Happy new year, everyone! We hope 2024 has been treating you well so far. As GROUND BRANCH V1034 continues to be diligently tested by all of you lovely people in the Community Test beta branch, we continue to fix and tweak things to get the update in shape for the official release. If this is your first time hearing about all of this stuff, here's how to get in on the testing: [quote][h3]❓ How to join the [b]Community Test[/b] beta branch[/h3] [list] [*]Right-click GROUND BRANCH in your Steam Library and select [b]Properties…[/b] [*]Click 'BETAS' on the left-hand list menu [*]Select '[b]communitytest - Community testing branch[/b]' from the drop-down menu [i]([u]no password required[/u])[/i] [/list]Steam will begin downloading the files for the testing branch. Patching may take a while.[/quote][quote][h3]🐞 [b]Where to report bugs[/b][/h3] You can report bugs and issues using any of these methods: [list] [*] The in-game [b]Bugs & Issues[/b] screen (press Esc once in-game and look along the top menu) [*] The Steam forums: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/16900/discussions/]steamcommunity.com/app/16900/discussions/[/url] [*] The [b]#bug-reports[/b] channel on the official [url=https://discord.com/channels/152529936719151104/475872902206455809]GROUND BRANCH™ Discord[/url] [/list]Your reports help us locate and fix issues faster, so keep them coming![/quote] [h1]Known issues[/h1] 🚧 [i]These issues are known to still be present:[/i] [list] [*] Enemy AI may be unresponsive/idle/stuck in various contexts — if you see it, please make note of whether it was online (dedicated server? Listen server?) or offline, which game mode was being played, as well as map and location etc.[quote]⚠️ Bots are particularly prone to getting stuck in doorways; we're actively working on fixing/improving this issue.[/quote][*] Changing directions (WASD) with a primary weapon equipped will cause visible "hitches" in the weapon movement [*] Weapon movement, poses and animations in general are still being put back together after the prone overhaul — please bear with us [*] Leaning is bound to feel particularly strange, due to the combo of new poses and the ongoing animation work (all WIP) [*] Walking or running with a primary weapon equipped causes the character's right foot to "hover" before it actually touches the ground [*] The prone stance does not conform to terrain angle [*] Aiming (ADS) with a pistol while crouched is offset (when leaning left) [*] Character and weapon collision while prone is pretty finicky! Let us know how it all feels to you [*] The [b]Tablet[/b] (map) is currently offset to the bottom while crouched, and unusable while prone [*] Various combinations of hairstyles and headgear items have visible clipping or overall jankiness [*] AI bots are still not hooked up to the Deathmatch game mode. [/list] [hr][/hr] [h1]Patch notes[/h1] [h2]Maps and missions[/h2] [h3]Ready Room (RR)[/h3] [list] [*] Added a few scenery assets to the RR [*] Fixed occasional issue with unusually dark RR [/list] [h3]747[/h3] [list] [*] New [b]Defuse[/b] mission [/list] [h3]City[/h3] [list] [*] Lowered and reduced thickness of bank windows to better allow players to fire out of them [*] Added new Terrorist Hunt (Bank) variant [*] Base Hostage Rescue mission split into separate (Central) and (Bank) variants [*] Set up ceiling fans in City: [list] [*] They now turn on/off in accordance to power boxes and are now destructible [*] Added smooth start up and power down [/list] [*] Fixed collision issue around bank windows [*] Skylight override volumes tweaked and updated to use the new desaturation system (so that e.g. the inside of the bank is not tinted orange at night) [/list] [h3]Compound[/h3] [list] [*] Added [b]Defuse[/b] mission [*] Fixed up ceiling fans to power boxes [*] Fixed a few props that were being culled out too quickly and creating "invisible" walls you can't shoot through [*] Updated doors on Compound for better AI navigation [/list] [h3]Creek[/h3] [list] [*] Added Defuse mission [/list] [h3]Depot[/h3] [list] [*] Added Defuse mission (Compound variant) [*] Fixing various reported bugs [*] Fixed up all Depot PvE missions in respect of compound tower that was rotated/moved [*] Disabled subsurface scattering on ferns to potentially stop them glowing when using NVGs [*] Fixed some culling issues [/list] [h3]Docks[/h3] [list] [*] Added Defuse mission [*] Fixed up a load of missing physical materials (determines footstep sounds and bullet impact VFX) [/list] [h3]Power Station[/h3] [list] [*] Added Defuse mission [*] Made it so you can crawl under all electrical equipment [/list] [h3]Rig[/h3] [list] [*] Added new Defuse and Defuse (Decks 3 and 4) missions [*] Fixed up some issues with AI on Deck 4 in Terrorist Hunt missions [/list] [h3]Small Town[/h3] [list] [*] Removed unnecessary collision from smaller foliage instances [*] Changed tags on Defuse mission to make more readable zone names [*] Removed leftover blocking volume [*] Fixed small collision issue where players could get stuck between rocks [*] Rearranged low sandbags on building A ledges for better prone sniping [*] Set all rock collision to use "Complex as Simple" method, improving collision when prone [*] Fixed two lights in building D that used a different kind of light fixture for their broken state [*] Adjusted nav link for ladder on where AI could get stuck [/list] [h3]Storage Facility[/h3] [list] [*] New Defuse mission [*] Fixed a bunch of missing PhysMats in materials [*] Cleaned up collision with Ural truck to allow crawling under it [*] All tunnel lights are now connected to a power box [/list] [h3]Tanker[/h3] [list] [*] Converted arcade machines to turn off when power is off and be affected by blast damage [/list] [h2]AI[/h2] [list] [*] Added clamp to [i]ReactionTimeBase[/i] AI setting [*] Adapted old AI vision blocker in smoke grenades to conform closer to the bounds of the current smoke effects [*] Reduced the number of maximum Kythera nav mesh tiles to be regenerated at any given time by half [*] Rejig of foliage collision and AI detection (now easier to hide in foliage and more consistent AI response to foliage) [*] Fixed crash relating to pathfinding [*] Updated nav mesh for [b]Compound[/b] [*] Updating cover generation parameters to be a bit less restrictive [*] First pass on new system for AI visibility blockers in [b]Small Town[/b] foliage [quote]⚠️ We're particularly interested in feedback for this. Sneak around the Small Town bushes and let us know if the AI appears to react "authentically" in terms of visual detection.[/quote][*] Removed Kythera component from main menu characters so they don’t initialise the Kythera systems [*] Updated how AI interacts with doors (now uses input based navigation through door instead of nav mesh) [*] Kythera nav mesh is no longer forced to regenerate when doors are opened or closed (getting rid of the hitch) [*] Updated Kythera nav meshes for various maps [*] Changed suppression handling of AI: now the AI will take cover from the general shot direction way more often and try not to stand in the open as much [*] Fixed an issue where Guard AI would leave their post and go a long way to investigate a dead body [*] Fixed an issue where dead bodies could be "newly discovered" by the same AI multiple times [*] Adjusted [i]GBKytTargetSelector[/i] so it includes dead bodies [*] Updated [i]SpatialQueries[/i] asset to make cover point generation less restrictive so that the AI takes cover in more situations [*] Updated footstep hearing [*] Added visibility and hearing multipliers to [i]GBWorldSettings[/i], so AI perception can be tuned per-map [list][*] Increased visual and audio detection by 50% in [b]City[/b], [b]Compound[/b] and [b]747[/b] [*] Decreased visual and audio detection by 25% in [b]Small Town[/b] and [b]Rig[/b] [/list] [*] Tweaked AI vision, increased default vision range, lowered primary FOV, increased secondary FOV weight [*] Fixed an issue where AI would go back to unarmed state after being suppressed [*] Nav mesh work on Compound, updated door navlink locations to avoid AI getting stuck [*] Updated barks for different AI states [/list] [h2]Game mode/gameplay[/h2] [list] [*] First pass on [b]focus zoom[/b] feature: slight zoom-in effect when in ADS while holding the Focus Zoom key (bound to LCtrl by default) [quote][h3]⚠️ Experimental feature![/h3] If it's not bound to [b]LCtrl[/b] by default, bind it under Settings > Controls > Keybinds > Focus Zoom)[/quote] [list] [*] Aim sensitivity scales appropriately when focus zoomed [*] Focus zoom disengages when player or player head moves significantly [*] Additional vignette effect when zoomed (stacks with [b]Hold Breath[/b] vignette) [/list] [*] Changed Defuse game mode to display bomb group names on [b]Ops Board[/b] [*] Added new [i]DefuseValidate[/i] Lua script [*] Fixed up some Defuse missions after using the aforesaid validation function [*] Minor tweak to [i]IntelRetrieval[/i] and [i]TerroristHunt[/i] validation functions to provide better dumps of guard point/squad mismatches [*] Created new [i]PoweredItem[/i] blueprint (BP) class as a mirror image of the [i]LightFixture[/i] BP class, but for things that aren't lights (e.g. ceiling fans). This ties into time of day and Light Zone Controllers so that power boxes turn them on and off, and they can be powered or not at particular times of day [*] Improved collision checks for doors [*] Improved collision checks for players to ignore volumes (fixes lean being preventing due to audio volumes, etc.) [*] Stopped firearm firing when going to and from prone [*] [b]F4[/b] and [b]F6[/b] now prompt player to confirm intention to leave game before taking effect [*] Fixed use of [i]timer.Clear(self, name of timer)[/i] instead of [i]timer.Clear(name of timer)[/i] in various Lua game modes [*] Rejigged kit restriction detection and handling [*] Misc updates to Lua game mode libraries: [list] [*] In general, for indicating an error state in functions supposed to return tables, they now return an empty table rather than nil [*] Created [i]actor.GetOverlappingPlayers()[/i] to remove need to use [i]GetOverlaps()[/i] and specify [i]GBCharacter[/i] class. [*] Updated [i]player.Kill()[/i] to bypass any and all damage reduction/prevention, and to prevent use in the Ready Room [*] Updated [i]vector.VectorNew()[/i] to ensure it returns nil value if supplied with incompatibility values rather than returning NaN [*] Hooked up [i]ai.Create[/i] in AI Lua library [/list] [*] Fixed news helicopter not appearing in City in multiplayer [*] Added restrictions to stop [b]Use/Interact[/b] actions while prone, to prevent hostages being lead by someone prone, and to stop hostages going prone [*] Bug fixes to a few game modes [*] Skylight override volumes extended so as to permit desaturation of skylight lower hemisphere color [/list] [h2]Graphics[/h2] [list] [*] Removed [b]Use Simple Character Shadows[/b] video setting as it offered negligible performance gain and caused various rendering issues when not in direct sunlight [/list] [h2]Inventory[/h2] [list] [*] Adjusted rear sight of [b]FAL[/b] a bit forward [*] Added missing top rail to FAL [*] New item skins: [list] [*] [b]Headset[/b]: Foliage Green [*] [b]Helmet (HC)[/b] (non-cover version): OCP and MARPAT Desert [*] [b]Tactical Pants[/b]: Coyote Brown [/list] [*] Tweaked hue of MARPAT Desert camo pattern [*] Minor color tweaks to existing headset skins [*] Reworked channels in Helmet (HC)'s color mask to allow camo pattern on the helmet shell [*] Updated existing Helmet (HC) skins to account for the above channel changes [*] Cleaned up [b]Combat Pants[/b] and [b]Combat Shirt[/b] skins: [list] [*] Made whole zipper "area" of the shirts' collar use the same color as the actual zipper teeth [*] Fixed knee pad and stretch material inconsistencies between different skins of the Combat Pants [*] Fixed various overly bright colors (especially shoulder velcros on Combat Shirt) [*] Changed Khaki skins to a more authentic version [/list] [*] General color correction on various skins [*] Tweaked MARPAT Woodland pattern hue to be slightly more red (affects all skins that have it) [/list] [h2]General fixes[/h2] [list] [*] Fixed bombs having 00:00 displays after round reset [*] Adapted bomb timer display to cope with 2-hour long rounds (you crazy guys) [*] Improved interaction with doors having multiple components, e.g. doors with glass elements in City [*] Added visualization of movement radius for Guard Point in mission editor (when selected) [*] Set Big Bomb and DTAS flag to receive all lighting channels (problem was dark bombs in some parts of maps), and also for the new hazard sticker on the power boxes [*] Fixed visual texture bug with Male 03 arms [*] When opening doors, UE4 navmesh is no longer being updated [*] Stopped missions without a valid map being displayed in mission selection list (e.g. Ranch) [*] Converted 747 generator cable spline mesh into static mesh to remove warnings and fix collision [*] Fixed extra long ceiling fan and cleaned up placement based on new mesh [*] Fixed up lighting groups on Compound and Storage Facility (to fix lights that did not turn off when power turned off) [*] Fixed missing geo on bottom of flatbed truck [*] Also made flatbed truck into a blueprint that allows parked supports to be extended or not [*] Fixed light poles in Small Town not casting a shadow [*] Updated [i]GBSightComponent[/i] to stop updating when player is using [i]DebugCamera[/i] or similar command [*] Updated master hair blueprint to improve hair bun handling: fixes issue where hair bun is added, then hair mesh is updated to a version that does not include a hair bun socket [*] Changed handling of sound banks in Laptop and Big Bomb (may or may not fix crash issue) [*] Various map bug fixes for 747, City, Storage Facility, Depot, Rig and Power Station [/list] [h2]Server/online[/h2] [list] [*] Made kit restriction UI/ZK stuff save to GroundBranch\Defaults for standalone and listen server and to ServerConfig if dedicated server [*] Added SERVER_SHUTDOWN_TIME_MAX check back into [i]CheckServerShutdown()[/i] (restores absolute 48-hour uptime limit) [/list] [h2]Animation[/h2] [list] [*] Zeroed out the rotation on handgun aims (partially fixes crouched pistol offset when aiming; left lean is known to still be offset) [*] Fixed issues with [b]PKM[/b] or [b]MK46[/b] not showing tray opening animations until equipped again [*] Fixed being able to go prone mid-air [*] Updated [b]SVD[/b] to add support for locked back bolt etc. to match up with reload animations (work in progress) [*] Work on crouch lean offsets (work in progress) [*] Corrected sight-to-eye curve values for crouched handgun animations [/list] [h2]VFX[/h2] [list] [*] Created and implemented new smoke grenade VFX textures (better coverage, especially at ground level) [*] Decreased spark color alpha value (brightness intensity) to address a bug report [*] Fix for smoke hanging around after round reset [*] Light destruction adjustments: the red sparks should no longer happen (strange smoke behavior a work in progress) [*] Adjustments to the size/life of the light destruction sparks [/list] [h2]Sound[/h2] [list] [*] Minor audio level bug fixes [*] Partial fix for bullet cracks [*] Changed sound location for big bomb from bottom of the barrel to the top (fixes some issues with bomb beeps being in the wrong spatial volume) [*] Reduced complexity of acoustic portal handling in doors (possible FPS spike mitigation) [*] Adjusted the rate of fade from one room to the next, and adjusted the check interval rate for portals [*] Setup reload audio for [b]Galil ARM[/b] and [b]SA58 OSW[/b] [*] Adjusted some missing tails and reverbs [/list] [h2]UI[/h2] [list] [*] Created and assigned proper minimap (Ops Board and [b]Tablet[/b]) textures for [b]The Farm[/b], [b]Arena[/b], [b]Arena 2[/b] and [b]Paintball[/b] [*] Visual cleanup and other minor visual tweaks to [b]Watch App[/b] (wristwatch face features) [*] Added keybinds for spectator night vision and headcam in Settings > Controls [*] Very minor font/formatting update to bomb LED screen [*] Added key shortcuts for translate, rotate and scale gizmos ([b]W[/b], [b]E[/b], [b]R[/b]) in the mission editor [*] Fixed corruption of mission actor names when loading a new mission in the mission editor [*] Hid [i]GuardPointType[/i] field in mission editor (not used in V1034) [*] Fixed some UI bugs in mission editor [*] Fixed incorrect version number on HUD [*] Player blips put back on the Ops Board in training game modes, e.g. The Farm [*] Custom properties (tint and scale) applied to player blips on Ops Board when in training or unknown mode [/list] [hr][/hr] [h3][i]As always, thanks for testing and providing feedback![/i][/h3] Until the next build, folks. 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