Zero Caliber VR News

Hey lads,

We've been pretty quiet recently, but don't worry: we're working hard to deliver the long-awaited (and promised) PvP game modes with full crossplay, and native mod support!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We're in the testing phase already, fixing and testing last-minute bugs and breaking polishing things - we expect to make a release-candidate build within 2 weeks, which means we might be able to release the update in June. Whoopwhoop!

Early headsup though, don't expect a top of the line modkit at first - since it's a new area for us, and since we're hacking it into a game that didn't have modding planned at the beginning, we're moving slowly with this one, which means that only PvP maps and basic single player/Co-op missions will be moddable.



That said, modding will happen in Unreal Engine and through mod.io, so grab your wildest ideas and get ready to mod the sh*t out of our beloved Zero Cal!

Cheers,
- XREAL Team

P.S: the update will contain many many fixes and improvements as always, mostly based on y'all's feedback. Much love!

Hmmm, do you smell that? That's the smell of fresh spring flowers and juicy Spring Sale deals!
You can grab Zero Caliber for 33% OFF until 23 March!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/877200/Zero_Caliber_VR/

Or you can grab the brand new ZERO RADIUS bundle including both Zero Caliber and Into the Radius for an additional 15% discount on top of the Spring Sale deals!

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/31179/Zero_Radius_Bundle/

Happy shopping soldiers, don't let your backlogs run dry! o7

Hey future modders,

As you may be aware, Zero Caliber will be joining the moddable games club very soon - first with modded single player/co-op missions, then PvP maps and then in the 2nd phase with weapons/other goodies.

We've already opened up the modding tools for early modders - now it's time let more people in on the action!
If YOU, or someone you know would like to build classic-, or crazy new maps for Zero Caliber, don't hesitate to join the early Zero Cal modding pioneers!

The whole modding process happens in Unreal Engine and through mod.io, but if this is your first modding endeavour, don't worry: our guides were made with beginners in mind. :)



[h3]MODDING TOOLS & ACCESS[/h3]

To get access to the modkit and the private build where you can test your maps:

1. Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/xrealgames
2. Send me (Dan. | CM-PR, or Aconite | QA | DEV) a DM so we can add you to the closed modding channels
   
3. Grab the link to the modding guides and test build access info in said channels
   
4. Send us feedback about the modding process, share your ideas and suggestions
   

Besides letting modders jump in early, we're also looking for feedback - this is the first time we venture into modding territories, so we want to make sure our guides, modkit(s) and the whole modding flow are all user-friendly and easy to get into.

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If you're part of a wider modding community, please consider sharing the news with your peers: we can't wait to see all the crazy (or classic) maps you'll be making!

See you on the battlefield,
-Dan & the whole XREAL Games Team-

P.S: And don't worry: we keep working on the base game, more fixes are coming based on community feedback (including the dreaded controller binding- and Reverb G2 controller issues.)

Hey everyone, but especially those who are affected by the 'SteamVR controller binding' issue,

As you may be aware, we've been fixing y'all up with polish updates (based on community feedback) ever since we'd dropped the 'GRAND Update' back in December.

That update brought a LOT of significant changes and improvements to the game. We knew there'd be hiccups here and there due to the update's nature (like how it was a complete backend overhaul), but you all have been incredibly helpful by providing feedback over the last few weeks.
We can't get back to everyone all the time, but rest assured: we have read every single review, discussion, report, email, comment, DM and reddit thread - it's humbling to see how invested you all are in Zero Cal. Thank you!!!
(I should probably get to the point now instead of rambling.)

We need a hand in tracking down a pesky issue that we seem to be unable to reproduce within our team.

[h2]SteamVR CONTROLLER BINDING ISSUE[/h2]

We've got reports of controller bindings acting up. And when they do, they're acting up big time, breaking controller inputs completely.
We're aware of this phenomenon, and it's heartbreaking to see the game being borked for many players. As I mentioned, we're unable to reproduce it internally, no matter what HMD and settings we're using (Index, Rift S, Quest 2). Everything just... works.

If you're affected, please please please read the next part so we can finally get to the bottom of this once and for all! _/\_

[h3]FILES AND INFORMATION WE NEED[/h3]

We're currently diving in blind, but knowing the following information and having the following files should give us a headstart:

1. We need to know when did controls break for you (after the GRAND, or after one of the follow-up updates)
2. We need your save files. You can find them in \Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\ZeroCaliber\Saved\SaveGames - just zip the whole folder
   
3. We need your config files. You can find them in \SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Zero Caliber VR\ZeroCaliber\Config\SteamVRBindings - just zip the whole folder
   
4. We need the type of HMD and controllers you're using
   
5. We need to know whether you're using Virtual Desktop or not (in case of Quest 1-2-Pro)
6. We need to know whether you used any kind of custom key bindings before or sticked with the default one
   
7. We also need to know if you changed runtimes recently
   
8. Last but not least, and this might seem odd, we'd like to know how you launch the game. Like, do you launch from Steam, then put on the HMD, then grab controllers and turn them on AFTER launching, or are they turned on BEFORE launching, stuff like that.

Please send everything attached in an email to [email protected] with the subject being "SteamVR controller issue". Including your Steam username is a plus, just in case we'd like to get in touch for more info.
I know it's quite a lot, but the more info the merrier!

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This, of course, isn't the only report we're addressing, but we have most other reported issues down. It's just this one we can't reproduce at all.
That said, please keep the feedback flowing!

Oh, there's another thing I wanted to touch base on: I've seen comments on how we try to friend players/contact them in DMs, oftentimes asking them to change their reviews. That's 100% true! Well, for the most part anyways.
It's not some shady tactic we're trying to pull off - we found that solving particular issues mentioned in a review or a comment, or just simply giving some insight on things is infinitely easier and quicker via a quick chat (instead of going back and forth in a thread or emails). This is exponentially true when it comes to reviews as 'developer responses' are pretty much useless.

So... if we ever send you a friend request, please don't think we're being shady. We're just trying to respond to feedback/solve your issue/give more info on certain topics. :)
And on that note, if you're enjoying Zero Cal, please consider leaving a thumbsup on the game's store page - positive vibes are the best cure against bugs!

See you on the battlefield,
-Dan & the whole XREAL Games Team-

Hey everyone,

Happy belated New Year! After a short break we're now back on track - let's open 2023 with an update powered by community feedback!
We've been monitoring your feedback both here on Steam and on our Discord ever since our "GRAND" Update dropped - the following fixes and improvements are all based on y'alls' findings.

In the previous build, the enemy AI could be quite annoying at times: spawing behind you or out of thin air in front of you - that should happen less often now (if at all), thus making the gameplay much much better! (And the same goes for peculiar enemy behaviour, like running into doors or sinking into the ground.)

In the last update we added an option to switch between the grip/trigger buttons to grab smaller items (like mags), and now we've made further improvements to make it even more user friendly. We've also improved the holster system to avoid misgrabs and the "clunkiness".
Another popular request was the music- it could get a bit repetitive before, so we've added quite a few extra combat/gameplay tracks to spice up the OST.

(The HP Reverb G2 controller binding issue should also be fixed in theory, but we currently don't have a working unit so we definitely need feedback on that one.)

Now, before you get to the full changelog, please consider answering this 10-sec poll for us - it's just a short survey on what would you like to see more of in Zero Cal: [StrawPoll link]

[h2]FULL CHANGELOG[/h2]

[h3]GAMEPLAY | AI[/h3]

• Improved friendly AI: they will now try to avoid you at certain areas instead of running through you/your weapon (it's approximately 60% better now)
• Significantly improved AI spawning: in-the-face and behind-you enemy spawning should occur less often (if at all)
  
• Significantly improved AI behaviour: enemies will not run into doors or sink into the ground anymore
  
• Significantly improved holster usage: grabbing different items from weapon slots/holsters should now be more comfortable/easier
  
• Fixed a rare issue where more than 4 friendly AI teammates could spawn at the same time
  
• Improved small item handling: grabbing small items should feel even better now
  
• Fixed a rare tutorial issue where players could get stuck in the first shooting booth
  
• Tweaked gameplay balance here and there
  
• Improved dedicated server stability
  

[h3]GRAPHICS[/h3]

• Fixed an SG 552 graphical issue (magazines were popping out of the weapon model)
  
• Fixed POI visibility on several maps
  
• Fixed story descriptions in the main lobby world map UI (some of them were clipped before)
  
• Improved object/environment colliders on several maps
  
• Improved water textures/effects on several maps
  
• Minor visual improvements on several maps that no one will notice (probably)
  

[h3]SOUND[/h3]

• Added moooore combat/gameplay music: it shouldn't feel that repetitive now
  
• Improved music volume balance
  

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As always, thank you so much for providing feedback (be it positive or negative), Zero Caliber couldn't be what it is without your help! Please keep them coming under this news post so we can keep track of everything.
And if you like what you see/enjoy the game, or just would like to help us out even more, please consider leaving a review on the game's store page. It'd mean the world to us
You can also stalk us on our social channels, great things are coming in 2023!

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@xrealgames
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/XREALGames
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XREALGamesVR/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xreal_games/

Thank you so much for the continuous support and for sticking around, we appretiate all of you!

See you on the battlefield,
-Dan & the whole XREAL Games Team-