Greetings Onward Players! Did you catch our trailer in the Meta Gaming Showcase? In case you didn’t, you can check it out below. This month the Devs’ Desk will be going over the features that were shown off in the video as well as some other additions coming to Update 1.11. [previewyoutube=FZUx5HVBiEM;full][/previewyoutube] Exciting stuff right? Some of these updates have been in the works for a long time and we are excited to get them to you. Did you also catch in the video that you won’t have to wait long for them? We are working hard on wrapping up some bug fixes and getting ready to release Update 1.11 on [u]June 27th[/u]! While you wait for the release, read on for additional details about the items that were showcased and other additional items coming with Update 1.11. [h1]From the Devs’ Desks:[/h1] There are so many features we are excited to talk about that we didn’t know where to start! We decided to go with the order you see them in the video and add details along the way. Also included, towards the end, are new updates on things that weren't shown in the trailer. [h2]New Weapons[/h2] The two new weapons that will be added to the game are the M240L (for MARSOC) and Ultimax 100 Mk 3 (for Volk). [h3]M240L[/h3]- Belt fed heavy machine gun. High caliber 7.62. Punchy, aggressive, & heavy. The M240L is a medium machine gun that is found throughout the US military including Special Operations Forces. Firing from a disintegrating 75 round belt that is stored in the magazine pouch, the M240 series of machine guns have a reputation for stopping power and reliability. The M240L can be used in sustained-fire mode and used as an indirect fire area weapon. [h3]Ultimax 100 Mk3[/h3] - Drum fed with mag release button. Intermediate 5.56 cartridge. Sleek, accurate, & mobile. It has a drop free 100 rounds drum, allowing for fast reloads. Has the charging handle on the left side of the receiver allowing for fast cycling of the bolt after inserting a fresh magazine, allowing for one of the fastest LMG reloads in the game. You will be able to find these weapons under the Support class. Yes you read that right. These are the first new weapon additions for the support class since the game became available on PC in 2016. The support role provides sustained covering fire to keep enemy combatants pinned down as their squad advances and flanks. These weapons can be used to suppress the enemy’s ability to return accurate fire, or to hamper the maneuver of the enemy’s assault element. They fix the enemy in position and isolate them by cutting off their avenues of reinforcement. Having more bullets allows them to provide cover while the rest of the team can flank a target and destroy it. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/dc511efaba0b8d325e9850abe3cac34738253fcf.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/0e6bed3b3e33e961ddb991cb35995b6b25bb54a3.png[/img] [h2]New Animations[/h2] This is a major feature you have been asking for, and we’ve been working on, for a long time. Getting leg movement working correctly in a VR game has taken a lot of work and iteration. When we were working on the animation we also wanted to improve how the characters moved overall. In addition to the overhaul of the character animations, two additional changes have been made to the way your character will move. Onward’s gameplay has been focused on a slower, more tactical style vs a run and gun type system. Overall leaning towards a more realistic, to almost a fault, feeling than making the game easier for players. As different hardware devices were introduced we were challenged with how to properly balance the intended game design, hardware capability, and networked movement related concerns. It took a lot of research, development time, and testing to find the proper balance that we were happy with. [h3]Overall player movement has been slowed down [/h3] We originally tried to implement an inertia system to address some of the community feedback around varying movement concerns. However, most of our testing feedback led to concerns about developing motion sickness. After additional evaluation of various gameplay styles and device compatibility it was decided that with the new animations a global slowdown of player movement speed would work best. It also suits the gameplay that Onward intends to portray. Now with proper player speeds the battlefields will feel much more immersive and fair while also addressing the frustration people perceive related to networked movement related issues. [h3]Gun Weight has been added and will affect movement speed[/h3] When looking at the character movement with our intended gameplay design in mind, we wanted to expand on our goals of having realistic weapon handling. For this reason we have introduced gun weight to all weapons in the game. A weapon's weight will have a direct effect on your walking and sprinting speeds. This means that your weapon choices will now have additional impact on your overall strategy while playing during matches. For example, if you want to move quickly and be the one out in front, you will have more reason to select a submachine gun over a GPMG/LMG. [h2]Revamped Shooting Range & Improved Killhouse[/h2] At any given time when you log into Onward and go to the lobby browser you can find pages of Shooting Range lobbies to join. We understand players use the Shooting Range for a variety of different play styles and training sessions. We wanted to enhance your time on the range by giving you more tools to help you improve your accuracy, reaction times, and strategies to further build your skills for the battlefield. Challenging your friends is also a great method to stay sharp and look for ways to make improvements to your tactics. The following updates have been made to achieve this: [h3]Updated Range and Targets [/h3] The shooting range map will be extended to 600M. This allows for multiple new rows of further range targets. The new shot display on the Shooting Range will score player’s target shots based on things like accuracy, distance, and whether the target was moving. As shots are being fired, the display shows detailed scoring for each shot. Example image proved below. [h3]Improved Killhouse [/h3] The Killhouse will be upgraded to be more interactive and will provide stats and a score for each run through based on how fast and accurate you are. A scoreboard outside will break down the scoring of your last Killhouse run and the top players in your lobby for both target shots and Killhouse runs. High scores are determined by accurate shots (center of mass or head shots), speed, and clear rate. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/e5b2b9042977f29f8e26ce01ddfe13bb7ce88727.png[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/b7afc87d37f601212ae2a7806ce42b32b800730d.png[/img] [h2]New Tent[/h2] The tent has always been your base of operations during game sessions. It’s where you set strategies with the team, prepare your loadout, and maybe even do a little trash talking with your opponents. We wanted to take the time to enhance the overall experience when in this space. Not just graphically either, we have also added additional functionality when inside the tent. We even brought back a version of an old interaction from back in the day. [h3]Settings can be accessed from inside the Tent[/h3] - You will no longer have to exit the tent to make adjustments to your gameplay settings. The full settings menu will now be accessible and change will take place after you hit confirm. [h3]Whiteboard Accessibility[/h3] - The whiteboard can now be dragged around throughout the tent for easier accessibility and placement. You click and hold the directions under the whiteboard to move the whiteboard throughout the tent environment. You can even turn the board a full 360. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/87e354bdcd0bc650e2f6d4495e51329d77e30df1.png[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/b757045da1573f271f8fddadd9a9ba649190a804.jpg[/img] [h2]Additional Features[/h2] There are a few other important updates that were not in the trailer, And we wanted to make sure you know these are coming as they will be bringing some additional quality of life to your game. [h3]Updates to the Recoil System[/h3] - When reviewing the movement and weapons handling, we spent additional time evaluating the recoil system as well. Not only did we do some fixes, we included some updates as well. Balancing changes include non-foregrip recoil adjustments & Bipods have been updated to be more accurate. New additions to the recoil system include horizontal recoil and stance based recoil (crouching and prone will have advantages). [b]Full Auto[/b] [previewyoutube=1I6SWQRQ-KE;full][/previewyoutube] [b]Semi Auto[/b] [previewyoutube=sBXrNyCaAF0;full][/previewyoutube] [h2]Ability to simultaneously hold weapons in both hands[/h2] You will now be able to use both your hands to hold weapons at the same time. Functionally this may not be the best choice for gameplay as it will be very difficult to be accurate and balance holding two weapons. However, in a pinch grabbing your sidearm and not having to drop your primary could save lives. [previewyoutube=czK7uvAk3fc;full][/previewyoutube] [h3]New Watch Design[/h3] The graphics and overall look of the watch have been updated. The new design includes a compass and a more clear numbering system for directional callouts. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/355cd4af3ad6404209916920cdcc456743302fdf.png[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/4664267d52ee852edb1e8fd06f77d18ebd00b7e7.png[/img] [h3]Additional hand movement settings[/h3] We have added the option in the settings menu to choose which controller you want to use for movement (dominant or non-dominant). This will be especially helpful for left handed players who have wanted to use the left controller for movement and haven’t been able to. [h1]Community Center:[/h1] We saw a lot of you get really excited about some of the scenes in the trailer that premiered at the Meta Gaming Showcase. We have captured some of those iconic moments and have uploaded them for you to use as wallpapers for your computer. Check out the [url=https://onwardthegame.com/media.html]Media Page[/url] to view and download them. Our community member [b]Blxxn[/b] has been making some very informative videos to help teach people basic and advanced techniques for Onward. If you are a new player or looking to learn some advanced features during gameplay, make sure to check the full list of videos available on his [url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiR-8-80pgD9tTLzTFnu5PMn730lwkDfc]YouTube page[/url]. New Community made Custom Maps have been added to the Workshop area. As a reminder, once Update 1.11 is live you will be able to start seeing maps like these in the map voting scenes during tent map votes. [b]APEX HQ and Training Center[/b] by [u]Kensi_APEX[/u] [i]This is the official map from the milsim APEX and represents their HQ and Training Center[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/95badb550f26ba1b13ef88a4c8c91493029f36a6.png[/img] [b]Goryoukaku[/b] by [u]Tarematsu[/u] [i]Marsoc is here to defeat the Volks who have taken over the Star Fortress.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/c757a9d2e8d12d45a52941df842462b36c58da72.png[/img] [b]NSWC_Base and NSWC_Base Night [/b]by [u]Lejam009[/u] [i]NSWC_ Base is a permanent joint operations naval base built for the Naval Special Warfare Command and Project Mercenary, and MilSims alike! By incorporating elements from real military branches of the United States, this base acts as a tactical operations hub and naval port. Featuring revolutionary systems and aircraft, the base is fully equipped to suit the needs of the evolving units.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/b1be98a26545933b0d3407b5f6b0b626f7d66c25.png[/img] [b]SWAT CAMP LEVEL 1 [/b]by [u]SVCPanther[/u] (PC Only) [i]SWAT training in a challenging environment.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/e1aed39e88eda4cf36bf1d9e2ff70aef34af4ab3.png[/img] [b]Container Heaven[/b] by [u]Shh-Leo[/u] [i]Volk have stolen a high value payload stored inside a cargo container and are storing it in this warehouse Marsoc is here to take out the Volk.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/3beec20d65c514000313bce3cf2c136d1b4e24b0.png[/img] [b]Tanglewood & Tanglewood - Blackout[/b] by [u]Bluega[/u] [i]Marsoc crash landed in a Volk controlled area, and there is a satellite that must be "Defused" for some reason. Despite being a satellite, we can only connect to it via bluetooth on our android 2.0 tablets. If it's not done within the next 6 minutes, might as well give up. Not worth the effort.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/d19c896777f538322fa2475506561fc8cab92877.png[/img] We were thrilled to see the positive reactions to these updates from the showcase and we are looking forward to getting them to you soon. Brace for impact, later this month.