And now, Ontos something completely different: Gearing Up for Textures! 🎨

Hey everyone,

I think we're all still in awe of what the team put out in the latest Nickel Steel update. Man, the OV-10A Bronco scratches a particular itch for SOG enthusiasts, the LVTP-5 adds a crucial missing link for the USMC, the VADS is great for everyone's daily dose of BRRRT, Dong Giang is such a unique and beautiful terrain, and the new gear and weapons really flesh out some iconic and unique areas. I've also been absolutely LOVING our new Across The Fence Open Beta, which RT Columbia has been enjoying playtesting and seeing evolve for some time! Tilt is quite excited about the launch, too. As a player myself, I'm stoked for this new content.

I'm so excited to report that your support is continuing to push development forward, and I get the distinct honor of sharing an exciting progress update with you on the M50 Ontos! This light armored tank destroyer saw action in the Siege of Khe Sanh and throughout the 1960s era of the war, primarily 1965 onward with the Marines. Though it was primarily built as a tank destroyer, the Ontos, like the VADS, saw use as a fire support platform. Turns out having six recoilless rifles on one set of tracks makes for a pretty effective armament against infantry positions. Pat Watkins mentioned seeing a Marine convoy with an Ontos get ambushed during the Siege of Khe Sanh after walking through the same ambush site with his team. If you'd like to hear that story, check out his first SOGCast podcast with Tilt. That story is around the 40-minute mark.

The Ontos sees its shadow! Looks like six more weeks of winter this year!

Major Tune Up

After getting the tracks rolling and the periscope working, the team took a deep dive into the technical details, fine-tuning the vehicle's shadows and damage geometry, so it feels just right in the sweltering Southeast Asian sun. With that solid foundation, next came the massive task of a full UV unwrap. To my understanding, this is essentially meticulously preparing every single surface of the model for its future paint job. They made it a top priority to keep the UV layouts clean and intuitive, which is great news for our talented modding community, as it will make creating custom skins easier!

Lately, the focus has shifted to adding those final details that bring a vehicle to life. The team has already successfully prototyped a new camouflage net and tie-down straps to give it that authentic in-country look. The Ontos will be even deadlier lying in wait for enemy tanks or fire support taskings, camouflaged in a treeline. Now, with all the modeling and prep work complete, the Ontos is ready to move on to the next exciting stage: texturing!

It Takes a Village (or a Great Team!)

This incredible progress is all thanks to a fantastic collaborative effort:

• Bacon Oreos is the primary artist, handling all the hands-on modeling and the painstaking UV work.

• He works in a tight loop with Apollo, who provides in-depth technical reviews and quality control to ensure every piece is implemented perfectly.

• Barden provides high-level project oversight. He's our expert on historical data and making sure the vehicle hits all of its key specifications.

• Rob and NodUnit (mastermind behind the LVTP-5 and many other beloved vehicles) offer crucial management, feedback, and encouragement to keep the gears turning smoothly.

It'll be awesome to start splashing some color on this beast and show you the results. Thank you once again for making this level of detail possible!

Thanks for checking out the progress! Excited to check back in once we've got more to share. Have an awesome weekend, y'all!

Airborne,

~Sam