Hello Onward Players! Fire Fight is a hit! When Update 1.12 released, Fire Fight quickly became and continues to be a top played game mode. We are thrilled to see that you are enjoying this new addition. Some bugs did come with Update 1.12 due to some unpredictable behavior that happened due to the Unity update that was done. We are trying to get hotfixes out more quickly to get you back to playing and minimize the impact to your gameplay. This month we have an update for additional fixes coming, some of the next features that are coming to Onward in the Devs’ Desk and an update on our custom maps in the Community Center. [h1]From the Devs’ Desks:[/h1] We are continuing to work on some lingering bugs and should have Patch 1.12.2 coming out tomorrow (9/20). This will include several fixes for bugs in Fire Fight, multiple Uplink spawns, heartbeat audio staying on, and more. The full list of fixes will be published when the patch is released. Patch 1.12.2 will also include a speculative fix for Pimax and Windows Mixed Reality users not launching correctly. The reason this is a speculative fix is due to the limited amount of testing we can do on various devices and setups in our QA cycle. Additionally, this also means that with all the different variables that come with PC gaming, we need to spend more time looking into other PCVR bugs that came as a result of the Unity update. Next, we wanted to shed some light on some of the features coming to the game. For the next update (1.13) we are not going to leave you in the dark about our goals to improve some aspects of the gameplay. Our vision for this is to help encourage you to be better equipped for anytime a battle may take place. If you haven’t picked up on the subtle hints yet, we are going to be making updates to how you play at night! [h2]Night Mode Improvements[/h2] [h3]New and Updated Night Vision Goggles[/h3] We will be adding updates to Night Vision Goggles for you to choose when making a loadout. There will now be two different versions of NVGs. The current NVGs will be automatically included for free in your loadout by default on night maps. There are also now Ground Panoramic NVGs that can be picked from the loadout options menu for 3 points, greatly increasing your field of vision. Both NVGs will include new customizable filters to choose from: Amber Phosphor, White Phosphor, Green Phosphor, and Digital (Multi-Color). The single color phosphates will be 0 cost for your loadout, unless you want to use the Digital filter. The Digital filter option will require you to spend 3 points to include in your loadout. These new color options and different goggle types should be a huge change to how you view night gameplay. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/25603247/8c0e644bb2b9e447341348f878682e0be615b3da.gif[/img] [h3]IR Strobes[/h3] IR strobes are blinking infrared lights used in real world combat for friend or foe identification. They are being included on the character models on night maps. This will make identifying and locating your teammates easier in the dark environments, and makes night maps actually play different, not just look different. This should also help reduce team killing from not being able to clearly see the players uniform color. You will be able to see this addition located on your teammates helmet when night vision is enabled. Enemy strobes will not be visible for gameplay purposes and to reflect the manner in which these tools are used in real life, so this will not paint a bullseye on your head. Infrared strobes are a server option and can be disabled, but are on by default. [h3]New Gear[/h3] New IR attachments will also be coming to help improve your tactical options when building your night loadouts. IR attachments include items such as infrared lasers and infrared flashlights. In addition, normal laser sights are now colored red and green (by faction), and have high and low powered modes. Low powered laser sights show the dot, but not a beam. As far as throwables go, we’ve added chem lights (with liquid physics) you can snap and shake to activate and mark locations or signal your teammates. [h2]Main Menu Scene Update[/h2] We have seen your comments and delight over the new Main Menu scene, the improvement in graphics quality and the difference it makes on immersion. We are thrilled to announce that this scene will be available as a full playable map. The map is named “FOB Bassett” and will be released for Free Roam and Social game modes. These modes are quicker to implement and we don't want to rush out unbalanced versions of Uplink or other modes on this map. We are looking into extending it to other game modes, let us know in our Discord which mode you think would play well on this map! [h2]Long-term projects being worked on[/h2] Not everything we work on makes it into the next update. Some features take longer than others to develop and some rely on other updates to release first. You have heard us say for a while that we're working on our AI for PvE modes, well it's just about time for us to deliver on that promise. Our engineering team is working hard on a large refactor of our AI system which includes... We can't wait to share more, so stay tuned as we get further along in this feature's development. [h1]Community Center:[/h1] We have introduced a new community program for custom map makers. Around once a quarter DPI will be hosting a Custom Map Showcase. We will be posting a theme for the custom map makers to build a new map made for the showcase. There will be one map submitted per person, and one winner will be chosen for the showcase. The winner will receive a community prize pack and the coveted Purple Pen that they can use in game. Our first showcase theme is “Spooky / Fall Season”. We have already received a couple submissions that look to be really enjoyable to play on. The first showcase will wrap up around mid October. Just in time to get you some great new maps to fit the season. Any level of map maker is welcome to submit an entry. Submissions are reviewed for a variety of criteria, anyone has the chance to win. If you are interested in starting to make custom maps join the official Onward discord and head to the Custom Map channels. The future's looking bright!