Silent Storm engine

The Silent Storm engine is a turn-based tactics game engine developed by Nival Interactive for their video game Silent Storm. The engine was reused for Silent Storm: Sentinels,Night Watch,Hammer & Sickle and Day Watch. A modified version of this engine was used for Heroes of Might and Magic V.

The engine features an advanced physics model—nearly all structures are destructible, and ragdoll physics is employed for bodies with variation according to the precise velocity and impact of projectiles. Three-dimensional mapping allows for obstruction calculations and cover effects from any direction. Bullets ricochet, and their stopping power depends on the strength of the weapon. Also modeled are materials' effectiveness at stopping ordnance and visibility based on lighting conditions. All these effects are, however, exaggerated for a more cinematic experience (e.g., a hail of non-fatal bullets only makes the target shake, but a single fatal bullet can send the target flying), which has been praised by some reviewers as a feature. Reviewer Greg Kasavin commented that "pray and spray" tactics are quite viable, as the game uses silhouettes to mark enemies' estimated positions when they happen to lie out of eyesight but within earshot.

Mechanics common to role-playing video games are also featured, such as the ability for characters to be customized over time. The player's units gain experience points over time for completing actions, which can later be spent on purchasing new skills and abilities. The engine also uses an action point system, whereby players can select from various actions, such as firing modes, stances and forms of movement. A sequel, Silent Storm: Sentinels, introduced weapon degradation to the series.

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