There are certain subjects that one expects to discuss in the rarefied echelon of game production. Player models. Weapons. Particle effects and complex shaders. Lofty, technical, intricate issues – humble props would not normally be featured in such glorified company.

However, as it happens, props are probably the single most important element of any level. Sure, each Nuclear Dawn stage is loaded with effects, scripts, particles and animations – but underneath it all, supporting the illusions of prettiness, are good old props.

In game-making terms, just as in movies, a prop is a supporting model: the lonely table in the corner of the room, the broken-down vehicle just out of your sight, the humble empty bottle of water on the floor. A few well designed and expertly conceived props can make or break the sense of immersion and realism of any scene or level.

During the design and pre-production phases of Nuclear Dawn, a lot of care went into distilling the essence of strategy games, the real time kind, and ensuring that we would be presenting players with an experience that would allow them to focus on the tactical possibilities of building outposts and bases, without getting lost in the impulse of dumping a billion building options on them.

In the frantic, merciless warfare that is every Nuclear Dawn game, commanders need to be able to make snap decisions on how to best protect their troops and assets, without being mired down in pointless technical choices.

Nuclear Dawn’s RTS gameplay gives would-be post-apocalyptic commanders the possibility of developing, manufacturing and deploying an impressive arsenal, a full array of base structures, and a full complement of player-controllable vehicles.

No commander, no matter how rousing their speeches, or how righteous their cause, is going to go far without acquiring resource points, which provide the raw materials and extra juice to research and produce, repair and rebuild, clone and deploy just about anything in-game, from players to structures and vehicles. Without resources, commanders are just players with a god complex and a shiny badge.