotic, and every millisecond counts.

The basic attack system currently works with network prediction, so it is optimized for the player to feel immediate feedback when firing, while the server processes a single authoritative order to validate shots, impacts, and damage. Abilities work similarly through GAS, and movement is fully replicated thanks to Mover. In summary, all of this is in great shape to maximize online match performance between players.

However, there was still a problem. HoverTanks fight at high speed, with lots of action, in a very small space. It is easy to have 4 to 5 HoverTanks in one room shooting and using abilities at the same time, which makes it very hard for the server to process everything over the network, and I was already seeing lag, frame skips, or even players disappearing.

To address this, I implemented Unreal Engine's Iris Replication System, a technology that optimizes and prioritizes HoverTank replication. This Unreal feature is almost Plug & Play for network optimization, requiring minimal changes. I tested it and immediately started seeing better results in the feel of online matches. Even so, it was not enough, so I configured additional Prioritizers to effectively prioritize network traffic based on whatever combat is happening at that moment. After testing the game with those changes, voila, the game feels great. On a small map designed for 4 to 5 HoverTanks, I was able to run nearly 26 HoverTanks without issues, which is impressive.

New Map!

Finally, I also designed a new map to test combat in enclosed spaces. This map is a small Deathmatch arena for low player counts (4 to 5 HoverTanks) and duels. I tried to create something that feels futuristic and coherent while making good use of the verticality that HoverTank combat offers. It can feel tight in some areas, but that is intentional, to give players clear boundaries and avoid having all space available at once. It has zones for cover, jumping, boosting, and more. I like the result, and of course I want to see how it feels with more players in it.

Also, although this could deserve a dedicated section, I implemented a new wall booster. It only activates when you use the boost ability, and it will launch you in the direction it is pointing. It also recharges a bit of HoverTank energy when used, which makes it important for experienced players to use the map strategically to gain an advantage.

I prepared this map with 3 lighting variants. The night version feels perfect for some kind of 1v1 duel, with spotlight beams aimed at the center of the arena to create a more dramatic fight.

What's next?

There is still a lot to continue working on, but at the same time, everything is already taking shape. In upcoming blogs, I will be sharing more progress on:

• New HoverTank Abilities: A deep dive into each class's abilities.

• AddedUI UpdatesA look at the new HUD and menu designs.

• Model and map updates.

• Implementation of backend systems for progression and matchmaking.

I have much more to show very soon, and thank you so much for all the Steam wishlists!

— Ignacio Quinteros of Zeak Games