Onward News

ONWARD Hotfix V1.7.3 Changelog

Custom Map Voting

There is now an option to enable or disable custom maps on your server. This determines if custom maps show up in map votes. It is forcibly enabled if you start on a custom map.

The tent map vote screen now supports the display of custom maps.

The custom map option will try and find custom maps that everybody on the server has downloaded the same version of. These maps that people have in common will show up randomly alongside stock maps in public game map votes.

In private game map votes, an assortment of these maps will also be available underneath the stock maps.

You can move seamlessly from stock to custom map in this manner, or from custom back to stock. There are no limitations here.

Custom maps no longer show the round reset screen, they show a full map vote screen like any other map.

If you see a blue hammer in the server browser, it means that server supports custom maps.

If somebody happens to connect to a server that is in the middle of voting on custom maps that they do not have, then the vote will be refreshed automatically.

General

Download speeds in the workshop have been improved on average.

The spawn jail time is now added to the round time, as it was before.

Status icons in the server browser are now color coded for easy recognition.

Smoothed out some performance hitches immediately after loading into a level.

Fixed a performance hitch that could occur when a grenade touched the ground for the first time.

Fixed Assault boundaries not rendering properly on top of the map in the tablet.

Fixed game mode names showing improperly in the server browser.

Fixed the player getting stuck in the custom map loading screen if asked to load a map that he does not own.

Fixed tutorial panels occasionally fading incorrectly.

AI

Continued our tuning of the AI’s reaction times, turn speeds, and vision timeouts based on player feedback.

Difficulty modes in operations are now color coded to signify how hard they are.

Further decreased the chance for AI to speak...

...but gave them more things to say.

AI can no longer see through foliage on Turbine, Snowpeak, and Abandoned.

Fix instances of bloodthirsty AI ruthlessly attacking players that are no longer a threat.

Moved AI spawns on Bazaar Day, Bazaar Night, and Turbine Day to be further from player spawns.

Limited the number of AI that can think each frame, should mostly help people that are having low performance.

Made performance improvements to pickups that are being held by AI.

Made improvements and to AI performance and fixed several issues when they respond to alerts.

Fixed AI firing certain semi-automatic weapons very quickly, like the SVD and the SKS.

Fixed AI appearing upside down in the sky momentarily as they spawned.

Fixed AI snapping to strange rotations sometimes when facing a target.

Fixed some potential instances of AI spawning in walls in custom content maps.

Levels

Brought back the infamous propane tank on Cargo.

Fixed a potential performance issue on Cargo.

Improved performance on Downfall.

Fixed a car on Downfall from disappearing at longer distances.

Fixed impenetrable metal gratings on buildings in Bazaar.

Fixed a bulletproof window in Bazaar.

Fixed a bulletproof window in Suburbia.

Pickups

Adjusted the width of the shield to match how wide it used to be.

Adjusted AKM scale and fixed a hole in it.

Fixed the G17 pistol showing two frames.

Adjusted the scale of the M39 EMR.

Known issues

AI will still be able to spot the player through ground bushes/ferns on Jungle

Version 1.7.2

• Added new loading screen specifically for custom maps, which properly updates its loading progress.
  
• In custom maps we now show a screen that shows who won before resetting the game.
  
• Fix AI not firing at the player if the player is repeatedly peeking around a corner. No more cheese.
  
• Fix loud noises after loading into custom maps.
  
• In response to that fix, and player feedback, all vision and reaction times for the AI have been tuned. They are generally harder than before.
  
• In Hunt mode, lowered the distance AI can start from the player.
  
• Fix AI being more talkative than intended.
  
• Fix the map icons on tent maps and spectator maps not being in the right locations on custom maps.
  
• Fix guns disappearing in your hands while playing certain game modes.
  
• Fix friend icons not appearing in the server browser, as well as the friends filter not working.
  
• Fix some users with long usernames not being able to access the workshop.
  
• Fix downloads not terminating properly if you leave the main menu while they are in progress.
  

Hello Onward community, we are pleased to announce the release of update 1.7, bringing workshop support, new and improved AI and more to Onward! Below is a list of new features and their details, along with information on how to create your own custom maps for Onward. We hope you will enjoy the myriad of new gameplay experiences available to you with 1.7. Thank you for supporting Onward!

Take a look at the v1.7 update trailer :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTc8gJAWmQA&


Custom Content: Custom maps can now be created by community members (or us) and played in Onward. We’re excited to see what you guys come up with! To begin on your custom map journey and submit your own creations for all to play, visit the Onward Discord or jump right in with the Onward Custom Content Guide.

Workshop Browser
To get custom maps, you will visit the workshop screen in the new main menu. On the workshop screen, you will have many options to filter and sort through custom content and find what you are looking for. Once you find it, you can download it and create a custom server using your new workshop map. After you’ve played it, you can let the community know how you feel about it by giving it a rating (ratings take 24 hours to appear).

Full Creativity
Custom maps support all of the game modes that you are used to playing in Onward, including core modes like Uplink, cooperative modes against the new AI, and even social modes, which we’ll get to in a bit.

Multiplayer
In order for other people to join your multiplayer server, they will have to have the same version of a map that you have. The workshop screen will tell you when a map needs to be updated, and the new server browser will let you know if a server is using another version of the map.

Initial Custom Maps
The following custom maps will be available right now on the workshop!
Outlet an official Downpour custom map: “Radio chatter indicates this shuttered mall in rural America has been occupied by a Volk cell. MARSOC has just entered it's dilapidated halls on a search and destroy mission.”
Mansion - Set in an estate with a dark secret, by community member Spike.
Metropolis Set in a war-torn urban area under siege, by community member Koiz.
H Mart Set in a retail store and parking lot, by community member Koiz.
Old Town Set in a picturesque village, by community member Snooper Fax.
Trespass Set in a volk-controlled urban sprawl, by Storm(Unyun).

Four classes for the AI
Rifleman, Automatic Rifleman, Snipers, and Close Quarters. Each class has a different set of actions, stats, and equipment to attack the player in a variety of new ways.

Five types of Squads
Rifle, Sniper, Assault, CQB, and Light. You’ll fight different combinations of squads depending on the difficulty levels, squad counts, and operation type. AI within a squad work together to attack the player and will call for support from other squads if the fighting becomes too heavy.

Four levels of difficulty
Rookie, Experienced, Veteran, and Elite with the options to select how many enemy squads you want to take on in Hunt. As the difficulty level goes up, AI react faster, more accurately, and more appropriately to the players actions.

Navigation and cover
The AI are no longer on set patrol paths nor do they spawn in the same place every round. AI will move to cover to react to players, initiate an attack, or to protect themselves from grenades. Rifle squads will patrol between choke points and intersections. Snipers will move to overwatch positions and take cover to wait for players. Assault, CQB, and Light squads will hunt players down.

Vision and Hearing
AI sight is now based on how much of the player can be seen, how far away the player is, and how loud the player is being. Gunshots, explosions, and nearby impacts are all heard and remembered for different amounts of time. Night time and sand storms will affect sight, hearing, and movement speeds.

Other Notes
Up to 32 AI hunting you.
AI can now use any weapons and attachments that players can..
Smoke grenades are used to conceal AI advances when they are taking fire.
Fragmentation grenades are used to kill players in cover, take out groups of players, or finish off downed player.
C4 needs to be hidden from them.



Private Social Matches: Starting immediately, all of our social modes (including Gun Game, One in the Chamber, and Spec Ops) can be created at any time as private matches.

Featured Social Mode
For ten days out of every month, one social game mode will become the featured mode, allowing it to be played in public matches. The upcoming mode for the next month will now be shown in the new menu, so you know what’s coming up.


Connected: In addition to the workshop, we have added a new home screen. This screen will allow you to see all the latest events in the Onward community, or jump right into the game.

Interactive
Almost all of the new menu screens are fully scrollable. They are also for the most part composed of larger visual tiles, which are easier to click and interpret in VR.

Expandable
Map selection menus in the new multiplayer and singleplayer screens now expand and scroll to facilitate new (custom or official) maps. These menus can also be filtered specifically for stock or custom maps, and also allow you to delete custom maps.

Angled Sights
Angled sights are now available in the loadout screen for various weapons. These secondary sights are canted off to the side of your main sight, giving you a backup option for surprise close quarters combat situations. These sights are fully compatible with the virtual gunstock - simply rotate your wrist to swap which sight you want to look through.

New Models
The following items have had their models visually updated: G3, G3 Auto, Commando 552, AKM, Shield, Holographic Sights, and Grenades.

Cosmos Support
Onward now has a set of default SteamVR bindings for the Vive Cosmos!

Fixes for all maps in the game for many issues including collision, lighting, floating object and z-fighting fixes.


Added additional configuration settings when creating multiplayer games, including round length and number of rounds, for game modes that support it.

Added improved dialog boxes to the main menu that can pop up to inform players with detailed descriptions.

New server browser that allows for more granular filtering, and shows many more details about the server, the map and mode it is on, and the players within it.

When in desktop (novr) mode, the new main menu fully supports the mouse.

Fixed the tablet map sometimes showing on other cameras, and fixed a memory leak in it.

The main menu is now more responsive to the player losing their connection. The appropriate screens should immediately disable themselves, if the player is viewing these screens they will be sent to the home screen.

Cancel round starts if there is nobody ready when the round start timer ends.

Originally we announcement more features to come with the v1.7 release. These features will be expected soon with a followup update.

Coming soon after v1.7 flip up magnifier
updated gun sounds
new models

Coming later volk land drone
player stats
Shield damage states

We're extremely excited to hear your opinions on this update.
- the downpour team


Stay updated on Onward, converse with the community, test builds, and participate in organized competitive events by joining our Discord!

In this months sitrep we will put more focus on the the community and share what you guys have been up to! We’d also like to remind you of the current Community Contest where you can submit new objective locations with a possibility of having them implemented in game! And to end the community section we remind you that we’re looking for testers for the upcoming custom map support!

But first, we will start off with update v1.7 content, showing you a fresh new model of the AKM alongside a video showcasing some of the new audio that will be coming to all the guns in Onward! We’ll also give you a peek at the upcoming menu UI redesign.

We’re still looking for Quest testers! Info on this can be found on the bottom of the Sitrep!

Click here to read the sitrep!

Patch v1.6.8.2 is out!
Fixes for several maps, performance fixes and no more shiny attachments!

Fixed a bug where players could spawn inside geometry on Turbine.
Fixed a bug where an uplink on Turbine could spawn partially inside geometry.
Potential fix for loud footsteps when elevators transport players.
Fixed water in Jungle not drowning the player when submerged.
Adjusted the grass wind animation in Abandoned.
Adjusted LODs on various maps for better transitions.
Potential fix for Bots being able to see through ferns in the map Jungle.
Changed evac mode helicopters in Abandoned to hover while picking up players, instead of landing.
Improved performance of magazines by hiding interior bullets at great distances.
Transparent magazines now become opaque when no bullets can be seen due to distance.
Improved performance when bullets penetrate objects.
Fixed overly-shiny sights and other lighting issues with various weapon attachments.
Optimized the way lens flares get rendered.