Gameplay Adjustments

Despite sparking controversy on the preview branch, we've removed the Maplestrike's grip attachment slot. We're curious to see whether this is a net positive for the meta once it's had a chance to play out, so please bear in mind we're open to feedback and nothing's set in stone.

• Is there more variety in combat encounters, and is that more fun?
• Can you Maplestrike Enjoyers out there maintain dominance?

A few other balance changes are detailed in the changelog. Of particular note, quality of life additions to the Coalition questlines on the Russia map, including the ability to requisition airplanes and helicopters after achieving Major Rank and finishing Pilot Andy's quests.

Halloween 2024

Alongside our traditional Halloween content, we'll have a new craftable mystery box - the Halloween Candy Bag - courtesy of Toothy Deerryte and friends! The event will run from October 20th through November 1st, during which time you can craft them from Menu > Survivors > Inventory > Crafting.

Trees and Skybox Ambience Removals

Two more controversial changes, sorry! Although the speedtree models looked nicer than the old ones, they were overly detailed compared with the rest of the vanilla art style. We've decided to stop putting it off and remove them along with the tree models graphics option. Other reasons included:

• Their trunk shape wasn't quite 1:1 with the old models, so whether a player was seen as in or out of cover was inconsistent depending on graphics settings.
• They're much more performance intensive.
• Curated maps released after 2018 haven't included speedtree models.

Some players changed up the lighting in a dramatic and cinematic way with the relatively niche "Use_Skybox_Ambience" option in a config file. Unfortunately, the differences were a double-edged sword because they limited level designers' ability to control the lighting, for example to experiment with pure-black nights. We've decided to remove the option, but similar lighting can still be configured in the level editor by matching ambient lighting to the sky color, so it's up to the creative vision of the level creator. Here's a post showcasing the difference with and without the option: Skybox Ambience Comparison post by BoomViz on SDG Forum

Item Price Consistency

On November 1st we're going to be adjusting the Stockpile prices to all be consistent. For the past two years or so all new regular items have been a consistent $1.50 USD per item. This primarily affects older items, where pricing and bundle sizes were less consistent. For some items, this is an increase. While for others, it's a decrease. Please keep this in mind if you were considering any item purchases in the near future! Beyond this, we don't intend to mess with the base item price again.

Changelog

Added

• Flashbang Brightness, Explosion Camera Shake Intensity, and Damage Flinch accessibility settings in Options menu.
• Button in Workshop > F1 menu to export all asset IDs to csv files in Extras/AssetIDs folder.
• Server options to turn off Damage Aim Flinch and Explosion Camera Shake.
• Inspect and preview on character for items in Stockpile.
• Copy/paste freecam position and rotation from clipboard with Ctrl+C/V or "/copycameratransform" client-side command.
• Melee weapon quest reward support for strong and weak attacks.
• Random_Inclusive and Random_Exclusive operations for Flag_Math NPC reward type.
• Support for vendors to add attachments to guns for sale.
• Option to apply delayed quest rewards when interrupted.
• Military spraypaints for each vanilla map. [IDs 1873-1877]
• Halloween Candy Bag for upcoming Halloween 2024 event.
• Main menu support for Steam BBcode previewyoutube tag.
• Dialogue object interactability mode to replace invisible NPC workaround.
• Option to delete attachments from blueprint with item state transfer enabled.
• News item for Stockpile sale special events.

Removed

• Tree models graphics option and reverted to older models.
• Use_Skybox_Ambience option from Preferences.json file.

Game Balance

• Removed grip attachment slot from Maplestrike.
• Adaptive Chambering reduces horizontal recoil control -20% and vertical control -30%.
• Increased Sentry and Hostile Sentry health from 75 to 150.
• Increased Friendly Sentry health from 75 to 300.
• More findable items can be salvaged for supplies.

Changed

• Captain Sydney can authorize further aircraft requisitions on Russia.
• P.Riso can acquire an Upgraded Fishing Rod blueprint for you on Russia.
• Doc Ernie can prepare Upgraded Aces and Bluntforces for the Coalition Armory on Russia.
• Default Internet filters include empty and full servers now that the default sort prioritizes them appropriately.
• Player-instigated locked vehicle spawns now also unlock for group members.
• Server moves the most recent file to a backup when writing saves.
• Explosive charge assets can set Bypass_Claim to false.
• Include sentry gun in example assets. (Finally!)
• Sawed Off shares Masterkey skins. (Finally!)
• Holidays are scheduled in local time zones rather than synchronized globally.

Fixed

• Level editor volume property changes not marking level dirty. [Thanks Jdance!]
• Skipping terrain color rule error missing asset context. [Thanks Spebby!]
• Layered attachment skins got broken at some point. [Thanks Molt!]
• East-2 Zubeknakov fallback material misconfigured. [Thanks Molt!]
• Unusable door highlight between door and doorframe. [Thanks InsignificantNull!]
• Potential cause of duplicate item button on main menu. [Thanks InsignificantNull!]
• Plugin UIs can use Canvas Scaler to sync with game UI scale. [Thanks DanielWillett!]
• Use target speed rather than current speed for vehicle third-person camera distance. [Thanks BoomViz!]
• Map zoom and centering wrong with UI scale. [Thanks BoomViz!]
• Infinite/NaN spawn chance editing legacy spawn tier with one entry. [Thanks Sodazone42!]
• Unnecessary farm Update call on dedicated server. [Thanks asineth0!]
• Shirt item model left/right arm backwards. [Thanks DerpyHoowes!]
• Another potential source of discrepancy in airdrop landing position (compression). [Thanks Zombs-R-Cute!]
• Support door slot snapping with Y forward. [Thanks MrGoBi!]
• Negative NPC health reward can no longer cause bleeding. [Thanks Gloa233!]
• Jumping from prone in air traffic control killing player. [Thanks FreeDzee, Sma1L, and TSB!]
• Eruption typo instead of Erruption. [Thanks RadicalBeetle!]
• Reverted "skin width" portion of floor snapping changes due to all the side effects. [Thanks to many players!]
• Rate limiting and additional security for connection queue. [Thanks Jdance!]
• Text mesh missing from sign and placard LOD group. [Thanks Eismeister!]
• Russia map corrected location names hadn't been updated in NPC dialogue. [Thanks Eismeister!]
• Underlying cause of some interactables working incorrectly on vehicles. [Thanks Eismeister!]
• Insane skin attachments changed orange to pink. [Thanks ZParticle_!]
• Barricades use same yaw-only special case as structures. [Thanks QERT2002!]
• Misplaced item spawns under Russia oil rig. [Thanks TickTackM!]
• Incomplete skybox reflection on item icons captured during level startup. [Thanks FohnJallout!]
• Voice chat volume not applied properly. [Thanks AngelAbov3!]
• Zombies chasing destroyed barricades during horde beacons. [Thanks liebesleid!]
• Surrounded Holman Isle bunker and Silo 22 with tons of death barriers.
• More comprehensive death barriers for Mansion #1, House #4, and House #6.
• Barricade load not closing file stream.
• Some bugs with GUIDs for vendor buying/selling entries.

Special thanks to Diddlyono, ItsRodrigoAl, MoltonMontro, and thraxsh255 for their help resolving a variety of issues while this update was on the preview branch! In September I got the opportunity to meet with Jemsie and cucuycharles while they were visiting. Special thanks for their in-person feedback and suggestions!

Curated Map Updates

Escalation: Midnight Update

The Midnight Program created a robotwhich survivors have dubbed D.A.V.E. (Defensive Autonomous Vehicular Emplacement)an experimental AI-piloted tank. Its AI has gone haywire, and it will attack any survivors or zombies that enter its line of sight. However: if defeated, it will drop plenty of good loot. You can access this area with a Midnight Keycard, which can be acquired from Artemis Platform zombies or Airdrop calls! You can then use this keycard inside the Locke Dynamics tunnel.

• Revamped Map area, extending the map a significant amount to the east. Some older locations (like the Northern Deadzone and Redgrove Airfield) have also been revamped.
• Dozens of balance adjustments and other changes to the LTLM and Strike Calls, weapons, and clothing/armor.
• Added Dual Pistols.
• Added the Tempest rifle. (51322)
• Added the Intragat machine pistol. (52286, 52287)
• Added the Sundoor submachine gun. (51321, 51347)
• Added the Trident Rocket Launcher. (52313)
• Added the Frostbite sniper rifle. (52300, 52304)
• Added the Hera Grenade Launcher. (51324, 52078)
• Added the Falcon .50-SP and Golden Falcon-SP. (52294, 52295)
• Added the AH-46 Kings Hand Attack Helicopter. (51032)
• Added the Falker Fighter. (51033)
• Added the Strike Call - Smoke Concealment (51333)
• Added Precision Ammo boxes. (52085, 52086, 52087)
• Added Armor Piercing Marksman Magazines and Armor Piercing Rifle Clips.
• Added Dual Pistol Magazine (51338)
• Added Fragmentation Rockets, Explosive Rockets, and Tandem Rockets. (52314, 52315, 52316)
• Added HMG Explosive Box. (51050)
• Added 12 Gauge Dragon's Breath. (52264)
• Added 12 Gauge Explosive Slugs (52263)
• Added Armored Structures.
• Added the Ballistic Shield. (51349)
• Added the Midnight Blade. (51348)
• Added the Consolidator. (52095)
• Added the Inferno Axe. (52260)
• Added the Halligan Bar. (52261)
• Added The Irons. (52262)
• Added the Lumberjack Maul. (52255)
• Added the Throwing Axe. (52246)
• Added the Treasure Magnet. (52091)
• Added the Double Hook. (52090)
• Added the Lucky Clover. (52092)
• Added many more new weapons, variants, and ammo types!
• Added many new paintings.
• Added various stylish suits. (52318-52327)
• Added Flight Helmet, Top, and Bottom. (52330-52332)
• Added Headlamp. (52336)
• Added some more NPCs.
• Many adjustments to NPC vendors, and added new quest rewards stores for Arthur, Cecilia, and Edward.
• Completely revamped fishing, adding better tables that can be caught from as well as unique items that affect drops.
• Reworked the chart to have better visual fidelity.
• Added more helpful tips to the loading screen.
• Fixed a few spots where players could clip inside map geometry.
• Many more bug fixes.

Read the Full Changelog

A6 Polaris

Polaris' v1.0.3.4 patch released last week, notably with a handful of balance tweaks.

• Re-added gun animations (they had to be removed a while ago).
• Updated Stereos billboard.
• Polaris Roses now give off a slight glow.
• Removed crafting truck from the safezone (should be a bit more exciting to get lotuses).
• Spread out existing spawns a bit more, andadded new ones (should be easier to escape spawn on crowded servers).
• Penumbra: reduced firerate from 7 to 8.
• Krizzy: reduced damage from 23 to 22.
• Tank Cannon: increased explosion radius from 5m to 8m.
• BVL Muzzle Brake: reduced recoil compensation from -10% by 50% (+5% absolute difference) to -5% (same as RAID's 5%).
• PMC Armor: is now not as obvious of a choice over SWAT/Merc, as you sacrifice movement speed & slots for extra protection.
• SWAT Armor: increased storage space, now same as PMC MK.II.

Read the Full Changelog

Elver

Elver had a small update last week.

• Certain glass objects now use a custom-made dithering shader.
• Increased no-build around Junction-67.
• Hay Bale is now sellable for 500NAZ (more worth than selling bundles/wheat).
• Increased mesh spawn rate at fire stations.
• Airdrops have been buffed.
• Melee is now any slot.
• Nightvision is now usable in 3rd person & does not replace glasses cosmetics.
• Mechanic skill is now limited to 2 levels and costs 2.5x more.
• Reduced Pallas DMG from 12 to 11 per pellet.
• Kick for skin color too similar to Elver's grass color

Read the Full Changelog

Buak

Buak had a small patch in September, which fixes a few bugs that had been reported recently, and lowers the stamina costs for many melee weapon heavy attacks.

• Corrected the item rarity for various spears.
• Changed the item rarity for the Kitchen Knife.
• Readjusted all melee weapon stamina costs.
• Knife and scrap spears now always cause player bleeding.
• Losing all experience on death.

Read the Full Changelog

Arid

Arid had a small patch in September, with a few bug fixes and other tweaks.

• Fixed skill loss on death!
• Added Covert Drum compatible with SL-VA and Vintar rifles.
• Buffed Technical HMG (DMG 37 48) and the Tank one (DMG 34 42) while also reducing the recoil a little bit.
• Buffed accuracy of the Plane mounted MG.
• Adjusted Pillow to remove fall damage when falling on it.
• Adjusted Painkillers and Multi-Splint to not re-equip after usage, but they don't jump around in inventory after usage.

Read the Full Changelog

[ 2024-10-17 16:01:34 CET ] [ Original post ]