Infection Free Zone News

[h2]Greetings, Survivors![/h2][p][/p][p]The new Major Update #5 is now available on the open_beta branch! It's not 100% ready yet, and some issues are expected to occur, but if you want to help us test the newest Major Update, feel free to join us on the open_beta branch. The instructions on how to join this branch are included below in the "Joining Open Beta" section. IMPORTANT: If you're after a more stable, polished experience, we recommend waiting a little bit longer for the official release of this update. Having said that, let's check all the newest changes to the game! [/p][p][/p][h2]Changelog[/h2][p][/p][h3]HIGHLIGHTS[/h3]

• [p]Added New Storyline. Have fun exploring the newest events in Infection Free Zone! [/p]
• [p]Added 5x5 Maps. Expect longer loading times when selecting 5x5 maps. [/p]
• [p]Added Laws and the corresponding Gathering Place building. You have to reach 200 citizens to unlock the Gathering Place, which allows you to change the Laws within the Zone. [/p]
• [p]Added Predefined Buildings. [/p]
• [p]Added the Clay Pit building. You can produce bricks in the Clay Pit.[/p]
• [p]Added Lairs of the Infected spawning on the map.[/p]
• [p]Added the Raider Hideouts spawning on the map.[/p]
• [p]Updated Infected Hordes' logic. While some Infected will still roam throughout the Zone, most Infected will now stay in the vicinity of their Lair. This change doesn't impact the behavior of Swarms in any way. [/p]
• [p]Added Convoys and the Zone Migration. Destroy Lairs, Hideouts, and finish the new Storyline to unlock the option to start anew at a distant location. [/p]
• [p]Added Heavy Machine Gun Vehicle modification. The corresponding research has to be unlocked first. [/p]
• [p]Added 10 new Research Nodes. They are mostly focused on providing the player with different bonuses towards production time, wall HP, etc. [/p]
• [p]Added Squad Drag-select. You can now drag-select multiple squads while pressing the CTRL button. [/p]

[p][/p][h3]OTHER CHANGES[/h3]

• [p]Added the translations for the newest Major Update. While some small parts of the game might still require translations, it should be about 90% ready at the moment.[/p]
• [p]New Walls and Barriers have been added to maps, based on their real data from Open Street Maps. [/p]
• [p]Some recommended maps were updated with new details, colors, and other changes.[/p]
• [p]ESC button will now make you go back when navigating Main Menu, Credits, Settings, Load Game, City Selector, Tile Selector, and some other screens. [/p]
• [p]Raw Meat will now spoil over time. [/p]
• [p]Bus stops, Street Signs, Windmills, Tunnels (non-enterable), and a few other map decorations have been added to the game. [/p]
• [p]Graffiti decorations have been added to some buildings. [/p]
• [p]Beach (sand) terrain decoration has been added to the game. [/p]
• [p]Tooltips for different resources have been updated to display more information about the player's economy. [/p]
• [p]Building-Split visualization has been updated. [/p]
• [p]Starting Keybind mappings for enabling Scavenge View and enabling/disabling Building outlines have been removed. They can be set up again via the Settings menu.[/p]
• [p]New "auto-pause" Settings have been added. Players can decide now when the game should pause and when it should not.[/p]
• [p]Forced auto-snapping has been added for walls in cases where the gaps between the walls are very small. [/p]
• [p]An option to claim the walls from the map's environment has been added.[/p]
• [p]Added visual indication in the weather panel for months with Megastorm and Full Moon.[/p]
• [p]Added a tooltip informing about the reason the structure building is blocked.[/p]
• [p]Added Statistics panel to the ESC Menu. [/p]
• [p]Improved enemy shooting mechanics from vehicles. Enemies shouldn't be able to shoot and drive at the same time anymore.[/p]
• [p]Improved vehicle pathing to avoid situations where vehicles took a longer route when not necessary.[/p]
• [p]Updated the logic behind the Rain transitions (Rain into Storm).[/p]
• [p]Updated the behavior of workers running away.[/p]
• [p]Multiple events have been updated to avoid the situation where some of them could get stuck. [/p]
• [p]Multiple optimization changes have been introduced to reduce the number of crashes and improve the game's performance and game's loading times. [/p]

[p][/p][h3]BALANCE[/h3]

• [p]The amount of resources carried by a single worker at once has been changed from 1 to 2.[/p]
• [p]Vehicle construction, deconstruction, repair times, and repair costs have been decreased. [/p]
• [p]The Cistern Vehicle maximum space for Fuel has been increased from 20 to 40, and resource capacity from 4 to 6. [/p]
• [p]Weapon damage has been adjusted depending on the range at which we are shooting. Some weapons will now be more or less effective, depending on the distance from the enemy. [/p]
• [p]Double and Triple Swarms have been added. You can expect more hordes attacking your Zone at later points in the game. [/p]
• [p]Increased chance for Megastorm, which was nonexistent in some locations. [/p]

[p][/p][h3]FIXES[/h3]

• [p]Fixed an issue with hordes sometimes stacking in one place and stopping from moving further. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with time speed affecting time-to-kill for Squads.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with building construction not ending at times. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with vehicles sometimes getting stuck in buildings. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with vehicles sometimes being able to ride over very steep slopes. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with the animal death animation sometimes not playing. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with vehicles sometimes instantly turning back. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with vehicles sometimes stopping for a short while when selecting a new direction. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue that occurred during exchange with an empty squad. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with the Squads panel displaying an incorrect number of ammo on different Squads.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue that occurred when workers were attacked by enemy units. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with some animals not having swimming animations. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where water had incorrect depth levels. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with the incorrect position of a car after construction. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with trees being possible to be planted in the adapted buildings. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with vehicles sometimes using fuel when not driving. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with citizens sometimes starving despite a warehouse full of food.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with building/structure outlines displaying over vehicles. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with normal hordes having infected dog icons. [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with rain disappearing after save/load.[/p]
• [p]Fixed gates missing the green fill.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with infected not attacking Clay Pits or Fisherman buildings.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with some tooltips not disappearing as intended. [/p]

[p][/p][h2]Known Issues[/h2]

• [p]Other than the English version of the game, the translation of this update to other languages is about 90% ready. The untranslated texts should display in English. [/p]
• [p]De-adapting our own building and adapting it again can result in the building becoming "Abandoned". [/p]

[p][/p][h2]Joining Open Beta[/h2][p]
Below are the instructions regarding how to join the open_beta branch on Steam. Mind you, it's recommended to make a backup of your saves first in case some unexpected issues arise during your gameplay.
[/p]

1. [p]Right-click on Infection Free Zone in your library,[/p]
2. [p]Click on "Properties..." on the list,[/p]
3. [p]Choose the "Betas" tab,[/p]
4. [p]Select the "open_beta" from the list,[/p]
5. [p]The newest build should start downloading. Enjoy![/p]

[p][/p][p]If you encounter any issues, please report them to us via the in-game Bug Reporter (available in the ESC Menu). On the other hand, if you would like to share your feedback about this update, please let us know in the comments under this announcement. Is the new storyline too easy? Too hard? Just about right? Let us know all about it! Have fun and thank you for playing Infection Free Zone! [/p][p][/p][p]Best regards,[/p][p]Jutsu Games Team[/p]

[h2]Greetings, Survivors! [/h2]

We have already showcased Laws, Predefined Buildings, Bigger Maps and Final Story Chapter in Major Update #5 - Part I. Now it's finally time to learn about other features that are coming your way in October. Have fun!

[h2]Lairs and Hideouts[/h2]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Lairs were announced in Major Update Preview #4 for the very first time. But during the development of that update, we had to shift our priorities to other features. Now we not only plan to add Lairs of the Infected, but also Hideouts with the Raiders.

Previously, the enemies that wandered around the map were mostly random. With the new system, a huge number of infected and raiders will now roam in the close radius of their base. Destroy Lairs and Hideouts to ensure that the number of enemies on your map will get smaller.

[h2]Convoys[/h2]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
We have decided to improve the starting experience for the players who feel that they are finished with their old Zone and want to start a new one. Instead of starting from scratch, you can now initiate a Convoy to start a New Zone. Expect the following flow of actions:

1. The player meets certain criteria required for unlocking the Expedition Center (like destroying all the lairs and hideouts on the map).
   
2. The player builds an Expedition Center and a special Bus vehicle that unlocks the Migration action.
   
3. The player chooses the location to migrate to, which has to be within a distance of 35 tiles from the current location.
   
4. The player selects the location for their new HQ on the selected tile.
   
5. The bus changes to a temporary HQ.
   

What's most important, you keep a lot of things from your previous playthrough. Vehicles, research technologies, a selection of the finest guns, and other resources of your choice. Now that's a nice way to start a new Zone.

[h2]Heavy Machine Gun Vehicle Modification[/h2]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
New challenges call for new firepower. Those of you who have carefully observed the capsule images for the Supporter Pack noticed what is coming. We have decided to add a new vehicle modification - a heavy, 50-cal machine gun mounted on the roof of the vehicles. Good for killing armored targets, but not so effective against infantry. Be aware that:

• The heavy machine gun consumes a lot of ammunition – 10 rounds per burst.
  
• The heavy machine gun requires one squad member (other than the driver) to operate.
  
• The heavy machine gun is especially good against the Alpha infected, vehicles and structures.
  

That's not the end of all the great changes that are coming your way in Major Update #5. 10 new research nodes, squad drag-select, graffiti on the buildings, workers transporting twice the amount of resources at once, and many other additions are coming your way in October. Prepare to defend your Infection Free Zone once again soon!

Best regards,
Jutsu Games Team

[h2]Greetings, Survivors![/h2]

From time to time, we receive messages and emails from you saying that you’d like to support the development of Infection Free Zone. Some of you ask about Patreon or whether we could launch another Kickstarter campaign. We don’t plan any large-scale fundraising of that kind. However, we still want to offer something extra for those who wish to support the continued development of the game. That’s why we decided to release a Supporter Pack.

[h2]Supporter Pack[/h2]



The Supporter Pack will launch together with Major Update #5. It's not required to play the Infection Free Zone and offers only cosmetic and out-of-game items, such as the Soundtrack and Wallpapers. Still, we hope that those extra additions will bring a lot of joy to the most dedicated fans of Infection Free Zone. Click HERE to add the Supporter Pack to your Wishlist on Steam.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3905440/Infection_Free_Zone__Supporter_Pack/

[h2]Supporter Pack Content[/h2]

• 4 new Vehicle skins - Camo, Flames, Redline and with Zone Emblem
  
• Exclusive decorative structure - the statue of the survivors
  
• Exclusive Emblem shape with golden border and light reflection VFX
  
• 100 new Emblems, with new patterns and country flags
  
• Infection Free Zone Soundtrack - Part I and Part II
  
• Infection Free Zone Wallpapers - 20 wallpapers in 4K resolution
  

Mind you, if you have supported Infection Free Zone on Kickstarter or another platform with a sufficient pledge in the past, we will send you the Steam Key to the Supporter Pack during the launch window via e-mail or the platform that you have used.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support! Working on Infection Free Zone brings us a lot of satisfaction, and we deeply appreciate that every month our game reaches so many players. What do you think about the content of this Supporter Pack? Let us know in the comments!

Best regards,
Jutsu Games Team

[h2]Greetings, Survivors![/h2]

While we keep on working on the next Major Update for you, another Bugfix Update has just been released! It includes some balance changes and introduces the chronological story order once again. After careful observation, we have concluded that the story alteration can significantly increase the game's difficulty without improving replayability in a meaningful way on its own. We have decided to enhance replayability through other features, which we will announce in the future.

[h2]Changelog[/h2]

• Removed Story Alteration. The story now unfolds in chronological order again: Raiders appear first, then Military, then Scientists.
  
• Autocompression for the previous save files has been enabled. You might notice a bar that will show you the progress of the save compression upon loading up the game for the first time after this update. It might take up to a few minutes, depending on the number of your saves.
  
• Improved loading times for the compressed saves.
  
• Fixed an issue that blocked some players from completing the "Up Against the Wall" mission.
  
• Fixed an issue that prevented some players from finding quest markers for labs if the entire Expedition Map had been scavenged beforehand.
  
• Fixed an issue with unoptimized infected dog animations causing lower FPS.
  

[h2]Balance[/h2]

• Chance of obtaining a Gun when scavenging a building without a specific POI decreased by 10%.
  
• Chance of obtaining a Shotgun when scavenging a building with a Gun POI increased by 15%.
  
• Chance of obtaining an Assault Rifle when scavenging a building with a Gun POI decreased by 15%.
  
• Shotgun research cost reduced from 15 to 12 Scientific Materials.
  
• Shotgun production time reduced by 9%. Gun and Assault Rifle production times increased by 15% and 10%, respectively.
  
• Raiders armed with Shotguns have been added.
  
• Raider numbers decreased in the early game and increased in the late game to improve the game's difficulty curve.
  

[h2]Major Update #5 Preview[/h2]

If you haven't seen it, we have recently released the Major Update #5 Preview - Part I. It mentions some of the new content and features that we are working on for you. We are also happy to let you know that Part II of this preview is coming soon. Expect more news on the next update somewhere in the next two weeks!

Best regards,
Jutsu Games Team

[h2]Greetings, Survivors![/h2][p]
We are receiving a lot of questions about the next Major Update. While we keep on releasing small bugfixes, it's finally time to provide you with more details about the next content update for Infection Free Zone. We hope that you will be as excited for those changes as we are. This is the first part of the announcement, expect Part II in September. Have fun!

[/p][h2]Major Update #5 Release Date[/h2][p]
While the release date of this Major Update is not yet confirmed, we are hoping to release it towards the end of September or at the beginning of October. The good news is, you can expect us to release some early builds on the open_beta branch in a few weeks. So if you are eager to check all the new features earlier, there will be a chance to do so.

Once we can confirm that all the new features are stable and the balance of the game is satisfying, we will decide on the release date of this update.

[/p][h3]Laws[/h3][p]
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
Laws are designed to give players additional customization options for their Zone. They will also be especially useful for saving the Zone in times of crisis. Through laws, the player can decide, for example, how much food citizens consume. They may eat less at the cost of lower morale, or eat more, which in turn boosts their satisfaction. Each law must be announced during a meeting in the Gathering Place, which should be large enough to host all citizens.

Mind you, residents can change up to one law per day. This system, therefore, requires careful planning and systematic responses to the current needs of the Zone.

[/p][h3]Predefined Buildings[/h3][p]

After the implementation of Custom Buildings, we have noticed that a lot of players have issues with their placement. And it's fully understandable. Custom Buildings have some specific limitations in place that are meant to keep the game's balance intact. For example, you cannot place a Custom Building next to another building. That's why we wanted to add an alternative solution.

Now you can place custom buildings way faster and prettier, with a classic RTS approach! You still have to research advanced masonry, though. So you can either quickly place a building with Predefined Buildings or manually define all the vertices on your own (the old way). What's also interesting - every predefined building comes in 3 different sizes. So whether you're just starting a new game or continue playing on your end-game Zone, you can always find the correct size of the building that will fit your needs.

[/p][h3]Bigger Maps[/h3][p]
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
Some of you have already checked this change on our Experimental Builds. Currently, Infection Free Zone can be played only on 3x3 maps. We are adding an option to play on 5x5 maps to the game. This means almost 3 times bigger playable areas. Mind you, the loading times of those maps will be considerably longer. That's why we want to add some additional limitations, where locations with high-density of buildings won't be available. This feature also might not be available for players with lower-end PCs.

Overall, if you prefer a stable, optimized gameplay experience, we strongly recommend sticking to the 3x3 maps. That said, we know many players have requested the option to play on larger maps. So, if you have a decent PC - or the patience to sit through longer loading times - feel free to try out this new addition to the game.

[/p][h3]Final Story Chapter[/h3][p]
Minor spoilers below (hover to unveil an image and the text):


In the past, you had to deal with the Raiders, the Military and the Scientists. Now, a new threat is about to surface - deadlier than ever before. Expect new enemies and new tools to fight against those enemies. Prepare your Zone for the worst in this final chapter of the Infection Free Zone's story.

[/p][h2]Major Update #5[/h2][p]
What do you think about all the upcoming additions? And do you have any predictions regarding the content that will be shown in the Major Update #5 Preview - Part II? Please, let us know in the comments! Mind you, the videos and artworks in this announcement don't represent the final version of the game and are subject to changes. Thank you for playing Infection Free Zone!

Best regards,
Jutsu Games Team

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