See the recap of how the air units got introduced in preview mode!

Find out more!

We're four months down the road of Early Access, and since the last time we had a Silica Synopsis, there's been a few significant changes, mainly with the introduction of the air units as preview mode in Arena!

, and we asked for your feedback for a chance to win some codes for Silica to share with your friends. 

released the alien air units as a preview mode in Arena

And now, we're getting close to the first major update of the game, where these air units will be introduced in Strategy and we can't wait to see how they will impact the gameplay!

Last but not least, we released a video, talking about the process of creating the trailers for Silica. You check out the video below:

Stay tuned for the air units update and until then, we'll see you in the skies of Baltarus!

Silica Synopsis: Four Months Later

3 new air units for the aliens are available in preview mode

Update 0.7.31

Today's update sees the addition of 3 alien air units to the game in a preview form, namely in the Arena game mode for now. The next update will see the addition of 2 more, as well as the integration of all air units into the Strategy game mode.

Feedback is very much appreciated, so thank you to all of you who provided such with the last update! It is invaluable and helps shape the game, namely in the form of balancing.

Without further delay, please enjoy the air units and leave a comment about what you think!

Alien Air Units Land In Arena

The much anticipated air units are available in preview form

Update 0.7.28

Another update is here, this time focused on turret balancing and, most importantly, the addition of air units in a 

form - via the Arena game mode (on maps other than Combat Dome).

Feel free to give them a spin, and please give us your feedback! 

We hope this update will get you excited to the air units that should be coming to Strategy sometime next month!

Until then, feel free to test them in Arena, let us know your thoughts and we'll see you on Baltarus.

Air Units About To Take Off In Arena

Learn more about improvements related to performance, construction, communication, ping system, and more.

Here's a list of improvements that Dram managed to squeeze in Silica!

It's been over two months since Silica was released on Early Access and since that time, Dram has managed to implement some big improvements related to performance, construction, communication and more.

You can check this video to see for yourself: 

We also had an update recently that introduced a major gameplay change - the introduction of Outposts and turrets for both human factions! You can 

Dram is on a much needed vacation right now, and slowly preparing the scene for the first major update of the game which will include air units! 

He also did an interview discussing several difficulties he had to overcome while creating Silica. It's a more in-depth dive into game development and if you want to learn a few things you can check the video below: 

We also managed to dissect the interview and turn it into a 3-part blog series on our website: 

We hope that you'll enjoy your summer, and keep your eyes peeled for more info on the air units update.

Silica Synopsis: Two Months Later

Another update is here with some major gameplay additions!

Update 0.7.25

We're here with a brand new update which includes some major gameplay changes. First and foremost, the addition of the Outpost, which may be built far from base and serves as a hub for remote operations (allows construction of buildings around it and also serves for respawn and infantry loadout, albeit only up to the Marksman). Additionally, a 

 have been added for defense for the human teams, this allows a parallel to the Alien defenses. The Turret, being available at Mark I, allows for decent defense against the light vehicles, though a tank makes short order of it. The Heavy Turret is more expensive, available at Mark III, and fires projectiles powerful enough to damage tanks, though is also not as accurate. 

We hope you'll enjoy the changes and stay tuned for the next update that should be coming out in a couple of weeks.

Wishing everyone a lovely summer and we'll see you on Baltarus!

Outposts have arrived on Baltarus!

The last part analyzing some of the challenges Dram faced when combining two genres.

Find out more

This week we're back with the final part of the challenges faced in combining RTS and FPS. 

One of the main challenges, in particular, was at the beginning of the game (and it is still a challenge). When you start a game in Strategy mode, especially in the large maps, which can be 6x6 km in size, and the two teams start on opposite ends, then there's a lot of ground to cover. When running around as a soldier, it can be frustrating getting across that large of a distance. Sure, you can get in a vehicle, explore, and get into combat. But when you die, you spawn back at HQ. 

At that point, you'd have to make your way back, and if there's no vehicle around, you'd have to go on foot or just wait. So Dram introduced teleportation as part of the lore as well. So the way teleportation works is that you can teleport to any point on the map as long as your units can see it. The further away you are from the source, the greater the uncertainty radius. So, if you decide to teleport one km away, there is a 100-meter uncertainty radius.

Dram decided to implement a day and night cycle because it just felt natural and also because he wanted to create a certain advantage for the aliens during the night. Humans have an advantage during the day, and aliens have an advantage during the night. Dram made it so that the day constitutes roughly 60-70% of the time, and the night takes up the rest. Basically, the night cycle is accelerated because players were complaining that it was taking too long. It's more interesting during the day, but the night makes it more interesting for the aliens because they can see further and they can hide better in the shadows.

Ultimately, it came down to two factors - gameplay and effect! The feeling when you see the sun rising in the distance and you also get a feeling of time passing.

A great example would be the satisfying feeling when there's a big battle happening, and it goes from day into night. You're still fighting, and you manage to push off the enemy. As the enemy retreats, and you see the sun starting to rise, you feel a sense of relief like "Okay, I survived the first day. Moving on". Another thing that the day & night cycle influences are certain gameplay strategies. Specifically with regard to the sun's location. If you attack with the sun to your back, it will be much harder for the opposing players to attack you because it's difficult to see against the sun. The sun is strong intentionally because it's a gameplay mechanic Dram thought would add more progression and immersion in Baltarus.

Dram wanted to differentiate it because he values realism, but he didn't want to go overboard because it would become a mod of Arma.

He wanted to reduce what was needed for logistics. If limited ammunition and fuel were added, players might find themselves in a situation where a vehicle might be going toward the enemy, and at some point, it runs out of fuel. So now you either have to send it back to base or bring some canisters to refill. The same goes for ammunition. And it can be 6km back in the worst case.

Opting for unlimited ammunition was a natural choice. Another main reason for this decision was the actual scale of the game. It's more fun to shoot at something and be shot at without the worry of running out of ammo. That's the feeling that Dram was going for, making it fun without going overboard with realism.

From an infantry perspective, communication would be the most important thing. Right now, there's a chat system and pinging, with plans to add VOIP in the future.

From the Commander's perspective, giving orders to units is very fluid, and it was a natural outcome of combining the two together.

There are several challenges when it comes to making an AI Commander. Dram didn't want to use behavior trees because you're limited to what's in the behavior tree. Instead, he decided to adopt a more priority-based system, which evaluates the battlefield and creates a list based on distance, importance, and other factors. Once these "situation reports" are compiled, they need to be evaluated, starting with the highest priority, and going downwards.

One of the biggest problems with this system, according to Dram, is that it starts working only when you have everything done. Otherwise, soldiers will get orders to attack the enemy, leaving no one to defend the base. But this was one problem with the solution that Dram chose. Another solution would be machine learning. However, Dram decided to avoid it because it's not an easy thing to do, and it would require a large amount of data that would hinder performance. So there was no need to do that, at least not for now, and so Dram went with this priority-based system which is relatively easy to evaluate.

And that's all from Dram's interview and presentation. If you haven't watched the full video, you can check it out below:  

We hope you enjoyed this breakdown of Dram's presentation, and that you may have learned something interesting from it.

Stay tuned for this week's update, which should be coming out soon, and we'll see you on Baltarus!

How to Combine RTS & FPS (Part 3)

The second part analyzing some of the challenges Dram faced when creating Silica and how he managed to overcome them. 

This week we're back with the second part analyzing some of the challenges Dram faced when creating Silica and how he managed to overcome them. 

There are definitely situations where you can experience how the realistic ballistics work during the battles on the scorching deserts of Baltarus! You can see an example when tanks are firing against each other, especially in range. For standard shells, they will bounce off the top of the armor. This can influence gameplay quite heavily because you need to find the right angle to hit the tank and the right spot, for example under the turret of the tank, or "the neck" where if you manage to hit that, it will deal a lot of damage. It's all about tactics at the end of the day. 

As soon as a bullet ricochets, there is a simulation on whether the projectile is deformed, based on the angle and force. There is also a possibility that a projectile can spin out of control after it ricochets, and it could still land on something causing impact damage but not exploding, as it's been deformed. 

Letting the aliens have the ability to swarm, proved why going with physics-driven was a good idea. Doing this, with anything but physics, just makes it much more complicated. The way the aliens work, they have a sphere collider so you can imagine them as a ball moving on the terrain and reacting with the terrain so when it bumps into something, especially on the ground, it gets the normal of that, and it knows which direction is "up". So if there's a point beneath and a point across that creates this wall, then it knows that input going into it, is forward into the wall, so logically, the vertical surface is more important than the horizontal, therefore it starts to angle up and it goes up the wall.

And the important thing is that even though the crabs can climb over each other, they can't climb onto each other by themselves. That's why Dram has put limitations to the movement so if they're on top of each other, they can climb on top of each other but they can't climb up onto each other. Therefore, when there's a lot of them, they just naturally push each other on top which creates this "pile of bugs" which looks really cool!

For this topic, Dram decided to go against the standard tactic of having everything server-side. The reason for this is because it's a lot of data. When there's a huge amount of units, that causes a problem in synchronization. Instead, Dram decided to implement client-hosted servers. So anyone can host a game and have their friends join their server. If it required a really strong connection, then it would limit who can actually start a server. Or it would limit how many units they can have in the server.

Dram always had a goal to go with around 100 - 200 max in the game. He ended up not putting a unit cap and it resulted in everyone spawning about 500 to 600. So Dram has been working on optimizing that in terms of performance but he also wants to optimize it in terms of bandwidth because right now, when there are 600 units, it's a lot of data that has to be sent per unit.

Another more personal reason, was to support really high ping rates. Dram's brother lives in Australia, and whenever they played, there would be a 300ms ping, making it extremely difficult to play together. So in the end, Dram wanted to be able to support this sort of high ping. The approach is old school, and the old school thing which you have to do is sanity checks. These sanity checks are able to combat players who might be hacking and autoban them. 

From an RTS perspective, one would expect that whatever is outside of the vision range in the fog of war, would be concealed. That causes problems with FPS though as it relies on line of sight. At the same time, Dram couldn't use line of sight for RTS so he decided to implement the best of both worlds.

He added a feature called concealment. So there's the vision range of the fog of war and anything within that is revealed. Units, however, can be concealed if they're near large rocks, cliffs etc. It also depends on the unit as it would be hard to conceal a hover tank compared to an infantry soldier. 

There are multiple ways to detect a unit. Audio is always a way to go - if a quad starts shooting, then if most certainly be more audible. So in essence, the audible range can reveal a unit.

And that's it for this week's part. You can still check out the video interview with Dram to learn how to combine RTS & FPS:

The last part should be coming out soon so stay tuned and we'll see you on Baltarus!

How to Combine RTS & FPS (Part 2)

Dram goes into a deep dive behind the development of Silica

Have you wondered what makes Silica so unique and what it took to combine the RTS and FPS elements in one game? This is what Dram got to present as a special guest during the Game Access Conference in Brno this summer. 

We managed to break down his presentation into 3 smaller blog posts to give some insight for those interested in game design. We'll also dive into what challenges Dram faced when creating Silica and how he managed to overcome them. So let's get right into it!

The main reason why Dram wanted to have an authentic scale in Silica was because he wanted to put across the scale of the world of Baltarus. The scale of the vehicles and building being so large gives an interesting feel. It's a feel that Dram himself recalls seeing in Dune 2 where the vehicles were very large compared to the troops, and he wanted to portray that in Silica.

There were several challenges when it came to large buildings, one in particular was building placement. Because the terrain is not flat but more "alive", it was difficult to write a system to snap the building on the terrain without having a part floating. To solve this, Dram defined point on the building which had to be beneath ground and points which had to be above ground. Another issue was recalculating the navigation graph around the building when it was placed or when it was destroyed, because vehicles need to avoid the buildings and troops need to be able to walk on the buildings.

This is the fabrication technique - the visuals that players see when a building is being constructed. It was chosen mainly because it was the most technically feasible for the massive team size. It was simple to set up because Dram had these square shaped pre-fabs. That way he could cover the building and therefore do it so they progressively appear, cover the whole area where the building should appear and once the building is complete, they disappear. One of the main inspirations behind this, were 3D printing techniques!

, he did a post-mortem on that, where he stated that it is a bad idea to do everything physics driven! Evidently we went back on that, but the reason at the time was mainly because processors were slow and because it adds a ton of issues. However, thanks to the experience with Take On Mars, it was much more easy to go with everything physics driven in Silica. Another reason why physics was the way to go, is because the tires of very large vehicles, for example the Harvester, would be very difficult to simulate without physics and subsequently, their movement would look very incorrect given the fact that they need to roll over obstacles.

Because Silica blends two genres, Dram couldn't take the route of having simplified colliders, for example pipes where you can see through them because they're hollow but the collider would cover the whole thing. Because the FPS element exists there, and these pipes are large, you could theoretically shoot through them because it's what a player would expect from an FPS. Having the bullets would bounce off the side, it would look very strange and in Dram's words "you wouldn't fulfill the expectations of the players of the world from an FPS perspective". Plus, Dram thinks it's more interesting to have these accurate colliders and things bouncing where they're meant to! Given the fact that there are realistic ballistics where bullets can ricochet, there's penetration, it's important to have realistic colliders.

One of the challenges with regards to colliders, is that the more complex the colliders are, the bigger the problem is to update the navmesh. It takes much more time compared to a simple box as a collider. The challenge is to make complex colliders but not too complex because then you run into performance issues. In the case of Silica, the more complex the collider, if the crabs were walking on them, it would take up more performance because there are much more physics calculations required on the actual collisions on the collider.

We'll let you digest this first part of Dram's presentation but if you want to hear the whole interview in depth, you can check out the video!

The next part should be coming out soon so stay tuned and we'll see you on Baltarus!

How to Combine RTS & FPS

Discover the possibilities of this revamped service

Incubator

Today we'd like to share a bit more about the Bohemia Incubator program since Silica is the first game that graduated from this renewed activity powered by Bohemia Interactive. The old format was based on internal ideas for games, which in the end, made it into full in-house games such as Ylands, an adventure, multiplayer, sandbox game, and Arma 3 Apex: Old Man, a scenario mode for the Arma 3 Apex expansion. Here's more about the new and updated Bohemia Incubator:  

Bohemia Incubator is the platform where good ideas become fantastic games. It's the place where indie game developers can pitch their playable prototypes and receive enough support to help them develop their games further and receive the help necessary for full release. 

Silica is the prime example of what can be achieved through this platform. It was pretty much developed by Martin "Dram" Melicharek, and when asked whether he would recommend Bohemia Incubator, he had this to say: "Yes, very much so. Not needing to worry about whether I will have the personal finances to finish the project and the extensive QA support needed, combined with Bohemia Interactive taking care of everything required around publishing makes it a wonderful harmonic blend that enables me to focus on developing the game."

Unlike other incubator programs on the market, Bohemia Incubator can also provide physical space for developers. The offices dedicated to Incubator are right next to Bohemia's River Office, so the developers get a unique opportunity to meet with Czech game dev veterans and benefit from the hands-on approach. Similar to other accelerators, Bohemia is ready to provide funds, mentorship, networking opportunities, QA testing, technical support, and, most importantly, publishing and marketing support. 

As was the case with Silica, Bohemia Incubator offers support to original projects with a unique vision and potential. It's an excellent service meant to help passionate developers realize their dream. For all game developers and fans of Bohemia games, Incubator doesn't directly impact the development of in-house games from Bohemia Interactive. 

We've already received a great number of applications, and we're now in the process of a careful selection of future Bohemia Incubator gems. If you have a prototype that you'd like to submit, now's your chance!

Thank you for supporting Silica. See you on Baltarus!

Inside the Bohemia Incubator Program

Update 0.7.16

Another week, and another minor update has arrived. This time, the focus lies on improvements to Harvester pathfinding and movement, as well as unit direct control to RTS where the Commander can select a single unit and 

switch into it, while not leaving the role. 

We hope you'll enjoy these fixes and improvements and stay tuned for next week's update. 

Another week, another update!

One month down the line, still plenty of things to look forward to

What happened during the last month

It's been over a month since the release of Silica in Early Access. To commemorate this milestone and to pay tribute to our community, 

 highlighting all of the things that should be coming your way during Early Access. 

You can also check the video below to hear it from Dram himself:

Since we last published a Silica Synopsis, there have been a few minor updates, tackling performance issues, quality of life fixes (adding labels to buildings), and other issues that were raised by our community (e.g., adding light machineguns on Harvesters). 

We are planning to continue pushing out weekly minor updates focusing on several things until the first major update, which will include flying units for both humans and aliens, in a few months' time. 

We also participated at the Game Access Conference in Brno

, where lots of visitors had the chance to play Silica and experience firsthand the battles in the scorching deserts of Baltarus. 

So far, it's been 5 weeks, and 5 minor updates have been deployed to Baltarus. You can expect more to come in the future, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Silica Synopsis: One Month Later

The new update brings further performance optimization and fixes

Update 0.7.14

We hope you enjoyed the first month spent with Silica. To celebrate, make sure to check our 

Besides that, we just released a new patch focusing on performance optimization and fixes. You can expect another update next week. We will further focus on optimization, performance improvements, fixes, and tweaks. Make sure to follow us on social media to never miss any news. Here's the changelog for update 0.7.14:

A New Weekly Update Landed on Baltarus

Check out what's in store for the coming year

It's been one month since Silica was released on Early Access on Steam, and we couldn't be more thankful for your support and your feedback. There's still one year of Early Access to go, and our one-man army Dram has laid out the roadmap for what you can expect to see in the coming months. 

And that's it guys. This is what's in store for the remainder of the Early Access. We'll do our best to push out weekly minor updates to address some performance issues and quality-of-life changes. 

Keep the feedback coming, and we'll be happy to answer your questions on our socials. 

You can also check out this video that covers all of the plans for Early Access:

The road ahead during Early Access

Update 0.7.12

We have another small update with a few performance fixes this time around. The changes aren't as much in this update and it's mainly due to Dram participating in Game Access in Brno this weekend, where he will be presenting Silica. 

There will be another update next week, where you can expect to see more fixes and QoL changes. Stay tuned for more info but for now, here's the changelog for update 0.7.12:

A minor update has just been deployed to Baltarus

Performance fixes and changes to both human factions and aliens

Update 0.7.11

We published a new minor update focusing on some performance issues and changes regarding the human factions as well as the aliens. 

We will keep trying to push out weekly updates

 focusing on performance optimizations and other bug fixes that we are aware of, or issues that will be raised by our community. For now, here's a detailed list of changes with update 0.7.11:

Another update is here!

Harvesters getting fixes and other QoL and performance changes!

Update 0.7.10

A new hotfix update focusing on the Harvester issues, and other quality of life and performance fixes, has just dropped! Thank you to all the members of the community for their continued support and feedback. More updates should be coming in the near future but for now, here's a list of all fixes and changes:

So keep your eyes peeled for the next update which should be coming out soon. 

New hotfix update just dropped!

Become part of the hive 

Aliens are crustacean/cephalopod-like creatures native to the planet, living in balance with the land. They are primarily hunters, consuming smaller native creatures as food as well as a resource. They reuse this biomass to produce structures and more units. Alien units are not built but are ‘spawned’. This is dependent on alien structures that are built. Alien structures are biotic in nature and can thus be ‘killed’.

Scouring the surface and engaging anything that moves, these creatures are the Queen's basic soldiers. Not to be underestimated, these critters run on walls, ceilings and may even burrow underground to hide. Preferring ambush tactics, these creatures are rarely seen alone, mostly moving in swarms. Their weakest point is the mouth.

With additional horns on its carapace providing extra protection, this large creature is both stronger and hardier than its predecessor. It does take more time and resources to spawn, however.

Serving as the colony harvester, this small creature combs the surface for anything biotic, lugging the partially digested resource to the nearest cache. Small and weak, this diminutive critter is barely capable of posing a threat, preferring to avoid combat whenever possible.

Physically reminiscent of the harmless earthly earwig, this beast's behavior is anything but. Its formidable appendage ejects spikes at high velocity, capable of piercing through lighter armor. Should a target get too close for comfort, its pincer is more than capable of slicing it in two.

A perfect blend of speed and strength, the Hunter deals considerable damage with its fanged tentacles and powerful mandibles. The thick chitin towards the front provides ample protection. However, the soft sac at the rear makes it vulnerable from behind.

With its massive scythes, the Behemoth is a formidable predator, releasing vicious insects on its targets from its prominent posterior. These murder hornets home in on their target like sharks to flesh, making escape difficult. The symbiotic hive is the Behemoth's weak point, however, leaving it exposed if it retreats.

The Scorpion is the aliens' equivalent of a tank. Using its tail as a weapon, the molten silica-like projectile instantly melts through armor, reaching temperatures in the thousands of degrees. Were that not enough, its pincers easily split a heavily armored soldier in two. Yet the sacs on its tail are also its Achilles' heel, being the least armored points.

This giant creature pulverizes its enemies with massive appendages, dealing catastrophic damage. Despite having no ranged attack, this fearsome beast boasts an almost impenetrable shell, which it gleefully employs in conjunction with its massive size, performing a forward roll over the enemy.

A sight to behold, this unit is the mind of the colony, controlling her children through an unknown mechanism. She seldom engages in combat, her spawn doing the grunt work instead, as well as tending to her needs. Large, heavy, and slow, an alien Queen is very exposed when moving through open ground, preferring secluded areas where she creates a nest.

Keep in mind, that the Queen is not available right now, but the unit will be added at a later point in time. 

And these and the creepy crawlies that you can expect to encounter in Silica. Become part of the hive or slay any alien that dares to approach your base. 

Until the next time, see you on Baltarus!

Alien Units Overview

The fight begins

The day you've been waiting for is finally here! 

 You can now immerse yourself in the scorching deserts of Baltarus, where RTS seamlessly blends with FPS. 

The price of the game is set at $19.99 during Early Access and at $24.99 after its conclusion.

Choose your role between the Commander in real-time strategy, whose mission is to build the base and structures needed to achieve victory, or as an Infantry soldier in FPS, where you fight on the front lines against your enemies. You'll get to control all the units and vehicles along with their arsenal. 

Choose your side between the two human factions, the people of Sol and the determined Centauri, or chew through the human invaders as the insect-like aliens native to Baltarus.

Since the announcement of the game in early April, over 88,000 players wishlisted Silica on Steam, excited to see what the game has to offer. Our Discord community has also grown in time, with over 1,400 members all eager to try each of the three game modes. We want to thank everyone who took the time to wishlist the game and become part of our community. We can't wait for you to try Silica and let us know what you think. 

 which combines the two genres in an epic battle up to a 3-way conflict between the factions. 

 while your friends are Infantry soldiers, or you can all play in FPS and leave the commanding to the AI. 

Prospector is a cooperative FPS-only mode, where your mission is to gradually establish a base while fighting off enemies trying to eliminate you.

 where players can try out all the units available in the game as well as their abilities. 

The game will remain in early access for 

during which time lead developer Martin "Dram" Melichárek plans to implement

 a number of significant expansions and features based on community feedback. 

We'll be releasing more info on our road map and what each major update will hold in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. 

If you want to know more about Silica in terms of numbers, here's some useful information: 

Get ready for all of the thrills that await you on a planet thousands of light-years from Earth by checking out our brand-new gameplay trailer. 

Silica is out in Early Access

Discover the units and vehicles for the human factions

Human units are 'produced.' The units available will be directly dependent on which structures have been built for the given side. A building that, when placed, produces light vehicles may later also produce slightly heavier vehicles if a relevant upgrade building has been built. There is no disconnected tech tree as such, but rather it's directly linked with what's available. That means that destroying an upgraded building will render a team unable to further produce that unit. 

As large as a building and heavily armored, the Harvester has only one purpose – harvest Balterium in a combat environment. It has a very light armament, relying on support units to defend it while on mission, though its giant, bucket-wheel excavator and colossal wheels make short work of units unlucky enough to get in its way.

Fast, foot-based units in the human arsenal, Scout infantry are equipped with a standard issue combat weapon, but they aren't heavily armored. This makes them ideal for searching the area and allows them better concealment in the environment. They are, however, unsuited for engaging vehicles and heavier infantry.

Equipped with standard armor and an assault rifle, Riflemen are a versatile foot-based unit suited for the majority of combat operations, even those involving lighter vehicles. They are, however, susceptible to swarm attacks, lacking the speed to move away quickly.

Armed with a quad-barrel rocket launcher, these heavily armored soldiers are equipped for serious combat, dealing damage to vehicles with even medium armor. Their own armored exoskeleton allows them greater speed than would be expected and protects them from incoming fire.

These stealthy sharpshooters are perfect for ambushing unsuspecting targets from afar. Their Balterium sniper rifle deals ample damage, although they're geared up with only basic armor. Due to their lack of heavier equipment and the fact that they ideally work alone, this unit must rely on cover for safety.

These elite soldiers aren't to be messed with. Wielding a brutal Balterium rifle that punctures even the heaviest of armor, their own protective gear ensures they can take a beating. Ideally deployed among a troop of other soldiers, these skilled warriors are more than capable of holding their own even when isolated.

This versatile 4x4 is well suited for the sandy wastes and rocky terrain, flanking opposing forces with ease. It has little trouble dealing with infantry, though it's not designed to deal with heavier targets such as tanks. Due to their speed, these vehicles make great reconnaissance units, covering a large area in a short amount of time.

A vehicle armed with a grenade launcher and machine gun, this nimble transport is designed to carry a troop of infantry into the battlefield, easily making its way through the vast dunes. Its medium armor provides an acceptable level of protection.

A step up from the Light Quad, this heavy truck is designed to take a beating. The heavier armor protects the crew from even heavier projectiles, not to mention melee attacks by the local wildlife. The vehicle is best suited for seek-and-destroy missions against lighter vehicles and infantry but may also serve as Harvester protection.

A 30mm cannon, combined with medium armor and solid speed, make this assault vehicle perfectly suited for flanking heavier targets. Its rugged design makes it capable of taking a decent level of punishment in the dunes, with the smaller creatures and medium vehicles posing little threat.

With a larger cannon and a heavier machine gun turret, this heavy assault vehicle is capable of engaging even the largest of targets. The top-mounted machine gun turret easily deals with smaller threats along the way, making it a well-rounded vehicle overall. Its only downside is a lack of heavy armor, sacrificed for speed, making it vulnerable to heavier units.

Instead of focusing on improving the drivetrain with conventional technology, engineers preferred to levitate this vehicle entirely on thrusters. This allows it to overcome almost any obstacle and permits it to jump, making it a nimble combat unit for both offense and defense. Its ample firepower deals with heavy units and structures, though its thrusters make it visible at range.

Armed with a set of four launch tubes, this mobile rocket artillery battery deals catastrophic damage with each impact, disposing of entire infantry platoons and reducing structures to rubble. Even heavily armored units rarely withstand the onslaught of its barrage. However, its medium armor combined with a minimum attack distance leaves it exposed to counter-attacks.

Wielding a devastating railgun, this tank is designed to punch through heavy vehicles and structures alike and is well suited to a rugged combat environment. Ideal for offense, it effortlessly disposes of infantry and heavy vehicles alike. It is, however, unwieldy, making it exposed to aerial assault. Its thrusters make it very visible at range.

When spotted on the battlefield, this tank evokes a sense of dread. Its extremely powerful Balterium plasma cannon blasts through practically every material, severely crippling even the hardiest of infrastructure. Impervious to almost any attack, slow and cumbersome, an enemy unit's best bet is to simply flee.

This assault vehicle utilizes field-pulse technology to project a devastating wall of energy, easily disposing of troops, crumbling infrastructure, and eliminating armored targets alike. However, its major downside is the very limited range of its attack, leaving it exposed to ranged assault.

And these are all the units and vehicles that will be available for both human factions (the people of Sol and the determined Centauri) during the release in Early Access. We hope you'll enjoy driving, shooting and destroying your enemies in intense Strategy games.

Stay tuned for our next blog which will dive into the units for the hostile and deadly aliens. 

Human Units Overview 

Find out all the info we've shared in the last few weeks.

In the weeks since the announcement of Silica, we've posted several handy blogs and videos.

Baltarus is calling to you! The battle on the scorching deserts is slowly approaching. In the few weeks since the announcement of Silica, we've posted several handy blogs and videos. 

And we would like to take the time and compile all this useful info into the first Silica Synopsis. 

If want to know more details about Strategy, Prospector and Arena, check out our 

Or if you want to learn all about the Human structures and what units each one can produce, 

Hear it from the main developer, Martin “Dram” Melicharek himself, as he demonstrates the Strategy mode from two different perspectives, Humans and Aliens, in these handy videos:

Dram also takes us on a journey back in time to find out how the idea behind Silica came to life and what challenges he had to overcome to realize his dream!

And that's all the information have we've shared in past couple of weeks. There's going to be more content heading your way soon so keep your eyes peeled.

Silica Synopsis: Four Months Later

Alien Air Units Land In Arena

Air Units About To Take Off In Arena

Silica Synopsis: Two Months Later

Outposts have arrived on Baltarus!

How to Combine RTS & FPS (Part 3)

How to Combine RTS & FPS (Part 2)

How to Combine RTS & FPS

Inside the Bohemia Incubator Program

Another week, another update!

Silica Synopsis: One Month Later

A New Weekly Update Landed on Baltarus

The road ahead during Early Access

A minor update has just been deployed to Baltarus

Another update is here!

New hotfix update just dropped!

Alien Units Overview

Silica is out in Early Access

Human Units Overview

Silica Synopsis: Announcement Edition

Alien Structures Overview

Dive Into 3 Unique Game Modes In Silica

Welcome to Silica

latest news

Firebug & Defiler join the fight!

Silica Synopsis: Four Months Later

Alien Air Units Land In Arena

Air Units About To Take Off In Arena

Silica Synopsis: Two Months Later

Outposts have arrived on Baltarus!

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