Dear captains, We hope that you had pleasant holidays and a good start to 2024. In this diary we will dive back again into various simulation aspects on which we were working on for the Full Release update. Our goal with these changes is to accommodate more playstyles, but without forcing them in any way. If such technical things are not your cup of tea, don't worry as everything discussed here is going to be fully optional as it was always the case in UBOAT. [h1]Contacts rework[/h1] Imprecise contacts, such as those provided by the hydrophone operator, are now displayed as arcs or lines on the map that appear outside of the direct sight range. They are also merged or split, as necessary, when contacts start or stop being distinguishable from each other. It's a change we are really excited about as it makes the encounters much more natural. They provide all the information they should, without spoiling anything they shouldn't. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25728714/fddc719127df5da58348de4abe071781bfb7f324.gif[/img] If you look for an even more hardcore gameplay, and wish to plot everything on your own, we've also added an option to disable all contacts completely on the map. [h1]Torpedo attack systems[/h1] Along with the addition of [url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/494840/announcements/detail/3712713813599539943]the torpedo calculator[/url], we've decided to upgrade all other systems related to the torpedo attacks. While it's not our top priority, we hope to make most of the devices on the boat possible to use manually over time. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25728714/bc42136bca63fa42f7e6b85e4d2a68e38e67317e.gif[/img] The torpedo launchers were completely overhauled and they can be now used manually, if you wish to do so. It's possible to open and close the breech doors, flood, drain and launch the torpedoes on your own. The gyro angle receiver panels are also useable. We've also improved the models on Type VIIC U-boats, to make them resemble better their historic counterparts. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25728714/83a3f636d73239b89e9d6a56720555959041cd37.gif[/img] If you would like to see how the entire process worked, the torpedo fire control boxes in the control room are now also simulated. It's not necessary to use them, but if you prefer to, you can setup everything manually there. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25728714/40e0bd939b03eb09ed05b729f56280139dbeedd0.gif[/img] We've designed the system, to be flexible and allow for various ways of executing a successful torpedo attack. If you wish to do so, you will be able to do everything from the periscope, by passing all measurements to the TDC operator with newly added buttons. They are passed verbally by your character and repeated back by the officer at the TDC. Once everything is set, you can order to launch the torpedoes. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25728714/0333eae7fd02ece11697f3945fb4de213c33fb40.png[/img] We've also eliminated the "unlock" tip from the periscope views. It was a common suggestion on the forums to enhance the immersion. [h1]Disabling mission markers[/h1] With the full release update, it's going to be possible to play without the green dots that point mission targets, in cases where you only have a partial information about your target, to let you find them for yourself. Headquarters may give an update from time to time, that will ensure that the mission is still possible to complete, when the target for example changes its course a lot. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25728714/8ae9a00a66c5381b44fb4a89b14556ab2799719a.png[/img] [h1]Atmospheric scattering[/h1] We've also implemented a better atmospheric scattering effect into the game. It's visible as a blue tint on distant objects with some effect on ambient light of the overall scene. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25728714/5c1059890da7f5e138f5a961c81ae2ef83c800e0.gif[/img] [h1]Release date estimate[/h1] Currently, everything remains on track, and our estimated completion date for this work is still March - April 2024. If there are no unforeseen surprises, we should have a specific date to report relatively soon. The main thing that extends the development time, are interior models for the new playable U-boats, that will be introduced in the Full Release Update. You can read more about them [url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/494840/announcements/detail/3740860043618362780?snr=2_9_100003_]in this dev diary[/url]. While our artist is busy finishing the new U-boats, the rest of the team, among other things, gathers feedback on the forum, so if you have something you always wanted added or changed, feel free to post. It's important to us, to make you satisfied with the upcoming release. Also, we still have a few exciting things to share about the upcoming update and will soon in the upcoming dev logs. Yours, DWS