Patch notes
Performance and stability
We have identified and fixed a number of [b]memory leak issues[/b] which would create an increasing impact on performance (and possibly online replication) over time:- Fixed memory leaks related to inventory items that were not being unloaded on level change Fixed some vehicle blueprints that were leaking memory after level change (they were set to replicate unnecessarily)
- Fixed leak caused by regenerating navmeshes with our door-swinging logic in Kythera AI
Gameplay
Check Watch
Gone are the days of free-looking down to your left wrist or picking a foregrip that makes it easy to see it at a glance. You can still do those things, but now you can also simply use the new [b]Check Watch[/b] ability to have your character raise their wristwatch in clear view of the camera while keeping your firearm (if you have one equipped) at ready.
[quote]???? To check your watch, [b][u][u]double-tap[/u][/u] Freelook[/b] (default \[Tab]).[/quote]
The new Check Watch ability can be triggered in any stance, and it stays on while walking and running (but not while sprinting or crawling). Most other actions will cancel it out automatically.
[quote]???? When prone, the watch face may not be within the frame depending on what item you have equipped, even with a vertical FOV of 58 (default) or wider. We're looking into it.[/quote][quote]???? You may have issues checking your watch after using it several times while moving around, changing stances or in combination with Freelook. To restore the ability to check your watch, simply use Freelook momentarily.[/quote]
First pass on hand signals
Players can now use [b]hand signals[/b] to silently communicate with teammates. [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/4016748/7ffa4ccd755b9728197e069ac4ac4f0c6bacae18.jpg"][/img][i]"Go There" hand signal[/i] To bring up the Hand Signals menu, use default [H]. [quote]???? If a default key is not set in your game, manually bind it under [b]Settings[/b] › [b]Controls[/b] › [b]Keybinds[/b] (look under the "Communication" header).[/quote] Available signals so far are:- [b]Cover Me[/b] — Issued to request covering fire or overwatch from a teammate
- [b]Rally Up[/b] — Issued to tell teammates to regroup on your position
- [b]Go There[/b] — Issued to order teammates to move up to a location in front of you
- [b]Need Breacher[/b] — Issued to request a teammate to breach a door (currently limited to the water [b]Breaching Charge[/b])
- [b]Halt[/b] — Issued to tell teammates to stop and hold a position until told otherwise
- [b]Look There[/b] — Issued to tell teammates to visually check a position in front of you
Other gameplay updates
- Collecting the laptop in [b]Intel Retrieval[/b] no longer triggers enemies to rush towards the player ("extraction mayhem"), allowing players to e.g. sneak in and out with the intel
- Increased the area of [b]extraction zones[/b] to better support larger teams
- [b]Light and laser attachments[/b] now behave more naturally: [list]
- No longer automatically turned on when re-equipped
- Still turn off when the item is dropped, but with a slight delay — allowing you to potentially mislead enemies with dropped weapons
- This ensures the appropriate animation plays depending on bolt status (e.g. AR-15 with no bolt lock)
AI/animation
Dead body inspection
Enemies now perform a proper [b]body check animation[/b] upon finding a fallen comrade, kneeling at the location of the dead character's head, reaching out and scanning around before standing back up. [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/4016748/4bd77130d74e4e6ca55eb933a3d6a8bb6d3c7e7b.jpg"][/img]Other AI changes
[p]Updated "bum rush" AI behavior ([b]Terrorist Hunt[/b]):- AI now [b]runs[/b] toward distant targets and [b]walks[/b] when nearby
- AI will now draw their weapon upon entering "bum rush" mode, rather than leaving it slung until enemy contact
Modding
New [b]Mod Kit[/b] version available
[p]The [b]GROUND BRANCH Mod Kit[/b] has been updated! If you're a modder (or aspiring modder), make sure to grab it from the Epic Games Store: [url="https://store.epicgames.com/p/ground-branch-mod-kit"]https://store.epicgames.com/p/ground-branch-mod-kit[/url] Read on to learn what's new in this version.Item skin modding
[p]New in V1035.1 is the ability to create proper [b]skin mods[/b] for items, with new colors and patterns no longer required to be "baked" directly into the meshes. Here's the first contribution by modder [b]ModernLancer[/b]: [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/4016748/a22ff8376d6d27612f47871c57d098ad64c1edf7.png"][/img] [quote]???? If you are interested in creating skin mods, see [url="https://wiki.groundbranch.com/en/modding/sdk/skin-system"]this page from our [b]Modding Wiki[/b][/url] for more information (though please bear in mind that it still needs to be updated).[/quote]Bolt-action and belt-fed weapon modding
[p]The Mod Kit now provides example mods for [b]bolt-action[/b] and [b]belt-fed weapons[/b]. [quote]???? For instructions on how to create new asset mods (such as weapon mods), see [url="https://wiki.groundbranch.com/en/modding/sdk/creating-child-assets"]this page[/url].[/quote]Other modding changes
- Improved mod filtering behavior in the [b]Server Browser[/b] to more reliably display modded servers
- Optimized [b]mod mounting[/b] performance and reliability by skipping redundant blueprint-generated classes and using safer methods to identify primary assets
Visual updates
Upgraded first-person character textures
With the new Check Watch action, we wanted to make sure the most visible character textures in first-person (arms, gloves, sleeves) looked as good as they can, so we bumped up the resolution for their albedo (base color) and normal maps. The difference can be subtle — especially with the gloves — but here's a before/after with the [b]Tactical Gloves[/b] and [b]Softshell Jacket[/b]:
Notice the sharper textures — especially around the jacket's shoulder pockets and seams.
Other visual fixes
- Fixed lighting channel and cull distance issues in [b]Ready Room[/b]
- Potential fix for [b]blurry textures[/b] when switching appearances with a balaclava
Kit restrictions
The [b]Kit Restrictions[/b] system and menus are being overhauled to use the new tag system and offer more options. As a result, it will be unavailable from this version until we have the new iteration done in patch [b]V1035.2[/b]. [quote]???? The new kit restrictions system is expected to return alongside the [b]Hostage Rescue[/b] PvP mode. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for your patience, everyone.[/quote]Miscellaneous changes
- Updated VOIP settings in Wwise to improve [b]Radio[/b] and [b]Proximity Voice[/b] audio dropouts (unfortunately, crashes still occur — we are looking into redoing the VOIP system)
- Fixed issue where the wrong sound was playing for the [b]LVAW[/b] assault rifle
- Fixed [b]Ready Room[/b] no longer playing ambient music after closing menus
- Updated [b]Power Station[/b] audio mix and adjusted audio for powered equipment (e.g. radios) (WIP)
- Updated and cleaned up various [b]gameplay abilities (GAS)[/b] for more reliability
- Removed excessive networking logs to improve performance and clarity
