"Commander, this is [REDACTED] reporting in. Several incoming hostiles detected, approaching fast, requesting backup... Holy sh... Mayday! Mayday! Unit [REDACTED] just took a hit and is going down! Need immediate assistance! Several squid-like bogies are closing... [SIGNAL LOST]" -- Last transmission of the Aerial Covert Ops team A pleasant morning or afternoon to you all! An update has just been released focusing on optimization as well as the addition of the Squid, a kamikaze alien unit that is intended to counter human air units, though serves the purpose against ground units as well. Some balancing changes have also made it in while the focus shifts to the planned, sweeping overhaul of AI. This will continue for some time, so stay tuned! Without your support the game would not be half of what it is today, so a very personal thank you from the team. Take care and see you in the skies of Baltarus! Gameplay:

• Added: Squid alien unit

Technical:

• Added: Linux Dedicated Server support
• Changed: Upgraded to Steamworks.NET version 20.2.0 and Steamworks SDK 1.57
• Fixed: Movement values were normalized leading to reduced turning speed in vehicles
• Fixed: AI pathfinding could get broken when soldiers decided to go for cover
• Fixed: Linux-related screen size issue caused console spam and broken build
• Fixed: AI Commander did not use human air units
• Fixed: AI Commander did not use alien air units

Controls:

• Added: Support for alternate keybinds and validation
• Added: Sneak key to alien air
• Changed: Resetting binds uses global binds as defaults if they exist
• Changed: Bind validation revamp
• Fixed: Various input related bugs
• Fixed: Alt shift no longer resets sensitivity

Performance:

• Optimized: AI Commander construction placement raycasts multithreaded
• Optimized: Fog of war textures for non-player teams only created when needed
• Optimized: Team losing target no longer causes frametime spikes in unit/structure heavy scenes
• Optimized: Character controller spherecasts multithreaded
• Optimized: Update FPS hand animations only for the locally controlled soldier
• Optimized: Turret aiming raycasts multithreaded
• Optimized: Hovered vehicle jets only modulated when closer than 100m
• Optimized: Air vehicle jets and vfx only modulated when closer than 200m
• Optimized: Check risk of friendly fire algorithm
• Optimized: Animator deactivation on distance
• Optimized: GetBaseGameObject, GetHighestParent and GetDamageManager now uses cached results
• Optimized: Cached AIAgent, UnitCameraController and CrosshairInfo in Units automatically
• Optimized: Camera, CrosshairInfo and AIAgent precached references to all units

Multiplayer:

• Fixed: Player score incorrectly incremented by number of players
• Fixed: Day/night cycle switching to day suddenly when a player joined
• Fixed: Players remained on a team at the end of a Strategy game restart
• Fixed: Voice chat no longer worked at the end of a match

Balance:

• Changed: Fighter bullet range from 4000m to 600m
• Changed: Fighter bullet speed from 800m/s to 1600m/s
• Changed: Dropship bullet range from 2500m to 1000m
• Changed: Gunship bullet range from 2000m to 1000m
• Changed: Thorn Spire targeting range from 500m to 650m
• Changed: Hive Spire targeting range from 300m to 450m
• Changed: Hive Spire shots range from 800m to 550m
• Changed: Dragonfly side-strafe speed to 25% of forward
• Changed: Dragonfly rearward speed to 50% of forward

FX:

• Improved: Light Quad engine sounds
• Improved: Heavy Quad engine sounds