Happy New Year, folks! Welcome to the first update of 2024!
New Year, new start! This update focuses on a comprehensive quality-of-life update for Squad 44, encompassing animation, level design, and coding changes designed to further optimise the game. There’s also been work on bug fixing, improving the new player experience, and making the game environments more immersive. Starting with the level design, we have been working hard to upgrade the graphics, focusing primarily on the foliage, lighting, and water on Chapter 1 maps. Work has also been undertaken to improve various historical landmarks in the game to align them more with their real-world counterparts (e.g. Koepelkerk and Veghel Town Hall). This has all been undertaken with optimization in mind, with draw calls significantly reduced, LODs refined, and textures appropriately packaged. Players also have extra options now to refine their graphics settings in-game. DLSS and texture streaming has been updated to improve performance further. This graphical overhaul of Chapter 1 maps is ongoing work as we look to update the game's overall appearance and performance in 2024. Old:
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In addition to level design optimization, we have also been busy cleaning up code. In doing so, we have entirely reworked the spawn and logistics systems. This means that all infantry squads now have access to a truck capable of carrying supplies to allow Infantry Squad Leaders the ability to build FOBs independently, with the FOB limit increased to 6. While the Infantry Squad Leaders will be able to use supplies to place light weapons down, they will be entirely reliant upon the Logistics Squad to keep those weapons supplied with ammunition, in the form of construction points. Red zone restrictions preventing construction of emplacements behind the lines have also been introduced, to help reduce backline camping and present a more realistic front-line concept of warfare.
These changes have been made for technical and gameplay reasons. When playing with the new update, feel free to share your feedback as we will continue to refine these systems going forward.
We’ve started work on making the game more approachable for newer players (with plans for a bigger look at accessibility slated for later this year). There are a few things you may notice:
- On-screen compass to assist with player orientation
- Visual prompts notifying players when a point is won or lost
- Sound prompts when players health is low, to signify risk of bleeding out
- Several gun sights have increased peep-holes for easier use: Grease gun, Sten, Springfield, and the M1 carbine)
- Springfield M1905 now has a bayonet
- Refined camera shake on shooting
Long-term bugs like those encountered when shooting out of windows from slight angles have been fixed, as have the Cromwell armor and the offset markers on maps. There’s also a new spawn menu UI, improving FPS and allowing Squad Leaders to name their sections and delete previously placed markers.
We have many more changes coming down the line - a roadmap is coming very soon! In the meantime, let us know your thoughts, feedback or suggestions!
