The most important facet of Nuclear Dawn’s tactical combat experience is the way player classes interact with each other. No class has been designed to rule over the others, and each comes with a set of strengths and weaknesses that distinguish between various combat and support roles.

As Nuclear Dawn classes go, the Assault may at first appear to be the least interesting of all. Assaults can’t cloak to turn invisible, they are not covered in inch-thick robotized armour, and they definitely don’t come with their own Easter grenade hamper – so why choose to play one?

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.

In Nuclear Dawn, commanders are elected players whose task it is to manage and develop their faction’s war machine, from the home base to the outposts that guard important strategic elements, down to the supply routes that deliver key equipment to the troops in the field.

In order to carry out their tasks efficiently, they have at their disposal a wide range of different building types and structures, each of which can be upgraded in various ways, or powered up with special annexes that extend base functionality, to better bring pain to their enemies. For peace, of course.

Without a doubt, the most important building in a faction’s base is the Bunker. Heavily armoured and connected with flying nano cameras that give the a floating bird’s eye view of the battlefield, the Bunker is the one building that cannot be replaced or built anywhere else, which makes it the primary goal of every Nuclear Dawn battle.