THQ's Homefront 2/Chemical Weapons

**Document Status: Green [High-level collation of ideas]**

## Overview

* Chemical weapons to become part of the AI and player arsenal
* Their effects on friendly AI, enemy AI and the player to be explored
* The visual look to be considered
* Any issues to be highlighted

## Arsenal

Enemy AI

* Poison Gas
* Tear Gas
* White Phosphorus Grenades
* Irradiated Defoliant

Player

* White Phosphorus Grenades (scavenged)
* Molotov Cocktails
* Tear Gas Grenades (scavenged)
* Poison Gas Grenades (scavenged)

## Gas Mask

Description

* This provides protection from Tear Gas and Poison Gas
* It can be constructed using the Homebrew system
* Poison Gas causes the filter to rapidly degrade, when it has degraded the mask is useless
	+ Requires feedback
* A new Mask must be constructed when the filter has degraded
* The Mask restricts the player’s FOV and mutes sounds reducing their awareness

## Poison Gas

Description

* This poison gas obscures vision, restricts movement and kills
* The gas is visible and obscures vision
* It will persist between ground level and 3m
* It will drift slowly in the wind and very gradually sink down to become a dense layer – walking through it will disturb it causing it to billow up again above head height
* It will slowly disperse over time, perhaps condensing out to become liquid

Effects on the Player

* If the player wears a gasmask they are protected, If the player is not protected and enters the gas cloud
	+ They start to take damage, the more damage they take the worse the other symptoms become until the player collapses and dies
	+ Their vision blurs as the gas affects their eyes causing tears (cool effect needed)
	+ After a short time they become unable to sprint owing to lack of oxygen and muscle coordination
	+ Movement becomes a little unpredictable, the camera sways a little
	+ Suitable audio effects of retching and choking
* On leaving the cloud the symptoms fade as the player’s health slowly returns to full
* If the player dies from gas they cannot use their medical skills to revive themselves

Effects on Enemy AI

* The human AI if unprotected will exhibit the same symptoms as the player but will succumb to death much faster
	+ Human AI on the edge of a cloud would be able to move away but any caught inside are going to die even if they stumble out of the cloud
* The human AI will path around gas clouds if possible and will try to move away from them
* Sight range and accuracy of human AI are reduced by intervening gas
* Drones are unaffected by gas

Enemy AI Gas Deployment

* Owing to the difficulty with storing the volatile chemicals, gas can only be deployed with drone support
* A drone is accompanied by a human AI with a canister launcher
	+ The drone is skinned with chemical warning symbols, it keeps the gas canisters very cold – condensation leaks from it
	+ The human AI can launch gas canisters long distances and then reloads from the supply in the drone
	+ The drone can spray gas over shorter distances
* Gas canisters can be scavenged from destroyed drones by the player and used as grenades
* Gas can also be deployed by low flying helicopters and artillery shells from off map artillery positions

Player Gas Deployment

* If we allow the player to scavenge gas canisters from destroyed chemical drones they can be thrown like grenades

## Tear Gas

Description

* Tear gas obscures vision, has mild hallucinogenic properties and induces nausea
* The gas is visible and obscures vision, it is a different colour and consistency from poison gas
* It will persist between ground level and 3m
* It will drift slowly in the wind and gradually disperse

Effects on the Player

* If the player wears a gasmask they are protected, If the player is not protected and enters the gas cloud
	+ Their eyes start to tear up, blurring vision
	+ The hallucinogens cause small visual distortions, distracting to the eye
	+ After a certain amount of time in the gas the player will suddenly fall to their knees and vomit, making themselves briefly helpless
	+ Audio sounds of coughing
	+ Sprinting in Tear gas accelerates the onset of the effects
* On leaving the gas the blurring will be wiped away, the visual distortions will persist for a short while before disappearing

Effects on Enemy AI

* The human AI if unprotected will exhibit the same symptoms as the player, vomiting will occur more quickly
* Their combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced while under the influence of Tear gas
* The human AI will attempt to path around Tear Gas concentrations
* The human AI will attempt to leave Tear gas clouds but combat takes precedence
* Visual range and accuracy of human AI are reduced by intervening gas
* No effect on drones

Enemy AI Gas Deployment

* Tear gas can be deployed as thrown grenades
* Or as launched canisters
* It can also be deployed by helicopter or ground vehicle
* Some drones can deploy Tear gas, launched or sprayed

Player Gas Deployment

* The player can scavenge and use Tear gas grenades and possibly manufacture them as well
* The player can similarly obtain Tear gas canisters for launching if they have the appropriate weapon

## White Phosphorous Grenades

Description

* This sticky chemical burns intensely hot, melting into anything it sticks to
* It will coat an area and burn and produce toxic smoke but the fire will not propagate
* After some time it will burn itself out leaving a sticky black residue

Effects on the Player

* If the player is caught in the centre of the blast they will be coated and collapse and burn to death
* If the player is on the edge of the blast they will get a couple of small burning patches on their arms that quickly extinguish and only take minor damage over time
* If the player enters a burning area they will take damage from the flames and heat but they won’t catch fire and will stop taking damage shortly after leaving the area
* Without a gas mask they will also experience the effects of poison gas

Effects on Enemy AI

* Human AI caught in a blast will be coated and collapse and burn to death regardless of any armour worn
* AI will not enter a burning area and will path around them
* If somehow forced into a burning area the AI will take damage over time and if unprotected will also suffer the effects of poison gas
* The weaker drones can be destroyed if caught in the blast as the phosphorus burns through their casing, the stronger drones will be on fire but unharmed. The chemical drone will explode
* Drones can enter burning areas without penalty (except the chemical drone)
* Intervening smoke reduces sight range and accuracy of human AI
* This weapon debilitates enemy morale if we have this system

Enemy AI Deployment

* The AI can throw phosphorus grenades or launch them with the appropriate weapon
* We can allow certain drones to fire phosphorus grenades as well
* Phosphorus can also be deployed by aircraft or off map artillery

Player Deployment

* The player can scavenge Phosphorus grenades to use and possibly construct them as well
* The player can use a launcher as well for extended range

## Molotov Cocktails

Description

* These homebrew incendiary bombs create a patch of burning liquid where they shatter
* The liquid will cover surfaces and burn for a short while
* Not enough smoke is generated to be significant

Effects on the Player

* If the player is caught in the centre of the blast they will be coated and collapse and burn to death
* If the player is on the edge of the blast they will get a couple of small burning patches on their arms that quickly extinguish and only take minor damage over time
* If the player enters a burning area they will take damage from the flames and heat but they won’t catch fire and will stop taking damage shortly after leaving the area

Effects on Enemy AI

* Lightly armoured human AI caught in a blast will be coated and collapse and burn to death
* Heavily armoured human AI will catch fire but not be damaged
* AI will not enter a burning area and will path around them
* If somehow forced into a burning area the AI will take damage over time
* Drones caught in the explosion will catch fire but not be damaged except the chemical drone which explodes
* Drones can enter burning areas without penalty (except the chemical drone)

Enemy AI Deployment

* The enemy AI do not use Molotov Cocktails

Player Deployment

* The player can create Molotov Cocktails, they are thrown like grenades

## Irradiated Defoliant

Description

* This radioactive herbicide was used by the KPA to remove vegetation that Resistance and US army remnants were hiding in
* It has left great swathes of dead radioactive vegetation that doesn’t rot away completely because the bacteria can’t survive the radiation

Effects on the Player

* If the player enters an affected area they create a dust cloud which envelops them
* The dust is lethal if they are unprotected, and can rapidly burn through gas mask filters rendering any protection useless
* The player suffers the effects of poison gas but even more rapidly
* If they leave the area quickly they will slowly recover

Effects on Enemy AI

* Human AI entering the area would suffer the same effects as the player
* Human AI will not choose the enter these areas
* Drone radiation sensors will prevent them from entering these areas

Enemy AI Deployment

* This is not a gameplay system, these areas have been created in the past by the KPA, they serve to provide barriers to the player’s movement in open levels

Player Deployment

* N/A