Ground of Aces News

[p]We uploaded a new test version to the “alpha” branch on Steam. That means you can already try and test new features of the upcoming Major Update 2![/p][p][/p][h2]Test these new features:[/h2]

• [p]Female NPCs[/p]
• [p]Health System for NPCs[/p]
• [p]Injury, Recovery & Aid Tasks[/p]
• [p]Hospital Props[/p][p][/p]

[p]This test build release is an EXPERIMENTAL version. We continue to work on the update before we release it to everyone.[/p][p][/p][p]All issues related to this version should be reported in the designated Discord channel #⁠bugs-testingbranch – ideally with save files attached.[/p][p]Join our Discord [/p][p][/p][p]You can also use the in-game feedback tool; we see the version number in the feedback entries. But if you have a bigger, weirder issue, it often helps when you provide us your affected save file. For that, the easiest way would be for you to join the Discord and share the file there with us.[/p][p][/p][p]We are not just looking for bugs. It would also be great to hear your feedback about the gameplay and balancing of the new features.
[/p][h2]How to get the test version:[/h2]

• [p]Go to your Steam library.[/p]
• [p]Right-click Ground of Aces in your list of games and select “Properties…” in the drop-down menu.[/p]
• [p]Go to “Betas” in the list on the left side.[/p]
• [p]In the “Beta Participation” drop-down selection select: “alpha - Alpha test”.[/p]
• [p]Now Steam will update your version of Ground of Aces to the testing version. It will now display "Ground of Aces \[alpha]" in your list of games.
  [/p]

[h2]When you want to go back to the main version:[/h2]

• [p]Switch back the “Beta Participation” selection to “None”. Steam will switch back to the main version of the game and download it again.[/p]

[h2]What to look out for:[/h2]

• [p]Air crew can now take damage and sustain injuries during missions if planes were damaged: Is everything working correctly?[/p]
• [p]If issues arise with the plane after a crew came home injured or dead: Does changing the crew to healthy people fix the issues?[/p]
• [p]Workers can now get injured during daily tasks during events: How does this feel? Is it happening at a satisfactory pace?[/p]
• [p]People with the medical task can aid people in sickbeds to recover: Does the economy for medicine work? Are the medical objects useful?[/p]

[p][/p][p]Thanks to everyone who is interested in looking at this preview. We all hope you enjoy this early look[/p][p]
[/p]

[p]Our dev team is working on the new features for the Major Update 2, which is planned for the end of October![/p][p][/p][p]You don't own Ground of Aces yet? You can prepare and get the game now with a 20% discount:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]In our first Major Update, we added the Scramble mechanic, ammunition management, stats for air crew, training machines, and bunker buildings.[/p][p][/p][p]Major Update 2 is just on the horizon, with a planned release at the end of the month. Curious what's coming next? Get a sneak peek at the new content here:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p]

[p]This hotfix patches a Unity security vulnerability that is affecting all games that were made with the game engine Unity since 2017.

Unity claims there is no evidence of any exploitation of the vulnerability nor has there been any impact on users or customers.[/p][p][/p][p]You can read more about the Unity security issue in this news article from PC Gamer.[/p]

[p]Today we’d like to share a look behind the scenes of the development of Ground of Aces and give you a preview of some of the new features we’re working on for the next Major Update.[/p][p][/p][h2]NPC Health System & Injury, Recovery and Aid[/h2][p]Injuries and the loss of life are a big part of any war story. Currently, crew members in Ground of Aces can die, but there are no non-fatal injuries and no recovery mechanics. With the next major update, we’re expanding this system with proper health points and two different injury states depending on how low their HP gets. [/p][p]This system requires a lot of new logic for the NPC behavior, new animations, and new UI elements.[/p][p]Our UI designer added a new HP bar to the crew member screen, and one of our programmers is working on a dynamic icon and bar that will indicate when an NPC gains and loses HP:[/p][p][/p][p]Another programmer is working on the logic for the recovery and aid tasks, like medics carrying heavily injured NPCs to sickbeds and taking care of them. Here's some early test footage:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Hospital Props[/h2][p]With a proper health system, your base will need a place for the wounded. For that, we will introduce a new build category, allowing you to set up your own (field) hospital.[/p][p]You can see concept pictures of some of the upcoming new props here: [/p][p]Medicine Cabinet[/p][p][/p][p]Divider Curtains, Night Table, Oxygen Bottle, and Rollable Tool Table[/p][p]Sickbed[/p][p][/p][p]These props will make your medical areas not just functional but also visually distinct from the rest of the base.[/p][p][/p][h2]Female NPC Models[/h2][p][/p][p]The other big addition of Major Update 2 will be the introduction of female crew members.[/p][p]In our research, we found that many jobs on an airfield were also performed by women in some capacity during WWII — in the case of British airbases, usually from the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). For our game, this means that you will be able to get and assign female crew members to ground jobs.[/p][p][/p][p]For our research, our artists analyzed uniforms and the typical hairstyles of that era:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We also looked at how comic artist Hergé depicted different women with his iconic ligne claire art style:[/p][p][/p][p]After researching and collecting reference material, our 3D artist worked on a full set of new 3D models with adjusted uniforms and facial features:[/p][p][/p][p]This GIF shows a work-in-progress of the facial features:[/p][p][/p][p]Tests with character randomizer:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Test of the models inside the game:[/p][p][/p][p]We are still working on the character randomizer and on the chances of certain features appearing. (So you don't get too many nurses with eye-patches):[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The 2D portraits will also get new elements to display the female characters. Here's a preview of the hairstyle elements:[/p][p][/p][h2]Stay tuned – the Major Update 2 is coming soon![/h2][p]We are planning to release the Major Update 2 in a few weeks, so stay tuned, especially on our Discord! We will inform the Discord community when there's something new on our test branch, which is accessible via the "Betas" feature of Steam. That can be your chance to try out new features a bit earlier.[/p][p][/p][h2]Don't forget to leave a review![/h2][p]You want to see more features and updates in the future? You can help by writing a review![/p][p]It's an easy way to support the project because it helps with visibility here on Steam, and it guides new players who are checking out the game for the first time. Most importantly, your reviews tell us what is most important to you, the players.[/p][p][/p][p]You can write one short sentence, a paragraph, an essay, whatever you prefer: every review matters and we will read it all.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you so much to anyone who already left a review; we really appreciate it![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]One of the best parts about working on Ground of Aces is… well, you! Every day, our inboxes, forums, and Discord channels light up with your ideas, stories, and the occasional “this thing exploded, but not in the way it should have.”[/p][p][/p][p]Here’s a peek behind the curtain at how we handle all that feedback and why it’s so important for us and the improvement of the game.[/p][p][/p][p]Kevin, our QA Lead, and his temporary intern:[/p][p][/p][h2]Just How Much Feedback Do We Get?[/h2][p]A lot. Like, really a lot.[/p]

• [p]776 total Steam reviews (thank you so much for each review!)[/p]
• [p]Over 11,000 entries in the in-game feedback tool (many with screenshots – we love those!)[/p]
• [p]Thousands of survey responses (linked directly in the game)[/p]
• [p]Dozens of posts on Discord every week[/p]
• [p]And even playtests in our office and at the Swiss GameHub — an indie game dev co‑working space in Zurich.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Why It’s So Important[/h2][p]Your feedback isn’t just “nice to have” — it’s our compass to improve the game and keep up the quality. We’re not a triple‑A team; right now fewer than 10 people are working on Ground of Aces. That makes it even more important to make the right decisions on where to allocate resources and where to focus. So your feedback is truly valuable:[/p]

• [p]It shows us what you really want (and sometimes it surprises us!).[/p]
• [p]It tells us what’s not working so well right now.[/p]
• [p]It gives us a window into how you actually play (often in ways we didn’t imagine).[/p]

[p]And honestly? Without your input, some of our biggest improvements wouldn’t exist:[/p]

• [p]Faster loading? That came straight out of player frustration.[/p]
• [p]Better Mac support? Couldn’t have done it without your hardware reports. (--> check our current test build which should improve the issue with big save files for Mac users)[/p]
• [p]Impossible‑to‑reproduce bugs? Save files you sent us cracked the case more than once. Save files are a lifesaver — you can’t imagine how much time it saves our team when you upload one with a bug.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]How to Write the Perfect Bug Report[/h2][p]Not everyone loves writing bug reports — we totally get it, it can be frustrating. But believe us, it really helps make the game better. If you want to go the extra mile, here’s how to make us extra happy:[/p]

1. [p]Describe the bug clearly (what went wrong?)[/p]
2. [p]Tell us how it happened (what were you doing right before?)[/p]
3. [p]Send us your save file on Discord (golden ticket for bug hunting)[/p]
4. [p]Submit the log file if something in the game broke (sending a report through the in‑game tool does this automatically)[/p]
5. [p]Steps to reproduce (if you can make it happen again, so can we!)[/p]

[p]Even if you can’t give us everything, don’t worry — every report helps.[/p][p][/p][h2]Honesty Counts Too[/h2][p]It’s okay to say, “This part disappointed me.” We don’t just need cheerleading — we need real talk. And we promise: we can take it.[/p][p][/p][h2]Where to Post Bugs & Suggestions[/h2][p]We don’t just gather feedback — we talk about it with you:[/p]

• [p]The most efficient way is to share them in the in‑game tool (screenshots are super helpful!)[/p]
• [p]On Discord:  #general-bugs-discussion and #-suggestions-for-game[/p]
• [p]On the Steam forums (shout‑out to the heroes who write essays there!)[/p]
• [p]Or even during our Sunday evening streams[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Thank You [/h2][p]We can’t say it enough: thank you. Every bug report, suggestion, and review makes Ground of Aces a better game. You’re not just players — you’re co‑pilots on this wild ride, and we’re so glad you’re with us.[/p][p]So keep sending us your thoughts. We’re listening, we’re fixing, and we’re building this airfield together.[/p][p]If you want to chat about the game, give feedback, and make suggestions, I’m streaming and playing every Sunday with our wonderful community. Please join us![/p][p][/p][h2]Why Your Reviews Matter [/h2][p]Reviews on Steam aren’t just nice words for us to read — they’re a huge part of how new players discover Ground of Aces. The more fans share their honest experiences, the more visibility the game gets in the Steam store. That means more pilots join our airfield, more feedback comes in, and the whole game gets better for everyone.[/p][p]So if you enjoy the game, please consider writing a review — it’s one of the most powerful ways you can help us keep building and improving Ground of Aces together.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]The author (Dark Zero) of this blogpost at his (messy) desk…[/p]