Echoes of Steel - Weekly Dev Log: Deepening the Core & Tactical Overhauls

This week has been a massive learning experience. Recently, I pushed the current build out to my dedicated group of beta testers. My main goal for this phase was straightforward: make sure the game works and see if a player could actually reach the end.

The reality? They didn't make it to the end.

Some testers got bored, while others just lacked the time to push through. I won't lie, taking that feedback was tough, but it’s exactly why we do beta testing. It was a massive wake-up call. The current state of the game was functional and ready for testing, but it clearly wasn't the final version. The foundation was there, but the depth needed to keep players hooked through a full campaign was missing.

So, I dove right back in to give the tactical layer the complexity it desperately needs. Here is what I’ve been working on to level up the game this week:

⚙️ The Big Pivot: Progression Overhaul I took a hard look at how progression felt and realized something fundamental: Mechs shouldn't level up with EXP. It just feels weird. They are giant machines of war—they get better when you bolt better tech and gear onto them!

• Removed Mech Leveling: Your mechs will now rely entirely on their loadouts, tech, and gear upgrades.

• AddedNew AI-Core & Pilot Skill TreesTo replace the old system, I've implemented a brand new AI-Core skill tree to handle the computational and tactical upgrades of your units, alongside a smaller, specialized Pilot skill tree for your crew.

💥 Tactical Depth & Status Effects To inject more challenge and variety into combat and prevent the mid-game from feeling repetitive, I’ve introduced a new Status Effect System.

• Units can now inflict (and suffer from) effects like Stun and Burn (19 effects so far). This completely changes the dynamic of the grid and requires much more strategic planning before you end your turn.

📸 UI & UX Enhancements

• Camera Rotation: You now have the option to rotate the camera, giving you the perfect tactical vantage point of the battlefield.

• AddedHealth BarsAdded visible health bars to streamline combat readability and keep you focused on the action without having to dig through menus.

• Research Tree Redesign: I also spent four days completely rebuilding the Research Tree. It's no longer a boring list—it's now a fully visual, intuitive node-based web!

🗓️ The Road Ahead Officially moving the release window back to mid-July has honestly given me a huge sense of relief. It’s provided the breathing room necessary to implement these core improvements without compromising the vision. I’m still working at full power, squashing bugs, and refining UI/UX issues daily.

My hope is that these massive changes to the core loop will pull my testing squad right back into the pilot seat—I definitely need their brutal feedback for this next phase! There’s still a mountain of work ahead, but I am genuinely having a blast bringing this project to life.

Thank you all for the continued support. I'll catch you in the next update!

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