Rules of Engagement: The Grey State vs Project Spectrum

• 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: Squad-based PvPvE
• Setting: Near-Future, Post-Apocalyptic
• Platforms: PC and Consoles
• Release Window: 2025
• Unique Feature: A unique blend of tactical extraction shooter gameplay with a deep sanity and psychological horror mechanic, and asymmetric monster-vs-human PvP.

• Squad Mates: The game is built around squad-based teamwork. A squad consists of several players who must coordinate their Operator abilities to survive and complete objectives against both monsters and other player-controlled squads.
  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.

• Ember Samples: A key objective item that must be successfully extracted for major rewards.
• Dangerous Tech/Artifacts: Rare, high-value loot items that provide significant progression or unlock unique story elements.

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

• Supernatural Horror
• Tactical Shooter
• Extraction
• PvPvE
• Post-Apocalyptic
• Psychological Horror
• Sci-Fi

• 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.

• Firearms: Varies (Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Prototypes)
  A diverse arsenal of modifiable firearms. Ammunition is scarce, making resource management critical.
• Melee Weapons: Axes, Crowbars, Makeshift Blades
  Last-resort weapons for desperate close-quarters encounters when ammunition runs out.
• Improvised Tools: Traps and Gadgets
  Players can craft items on-the-fly, such as tripmines, motion sensors, and toxin grenades, to gain a tactical advantage.

• Operator Cosmetics: Players can customize their Operators with a variety of cosmetic items, including different armor looks, helmets, and voice lines. These are likely unlocked through a seasonal Battle Pass and in-game store.

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.

Progression is persistent between extraction runs. Players choose from multiple Operator archetypes (Assault, Recon, Infiltrator, Medic, Technician), each with a deep upgrade tree. Loot and XP earned from successful extractions are used to unlock new gadgets, abilities, cosmetics, and rare weapons.

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 features procedurally scrambled maps within the 'Ember Zones'. Key locations, objectives, and extraction points shift with every playthrough, ensuring high replayability. The environments are dynamic, with hazards like acid rain, gas clouds, and low gravity appearing unpredictably.

• 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.

• Operator: Playable Human Character
  Players choose from a roster of Operator archetypes (Assault, Recon, Infiltrator, Medic, Technician), each with unique gadgets and upgrade trees.
• Executioner: Playable Monster Character
  A player-controlled monster with unique powers, tasked with hunting down the human Operator squads.

• 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.

• Extraction Runs
  The main gameplay mode where squads infiltrate an Ember Zone with a specific goal (e.g., retrieve an artifact, rescue a VIP). The primary objective is to complete the mission and successfully extract while surviving threats from other players and the environment.

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 core gameplay is a session-based, asymmetric PvPvE extraction shooter where multiple squads of 3-4 players compete on the same map. A key feature is the ability for some players to take direct control of powerful monsters to hunt the human Operators.

• 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 Project Spectrum?
  A: Project Spectrum is an upcoming asymmetric PvPvE tactical horror shooter. Multiple squads of players enter a monster-infested, procedurally generated zone to complete objectives and extract, all while hunting each other.
• Q: What does 'asymmetric' mean for this game?
  A: It means the teams are not equal. Not only do human squads fight each other (PvP) and AI monsters (PvE), but some players can also take on the role of powerful monster characters to hunt the human players.
• Q: How does the Sanity system work?
  A: Witnessing horrors and spending time in the Ember Zone drains your Sanity. As it drops, you experience audio-visual hallucinations that can impact gameplay, and at critical levels, you can even temporarily lose control of your character.
• Q: When will it be released?
  A: The game is expected to be released in 2025, but a specific date has not yet been announced.

• 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, 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, heavy particle effects, and dynamic environments.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich and often chaotic encounters 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 procedural map generation.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus would be a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance and responsiveness in a competitive shooter.
• Game Name: Project Spectrum

• 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, heavy particle effects, and dynamic environments.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich and often chaotic encounters 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 procedural map generation.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus would be a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance and responsiveness in a competitive shooter.