Six Days in Fallujah News

NEW: Wargame Mode, night missions with Flares, and Sandstorms.

Please restart the Steam client to download the latest build.

NEW FEATURES

• Night missions with Flares
  
  • Flares flicker and move across the sky
    
  • Reduced visibility in the darkness
    
  • Improved concealment from enemy AI
    
  • Flashlights and muzzle flashes reveal position to enemy AI
    
• Sandstorm
  
  • Sandstorms sweep violently through the battlefield
    
  • Reduced visibility and hearing
    
  • Reduced radio effectiveness
    
  • Introduced player “cough” mechanic, interrupting comms and alerting enemies
    
• Wargame Mode
  
  • Customize the simulation in Six Days
    
  • Time-of-day selection, including Flares
    
  • Weather selection, including Sandstorm
    
  • Mission selection
    
  • Role selection
    
    • “Ranked Selection”—choose preferred fireteam role
      
    • “Unrestricted”—any player can play in any role
      
      • NOTE: Team Lead can still assign roles on the UI but player choice takes priority (we’re improving this for the future)
  • Hard variant “FUBAR” for Fireteam missions
    
  • “Hard” difficulty option for enemy AI
    
  • “Survival Rules”
    
    • No reinforcements—AAV respawns disabled
      
    • No KIA Allowed—mission failure upon player KIA
      
  • Mission timers can be extended, reduced, or disabled
    
  • Mission intro cinematics can be disabled
    
  • Procedural Architecture sliders
    
    • Exteriors — Fewer/More Structures and More Accessible/Constrained
      
    • Interiors — Sparse/Crowded Interiors and More Open/Fortified
      

GAMEPLAY IMPROVEMENTS

• Enemy AI can lure players into traps
  
• Enemy AI now throw grenades
  
• Improved enemy AI suppressive fire
  
• Improved enemy AI ability to create fatal funnels with PKM
  
• Improved tracers to pass through windows
  
• Reduced audible “hammer click” to one when weapon is empty
  
• Added automatic adaptive noise gates on player VOIP
  
• Added visible F16 and AC-130 models to jet flybys
  
• Tuned fireteam missions with new features in mind
  

KNOWN ISSUES

• Upscaler sometimes gets disabled, causing degraded performance. To fix this,
  go to your graphics settings and turn the Upscaler back on.
  

LOCALIZATION IMPROVEMENTS

• Added support for Portuguese language
  
• Improved support for Korean language
  

BUG FIXES

• Fixed the known cause for players being unable to ADS after swapping weapons
  
• Fixed the known cause for blurry scopes when ADS’ing
  
• Fixed an issue causing “Windy” weather to roll too often
  
• Fixed an issue causing mission objectives to be unsynced for host and clients
  
• Fixed an issue causing multiple explosives planted on armory in Ruins
  
• Fixed an issue causing players to fall through the map on Water Tower and Compound
  
• Fixed an issue causing “Reinforcements available from AAV” to display under false conditions
  
• Fixed an issue causing grenades to display incorrectly on vest UI
  
• Fixed an issue causing overlapping invites in lobby
  
• Fixed an issue causing “robotic” player VOIP
  
• Fixed an issue in which IEDS on Apartments were silent
  
• Fixed an issue in which player radio remained open upon death
  
• Fixed an issue in which “Ghost” radio persisted for clients after respawning
  
• Fixed an issue in which auto-detect didn’t first reset to default settings
  
• Fixed an issue in which gamepad functionality was lost after using auto-detect
  
• Fixed an issue in which framerate uncaps after changing graphics settings
  
• Fixed an issue in which hanging rugs were clipping through geometry
  
• Fixed an issue in which players were killed through geometry by VBIEDs
  
• Fixed an issue in which staircases were obstructed by geometry
  
• Fixed an issue in which enemy AI couldn’t pass through holes in walls
  
• Fixed an issue in which VBIEDS were stopped by M203 “duds”
  
• Fixed an issue in which M203 grenade “duds” still detonated
  
• Various AI behavior fixes
  
• Various performance optimizations
  
• Various fixes for common crashes

For bugs we're currently tracking, please see our Known Issues list.

Join the community conversation and offer us feedback on our official Discord server!
https://discord.gg/SixDaysGame

[h3]"I think sometimes people think that the Marines are just these guys who kick down doors and run through walls - that they don't actually think on the battlefield. In truth, this was as complex a combat scenario as I saw in three trips to Iraq, or have heard about from anyone else." — 1st Lt. Jesse Grapes[/h3]

We’re back with our eighth entry in our SITREP developer diary series! Today, we’re taking a deep-dive into everything coming with our Wargame Update.

Since our release into Early Access in June, we’ve collected hundreds of comments from players yearning for the opportunity to control more aspects of the combat simulation. While our cooperative “Fireteam” mode is rooted in the real-stories that have been shared with us, it became very clear that players also wanted to experiment with parameters outside of these stories. To achieve this, Update 0.2.0 introduces a brand-new mode into the game—Wargame.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Wargame gives players complete control over mission parameters before loading into the AO. Not only can specific missions now be selected, but players can now customize a multitude of battlefield conditions, like time of day, weather, building density, AI posture, and more. Plus, missions will now have a hard-mode (FUBAR) option, which presents even more adverse conditions compared to the standard mode, and players can also customize a variety of gameplay options.

There’s plenty more to unpack here, starting with “Gameplay Options.” Not only will missions have hard variants, but enemy AI also have a “Hard” difficulty option, with AI enemies deploying even more sophisticated tactics and behaviors. “Survival Rules” adds an entirely new level of challenge into the mix, allowing players to select “No Reinforcements,” which disables respawns from the AAV. For those of you who want to take difficulty even further, enabling “No KIA Allowed” will result in immediate mission failure if any fireteam member is killed-in-action.

We’re also giving players more flexibility around roles. If “Ranked Selection” is enabled, players can choose their preferred fireteam role. Here, the fireteam is still limited to one of each role, and duplicates will be settled by the fireteam member with the higher rank. In contrast, “Unrestricted” removes ALL rules around roles and lets players stack as many individual roles as they’d like. For example, you can deploy into Phase Line Henry with four Team Leads equipped with the M203. If you want four FIRE roles with SAWs, you can absolutely do that. Why not split the fireteam into two Readys and two Assists? In Wargame, all of this is possible. Keep in mind that progress toward rank points or achievements is not awarded with “Unrestricted” roles enabled.

Finally, we absolutely want to let the community know that mission timers can now be extended, reduced, or completely disabled in Wargame. And, you can now skip the intro cinematic in Wargame, too.

Let’s move into the Procedural Architecture options available in Wargame. We implemented sliders that adjust specific elements of exteriors and interiors, depending on player preference. If you’re looking for a combat simulation with more exterior density and restriction, crank the sliders all the way to the right. In contrast, you’ll find less density and restriction if you move the sliders to the left. The same customization levels can be applied for interior density and restriction, too. With these additions, players can more readily target the type of simulation they want to experience.

With all that being said, we want to remind everyone that Wargame is not representative of our core “Fireteam” mode experience. As a result, matchmaking will not be available for Wargame and players will form private lobbies to access the mode. However, we’re also allowing players to navigate directly to Wargame after completing one “Fireteam” mode mission with a matchmade party.

However, that’s not everything coming with our Q3 update. If you missed our recent DEVLOG, here's a deep dive into our newest time-of-day and weather options—Flares and Sandstorm.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Flares is our newest time-of-day, introducing players to night operations for the first time in Six Days. We’ve developed a rhythmic cycle of darkness and light as bundles of flares are launched into the sky and illuminate the area of operations before slowly fizzling away. What’s most interesting about this time-of-day is the impact posed on the player.

DEVELOPER COMMENT
Fear of the unknown has been one of the core player themes for our project, and we’re confident jumping into Flares will turn this dial up to 1,000. This is because the amount of time flares spend illuminated is random, and there’s no predicting how much time you have left before all of the lights go out. You’re forced to make tactical decisions while you have the light (or while you don’t).


Visibility is dynamic with Flares enabled, and everyone plays by the same rules when faced with this “day-night” cycle—even AI. While you have the advantage of coverage in the darkness, enemy AI will also take every opportunity to establish a foothold and advance toward your position. They’ll be hunting for player flashlights and muzzle flashes, and you have to make conscious decisions about factors you never considered before—like using your equipment or even firing your weapon.

DEVELOPER COMMENT
Finally, we want to thank the community for all the comments around NVGs and NOCs. While they won’t be included in this update, we do plan to introduce these tools for everyone later in our development.

Now that we’ve discussed time-of-day, let’s take a closer look at our newest addition to weather—Sandstorm. Here, your biggest threat is no longer enemy AI, but rather reduced visibility that comes with sand particles, dust and debris, and heavy wind. Intensity of the sandstorm depends on the procedural roll, and it may even roll through the AO halfway through the mission. Just like Flares, players will never know what to expect.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
But, how does Sandstorm affect players? Not only is your visibility obstructed intermittently as the sandstorms roll across the AO, but your radio will also be less effective. Character models will also intermittently raise their hand up to their mouths to cough during Sandstorm. Additionally, we’ve introduced new audio FX to simulate heavy wind during the storm. Both communication and visibility bear a new challenge under these conditions, and we’re excited to see you adapt and overcome them. As a bonus, player uniforms accumulate dirt based on wind direction when clearing exteriors.


While it’s clear that the sandstorm is now public enemy number one, enemy AI should not be underestimated under these new conditions. Sandstorms are thick, dense, and provide ample opportunity for concealment. Here, enemy AI are extremely mobile and take full advantage of the chaos. But, it’s important to remember that everyone plays by the same rules in the storm, and players can hide just as easily if they employ the right tactics.

[h3]"You never rise to the occasion. You only sink to your lowest level of training." — Unknown[/h3]

That wraps up our deep-dive into our Q3 content update! We’re excited for our community to get their hands on a variety of frequently asked features and craft the combat simulation they’ve been looking for. We encourage everyone to jump in and experiment with all the new options available! Thank you again for taking the time to share comments and feedback for us, and please keep them coming.

Join the community conversation and offer us feedback on our official Discord server!
https://discord.gg/SixDaysGame

Hey everyone!

Our Q3 update is around the corner, and we're partnering up with @DevilDogGamer and @ControlledPairs to give away one Six Days in Fallujah game key to three lucky winners!

To participate, please follow the instructions here:
https://gleam.io/G1SAb/six-days-in-fallyjah-x-thedevildoggamer-controlled-pairs-gaming-giveaway


Entries close on Friday, September 22.

Good luck to everyone participating!

Welcome to the third entry in our series of Developer Logs!

We cannot thank you enough for all your support as we launched Six Days into Early Access to the world just two short months ago. Early Access is the first stop on our road to full release, and so far we’ve only released about 10% of what we have planned.

Speaking of which, here’s a look at two new features coming with our next update—Flares and Sandstorm.

Please remember all assets shown are currently a work-in-progress.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Let’s start with our newest setting for time-of-day—Flares. Players will find themselves in a rhythmic cycle of darkness and light as bundles of flares are launched into the sky and illuminate the area of operations before slowly fizzling away. The illumination length is random, which means the period of time players spend in the darkness cannot be predicted. Just like actual combat, players will never know what to expect.

Available for all four of the cooperative fireteam missions we’ve released so far, Flares fundamentally changes how players approach each of our combat scenarios. Visibility, or lack thereof, is the variable to keep in mind when playing in this setting. You’ll have reduced visibility in the darkness, but this also means you aren’t as easily spotted by enemy AI unless you’re using your flashlight. When players go “lights-on,” you might as well be broadcasting your position to the entire enemy force. Do you risk giving away your position, or do you risk navigating the AO in the darkness?

It’s important to consider the advantages Flares poses for enemy AI, too. When flares light up the sky, Insurgents conceal themselves to stay hidden. As soon as the lights go out, they’re on the move to establish a better foothold. They’ll also be looking for player muzzle flashes just as often as player flashlights. You’ll be fighting an elusive enemy, and he’s got the home-turf advantage.

We also wanted to let our community know that players will not have access to NVGs or NOCs just yet. We have plans for these, but they are reserved for later in our development.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The combat simulation changes completely when pivoting to Sandstorm. Players will find themselves in a thick, chaotic disarray of sand particles and heavy wind. Sandstorm intensity will vary based on the procedural roll, and it may even roll into the AO halfway through the mission. What’s more, player uniforms accumulate dirt based on wind direction when clearing exteriors.

Reduced visibility also plays a role here, and there is a heavy emphasis on CQB in this setting. Here, engagement distances are shorter and player radios are less effective. Just like players, enemy AI visibility and hearing are both less effective, too. With that being said, Insurgents take full advantage of these conditions, using the density of the sandstorm as more opportunities for cover and repositioning.

Enemy AI are no longer the only threat with a sandstorm on the field. It’s a very different type of player fear and discomfort compared to Flares, and we’re excited to watch as you tackle these new challenges.

As a reminder, this is not an exhaustive list of new features coming with Patch 0.2.0. We’ll take a deeper dive as we bring back our developer diary series—SITREPs—when we get closer to release. As always, you can follow our development progress with our roadmap here.

Join the community conversation and offer us feedback on our official Discord server!
https://discord.gg/SixDaysGame

Today’s patch is another maintenance patch that further improves our error logging to help diagnose some hard-to-reproduce issues from the community. Patch 0.1.4.3 is available now on Steam!

Additionally, we want to thank everyone for their anticipation regarding our next content update! We're still on track for release later this quarter, and we'll share a preview within the next couple weeks.

Please restart the Steam client to download the latest build.

Bug Fixes

• Further improved error logging for some hard-to-reproduce network issues reported by players

For a full list of bugs we're currently tracking, please see our Known Issues.

Join the community conversation and offer us feedback on our official Discord server!

https://discord.gg/SixDaysGame