Zero Caliber VR News

Hey everyone!


It’s been a couple of months since our last update.
During these months 2020 went bonkers, which understandably affected our development speed as well.
Despite all the circumstances though, we have been extremely busy behind the scenes!

Where to begin…

The two major changes happened under the hood: game engine update to a newer version, and ditching deferred rendering in favor of forward rendering.
Both of these changes were necessary to make the game more stable, more optimized. The first thing you will notice is the much sharper imagery (perks of forward rendering).




We had to convert all the environments and light settings to fit in the forward rendering pipeline - and while we were at it, we spiced up the atmosphere across all maps.
The results are… stunning! Better frames, better, sharper visuals, smoother gameplay. What’s not to like? :)




These changes took a lot of time to make and test (especially in a remote working environment) and didn’t leave room for new content. Except for… the promised player customization!
You can now customize your character with a wide selection of armors, helmets and other accessories - look for the dressing room in the lobby!





We could go on and on rambling about the overhauled ‘Timber pt.1’ mission, the Index Controller finger tracking support, the UI improvements or the gazillion of new graphics settings but… let’s just see the detailed patch notes!

[Quick edit: some players are experiencing issues with already purchased weapons/items (they have to be purchased again after the update). This is not intentional, please read this topic for a solution/workaround: https://steamcommunity.com/app/877200/discussions/0/2522527267211108580/.]


[h3]GAMEPLAY | AI[/h3]

• Player Customization - Find your style by customizing your character’s outfit in the new dressing room!
  It works just like the weapon skin system: you can unlock new items by progressing through the ranks. Look for special helmets hidden on several maps!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Implemented several UI improvements
  
• Forced full screen - The game now starts (and remains) in full screen mode instead of windowed mode.
  
• Optimized game performance - We changed and improved a looot of under the hood components and optimized almost every part of the game to achieve better frames all-around.
  
• Huge AI- and AI weapon optimization
  
• Charging enemies no longer run into the player
  
• AI and their weapons no longer collide with the player’s weapon
  

[h3]MAPS | WEAPONS[/h3]

• Overhauled ‘Timber pt. 1’: new objectives, new enemies, new covers, better overall combat feeling. Replaying it is recommended even for seasoned Zero Caliber veterans!
• Fixed bullet count for the USP extended mag
  
• Fixed L85 ironsight flip
  
• Fixed weapon rails
  
• Kriss Vector detach fix
  
• Balance changes for M4A1, AK47, P90, Colt 1911, Colt Python, AWP and Remington 870
  
• Fixed an issue with grenade pins
  
• Fixed overpowered enemies on ‘Lockup’
  
• Fixed a pickup POI on ‘Canyon’
  
• Explosive tank collision fixed
  
• Several playzone fixes
  
• Fixed rare issues of AI spawning in unreachable locations
  

[h3]PLAYER | CONTROLS[/h3]

• Implemented finger tracking for Valve Index controllers. Need we say more?
  Pre-defined hand gestures still work.
  
  
  
  
  
• Improved default Index controller bindings - ejecting mags is now the 'A' button
• Reduced player speed for gameplay balance- and motion sickness reasons
  
• Player height is now adjustable between 150-210 cm
  

[h3]MULTIPLAYER [/h3]

• Improved sync between the host and clients to reduce lag, thus resulting in a smoother and more stable Co-op gameplay
  
• Fixed the sync of crouching and prone stances
  
• Fixed an issue that caused extended magazines to be replaced with default magazines in Co-op sessions
  
• Being able to pull off other players’ attachments is disabled (except for magazines)
  
• Fixed various issues preventing the player from using force pull or grabbing weapons
  
• Fixed multiple issues caused by respawning and reviving other players
  
• Various fixes for client side issues and performance
  
• Fixed intro subtitles being displayed multiple times in Co-op
  
• Fixed scaling enemy numbers for different player counts
  
• After a mission’s end screen, the game doesn’t throw players to another map automatically after 5 minutes
  
• The server list and the number of players on the multiplayer screen now refreshes every time upon joining, not only after checkpoints as before
  

[h3]SOUNDS[/h3]

• Sound is now forced on Oculus headsets
  
• More immersive bullet impact sounds
  
• Altered soundscape when low on HP
  

[h3]GFX[/h3]

• Customizable quality settings for better scalability - We reworked the graphics settings menu. There are now a ton of options to fine tune graphics settings. Choose the combination best suited for your system’s capabilities!
  The game still performs a benchmark test upon launching for the first time after the update, and sets the graphics accordingly. This is on point most of the time.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Switched to forward rendering from the previously used deferred rendering. This results in a sharper imagery and better performance all-around
  
• Improved lighting and reworked atmosphere on all maps
  
• Improved GPU performance thanks to forward rendering
  
• Tweaked temporal anti-aliasing for sharper rendering
  
• Introduced five new graphic quality presets to easily set up the game’s performance
  
• New highlight system for interactable items/objects
  
  
  
  
  
• Materials and lights are converted to forward rendering on all maps
  
• More accurate light maps
  
• Optimized textures
  
• Several minor asset fixes
  

…and hundreds of other minor fixes.

[h3]KNOWN ISSUES[/h3]

• A few players might run into these issues - they are known and will be fixed in a later update. Sorry for any inconvenience they might cause!
  
• Weapon lighting inconsistencies in the armory
  
• In the 'Tutorial' the game might display buttons necessary to perform certain actions on the opposite controller
  
• The initial benchmark might not recognize hardware correctly, thus setting graphics quality below the PC's capability
  
• Noisy cricket effect: the Kriss Vector and/or its attachments might become tiny when attaching-removing them rapidly.
  
• Blurry environment textures
  
• Loss of force pull/interaction ability when removing and reinserting other players' magazines
  

---

[h3]“But XREAL, where is the PvP?”[/h3]

Good question, glad you asked!
We don’t feel comfortable enough to release it yet. All the major changes introduced in this update are a necessary step towards it, but PvP itself isn’t 100% ready.
It is coming very soon though! We’re planning some sort of beta testing in the coming weeks.
Joining our Discord server is the best way to get notified about it. ;)
-> https://discord.gg/JyK2gVh

After making sure this update doesn’t break the game, we’re going to keep tinkering with dedicated servers to prevent major issues when PvP finally drops.

[h3]WORKSHOP SUPPORT[/h3]

YES! We've been wanting to introduce modding and workshop support for ages, and now it looks like it is happening!
No ETA yet, as we're still in the midst of finding the best way to implement it, but it IS coming.

---

Thank you for sticking with us until the end, and thank you for your patience! We are really sorry for the delay and hope that the update can compensate for it.

As it is with every major change, things might not be perfect 100% of the time - if you encounter anything strange (and it's not listed under the 'KNOWN ISSUES' section), please report them in our Bug reports section.
We see every topic even if we don't respond immediately.


We'll soon be back with our plans for the next major update - until then, make sure to follow us on Social Media to catch all the latest news!

Youtube
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

As always, thank you everyone for your continuous support! Stay safe and have fun!
-XREAL Games Team-


P.S: Come hang out on our Discord, would love to hear how VR affected your life during this social distancing period. :)

Hey everyone,

UPDATE 14/04/2020 (Original devblog below)
We are glad you are just as excited as we are for one of, if not the biggest update of Zero Caliber ever :)
We have been pushed back a bit by the virus (we are constantly improving our pipelines in order to be able to progress as efficiently as possible from home office).
We have also made the jump to the latest version of Unreal Engine, which is giving us a hard time as lots of unexpected bugs need to be ironed out - but it is still a necessary change that will make the development process of Zero Caliber more streamlined for us and the whole gameplay experience smoother for you.

We are doing our very best to push this out as soon as possible, hopefully still in April, but we are not able to say any exact date yet.
We are going to release the new build as soon as we are ready (albeit without the new PvP mode).
Don't worry, we will release the PvP mode on our private beta banch some time after the update to test with the community first, before pushing it to the live branch.

We are very sorry that you still have to wait some more, but the new build is going to be the most enjoyable and most stable one ever.
Please bear with us in the meantime, and stay safe out there! (Or more preferably IN there :) )

ORIGINAL: In our latest devlog we gave a little glimpse of what we are up to.
Now let's see what we have in store for Zero Caliber!

Disclaimer: these are the major things we are currently working on. That doesn't mean all of them will be in the next update - some of them will make it, some of them won't, depending on test results.


[h2]PLAYER CUSTOMIZATION[/h2]

You might remember this feature from one of our earlier blog posts.
We have been planning to add player customization to the game for a long time, and it looks like it will make it into the next update!



It works similarly to the weapon skin system - there will be special items hidden throughout all maps!


[h2]WEAPON SMOOTHING[/h2]

This feature is quite self-explanatory - it simulates the weight of an object, giving it a more realistic feel. This, combined with recoil makes using weapons butter smooth!



We still have to polish it a bit more - we'll see if it can be done in time.


[h2]PVP | DEDICATED SERVERS[/h2]

We have been successfully testing the PvP gamemode - on dedicated servers!
There are still a lot of work ahead, but it is shaping up nicely.
Currently we're planning to add four gamemodes. Here's a quick breakdown of each mode. More information coming soon!

[h3]Team Death Match[/h3]
This is the classic game mode we all love. 4v4, 5v5, 5-10 minute battles.
The team with the most points wins.

[h3]Capture The Flag[/h3]
Another classic, but with a little twist thanks to the possibilities of VR.

[h3]Capture The Area[/h3]
Two teams fight to take control of an area. Yet another classic.

[h3]PvPvE[/h3]
This is a unique game mode, mixing classic MOBA and FPS elements.
There will be an ongoing combat between NPCs on two lanes - additionally each team will have turrets on their respective lanes.
The goal is to destroy the enemy team's generator, after eliminating their turrets.
Battles will last 8 minutes. If neither generator is destroyed, the team with the turret advantage (most turrets eliminated) wins.


[h2]TIMBER REWORK[/h2]

The mission called 'Timber' is the oldest one in the game. We felt like it deserved an overhaul.
Every combat has been redesigned, the pace and environment will be far better than it currently is.


[h2]AI OPTIMIZATION[/h2]

This is something we're constantly working on. The next step is to pre-spawn AIs at the beginning of each map, thus reducing the CPU load during populated combat situations.


[h2]RENDER UPDATE[/h2]

We're changing the way the game renders the environment. As a result, everything will look much sharper, the gameplay will feel much smoother.
There are downsides to this method (mainly on the lighting side), but we believe the pros will outweigh the cons - if nothing else, the game will be more optimized without losing graphic quality.
This is difficult to demonstrate on 2D screenshots, so you have to take our word for it. :)


[h2]NEW HANDS | BODY IK[/h2]

We're changing the hand models - the fingers will be thinner, and will look completely different from the current gloves.
In addition, we're improving the whole body model.

---

Thank you for reading through the list!
We're not sure when the update will go live - we'd like to release it in March, but as we're working on these features and additions simultaneously, it's possible that we'll have to go with an early April date.

Bonus information: we have also updated our engine version - this makes our life easier. :)

Thank you guys for your continuous support!
-XREAL Games Team-

Hey everyone!

This update is the continuation of the code optimization we've started in the previous content update.
This time we've been focusing on the performance in Co-op as well as in single player - hopefully it is now significantly better across all game modes.
If you notice any fps drops, please let us know in the Bugreports section!

An important thing to note: we had to temporarily disable the game's voice chat feature. We're going to enable it after we overhaul it both functionality- and performance wise.

Besides optimization, we've also improved the Index controls: the ingame player hand is now correctly aligned to match the controllers' actual position and orientation - plus we've fine-tuned the grip's sensitivity based on community feedback.

You can read the full patch notes below:

[h3]PLAYER | CONTROLS[/h3]

• Index controller aligned to match real life hand position (send us feedback!)
• Improved controls, especially with the Index controller - better grip and ungrip sensitivity
  

[h3]AI | GAMEPLAY[/h3]

• Optimized AI animations for better performance
  
• Enemy spawn fixes to reduce fps stuttering
  
• Various small friendly AI spawn fixes
  

[h3]WEAPONS[/h3]

• Improved pump action reload for shotguns
• Fixed misaligned USP grip
  
• Added missing skins for the Kriss Vector light stocks
  
• AK-47 sound fixed
  
• Several unlock icons fixed
  
• Removed the wobbly foregrip from the Uzi
  
• Fixed a client side shotgun clip bug (previously it could move randomly around the player's hand)

[h3]MAPS[/h3]

• Removed the 'Tutorial' map as a 'Quick co-op match' option
  
• Fixed an issue where pressing the button inside the helicopter at the end of 'Lockup' before the narration could result in the player's death
  
• Fixed various minor multiplayer map selection issues
  

[h3]SOUNDS[/h3]

• Fixed a rare issue where death sound could be heard constantly on the whole map
  
• Fixed a client side sound glitch - sometimes enemy gun sound got stuck in a loop
  

[h3]KNOWN ISSUES[/h3]

• We've encountered a sound issue in the last minute: sometimes the slider's sound effect gets stuck in a loop on 'Retaliation' while playing in Co-op. Will be fixed in the next update!
  

---

That's all for now. This update is another important step in the optimization process we've started.
Small issues can still occur - if you encounter anything unusual, please let us know somehow. Your feedback is extremely valuable!

We'll soon be back with news about the next update. Follow us on social media if you don't want to miss them!
Youtube Facebook Twitter Instagram

As always, thank you everyone for your continuous support!
-XREAL Games Team-

Hey everyone,

The Holiday season is over, we’re back on track!
We’ve read through all your feedback and bug reports after our latest update, and drew the consequences.

Even though the latest update’s code optimization increased the game’s performance for most of our players, we’ve got some reports about worse/inconsistent frame rates compared to previous versions both in single- and multiplayer.
We’re aware of these, and have already started to investigate.
We will spend most of January ironing out these performance related issues, so the game can remain stable for all of our players.
As a result, the next update will mostly contain fixes and improvements.

[h2]When will this update go live? [/h2]
We don’t know yet. We already have a few leads about the cause of the performance drops, but it’s impossible to predict when we’ll be able to get to the bottom of it all.
This is what we’ve uncovered so far:

[h3]VOICE CHAT IN CO-OP[/h3]
Thanks to community reports we’ve discovered that enabling/disabling voice chat can make a huge impact to frame rates in multiplayer, especially at higher pings.

[h3]AI ENCOUNTERS[/h3]
Frame drops mostly happen in combat when there are multiple enemies spawned in the area. We’ve found an issue with the AI’s skeletal mesh which might have a negative effect on the CPU’s performance.

[h3]GFX RELATED EFFECTS[/h3]
We’re also investigating the smoke effect upon firing, and the impact decals’ effects. It’s possible these have negative effects on the performance, albeit unlikely.

[h3]OCULUS SOFTWARE UPDATE[/h3]
There was an Oculus driver update back in December (around the 20th) which could've caused performance- and tracking issues for some players across multiple games.
If you own a Rift/S and experience such issues, it's worth checking this topic: https://forums.oculusvr.com/community/discussion/83258/rift-s-and-rift-build-12-0-release-notes/p8

---

We’re constantly fixing, building, testing, then fixing again to make sure nothing gets under our radar. :)
We’re trying our best to push out the update as soon as possible. In the meantime, keep the reports and feedback coming, it helps more than you think!
After getting these fixes done, we can move forward with the development of dedicated servers, the PvP game mode and other goodies.

Following us on social media is the best way to catch all the latest news about future updates. *winkwink*
Youtube Facebook Twitter Instagram

Thank you everyone for your continuous support!
-XREAL Games Team-

Hey everyone!

This update is huge. HUGE. Probably the biggest one in the game's history.

We've overhauled the 'Tutorial' for new players (replaying it is recommended even for seasoned Zero Caliber veterans), we've added the first part of the next story chapter, 'Canyon' and three new weapons (MK18, FN SCAR, USP). Shotguns recieved proper reload mechanics and we've introduced a new, experimental reload for pistols. As a result, dual wielding them became one of the most badass things in the game! Oh, and we’ve also added distance-dependent weapon damage. And virtual gunstock. And a new ragdoll system for the AI. And we've increased the amount of XP earned per mission.
Missing Touch controller bindings got fixed and we've revisited the Index controller handling - hopefully it feels much better now!

BUT... an even bigger part of this update can be found under the hood - performance optimization!
Our programmers have been knee-deep in the game's core code to optimize it almost from scratch. We're hoping that this will improve the performance across all kinds of configurations.

We've been testing the game until the last second, but since the code optimization is massive, it's almost guaranteed that players will run into small issues here and there.
If you encounter anything unusual, please head over to our Bugreport section!

ATTENTION: unfortunately one of the negative results of the code optimization is the loss of player equipment and saved loadouts. The progress and unlocked items however should stay the same!

And now.. here's the full list of changes, additions and improvements:

[h2]MAPS[/h2]

• Tutorial rework: we've overhauled the whole tutorial both visually and functionally in order to explain the game better for inexperienced players. If you're a seasoned veteran, you can launch it from the world map.
  
  
  
  
• New story mission: Canyon. It is the first part of the new campaign destination. Can be played after 'Hail'.
  
  

[h2]WEAPONS | ATTACHMENTS[/h2]

• MK18 with 9 different skins
  
• FN SCAR with 6 different skins
  
• USP pistol with 9 different skins
  
• New attachments: MK18 suppressors, 2 angled grips, holo sight. New content is marked in the armory.
  
  
  
  
• Damage falloff: the amount of damage done by a weapon is now distance-dependent.
  
• Pump-action for all shotguns. SPAS has the option for semi-auto firemode.
  
  
  
  
• Unique shotgun spread for all shotguns
  
• Shotguns now take shells one-by-one from clips. If your shotgun is only missing one shell, the other 4 shells will stay in the clip and the clip doesn’t disappear.
• Reworked weapon physics - more realistic behavior when weapon is not held in hands
  
• All holo sights have new, adjustable brightness/color options
  
• Underbarrel grip removal now works the same way it does with other attachments IF autogrip is OFF: hover over the grip, press trigger and pull it away. If autogrip is ON, functionality remains the same - when your hand grips onto the weapon automatically, press trigger and pull away to remove the grip

[h2]GAMEPLAY | AI[/h2]

• Virtual gunstock option added (look for it in the settings!): 'ON' mode is for all weapons, 'REALISTIC' mode applies only to weapons which already have a stock as part of the weapon body (e.g. AWP, AKM, AK47) or weapons which have a stock equipped and opened out (e.g G36C+stock attached)
• Experimental, but badass dual pistol reload: when both mags are ejected (by pressing the mag release button), lower your hand to your ammo pouch, then press the slider back button. BAMM. - This new feature might work inconsistently in Co-op for now.
  
  
  
  
• Improved recoil for every weapon and attachment
  
• Increased XP for levels - less grinding
• Weapon colliders and physics materials are improved to give a smoother gameplay experience when weapons interact with the environment
  
• New ragdoll system: caliber- and shooting distance-dependent AI death reactions
  
• AI soldiers are now able to walk through dead AI bodies
  

[h2]MULTIPLAYER[/h2]

• Optimized network code for smoother Co-op gameplay. It's still not perfect, but we're getting there!
• Map selector at the end of each map - players are now able to continue the game without quitting to the lobby by voting on the next mission.
  

[h2]PLAYER | CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

• Haptic feedback (rumbling) added when gripping weapons and grabbing mags from the belt
  
• Oculus Quest support FIXED with improved Touch controls
  
• Fixed an Oculus Rift S bug where players couldn’t do anything at first start
  
• Improved Index Controller controls: grabbing functionality with the controller has been revisited and improved. You will have to squeeze a little more to grab something (no more sucking up items when you just wanted to rest your fingers), removed the tiny delay when releasing items (smoother grenade throws).
  
• Default Grip Option is set to Hold-To-Grab for Touch and Index Controllers, Toggle-Grip for Vive Wands by default. Can be changed in the settings.
• Updated object handling for Touch controllers: mags, grenades and attachments can only be grabbed and picked up with the trigger, while the grip button is for grabbing weapons and bigger, non-weapon related objects.
  
• Controller dead zone default value increased from 0.05 to 0.11 to avoid phantom movement
  

[h2]GFX[/h2]

• Optimization and more optimization
  

[h2]SOUND[/h2]

• Super immersive environmental sounds
  
• Redesigned indoor sounds
  
• Updated weapon sounds
  

[h2]BUGFIXES[/h2]

• Fixed an issue where after grabbing an attachment from one hand to another, knock-off functionality would be lost
  
• Fixed an issue where after dropping an attachment and quickly grabbing it would make attaching it to the weapon impossible
  
• Fixed bouncing weapons - weapons now have more realistic physics
  
• Menu pointer fixed when holding weapons with both hands
  
• Vive: can’t take weapons out of other players holsters anymore
  
• VIVE and Index Controller: fixed an issue where quickly dropping and grabbing a weapon by its slider caused the weapon to drop to the ground
  
• Sock 17\18c left-hand grab position fixed
  
• Fixed an issue where weapons sometimes disappeared after respawning or the player spawned with other players' equipment
  
• Fixed an issue where the green outline stayed on objects
  
• And endless more small bugfixes...
  

[h2]HONORABLE MENTIONS[/h2]

• PvP - unfortunately we had to delay it. Still needs polishing - you can expect some form of beta testing in Q1 2020!
  
• Dedicated servers - same as with PvP, we have to iron out some technical issues.
  

---

Phew... Quite a list!
As you can see, we went a little overboard with the amount of content and new features. Again. :) We wanted to cram everything into this update so you can have an amazing experience during the Holiday season.
As a result, small issues might pop up here and there - please report them via the Steam forums, e-mail, Discord or homing pigeons. We'll check everything after a short Winter break.

Be sure to follow us on Youtube, Facebook and Twitter to recieve all the latest news about the PvP and our games in general.
Thank you for an incredible 2019, 2020 will be even more exciting! Happy Holidays!
-XREAL Games Team-