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Crunch Element News

Crunch Element - Progress Recap

It’s time for an update! Over the past several months, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes, completely overhauling Crunch Element with new features, gameplay improvements, a sprinkle of lore, and a fresh coat of explosive chaos.

We’re not just talking about tweaks and polish—this is a huge transformation, bringing new mechanics, visuals, enemies, tools, and an improved experience to every mission. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s been added:

[h3]New & Improved Gameplay Features[/h3]
✅ New contract system – Stages, objectives, and contract progression have been reworked for a more structured and immersive experience.
✅ Progression system - earn XP after every stage and level up to unlock new gear to create your perfect loadout.
✅ New enemy AI – Smarter, deadlier foes with improved behaviors, better animations, and dynamic responses. Enemies now call out threats, take cover, investigate suspicious activity, and give you a fight like never before.
✅ New enemy types – The cultists are your opposition and they are fearless. Face off against bomber enemies, riflemen, and even enemy turrets guarding their compounds. Be aware of the compounds they lurk in or the skies they drop down from...
✅ Enemy alert system – Compounds now shift between stealth and high-alert states, affecting enemy responses, security measures, and even dynamic music changes.
✅ Huge performance improvements – Everything from hitboxes, physics, destruction, and lighting has be optimized for performance.

[h3]New Player Tools & Gear[/h3]
🛠️ New hacking stations – Take control of key systems inside enemy compounds.
🔑 Keycard system – Unlock doors, crates, and turrets with security access.
🎯 New ammo types – Tracer rounds, slugs, and projectiles for enhanced combat tactics.
🔍 Scanner attachment – Get better visibility on enemy positions and points of interest.
🛠️ Item Mod System – Customize and upgrade your gear with powerful modifications.
🔍 FPV Missile Headset – Take control of guided missiles for precise strikes.
📡 Tablet-Controlled Grenade Turrets – Set up automated defenses and rain fire on enemy positions.
🛡️ Armor system – Players now have armor that affects survivability, adding more depth to combat encounters.
🎭 Hat System – Because even tactical operatives need some drip.
🎒 Pouch-based ammo system – A more intuitive and streamlined inventory system, making ammo management smoother and more natural.

[h3]New World & Immersion Features[/h3]
📡 Real-time transmissions – Key moments now trigger NPC dialogue, status updates, and mission briefings, keeping you engaged and informed.
🌌 New art style and models – Environments, enemies, and effects have been greatly improved visually.
🚀 Player ship replaces truck – Your spawn point is now a fully functional dropship.
🛠️ New mission objectives – Entry-based objectives, wave defense, and elimination missions add new layers of strategy.
🎧 Graze zone system – Experience realistic whizzing sounds as bullets fly past.
🎮 New UI elements and sound design – A completely refreshed interface and audio mix for better immersion.
💥 Greatly improved destruction – Smoother destruction physics and stylized visuals.
🖥️ Security cameras – The cultists have some extra eyes to watch out for...
⚡ Ziplines & elevators for fast traversal – Because sometimes, you just need a quick escape.

[h3]What’s Next?[/h3]
While the update isn’t out just yet, we’ll be dropping teasers, gameplay clips, and deep dives into the new systems over the next week and beyond. Make sure to follow our X (Twitter) @CrunchElementVR for exclusive first looks and casual clips as we continue development.

Stay sharp, the next phase of Crunch Element is almost here.

The New Rogue Mode Update is Finally Here!

Rogue Mode

[h3]Summary[/h3]
Start with a minimal kit, acquire weapons and attachments along the way, and survive as many rounds as possible with ever increasing difficulty!

[h3]Mystery Boxes[/h3]
Spend credits at the Mystery Boxes located in every level to acquire new weapons during a run!




[h3]Upgrader[/h3]
Drop your weapon in the upgrader located in the truck and level up your loadout during a run!




Enemy AI Rework

A complete overhaul to the enemy AI system has finally been done. This fixes many bugs with the old system, introduces more engaging gameplay, and improved performance to support more enemies per map!

Wandering - Enemies now wander around the map.

Difficulty - A Difficulty setting has been added for freeplay stages and enemies become progressively more difficult in rogue mode.

Investigation - Enemies now investigate suspicious activity and combat areas.

Performance - Performance of the AI has been improved which allows more enemies per map.

[h2]Changelog[/h2]
- Added new rogue mode
- Added mystery weapon boxes to all levels for rogue mode and operations
- Added new weapon upgrader in the truck for rogue mode and operations
- Added more starting magazines to the S12
- Added credit reward for completion of objectives
- Added credit display to the wrist watch
- Added new tactical gloves for the player hands
- Complete enemy AI rework
- Added difficulty adjustment to enemies that can be selected on stages
- Update credit tracking to be individual instead of shared across all players
- Fixed issue with new players joining a session not spawning with full health
- Added lifetime stat screen in the hideout
- Fixed issues with hitbox accuracy on map obstacles
- Fixed issues with espionage objective occasionally not spawning
- Fixed issue with building modules not spawning on certain game resets
- Fixed issue with movement speed being different for different HMDs
- Fixed issue with enemies clipping through walls and various other bugs
- Updated hand swap mode to also swap the menu button
- Updated player icon to show Steam avatar

Fix update 7/18/2022

Hello everyone! Thanks for sharing your feedback on the Discord server, which has allowed us to resolve pressing issues like the ones below. Stay tuned for more!

Change List
- Implemented a magazine ammo count indicator (look closely at the top of a magazine)
- Fixed issue where players would be thrown out of map when climbing
- Improved enemy target tracking
- Fixed issue with using teammate backpack sockets
- Fixed issue where movespeed would be different for different players
- Fixed issue with espionage objective not spawning
- Fixed issue with glock spawning in the wrong magazines
- Fixed syringe bug
- Updated session end screen to allow players to select the next deployment
- Updated terminals to be less janky

Content Update 6/4/2022

Crunch Element is pleased to announce the release of a new update! Magnified optics are finally here along with a new health syringe, bug fixes, and more! As always, please ping me with your feedback and bug reports in the Discord channel so this game can get even better! If you are enjoying the game so far, consider leaving a review on the store page. It goes a long way towards helping more people find out about the game!

[h2]New 1-6x LPVO Optic[/h2]

This variable optic allows for quick target acquisition at 1x magnification while also enabling long range shots at 6x magnification. Scope magnification can be adjusted by pressing the trigger while hovering the scope.

[h2]New 4x Optic[/h2]

This fixed-zoom scope is a classic optic providing 4x magnification for both close and medium range encounters.

[h2]New health syringe[/h2]

The new health syringe can heal up to 100 hitpoints so you can quickly get back into the fight! It can be purchased in the truck shop during operations and it can be used across multiple stages.

[h2]Sandbox Updates[/h2]

The sandbox received a few updates! Targets have been updated to have more visible hit locations with reactive feedback to optimize your live-fire training. A new item spawner has also been added to allow you to quickly test new items and weapon setups.

[h3]Changes[/h3]
- Added LPVO scope
- Added ACOG scope
- Added health syringe
- Updated targets in sandbox
- Added item spawner in sandbox
- Added garbage bin in sandbox
- Added new destruction effects for cabinets and couches
- Updated sabotage objective to require button press before being able to destroy it
- Updated intervention objective to deal damage on incorrect code entry
- Updated HUD console to display other players leaving and joining
- Fixed issue with truck door pushing players under map
- Fixed issue with guns looking small in scaled down hands
- Fixed issue with shield scaling to massive sizes in coop
- Added log files for easier bug reporting
- Updated breaching sounds to be heard more accurately by enemies
- Improved magazine interaction
- Added grab indicator on magazines
- Added player health bars
- Updated MX18 magazines to be grabbable while in gun

A new update is here! With guns... lots of guns.


Another update is here! Adding more secondary weapons was highly requested, so two new handguns are here along with the first shotgun! Many high priority bugs have also been fixed thanks to your feedback!

Changes
- Added S12 Shotgun
- Added 1911 Pistol
- Added X18 Automatic Pistol
- Updated Operations shop to show items that are related to the player's inventory for ease of use
- Updated grabbing of weapon slides to be done with trigger, and grabbing rifle magazines with grip to avoid grabbing the wrong object
- Fixed issue with non-host players not being spotted by enemies
- Fixed issues with certain maps having the out of bounds triggers too close to the spawn
- Fixed issues with occlusion culling on certain levels
- Increased brightness in hideout and sandbox
- Added Hideout graffiti tags
- Added Kickstarter plaque in hideout