GROUND BRANCH News

We have released another hotfix for the main install of Ground Branch as we try to take care of some annoying and game breaking issues.

Main items being attempts to squash the looping firing sound bug and various issues with attachments and iron sights. There will be no blog post, so here are the details...

- various attempted fixes of lingering issues with looping sounds/particle systems
- changed weapon validation to remove an iron sight blocked by another non-iron sight (or its parent adapter) from validation check (any remaining iron sights will be ones meant to be functional and non-cosmetic / overriding)
- updated physics assets on firearms with built-in front sights posts to ensure appropriate rear sight can find them (note: FN FAL Tactical front sight post is so low it, BUIS' won't find it)
- updated no sight post message to mention rear sight may just be too high to find matching front sight post
- cleaned up front sight post physics mesh to allow better sight placement (affects FN Tactical, M16, M4A1 and M4 FSP)

Build ID: 8704907 (Client) / 8704918 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 57.3 MB (Client) / 28.3 MB (Dedicated Server)

Another week, another attempt at wrapping up V1032 for good. Here's the change list:

• Fixed several causes of crashes — sorry about those!
  
• Fixed built-in iron sights on various weapons not working or otherwise not interfacing correctly with placed iron sights
  
• Fixed M17 pistol missing rear sight texture
  
• Fixed apparent shifting of the firearm when crouching/leaning
  
• Fixed (hopefully) zeroing issues that resulted in weird offsets, stretched necks etc.
  
• General update to sight line system
  
• General fixes to inventory system
  
• Updated item LOD handling, fixing issue with G33 Magnifier
  
• Updated kit parsing logic to fix issues with Main Menu screen characters kits, AI bot kits and others
  
• Updated MK46's OnEmptyShot event to call parent version of event — fixes the MK46 not using the gradual dry-fire animation
  
• Corrected material index used for reticle in Micro T-1
  
• Updated passthrough widget material to be less washed out (hopefully)
  
• Updated GBGameState to allow for easily debugging MOTD in-editor via GB.DebugServerMOTD console variable
  
• Added confirmation dialogue before displaying web-based server MOTD: now recommends only allowing images from trusted websites
  
• Server Info whiteboard:
  
  
  
  • Updated display settings to auto-scale to fit
    
  • Updated size and placement to prevent white border
    
  • Updated blueprint to fall back to displaying servername and motd URL if a web-based MOTD was denied earlier and remembered
    
• Made firing and pump animation two deliberate motions by adding slight delay before calling the pump animation
  
• Updated Tablet item to better handle laptop interactions (putting Tablet away and switching back) in Intel Retrieval mode
  
• Fixed bug in spawn-finding algorithm for Deathmatch (was using wrong TeamID, so not finding spawns as far as possible from other players)
  
• Disabled debug strings related to trigger pull failing
  

Build ID: 8622958 (Client) / 8622968 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 82 MB (Client) / 46 MB (Dedicated Server)

[h3]⛔ IMPORTANT: CLEAR YOUR OLD FILES[/h3]
We generally recommend players to delete all contents in the following locations (copy-paste these into your File Explorer address bar and hit Enter):

1. %LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor
2. Documents\GroundBranch

⚠️ Not doing so may cause various asset and input issues in your game.

Patch V1032.2 is now available!

This is expected to be the last patch for V1032, after which — if nothing game-breaking comes up — we will be fully shifting to work on the V1033 release.

Here's the full change list with all of the fixes and tweaks:

[h2]DevTest changes[/h2]

If you have played the latest DevTest build (shared about a week ago with our Discord community), these changes will not be new for you:

• Updated stride length calculation to fix "dip" when moving
  
• Big restructuring of inventory item system (in particular replication) with the aim of fixing a wide range of online kit bugs
  
• Lots of changes behind the scenes as a consequence of the above
  
• Miscellaneous bug fixes identified during the course of the restructuring
  
• Dragging-and-dropping attachments will now copy the skin for the attaching item from whatever you are dragging it onto, if possible
  
• Updated inventory bar to equip a rifle on single press if hands are empty and there is a rifle on left/right shoulder, but not slung from chest
  
• Updated platform system to make sure a single dump pouch is added to the players inventory (attaches to belt or platform, whichever is found first)
  
• Made sure newly spawned mag/round for AI is added to their inventory
  
• Fixed right elbow while sprinting with tablet/grenade
  
• Fixed skin not being applied when selecting item without customizing it
  
• Fixed magnifier having no sight picture when swapping from offset sight back to it
  
• Fixed zoom in/out input staying active even when not looking down sightline with magnifier
  
• Restructured night vision handling (local and spectator)
  
• Tablet (map) now fills screen fully when equipped — the camera automatically adjusts and zooms in on it
  
• Small update to ladder handling code so ladders should work a bit better
  
• Server Browser now obscures passwords in the text input dialog
  
• Fixed item not being brought up upon entering play unless it was already equipped in the Ready Room prior to leaving it
  
• Tweaked position of display mag info notifier in mag check widget
  
• Fixed iron sights validity check
  
• Fixed issues related to the input sensitivity value not being set back to zero
  
• Fixed cheap wooden doors on Compound having no collision
  

[h2]Post-DevTest changes[/h2]

This is the list of changes made after DevTest was released, based on reports and feedback:

• G33 Magnifier collision fixed to allow flipping up/down when in use or when not ADS
  
• The magnifier is now also flipped up in the weapon customization screen to make it more intuitive to interface with other attachments
  
• Updated weapon attachment placement to allow shape components to be used as well as static or skeletal meshes
  
• Updated tan G33 to use the correct skin
  
• Hopefully fixed issue with server details going out of scope
  
• Fixed (new) issue with trigger not firing correctly and not being able to shoot when crouched
  
• Updated platform to add/remove/reattach dump pouch as required
  
• Changed iron sights handling to deactivate all front sight posts by default and do some general fixes
  
• Corrected box collision used on some dropped mags
  
• Fixed PIP scopes not having screen space ambient occlusion (SSAO) and screen space reflections (SSR)
  
• Set all exterior lights in City to only be on at night (was causing slowdown at dawn/dusk due to to many lights being active)
  
• Tweaked Tablet to not fully fill screen when zoomed, for a bit of peripheral vision
  
• Fixed ammo check and fire selector HUD elements showing up for listen server host as well as client
  

[h2]📢 This has been Build Update #036![/h2]

Thanks to all of the public DevTesters for helping us get this patch squared away!

Provided this patch holds up, development will soon fully shift to V1033, and we'll soon start gathering some very exciting previews to showcase. Stay tuned!

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Stay connected[/h2]
Discord / Steam Community Hub / Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

Build ID: 8467172 (Client) / 8467193 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 56 MB (Client) / 27 MB (Dedicated Server)

We have just pushed out another hotfix, this time for the leaning vs. running issue introduced in the V1032.1 patch.

• Leaning will now (once again) take priority when activated during a run, and slow your character down to a walk while maintaining the lean.
  
• When leaning while stationary or walking, starting a run will still cancel the lean.
  
• This issue was most noticeable for players that use the "Always Run" option, as the default movement speed in that case — running — would prevent leaning unless the Run key was pressed in order to walk first.

While we wanted to include more fixes for the big remaining issues, those will still take a while for various reasons. As a result, we thought it was better to release this specific fix now rather than sit on it.

Hotfix for Patch V1032.1 to address some of the critical issues that are keeping some from playing the game.

We've had to restructure a few things internally, and we haven't been able to fix all the bugs just yet, so we expect to be putting out another, smaller patch soon to tie up the work on 1032. Thank you for your patience, and please do continue to submit bug reports via the in-game bug reporter or in the #bugreports channel on discord.

Client - Build ID : 8410326 60MB
DS - Build ID : 8410339 30.4MB

Without going into too much detail, we've done the following things:

- fixed lighting not being reset if you were AFK kicked
- added fly/walk/ghost options for cheats-enabled servers
- SloMo, Ghost/Fly & Camera and other cheats are now reset when transitioning to new sessions
- added FreezeFrame() override to ensure pause is only called on server
- updated ABP_Character to fix crouching with grenade, tablet & breaching charges etc
- updated BP_Tablet & BP_BreachingCharge to revert to previous DesiredEngagedAlpha when unequipped
- BIG overhaul of night vision (NVG, rangefinder NV mode) to try to fix unreliable replication/behaviour with lasers and other issues
- rangefinder different magnification level for NV mode re-enabled
- updated ABP_Character to blend between left hand overlay and non-left overlay elbow pole target based on high/low position (for better grip position)
- moved grenade trigger used for alpha shooting range area in ReadyRoom.
- updated UGBCharacterMovement::CanMantle() to check that initial traced object blocks pawn and actually has collision enabled
- fixed collision issue with Ural truck flatbed
- fixed crash caused by shooting windows
- updated placement of sound components on doors to move with door and not be static

Known Issues

- there is a 'gun dip' when you move with weapon in ready position - known and will be fixed in the next patch
- the overhaul to the NVG systems probably left a few bugs - please report in the usual way
- rangefinder spectate mode does not work properly