It’s been awhile Onward Community, We heard you have been missing our monthly updates. I am happy to finally be able to provide you with some long awaited updates on what we are working on. Strap in and get ready because this is going to be exciting. I bet your first questions are “Why the silence?” and “What is taking so long?”. The answer is simply, there was A LOT of backend work and artwork that needed to be done. Additionally, there is a good amount of prep work to do when gearing up for OUR BIGGEST UPDATE to date! Especially with the expectation that it will be released in the first half of next year. We are thrilled that we have now moved to a part of the development process where we have some of the work put together that we are able to show off to you. We won’t be divulging all the information at once, so make sure you look for our future publications. [h2]Briefing 1 of 6[/h2] [h3]Visual Overhaul on all Weapons, Accessories, & Utilities[/h3] We are talking brand new, higher fidelity models, textures and interactions for 40+ Primary Weapons, 10+ Secondary Weapons, and 65+ Weapon Attachments. That amounts to over 115 objects. And that’s just what is currently in the game. We are going to show you examples of two of the updated weapons today. You can see how big an upgrade it is in the images below of the M1014, L86A2, and MRS. The difference that has been achieved is really impressive when you compare the previous and new looks side by side. In the Devs’ Desk we go over what is required for this to be achieved. The visual overhaul applies the same updates to both Quest & PC versions. [url=https://onwardthegame.com/img/Devblog/oct2024/M1014.png]M1014[/url] [url=https://onwardthegame.com/img/Devblog/oct2024/L86A2_LSW.png]L86A2_LSW[/url] [url=https://onwardthegame.com/img/Devblog/oct2024/Walther_MRS.png]MRS[/url] [h1]From the Devs’ Desks:[/h1] This visual overhaul is much more involved than some people might think. Our process is not simply adjusting some resolution settings and adding some improved lighting techniques. To give you an idea of what exactly is involved, we have listed out some of the steps it takes to complete just one item. [b]Modeling:[/b] Create a new high-poly model to ensure authenticity and accuracy in scale, with enhanced attention to detail and realism. [b]Texturing:[/b] Develop detailed textures and materials that respond more realistically to lighting, improving the visual quality. [b]Material Adjustments:[/b] Fine-tune in-game materials to achieve optimal realism under various lighting conditions. [b]Art Review:[/b] Review and adjust the artwork as needed, ensuring that it meets the visual and quality standards. [b]Integration:[/b] Apply the approved art to the game and define all interactions and behaviors, with corresponding updates to the code. [b]Quality Assurance (QA):[/b] Conduct thorough testing to ensure the new models function as expected and look great in-game. [b]Final Adjustments:[/b] Make any necessary adjustments and corrections based on feedback from QA to ensure the best possible result. These steps also don’t account for any time needed for bug fixes or back-end work needed on other systems these items interact with. In order for us to keep moving forward on some of this work and other work we have in the pipeline, we will be releasing a patch for the game in the next week or so. [h2]Patch 1.14.4[/h2] This upcoming patch will be exactly like Patch 1.14.3, a backend update that will not affect anything that is player facing. It is additional tool(s) & foundation work for future development features to be implemented. It can be confusing to see an update queued and not see anything new or updated to the game, please know it should not affect your gameplay in any way. We are excited that we are far enough along to be able to provide you with a sneak peak into the hard work that has been done so far. We are looking forward to showing off even more as things continue to develop and more work is completed. [h1]Community Center:[/h1] While the team is deep into development work on upcoming features, we are continuing to review and approve community Custom Map submissions. If you are interested in adding your own environmental content, join [url=http://discord.gg/onward]our Discord[/url]! There you can review the custom map makers guide we have provided on how to get started in the process. You can also meet other custom map makers who are happy to help new and returning creators. There is even a group who host custom map contests, if winning the coveted purple pen is something that you want to strive for. Having your work go into the game and enjoyed by the community can also be a rewarding experience. We will be hard at work and continuing to make progress on these and other features that we will share in the future. Be on the lookout for more