GROUND BRANCH News

🆔  GROUND BRANCH V1031
Build ID: 6338489 (Client) / 6330198 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 6338525 gB (Client) / 447 MB (Dedicated Server)

🚨 CLEAR YO FILES
We strongly recommend everyone to delete all files located in %LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor (copy-paste this into your File Explorer address bar and hit Enter) to ensure your old saved files do not conflict with the latest changes and cause input and settings issues.

Another Community Test Environment update is now live on the GROUND BRANCH CTE app with the latest V1031 testing build. This is the third—and hopefully final—V1031 CTE update. If nothing major pops up, we'll be moving on to the official V1031 release on the main GROUND BRANCH app.

If you're just now getting into CTE, make sure to check out the previous CTE release notes (#004 and #005) to get the full picture.




[h2]Game modes[/h2]

• Terrorist Hunt should now end as expected once the last tango is killed.
  
• Player/team stats in the AAR screen should display again for dead players.
  
• Increased the size of the Extraction Point collision component to make extracting multiple players easier (Intel Retrieval).
  
• Added more checks to important items (laptop) so they hopefully don't fall through floor/ground anymore.
  
• Max player count is now enforced on map/mode change from PvP to PvE. It was causing the new player limit to break.
  
• Added a few AI spawn and guard points to Depot (Intel Retrieval and Terrorist Hunt).
  
• Created new, less emissive material for Ops Board and toned down the noise on the minimap for better clarity.
  
• Hopefully fixed the weapon vertical shake some players were reporting.
  

[h2]Input and settings[/h2]

• Fixed default Keyboard & Mouse keybinds for Reticle Brightness Up and Reticle Brightness Down resetting to [LAlt] + [D-Pad] Left/Right.
  
• Fixed default Lean Type being "Toggle" instead of "Hold" in Settings > Controls (when controls are reset via Reset Default button).
  
• Fixed Screen Space Reflections settings being overwritten when Effects Quality is changed.
  
• The solution for a universal console key didn't work out, so we've added alternate console keys back to DefaultInput.ini for players who do not use a US keyboard or EN-US input language in Windows. In addition to the Tilde key, these should also bring up the console:
  
  
  
  • Multiply
  • (aka the asterisk key on the NumPad)
    
  • Caret [^] and Section [§] (both commonly found where the US Tilde key is on some layouts)
    
  • Grave [`] (ditto above)
    
  • Backslash [\] (for those with tenkeyless/80% keyboards)
    

If these do not work for you, here's how you can set up your own custom console keys:

1️⃣ Open DefaultInput.ini (%LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor).
2️⃣ Add +ConsoleKeys=YourKeyHere to the bottom of the file, replacing the underlined part with the key you want to use. For example, to make [F5] open the console, add +ConsoleKeys=F5. 3️⃣ Save the file, and it should just work next time you launch the game.

Conversely, if you want to remove any of the existing console binds, simply remove the line.

[h2]Content[/h2]

• Changed display name convention for scopes: Name (Magnification), e.g. ACOG (4x), Specter DR (1x/4x) etc.
  
• Added magnification value to the display name of Russian scopes 1P78 Kashtan (2.8x) and PSO-1M2 (4x).
  
• Fixed the display name for Tac Light (M600V) (had an extra zero in it).
  
• Improved magnified sights clipping camera when mounted too far back on the MPX.
  
• Reduced effect of volumetric lights on flashlights to minimize ghosting effect when moving in heavy volumetric areas of maps, mostly visible in nighttime gameplay.
  

[h2]UI[/h2]
Art/UX pass on the Server Browser:

• Hid tabs that are temporarily out of order (only Internet and LAN still show up).
  
• Cleaned up server list: alignments, font sizes, icon proportions and general formatting.
  
• Fixed Game Mode column not displaying the proper game mode.
  

[h2]Known and possible issues[/h2]

• Bots may be caught displaying exaggerated weapon shake.
  
• Footsteps may sound duplicated. If you come across this bug, please file a report mentioning the map and location of the issue!
  

[hr][/hr]

Thanks for playing the CTE and helping us get this update in order — we really appreciate it. Stay safe and let us know of any game-breakers you come across!

[hr][/hr]

Discord / Steam Community Hub / Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

🆔  GROUND BRANCH CTE
Build ID: 6311218 (Client) / 6311231 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 366 MB (Client) / 83 MB (Dedicated Server)

⚠️ NOTICE
These release notes are for the V1031 testing build currently available in the GROUND BRANCH CTE Steam® app, not to be confused with the official (and upcoming) V1031 release for the main GROUND BRANCH app.

🚨 CLEAR YO FILES
We strongly recommend everyone to delete all files located in %LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor (copy-paste this into your File Explorer address bar and hit Enter) to ensure your old saved files do not conflict with the latest changes and cause input and settings issues.

A new Community Test Environment build is now available on GROUND BRANCH CTE. If you're just now getting into CTE, make sure to check out the release notes for the last update (February 13th) so you get the full story.




[h2]Performance[/h2]
The last CTE has introduced an issue with larger numbers of bots (typically above 30) causing massive CPU usage, resulting in slowdowns particularly offline and when hosting listen servers. Kris is still debugging the problem, but as a result of his findings, we have:

• Cleaned up and optimized navmeshes.
  
• Stopped the skylight actor from moving through the sky "live" to make sure it was not impacting performance.
  
• Not directly related to the overall performance issue outlined above, but we've also added r.GraphicsAdapter=-1 to DefaultEngine.ini to try to get the engine to favor dedicated GPUs. This is a possible fix for laptops defaulting to the integrated graphics adapter instead of the preferred Nvidia/AMD card.
  

[h2]Multiplayer[/h2]
Player limits are now hardcoded to the numbers we have designed the game around. This was done for both performance and gameplay reasons:

• Self-hosted listen servers (Host Game option) can host up to 8 players, including the hosting player. This number may be reduced depending on performance.
  
• Dedicated servers can host up to 8 players on co-op (PvE) and 16 players on adversarial (PvP) game modes.
  

[h2]Game modes[/h2]
[h3]Intel Retrieval[/h3]

• The new objective-based PvE mode has been added to the following maps: Storage Facility, Creek, Run Down, Tanker, Power Station, 747 and City.
  
• Up to 2 extraction points can be assigned randomly, and up to 3 are available per map.
  
• The assigned extraction point will be marked with green smoke in the mission area.
  
• The laptop with the intel will now be attached to the character's back (like a backpack) instead of being carried by hand. This allows players to defend themselves when playing solo. (Once the animation overhaul has happened, we'll try the idea of carrying the laptop on one hand and a handgun on the other.)
  
• If the laptop happens to fall through the map (as has been reported to happen sometimes when dropped), its position will be reset on the map rather than be lost forever.
  

⚠️ AI spawn and guard points will get several passes still — we're always open to feedback on those.

⚠️ We have yet to mark possible objective locations on the Ops Board map so players have an idea of where to look. For now, look around main buildings and map landmarks, or check out the possible locations below:

Depot Buildings inside the central compound

Small Town Inside buildings

Power Station • Top floor, Server Room area
• Ground floor, northwestern block
• Maintenance tunnel, ladder/hatch section

Storage Facility • All 3 are in deeper tunnels area

Creek • Central camp, inside one of the barns
• Cave/tunnel
• Next to one of the barns in the South

Run Down • Basement
• Courtyard
• Top floor

Tanker • Bridge
• Level 5, console room
• "Valley" section in the middle of the deck

747 • Cockpit
• Luggage hold
• Hangar

City • Subway, northern area of the platform
• Travel agency, upstairs
• Cafe/pub

[h2]Uplink[/h2]

• Now also playable on Storage Facility, Creek, Run Down, 747 and City.
  
• Teams should now switch sides each round.
  
• Time limit is now set to 10 minutes per round. The wristwatch should display a countdown timer accordingly.
  
• For attackers to win, the objective needs to be located and successfully taken within the time limit: simply killing off the opposition will not end the round.
  
• First pass warning! This game mode, like all others to come, will require a lot of testing and fine-tuning.
  

⚠️ How does Uplink play on all of these maps? How can it improve? Let us know!

❌ KNOWN GAME MODE ISSUE
The AAR (After-Action Results) screen is apparently not displaying player data on mission failure. We'll fix this for the next release.

[h2]Input and controls[/h2]

• Fixed several keybinds not having proper defaults set, resulting in them resetting to outdated keybinds (or no keybinds at all) when players clicked the "Reset Default" button.
  
• The console should now be universally accessible via the Tilde [~] key, or whatever key your keyboard layout has to the left of [1]. As such, we have removed the secondary console key that used to be on NumPad *.
  
• Moved the default Forfeit keybind to [F10] to avoid accidental deaths when dropping items or using other binds in that area of the keyboard.
  
• Gradually opening/closing doors once again uses an open/close logic rather than push/pull. Assuming default controls, you would now hold [F] + [Mouse Wheel Up] to gradually open and [F] + [Mouse Wheel Down] to close, regardless of which side of the door you're on.
  
• By popular demand (3 players), the Magnifier can be toggled via Attachments Wheel again. The newer Scope Zoom In/Out method is still available, of course.
  

[h3]Controller/gamepad support[/h3]
We've added further support for controller input. All a work in progress, but it should make the life of controller users a little easier:

• The Keybinds list (Settings > Controls) now displays a separate tab for controller binds.
  
• Left Trigger ([LT], [L2]), Left Shoulder Button ([LB], [L1]) and Right Shoulder Button ([RB], [R1]) can all be used as modifiers for button combos (similarly to [LCtrl], [LAlt] and [LShift] on the keyboard).
  

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

• You can now throw grenades through windows once the glass has been shattered!
  
• Glass now explodes if within range of frag grenades.
  
• Adjusted M67 Frag explosion radius: the max damage radius has been increased from 4 to 6 meters, with damage scaling down from there until the minimum damage radius (10 meters). (The simple radius damage implementation currently in place will be replaced with simulated shrapnel later.)
  
• Frags will now also blow up doors.
  
• Running against partially open doors should no longer stop or slow down running/sprinting players, but instead barge open in accordance to movement speed.
  
• Doors now also open up faster when using the regular Swing Door command.
  
• The Specter DR 1x/4x scope no longer has a super bright sight picture.
  

[h2]Audio[/h2]

• Added weapon transition sound effects: rustling fabric, mechanical clicks and other sounds from moving a gun around while in gear.
  
• Added door explosion debris SFX.
  
• Increased audio stun effect radius from breaching charges when in the opposite side of door.
  
• Footstep attenuation has been tweaked to not be as audible at a distance.
  
• Reduced the probability of AI callouts/bark to mitigate repetitiveness and keep tangos from giving themselves away so often.
  

[h2]UI[/h2]

• The Main Menu now displays the main build version and whether or not it's the CTE right under the GROUND BRANCH logo.
  
• Made the Extraction Point on the Ops Board more visible and readable.
  
• Fixed the Customize/Re-Supply prompt not reappearing once the Customize Operator screen was closed unless players stepped away and then back.
  
• Added drop-down menu for Screen Space Reflections (SSR) settings, under Settings > Video > Graphics (right below Anti-Aliasing Method).
  
• Slightly tweaked the top-bar menu (Esc) and made sure the central buttons remained centered on ultrawide setups.
  
• More tooltips added for various buttons and options.
  

[h2]Content[/h2]

• Fixed Tac Light (M300C) model missing its mount.
  
• Bots in Run Down can now use doors.
  
• General map cleanup: gaps, bad materials, collision, LOD/culling etc.
  

[h2]General bug/issue fixes[/h2]

• Fixed some sights and sight combinations displaying no sight picture.
  
• Fixed misalignment between G33 Magnifier and some sights.
  
• Fixed poses and items breaking when equipment is switched. (Not terribly confident about this one, but time will tell.)
  
• Fixed attachments showing up in inappropriate places. (Ditto above.)
  

[hr][/hr]

Keep those bug reports and feedback coming! As always, thank you so much for your continued support and please stay safe out there.

[hr][/hr]

Discord / Steam Community Hub / Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

⚠️ NOTICE ⚠️
These release notes are for the V1031 testing build currently available in the GROUND BRANCH CTE Steam® app, not to be confused with the official (and upcoming) V1031 release for the main GROUND BRANCH app.

GROUND BRANCH CTE
Build ID: 6236486 (Client) / 6236494 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 2.8 GB (Client) / 446.2 MB (Dedicated Server)

Greetings, hardcore tactical realism friend.

If you like GROUND BRANCH and testing unfinished game features, your time has come again: GROUND BRANCH CTE (Community Test Environment) is once again open, now with a testing version of upcoming release V1031.

So those of you who got excited by this teaser from late December…

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

…as well as by our last Intel Update, should rejoice and get downloading that CTE app, 'cause you can now try out those new effects and a lot more.

As with our previous CTE release notes, this will be pretty stripped down in comparison to our usual Dev Blog posts, but that is all in the name of brevity and self-preservation as we've been working overtime (well, more overtime than usual) to get this update out—so please bear with a rather tired Scopey here.

💭 T is for Testing
Always keep in mind that issues are expected (and sometimes known), and our goal with the Community Test Environment is to gather valuable data and feedback from a larger group of players. Needless to say, everything is a work in progress!

[h2]User interface & user experience (UI/UX)[/h2]
The user interface is undergoing a much-needed art, style and usability overhaul, and this is the first area where you will notice changes when you launch GROUND BRANCH CTE. In addition to the obvious cosmetic update, here are the major changes:

[h3]Ultrawide-friendly implementation[/h3]
The main container for most menu screens will now maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio regardless of how wide your viewport is.

We haven't gotten to all of them yet, so if you catch any menu content stretching out all the way to the side margins of your ultrawide setup, let us know. They're out there.

[h3]Main Menu[/h3]

• "Training" will now take you to the new consolidated training compound (more on that in the Content section).
  
• "Lone Wolf" (formerly "Play Offline") now only displays relevant game modes (Terrorist Hunt and Intel Retrieval) and maps, as well as a map search box.
  
• New GROUND BRANCH logo and minor style tweaks.

[h3]Host Game[/h3]

• Shares a similar screen layout with Lone Wolf, and should make self-hosting a lot more intuitive.
  
• Added notices and prompts that highlight the difference between listen and dedicated servers, and how to invite friends into your game.
  
• Added an in-game invite tool, accessible via the prompt or the [Esc] menu (Invite Friends option in the top menu bar).

[h3]Server Browser[/h3]

• New layout, but functionally the same—including the issues we have yet to fix.
  

[h3]Settings[/h3]

• Received a big UI/UX pass, which rearranged where each option is and what they are labeled for better consistency and intuitiveness.
  
• Added a lot of tooltips to clarify some of the less obvious options.
  
• Controls screen:
  • Added "Clear Bind" button to binding prompt.
    
  • New binds: "Tac Light / IR Illuminator", "Laser" and "Toggle Laser Mode" (more on these in the Gameplay section).
    
  • Now lists previously hidden binds such as "Admin Panel".
    
• Gameplay screen:
  
  • Now has a Sight Priorities section, which allows the player to determine sight hierarchy when multiple types are equipped.
• Audio screen:
  
  • Channel now allows more options, including "Auro 11.1"—a great option for headphone users.

[h3]Other UI/UX changes[/h3]

• Getting to know your teammates has been made easier by a HUD element that displays player names. Like the VOIP HUD elements, they are only enabled in the Ready Room as a tool to get used to each other's voice and appearance before the action phase (as well as make admins' lives easier).
  
• The Session Roster screen (previously "Game Info") has a new look, and will now correctly display players that are currently using VOIP.
  
• The top menu bar ([Esc] menu) has been rearranged and now offers a Main Menu shortcut (via GB icon button), as well as contextual options such as "Session Roster" (display current players in the session), "Invite Friends" (for self-hosted games), and "Admin" for server admin options. Tooltips were also added.
  
• Interaction prompts ("Use", "Pick Up" etc.) have been updated with a new look and custom key icons.
  
• First pass to improve pop-in hints.
  
• Some map names were changed: Tanker Ship is now Tanker, Training Base (previously only previewable via console) is now The Farm, and the User Arena maps are now just called Arena and Arena 2.
  
• The Bipod is now called Bipod (Non-Functional) to make players aware that they are not usable yet.
  
• Minor tweaks to text chat appearance.
  

We have yet to get to several smaller and less visible UI elements, but substantial progress was made.

[h2]Performance optimization[/h2]
Maps, most extensively Depot, have received various optimization passes to improve performance. We are far from done, so FPS drops are still expected. Please let us know when and where you perceive any performance improvements or deterioration—in addition to your PC specs and video settings— compared to previous versions so we can try and pinpoint what works and what doesn't.

⚠️ KNOWN PERFORMANCE ISSUES
Due to navmesh and CPU load issues, Tanker and Run Down have bad performance offline and on self-hosted (listen) servers with more than a few AI enemies. While playing on a dedicated server, however, the server will absorb the AI CPU strain and not impact performance.

[h2]Game modes[/h2]
Game modes now use Lua scripting, which will make creating and modifying them much easier and faster. Kris rigged up a quick new single player/co-op game mode, and updated an existing PvP mode that was under-utilized:

• Intel Retrieval (currently playable on Small Town and Depot) is an objective-based game mode against AI. Players must locate the laptop that contains valuable intel in the map, and then exfiltrate. Currently, the laptop carrier is unable to use other items unless they drop it. The intel can be in any of the several laptops in the map. Admins can also set the option "Exfiltrate as a team" to "Yes", in which case all remaining team members must be at the extraction point to finish the mission.
  
• Uplink (formerly "Defend", currently playable on Small Town, Power Station and Run Down) is an objetive-based PvP game mode. One team must defend the objective—a laptop—while the other team must locate it and use it to uplink valuable intel.

[h2]General multiplayer changes[/h2]

• PvP teams are now called Red and Blue, with matching default kits.

[h2]Content[/h2]
[h3]Maps[/h3]

• New training map: The Farm, as the CIA/SOF training site in Camp Peary, Virginia (USA) is known as. This larger single map replaces the multiple training maps from before and has a workbenches (for loadout customization) and Ops Boards (for time of day changes) on every training station. You can travel to it via the Training option in Main Menu.
  
• New CQB map: Run Down, playable on Terrorist Hunt and most PvP game modes.
  
• Tanker has received several updates, particularly in the accommodation/superstructure area of the ship. A power switch has also been added.
  
• Cleaned up a lot of materials, floating meshes, missing and oversized collision volumes, spots where players could get stuck and more on all maps.
  

[h3]Items and customization[/h3]

• Added the Wristwatch: a default item equipped on your character's left wrist. Displays current time and a compass that rotates in relation to the world.
  
• The Rangefinder is now functional. Use default [RMB] to look through it and LMB to scan the distance to the target. Day mode is 8x and night mode (default [N]) is 5x.
  
• Added Eye Pro glasses, selectable for the EYEWEAR slot. They're missing a dedicated icon.
  
• Added extended magazines for MK25, M9A3 and M17 pistols.
  
• Added proper NVG mount and tweaked flipped-up angle to be less obstrusive. Needs work.
  
• Replaced the MP7A1 and MP7A2 with a higher-quality MP7A1 model. No extra skins yet, but we'll get there.
  
• Replaced the MP7 Suppressor with a new model.
  
• Replaced the old PMII 5–25x scope with a newer model. Scale has been fixed too.
  
• Replaced old generic Tac Light attachment with SureFire® M600V model, named Tac Light (M600) in-game.
  
• Replaced the old Holster with a new model—the first of many Pau Peñalver models to make it into the game. Currently has 4 skins to choose from.
  
• Replaced the old Rail Cover attachment with a much higher-fidelity model, now called Rail Panel (Long). Also added a shorter version: Rail Panel (Short).
  
• Attachment slots for the Plate Carrier were adjusted for a more realistic look, and the top row has lost a slot.
  

[h3]Known content issues[/h3]

• Tac Light (M300C) appears to be missing its mount. Strange.
  
• Removing a sight that has another sight "piggybacking" on top may leave the piggybacked sight floating in the air.
  
• The skybox on some maps may be faulty for certain time-of-day values. Let us know if you spot any daytime-looking nights and vice versa!
  

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]
[h3]Attachments[/h3]

• Weapon lights can now be bound to your preferred key (default [5]). They are still accessible via the Attachments Wheel and share the keybind with the new IR Illuminator (NVG use determines which is active—bound to change).
  
• The new IR Illuminator function on the AN/PEQ-15 has two settings, HI (wide and dim) and LO (focused and bright). Switch between them with the Reticle Brightness keys (default [Home] and [End]).
  
• The visible and IR lasers on the AN/PEQ-15 share a single toggle key (default [6]), and another key to switch between them (default [7]). The switch logic will be carried over to visible vs. IR lights.
  
• Lasers and lights all have both a "momentary" (hold key) and a "toggle" (double-tap to turn on, tap once to turn off) activation mode.
  
• The G33 Magnifier is now togglable via the same binds used for Scope Zoom In/Out (default [Alt] + [Mouse Wheel]).
  
• Variable magnification scopes now all default to the lowest magnification level.
  

[h3]Breaching Charge[/h3]
The clacker/remote detonator is back and will be equipped automatically after setting the charge.

Known gameplay issues

• When playing online, light and laser activation can be glitchy when using the toggle mode.
  
• Switching items too fast has been found to sometimes cause issues, from becoming unable to equip or use items to characters using incorrect item poses (e.g. holding a rifle like a pistol).
  

[h2]Visual effects (VFX)[/h2]
Visuals and effects have received a considerable overhaul. Be on the lookout for these:

• Screen Space Reflections (SSR) have been enabled again. They may not play nice with FXAA on, and are prone to a glitchy appearance at times. A checkbox will be added for them later.
  
• New NVG depth-of-field (DOF) effect and updated overlay mask.
  
• Fixed the color of nearby objects "seeping through" when wearing NVG, as well as glare appearing white.
  
• New grenade explosion particle effects (M67 Frag and MK13 Flashbang).
  
• New flashbang stun effect: "burned image" effect and ear ringing (very WIP—does not consider distance or direction players are facing).
  
• New laser effects: Visible Laser dot and IR Laser beam and dot.
  
• Updated holo and red dot reticles to appear luminous again: will be harder to see against certain backgrounds, but look much better and realistic.
  
  
  
  • Aimpoint® sights have a slightly brighter reticle.
    
  • Added tint to holo and red dot sight glass to improve reticle visibility (and in the case of red dots, for authenticity as well).
    
  • Glow has been re-added to illuminated scope reticles as well.
    
  
  
• Tweaked the Marker Strobe effect to look a little strobier and less prone to clipping the character.
  
• Doors now open and close smoothly, even when swung gradually.
  
• Muzzle effects now originate a couple inches away from the muzzle rather than inside them.
  
• Lasers no longer go right through characters (had you even noticed that? Smh).
  
• The light on top of power switches will now turn off once the box is damaged.
  
• Fixed breached wooden doors having no texture.
  

[h3]Known visual issues[/h3]

• Although sleeves and gloves were slightly adjusted, some combinations will still look funky here and there. Gotta wait for that V1032.
  
• Similarly, the new Wristwatch item won't sit nicely on the character's wrist most of the time—no biggies as it's all due to replacement.
  
• Laser dots may "dip" into walls when walking backwards.
  

[h2]Audio[/h2]
[h3]Sound effects (SFX)[/h3]

• New placeholder AI voice lines: donated by voice actor Daeln Murphy (thanks, Daeln!), these are only meant as a temporary upgrade, as we intend to use native voice lines for the final game rather than accented English.
  
• Added grenade bounce sounds.
  
• New explosive (M67 Frag, MK13 Flashbang, Breaching Charge) SFX, with indoor and outdoor versions.
  
• New spent shell casing sounds.
  
• New door opening/closing sounds.
  
• Improved footstep sounds.
  
• New gear movement sounds dependent on weight of current loadout.
  
• New item drop sounds.
  

[h3]Soundscapes/ambiences[/h3]

• Power Station and 747 now have environment sounds.
  
• The new maps (Run Down and The Farm) do too, so no more dead silent maps.
  

[h3]Other audio changes[/h3]

• Fixed the lack of occlusion in the Ready Room testing range.
  
• Improved various sound effects, as well as acoustic portals and sound occlusion.
  

[hr][/hr]

We're sure there's plenty we forgot to add here, so if you have any questions or wants to point out any glaring omission, do leave a comment or reach out via our social media accounts.

As always, thank you for your continued support and we hope you enjoy this test build!

[hr][/hr]

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As this year comes to an end—and what a bastard of a year this has been—comes also the time for our final report of 2020. Intel Update #007 brings you all the major development details and behind-the-scenes of the last couple of months as we move towards GROUND BRANCH V1031.


Development has had its ups and downs since our last release, but we’re hanging in here and doing our best, as always. Here are some recent highlights:

[h2]Kris was out of action for a while[/h2]
Having the only programmer and UE4 wizard in your team mostly out of commission for about three weeks as engine- and logic-related tasks pile up on the checklist is never fun. Kris was on meds that left him drowzy and unable to focus (he’s feeling better now and no, not Covid-related!), but since going off of them around a week ago, he has been catching up and pumping out fixes and under-the-hood work.

This has definitely set things back considerably, but on the flip side…

[h2]Reinforcements have arrived[/h2]
As some might be aware, we were recently looking for an assistant UE4 developer/programmer to share Kris’ significant workload—and are happy to announce that we now have that person on board! Ethan Wade (aka WaderTheGamer) is a long-time GROUND BRANCH supporter and solo UE4 indie developer for his personal project.

As a guy with UE4 skills and many years of closely following the game, Wader has been able to quickly tackle a lot of minor and not-so-minor tasks (which we’ll cover in a bit), and has been immensely helpful in implementing quality-of-life improvements as well as helping the rest of the team get their work into the game.

[h2]Mikson made a blanket hut to record foley[/h2]
This was originally a funny tweet (link), so we're gonna do our best to replicate it here with BB code, just for fun:

GROUND BRANCH
@GroundBranch
[h2][RECORDING FOLEY]

AAA devs: *tens of thousands of dollars on studio time, engineers and overblown 4-minute promo video on sound design alone*

Indie devs:[/h2]

3:07 PM · Nov 26, 2020 · Twitter Web App

Pretty decent, right?

Anyway, yes—our sound designer Mikson has been very busy, as we will also show in a bit. In the above pictures, you can see the legend’s setup for recording crunchy, clean magazine drop sounds. More on his work after the fold…


Normally, we’d fill this section up with written details and screenshots, but since it’s the holidays and the update isn’t here yet, we thought we’d make it up to you with something a little nicer:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

That’s right—animations and character assets may have been delayed to V1032, but we’re still making GROUND BRANCH look (and sound) a little better in V1031 with a lot of new visual effects and audio improvements, from entirely new sounds all the way to directional audio.

[h2]Attachments[/h2]
As shown, attachment controls are getting a much needed upgrade: you will soon be able to bind lights and lasers to your preferred keys, and those will offer both a “hold” and a “toggle” functionality: hold the key to keep it on for as long as it’s pressed, or double-tap to leave it on (until you double-tap it again to turn it off).

In making attachment usage easier, we have also moved the Magnifier from the Attachments Wheel to the same keybinds used for zooming in and out with a variable power scope; the result is a much more intuitive and accessible control scheme.

Lastly, we are adding the IR Illuminator function to the AN/PEQ-15—a useful tool for nighttime ops, especially in low-contrast areas where the invisible light can help outline targets. The illuminator will offer two settings, accessible via the Reticle Brightness Up/Down commands: LOW outputs a broader-angle, dimmer IR light; whereas HIGH produces a more focused and brighter one.

[h2]Wristwatch[/h2]
The wristwatch is a standard piece of gear which displays the current time and a compass ring that rotates according to the direction the player is facing.

It should greatly improve teamwork and navigation, as players will be able to quickly figure out which way they are going, which wall is the “north wall” one of your teammates just mentioned, at which direction enemies have been spotted, and so on. We plan on adding more functionalities to the watch app in the future, such as a heartbeat counter to help estimate player stamina status and maybe more.

[h2]Audio[/h2]
New movement sounds that vary according to how much gear is being carried have also been implemented, and although we were not able to record previews at this time, this genuine graph makes it all look very official:



In addition to all the new audio we have already mentioned, Mikson has been working on the pending map soundscapes for 747 and Power Station. And speaking of map soundscapes, he is currently getting some done for these…

[h2]Upcoming maps[/h2]
We don’t want to give too much away, but John has been creating a pure CQB level and we got ahold of a couple of sneak peek shots for you here:

“No, you go first”

Anyone who says GB won’t spawn some mean horror mods is a damn fool

Promising, right? It’s a nice change of mood from the current map selection, and it’s sure to captivate the old R6 crowd. Needless to say, it’s all a work in progress.

The new training complex is also scheduled to hit with V1031 and replace all the old training areas with a single big map. If you haven’t checked it out yet, here are some previews:

The new Aircraft Takedown setup

The House of Pew Pew Redux

As mentioned a while ago, you can run around this map by typing travel training_base into the console ([~] or [Num *]) and hitting [Enter ↵].

[h2]Menu work[/h2]
We’ve also been updating the UI to be more intuitive, consistent and nicer-looking. Here’s how the Settings screens and key icons are coming along:



So these are some of the things that are on their way for our next main release.

In addition to the stuff we have just gone over, you can definitely expect a couple of updated models here and there, a new functionality or two, and general quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes all around. For one thing, game modes are having their foundation worked on by Kris, though we don’t have a lot to showcase from that department just yet.


In case you missed Build Update #027, animation and character work had to be pushed to V1032.

We haven’t shared progress on those fronts in a while, so let’s take the time to do so in this post, shall we?

[h2]Character assets[/h2]
Some of you may recall that entirely new character assets by freelance artist Pau Peñalver are just waiting for the new character rig and animations to be fully setup and working in the game.

Although we have posted a lot of previews of these new assets before, Pau has since uploaded a handful of albums showcasing his GROUND BRANCH models in an even better light, so be sure to check out the eye candy right here. Here are some teasers:





Pau has a few other GB albums up that you scroll through in his ArtStation page: artstation.com/pawered

[h2]Animations[/h2]

🚧 WORK IN PROGRESS
Keep in mind that animations are all WIP and will likely receive multiple passes before their final iterations.

These previews are captured straight from the editor and therefore use simplified lighting, texturing and overall rendering. Camera placement and rigging are also subject to change.

[h3]Reloads[/h3]
Having up to four types of reload per weapon means a lot of work for Mike.

For communication and clarity purposes, we are categorizing them internally as proactive vs. reactive (whether you are reloading as precaution between engagements or because your weapon has run out of rounds, respectively) and retention vs. no retention (whether you keep the used ammo container or not). See if you can figure out which of these are which:



[h3]Prone[/h3]
Not much to talk about here, other than prone is seeing some work again. Due to all of the possible issues that may arise with such a big feature (considering all the very complex implementations we have in GROUND BRANCH), we cannot 100% confirm prone will be ready for V1032—but we sure as hell will try our best.

Below are some previews for crawling in various directions. Again, all WIP:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Oil Rig[/h2]
Level artist Will continues to build Oil Rig—one behemoth of a map—for V1032. Take a look at these:

Post sponsored by SCO Petrol®

If you ever wanted to get shot from all possible directions simultaneously, this is your map

Obligatory night shot

And that is all we have for you right now.


We’re incredibly grateful for all the faith, loyalty and support that GROUND BRANCH keeps getting from so many of you in the community, in spite of what can be, at times, a frustratingly slow and difficult development.

This year may have been tough, and it certainly was for a whole lot of people all over the world. We can’t complain much ourselves: significant development strides were made, word of the game keeps spreading, people are playing and looking for sessions, new players keep arriving in our Discord and broader community every day, and the list goes on.

We hope that you’ve had as good a year—and holidays—as the circumstances allowed, and that you’re able to end it in as a positive a note as we were so fortunate to.

Please stay safe, and we’ll see you on the next cycle of increasingly tactical invention.

Here’s to a much better 2021,

—The BlackFoot Studios Team


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Edited (Oct 30, 6:20pm UTC) — Whoops! We forgot to mention a few character clipping fixes. Edited (Oct 30, 1:55am UTC) — Team IDs for the addbots command were incorrectly listed as 'alpha' and 'bravo' when they should be '0' and '1'.

[hr][/hr]

GROUND BRANCH Version 1030.2
Build ID: 5754012 (Client) / 5754023 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 188 MB (Client) / 45 MB (Dedicated Server)

Although we normally try to refrain from cramming too much into patches (or point releases, otherwise known as non-main updates), more often than not one thing leads to another and we get sucked into the bug-fixin' rabbit hole. It's a double-edged sword: takes longer to roll out, but also includes more fixes and improvements.

Patch 1030.2 certainly fits that bill, and Build Update #027 is here to list everything that has changed since the last one.

We also have a couple of important announcements at the end of this post, so stick around—or skip ahead ↓ to them.




[h2]Online bug fixes[/h2]

[h3]Player count fix (Server Browser)[/h3]
The Server Browser should once again display the correct player number for every dedicated server in the list.

If you keep seeing empty servers after the update, then, well, they are probably actually empty. Join one and you're bound to see more people hopping on!

👥 Members of our official Discord community are frequently looking for players to team up with. Join us and get your operatin' on!

🧰 Want to setup your own dedicated server? Follow one of these guides: [1] [2] (tech support is also available in our Discord) or rent a professional solution from one of our partners here.

[h3]Time of Day fix[/h3]
The Time of Day setting should now correctly replicate within dedicated servers no matter what, and successfully load the time displayed in the Ops Board. If you happen to find an exception, please let us know!

[h3]DedicatedServer.bat[/h3]
Dedicated server owners can now trust the DedicatedServer.bat batch file to behave nicely and allow servers to shut down and restart as expected.

[h2]AI updates and changes[/h2]

[h3]Navigation improvements[/h3]
Navmeshes were cleaned up to allow bots to more competently navigate maps, so expect better mobility and cover your sectors!

🚧 AI no longer attempt to use ladders. They were constantly becoming stuck, and a fix will require some tricky work that we did not have time for in this release. As a result, the ability was turned off temporarily (so that they at least won't be sitting ducks in the map) and will hopefully return in V1031 with a better and more reliable system.

[h3]Increased draw distance[/h3]
Bots will now pop into view (or draw) at twice the distance they did before: you should be able to see tangos out to around 300 meters (328 yards).

[h3]Expected Resistance limit increased to 50 tangos[/h3]
You can once again gunfight your way through up to 50 tangos if you want—although we cannot really recommend it due to the possible performance impact and also the…

[h3]Sight perception fix[/h3]
While testing friendly bots, Kris detected a significant issue in the AI's sight perception curve and fixed it. They should now have much better awareness of each other (for example, they will become alerted when seeing a friendly bot engaging) and be generally more responsive to sight triggers, so stay on your toes.

Detection ranges have not been increased.

☠️ This fix does increase difficulty, particularly in how fast their reaction time now appears. We recommend players turn down the Expected Resistance values if they wish to keep prancin' around the AO.

[h3]Difficulty levels adjusted[/h3]
Due to the above fix making bots a lot more reactive, we have tweaked the current difficulty levels slightly in order to offset the extra challenge to a degree.

☠️ Again, we recommend even the more seasoned players to lower the Expected Resistance settings (either numbers or skill) and work their way back up. Although bots are still considerably limited, the challenge is, in a sense, more realistic now: one should not expect to be able to take on 30 enemies by themselves with ease, regardless of skill.

[h3][🧪 EXPERIMENTAL] Adding bots[/h3]
You may now use a console command to add bots to your team (Terrorist Hunt or PvP) or the opposing team (PvP only). When playing offline or as a server admin, simply open the console (default [~] or NumPad ) and use:

[h3]addbots  [/h3]

Where:

— The amount of bots you wish to add (currently no limit).
— Which team the bots should be added to:

• 0 — Alpha (red)
  
• 1 — Bravo (blue)
  
• 255 — Auto/random, also used for non-team-based game modes (Terrorist Hunt, Deathmatch, Last Man Standing)
  

The AI for these bots is exactly the same as the one in Terrorist Hunt, so do not expect very complex or game mode-specific behavior, or to be able to give them orders.

Other useful commands:

[h3]removebots  [/h3]
Removes the designated amount of bots from the designated team (use 255 to remove amount from both teams).

[h3]killbots [/h3]
Kills all bots within the designated team (255 for all teams).

[h3]freezebots [/h3]
Freezes all bots within the designated team (255 for all teams).

[h3]unfreezebots [/h3]
Unfreezes all bots within the designated team (255 for all teams).

🧪 Adding bots, as mentioned in the title, is an experimental feature. It is also a foundation for the eventual development of friendly AI.

[h2]New suppressors[/h2]

[h3]M110 & M110K1 (7.62 mm)[/h3]
The M110 and M110K1 suppressors have arrived, and each has its own dedicated model. They were modelled after the longboi KAC® M110 Suppressor and the oddball KAC® 7.62QDC-CQB—the version seen on MARSOC K1s, specifically.

🔧 The M110 has also been updated to use the more authentic M110 Flash Hider by KAC®.

[h3]AR-15 (5.56 mm)[/h3]
The AR-15-type rifles (M4A1, MK18, M416 etc.) have all received a new suppressor. It is modelled after the SureFire® SOCOM556-RC, one of the most widely used silencers among US special operations forces.



It comes in both FDE (Flat Dark Earth) and Black: simply pick your favorite from the Muzzle Device drop-down menu. "Can we expect more skin choices for attachments like this in the future?" Damn right you can.

🎨 In fact, the AN/PEQ-15 now offers the same skin choices: choose either the Black or Tan version from the Lights / Lasers attachments tab.

[h2]Skins and other cosmetic fixes[/h2]

• Pouches should now correctly match the color of the platform/belt they are attached to, or go with the most appropriate available skin (black, tan or green).
  
• Pouch skins have also received another color correction pass to reduce the variations in tone, so your rigs should now look a lot more uniform.
  
• Various other items have also received a more subtle color correction pass.
  
• Fixed several character clipping issues: beards, balaclavas and shirt sleeves.
  
• The Headset attachment will now use the correct model when attached to ARC rail helmets. Skins have also been fixed.
  
• Fixed some texturing issues on the MP5's fire selector and grip.
  
• The MP5 bolt handle positioning has also been corrected.
  
• Fixed texturing issue on the SR-25/M110 7.62 NATO magazines.
  
• Selecting the Male 02 head should no longer occasionally display white-skinned arms.
  
• Tweaked the blood impact effect to be a little more subtle (no more cartoonish blood drops, for one).
  

[h2]User interface (UI)[/h2]

• Art pass on the Item Customization screens:
  • Edited, formatted and re-positioned the bottom message to be more general and helpful.
    
  • Changed the drag-and-drop attachment slot icons to a more subtle white circle with a drop-shadow effect for visibility.
    
  • Updated some of the attachment tab titles to be more intuitive (e.g. Lights / Lasers replaced the less obvious Accessories).
• Updated the layout for all Ops Boards to match the style in the Terrorist Hunt one.
  
• The header for the Ops Boards now display the current game mode (e.g. Team Deathmatch) to make it easier for players to know what they are about to play. The exception is Terrorist Hunt, which still displays a randomly generated operation name (e.g. Operation Choking Moan).
  
• The After Action Review (AAR) screen now displays a clear mission/match result title and a little description of the outcome underneath.
  
• We have also replaced the AAR player stat icons with clear descriptions (Kills, Accuracy, Shots, Hits etc.).
  
• Customize Operator screen changes:
  • Changed the Profile column title to Operator, as it was leading some players to mistake it for a "global" operator/loadout save profile. (We will have that feature eventually.)
    
  • The skin selection triangle no longer displays a short version of the name; instead, longer names now break into two lines. That should make skins instantly identifiable and easier on players that are not used to acronyms and other abbreviations.
• Minor art pass on several UI elements, most notably in-game interaction prompts.
  
• Changed the look for the defender's objective HUD in Defend (PvP).
  
• Updated the gear on the Main Menu operators to a more tacticool look.
  

[h2]Audio[/h2]

[h3]Gunshot sound occlusion fix[/h3]
Although Mikson has been working exclusively on V1031, he has taken the time to provide a quick fix for a lot of gunshot SFX that had occlusion disabled.

🚧 KNOWN ISSUE (PvP only)
Spatial audio volumes in the Alpha (red) side of the Ready Room are messed up, resulting in sounds being cut off in unexpected spots. This is particularly noticeable in the Testing Range.

[h2]New default settings[/h2]

Heads up:

• The default Lean control now uses Hold instead of Toggle. You can change the Lean style under Settings > Controls.
  
• Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA) is now the default antialiasing method. You can change it under Settings > Video.
  
• Standard Fire Mode has been changed back to Semi-Auto. You can select your default fire mode under Settings > Gameplay.
  

[h2]Miscellaneous[/h2]

• Added a weight value for various items that did not have any defined.
  
• Fixed/updated the weight value for several others.
  
• Fixed some typos here and there.
  
• Changed the display name of a few items and skins for better accuracy, consistency or comprehension.
  

[h2]Animations and character update[/h2]
Provided that a game-breaking issue is not found in the current patch, V1031 is the update on which most of the team will be focused on in the next couple of months.

Earlier this year, we were forced to delay the big animation and character update, and were hoping that they would be ready for V1031. Unfortunately, we have had to make another difficult decision: the new animations and character assets are now tentatively scheduled to be in V1032..

Although a lot is done and Mike continues to work on new animations, implementing the new character rig is an all-or-nothing process—meaning that we simply cannot make the switch until everything is at least at the same level of functionality as we have currently with the old rig. With just one animator and one programmer (whose work is often required on every front), pushing the animations back once again is just the reality of things that we will have to deal with.

[h3]So what will V1031 entail?[/h3]
Having determined that we were going to have to delay the animations and character work again, we also determined that GROUND BRANCH V1031 will now be a big user experience update.

As awesome as smooth animations and brand-new assets are, at the end of the day there are lingering issues in GROUND BRANCH that are a lot more vital to the experience than cosmetic ones. We need more purpose in the game with objective-based game modes. We need better AI. We need a better way to use weapon attachments. We need better multiplayer round rotations. We need default team skin restrictions that make PvP games easier to setup. We need, in general, a more rounded and thought-out gameplay experience.

Within our constraints, that is the kind of thing we are going to be working on for V1031… along with hot new content and updates such as map work, items, visual effects and improved sounds, of course.

[h2]Price is going up soon![/h2]
The intention to eventually increase the price point for GROUND BRANCH has been noted in our Store Page and FAQ since we first released on Steam. And when update V1031 is released in the upcoming months, the asking price for GROUND BRANCH will be raised to $29.99 (USD), with regional pricing adjusted accordingly.

A few reasons why we are doing this now:

• GROUND BRANCH has been in Early Access for over 2 years with no price change, and it is now a lot further along than it was in the beginning. With V1031, it will be even more so.
  
• We genuinely feel that—despite the relatively slow development and current lack of polish—we are offering fans of the hardcore tactical shooter genre something unique that no other game out there is offering.
  
• The game has been sitting at a "Very Positive" user score for both recent and all-time reviews, with an approval rating of around 85%. As such, we believe that all the improvements that are planned for the next main update will more than justify the new price.

So if you were holding off on getting GROUND BRANCH or needed a compelling argument for your friends who are still waiting, this is it. Join in now while it's cheap!

💵 The final (v1.0 release) USD price is subject to change, but expected to be in the $39.99 range.

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[h3]This has been Build Update #027![/h3]

Thanks for taking the time to read the release notes for Patch 1030.2.

Have you played it yet? How do you like it so far? Let us know in the comments or reach out in one of our communities.

Whelp, time for us to get back to work now! As always, thank you so much for your continued support and we'll see you on the next update.

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