Rules of Engagement: The Grey State vs HUNGER

• Perspective: First-Person
• Multiplayer: Online Co-op & PvP (1-4 Player Squads)
• Setting: The 'Horrorverse' / The Grey State
• Platforms: PC (Future console release TBD)
• Release Window: 2026
• Unique Feature: A unique blend of a tactical extraction shooter with a deep, permanent, Path of Exile-inspired RPG skill tree, set in a Lovecraftian horror universe.

• Perspective: First-Person
• Multiplayer: 1-3 Player Online Co-op (PvPvE)
• Setting: Alternate-History Napoleonic Europe
• Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store)
• Release Window: 2025 (Early Access)
• Unique Feature: A unique blend of a hardcore extraction shooter with deep, permanent RPG progression and Mastery Trees, set in a plague-ravaged Napoleonic era. Features no forced wipes.

• Co-op Teammates: The game is designed for solo, duo, or trio play. Teammates are essential for surviving high-risk expeditions, sharing resources, and coordinating tactics against other players and the environment.
  Human (Player)

• Alien Artifacts: The primary objective item in The Grey State. Successfully extracting these is the main goal of any run.
• Resources: Scavenged from the environment and smaller monsters, these are used for in-match crafting and progression.
• Gear (In-Match): Better weapons and armor looted during an expedition. This gear is lost on death.

• Loot: Found in chests and on enemies during Expeditions. Includes armor, bags, trinkets, medicines, and weapons that must be successfully extracted to be kept.
• Crafting Materials: Hundreds of different items found during Expeditions. Every item has a purpose in the deep crafting system.

• Tactical Shooter
• Extraction
• Horror
• Cosmic Horror
• PvPvE
• Action RPG
• Sci-Fi

• Napoleonic Era
• Alternate History
• Extraction Shooter
• Action RPG
• Survival Horror
• Dark Fantasy
• PvPvE

• Firearms: Varies (Shotguns, Rifles, etc.)
  A mix of realistic and experimental firearms used for fast-paced, tactical combat. The Sledge class, for example, can unlock talents for a shotgun and a recoilless rifle.
• Flamethrower: Heavy Weapon
  The signature weapon of the Pyro class, used to incinerate enemies and control areas.
• Melee Weapons: Varies (Sledgehammer, etc.)
  Close-quarters weapons, such as the Sledge's sledgehammer, used for brutal takedowns.

• Melee Weapons: Varies (Axes, Swords, Maces)
  A critical part of combat for stealth and silent movement. Includes both one-handed and two-handed options.
• Ranged Weapons: Firearms (Flintlocks, Revolvers)
  Slow, deliberate, and high-impact firearms inspired by the early 1800s. Firing a gun is a major tactical decision as it alerts all players on the map.
• Gadgets: Utility
  A huge variety of tactical items, including ceramic grenades, lockpicking tools, repair tools, and experimental hand mortars.

• Armor: Players can find and equip armor. It is designed to be supplementary, offering only one or two extra shots of survivability, rather than making a player 'superhuman'. It helps 'paper over mistakes' but does not negate the need for skill.

The game features a deep, permanent RPG progression system with no forced wipes. Players choose from four classes (Sledge, Pyro, Phantom, and one unrevealed) and customize them via an extensive, Path of Exile-inspired skill tree with over 100 talents. These talents are mechanics-based (e.g., faster looting, new weapon options like a shotgun for Sledge) rather than raw stat increases, ensuring a level playing field. Progression is persistent, but all players spawn into a match with a basic, blank-slate loadout.

The game features a deep, permanent RPG progression system. Each 'Living' character has a unique and highly customizable Mastery Tree with over 100 talents, allowing for deep specialization in areas like combat, stealth, or support. A Prestige system allows max-level players to reset for exclusive cosmetic rewards. There is no forced progress wipe.

The game features multiple, large-scale maps. Gameplay is session-based, with a limited time for each incursion. The environment is dynamic and reactive, with shifting weather, unstable geometry, and hazards. The world is populated by AI factions and hostile creatures, creating a dense PvPvE experience.

The game will launch into Early Access with three large and distinct maps, with a goal of ten maps for the full 1.0 release. The maps are persistent zones where up to 15 players can be active at once, featuring locations like forests, villages, monasteries, citadels, and mines. PvE-only maps are also planned for the future.

• Sledge: Playable Class (Heavy Assault)
  The 'juggernaut' class. Specializes in frontline combat, using a shield to block damage and talents for shotguns and recoilless rifles.
• Pyro: Playable Class (Battlefield Control)
  A 'chaotic madman' class. Uses a flamethrower, gas grenades, and incendiary bombs to control the battlefield.
• Phantom: Playable Class (Assassin)
  A 'swift assassin' class. Focuses on stealth, flanking, and executing 'flawless' one-shot backstabs and chain kills.
• The Hunger: Enemies
  The grotesque, infected abominations that serve as the primary PvE threat.

• Expeditions
  The main gameplay loop. Players deploy to a map (solo or in a squad) with a limited amount of time. The mission is divided into two phases: a PvE-focused gear-up phase, and a high-conflict second phase where players can opt for a safe, early extraction or fight for the high-value 'Vertex' prize.

• Expeditions
  The main gameplay loop. Players deploy to one of several large maps to complete quests, scavenge for loot, and fight other players and AI, with the primary goal of successfully extracting with their findings.
• Quests
  Obtained from NPCs in the 'Chateau' social hub, these are complex, multi-stage objectives that are essential for gaining experience and building reputation. They are described as being similar in depth to quests in games like Skyrim.
• Dungeons & Bosses
  Endgame content available at launch where players are encouraged to investigate dungeons and battle powerful bosses for high-tier rewards.

The game is a persistent online PvPvE extraction shooter. Players can queue for 'Expeditions' solo or in squads of up to four. The core loop is divided into two phases: a resource-gathering first phase and a high-conflict second phase where players can choose an early, safe extraction or fight for the final, high-value 'Vertex' prize at the main helicopter extraction.

The game will be in Early Access for approximately two years. During this time, the developers plan to add numerous new weapons, characters, maps, and enemies based on community feedback. The long-term monetization model favors paid DLC expansions over microtransactions.

• Q: What is Rules of Engagement: The Grey State?
  A: It is a free-to-play, first-person tactical extraction shooter with deep, permanent RPG progression. Players, as 'Striders,' enter a surreal horror dimension to fight monsters and other players for valuable artifacts.
• Q: Is it 'pay-to-win'?
  A: No. The developers have confirmed the game is not pay-to-win. All players spawn into a match with a basic loadout, and all monetization is cosmetic-only.
• Q: How does progression work if everyone starts with the same gear?
  A: Progression is persistent and tied to a deep, Path of Exile-inspired skill tree. You don't bring in better gear, you bring in better *talents* and *abilities* that you have permanently unlocked, which define your playstyle (e.g., stealth, farming, or combat).
• Q: What is the 'Horrorverse'?
  A: It's the game's setting concept. 'The Grey State' is a dimension that acts as a 'graveyard of nightmares,' allowing the developers to pull in monsters from diverse sources, such as Lovecraftian lore, creepypastas, and global folklore (like from the upcoming Hong Kong map).

• Q: What is HUNGER?
  A: HUNGER is a first-person PvPvE extraction RPG set in a plague-ravaged Napoleonic Europe. It combines the high-stakes loot loop of an extraction shooter with the deep, permanent character progression of a classic RPG.
• Q: Are there server wipes?
  A: No. A key feature of the game is the complete absence of forced wipes. All player experience, levels, and unlocked talents are permanent. A voluntary 'Prestige' system is available for players who wish to reset their own progress for cosmetic rewards.
• Q: Is it a 'Soulslike'?
  A: While it features challenging, deliberate combat, it is more accurately described as an extraction RPG. Unlike Soulslikes, death does not cause you to lose your experience, only the gear you were carrying on that specific run.
• Q: Is it free-to-play?
  A: No, HUNGER will be a premium, one-time purchase game launching into Early Access. The price is expected to increase as it gets closer to the full 1.0 release.

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS from the game's Steam page. These specifications reflect the demands of a modern Unreal Engine 5 title.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the model's cooling and TGP. As a fast-paced shooter, maintaining a high and stable framerate is crucial.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features, ray tracing, and maintain high framerates.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of both monsters and human enemies, as well as the physics-based interactions.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a competitive FPS.
• Game Name: Rules of Engagement: The Grey State

• SPECULATIVE PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. As official specs were not provided in the text, these are hypothetical projections for a next-generation title built on Unreal Engine 5.
• Laptop Performance Note: A title like this would demand a high-performance gaming laptop for the best experience. Actual performance would vary significantly based on the final game's optimization and the laptop's specific hardware configuration.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain stable framerates during intense PvPvE encounters.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and potential for numerous AI and player entities will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI and physics-based combat.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a competitive FPS.
• Game Name: HUNGER

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features, ray tracing, and maintain high framerates.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of both monsters and human enemies, as well as the physics-based interactions.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a competitive FPS.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain stable framerates during intense PvPvE encounters.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and potential for numerous AI and player entities will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI and physics-based combat.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a competitive FPS.