Poached : Hunt The Hunter News

This update comes out only a few days after the previous update, but I'm in a good rhythm at the moment so the next update after this will most likely also be out in just a few days! I am mostly covering A.I. improvements, fixes and polish. But looking at adding some new content soon too.

1. Balanced "Easy" difficulty setting to be easier, as new game features such as strafing have made the game much harder. Easy mode now affects enemy aim accuracy as well as damage.
   
2. Fixed animal culling issue in main camp that could cause animals to disappear/appear in front of your eyes when entering/exiting the main camp.
   
3. Waypoint to guest lodge is now always visible when using your vehicle in all missions.
   
4. The sound of a bullet hitting a surface can now alert enemies, as opposed to only the sound of gun itself firing.
   
5. Improved consistency of enemy strafing and obstacle avoidance across enemy instances.
   
6. Improved enemy rotation when taking corners and made their movement look less like soccer players.
   
7. Added some better vocal EQ & compression to some voice acting clips in "A Thorny Issue" bonus mission.
   
8. Improved lighting & shadows inside helicopter in "A Thorny Issue" bonus mission.
   
9. Gave Gideon a new hat variation for the second bonus mission.
   
10. Added a warning for both bonus missions with Gideon, that warn you about going too far from the mission zone before you reach the failure distance threshold.
    
11. Gideon's hat now falls off when he falls down for added animation realism.
    
12. Bonus mission now fails if the enemy vehicle runs him over while he is K.O.
    
13. Gideon now frowns noticeably if you point the tranquilizer at him.
    
14. Improved tranquilizer rifle weapon texture.
    
15. Fixed missing info panel text in helicopter bonus mission.
    
16. Fixed issue with enemy vehicle being able to kill you even when moving at a slow speed or stationary.
    
17. Optimized Alert Management code that was making more calls than necessary.
    
18. Added an enemy vehicle to Mission 4 where the poachers try to rescue the leader to establish the enemy vehicles as a game mechanic and not just a once-off feature in a single bonus mission.
    
19. Balanced prices of items in the tavern to reflect the global world prices in game.
    
20. Fixed enemy vehicle collisions causing instant death even with invincibility cheats or powerups enabled. Damage is also now proportional to speed as opposed to instant kill.
    
21. Guest lodge is now closed during Mission 7, 8 & 10 due to emergency lockdown reasons, based on the events of the story at that time.
    
22. Fixed enemy vehicle driver head rotating like an owl when looking at player from drivers seat.
    
23. Optimized path finding algorithm for enemies that "rush" the player to prevent lock-conditions that might freeze enemies, and also improve the multi-threading of the pathfinding.
    
24. Fixed issue that would allow players to skip the second part of the tutorial directly into the main game without playing the third part.
    

Some new radio stations should also be added soon, so that you'll have multiple different stations to switch between instead of only 2. Some other surprises coming this December which I will reveal soon. As always, please keep those bug reports coming and happy holidays to you all!

This update adds a new stealth system, that makes every single piece of foliage in the entire map an active object the player can hide inside, as opposed to being merely decorative. Alongside the update are many other features based on user feedback. Thank you so much to those who keep submitting feedback to me via Discord or Steam, your contributions are invaluable and keep the updates rolling. If you don't wish to join the discord or post on the Steam forums, please post your feedback as a reply to this post or just email me directly at [email protected] - I read absolutely every single piece of feedback and am always dedicated to improving the game wherever possible.

1. Foliage now makes a leaf rustling sound when you move through bushes.
   
2. Foliage now obscures enemy aim when you are standing inside bushes.
   
3. Foliage now makes you "Hidden", with an on-screen indicator, when you crouch inside bushes. Enemies may not spot you while you’re hidden, but once they know you’re in a bush, they’ll still fire into it but with even lower accuracy than if you were standing in a bush. Killing an enemy while hiding in a bush will blow that cover spot for other enemies allowing them to know which bush you are in, but it won't make it easier for them to aim.
   
4. Increased the radius at which goats will run away from the player due to proximity awareness.
   
5. Made conversation heard by poachers talking amongst themselves more audible when approaching the raided camp in Mission 1, Wave 2.
   
6. Fixed issues with animals not reacting quickly enough to gunfire in Mission 1, due to a conditional awareness trigger intended for enemies.
   
7. Sneaky poacher firing from the bushes in Mission 1, Wave 2 now only appears in Hard Mode.
   
8. Fixed an additional issue that could cause an enemy from Mission 1, Wave 1 to meet you at your camp before you've triggered the first stealth tutorial.
   
9. New achievement for killing an enemy without them noticing while hidden inside foliage.
   
10. Fixed some ragdoll issues with certain enemies that were using unscaled time for ragdoll computation.
    
11. Chapter 1 end screen now reads as "2 Weeks Later" to explain certain events better.
    
12. Antialiasing settings have been simplified, and "Soft" is now the default setting as I find it looks best. But feel free to change back to "Sharp" or "Off" if you prefer. The "Overkill" setting has been removed as it's pointless.
    
13. Crafting table now is located at the same location in every mission instead of spawning in different locations.
    
14. Optimized NavMesh Data storage for all sub-scenes and terrain streaming zones.
    
15. Fixed some NavMesh issues allowing enemies to walk through certain structures in the outskirts of the map.
    
16. Rebaked all NavMesh and Occlusion Culling data for all missions to reflect optimizations and navigation for all latest changes.
    

I'll be putting out a series of 10 smaller updates like this one every few days this December, leading up to V0.9 by the start of the new year. Thanks for playing, and speak soon!

[p]Major Additions
[/p]

• [p]New bonus mission playable via the radio tower after Mission 2 (plays in 2 parts), including a new realistic (and educational) objective that involves using a helicopter to tranquilize a rhino in order to safely and humanely remove the horn, preventing poachers from killing them. This is done in real life as the horns grow back and poachers only want the horn, killing the entire animal for just a few bucks. More information on this real life process can be found here: https://www.savetherhino.org/thorny-issues/de-horning/[/p]
• [p]New enemy Vehicle A.I. module: poachers can now enter the area with their own trucks - complete with A.I. driving, pathfinding and reversing. This can be found in the new mission. An enemy vehicle will first attempt to run you over; if they cannot do that the driver will get out and try to kill you the old fashioned way (with guns).[/p]
• [p]New "Cutscene" module that allows for seperate cinematic events to occur in-game without moving to a new scene or requiring any loading screens. (Seen in the middle of the new mission) [/p]

[p]
Achievements
[/p]

• [p]New achievements for completing the bonus mission as well as destroying an enemy vehicle in that mission.[/p]
• [p]New achievement added for fully upgrading your vehicle. (Previously we only had one for upgrading your tires)
  [/p]

[p]
Inventory & Controls
[/p]

• [p]When playing with a keyboard, new "HotKeys" slots are now available in the inventory that allow the player to assign any inventory item to special slots that can then be consumed/activated via the corresponding hotkeys without having to go into the inventory.[/p]
• [p]This can also be used for toggle-based items such as lantern/flashlight/night vision etc for easy access.[/p]
• [p]There are 2 slots that can be used with the "-" and "+" keys on the keyboard without opening the inventory, once assigned.[/p]
• [p]Slots stay assigned, so if you have for example first-aid kits assigned, and you run out - the hotkey will still work for that item as soon as you aqcuire more.[/p]
• [p]Any feedback on this new system is most welcome.[/p]
• [p]I am also looking at making the hotkey buttons bindable once I've cleaned up the menu U.I. a little more.[/p]
• [p]Made first-aid kits unable to be used when health is already at maximum to prevent accidental wasteage. Food items can still be consumed past full health though.
  [/p]

[p]
Enemy A.I. & Combat Behavior
[/p]

• [p]Made enemy A.I. strafe while firing for more engaging combat.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare issue with certain tactical enemy A.I. awareness that could cause them to sometimes see you through terrain.[/p]
• [p]Made some enemy ragdoll improvements.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where a single poacher in the Mission 1 camp ambush would patrol out to the first camp where the level started.[/p]
• [p]Made "Carver" enemies that are found carving up animals actually use a knife, and then switch to weapon when alerted, instead of cutting up the animal using their gun.[/p]
• [p]Improved Quality of "Carver" enemy carving animation.[/p]
• [p]Improved the rotation of tactical enemies. (The ones that slide to and stay in a specific location and crouch/fire from cover) [/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with some enemies getting stuck.[/p]
• [p]Increased minimum distance between enemies firing at player.
  [/p]

[p]
Missions, Sidequests & Progression
[/p]

• [p]Fixed issue in Mission 1 which would cause the poacher camp to come to you prematurely if player is messing around with their guns in the camp, or just from the ranger approaching before the player is in the correct range.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue in Mission 2 wave one where the radio transmission refers to 8 enemies but there are clearly only 7.[/p]
• [p]Fixed some internal null reference exception errors relating to waypoint targeting in Mission 2.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with bonus mission waypoint pointing to the wrong place IF a bonus mission is available after mission 3. This would only currently be caused by the player ignoring the bonus mission after the main mission in Mission 1 or 2, thus forwarding it to the third mission but was still possible.[/p]
• [p]Added notification for completing Chicken Truck sidequest, as previously this relied on the notification produced by the Steam Achievement that you get for completing it which does not allow you to know you have completed it when playing in a subsequent playthrough since you can only get the achievement once unless you manually reset your steam achievements.[/p]
• [p]Fixed some floating meshes in Mission 9 underground tunnel.
  [/p]

[p]
Wildlife & Animals
[/p]

• [p]Improved hippopotamus movement animation and behaviour.[/p]
• [p]Fixed dead zebra in poacher camp one dissapearing before the player gets there due to an optimization bug.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue causing some goats to run with their face aligned to the ground.
  [/p]

[p]
Weapons
[/p]

• [p]Fixed right hand position on Tranquiliser Rifle on-screen view.[/p]
• [p]Balanced Silenced SMG weapon fire sound to be more silent.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a misaligned firing bolt on the silenced SMG.[/p]
• [p]Fixed "Old Faithful" shotgun pickup status not saving in missions, as in it reappearing after loading a game even if the player already collected it from the shed. It will still respawn after missions for ammo harvesting though.[/p]
• [p]Made 2 of the ex-military commander poachers found in Mission 2 Wave 1 look more distinct from each other.
  [/p]

[p]
Vehicle Systems
[/p]

• [p]Fixed bug causing vehicle front axel to dissapear when the player moves up really close while crouching.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with engine upgrades actually making the car engine worse.[/p]
• [p]Fixed vehicle issue that caused reversing to sometimes go faster than accelleration with no way to stop.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue that could cause your car to be frozen until you get out and then in again if you load a save game with your player already inside the vehicle.
  [/p]

[p]
Environment, Visuals & Effects
[/p]

• [p]Improved visibility when using the "Lions Heart" powerup at night. (And in general)[/p]
• [p]Improved appearance & visibility of rain, as well as rain collision splashes.[/p]
• [p]Fixed bug that would cause rain to continue permanently.[/p]
• [p]Improved quality of fire when your vehicle is on fire, to produce a thick black smoke only instead of comical looking fire particles.[/p]
• [p]Blood pools left by enemies now fade in ultra-realistically instead of the cheap scaling effect that was previously used.
  [/p]

[p]
Audio
[/p]

• [p]Balanced music radio station volume better.[/p]
• [p]Added a slight pitch randomization on audio sound effects when consuming inventory items such as food to make it sound less repetitive when using multiple items in succession.[/p]
• [p]Made "Cash" collection sound more balanced, softer, less annoying.
  [/p]

[p][/p][p]Another update will be out within the next week![/p]

[p]NOTE: The next major update after this one (V0.9) - is one of the biggest updates planned this year, with over 100+ changes, so please stay tuned for that, there will also be some supplementary V0.8.9.x updates prior to that, in the meantime:[/p][p][/p][p]New enemy “D.N.A.” system[/p][p]The game uses procedural outfit mixing (pants, tops, hats, skin tones) to keep enemies cohesive. Sometimes identical looks still appeared together, which broke immersion. The new D.N.A. system assigns each generated outfit a short signature and checks it against recent ones, steering generation toward fresher combinations while preserving the style.[/p][p]
New environment: Guest Lodge[/p][p]A full new area. Entry is different here: arrive by vehicle and drive to the gate. The gate is locked at night, so plan a daytime visit. Find the entrance past the tavern on the right, or follow the lodge waypoint in your vehicle.[/p][p]
New mission[/p][p]Poachers have invaded the guest lodge and are squatting across two buildings. Clear both interiors. This brings tight indoor FPS combat to a usually wide-open world. Supplies on site are limited, so come prepared. It’s a bonus mission: you can’t save during it, but you can save after completion. Once done, the lodge opens for business and you receive a small cash advance from the profits as thanks.[/p][p]
New achievement[/p][p]A trophy has been added for clearing all enemies out of the guest lodge.[/p][p]
Improved enemy ragdolls[/p][p]Collider passes and joint tuning reduce contorted poses, improve foot contact, and produce more believable collapses. The ragdoll algorithm is also faster.[/p][p]
Improved enemy weapon drops[/p][p]Dropped weapons sometimes landed upright. A new drop routine accounts for mass and shape so they fall, bounce, and settle more naturally.[/p][p]
Improved enemy blood[/p][p]Fixed shader glitches and optimized the effect path for smoother visuals with lower overhead during heavy action.[/p][p]
Optimization[/p][p]Many small tweaks improve frame pacing and responsiveness, along with general AI stability and behavior refinements.[/p][p]
Flock fixes[/p][p]Bird flocks at drone charging stations behave correctly again. They land at designated spots and take flight when you approach.[/p][p]
Bug fixes[/p][p]Numerous issues resolved. Details omitted here to avoid spoilers for new players. Ask if you want a full list.[/p][p]
NPC Death Tracking[/p][p]New conditions let the game track who is alive and who is not. Follow-up missions will no longer play radio messages from NPCs who have died.[/p][p][/p][p]For more info, follow our social pages or contact me at [email protected], or join our Discord.[/p][p][/p][p]-Rob \[Ingozi Games][/p]

[p]AI & Combat Behavior[/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue that caused wandering enemies to get stuck during patrol routes.[/p]
• [p]General improvements to enemy A.I. responsiveness and pathing.[/p]
• [p]Optimized internal patrol algorithms for better CPU efficiency.[/p]
• [p]Enemies now react more realistically to sniper kills—no longer charging toward the shooter but instead taking cover and laying suppressive fire to avoid the same fate.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Environment & World Polish[/p]

• [p]Improved grass color consistency and terrain transitions across various biomes.[/p]
• [p]Reduced terrain grass texture memory usage for better performance.[/p]
• [p]Improved some Outskirts areas.[/p]
• [p]Improved some underground cave areas.[/p]
• [p]Sun shafts now only appear during the day—no more rays beaming down from stars or the moon.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where duck ragdolls would disappear or behave erratically at screen edges.[/p]
• [p]Implemented optimized duck ragdoll cleanup to reduce memory overhead.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Tutorial[/p]

• [p]Fixed a progression-blocking bug in the tutorial's second section.[/p]
• [p]Made the second tutorial section skippable to improve replayability and pacing.[/p]
• [p]Polished several tutorial tooltips for clarity and consistency.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Weapons[/p]

• [p]Fixed the on-screen scale of the sniper rifle to better match perspective and feel.[/p]
• [p]Improved on-screen visuals of the shotgun for a more powerful and grounded presence.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Ostrich Racing[/p]

• [p]Ostrich race no longer shows the score/race selection menu the first time you visit in a new game. It now unlocks naturally after the first race like it did in earlier builds.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issues that could prevent ostrich race courses from unlocking.[/p]
• [p]Restarting or starting a new game now resets the ostrich race tournament, making it fully replayable per character/save.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Mission Updates[/p]

• [p]Enhanced environmental and structural detail in Mission 1.[/p]
• [p]Added additional optimization modules to Mission 1 to improve framerate and stability.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Core Gameplay & Systems[/p]

• [p]Fixed a rare but critical bug where dragging the vehicle with the unarmed slot while entering could cause it to freeze and stop turning. Extremely difficult to reproduce or trace, but confirmed fixed by all alpha testers.[/p]
• [p]Improved some post-game elements (details redacted to avoid spoilers).[/p]

[p][/p][p]Quality of Life[/p]

• [p]New achievements added for reading (or at least skimming) all inbox emails at your caravan.[/p]
• [p]Improved audio balancing across radio stations.[/p]
• [p]Fixed some various internal null reference errors.[/p]
• [p]Cleaned up and refactored various code modules for improved stability and maintainability.[/p]

[p][/p][p]It's also now been 2 years since the game first launched into early access, so that means it's only 1 more year until the final launch! I will still continue supporting the game after the launch, but the content will be final by August 26 2026.[/p][p][/p][p]More updates to follow!!!!!![/p][p]As always - thank you for playing.[/p][p][/p][p]Happy hunting.[/p][p]-Rob[/p]