USC: Counterforce Alpha 0.3.0 Demo is available!

We've been working hard to release a new alpha demo build by the end of the year, that -- while still very far from complete -- offers a greatly improved overall game experience.

IMPORTANT! If you already played the game, for the best experience please find "settings.dat" in "C:\Users\[username]\AppData\LocalLow\Angry Cat Studios\USC Counterforce" and delete it prior to launching the new build (OR go to Settings after launching and review all new settings; by default they will be Off, but you might want to enable some.)

New content / features:

-- Morale system (morale requirements for actions, bad mental states, etc.)

-- Bio (poison) damage system

-- UI: dynamic Action Points preview bar (toggleable)

-- New weapon: Shotgun (at least 9 more distinct weapons are coming, stay tuned!)

-- Slightly improved AI (more aggressive) (note: this is not by far the final state of the AI)

-- Basic Wurm and Reaper special combat abilities (Wurms leave rad splats, Reapers steal health)

-- New settings: HD head camera, unit outlining, single-click adjacent movement, etc.

-- Minor improvements to UI (mainly Unit specs.)

-- Readjusted the difficulty settings in terms of enemy numbers, health, skills, etc.; although far from complete, the game now much more resembles the threat level and action we aim to bring. It's recommended to play on "Normal" first, and then increase the difficulty if it was not "tight" enough.

Changes / fixes:

-- Adjusted the overall graphical atmosphere of the game (mainly saturation, contrast, brightness) and the UI to provide a colder, more ominous feeling. Also fixed excessive brightness in some cases (rad pools, fires, etc.)

-- Readjusted targeting markers/overlays to be more visible and clear under any lighting conditions

-- Per-projectile ammo bonuses are now shown and calculated correctly

-- Minor bug fixes across the board (mainly UI)

Alpha 4 and 5 will be released in January and February, respectively. According to current plans, Alpha 5 will be the last freely downloadable demo version of the game, which will be available indefinitely (but without any updates). If you'd like to try the game and fancy yourself some extraterrestrial bug-hunting, you're feedback, bug reports, and observations are always welcome! We still have a very long road to go before the game is finished, but month by month new features, weapons, items, etc. be added.

Please keep in mind that while this release is deemed "stable", it's still an early Alpha build and bugs of any proportions may exist. Your feedback is kindly appreciated!

Alpha 4 will bring melee weapons, alien nest mechanics and improved AI, statistics, probably a few new weapons, and hopefully the hacking system.

Happy hunting! ;)