Z.O.N.A: Origin News

[h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• [p]Fixed detection of Pico controllers.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted performance of Oculus controllers.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted performance of Valve Index controllers.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where it was impossible to load the Groza magazine with 9×39 ammunition.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the correct display of the maximum number of rounds in the magazine for Valmet 76.[/p]

[p][/p][p]P.S. After this hotfix, Pico controller support should work correctly. I’d like to thank the players for reporting this issue. Over the past year, I’ve been working on the game 12–14 hours a day, and now that the most urgent fixes have been made, I decided to take a short break. The last few weeks have been especially tough: the game received a lot of mixed feedback — both positive and negative — and this emotional rollercoaster knocked me off balance a little. That’s why I decided to take a short pause and rest not only from development but also from the game itself. I hope for your understanding, and thank you for being with me all this time.[/p]

[p]Sorry for releasing two updates in just one day![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Changes and Improvements:[/h3]

• [p]New VR texture rendering setting.
  A new option has been added to increase the VR texture render scale. Previously, it couldn’t be properly implemented on OpenVR, so the feature was postponed and eventually forgotten. This evening I remembered about it, improved it, and finally brought it into the game. Now you can adjust this setting both in the main menu and directly through the PDA during gameplay. With the right configuration, the image becomes much sharper, and those annoying “jaggies” on trees and foliage will disappear.[/p]
• [p]Monster rebalance.
  The stats of all monsters (except faction members) are now directly tied to the selected difficulty level.[/p]
  • [p]For players who simply want to enjoy the atmosphere, the Easy mode is recommended — monsters deal less damage and cause fewer problems overall.[/p]
  • [p]For those seeking a real challenge, higher difficulties (“Experienced” or “Stalker”) are available, where enemies become far more dangerous and battles turn into a true hardcore experience.[/p]

[h2]The game has fully switched to OpenXR! 🎉[/h2][p][/p][p]This is what you’ve been asking for — and what I’ve often been criticized for. Now OpenVR is left behind, and the game runs only on OpenXR.[/p][p]What this brings:[/p][p]📈 Improved performance — direct optimizations through OpenXR.[/p][p]🎮 Better image quality on headsets like Quest and Pico.
Previously, the image was sent to the headset through an extra layer — OpenVR, where the video stream was recompressed.
Now this intermediate step is gone, and video is transmitted more efficiently.[/p][p][/p][h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the Glock 19zo pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly to make reloading both the pistol and the magazine easier.[/p]
• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the PL-14 pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly for more convenient reloading.[/p]
• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the Makarov pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly for easier reloading.[/p]
• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the Desert Eagle pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly to make reloading easier.[/p]
• [p]By popular request, the magazine grab for the Night Hawk pistol has been reworked: the magazine has been raised slightly for more convenient reloading.[/p]
• [p]Slightly reworked the color palette of the “Pripyat” level.[/p]
• [p]Increased the attack power of “Domovoi”: without artifacts that boost health, they now kill the player in two hits at 100% health. But remember: they never attack first. If you don’t touch them and look straight into their eyes when approaching, they remain neutral.[/p]
• [p]Monsters of the “Dark” family now deal additional damage — either radiation or psi attacks. Remember: if your psi protection or radiation protection is zero, incoming damage doubles and harms your health.[/p]
• [p]The monster “Guardian” (a black substance) now also deals increased radiation damage.[/p]
• [p]Rats now deal twice as much damage.[/p]
• [p]All zombies now deal more damage — both with regular attacks and with radiation or psi attacks.[/p]
• [p]Partially improved monster AI.[/p]
• [p]Added small improvements to the tutorial level.[/p]
• [p]Improved sniper scopes SV36-54 and SPO456 — now headshots are much easier! It took quite a few cans to get them properly tuned for VR.[/p]
• [p]Improved game stability.[/p]

[p]In short: the image is clearer, the load is lighter, and the game runs more stably. 🚀[/p]

[h2]New Features:[/h2]

• [p]Added the ability to reload weapons while holding them by the foregrip. Previously, this was only possible when holding by the handle.[/p]
• [p]Added the ability to remove a magazine from a weapon while holding it by the foregrip. Previously, this was also only possible when holding by the handle.[/p]
• [p]Completely overhauled the ammunition system — everything now depends on weapon caliber. Pay close attention to which ammunition fits which weapon. “I was heavily criticized for this in reviews, now it’s been fixed.” Old ammo boxes can still be found in the game, but you can no longer buy or loot them.[/p]
• [p]Added ammo boxes for the following calibers: 5.45×39 mm, 7.62×35 mm (.300 AAC Blackout), 9×39 mm, 9×19 mm, 7.62×51 mm NATO DMR, 5.56×45 mm NATO, 7.62×54 mm, .303 British, 7.62×51 mm NATO, 12.7×99 mm (.50 BMG), .50 AE, .45 ACP, 9×18 mm, and 12/70.[/p]
• [p]Magazines now display not only the number of rounds but also the caliber of ammunition they use.[/p]
• [p]Completely redesigned weapon grab and holding poses, with adjustments for Pico and Quest controllers. This should improve immersion on these headsets.[/p]
• [p]Rebalanced the damage of many weapon types in connection with the introduction of the new ammunition system.[/p]
• [p]Full boxes of ammunition can now be found during raids.[/p]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h2]Changes and Improvements:[/h2]

• [p]The can of cocoa and pickles has become slightly more expensive.[/p]
• [p]Changed the color markings on the PL-14 pistol so players don’t confuse magazines.[/p]
• [p]Changed the color markings on the Glock 19zo pistol so players don’t confuse magazines.[/p]
• [p]Reduced the size of the Makarov pistol.[/p]
• [p]Increased the size of the Desert Eagle.[/p]
• [p]All “Black Market” traders now sell any type of ammunition.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the description and adjusted the stats of the HMG.[/p]
• [p]Saiga-9 parameters have been corrected, taking into account the use of 9×19 mm rounds.[/p]
• [p]Increased the rate of fire of the Valmet M78.[/p]
• [p]Increased the Valmet M78 magazine capacity from 10 to 20 rounds.[/p]
• [p]Rebalanced characteristics of many weapon types.[/p]
• [p]Improved the grass shader: previously, on some locations such as the “Free Stalkers’ Base,” when turning on the flashlight, the grass around the player would start glowing. This has now been fixed. :)[/p]
• [p]Fixed lighting on the “Free Stalkers’ Base” — shadows are now softer and the level overall is brighter.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted the color grading on the “Industrial Zone” level to account for Quest headset lenses.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted the handheld flashlight beam: it now shines farther, but with a narrower cone — more like a real flashlight.[/p]
• [p]Increased the beam distance of the FNL321 tactical flashlight.[/p]
• [p]The CQ17 has been completely removed from the game. It can still be found in the Zone as a rare collectible.[/p]
• [p]Input system refinements should now positively affect controller accuracy.[/p]
• [p]Improved game stability.[/p]
• [p]Minor fixes and adjustments on several levels.[/p]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]p.s. The leaderboard has been reset.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]Changes and Improvements:[/p]

• [p]Fixed a critical bug in "Bunker 88" that prevented completing the quest. For those who already encountered this issue, you need to return to the bunker, find the red marker on the map, and approach it. After that, the storyline progression will be unlocked.[/p]