OUTBRK News

[p]Hello, Chasers! This month we’re excited to share our progress on UI improvements, visual effects, vegetation updates, and more![/p][p][/p][p]We’re working on improving our user interface elements to improve readability at a glance when driving. The different systems we’re currently tackling are the player icons on the map and the car module when sitting in the car.[/p][p] [/p][h2]MAP PLAYER ICONS[/h2][p]We’re making the in-game map easier to read. Right now, when several players are close together, names and icons tend to overlap and make things messy. Our goal with this update is to keep the map clear and simple while still giving you all the information you need at a glance and without getting in the way of weather products.[/p][p]The new design combines each player’s info directly into their icon. You’ll be able to spot friends quickly by the first letter of their Steam name and the color of their car, with an option to display passenger counts if needed. Here’s a rough programmer-art preview of the concept, but keep in mind it’s still early and our UI artist hasn’t worked his magic yet.[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h2]UNIFIED CAR MODULE[/h2][p][/p][p]We’re also refining how information is displayed while driving, aiming for a cleaner and more unified look across the interface. At the same time, we’re beginning to integrate our new design for the probe receiver data module. The screenshot below is a Photoshop mockup that represents our current vision for how these modules could come together. Keep in mind that this is still a work in progress, and the final in-game version will look different once fully implemented.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h2]Rain on Window FX + Tornadoes[/h2][p]The rain effect on vehicle windows is nearing completion. The system now calculates the trajectory and accumulation of raindrops based on a combination of environmental wind vectors and the velocity of the vehicle. This means the orientation of each window surface relative to the wind field and vehicle direction directly determines how obstructed it becomes. A practical example: at 30 mph with a 60 mph tailwind, the windshield registers almost no rain while the rear window accumulates heavily.[/p][p][/p][p]We also integrated spatialized audio tied to these effects. Heavy rain bands have their own 3D-positioned audio sources that move with the storm environment, while dust impacts produce a “sandblasting” effect that shifts around the vehicle body. Both are linked to the same environmental data that drives the visuals, so the player hears exactly what they see.[/p][p]On the tornado side, the Catalyst team is continuing work on the foundations of the new system. Their focus right now is on core architecture changes that will allow more detail and more accurate behavior once the system is fully implemented.[/p][p] [/p][p]Last month we outlined the next steps for the vegetation update across OUTBRK’s world. As a quick reminder, these included major tool improvements (Trello link.), reducing overall tree density by about 30%, and replacing all ground foliage assets.[/p][p]We’ve made significant progress on all fronts, and David is now repopulating the map for a fresh round of visual and performance testing. This is still an iterative process, with more work ahead on both the level design tools and the vegetation itself. In the meantime, here are two updated screenshots taken directly from the editor (please note these are not final gameplay visuals):[/p][p] [/p][p] [/p][h2]CHAIN LINK HAIL CAGE (work in progress)[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]Our lead tester, WalkOverYou, has set up a brand-new support section on our Discord server to make bug reporting smoother and more efficient. This will help us track community-reported issues faster and respond to your concerns more easily.[/p][p]Discord remains the quickest way to reach us directly, but don’t forget that we also keep a close eye on the Steam forums for bug reports and general feedback.[/p][p]If you haven’t joined yet, hop into our Discord here: http://discord.gg/outbrk[/p][p]Here is what the new support section look like:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p]That's all for this development update ! Thanks for all your support, consider leaving a review on the steam store to reach more potential future chasers ! [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]Till next time,[/p][p]-The OUTBRK Team[/p][p] [/p]

[p][/p][h2]Graphics[/h2]

• [p]Added security measures to all compute-shaders to prevent GPU crashes on specific hardware setups[/p]
• [p]Extensively cleaned up compute-shaders to mitigate errors and GPU stalls[/p]

[p][/p][h3]GPU CRASHES[/h3][p]We are actively working on fixing the remaining issues causing GPU crashes in the game, and we believe we have identified most if not all of them in this patch. If you experience another crash after this patch, we ask that you please fill out a bug report with your player.log file via the Bug Report form in our Discord server. We will assist in real time to resolve any remaining issues causing game crashes. We appreciate your patience with this issue![/p][p][/p][p]- The OUTBRK Team[/p][h2][/h2]

[p][/p][h2]Contracts[/h2]

• [p]Improved resource management to prevent potential errors.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Graphics[/h2]

• [p]Refined compute-shader resource handling to mitigate rare GPU crashes observed on some systems.[/p]

• [p]Added a fully functional in-game daily contracts system[/p]
  • [p]Receive one additional contract every 24 hours, with a maximum of 3 concurrent contracts[/p]
  • [p]Reroll up to one contract you don't wish to complete every 24 hours [/p]
  • [p]Completing a contract in game will allow you to click-to-claim in the main menu after chase[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Added three new decals to the garage customization[/p]
  • [p]RealOutlawNico (TTV)[/p]
  • [p]AmaranthineBri (TTV)[/p]
  • [p]KimberlyMcBlaze (TTV)[/p]
  [p][/p]
• [p]Added several new scenarios to the scenario pool[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Fixed several issues causing game crashes on certain hardware setups[/p]
• [p]Fixed text chat messages not automatically displaying for some players while in a chase[/p]
• [p]Fixed name tags disappearing on player vehicles after driving, while next to them still.[/p]
• [p]Fixed destruction being out of sync in certain scenarios[/p]
• [p]Fixed activating mouse input temporarily disabling when using hotkeys on vehicle functions[/p]
• [p]Fixed players not being ejected from a vehicle when they have text chat open[/p]
• [p]Fixed a server sided error in the voice chat manager[/p]
• [p]Fixed some settings not applying to the main menu properly (DLSS, Foliage, etc)[/p]
• [p]Fixed splash screen on German translation during game boot goes out of bounds of the text box[/p]
• [p]Fixed tools being functional with F9 menu open[/p]
• [p]Fixed a slight character cut off in the F9 report menu[/p]

[p][/p][h3]GPU CRASHES[/h3][p]We are actively working on fixing the remaining issues causing GPU crashes in the game, and we believe we identified most if not all of them in this patch. We ask that if you experience another crash after this patch to please fill out a bug report with your player.log file in our discord server. We will assist in real time to resolve any remaining issues causing game crashes. We appreciate your patience with this issue![/p][p][/p][p]- The OUTBRK Team[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hello, Chasers! This month, we’re giving you a sneak peek at an upcoming feature: Daily Contracts. We’re also sharing progress on ongoing iterations across several core systems, including probe gameplay, visual effects, and vegetation.[/p][p][/p][p]Our next feature, Daily Contracts, is almost ready for release![/p][p]Each day, players will receive one new contract with varying difficulty and rewards, up to a maximum of three active at once. Don’t like a contract? You’ll be able to reroll one per day for a fresh challenge. This system adds a steady way to earn more while chasing and introduces fun side objectives to mix things up.[/p][p]We’re excited to hear what you think once it’s live![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Last month, we introduced a new vision for the probe gameplay. Since then, we’ve refined that concept to make it more unified, more realistic, and more grounded in the world of OUTBRK. We’ve decided to remove the filling bars shown in the last newsletter and replace them with a diegetic module.[/p][p]The module presents wind speed, pressure changes, and temperature shifts, while most notably adding a visual representation of the tornado’s distance or path as it moves around the probe. This change helps retain key aspects of the gameplay, such as the anticipation of watching a tornado’s strength build in real time and providing actionable data to improve your probe placement during future intercepts.[/p][p]Here’s a work-in-progress design mockup of the updated probe UI module:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]New Tornado System[/h2][p]The team has begun laying the foundation for a revamped tornado rendering system. This updated system continues to use volumetric rendering, with a focus on enabling more flexible control over tornado shape and behavior. The goal is to eventually support a wider variety of realistic formations, including multi-vortex and wedge tornadoes. This marks the first major step toward that objective.[/p][p]
[/p][h2]Better 3D Wind Integration[/h2][p]Work is underway to make better use of the weather model data to drive wind behavior in the atmosphere. This includes integrating full 3D wind fields, which will result in more complex and varied cloud motion throughout the sky, especially around mesocyclones, inflow bands, and in time-lapse views. It will also allow tornado circulation to have a much more noticeable impact on surrounding cloud structures, actively shaping and affecting them based on rotation and intensity. This is an important step toward making the visual systems more tightly connected to the underlying simulated weather.[/p][p]
[/p][h2]Vehicle Windshield Rain Effect[/h2][p]A new rain-on-window effect is well into development. It includes more detailed visual features, improved view obstruction in heavy rainfall, distortion, and window fogging, all of which contribute to a more immersive and challenging driving experience during severe weather. Here is an early development capture where the team is playing with some parameters that will eventually be controlled by the weather.[/p][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve generated a representative slice of the new vegetation to validate our technical workflow, performance, and visual direction across different biome recipes. This phase provided valuable insights that are helping us refine our world-building tools, asset selection, and vegetation density values.[/p][p]Here are some of the next steps we’re taking:[/p]

• [p]Major tool improvements to significantly boost performance when rendering dense forests: Trello link .[/p]
• [p]Reduced overall tree density by ~30%, as the initial vegetation recipe was too heavy. [/p]
• [p]Replaced all ground foliage assets with highly optimized versions—reducing triangle count by up to 20x per patch of grass, and resolving several visual issues. [/p]

[p]Here’s a short preview GIF of the new ground foliage (work in progress, in-editor, not final rendering):[/p][p]
[/p][p][/p][h2]HEAVY DUTY LAPTOP[/h2][p][/p][p] [/p][p]You can follow our progress on all our tasks here: [/p][p]https://trello.com/b/nsBmMfIa/outbrk-game[/p][p] [/p][p]
[/p][p]That's all for this development update ! Thanks for all your support, consider leaving a review on the steam store to reach more potential future chasers ! [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]Till next time,[/p][p]-The OUTBRK Team[/p][p]

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