Squad 44 News

Greetings everyone!

Our work in upgrading Post Scriptum to 4.21 version of the Unreal Engine has been a 5 month long period that is finally showing us a bright light at the end of the tunnel.
This week our testing team had the chance to try a playable build and the results have been very pleasant.

(Note that some elements are missing due to Steam limitations. To see the extra content please visit http://postscriptumgame.com/4-21-mini-devblog-5/ )

Despite the existence of some (funny) gameplay breaking bugs…



...the vast majority of testers reported a significant performance increase that they have never experienced before in past iterations. We will continue with more tests in forthcoming days, but so far performance and server stability seems to be a dramatic improvement and we can’t wait to share it with all of you!

Performance Benchmark Video



One of the new features that we have been working for the next patch release is the inclusion of RAAS. Similar to AAS, both teams attack and defend control points (known as "flags) but the layout is set in a predefined order. While in RAAS, the order of the control points are randomized.
At the start of the round your team will only be able to see the next cap-able objective. As they progress further into the flag layout, other control points will become visible.

RAAS will replace AAS as we believe that it is more beneficial for gameplay for players to react and adjust over time according to the new intel given. 





Vehicles have been subjected to a revamp in how they feel in weight, scale and motion. From tanks to light vehicles, they have been thoroughly refined.

Vehicle Driving Video Showcase



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Sincerely,
Periscope Games

Hey everyone!

During the conversion to UE4 version 4.21, we’ve had some time to look into how we can improve player feedback for armored gameplay, both inside tanks and infantry around them. Vast improvements have been made to tank shell flyby audio in terms of design and how they work, only triggering at correct distances from the player and having a more realistic and most importantly, visceral feel. There are also different flyby variants dependant on shell size.

HE and AP shells of all sizes have had an impact and explosion audio revamps, AP now has a much more distinct ‘thud’ to the impact, whereas HE has a much larger ‘boom’. Also, thanks to new systems available in the OWI Core 4.21 framework, we have finally been able to implement internal impact sounds for vehicle occupants [both transport and armoured], so you can now tell that your hull has been hit by either HE/AP shells, rockets or small arms rounds. All tank occupants can now hear the vehicle’s weapons systems from the correct internal perspective, to make the overall experience much more immersive for the whole crew.

All of the above are aiming to allow the player to more quickly and accurately discern what kind of armoured threat they are facing, if there is no clear visual, and for armoured players to see some enhancements to immersion.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

There have also been some continual improvements to some infantry weapons and kits that required a bit of love since release.

- K98 firing sounds
- Lee Enfield firing and reload sounds [new animations]
- G41 firing and reload sounds [new animations]
- Sten MkV firing and reload sounds [new animations]
- British No77 Phosphorus grenade ‘pinpull’ and explosion sounds
- StG44 firing and reload sounds [new animations]
- P38 reload sounds [new animations]
- G43 firing sounds

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We realised that we really wanted ‘vanilla’ PS content to hold up to more recent additions such as the US faction, as well as future chapter content we’ve been working on behind the scenes. And that finishes off the Devblog this week, we will have more to show you soon.



Sincerely,
Periscope Games

Hey everyone!

Throughout the past few weeks we have been reading your feedback and suggestions on how to improve PS for the better. We have put together a roadmap that outlines the plans for Post Scriptum over the foreseeable future. Please keep in mind that the order of the items on the roadmap does not represent the release schedule of the content



During our ongoing work on the roadmap, our level designers have been revamping the older and newer maps with new visuals.

Below is a link to our webpage, where you can use an interactive before & after slider to compare the old Doorwerth and Oosterbeek to the new with most notably the change in forest scenery, now providing much more undergrowth, tree density and render distance without sacrificing performance.

4.21 Mini Devblog 3 "Roadmap" on Post Scriptum Official Website

Post Scriptum has come a long way since release and it has seen many new additions like the US Airborne faction, four new maps, brand new vehicles, gameplay improvements and more. However the journey is not over, we are committed to the longevity of Post Scriptum as well as the community at large.


Sincerely,
Periscope Games

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Greetings everyone!

In the first Mini Devblog, we spoke about the changes we made to the maps and visuals of the game. 


As work continues on the Unreal Engine 4.21 upgrade, our artists have been remaking and improving outdated animations. The goal was to bring them up to new standards and provide a more visceral and polished feel to the general handling of the weapons.

The following video shows the updated animations of the Gewehr 41, STG44, Walther P38, and the M1A1 Thompson
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Next to the weapon animation changes, work has also been undergoing on the character movement animations and general controls.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Due to the OWI core update, infantry movement should feel more responsive and less floaty and actions such as going prone while sprinting much faster, reducing downtime of being stuck in animation sequences.

Our artists will keep improving many aspects of the game while our coders continue to work on fixing issues that have arisen from the 4.21 upgrade. You can expect to see more stuff coming in the next few weeks.


Sincerely,
Periscope Games

                                                               

Greetings!

As some of you may already know, we were in the process of upgrading the Unreal Engine 4.16 version to 4.21. This milestone has been achieved in the previous month. However, we are going through a mountain of bugs, broken features and visual corrections that have been caused by the engine upgrade.

At the moment, we are dealing with issues in several fields, such as UI or vehicle mechanics. In parallel to the hard work of our programmers who are working on fixing core components of the game, the artists have been working on audio changes, updated animations, visual enhancements and new gameplay additions.

The Mini Devblog will be a series to keep you updated through this journey and provide you with information about the state of Post Scriptum on UE 4.21.

Expect more news in the upcoming weeks!



The first entry in the Mini Devblog series will be about the work that has been going into visual enhancements of the maps.

To see the interactive before & after images, you need to go to the post on our official WEBSITE.
The arrival of the 4.21 update led to a series of broken meshes and shaders and proved to be an excellent chance for our artists to try and improve the visual aspect of the game.

 

As seen in the images, ground materials, post-processing and undergrowth were changed to get more color into the Netherlands and make the environment appear more vibrant and lush. The overall image is also much sharper and clearer, compared to the past.
 
We hope you are all as excited as we are to see the Unreal Engine 4.21 come to life in Post Scriptum. We will make sure to regularly keep you informed on what progress is being made on the upgrade.

Sincerely,
Periscope Games