Hello there!

Another month or so has gone by, which means it's time for Intel Report #017 to hit you with more dev news and previews for GROUND BRANCH V1034!

We've put a little time aside from development to let you know what's going on in the team, as well as showcase features — big and small — that are expected to drop before the end of the year. Chief among them are the first iterations of both the AI overhaul and the new prone stance, but there's plenty more to be excited about.

So let's get to it.

⚠️ This report is not an exhaustive list of V1034 features!

For the most up-to-date list of expected V1034 and later features, see our {LINK REMOVED}roadmap. You may also want to check out our Intel Reports for June (#015) and July (#016).

About a month ago, musician and sound designer Venus Theory did a YouTube stream where he composed and added music to various parts of GROUND BRANCH.



We were impressed with the result, so we reached out. You probably know where this is going already, but Venus Theory is now officially creating the soundtrack for the game — and we're all really excited to hear what he comes up with. Welcome to the team, Cameron! That's Venus Theory's real name. We keep it casual in here.

In other audio-related news, sound designer Zack is casting voice actors for various roles. If you happen to be an experienced voice actor with the following characteristics:

• Native speaker of English (American accent, male or female), Russian, Arabic or Spanish (male only)
  
• Age range 25–45

You can apply here.

💡 Music and new voice lines are not likely to be ready until V1035 or later.

Here's what Zack has been up to:

• Revamped environmental audio for all levels
  
• Updated weapons audio mix
  
• Further improved the spatial audio for all levels
  
• Designed and implemented audio for closing and putting away the laptop
  
• Created sound effects for the power box (light switch): electric hum when on + lever activation
  
• Designed and implemented the audio for the Galil ARM
  
• Finalized things needed for the ability to mod audio using Wwise

💡 Zack will be moving on soon to design audio for prone movement. Speaking of which…

Implementation of the new prone stance is going well, and we're at a point where it's fairly functional in-game. Here's a quick look:



If you're wondering why we're not showing more, it's because the rest is either broken or not yet gameplay-ready: things like transitioning into and out of prone, reloads and changing weapons/items are either pending implementation (the animations are ready, but not programmed to the character yet) or still need more work to function correctly.

But we're getting there!

💡 Always worth remembering that the initial implementation of any new feature is supposed to lay the groundwork for it, with improvements coming over time. Which is a way to say we're not sure exactly how polished prone will be when it releases, but it'll keep getting iterated on as we go.

Chris' work on the AI overhaul continues, and today we'll be taking a look at the cover system.

We're now using middleware Kythera AI's built-in cover generation system, which allows us to create different types of cover points. Here's what we have set up:

• Full cover: These designate points of cover that allow the AI to stand behind and either lean or step out to return fire. Shown as red and green rails in the video.
  
• Pop-up cover: Designate points where the AI can take cover by crouching behind and popping up to shoot. Shown as blue rails in the video.

https://youtu.be/wVQO67Z5Gxc

When an AI actor detects an enemy, a cover query is run. Different cover points are checked and evaluated (gray, red, orange and green cylinders and circles in the screenshots below) based on factors like distance to the enemy, whether the cover is available or reserved to another AI actor, and the relative angle to the enemy.

We've circled the gray cover points in yellow to make them easier to spot


The best cover is then selected and reserved for that specific AI actor to engage the enemy. In scenarios where cover is rare or already taken by another AI actor (e.g. an open field), we use Utility AI in conjunction with behavior trees. Utility AI calculates scores for various actions, enabling the AI to dynamically choose the most suitable action based on the current environment and context.

This ensures the AI can make more human-like decisions based on factors such as the proximity of the next cover spot. Depending on the situation, the AI can opt to flee, crouch, or go prone.

💡 We'll demo some more AI development in the next report!

Particle effects continue to be upgraded, and we feel like Charles' update to the breaching charge explosion deserves a highlight. This is all work-in-progress and subject to change (performance, performance) but check out how much the lingering smoke adds to the effect:



Charles has also been working on grenade explosion impacts for different surfaces (e.g. concrete vs. dirt), light fixture shot impacts, as well as polishing and fixing various other effects.

Following up on the radio pouch, all vest platforms (with the exception of the Ballistic Vest) have been set up with an accompanying push-to-talk (PTT) system.


It's a small thing that took a little too long to figure out and get done, but the whole radio setup really helps bring loadouts together visually. Worth it.

💡 Oh, right — we also got a checkers plaid pattern done for a more authentic flannel shirt look.

Programmer Callum has done amazing work turning the GROUND BRANCH SDK (essentially a heavily customized version of the Unreal Engine 4 editor with native GROUND BRANCH mod support) into reality, including liaising with Zack to get Wwise mod support working. If you've ever tried to mod sounds using Wwise before, you'll understand that this is a significant achievement!

There's a bit more work required to get everything properly integrated into the game, but we're still hoping for a V1034 debut for weapon mod creation using the SDK.

💡 Other kinds of modding (including whole map mods) will follow when we've got everything polished up more.

Fatmarrow has put together a new Hostage Rescue mission for Rig (with thanks to Prowlaz and Trav of UN1T for playtesting and suggestions), bringing your favorite PvP chaos to another maritime location. The action is centered around the living quarters area on Deck 3.

To better support Hostage Rescue, some changes were made to the living quarters area:

• Created door signage to make navigation and callouts easier
  
• Added power boxes so you can shut the lights off and make infiltrations more interesting/terrifying

But you can pause single player, or at least you should. GROUND BRANCH V1034 will finally freeze time and halt all action when you hit [Esc], so you can take a break from getting your ass kicked at any time during a Lone Wolf mission.

Night vision goggles — whether the AN/PVS-15 or the GPNVG-18 — have been setup to automatically be flipped up when the Tablet is equipped, so you can read the screen elements (particularly colors) better. They'll be flipped back down when you put the Tablet away. More than just a little usability upgrade, this also fixes the conflict between the FOV shifts present in both the NVG overlay and the Tablet viewing.

We've added a news helicopter to City that hovers around and maneuvers away if shot at. It's using placeholder animation for now, but here's the basic implementation:

https://youtu.be/UYDYz2ylSCU

💡 The underlying system implemented for the news helicopter may help with insertions (player and possibly AI) in the future.

V1034 will also be fixing a few smaller issues, including:

• Limiting FPS in the main menu to prevent system fans revving up
  
• Fixing IR Strobes flashing when NVG is turned off
  
• Improving the NVG overlay bounce effect to be less dependent of FPS (which caused it to gradually cover up the screen at lower framerates)

---

As always, thank you for reading and sticking with us through another update cycle. We'll see you next month with more news and sneak peeks!

💡 What are you most excited about V1034? Leave a comment and let us know!

As always, thank you for supporting GROUND BRANCH. We'll see you again next month!

Greetings, tactical realism aficionados.

We're a week into July, and it's about time we put out a new Intel Report for you with fresh dev news and more sneak peeks for upcoming release V1034 of GROUND BRANCH.

⚠️ This report is not an exhaustive list of V1034 features!

For the most up-to-date list of expected V1034 and later features, see our {LINK REMOVED}roadmap.
You may also want to check out last month's Intel Report #15 (June).

One of V1034's most notable features will be the first iteration of the highly anticipated prone stance, in which characters drop to the ground on their stomachs and move around by crawling.

Lead programmer Kris and animator Mike have spent a lot of time and effort navigating the considerable complexities of GROUND BRANCH’s true first person system, and the prone system is now ready for a little showcasing.

The media below is all very much work-in-progress/first pass, but here are a few shots straight from Kris:

Folks, it's real

And here are some quick and dirty captures of one of the pistol reload animations while prone:




The prone stance will offer the lowest profile, making you harder to spot and a smaller target in most situations, while also boosting weapon accuracy by providing the most stable of all three basic shooting stances (standing and crouched being the other two).

Here's the result of Mike sacrificing his IRL knees in the name of science hardcore vidya during last month's mocap session:



Though it comes with a stealth and accuracy bonus, prone is also the slowest stance — not just to move around, but also to perform actions such as reloading, changing weapons and equipment, and looking/aiming around. For reference, the prone pistol reloads above are roughly one second slower than the standing/crouched variant.

More upgrades to the animations will include equipping and stowing additional primary weapons on and off the character's back:


We're not disclosing too much at this time, but John has a smaller map project going called "Hideout". Here are some sneak peeks:


Any ideas about the possible setting or theme? Drop 'em in the comments!

In each update, we try to include some quality-of-life changes to make your gaming life a little easier — often based on community feedback. When it comes to mission setup, we have two new features coming to V1034 so far:

In game modes with randomized insertion/extraction points, search areas, hotspots etc., you can now click the 🔄 button on the Ops Board to "re-roll" them.

Don't like the choice of hotspot in your Terrorist Hunt game, or the search areas in Intel Retrieval? Not a fan of the Team Elimination spawns for the next round? Just click the button on the Ops Board (either in Lone Wolf or as a server admin) and see if you like the new picks better.

Feeling like you become the hostage way too often? Ugh. Do you want to place the flag in DTAS, but never get the chance? We feel your pain. That's why we're introducing a "volunteer" button to the Roster menu.

Simply click the button, and you'll be volunteering for any special role associated with the game mode. Only volunteers will then be considered for the special role. If no player volunteers, then the role is picked at random like before (though in all cases, game modes always try not to pick the same player in a row).

💡 Server admins will also be able to, well, "volunteer" other players. Is that a thing? Volunteering other people? *opens new browser tab*

A quality-of-life update of a slightly different kind is provided by a couple of new Advanced Video options.

We have received reports that the default red reticle, red laser dots, and the red search area and hotspot markers are very hard to see for people with color blindness (especially in the case of deuteranopia, which affects about 6% of males). In response, we're implementing two different schemes to try to assist people with color blindness of different types (and other visual impairments, hopefully).


Firstly, it is now possible to change the color of reticles, lasers, and search/hotspot markers to one of a range of different colors that different types and severities of color blindness may be more sensitive to (and thus have an easier time seeing).

Secondly, we have implemented a number of different extreme look-up tables to attempt to "correct" colors into a palette that is more visible for people with different types of color blindness. This may also shift the default red color of the reticles, lasers, and so on.

We hope that these measures provide at least some alleviation and/or aid for people with different types of visual impairment. We will of course keep an open mind as to other measures we could put in to assist with visual impairments, and we welcome your feedback.

💡 When color blindness corrections are active, a warning message is displayed on screen so that hopefully anyone seeing footage of it will not be confused as to why the colors have gone a bit awry.

The composition below shows the color correction schemes that are possible:

---

Speaking of quality of life, we have also managed to fix two very special bugs that you have no doubt grown to know and love:

• Being unable to set the enemy AI count ("Expected resistance") on the Ops Board
  
• Moving option sliders adding one (1) to the number that you wanted

Sorry we let those slip through, everyone.

Head and body cams are all the rage these days, and since we always wanted to make it a Spectator Mode camera, we're going ahead and adding a spectator helmet cam perspective in V1034. It may or may not eventually replace the regular first-person spectator camera, depending on feedback and practical implications.

Here's programmer Matt "Fatmarrow" Farrow testing his creation on The Farm's shoothouse:


In V1034, we're finally adding a radio pouch to all vest platforms. VOIP radio is a default feature in regular play, so the radio pouch is a fixed, non-removable item — though the former aspect isn't necessarily set in stone.


It's a small cosmetic update, but it adds some flavor to setups.

Grenade effects continue to be iterated on, and VFX artist Charles got to a nice spot with the frags.

Notice how the version below even has some small flying debris bouncing off the ground:


Cal, one of our programmers, has been making good progress on the GROUND BRANCH SDK and Steam Workshop integration.

He's already got a functioning test mod into Steam Workshop, and servers and clients will soon be able to download mod updates automatically from the Workshop. We are planning to stagger the development of the SDK so as not to delay updates: V1034 should see the addition of weapon mods, while maps and other kinds of modding will follow in later releases.

This should be exciting news to all modders and modding enthusiasts out there who have been having to hack their mods into GROUND BRANCH for a while now.

---

If you made it this far, give yourself a pat on the back and know that we do have favorites.

Don't forget to check out last month's report if you haven't already, and maybe check out our {LINK REMOVED}Discord community if you're not in there yet.

As always, thank you for supporting GROUND BRANCH. We'll see you again next month!

Patch 1033.3 is a stability/performance update for V1033.

We've done some cleanup that should result in a few crash fixes, as well as more stable framerates (less stuttering, mainly).

That's it!

---

{LINK REMOVED}Discord / {LINK REMOVED}Steam Community Hub / {LINK REMOVED}Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

Hey, everyone!

The Dev Blog is back with Intel Report #015, where we cover the first news for upcoming release V1034, as well as other dev team-related updates.

Let’s get straight to it.

We’re officially welcoming Elliot Burgess — a level designer and environmental artist with credits including Rising Storm 2: Vietnam and more recently Ready or Not — into the BlackFoot Studios team!

💡 Elliot is currently busy with early work on a new map called Ranch. If you have any guesses, drop it in the comments.

The first implementation of female characters, which have long been in the works, is fully confirmed to be in upcoming release V1034.

🚺 Some might recall that tactical shooter trailblazers Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon featured female operators all the way back in 1998 and 2001, respectively, and we are proud to maintain this tradition.

Because female characters are directly derived from the male counterparts, a lot of things remain to be re-fitted and may look janky, but we’re getting there.

As previously mentioned on the Steam forums and our Discord, there will be no significant gameplay benefits or drawbacks based on the sex of the character.

Our female operators wouldn’t be complete without some more authentic hairstyle options than a shaved head, so we’re finally bringing in a few ‘dos that will add an extra layer of customization — as well as some much needed variety — to all characters.

Here are a few samples:




Hairstyles would be a relatively simple thing to implement if it weren’t for all the headgear options: anything that isn’t a close buzzcut can cause clipping with hats, headsets and even helmets. The clipping requires various areas of different hairstyles to be “masked out” and programmed to be hidden only when combined with certain headgear items.

All of that takes a considerable amount of time, which is why we’re unsure just how many (or which) hairstyles will make it into V1034. But rest assured that they will all be making their way into the game eventually!

In addition to the existing 5 male characters and the previously showcased 5 female characters, contractor Pau Peñalver has created 2 new characters that will also be featured in V1034. Both were inspired by typically Middle Eastern and Mediterranean features:




Up until V1033, recoil animation was restricted to the weapon itself kicking back and up, with some minor secondary arm movement derived only from the hands being attached to it.

For V1034, our animator Mike is upgrading recoil with more secondary movements, which now include the head and upper body reacting to the kick.

💡 This iteration simply adds secondary animations: the actual recoil and underlying system will be upgraded at a later point to both look and feel more realistic.

This first pass will add 5 types or levels of recoil that correspond to: handguns have a 9 mm and a .45 recoil, most primary weapons have a “light”, “medium” and “heavy” recoil depending on caliber, and both machine guns have unique recoils — with the PKM being closer to the “heavy” recoil, and the MK46 to the “medium” one.

🏃 Motion capture

This week, Mike is also recording motion capture (mocap) for prone, weapon transitions (e.g. changing from primary to secondary and vice-versa), a new sprint, and some other assorted movements that are all expected to make V1034. Fingers crossed!

VFX artist Charles has spent the last couple of months refining the particles for muzzle effects, in special smoke and flash, while also adding some smaller details here and there. Muzzles will also generate more unique particles based on what type of weapon and muzzle device is being used.

🌫️ Next stop for Charles is smoke grenades.

We can confirm two new weapons for V1034 so far: the Galil ARM squad automatic weapon (5.56 NATO, 35-round magazine) and the SA58 OSW battle rifle (7.62 NATO, 20-round magazine).



Our partners have also built a new (and more typical) FAL, which will be replacing both the placeholder FAL Tactical (which was standing in for the SA58 OSW) and the FAL Vintage (a stand-in for a more old-school FAL).

New FAL model, seen here with optional top rail attachment

We also have an AUG A1 in its early stages. We wanted to offer modders a template for a bullpup weapon, and though bullpups aren’t very common in modern battlefields, the AUG is one of the more common types out there.

❌ The AUG A1 will not be in V1034, as Mike's to-do list is very much packed already — meaning no time to animate it. We just thought you'd like to know it's on the way.

Another classic GROUND BRANCH map has received a makeover by environment artist Will Bullen: MOUT training site Small Town.

This is less of a major overhaul (à la Depot) and more of a visual update to get it more in line with newer maps. It also officially establishes the map as a training site, linking it visually with The Farm.

💡 The layout for V1034's Small Town remains mostly unchanged.

Per community request, server admins will be able to disable the Ready Room’s shooting range in V1034. Enabling this server option will add a locked gate to the entrance:



Enemy AI has been moved over to the Kythera AI middleware, with immediate upgrades in both pathfinding and cover usage. We’ll be showing more once things are less under-the-hood and more visible to the player.

---

As always, we’re incredibly grateful for everyone’s continued support through GROUND BRANCH’s development. We’ll keep working hard on the update.

We’ll have a new report for you next month, so stay tuned. See ya then!

We wanted to get out a quick hotfix for a few gameplay issues introduced in the V1033.2 release from a few days ago.

CONTROLLER SUPPORT

• created controllers icons for Gamepad_LeftX, Gamepad_LeftY, Gamepad_RightX & Gamepad_RightY
  
• updated DefaultInput.ini
  
  • ensured controller shift and ctrl modifiers are bound.
    
  • ensured default controller bindings that use modifiers only use the shift and ctrl modifiers by defaults.
• updated widgets related to key and controller binding
  
  • added input events to catch mouse, gamepad left stick and face button down key events.
    
  • now be possible to bind to mouseX/Y, left stick X/Y and A button again.
    
  • ensured "Unbound" is displayed instead of "None" for a key that is not bound.
    
  • updated bind overlays to set the existing key so that cancelling out shows a valid key instead of unbound.
    
  • updated game pad bind overlay to hide modifiers that are not currently bound to a button.
    
  • added "X to cancel" message when binding buttons.
    
  • added warning dialogue that pops up if a controller modifier is cleared while still in use.

GAMEPLAY

• fixed bad laptop on aircraft stairs in SE apron in 747 Intel Retrieval
  
• added warning to kit restrictions UI to inform users that skins may additionally be permitted for fallback items defined in default loadout .kit files
  
• updated text for kit restrictions warning about default loadout files
  
• rejigged admin kit restrictions widget again to fix some text and change tooltip to GB version

As always, please let us know if and when issues arise and thank you for your continued support!

BUILD UPDATE #044: Patch V1033.2
Patch V1033.2 is now available, and (barring any subsequent hotfixes if needed) we anticipate that this is the last update for 1033. We've squashed lots of bugs, made tweaks in a lot of areas, and put things generally in order until the next update. Apologies if we didn't get round to fixing everything, but we will have another pass in V1034.

We are now turning our attention full-time to version 1034, which will have some exciting new features. See the #roadmap for more details (subject to change, as always). We will be in touch about that in due course!

⛔ IMPORTANT: Clear your old config files

If you are coming from V1032, have not played V1033 in a while, or are having issues with settings/graphics/audio, you need to delete all contents in the following locations (copy-paste these paths into your File Explorer address bar and hit Enter):

1. %LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor
   
2. Documents\GroundBranch

⚠️ Not doing so will cause various asset and input issues in your game, and may impact performance.

MAPS

• 747
  - Small optimization combining meshes in 747 interior
  - Updated audio volumes
  - Cleaned up a lot of Distance Field visual junk in 747 (plane interior)
  - Added skylight adjustment volumes to plane for more consistent interior lighting (night vs day)
  - Fixed issue with Power Station generator light not working with attached switch
  
• City
  - Fixed City subway light switch not working
  - Fixed double window pane
  
• Enabled 'Affect Translucent Lighting' in lights for better vfx illumination
  
• Docks
  - Fixed issue in Intel Retrieval where sometimes only 8 spawns would be available
  
• Storage Facility
  - Fixed missing collision exploit
  
• Tanker
  - Fixed issue in Intel Retrieval where only 8 spawns were available

GAMEPLAY/SYSTEMS

• Added fallback system for kit restrictions (shirt, pants and footwear now need a fallback skin defined)
  
• Rejigged inventory management system to fix some bugs and make inventory setting smoother internally
  
• Thrown grenades no longer block doors once they stop moving
  
• Replaced loading screen system with more robust and hopefully more bug-free system
  
• Internal changes relating to pouch handling to make more robust and to handle skins more consistently
  
• Removed a lot of debug logging

GRAPHICS

• Changed foliage.MinLOD to prevent trees from only showing the flat billboard up close, regardless of setting
  
• Fixed improper texture setting in base vehicle glass material
  
• Fixed front wheel that was inverted on Ural truck
  
• Rejigged the skylight override system (used in Storage Facility, Rundown and 747) for more consistent lighting results

INVENTORY / ANIMATION

• Removed erroneous dump pouches from various .kit files
  
• Fixed MK17 rate of fire (from 750 to 600)
  
• Fixed magnifier not being placable in front of an iron sight
  
• Updated logic regarding red dots and front sights posts (some red dots will work if they are similar in height to the front sight post)
  
• Fixed SVD bolt not animating properly
  
• Fixed bullets showing through magazines
  
• Default item builds (weapons, vests, etc) updated across the board
  
• Fixed M24 looping ejection FX
  
• Fixed M24 floating shells during reload / bolt rack
  
• Fixed shadow not showing up for NVG mount
  
• Fixed some bad json syntax in default loadouts

CONTROLS

• Created dedicated keybind/hotkey for the IR Illuminator (AN/PEQ-15): default key is 8, but we recommend setting it to a mouse button if available
  
• Ensured that all Keyboard/Mouse keybinds were also available under the Controller tab (Settings › Controls)
  
• Fixed hard coded bindings to controller modifiers
  
• Fixed bad controller modifier action names
  
• Fixed missing controller icons for left/right stick movements

UI

• Added UI to indicate to players when kit restrictions have invalidated parts of their loadout
  
• More info on kit restrictions displayed in character editor
  
• Minor UI cleanup/style pass (location/time/night conditions section in TOD dialog, restricted items dialog content)
  
• Added legend to inventory bar to inform players of how to close it (RMB), and minor style tweaks
  
• Updated controls screen:
  - Added IR Illuminator keybind
  - Minor text tweaks to a few keybinds for extra info/clarity (e.g. reticle brightness also controlling illuminator mode)
  - Added gamepad binds for actions that were only listed under KB/M
  - Increased size of keybind icons
  - Added minimum height to bind entries to prevent the lack of an icon from collapsing the height
  - Changed color and style of the "None" entry
  
• Repositioned spectator overlay options to be a little higher on the screen so it's harder to miss
  
• Added/updated mission selection thumbnails for most maps
  
• Attempting to change a local player element via the server player list should also work for admins in all cases
  
• New entry in credits for Rangda (Additional Media)
  
• Changed default MaxChatMessages from 12 to 10 and default ChatDisplayTime from 15 to 10

VFX

• Muzzle particle effects (smoke, casings, etc) switched to Niagara system and tweaked some more
  
• Updated non-9mm based firearms to either use 45ACP or 556 as their shell impact type
  
• Made sunlight and moonlight affect translucent lighting, for better smoke and other vfx lighting
  
• Disabled the emitters for the muzzle shockwave (which kicks up secondary dust)
  
• Stun effect reworked, hopefully also fixing audio issues

SOUND

• Some native UE4 sound calls moved to wwise
  
• Updated reverb for weapons
  
• Fixed missing scope zoom sound
  
• Tentative bug fixes relating to audio bank manager
  
• Miscellaneous minor audio tweaks
  
• Tweaked footsteps
  
• Fixed missing weapons bank for Farm

---

{LINK REMOVED}Discord / {LINK REMOVED}Steam Community Hub / {LINK REMOVED}Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

Build Update #043 is another hotfix update for V1033.

More fixes are on the way, but we didn't want to hold these back while the rest is being worked on — so keep reading for today's patch notes, and expect further updates before we wrap up V1033 for good!

⛔ IMPORTANT: Clear your old config files

If you are coming from V1032, have not played V1033 in a while, or are having issues with settings/graphics/audio, you need to delete all contents in the following locations (copy-paste these paths into your File Explorer address bar and hit Enter):

1. %LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor
   
2. Documents\GroundBranch

⚠️ Not doing so will cause various asset and input issues in your game, and may impact performance.

💡 The various skylight override changes should more reliably prevent enemy AI from visually detecting players in the dark.

• Fixed a few distance field rendering issues
  
• Added skylight override volume to plane and boosted skylight levels, so plane now darker inside but with softer shadows outside

• Fixed bad material setting for some traffic barrels that made them black while in shadow
  
• Cleaned up some meshes culling out to early
  
• Fixed issues with some meshes that got shifted

• Fixed hallway spatial volume bug
  
• Fixed a few meshes culling too early in compound area
  
• Fixed a bush type using its billboard as the base mesh on lowest foliage settings

• Fixed not being able to enter a clearly open building due to using wrong concrete edging
  
• Removed nav links that were added erroneously to entrance ways of same building
  
• Tagged roller doors as no cover, as some were being considered as valid cover when they should not be
  
• Tweaked navmesh and updated cover
  
• Cleaned up perimeter collision

• Tweaked audio: updated audio volumes and added proper sound portals to windows

• Fixed Terrorist Hunt mission to fix some bad AI spawns and guard points
  
• Changed skylight overrides so tunnel now has zero skylight, so it's pitch black even with NVG both day and night
  
• Fixed a bush type using its billboard as the base mesh on lowest foliage settings

• Fixed missing geo in interior doorframe

• Fixed AN/PEQ-15 IR Illuminator setting the laser variable instead of illuminator variable
  
• Fixed crash caused by invalid date in EncodeTimeOfDayDateString() (now validates date before attempting to use and returns mock date if invalid)
  
• Tentative crash fix in gamemode Lua package
  
• Tentative crash fix relating to timers firing after world has changed
  
• Improved handling of vectors from Lua
  
• Tidying up various Lua libraries
  
• Fixed missing MK46 sounds
  
• Fixed missing bones in skinning for MK18 and HK416 CQB that was causing a crash
  
• Updated door blueprint to ensure acoustic portals are opened/closed when door is reset or destroyed
  
• Fixed small bug in Terrorist Hunt and Intel Retrieval game modes when bum rush timer is called with 0 AI or 0 players alive
  
• Completely overhauled skylight override BP to take into account need to call SetMinLightLevel() for all players and AI on server
  
• Removed dog barks from Main Menu

---

{LINK REMOVED}Discord / {LINK REMOVED}Steam Community Hub / {LINK REMOVED}Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

Hey all,

Just another friendly reminder that GROUND BRANCH is 30% OFF on the Steam Spring Sale until March 23rd, which means you have less than 3 days to either grab your first copy, some extra gift keys, or simply let your friends that don't own GB yet know about the sale.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/16900/GROUND_BRANCH/

💛 Consider buying from the GROUNDBRANCH.com store!

Please consider grabbing your discount key straight from our website so we get the full cut of the sale! Head over to the {LINK REMOVED}GB Store and use code SPRING2023 at the checkout.

› Please note our store requires a PayPal account and is USD-only, so there's no regional pricing.

This is our last planned sale while Early Access lasts, so this is as cheap as the game will get for the foreseeable future. Remember your support keeps the development of GROUND BRANCH going!

Have a great week!

Build Update #042 is a little hotfix update to fix some immediate issues discovered and/or introduced in yesterday's V1033.1 patch, with a few other fixes thrown in the mix.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/16900/GROUND_BRANCH/

This is our last planned sale while Early Access lasts, so this is as cheap as the game will get for the foreseeable future. Don't miss the chance to snag some gift keys or convince some of your buddies to hop aboard the tacticool train. Your support keeps the development of GROUND BRANCH going!

💛 Consider buying from the GROUNDBRANCH.com store!

Please consider grabbing your discount copy straight from our website so we get the full cut of the sale! Head over to the {LINK REMOVED}GB Store and use code SPRING2023 at the checkout.

› Please note our store requires a PayPal account and is USD-only, so there's no regional pricing.

⛔ IMPORTANT: Clear your old config files

If you are coming from V1032, have not played V1033 in a while, or are having issues with settings/graphics/audio, you need to delete all contents in the following locations (copy-paste these paths into your File Explorer address bar and hit Enter):

1. %LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor
   
2. Documents\GroundBranch

⚠️ Not doing so will cause various asset and input issues in your game, and may impact performance.

• Updated Depot:
  
  
  • Fixed not being able to climb out of between train cars right next to platform (in front of the munitions building)
    
  • Fixed building decal extending past roof line
    
  • Set directional light's Transition Fraction to default (0.1) to remove sharp shadow transition line
• Updated Docks:
  
  
  • Added missing stairs and door to one of the buildings
    
  • Fixed floating pallets
    
  • Added missing AI navlinks to one of the warehouses
    
  • Tweaked AI navmesh
    
  • Regenerated AI covers
• Fixed light switch in Storage Facility being dark/unlit
  
• Big cleanup of video settings: made sure settings apply correctly, fixed incorrect "restart required" prompt for settings that don't require restarting the game, re-enabled SSR when using DLSS, and more
  
• Improved the handling of light and laser activation when playing online, most noticeable when double-tapping to leave them constantly on (should no longer be finicky)
  
• Fixed issue with MK25 reload animation
  
• Adjusted vote map button (on the Match Info board in the Ready Room) to fit text better and break lines if too long
  
• Removed Ready Room prototype level from builds
  
• Various under-the-hood fixes and improvements

---

{LINK REMOVED}Discord / {LINK REMOVED}Steam Community Hub / {LINK REMOVED}Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

It's never a bad day for a patch and a discount in our book, so we're putting those two things together to add just a bit of razzle-dazzle to your Thursday:


https://store.steampowered.com/app/16900/GROUND_BRANCH/

💛 Consider grabbing your discount copy straight from us so we get the full cut of the sale! Head over to the {LINK REMOVED}GB Store and use code SPRING2023 at the checkout.

› Please note our store requires a PayPal account and is USD-only, so there's no regional pricing.

We have also put together a little V1033 launch trailer — sure, it's a little late, but it's pretty slick and done just in time to help promote the sale a bit:

⛔ IMPORTANT: CLEAR YOUR OLD FILES

If you are coming from V1032 or have not downloaded a Community Test build in a while, you need to delete all contents in the following locations (copy-paste these paths into your File Explorer address bar and hit Enter):

1. %LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor
   
2. Documents\GroundBranch

⚠️ Not doing so will cause various asset and input issues in your game, and may impact performance.

• Fixed missing M24 reload sound
  
• Fixed missing PMM slide sound effects
  
• Fixed, rearranged and renamed Audio settings:
  
  
  • "Channels" renamed to Channel Configuration
    
  • "HRTF" option renamed to Spatial (HRTF) and moved to the more appropriate Channel Configuration menu
    
  • "Dynamic Range" renamed to Audio Mix
    
  • Renamed options in the Audio Mix menu to reflect the settings (explained in the [?] tooltip)
• Added warning dialog when switching to Surround 5.1 or Surround 7.1
  
• Occlusion update and audio mixes updated

🔇 Broken sounds? Make sure you got your audio settings right

Due to the audio overhaul in V1033, a number of players are having issues with missing sounds or bad directional audio.

To avoid this issue, please make sure you're using the correct Channel Configuration for your hardware in Settings › Audio. For most players, this should be either Stereo 2.1 or (if you're using headphones) Spatial (HRTF).

If you have Surround 5.1- or Surround 7.1-compatible hardware and drivers, please ensure that these are enabled in your system/software if you intend to use either setting in-game.

• Changed "Reticle Brightness Up/Down" actions (default Home and End keys) to only affect reticle brightness when aiming down sights (ADS), and only affect the AN/PEQ-15's IR Illuminator mode (wide flood vs. focused beam) when that is toggled on
  
• Fixed votes that pass instantly (when they shouldn't) and voting widgets that don't disappear when the vote is done
  
• Hostage Rescue: fixed hostage players being able to use radio if they started using it before being assigned the hostage role
  
• Set it so Breaching Charges don't damage restrained hostages (possibly temporary fix for exploit where hostages are held against doors to block them)
  
• Increased vaulting/climbing height from 125 cm to 140 cm (helps with some areas that previously allowed it, like the subway platforms in City)
  
• Changed default Bolt Action setting to "Manual" (Settings › Controls)
  
• Fixed up doors and ladders:
  
  
  • Fixed issue where AI would abort door or ladder usage without removing themselves as a user
    
  • Tweaked door and ladder code to remove issues with lists not being up to date or called out of order etc.
    
  • Fixed possible crash related to occupier or user being killed between initial validation and sort
    
  • Optimization to stop AI attempting to move onto navmesh when they are already on the navmesh
    
  • AI will abort using doors on spotting players
    
  • Fixed possible crash if user or their pawn somehow became invalid during the function call
• Fixed UGBKitFunctionLibrary::KitDump() thinking rejected valid .json objects and accepting invalid ones — possibly a crash fix
  
• Updated Character class: added validity checks, optimized and fixed log spam about client-side authoritive item
  
• Resurrect command:
  
  
  • Added res to DefaultZooKeeper.ini as valid command and default command for admins
    
  • Added logging and client messages that handle one or all players in one place (greatly reduces log spam)
    
  • Changed usage of GetActorEyesViewPoint() to GetPlayerViewPoint(), to get proper viewpoint even for spectators
    
  • Fixed death location not being used when determining nearest player
    
  • Ignores newly spawned characters when considering them for res near (thus ignoring characters probably spawned by resurrect)
    
  • Uses bottom of capsule when using character as res location as it is closer to the navmesh (should help reduce chances of thinking navmesh above is close then one at same level)
    
  • Attempts 5 different distances in 6 different directions
    
  • Does a quick collision check against ECC_WorldDynamic and ECC_WorldStatic to make sure they don't spawn behind a wall or similar
• Fixed "First To X" and "Play Until Win X" match types behaving like "Play X" types

• Cleaned up some ladder and cover issues
  
• Added ability to get into open catering truck

• Updated City and City (Streets) Terrorist Hunt missions to move AI out of a van
  
• Updated soundscape, obstruction and occlusion settings
  
• Fixed light portal issue
  
• Fixed skylight staying on when you spawn in subway tunnels
  
• Cleaned up some reflection capture issues
  
• Fixed a few meshes culling out too early

• Set directional lights Transition Fraction to default (0.1) to remove sharp transition line
  
• Reduced intensity of opacity mask dithering on grass billboards
  
• Enabled dynamic shadows on a few crop meshes

• Fixed spawn protection zone in Hostage Rescue mission overlapping into garage ground floor
  
• Updated warehouse door to avoid colliding with geometry
  
• Slightly tweaked AI navmesh and extended it over beach area
  
• Added stack up locations to several doors to help AI navigate them better
  
• Improved the look of backdrop building windows at night
  
• Remade a backdrop building that was using unique textures; uses existing ones now
  
• Added billboard LODs to gorse bushes

• Added blocking volumes around water areas
  
• Added water physical material to ocean
  
• Fixed a few collision problems

• Updated navmesh slightly and regenerated cover due to changes

• Removed navblocks from Terrorist Hunt mission (was causing weird AI pathing)
  
• Reworked audio (WIP)

• Fixed bad spawns in DTAS mission
  
• Navmesh cleaned up and extended over to spawn area
  
• Blocked areas such as the cliffs, out-of-bounds sections and on top of blocking volumes
  
• Added billboard LODs to gorse bushes
  
• Fixed bad spawn(s) in train car (Deathmatch and Last Man Standing missions)

• New door textures
  
• Fixed gaps in hull
  
• Fixed collision issues
  
• Material tweaks, including tweaking roughness on exterior and interior materials to reduce how shiny they are
  
• Decreased contrast of DFAO as areas on deck became really dark at sunset
  
• Tweaked placement of seagulls

• Removed reflection captures to fix bad character lighting in shadows

• Created Black and FDE MK17 CQC/DMR magazine items
  
• Fixed Rail Adapter being offset on the SVD
  
• Fixed fire selector switch not being properly skinned on the Wz.88
  
• Removed "invisible" iron sights from M24

• Fixed being able to click on another server by accident after filling in password
  
• Fixed sorting servers by password or favorite
  
• Updated visuals for After-Action Reports (AAR) and Match Info board UI elements
  
• Added logic to hide "[YOUR TEAM]" tag on the AAR for PvE modes
  
• Changed color of "Invite Friends" button icon from yellow to GB green
  
• Customize Operator screen: minor update to hover/pressed appearance of various item slots and entries, highlighted "Profile" (player name) slot further, and slightly tweaked "Patches" slot paddings
  
• Minor style pass on Settings › Audio menu
  
• Cleaned up and improved various tooltip texts
  
• Consistency style/formatting pass on a few UI elements: vote pop-up, Match Info board and travel failure dialog
  
• Changed Spectator Mode's minimap blips to use palette colors
  
• Updated Vote dialog: limited max height and added text clipping property to prevent massive text strings/spam breaking the design
  
• Quick visual pass on Match Info board widgets to hopefully look a little better
  
• Quick visual pass on Mission Clock widget
  
• UI/UX cleanup on Settings › Video to account for changes
  
• Changed advanced video setting "Shadow Precision" to "Shadow Quality" to better represent what it does

• Enabled r.SeparateTranslucency again as it wasn't saving any performance
  
• Removed Shadow Distance Scale from settings as it was also controlled in main shadow settings
  
• Small tweaks to TAA settings to be more appropriate options
  
• Made sure Distance Field Ambient Occlusion (DFAO) is enabled for "Low" Shadow Quality
  
• Further tweaks to scalability settings so Shadow Quality on "Low" looks a little nicer
  
• Renamed advanced video setting "Light Shaft Quality" to "Light Shafts" to better reflect its on/off choice
  
• Added logic to ensures Screen Space Reflections (SSR) are only used with TAA or DLAA
  
• Ensured Screen Space Global Illumination (SSGI) advanced video settings only work when SSGI is enabled
  
• Updated DLSS menu to only show supported modes instead of prompting whenever a bad mode is selected
  
• Ensure Anti-Aliasing (AA) is disabled while DLSS is enabled
  
• Cleaned up console variables in DefaultEngine.ini that were also controlled in DefaultScalability.ini
  
• Cleaned up/removed all scalability-related settings from advanced video settings (superfluous and/or ambiguous)

• Tweaked bird flock radius: reduce its size and increased the attraction radius to keep the birds properly flocking
  
• Tweaked NVG effect to make pixel noise more uniform and not distributed in separate bars
  
• Ensured bullet impact VFX enabled for standalone and listen server ("Host Game") hosts

🐞 Known issues

• The Resurrect command appears to work only via console; we recommend typing admin res all in console to quickly resurrect everyone where they died (alternatively, res near works in all places)
  
• Issues with kit in Hostage Rescue mode are still being worked on, and very occasional spawning errors still occur
  
• Weapon restrictions don't always work for related reasons

Let us know how this patch works — we got at least one more coming before the whole team has moved on to work on V1034. As always, thanks for your feedback and support, and we'll see you on the next update!

---

{LINK REMOVED}Discord / {LINK REMOVED}Steam Community Hub / {LINK REMOVED}Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook