Dev Log -31: Stealth

 

Like in many other RPGs, in Underrail you'll also be able to sneak around by the use of Stealth skill.

It is implemented in such a way that when you enter the Stealth Mode you are actively attempting to hide from every other character in the vicinity separately, and each of them is trying to detect you separately. What I mean by this is that there's a separate indicator of how well you are hidden from each of the characters that appears above them when you enter the stealth mode.

This eye shaped indicator keeps filling up if you are being detected and empties out if you are well hidden to a point where the detection level of that particular character changes. The four detection levels are:

- Oblivious (green) – enemy is totally unaware of your presence;

- Suspicious (yellow) – enemy suspects that someone might be around, but is not sure exactly where;

- Alert (orange) – enemy is certain that there is someone stalking them (or they have seen and fought you but you've managed to restealth somehow). The enemy will also have a general sense of the stalker's location;

- Aware (red) – enemy can see you (you are a valid target now).

Different enemies may react differently to each of these states. For instance, if a 'civilian' finds out he is being stalked he might panic and run, while on the other hand an experience soldier might throw a stun grenade in your general direction in order to pull you out of stealth. That is how you are destealthed, by the way, by suffering some hostile action such as taking damage or being stunned.

The speed at which these detection levels will rise or fall in your enemies as you sneak past them depends your stealth skill and their detection (which is derived mainly from their perception stat), but also on illumination, distance and engagement angle (being behind your opponent is much safer, while being directly a few feet in front of your opponent will almost always result in them detecting you no matter how good at sneaking you are).

 

Also, you cannot start hiding from someone who has you in their sight. You'll need to dodge behind a wall or use one of these:

 

However, stealth in TLV is not just a (situational) utility. Investing in stealth skill will also affect different aspects of combat (such as increasing damage of your stealth attacks and providing new defensive mechanisms), but more on this some other time.