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Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!
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#21
Games Discussion / Re: Headquarters: World War II
Last post by Asid - April 08, 2026, 05:00:53 PMHeadquarters: World War II - v1.04.13 out now
Wed, April 8, 2026
Fixes and Improvemements
With the release of Headquarters: Cold War, there have been various fixes and improvements within the Headquarters engine.
Work done on HQ: Cold War directly impact on improvements for WWII too:
• Fixed a minor interface bug where the button to learn a unit's ability was available without any level up points.
• A bug was fixed where AI could deploy troops in multiplayer even on flags controlled by other players. AI can also now use the deployment tiles of captured players.
• We've fixed the AI algorithm. Previously, when deployment cells were fully loaded, the AI would freeze and stop responding properly.
• Removed the ability to save in Hot Seat game mode.
• Fixed possible crashes of Skirmish maps if the player had archived files in the Skirmish map folder.
• Fixed the blinking of unit promotion stars. Previously, when a unit gained a level, the stars remained static; now they smoothly blink, improving the understanding of which units can receive additional upgrades.
Wed, April 8, 2026
Fixes and Improvemements
With the release of Headquarters: Cold War, there have been various fixes and improvements within the Headquarters engine.
Work done on HQ: Cold War directly impact on improvements for WWII too:
• Fixed a minor interface bug where the button to learn a unit's ability was available without any level up points.
• A bug was fixed where AI could deploy troops in multiplayer even on flags controlled by other players. AI can also now use the deployment tiles of captured players.
• We've fixed the AI algorithm. Previously, when deployment cells were fully loaded, the AI would freeze and stop responding properly.
• Removed the ability to save in Hot Seat game mode.
• Fixed possible crashes of Skirmish maps if the player had archived files in the Skirmish map folder.
• Fixed the blinking of unit promotion stars. Previously, when a unit gained a level, the stars remained static; now they smoothly blink, improving the understanding of which units can receive additional upgrades.
#22
Games Discussion / Re: Strategos : Classical anti...
Last post by Asid - April 08, 2026, 12:44:18 AMBrythonic Army List
Tue, 7 April 2026
Brythonic
Misc:
Tue, 7 April 2026
Brythonic
- Added Brythonic (Ancient British) army list
- Added new British Units: British warband, veteran warband, slingers and light cavalry (and also uses existing Celtic chariots)
- Added portraits, names, descriptions and translations for above
Misc:
- Added Ptolemaic Cataphracts
- More translations to CAP grid value charts
- Added more Chariot information in manual
#23
Games Discussion / Re: Exanima
Last post by Asid - April 06, 2026, 11:55:26 PMCoffee Diary - April 2026
Mon, 6 April 2026
Hey Exanimates,
It has been a very busy month indeed. Our next test run will basically be a release candidate that includes pretty much everything. Testing so far has gone pretty smoothly, so hopefully the trend will continue, though there are some pretty big changes and additions.
Besides some more content and polish for the Gardens, a lot of focus has been on overall polish and making sure that some core systems are really solid. We mentioned we were working on solving some pathfinding issues, mostly to stop your companions and enemies from falling into holes with your precious loot, but this went really deep with a lot of fundamental improvements and additions to pathfinding systems and features. The smarter pathing is a big improvement and NPCs can now negotiate some seriously tricky paths. In the same vein, we wanted to finally solve issues with characters occasionally getting stuck in objects or the environment. This happens when distant characters stop testing collision to save performance, or when the game lapses time while you're unconscious and repositions them, or when entering a map with followers in tow. All it takes is for a character's foot to be in the wrong place (for example) and they can become permanently stuck inside something. Trying to fully position a character in a way that no part of them is colliding is actually a very difficult problem that requires many things to solve. But these solutions have many uses, we were able to solve various other physics and placement issues and we can now also do a really solid unstuck feature. These aren't the most exciting things to be working on, but the complex nature of the game and developing our own engine means we have to tackle these difficult problems and can't just work on game features and content.
We also did some nice improvements to the new thaumaturgy domain. We were happy with the new core visual effects we developed for it, but some of the supporting effects were letting it down and there were still a few quirks to solve. The effects we wanted to improve seemed like hard rendering limitations at first, but we started to see ways they could be overcome. These were not easy to do though, so we were hesitant to try, but in the end we just had to do it so now we have some really nice new features in our rendering engine that will be useful for many things. We can't really go into specifics without spoiling what the new thaumaturgy domain is, but the changes and additions are about solving some fundamental real time rendering problems and here they provide some nice visual polish.
Some of the new content we're introducing in Gardens put us in need of very fast loading times. We're always trying to improve them, and we'd already done a lot here, but the levels keep getting bigger, more complex and varied. Procedural items and characters also require a bunch of extra processing and resources compared to non-unique pre-made assets. The dream would be for any content to be fully streaming with zero loading times, but in many situations this is extremely difficult to do and requires many clever systems working in perfect synchrony. Very fast loading times would allow seamless travel between zones, entering buildings, sections of maps or falling into pits to land somewhere else, without breaking the flow of the game, but streaming and virtualisation can also be critical to some game features, make many other things seamless and responsive and reduce resource consumption, allowing us to do more. It becomes necessary for large open maps, but also the game can't freeze when NPCs are allowed to move around the world, enter a map you're in, change and interact with things. Or other players for that matter.
Streaming content isn't especially difficult when it's just loading some assets or something specialised like terrain, but all our characters and items go through the same procedural generation that touches on many engine systems and resources that are busy doing something else. If these are accessed the game will crash, if we just wait for work to complete we're back to freezing, or terrible performance. This means everything had to change to coordinate this work, and every little interaction or small change must be carefully scheduled and pipelined, it can't just execute as needed. Characters can wear almost 30 procedural items at once that need to be modified based on how they interact with other items (a single piece of clothing can be dynamically assembled from 100s of meshes), collision volumes and voxels are generated, masses are calculated and all sorts, so generating or modifying a character can take a lot of work and time. A brief pause when using the UI can be forgiven, but sometimes this needs to happen in the middle of the action and the game freezing is unacceptable.
We're not trying to achieve the zero loading times everywhere dream here yet, but just to meet our immediate requirements we had to tackle the most difficult problems, build support for all this at an engine level and change the way we handle every character UI, item interaction and many things besides. It's been a lot of difficult work, but now loading times are up to four times faster and content can be loaded, generated and modified as you play without the game freezing, or even stuttering. As to why we deemed it necessary to do this now, you'll have to wait and see, but the faster loading times are really nice in general, things like opening the inventory no longer freeze the game and a lot of things just feel more responsive and smooth. We didn't realise how much of a difference this all makes until we tried it ourselves. These changes are also very noticeable in arena, where there's constant loading in and out of matches and a lot of character and item screens which could feel very slow and tedious to navigate.
Speaking of procedural characters, long ago we teased some experiments we did with deep wounds on undead exposing flesh, organs and bones. That was just a rough concept and required a fair amount of work to actually make it into an in-game feature, but we finally got round to it. We've made many changes to the procedural decomposition, but this is the main addition. There's a number of decomposition effects that change including the extent of the wounds, and the patterns of the wounds and other effects are unique to each individual. Here's some screenshots showing some levels of decomposition and different examples.
Something else we've been wanting to do properly for a good while is shader compilation. You've probably noticed the stutters this can cause when you first load up the game, especially on a new update. We've been neglecting this as we're constantly making changes to our rendering engine and maintaining this can be difficult. Our engine is unlike most modern engines, we leverage forward rendering for a lot of versatility in materials and effects, but also to implement a huge number of highly specific optimisations. But this requires a massive number of specific shaders that are generated dynamically and predicting which ones will be needed gets complicated. We've just tackled this and added some dev tools that allow us to track which shaders are being compiled when. This makes maintaining things easier and helps us compile most shaders in advance to remove most of the stuttering. We plan to expand on this as we introduce more ways to mask shader compilation, so that you're not just hit with a long wait when launching the game instead. The new streaming features we just mentioned should also help us do this.
While working on various things we also found new ways to further improve image quality. Image quality is kind of our engine's signature thing, we go to great lengths to produce the best possible sub-pixel rendering and produce a sharp detailed image with minimal aliasing. This is particularly important with all our highly detailed shiny objects which are small on screen and also the subtle motion, which would otherwise be a shimmering or smudged mess. Our "supersampling" (for lack of a better word) does most of the heavy lifting, but there's a lot of tricks and processing that go into this, starting at the asset level. We invented a new trick and made some general improvements which further improve image definition and reduce aliasing. We also made some specific improvements to character views and item icons where the difference is most noticeable.
Best,
Bare Mettle
Mon, 6 April 2026
Hey Exanimates,
It has been a very busy month indeed. Our next test run will basically be a release candidate that includes pretty much everything. Testing so far has gone pretty smoothly, so hopefully the trend will continue, though there are some pretty big changes and additions.
Besides some more content and polish for the Gardens, a lot of focus has been on overall polish and making sure that some core systems are really solid. We mentioned we were working on solving some pathfinding issues, mostly to stop your companions and enemies from falling into holes with your precious loot, but this went really deep with a lot of fundamental improvements and additions to pathfinding systems and features. The smarter pathing is a big improvement and NPCs can now negotiate some seriously tricky paths. In the same vein, we wanted to finally solve issues with characters occasionally getting stuck in objects or the environment. This happens when distant characters stop testing collision to save performance, or when the game lapses time while you're unconscious and repositions them, or when entering a map with followers in tow. All it takes is for a character's foot to be in the wrong place (for example) and they can become permanently stuck inside something. Trying to fully position a character in a way that no part of them is colliding is actually a very difficult problem that requires many things to solve. But these solutions have many uses, we were able to solve various other physics and placement issues and we can now also do a really solid unstuck feature. These aren't the most exciting things to be working on, but the complex nature of the game and developing our own engine means we have to tackle these difficult problems and can't just work on game features and content.
We also did some nice improvements to the new thaumaturgy domain. We were happy with the new core visual effects we developed for it, but some of the supporting effects were letting it down and there were still a few quirks to solve. The effects we wanted to improve seemed like hard rendering limitations at first, but we started to see ways they could be overcome. These were not easy to do though, so we were hesitant to try, but in the end we just had to do it so now we have some really nice new features in our rendering engine that will be useful for many things. We can't really go into specifics without spoiling what the new thaumaturgy domain is, but the changes and additions are about solving some fundamental real time rendering problems and here they provide some nice visual polish.
Some of the new content we're introducing in Gardens put us in need of very fast loading times. We're always trying to improve them, and we'd already done a lot here, but the levels keep getting bigger, more complex and varied. Procedural items and characters also require a bunch of extra processing and resources compared to non-unique pre-made assets. The dream would be for any content to be fully streaming with zero loading times, but in many situations this is extremely difficult to do and requires many clever systems working in perfect synchrony. Very fast loading times would allow seamless travel between zones, entering buildings, sections of maps or falling into pits to land somewhere else, without breaking the flow of the game, but streaming and virtualisation can also be critical to some game features, make many other things seamless and responsive and reduce resource consumption, allowing us to do more. It becomes necessary for large open maps, but also the game can't freeze when NPCs are allowed to move around the world, enter a map you're in, change and interact with things. Or other players for that matter.
Streaming content isn't especially difficult when it's just loading some assets or something specialised like terrain, but all our characters and items go through the same procedural generation that touches on many engine systems and resources that are busy doing something else. If these are accessed the game will crash, if we just wait for work to complete we're back to freezing, or terrible performance. This means everything had to change to coordinate this work, and every little interaction or small change must be carefully scheduled and pipelined, it can't just execute as needed. Characters can wear almost 30 procedural items at once that need to be modified based on how they interact with other items (a single piece of clothing can be dynamically assembled from 100s of meshes), collision volumes and voxels are generated, masses are calculated and all sorts, so generating or modifying a character can take a lot of work and time. A brief pause when using the UI can be forgiven, but sometimes this needs to happen in the middle of the action and the game freezing is unacceptable.
We're not trying to achieve the zero loading times everywhere dream here yet, but just to meet our immediate requirements we had to tackle the most difficult problems, build support for all this at an engine level and change the way we handle every character UI, item interaction and many things besides. It's been a lot of difficult work, but now loading times are up to four times faster and content can be loaded, generated and modified as you play without the game freezing, or even stuttering. As to why we deemed it necessary to do this now, you'll have to wait and see, but the faster loading times are really nice in general, things like opening the inventory no longer freeze the game and a lot of things just feel more responsive and smooth. We didn't realise how much of a difference this all makes until we tried it ourselves. These changes are also very noticeable in arena, where there's constant loading in and out of matches and a lot of character and item screens which could feel very slow and tedious to navigate.
Speaking of procedural characters, long ago we teased some experiments we did with deep wounds on undead exposing flesh, organs and bones. That was just a rough concept and required a fair amount of work to actually make it into an in-game feature, but we finally got round to it. We've made many changes to the procedural decomposition, but this is the main addition. There's a number of decomposition effects that change including the extent of the wounds, and the patterns of the wounds and other effects are unique to each individual. Here's some screenshots showing some levels of decomposition and different examples.
Something else we've been wanting to do properly for a good while is shader compilation. You've probably noticed the stutters this can cause when you first load up the game, especially on a new update. We've been neglecting this as we're constantly making changes to our rendering engine and maintaining this can be difficult. Our engine is unlike most modern engines, we leverage forward rendering for a lot of versatility in materials and effects, but also to implement a huge number of highly specific optimisations. But this requires a massive number of specific shaders that are generated dynamically and predicting which ones will be needed gets complicated. We've just tackled this and added some dev tools that allow us to track which shaders are being compiled when. This makes maintaining things easier and helps us compile most shaders in advance to remove most of the stuttering. We plan to expand on this as we introduce more ways to mask shader compilation, so that you're not just hit with a long wait when launching the game instead. The new streaming features we just mentioned should also help us do this.
While working on various things we also found new ways to further improve image quality. Image quality is kind of our engine's signature thing, we go to great lengths to produce the best possible sub-pixel rendering and produce a sharp detailed image with minimal aliasing. This is particularly important with all our highly detailed shiny objects which are small on screen and also the subtle motion, which would otherwise be a shimmering or smudged mess. Our "supersampling" (for lack of a better word) does most of the heavy lifting, but there's a lot of tricks and processing that go into this, starting at the asset level. We invented a new trick and made some general improvements which further improve image definition and reduce aliasing. We also made some specific improvements to character views and item icons where the difference is most noticeable.
Best,
Bare Mettle
#24
Games Discussion / Re: Air Defence RADAR Simulato...
Last post by Asid - April 05, 2026, 09:42:07 PMRoadmap
We're on the way to Early Access on Steam for PC.
We're on the way to Early Access on Steam for PC.
- AWACS/Datalinks functionality
- QRA launch
- Intercept behaviour
- Aircraft redeployment across UK airfields
- Voice-overs for commands
- Internal Comms
- ASMA comms
- Training Scenarios
#25
Games Discussion / Re: Air Defence RADAR Simulato...
Last post by Asid - April 05, 2026, 09:40:37 PM
#26
Games Discussion / Air Defence RADAR Simulator Ga...
Last post by Asid - April 05, 2026, 09:37:27 PM
Command the sky in a tense real-time strategy simulation where you manage a nation's air defenses. Analyze radar contacts, scramble interceptor jets, and make split-second decisions to protect your airspace from hostile threats.
Official Site: Here
Steam: Here
Manual: HERE
Theatre: real-world terrain maps UK
Turns: Real Time
AI: Yes
Single-player: Yes
Multiplayer: No
Trailer
About This Game
TAKE COMMAND OF THE NATION'S AIR DEFENSE
Step into the RAF ops room — take the chair as an Identification Officer or Weapons Controller. Build the picture, scramble QRA, and own the intercept.
The sky is your battlefield. A hostile contact appears on radar. Is it a civilian airliner off course, or the prelude to a full-scale attack? Your job is to find out.
Air Defender is a high-stakes, real-time strategy simulation that puts you in the command chair of a national Air Defence network. From a top-down strategic view, you are the unseen hand responsible for detecting, identifying, and intercepting airborne threats. This is not a dogfighting game; you are not a pilot. You are the commander with access to the capabilities of multiple roles in the bunker, and the fate of the nation rests on your split-second decisions.
Analyse radar returns, scramble your Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) fighters, and manage your assets to protect your airspace. Every choice matters, and the consequences of failure are devastating.
Key Features
- High-Fidelity Command & Control: Take on the role of an Air Defense Commander. Manage a detailed radar network, interpret IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) data, and issue commands to your forces.
- Scramble QRA Interceptors: Launch your fighter aircraft to investigate, shadow, or engage hostile contacts. Manage their fuel, weapons, and mission objectives in real-time.
- Deep Information Warfare: Utilise authentic-inspired systems to build a complete picture of the battlespace. Monitor flight plans, analyse electronic warfare (EW) intelligence, and stay one step ahead of the enemy.
- Intelligent Enemy AI: Face a dynamic adversary that will probe your defenses, launch coordinated attacks, and adapt to your strategy, creating a challenging and replayable experience.
- Play Endless or complete Training Missions to become Combat Ready. In Endless, you will be challenged to spot the bad guys, ensure they don't sneak through, if you do, it could lead to all out war.
Welcome to the command center. The watch is yours.
#27
Games Discussion / Re: Decision Point: Battlegrou...
Last post by Asid - April 05, 2026, 08:55:47 PMDev Diary #2 — Welcome Back to Decision Point
Fri, April 3, 2026
Welcome back to Decision Point.
It has been some time since the first development diary. Shortly after that post, the project received a publishing offer, and much of the period since has been spent in discussions and negotiations about its future.
Those discussions have now been concluded, and I'm happy to say that Decision Point is being published by Matrix Games.
This allows the project to be developed with the level of time and support that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. As a result, the release window has moved to Q1 2027, giving more time to properly develop the systems and improve the overall presentation.
Core Direction
Decision Point continues to be built around intent-based orders using NATO doctrine, AI subordinates that execute those orders in real time, and Decision Points that allow the player to react when combat or disruption changes the situation.
Real-world terrain, operational objectives, Main Supply Routes, scenario creation, and multiplayer remain central parts of the experience. For a fuller introduction to these systems, readers can look back at the first development diary.
Setting and Scope
Decision Point will feature near-future ORBATs for the US, British, Ukrainian, and Polish Armies against those of the Russian and Belarusian Armies, across battlefields in Eastern Ukraine and the Suwałki Gap area of Poland.
The aim remains the same: to create a tactical wargame built around intent, execution, and adaptation on an evolving battlefield.
What the Upcoming Dev Diaries Will Cover
Development has continued throughout this period, and the next series of dev diaries will begin to show much more of the game in detail.
These diaries will cover:
The Graphical Style of Decision Point
In particular, the use of NATO symbology to create the feeling of commanding forces from a real command post or C2 station.
The Order Creation Process
How players issue intent to the AI, plan operations, and respond when enemy contact changes the situation.
Battlegroup Organisation
How Decision Point structures a battlegroup into task-based Companies, Platoons, and Squads, and how that organisation supports command and control.
Terrain, Time of Day, and Battlefield Interpretation
A closer look at how terrain is visualised, how time of day affects gameplay, and what tools are available to help players read and understand the battlespace.
Combat
An overview of combat from detection to engagement, including the influence of armour and terrain, and how to interpret the results.
The Battle Balance Indicator
An introduction to the Battle Balance indicator, a tool designed to help players quickly assess the balance and likely direction of a combat engagement.
Indirect Fires
How indirect fires are deployed and coordinated to support manoeuvre and fit into the wider plan.
Airpower
The role of airpower in Decision Point, how to employ it, how to control its effects, and how to counter enemy air action.
Infantry and Drone Control
Advanced control of infantry and drones carried by frontline forces, including how and when to deploy them, and how to plan their actions at the right moment in an operation.
Looking Ahead
This new stage gives Decision Point a stronger foundation and the time needed to reach the standard the game requires.
The goal remains to create a tactical wargame about intent, execution, and adaptation, grounded in real doctrine, real terrain, and the realities of modern combat.
Decision Point, developed by NCED Wargames and published by Matrix Games, part of Slitherine Software, is planned for release in Q1 2027.
More will be shown in the upcoming dev diaries.
Fri, April 3, 2026
Welcome back to Decision Point.
It has been some time since the first development diary. Shortly after that post, the project received a publishing offer, and much of the period since has been spent in discussions and negotiations about its future.
Those discussions have now been concluded, and I'm happy to say that Decision Point is being published by Matrix Games.
This allows the project to be developed with the level of time and support that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. As a result, the release window has moved to Q1 2027, giving more time to properly develop the systems and improve the overall presentation.
Core Direction
Decision Point continues to be built around intent-based orders using NATO doctrine, AI subordinates that execute those orders in real time, and Decision Points that allow the player to react when combat or disruption changes the situation.
Real-world terrain, operational objectives, Main Supply Routes, scenario creation, and multiplayer remain central parts of the experience. For a fuller introduction to these systems, readers can look back at the first development diary.
Setting and Scope
Decision Point will feature near-future ORBATs for the US, British, Ukrainian, and Polish Armies against those of the Russian and Belarusian Armies, across battlefields in Eastern Ukraine and the Suwałki Gap area of Poland.
The aim remains the same: to create a tactical wargame built around intent, execution, and adaptation on an evolving battlefield.
What the Upcoming Dev Diaries Will Cover
Development has continued throughout this period, and the next series of dev diaries will begin to show much more of the game in detail.
These diaries will cover:
The Graphical Style of Decision Point
In particular, the use of NATO symbology to create the feeling of commanding forces from a real command post or C2 station.
The Order Creation Process
How players issue intent to the AI, plan operations, and respond when enemy contact changes the situation.
Battlegroup Organisation
How Decision Point structures a battlegroup into task-based Companies, Platoons, and Squads, and how that organisation supports command and control.
Terrain, Time of Day, and Battlefield Interpretation
A closer look at how terrain is visualised, how time of day affects gameplay, and what tools are available to help players read and understand the battlespace.
Combat
An overview of combat from detection to engagement, including the influence of armour and terrain, and how to interpret the results.
The Battle Balance Indicator
An introduction to the Battle Balance indicator, a tool designed to help players quickly assess the balance and likely direction of a combat engagement.
Indirect Fires
How indirect fires are deployed and coordinated to support manoeuvre and fit into the wider plan.
Airpower
The role of airpower in Decision Point, how to employ it, how to control its effects, and how to counter enemy air action.
Infantry and Drone Control
Advanced control of infantry and drones carried by frontline forces, including how and when to deploy them, and how to plan their actions at the right moment in an operation.
Looking Ahead
This new stage gives Decision Point a stronger foundation and the time needed to reach the standard the game requires.
The goal remains to create a tactical wargame about intent, execution, and adaptation, grounded in real doctrine, real terrain, and the realities of modern combat.
Decision Point, developed by NCED Wargames and published by Matrix Games, part of Slitherine Software, is planned for release in Q1 2027.
More will be shown in the upcoming dev diaries.
#28
Games Discussion / Re: Decision Point: Battlegrou...
Last post by Asid - April 05, 2026, 08:45:37 PMAnnouncement Trailer and 1st Dev Diary
Fri, August 8, 2025
Welcome to the announcement trailer and 1st development diary for Decision Point: Battlegroup Operational Simulator, a tactical wargame about intent, action, and reaction.
Players issue NATO-standard, intent-based orders using authentic AAP-6C terminology, marking objectives and guidance directly onto real-world terrain maps. Subordinate units interpret and execute these plans autonomously in real time, adapting to terrain, threats, and evolving conditions. When contact occurs or the tactical situation shifts, operations pause at a Decision Point—allowing commanders to reassess, adapt, and issue updated orders.
Decision Point simulates the friction of warfare, challenging commanders to reshape plans in response to enemy actions, environmental constraints, and uncertainty.
Read the 1st Dev Diary giving an overview of the game systems.
Dev Diary #1 — Inside Decision Point: A Wargame About Intent, Action, and Reaction
Welcome to the first development diary for Decision Point: Battlegroup Operational Simulator, a tactical wargame about intent, action, and reaction.
Players issue NATO-standard, intent-based orders using authentic AAP-6C terminology, marking objectives and guidance directly onto real-world terrain maps. Subordinate units interpret and execute these plans autonomously in real time, adapting to terrain, threats, and evolving conditions. When contact occurs or the tactical situation shifts, operations pause at a Decision Point—allowing commanders to reassess, adapt, and issue updated orders.
Decision Point simulates the friction of warfare, challenging commanders to reshape plans in response to enemy actions, environmental constraints, and uncertainty.
This series will explore the game's systems, development, and design philosophy as we build towards its planned Q1 2027 release.
A Wargame Built Around Intent, Execution, and Adaptation
At its core, Decision Point models how real-world operations are planned, issued, and adjusted over time. Players command a combined-arms battlegroup by assigning doctrinal objectives and intents, which are then executed by AI subordinates in real time.
When combat occurs or movement is disrupted, the simulation pauses at a Decision Point. These moments give players the opportunity to react to unfolding conditions—reissuing orders or adapting plans to reflect the new battlefield reality.
This rhythm of planning, contact, and adaptation defines the operational tempo.
Intent-Based Orders Using Real Doctrine
Orders in Decision Point use NATO AAP-6C terminology. Players issue orders on the map that communicate both intent and desired outcomes, such as:
These orders are interpreted and executed by AI subordinates based on tactical feasibility, terrain, and enemy presence. Players can operate at any level of granularity, from broad battlegroup intent to specific platoon-level directives.
Real-World Terrain as Operational Foundation
Every map is based on real-world geographic data—roads, elevation, rivers, forests, and urban features all influence how operations unfold:
These features aren't just visual—they define how units move, engage, and observe across the battlespace.
Main Supply Routes as Operational Objectives
In Decision Point , MSRs and junctions are central to operational success:
The goal isn't just to seize ground—but to sustain operations through it.
Scenario Editor and Multiplayer Operations
The built-in editor supports a range of mission scales and complexities. Scenario designers can:
Scenarios can be played solo against AI or online in competitive player-vs-player matches. Future support for community-made content is planned to expand replayability.
What's Next
Watch the Announcement Trailer here:
Fri, August 8, 2025
Welcome to the announcement trailer and 1st development diary for Decision Point: Battlegroup Operational Simulator, a tactical wargame about intent, action, and reaction.
Players issue NATO-standard, intent-based orders using authentic AAP-6C terminology, marking objectives and guidance directly onto real-world terrain maps. Subordinate units interpret and execute these plans autonomously in real time, adapting to terrain, threats, and evolving conditions. When contact occurs or the tactical situation shifts, operations pause at a Decision Point—allowing commanders to reassess, adapt, and issue updated orders.
Decision Point simulates the friction of warfare, challenging commanders to reshape plans in response to enemy actions, environmental constraints, and uncertainty.
Read the 1st Dev Diary giving an overview of the game systems.
Dev Diary #1 — Inside Decision Point: A Wargame About Intent, Action, and Reaction
Welcome to the first development diary for Decision Point: Battlegroup Operational Simulator, a tactical wargame about intent, action, and reaction.
Players issue NATO-standard, intent-based orders using authentic AAP-6C terminology, marking objectives and guidance directly onto real-world terrain maps. Subordinate units interpret and execute these plans autonomously in real time, adapting to terrain, threats, and evolving conditions. When contact occurs or the tactical situation shifts, operations pause at a Decision Point—allowing commanders to reassess, adapt, and issue updated orders.
Decision Point simulates the friction of warfare, challenging commanders to reshape plans in response to enemy actions, environmental constraints, and uncertainty.
This series will explore the game's systems, development, and design philosophy as we build towards its planned Q1 2027 release.
A Wargame Built Around Intent, Execution, and Adaptation
At its core, Decision Point models how real-world operations are planned, issued, and adjusted over time. Players command a combined-arms battlegroup by assigning doctrinal objectives and intents, which are then executed by AI subordinates in real time.
When combat occurs or movement is disrupted, the simulation pauses at a Decision Point. These moments give players the opportunity to react to unfolding conditions—reissuing orders or adapting plans to reflect the new battlefield reality.
This rhythm of planning, contact, and adaptation defines the operational tempo.
Intent-Based Orders Using Real Doctrine
Orders in Decision Point use NATO AAP-6C terminology. Players issue orders on the map that communicate both intent and desired outcomes, such as:
- Screen – Provide early warning and observation without decisive engagement.
- Support by Fire – Suppress or fix the enemy to support manoeuvre.
- Destroy – Eliminate enemy capability through decisive action.
- Secure – Take and hold key terrain.
These orders are interpreted and executed by AI subordinates based on tactical feasibility, terrain, and enemy presence. Players can operate at any level of granularity, from broad battlegroup intent to specific platoon-level directives.
Real-World Terrain as Operational Foundation
Every map is based on real-world geographic data—roads, elevation, rivers, forests, and urban features all influence how operations unfold:
- Roads affect route choice and logistical reach.
- Urban terrain restricts movement and sightlines.
- Forests provide concealment but reduce mobility.
- Elevation shapes visibility and fire positions.
These features aren't just visual—they define how units move, engage, and observe across the battlespace.
Main Supply Routes as Operational Objectives
In Decision Point , MSRs and junctions are central to operational success:
- Attackers must maintain viable supply lines aligned with their advance.
- Defenders aim to deny these routes, collapsing momentum and stalling the offensive.
The goal isn't just to seize ground—but to sustain operations through it.
Scenario Editor and Multiplayer Operations
The built-in editor supports a range of mission scales and complexities. Scenario designers can:
- Define MSR control and strategic objectives.
- Customise force compositions and hierarchies.
- Set the area of operations using real-world terrain.
- Scripted AI battleplans with timed manoeuvres and defensive logic.
Scenarios can be played solo against AI or online in competitive player-vs-player matches. Future support for community-made content is planned to expand replayability.
What's Next
- Future dev diaries will explore systems in more detail, starting with how orders are issued and how the AI interprets them.
- Decision Point is for players who want to engage with modern combat through structured planning, delegated execution, and adaptive control—all grounded in real doctrine and terrain.
- Decision Point: Battlegroup Operational Simulator is scheduled for release in Q1 2026. In the meantime, look out for future dev diaries and gameplay videos.
Watch the Announcement Trailer here:
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Plans meet friction in Decision Point, a wargame where you issue NATO-standard orders, observe AI execution in real time, and adapt as the battlefield evolves. At key Decision Points, the action pauses—giving you time to reassess, redirect your forces, and outmanoeuvre the enemy.
Product page: Here
Official forum:
Complexity:
Period: Cold War
Manual:
Editor: Yes.
Theatre: real-world terrain maps
Turns: Real Time Pausable
Unit Scale:
AI: Yes
Single-player: Yes
Online PvP: Yes
Steam Workshop: Yes
Trailer
About This Game
Decision Point: Battlegroup Operational Simulator is a tactical wargame about intent, action, and reaction.
Players issue NATO-standard, intent-based orders using authentic AAP-6C terminology, marking clear objectives and operational guidance directly onto real-world terrain maps. Subordinate units interpret and execute these plans autonomously in real time, adapting dynamically to terrain, threats, and evolving battlefield conditions.
At its core, Decision Point simulates the full operational planning cycle—where players apply doctrinal intent to orders, observe autonomous execution, and react to unfolding enemy plans through dynamic adaptation. When contact occurs, operations pause—giving commanders a critical moment to reassess, adapt, and issue updated orders.
Decision Point models the friction of warfare, challenging commanders to continually reshape their plans in response to enemy actions, terrain constraints, and operational uncertainty.
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Core Features
Command Through Intent
Issue doctrinally grounded orders using AAP-6C terminology. Define operational objectives directly on the map, communicating mission purpose. Orders flow through the chain of command—from broad company-level guidance to detailed tasking at platoon and section level.
AI-Executed Plans
Once orders are given, subordinate AI elements interpret and carry them out autonomously. Units manoeuvre, coordinate, and adapt based on terrain, threat, and mission context. Plans unfold in real time, allowing players to observe their intent executed across the battlespace and plan their next response to changing situations.
Dynamic Decision Points
No plan survives first contact. When enemy contact occurs, the simulation pauses at a Decision Point. These pauses give commanders the opportunity to reassess their plan and respond before execution resumes—creating a natural rhythm of planning, action, and adaptation.
Real-World Terrain
Every map is built using real-world geographic data, including road networks, elevation, rivers, forests, and urban structures. These terrain features directly influence visibility, movement, positioning, and firing positions—mirroring the real-world tactical and operational constraints of the environment.
Operational Objectives: Main Supply Routes (MSRs)
Main Supply Routes and junctions are treated as critical terrain. Attackers must secure and sustain MSRs to maintain operational momentum. Defenders can contest key corridors to disrupt logistics and collapse offensive plans. Success is measured not only by ground held, but by whether operations can be sustained through it.
Powerful Scenario Editor
Design tightly focused engagements or large-scale operations. Define the area of operations, assign forces and roles, and build layered AI-driven battleplans with timed manoeuvres and reactive logic. Scenarios can be played solo against advanced AI or online in competitive player-versus-player matches. Combined with real-world maps and flexible mission design, this offers extensive replayability and strategic challenge.
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Release Information
Decision Point: Battlegroup Operational Simulator is scheduled for release in Q1 2027
