Hey, everyone!

Thank you for your patience and support while we worked on the latest update for GROUND BRANCH V1034. Though this has been a tough testing and debugging season thanks to major system changes — particularly AI and animations — the official release is now among us!

🗒️ For a detailed list of changes, please see our patch notes for the V1034 Community Test releases over the last few months here.

For the non-masochists among us, keep reading as we have a more readable summary of the main changes to the game since our last main release (V1033). But first:

⛔ IMPORTANT: Clearing your old files is recommended!

If you are coming from V1033 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):

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

⚠️ Not doing so will cause various asset and input issues in your game.

Once you've updated to V1034 and launched GROUND BRANCH, you'll be greeted with a new pop-up dialog that lets you choose between running the game in either DX11 (the default option we've always had) or DX12 mode (previously available only via the -dx12 launch parameter).



DX12 (DirectX 12) mode is required to use the new NVIDIA DLSS 3 Frame Generation video setting, which users of GeForce RTX 40-series GPUs will benefit from in terms of framerates. If you're one such user, here's how to enable it:

• Launch GROUND BRANCH in DX12 mode
  
• Go to Settings ► Video
  
• Under the "Video" section, look for NVIDIA DLSS 3 Frame Generation and select "On" from the dropdown menu
  
• Apply the new settings

💡 Users of different graphics cards may experience improved performance from running GROUND BRANCH in DX12 mode, regardless of the DLSS 3 Frame Generation setting. We recommend everyone to try it out and see how their system reacts.

The user interface and general user experience have received a number of updates in V1034, with multiple new options introduced. Here are some of the main changes to look out for:

• Pressing [Esc] during single player sessions will now pause the game
  
• Added a headcam-style camera to Spectator Mode, also accessible as a debug camera ([Ctrl]+[↑])
  
• The portion of the Gameplay settings dedicated to on-screen elements has been split into the new HUD menu
  
• Colorblindness settings have been added to Settings ► Video (Advanced)
  
• The Server Browser now features an expanded info box (listing players per team, as well as active mods) when a server is clicked
  
• The Ops Board in the Ready Room now has a ↻ button to re-randomize objectives and insertion points
  
• Players can now volunteer for game mode-specific roles — such as the hostage (Hostage Rescue) or flag carrier (DTAS) — by clicking the Volunteer button next to their name in the Session Roster
  
• Servers can now allow friendly name tags in-game: these only appear when the player is pointing at a teammate from within a certain range; you can disable this feature for yourself in Settings ► HUD
  
• Callsign patches will now be displayed on the back of Headgear items
  
• The Mission Editor was updated, and validators now check for collision and navmesh issues
  
• Skin selection now features standardized swatch-like icons, especially useful for previewing camo patterns

• More comprehensive server admin options/settings, including the option to restart a server in-game and to schedule server restarts for particular times of day
  
• Server admins can now lock (disable) the Ready Room test shooting range

• A plethora of optimizations to various maps and game systems
  
• Cleaned up various UI elements to improve readability, formatting and consistency
  
• A load of bug fixes, including not being able to change the enemy count via Ops Board

We have now made the switch to the Kythera AI middleware, replacing the stock Unreal Engine 4 AI system. We had paused AI development in a less-than-ideal state for a few updates in anticipation of this change, but luckily nobody noticed or brought it up ever.

Kythera is not a complete AI solution, but a tool that allows us to implement AI in more flexible and effective ways. We still had to do a whole ton of work behind the scenes to get everything working properly, and a lot of work remains as we'll explain further.

💡 Thanks in particular to Chris, who has cemented his reputation as our official AI guy, and to Kythera for working closely with us and helping iron out the odd AI wrinkle.

You will notice a wide variety of changes in how the AI behaves. Overall, the AI should now be more "life-like" and more challenging in some aspects, but without having as much of an aimbot feel to them. AI senses (sight and hearing) have been continually tweaked, and benefit from improved pathing and more sophisticated actions: AI will return fire and take cover as before, but they may now crouch and go prone in certain contexts (e.g. lack of nearby cover), use suppressive fire to keep players pinned down, form spontaneous squads, hold close to guard points (as close as mission designers specify), react to dead bodies, and use a few more call-outs.

At lower difficulty levels, AI will now also fire tracers — with higher frequency at lower skill levels — and have more frequent muzzle flash effects to help less hardcore players figure out where they're being shot from.

https://youtu.be/-0NQznSKII0

Stance and movement should also have a greater impact on detection, so be sure to move slowly and keep a low profile if you're trying to be sneaky.

Missions have also been given a once-over to check specifically for collision and navmesh issues, so the AI should now flow around maps more easily in existing missions.

💡 One important aspect of AI presentation still missing is more varied animations, as the lack of specific motions to convey all the different AI behaviors makes bots retain a lot of their "roboticness". The lack of natural "idle" animations also contributes to this.

We'll of course continue to iterate on that an other aspects of AI as things progress, including providing friendly AI support (that is, AI teammates) as well as more sophisticated and natural-looking enemy AI.

New voice lines are also recorded and waiting to be implemented in a future update cycle.


Prone (a.k.a. lying on the ground) has been on our to-do list for a while, but we didn't want to do it until we could do it right™. After another extensive and necessary under-the-hood overhaul to support the new stance, it is now in and working thanks to the combined efforts of Kris and Mike.

There are still some kinks to work out, but even so, we think we have created a solid base to build upon. Here's how it currently works:

• To toggle between your current stance and prone, hit the Prone key (default [Z])
  
• Going prone while sprinting will perform a dive
  
• Pressing Jump while prone will immediately switch to standing, regardless of your stance before going prone
  
• Once prone, you will not be able to aim beyond a limited horizontal arc, while vertical aiming will be limited by the ground at the bottom and a fairly modest upwards angle
  
• Pressing any movement key while looking/aiming off to either side will rotate your character in place to align their lower body with their upper body
  
• You can crawl in all directions by using your movement keys. You can crawl faster by holding the Run key (default [Shift])

While prone, the limited aiming angles require rotating your character to cover different areas

By assigning keys to the new Stance Up and Stance Down keybinds, you may also use an alternative control scheme that sequences between Standing ↔ Crouched ↔ Prone instead of transitioning directly to/from prone.

Keep in mind!

❌ Going prone will interrupt certain actions, such as reloading — if you hit the dirt while reloading, make sure you have a magazine in the well and a round in the chamber!

❌ Most actions (shooting, reloading, changing items etc.) will interrupt movement while prone, and you cannot start crawling while these actions are being performed.

❌ While prone, you're also unable to perform most world interactions, such as opening doors, deploying breaching charges or interacting with mission objectives.

❌ You will not be able to go prone if there's not enough room for your character's full body length.

• Characters now react to weapon recoil against their upper body when firing
  
• Death animations have been created for crouched and prone stances
  
• Death animations from the standing position received some polish as well
  
• Leaning now uses actual poses that look more natural
  
• The Breaching Charge now has an animation for setting up the charge on doors, as well as for triggering the detonator
  
• Switching weapons got a polish pass
  
• Improved animations and hand poses for AK-type rifles
  
• Hand poses in general — such as how your character holds grenades — were also slightly updated
  
• Lastly, animations and poses were created for the new and updated weapons (we'll get to those!)

🐞 Your character's support (left) arm will bend in unnatural ways when moving while holding various primary weapons with no foregrip equipped. This is due to the animation rework and will be fixed in a point release.

Another notable addition to gameplay is the Focus Zoom ability. As the name suggests, it allows you to zoom in on your sight picture, giving reticles and targets more pixels to work with on your screen and making ranged shots a better experience.

Focus Zoom is bound to Hold [Ctrl] by default (same key as Steady Aim) but can be changed in Settings ► Controls.

💡 Keep in mind that the Focus Zoom function will disengage if you move, or if you move your weapon too fast.

We are very pleased to welcome playable female characters to the Ready Room, in the spirit of the classic Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six games that inspired GROUND BRANCH.



The addition also encouraged us to finally get some hairstyles implemented, and so we did. Here's what's new:

• 7 new characters (Females 01–06 and Male 06), selectable under the APPEARANCE tab
  
• 4 male hairstyles (Crew Cut A, Crew Cut B, Caesar Cut and Long Cut) under the new HAIR tab
  
• 4 female hairstyles (Straight Bun, Textured Bun and Buzzcut) under the new HAIR tab
  
• 1 new beard style (Short Beard) under the FACIAL HAIR tab

💡 Additional hairstyles and customization options (such as hair color) will follow in future updates.

In addition to a big revision of gear and outfit skins to look more authentic and consistent, a handful of new skins were also created for the following items:

• Tactical Pants: Coyote Brown
  
• Ball Cap / Ball Cap (Reverse): DCP / AOR-1 / M81
  
• Boonie Hat / Boonie Hat (Folded): UCP
  
• Helmet (HC): OCP / AOR-1 / AOR-2
  
• Headset: Foliage Green

A new version of the Flannel Shirt with the popular "Buffalo plaid" pattern was also added in 8 different colors.

💡 The old pattern shirt is still available — we renamed it Light Flannel Shirt.

🏳️ In case you missed the Intel Report and discussion: most country flag patches have been removed from the game. More details in this post.

SA58 OSW (top) and Galil ARM (bottom)

As is tradition in our main releases, V1034 introduces a few new blasters to the armory:

• SA58 OSW battle rifle ([Battle Rifle / DMR / Sniper Rifle] category)
  This modernized, highly compact version of the FAL battle rifle features multiple accessory rails. Magazine capacity is 20 rounds of 7.62 mm NATO ammunition. Can be fitted with a suppressor.
  
• Galil ARM automatic rifle ([Machine Gun] category)
  A 5.56 mm NATO rifle created for the squad automatic weapon role, the Galil ARM can fit either 35- or 50-round magazines.
  
• FAL battle rifle ([Battle Rifle / DMR / Sniper Rifle] category)
  The FAL with wooden furniture (based on the very rare FAL G-series) last seen in V1033 as the FAL (Vintage) is now replaced with a more appropriate and far more common variant fitted with a polymer stock and handguard. It still fires 7.62 mm NATO ammunition from a 20-round magazine.

💡 The MPX 9 mm submachine gun has also been updated with a new model.

A radio pouch and PTT (push-to-talk) module are now a fixed part of most Platform items in the game, with the exception of the Ballistic Vest. While mostly a cosmetic addition that helps build up the characters visually and get players more immersed, the radio pouch has taken the place of a customizable pouch slot in some platforms — so keep that in mind when re-creating your builds. The presence of the radio system on your character has otherwise no gameplay effect.


Official GROUND BRANCH modding is… coming. Callum has put in a lot of work to create an SDK (Software Development Kit) for the game, and a lot of the internals of the game have been rejigged to facilitate the use of third-party mods via Steam Workshop.

We still have some hoops to jump through before we can officially release the SDK, but that should be sorted soon and allow the release in a V1034 point release (patch).

💡 Initial SDK release will include the ability to add new weapons, with further modding coming later.

• The classic Small Town map has been extensively overhauled by Will, who returns to the team after a brief hiatus
  
• The Farm has had cosmetic updates to bring it into consistency with (and indeed proximity to) Small Town — canonically establishing both maps as part of the same training complex in Camp Peary
  
• City was extended with a fun new bank area and a few other new enterable buildings
  
• Lots of other maps have had touch-ups and plenty of bug fixes here and there

We are also laying the groundwork for more interactive and interesting maps and missions. For example, Compound now has a call to prayer at (approximately) correct astronomically-based times of day. City is now overseen by a nosey news helicopter that can be scared away with sprays of gunfire. And now that players can crawl underwater in prone, Creek and various other maps have been outfitted with brand new underwater effects.

🐞 The animation for City's helicopter bailing out may not be playing correct. We're looking into it.

Missions have also been tweaked, bug-fixed, and in some cases new missions have been added. Rig now sports a new Hostage Rescue mission set in the accommodation block, for example, and new mission variants for Hostage Rescue and Terrorist Hunt have been created for City.

💡 With the new AI and prone capability, even existing missions may play quite differently from V1033 — give them a try!

V1034 launches with the return of the Defuse game mode, now also available in co-op.

In Defuse, you'll race against the clock to defuse a number of explosives around the mission area, guarded of course by AI enemies.

• The default amount of explosives to defuse is 2, with the default timer at 15 minutes and a default defuse time of 10 seconds per bomb. These can all be customized via Ops Board before deploying.
  
• To defuse a bomb, look at the LED display and hold Use/Interact (default [F]) when the prompt appears. You should see a progress bar filling up in LED display.
  
• Throw a careless grenade or shoot wildly at the bombs and you may find yourself making a lot of new friends.

💡 The Extraction game mode — essentially a PvE version of Hostage Rescue — is slated for a V1034 point release (a small update or patch), building on the new AI and animation work. Stay tuned for updates on this as well.

While we're talking game modes, the laptop in Intel Retrieval is now automatically grabbed and put away after finishing the search — just a little streamlining to make things less redundant and frustrating.

🐞 Due to changes in underlying systems, Hostage Rescue is in a work-in-progress (WIP) state, with some bugs remaining in relation to leading and restrained behaviors. However, the core gameplay should still work (including the new Volunteer function).

In addition to all of the sound work done to support prone movement, the new weapons and female voice lines (via Comms Menu), audio was also updated in these areas:

As announced in Intel Report #017, we have partnered up with composer and sound designer Venus Theory, who is authoring the soundtrack for GROUND BRANCH. This release already features a few of his tracks in the main menu, transition screens, and the Ready Room. We're excited to hear your thoughts on them!

• Optimized audio occlusion and diffraction when inside buildings
  
• Indoor audio now reacts to whether a door is open or closed (this can now be expanded to account for the material of the room/building)
  
• Fixed missing ambient sounds for all maps
  
• Updated attenuation for various distances to provide more spatial awareness and distance for varying sounds

🐞 When playing online, The Farm does not play audio for various actions. We have been unable to fix this so far, but are working on it.

• Power boxes now have a distinctive electric "hum" when active, and will also play a sound when switching the lever on/off

🐞 In some cases, the hum will not play at the start of an online round.

• Added localized beeping and explosion SFX for Defuse's bombs, as well as sound effects for closing and putting away Intel Retrieval's laptop
  
• Implemented and fine-tuned news helicopter audio and attenuation (City)

Updated overall mix for gunshots, reloads, character foley and environment:

• Character movement (e.g. footsteps) now sounds quieter and more balanced in the mix
  
• Reloads are less sharp and overpowering compared to other sounds
  
• Gunshots are slightly less loud in general, with suppressed gunshots now also being slightly quieter than their unsuppressed counterparts
  
• Weapon sounds now have more room reverb compared to the environmental audio and character movement

Visual effects have been generally reworked in V1034:

• Blood splatter on surfaces has been re-introduced, with new decals created
  
• Grenade effects and bullet impacts
  
  
  • New particles for smokescreen and frag explosions were created
    
  • New material-based bullet impacts were added
    
  • Various props and materials not displaying correct bullet impacts were fixed
• Muzzle and weapon effects
  
  
  • Muzzle flash and smoke have all been updated, and a shockwave effect was added
    
  • Ejection ports now also generate smoke when shooting
• Light fixture effects
  
  
  • Outdoor light fixtures now attract bugs at night
    
  • Shooting out lights now generates sparkle particles
    
  • Most light fixtures now have a proper "destroyed" version when shot out

Frag explosion


Light bugs


Light fixture destruction

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By the time you're done reading this, we're already fixing pending issues and on the lookout for reports like a pack of airport security dogs.

We'll most likely push the first patch (V1034.1) in about a week, so give this build a good kick in the tires and let us know if you find any bugs we haven't mentioned.

As always, thank you for reading and continuing to play, follow and support GROUND BRANCH. See you on the next one!

We've just pushed a new Community Test update to update a few things and hopefully iron out the last few showstoppers before the official V1034 release.

Before we go over the changes, you might be happy to read that…

Until March 21st @ 10am PST, you can grab a copy (and indeed as many copies as you want) of GROUND BRANCH with a sweet 30% discount. You know the drill: spread the word and maybe even get a few extra keys to get yourself and your gaming buds in on the action just in time for the new update and the inevitable uptick in player numbers.

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

Valve takes a 30% cut from sales on their store, so if you have a PayPal account and would love us to get the full cut from your purchase, head over to {LINK REMOVED}our official store and use code Spring2024 at the checkout to apply the same 30% discount! You'll get a key to redeem at the Steam Store and be ready to play in no time.

💵 Please note that our store operates in USD only, so this might not be a great deal if you're paying in a different currency as we use regional pricing on Steam.

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With that out of the way, patch notes start right after the beta instructions below:

❓ How to join the Community Test beta branch

• Right-click GROUND BRANCH in your Steam Library and select Properties…
  
• Click 'BETAS' on the left-hand list menu
  
• Select 'communitytest - Community testing branch' from the drop-down menu
  (no password required)

Steam will begin downloading the files for the testing branch. Patching may take a while.

🐞 Where to report bugs

You can report bugs and issues using any of these methods:

• The in-game Bugs & Issues screen (press Esc once in-game and look along the top menu)
  
• The Steam forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/16900/discussions/
  
• The #bug-reports channel on the official GROUND BRANCH™ Discord

Your reports help us locate and fix issues faster, so keep them coming!

🚧 These issues are known to still be present:

• Hostage Rescue has a few new quirks with the hostage sack, hostage leading functionality and flex cuffs, which we are currently working to fix for the final release
  
• Enemy AI may be unresponsive/idle/stuck in various contexts — if you see it, please make note of whether it was online (dedicated server? Listen server?) or offline, which game mode was being played, as well as map and location etc.
  
• Weapon movement, poses and animations in general are still being put back together after the prone overhaul — please bear with us
  
• The prone stance does not conform to terrain angle
  
• AI bots are not fully functional in Deathmatch

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• Fixed audio issues in City, Arena and Arena, Paintball and The Farm

• Reworked the spiral staircases for better AI flow
  
• Various lighting and bug fixes
  
• Generator should now stop sound when shot out

• Cleaned up a few missions with navigation/collision validator
  
• Fixed some navmesh issues

• Smoothed out collision on a few staircases

• Various lighting and bug fixes
  
• News helicopter respond to being shot again
  
• Fixed collision issues for crouching with some of the scaffolding

• Fixed bulletproof curtains

• Painted out leaves coming through shooting range floor

• Cleaned up collision on mesh causing some issues
  
• Fixed up wrong minimap

• Did a pass on all missions with collision/navmesh validator
  
• Fixed out-of-level exploit in Deck 3 missions (Deathmatch, Team Elimination)
  
• Changed material on vending machine so it looked better in dark areas

• Various collision, LOD and lighting bugs fixed

• Fixed stretched UVs on a rock
  
• Expanded nav bounds and cleaned up navmesh
  
• Fixed up various missions, hopefully clearing AI traffic jam on C building upper floor
  
• Cleaned up collision on cinderblock piles
  
• Fixed virtual texture rock blending
  
• Rebuilt navmesh

• Various collision, LOD and lighting bugs fixed

• Removed problematic ladder outside of green barn

• Reduced AI agent height for nav mesh generation to 185 cm (opens up more places to navmesh)
  
• Reworked dead body callouts: now a dead body will only ever trigger one call out in total
  
• Subsequent discoveries by other AI will not trigger additional callouts (they will still go investigate and go into combat ready mode, e.g. draw their weapon)
  
• Fixed up bugs with AI failing to reload
  
• Team handling fixed up in new Kythera AI systems
  
• Rejigged AI character/controller setup
  
• Changes to how AI processes multiple audio signals to avoid prioritizing far away gunshots over close-up footsteps
  
• Fixed DebugFreeze not working for AI

• Fixed hover foot (one leg lifted off ground)
  
• Added generic item lean animations
  
• Added prone grenade unequip animation
  
• Rejig of animation instance systems (to make it easier to layer animations)
  
• New equipment locomotion
  
• Adding a generic Item move set and with aims
  
• Fixed M110 fire selector animations
  
• Updated PMM-related (pistol) animations to be additive and bring them in line with the rest of the handgun animations
  
• Updated PMM compressed to match the base handgun
  
• Added sprint check to SDASS and M24 to prevent working the action if fired while sprinting
  
• Updated rig to prevent aiming-through-hand issue
  
• Hooked up lean poses (updated a number of animations designed to be used in this layer to be based on generic item base pose instead of rifle base pose)
  
• Updated rig to prevent sights being offset when prone (especially an issue with handgun)
  
• Switched base reload prone animations for AR-15 and handguns to use non-prone versions
  
• Breaching Charge attachment fixed (was at 90 degrees to door)
  
• Fix to allow montage originating from server to be forced to owning client (should make detonator and breaching charge animations play properly in multiplayer)
  
• A lot of big under-the-hood changes to correctly support animations for all items in all stances

• Big pass on collision to simplify and debug
  
• Updated various vehicles to ensure sections that are shown or hidden use block-all or no-collision collision profiles instead of just enabling/disabling collision
  
• Stopped names appearing for enemies in Deathmatch
  
• A lot of under-the-hood game mode script fixes
  
• Added further restrictions to interacting while prone (should now be impossible for all actors)
  
• Bug fixes to laptop blueprint
  
• Added anti-spam checks to leaning, running and sprinting to remove some speed hacks
  
• Sprint blending times and effects changed
  
• Fixed server roster player list lag
  
• Fixed up DTAS, Hostage Rescue, Team Elimination and Uplink game modes to improve handling of AI kills and killers
  
• Internal tweaks and fixes relating to arm changes and gender identification of assets
  
• Disabled warning about missing eyebrows if none were defined so that they can be used with AI without causing log spam
  
• Character updated to change handling of head types/genders
  
• Cleared all meshes using character physics asset that do not need to — which is most of them
  
• Changed bomb explosion (Defuse) to fade to black after explosion
  
• Improved logging for failed kit loads
  
• Updated handling of failed kits to allow replacing child items and skins
  
• Disabled Ray Tracing in config to fix crash on exiting in DX12 mode
  
• Updated Tablet to use alternate new method to fill screen (instead of FOV and POV change, it will shift the tablet up to fill the screen — doesn't care if prone, crouched, standing or leaning) (WIP — hands may be visible, especially in prone etc.)
  
• Fixed volunteer function in Hostage Rescue
  
• Fixed flag placement issues in DTAS
  
• Tentative fixes for Hostage Rescue issues: should stop leading hostage when leader goes prone, and now clears BeingLeadAsHostage gameplay tag when cuffs are unequipped (should stop movement getting blocked in various ways) or when leading is otherwise stopped
  
• New restriction added so you can't use objects if underwater (may be a redundant check)
  
• Added new ServerExecute command, usable by superadmins only (to run console commands remotely on the server)
  
• Fixed picking up item in left hand attempting to keep it equipped in left hand instead of putting it away

• Added entries for backup skin substitutions
  
• Cleaned up a few hairstyles that were still showing the scalp with Ball Cap and Beanie
  
• Updated dump pouch and radio assets to properly set their skin
  
• Changed skins for main menu guys
  
• SA58 OSW now supports suppressor
  
• Back-end changes to improve handling of restricted skins and kit validation
  
• Added LODs and adjusted existing LODs for player heads, beards, hair and a few weapons and weapon attachments
  
• Converted eyelashes to static meshes for efficiency
  
• Big change under the hood to change internal kit handling to be always monolithic: keeps kit data consistent no matter what is parsing it, and removes issues caused by presets or item builds being deleted
  
• Added dialogs for handling kit validation issues and converting all user kits
  
• Removed unneeded failed kit validation widgets
  
• Cleared physics assets from all hairstyles
  
• General inventory tweaks/fixes
  
• Fixed goggles being too bright compared to other character assets
  
• Added new arm meshes in place of masking system
  
• Cleared simple collision from MP5 stocks that were in wrong orientation
  
• Removed physics from all balaclava versions of heads
  
• Cleaned up new head/balaclava meshes
  
• Fixed arm mesh poking through with male rolled sleeves and gloves
  
• Cleaned up some weighting on the male heads that make them poke through some shirts
  
• Changed arms to remove reliance on mesh updating to choose skin
  
• Cleaned up more issues with heads intersecting various shirts

• City Bank audio fix (slight reverb adjustment)
  
• Rundown tail fix
  
• Small reverb change, small bug fixes
  
• Fixed portals and occlusion issues
  
• Fixed missing ADS sound effects
  
• Fixed drop audio not playing for weapons
  
• Fixed missing Galil ARM third-person sounds
  
• Added missing voice lines in female character Comms Menu (G key)

• Big pass on checking emitters are parented to existing emitter assets.
  
• Distance culling set to 50 m for distant impacts
  
• Created 10 new blood spatter decals
  
• VFX emitter cleanup

• Tweaks to Customize Operator screen colors
  
• A few text changes to Customize Operator screen messages
  
• Visual update to "Game Paused" overlay
  
• Dialog boxes now have a fade-in and fade-out animation
  
• Updated loading screen hints: cleaned up appearance, edited existing hints for clarity and formatting, and added a new hint
  
• Updated visuals for color picker pop-up in Settings > HUD (is now limited to color wheel, e.g. hue selection)
  
• Fixed color picker buttons being slightly rectangular rather than perfect squares
  
• Minor copy edit and rearranging of Settings > HUD
  
• Fixed inconsistent padding between columns in Setting > Gameplay
  
• Updated wording and formatting for F4/F6 dialog prompts
  
• Updated mag check HUD: repositioned red cross and changed icon color (to red) for "no ammo"
  
• Minor update to hover effects in Keybinds column (Settings > Controls)
  
• Increased width of all setting selections: drop-downs, sliders, spinboxes etc. to allow for longer text strings, finer control in sliders, and close the gap between selections and their descriptions
  
• Added a few more settings tooltips
  
• Slightly more descriptive text in Sight Priority options
  
• Updated credits
  
• Made highlight for various tabs/buttons more evident
  
• Updated icon/swatch for Brown and Olive Drab skin selections
  
• Updated DLSS tooltips to hopefully display correctly for RTX 40-series when in DX12 mode and minor changes to copy as well
  
• Updated DLSS setting text and tooltips
  
• Various minor style, copy and formatting tweaks

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See you next time!

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From March 14th to 21st @ 10am Pacific, you can grab a copy (and indeed as many copies as you want) of GROUND BRANCH with a sweet 30% discount.

You know the drill: spread the word and maybe even get a few extra keys to get yourself and your gaming buds in on the action just in time for the new update and the inevitable uptick in player numbers.

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

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Valve takes a 30% cut from sales on their store, so if you have a PayPal account and would love us to get the full cut from your purchase, head over to {LINK REMOVED}our official store and use code Spring2024 at the checkout to apply the same 30% discount!

You'll get a GROUND BRANCH key to redeem at the Steam Store and be ready to play in no time.

💵 Please note that our store operates in USD only, so this might not be a great deal if you're paying in a different currency as we use regional pricing on Steam.

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Enjoy the sale!

Folks,

Today's update was planned for yesterday — Valentine's Day — but ended up being delayed by a few nasty bugs. We're mentioning that because we had a nice themed intro for it and don't wanna let it go to waste. So instead of coming up with a new intro, we're simply all going to pretend it did come out yesterday. Alternatively, you may pretend today is still Valentine's Day:

Surprise that special someone with this hand-picked special changelist of features making up a beautiful, romantic GROUND BRANCH Valentine’s Day update for the Community Test beta branch! No refunds after two hours! 💖

Thank you for indulging us.

New to Community Test? Here's how it works:

❓ How to join the Community Test beta branch

• Right-click GROUND BRANCH in your Steam Library and select Properties…
  
• Click 'BETAS' on the left-hand list menu
  
• Select 'communitytest - Community testing branch' from the drop-down menu
  (no password required)

Steam will begin downloading the files for the testing branch. Patching may take a while.

🐞 Where to report bugs

You can report bugs and issues using any of these methods:

• The in-game Bugs & Issues screen (press Esc once in-game and look along the top menu)
  
• The Steam forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/16900/discussions/
  
• The #bug-reports channel on the official GROUND BRANCH™ Discord

Your reports help us locate and fix issues faster, so keep them coming!

🚧 These issues are known to still be present:

• The Breaching Charge is currently deployed at a 90-degree angle
  
• Bullets may be being blocked in odd places by a certain type of volume — please report in with the map and location if you come across it!
  
• When connecting to servers, the loading screen displays the "Returning to Main Menu" text
  
• Enemy AI may be unresponsive/idle/stuck in various contexts — if you see it, please make note of whether it was online (dedicated server? Listen server?) or offline, which game mode was being played, as well as map and location etc.

  ⚠️ Bots are particularly prone to getting stuck in doorways; we're actively working on fixing/improving this issue.

• Weapon movement, poses and animations in general are still being put back together after the prone overhaul — please bear with us
  
• Walking or running with a primary weapon equipped causes the character's right foot to "hover" before it actually touches the ground
  
• The prone stance does not conform to terrain angle
  
• Character and weapon collision while prone is pretty finicky! Let us know how it all feels to you
  
• Various combinations of hairstyles and headgear items have visible clipping or overall jankiness
  
• AI bots are not functional in Deathmatch

---

• Various culling, collision, navmesh and navlink fixes for Depot, Tanker, City, Creek, Storage Facility, Rundown, Rig and Power Station
  
• Made the roof windows in Depot enterable again
  
• Added a few navmesh blockers to Depot to stop AI from getting stuck
  
• Fixed bank stairwell door in City not closing properly
  
• Added window frames to open window holes in Creek buildings to stop people getting stuck when trying to mantle through them
  
• Fixed bug where players were getting stuck on containers in Storage Facility lower area after vaulting over railing
  
• Added small step to side areas of Storage Facility tunnel entrance (helps AI navigate space better and cleaner movement for player)
  
• Fix for one of the Compound outside doors hitting a mesh and not fully opening
  
• Fixed up some bugs in DTAS game mode script
  
• Fixed bug in Defuse where bomb stopped going off
  
• Amended error text in Lua guard macros, to cover the extra possibility that a UObject became invalid and turned into a nil reference

• Fixed leaning with handgun and move forward and left or right causing hands to go all odd
  
• Fixed crouched handgun ADS being offset in certain situations (e.g. leaning)
  
• First pass hooking up prone poses for Binoculars, Breaching Charge (and detonator), grenades and Tablet
  
• Fixed and updated hand pose for holding grenades
  
• Hooked up Breaching Charge and detonator use animations

  ⚠️ Known issue: the charge model is currently deployed at a 90-degree angle.

• Fixed incorrect female belt variations being used with Tactical Shirt items
  
• Fixed Helmet (MICH) chin strap not working correctly for Male 06
  
• Fixed up issues with Headset asset
  
• Created a version of the Headset mesh for use with Fleece Beanie
  
• Adjusted Fleece Beanie to fit better with Balaclava
  
• Fixed mesh splitting on female Jeans
  
• Added female untucked short versions of belts
  
• Cleaned up various clipping issues with female clothing
  
• Fixed Male 03 helmet chin straps not set properly
  
• Fixed issue with rounds not showing in Galil ARM magazines when mag-checking

• Updated splash screen (Default Controls) with newer version of the controls scheme graphic
  
• Updated some dialog boxes with an optional "Dot not show again" checkbox
  
• Added option to reset opted-out dialogs in Settings › HUD
  
• Small visual update to After Action Review (AAR) screen
  
• Swapped order of Combat Stats and Mission Summary tabs in AAR
  
• Visual pass on Server Browser: mod column (column icon and [MOD] tag) and expanded server info tab
  
• Server Browser now carried out mandatory mod sync when joining dedicated server
  
• Visual pass on bind overlays
  
• Cleaned up dialog box widget
  
• NoTimer round stage (Training modes) no longer displays time text at top of screen (also does not show time remaining on Tablet)
  
• Updated Invite Friends menu (is now styled similar to a dialog box)
  
• Fixed mission list duplicating when revisiting mission selection screen
  
• Added new icon (wrench) for Modding button in Admin Panel menu
  
• Updated Credits screen

• Added "loading" message before the character and assets are all loaded
  
• Fixed padding and did a small visual pass on skin icon selection
  
• Related work to reduce hitching and improve handling of default item builds
  
• Added yellow custom build display for item slots in overall screen (was previously limited to inside menus)
  
• Added [MOD] tag to item slots/selections
  
• Updated MK25 pistol icon to make grip panel area less dark
  
• Fixed hidden hair casting shadow on UI character view

• Added Time of Day (TOD) widget
  
• Made double-click outline window use the standard focus (F) routine rather than a second custom bit of code
  
• Reworking to change pawn type and fix right-drag related error
  
• Made a few dialogs hidable (e.g. select script, load mission file, save mission file)

• Optimization pass on VFX for the bullet impacts
  
• Fixed the respawning particle issue
  
• Continuing pass over the bullet impact scalability settings and culling settings
  
• Fix for the smoke flickering when viewed through PIP scopes
  
• Making a pass on scalability settings for bullet impacts (lots to improve)
  
• Reparented emitters with missing parents to sync culling settings

• Upgraded Kythera AI middleware to new version (1.3.3) (may fix some bugs, but WIP)
  
• Fixed the AI aim bug, where enemy bots could not see the head of player characters — this caused situations such as leaning out of cover and not being spotted

• Added tentative fix for IsValidLowLevel crash on game exit
  
• Lots of work on mods under the hood (especially with regard to dedicated servers)
  
• Reduction in log spam overall (and added some more for good luck)
  
• Reworked a lot of under-the-hood stuff, including inventory and asset handling, validators, overlays and more
  
• Tentative fix for stuttering and "Maximum number of UObjects exceeded" crash on dedicated servers 🥳
  
• Rejigged base character class and item class in terms of how they handle inventory (in particular removed some limitations on skin inheritance, and streamlined asset loading)
  
• Fixed up occasional disconnects between TOD set in mission launch screens and TOD set in the Ready Room
  
• Updated Debug menu to add new commands
  
• Opting out with F4 now increases Deaths stat
  
• Updated HUD to support adding non-chat messages to center, upper and lower message managers (allowed changing Ready Room and Spectator messages from engine messages to far more visible center-screen, preventing the mistake of trying to hit F4 or F6 again)

---

See you next time!

---

We've been working hard on GROUND BRANCH V1034, and today we got another Community Test update for you!

Patch notes after the usual instructions:

❓ How to join the Community Test beta branch

• Right-click GROUND BRANCH in your Steam Library and select Properties…
  
• Click 'BETAS' on the left-hand list menu
  
• Select 'communitytest - Community testing branch' from the drop-down menu
  (no password required)

Steam will begin downloading the files for the testing branch. Patching may take a while.

🐞 Where to report bugs

You can report bugs and issues using any of these methods:

• The in-game Bugs & Issues screen (press Esc once in-game and look along the top menu)
  
• The Steam forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/16900/discussions/
  
• The #bug-reports channel on the official GROUND BRANCH™ Discord

Your reports help us locate and fix issues faster, so keep them coming!

🚧 These issues are known to still be present:

• Recoil is currently unclamped, meaning sustained automatic fire will eventually clip weapons into the character; this also affects weapon sway in low stamina
  
• Enemy AI may be unresponsive/idle/stuck in various contexts — if you see it, please make note of whether it was online (dedicated server? Listen server?) or offline, which game mode was being played, as well as map and location etc.

  ⚠️ Bots are particularly prone to getting stuck in doorways; we're actively working on fixing/improving this issue.

• Weapon movement, poses and animations in general are still being put back together after the prone overhaul — please bear with us
  
• Walking or running with a primary weapon equipped causes the character's right foot to "hover" before it actually touches the ground
  
• The prone stance does not conform to terrain angle
  
• Aiming (ADS) is offset with pistols while crouch-leaning (particularly to the left)
  
• Character and weapon collision while prone is pretty finicky! Let us know how it all feels to you
  
• The Tablet (map) is currently offset to the bottom while crouched, and unusable while prone
  
• Various combinations of hairstyles and headgear items have visible clipping or overall jankiness
  
• AI bots are still not hooked up to the Deathmatch game mode <??? Needs checking>

---

• Updated all relevant 747 missions with new collision and patrol point checking
  
• Fixed issue with light portal flickering light in 747 cargo hold
  
• Fixed various collision issues
  
• Fixed some other lighting issues
  
• Replaced fan in terminal office with new style fan that can be shot out and powered up and down by the local power box
  
• Cleaned up navmesh

• Updated missions with collision checker
  
• Cleaned up navmesh

• Made pole lights leading down to subway actual lights that are on/off and destructible
  
• Made bollard lights destructible
  
• Added proper destroyed light meshes to outdoor lights
  
• Fixed various collision issues and culling bugs
  
• Fixed up all missions (except Last Man Standing) with the new actor collision checking feature of validation scripts
  
• Cleaned up some geo collision that was way too big, and fixed some other geo and collision bugs
  
• Fixed some lighting issues
  
• Changed some wall pictures in City bank
  
• News helicopter updated to fly a little smoother, and animations added for hover and evasion
  
• Cleaned up navmesh

• Updated nearly all missions with new collision and patrol checker
  
• Fixed invisible wall collision under staircase in unfinished building
  
• Cleaned up navmesh

• Various collision and culling bugs fixed
  
• Cleaned up navmesh

• Fixed mesh culling and collision issues
  
• Fixed over-penetration of bullets through some metal objects
  
• Fixed incorrect normals on rocks
  
• Cleaned up navmesh

• Fixed up missions (except Last Man Standing) using new actor collision checking feature of validation scripts
  
• Cleaned up less than optimal collision on a few assets
  
• Filled in empty buildings/trailers
  
• Added glass windows to the construction trailers
  
• Cleaned up collision on a few of the metal staircases
  
• Made red light on electronics box destructible
  
• Cleaned up navmesh

• Cleaned up navmesh

• Various collision and culling bugs fixed
  
• Cleaned up navmesh

• Fixed up various missions using new mission collision checker and patrol route checker
  
• Nav link tweaks for ladder
  
• Added pillars to basement and removed cinder blocks
  
• Fixed misaligned Humvee windshield
  
• Rebuilt navmesh
  
• Mini graphical overhaul:
  
  
  • Fixed some foliage meshes using billboard as base LOD on lower foliage settings
    
  • Adjusted billboard distances, generally pushed them back further
    
  • Wind/sway tweaks
    
  • Color correction and improvements in mask clipping and materials
    
  • Improved vista forest material/visuals
    
  • Fixed crossfade billboards not correctly disabling when toggled off
    
  • Added support for virtual texture blending with landscape, rocks and embankments
    
  • Landscape material work, adding some wet muddy areas
    
  • Fern color correction
    
  • Added leaves mesh scattering to dead leaves landscape layers
    
  • Added some cinderblock scatter
    
  • Increased bounds of a few floor pieces in B building (potential fix for disappearing floor)
    
  • Remade bullet hole decals, higher res and cheaper
    
  • Landscape material displacement tweaks

• Fixed various collision issues
  
• Fixed incorrect normals on rocks

• Fixed various collision issues

• Potential fix for flickering billboard trees
  
• Slight foliage color tweaks
  
• Landscape material/textures improvements
  
• Added leaves grass layer
  
• Hornbeam trees: fixed roughness not coming through correctly
  
• Other material tweaks and corrections
  
• Improved 747 fuselage material so it has a bit more detail up close
  
• A bit of landscape painting
  
• Pushed blocking volumes in water a bit further out
  
• Reduced intensity of water waves

• Fixed heads becoming detached from player if a single skeletal mesh fails to load
  
• Updated hostage sack to add or remove overlay based on view target status instead of player being locally controlled or not (makes sack visible in third person)
  
• Standardized fixed iron sight alignment for the AKM and Wz.88 for consistent behavior
  
• Trimmed female head meshes in the neck/shoulder area to reduce mesh clipping in some postures/animations
  
• Reworked helmet chinstrap morph targets and added new ones for female heads
  
• Realtime Virtual Texture (RVT) incorporated into various maps/landscape materials (for nicer blends between props and landscape)
  
• Mini overhaul of master materials
  
• Fixed broken wrist mesh for "Riot" enemy type
  
• Switched MARPAT Desert skin on the Helmet (HC) to AOR-1
  
• New skins:
  
  
  • Gun Belt: M81
    
  • Ball Cap: DCP, AOR-1 and M81
    
  • Boonie Hat: UCP
    
  • Helmet (HC): AOR-2

• Corrected directional animation blend times to fix hitch when changing directions
  
• First pass on prone and crouch death animations
  
• Adding correct notifies for mag check
  
• Updated character and weapon animations for AK-type rifles
  
• Added new hand poses for the new AK models
  
• Fixed Galil ARM mag check
  
• Fixed wrong position on AK-type fire selector
  
• Updated pose for leaning
  
• Created specific flex-cuffs poses
  
• Updated hostage sack to apply as a mesh
  
• Sway and canting rotation are now applied separately (only applies Z aspect of sight offset while not engaging the sight - fixes issues with firearm being more centered then usual, especially when using canted sight)
  
• Added new drop-down animation to the AI characters

• Enabled feature to auto-generate drop-down nav links (uses vaulting animations as a placeholder for now)
  
• Fix for AI tracking the player when just losing sight of him, now shoots at the last known location rather than at the current player position
  
• Updated noise investigation behavior for Guard AI — who will now investigate noise more in the direction that the noise is coming from instead of a more general "scan" behavior
  
• Tweaked AI difficulty, increasing the gap between highest and lowest level to create more variance
  
• Increased memory time for the AI, so they will search longer for lost targets
  
• Added search pattern BT so on lost target they search randomly — the longer they search, the bigger the radius gets
  
• Updated the weights used for more passive/aggressive behavior; generally speaking, Guard AI are now more likely to behave passively (seeking cover, going prone etc.), while Patrol AI will be more aggressive (running, sprinting towards the player instead of seeking cover etc.)
  
• Updated and re-enabled custom AI settings in Lone Wolf and Host Game screens

• Fixed dead bodies not being cleaned up in between rounds
  
• Made it so you can go prone under the Ural style trucks in various maps
  
• Stopped massive log spam caused by inventory tags being updated before assets have finished loading
  
• Added Time of Day (TOD) statuses to BP_SkylightOverrideVolume, so it can apply fading or desaturation at specific times of day only
  
• Added actor collision checking to mission validation Lua scripts
  
• Added new actor.IsColliding() lua library function, which determines if the actor is more or less colliding with map assets
  
• Small improvements to mission validation scripts
  
• Defuse game mode now prints to log the actual bomb actor name as well as the selected bomb zone
  
• Added stamina and sway effects for:
  
  
  • Going to prone
    
  • Getting up from prone
    
  • Going from crouched to standing
    
  • Leaning
• Fixed bugged water collision
  
• Modding admin UI update (WIP) and quite a few modding changes behind the scenes
  
• Fixed smoke effects blocking Use/Interact prompts (to be replaced by better fix later)
  
• Fixed Deathmatch loadout issue
  
• Fixed UseFriendlyNameTags entry in DefaultGameRules array in DefaultZooKeeper.ini (should be true, was read as false)
  
• Fixed up Ready Room range door not replicating properly
  
• Optimized tracing for interaction, Ready Room name and in-game player names
  
• Changed PhysMat for dirt to not allow bullet penetration
  
• Added gameplaystatics.TraceVisible() lua library function for doing a simple visible trace between two specified locations
  
• Added gameplaystatics.GetPatrolRouteLinkedActors() lua library function for getting a list of linked patrol route actors
  
• Added full patrol route checking in all PvE validation functions, including a new visible trace to make sure the route is not blocked (as a first approximation check at least)
  
• Minor bug fixes to Team Elimination in relation to fixed spawn missions (Arenas, Paintball) and displaying insertion points in dependence to whether auto-balance is enabled
  
• Removed AI spawn checking from Deathmatch validate script (since opponents are bots now)
  
• Added various new validations and checks for firearm blueprints (in anticipation of modding opening up)
  
• Changed various firearm-related assets to fix issues with sight replication and sights used by non-controlled characters
  
• Updated arm sway values on Main Menu guys to prevent them getting tired
  
• Various crash fixes relating to pointers missing a UPROPERTY() macro
  
• Fixed issue where the light custom collision box was set to not effect navmesh
  
• Restricted Focus Zoom to primary and secondary weapons only (no longer usable with Binoculars, grenades etc.)
  
• Updated modding manager to grab installed mod list from subscribed mods instead of scanning locally (mods soon to come!)

• Removed unused Wwise node that may have been setting voice to male all the time
  
• Fixed AI bark spatialization
  
• Minor tweaks to AI attenuation
  
• Fixed missing suppressor tails
  
• Slightly adjusted footstep audio and some attenuations
  
• Fixed power box audio bug
  
• Added Ready Room ambient music
  
• Fixed audio in City rooms
  
• Loading screen mutes sound until fading away (should stop short burst of sound when joining a map)

• Re-enabled eye adaptation on the VFX material (was causing smoke effects to glow in low-light and under night vision when disabled)
  
• Changed surface link for electronics to use metal bullet-hole decal (was previously using a paper decal) — fixes odd impacts on e.g. power boxes
  
• Fixed up flashbang, frags, big bomb (Defuse) and breaching charges so they won't cause deafness or prolonged visual effects (e.g. for headcam)

• Updated skin icons (the triangle/square swatches for item colors or camo patterns)
  
• Updated weapon customization UI to not show the "Muzzle" attachment category when no muzzle device is available for the weapon
  
• Created custom UI for customizing Galil ARM
  
• Progress on Modding menu
  
• Admin modding UI now added to modding menu (from Main Menu)
  
• Tweaked drop-down arrow in mission property array widget to be more visible in mission editor
  
• Added W, E, R controls to the outline widget (as well as main window) in mission editor
  
• New map thumbnails for Small Town, City and The Farm
  
• Loading screens rejigged
  
• Hint widget adjusted to stop shifting/resizing during load
  
• In Spectator Mode, HUD no longer shows distance prompts if camera style is headcam
  
• HUD now correctly hides Next/Previous Player prompt when player is following another character
  
• Partial visual update for Admin Panel (mainly Skin Restrictions menu)

---

Until the next build, folks.

---

Happy new year, everyone! We hope 2024 has been treating you well so far.

As GROUND BRANCH V1034 continues to be diligently tested by all of you lovely people in the Community Test beta branch, we continue to fix and tweak things to get the update in shape for the official release.

If this is your first time hearing about all of this stuff, here's how to get in on the testing:

❓ How to join the Community Test beta branch

• Right-click GROUND BRANCH in your Steam Library and select Properties…
  
• Click 'BETAS' on the left-hand list menu
  
• Select 'communitytest - Community testing branch' from the drop-down menu
  (no password required)

Steam will begin downloading the files for the testing branch. Patching may take a while.

🐞 Where to report bugs

You can report bugs and issues using any of these methods:

• The in-game Bugs & Issues screen (press Esc once in-game and look along the top menu)
  
• The Steam forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/16900/discussions/
  
• The #bug-reports channel on the official GROUND BRANCH™ Discord

Your reports help us locate and fix issues faster, so keep them coming!

🚧 These issues are known to still be present:

• Enemy AI may be unresponsive/idle/stuck in various contexts — if you see it, please make note of whether it was online (dedicated server? Listen server?) or offline, which game mode was being played, as well as map and location etc.

  ⚠️ Bots are particularly prone to getting stuck in doorways; we're actively working on fixing/improving this issue.

• Changing directions (WASD) with a primary weapon equipped will cause visible "hitches" in the weapon movement
  
• Weapon movement, poses and animations in general are still being put back together after the prone overhaul — please bear with us
  
• Leaning is bound to feel particularly strange, due to the combo of new poses and the ongoing animation work (all WIP)
  
• Walking or running with a primary weapon equipped causes the character's right foot to "hover" before it actually touches the ground
  
• The prone stance does not conform to terrain angle
  
• Aiming (ADS) with a pistol while crouched is offset (when leaning left)
  
• Character and weapon collision while prone is pretty finicky! Let us know how it all feels to you
  
• The Tablet (map) is currently offset to the bottom while crouched, and unusable while prone
  
• Various combinations of hairstyles and headgear items have visible clipping or overall jankiness
  
• AI bots are still not hooked up to the Deathmatch game mode.

---

• Added a few scenery assets to the RR
  
• Fixed occasional issue with unusually dark RR

• New Defuse mission

• Lowered and reduced thickness of bank windows to better allow players to fire out of them
  
• Added new Terrorist Hunt (Bank) variant
  
• Base Hostage Rescue mission split into separate (Central) and (Bank) variants
  
• Set up ceiling fans in City:
  
  • They now turn on/off in accordance to power boxes and are now destructible
    
  • Added smooth start up and power down
• Fixed collision issue around bank windows
  
• Skylight override volumes tweaked and updated to use the new desaturation system (so that e.g. the inside of the bank is not tinted orange at night)

• Added Defuse mission
  
• Fixed up ceiling fans to power boxes
  
• Fixed a few props that were being culled out too quickly and creating "invisible" walls you can't shoot through
  
• Updated doors on Compound for better AI navigation

• Added Defuse mission

• Added Defuse mission (Compound variant)
  
• Fixing various reported bugs
  
• Fixed up all Depot PvE missions in respect of compound tower that was rotated/moved
  
• Disabled subsurface scattering on ferns to potentially stop them glowing when using NVGs
  
• Fixed some culling issues

• Added Defuse mission
  
• Fixed up a load of missing physical materials (determines footstep sounds and bullet impact VFX)

• Added Defuse mission
  
• Made it so you can crawl under all electrical equipment

• Added new Defuse and Defuse (Decks 3 and 4) missions
  
• Fixed up some issues with AI on Deck 4 in Terrorist Hunt missions

• Removed unnecessary collision from smaller foliage instances
  
• Changed tags on Defuse mission to make more readable zone names
  
• Removed leftover blocking volume
  
• Fixed small collision issue where players could get stuck between rocks
  
• Rearranged low sandbags on building A ledges for better prone sniping
  
• Set all rock collision to use "Complex as Simple" method, improving collision when prone
  
• Fixed two lights in building D that used a different kind of light fixture for their broken state
  
• Adjusted nav link for ladder on where AI could get stuck

• New Defuse mission
  
• Fixed a bunch of missing PhysMats in materials
  
• Cleaned up collision with Ural truck to allow crawling under it
  
• All tunnel lights are now connected to a power box

• Converted arcade machines to turn off when power is off and be affected by blast damage

• Added clamp to ReactionTimeBase AI setting
  
• Adapted old AI vision blocker in smoke grenades to conform closer to the bounds of the current smoke effects
  
• Reduced the number of maximum Kythera nav mesh tiles to be regenerated at any given time by half
  
• Rejig of foliage collision and AI detection (now easier to hide in foliage and more consistent AI response to foliage)
  
• Fixed crash relating to pathfinding
  
• Updated nav mesh for Compound
  
• Updating cover generation parameters to be a bit less restrictive
  
• First pass on new system for AI visibility blockers in Small Town foliage
  

  ⚠️ We're particularly interested in feedback for this. Sneak around the Small Town bushes and let us know if the AI appears to react "authentically" in terms of visual detection.

• Removed Kythera component from main menu characters so they don’t initialise the Kythera systems
  
• Updated how AI interacts with doors (now uses input based navigation through door instead of nav mesh)
  
• Kythera nav mesh is no longer forced to regenerate when doors are opened or closed (getting rid of the hitch)
  
• Updated Kythera nav meshes for various maps
  
• Changed suppression handling of AI: now the AI will take cover from the general shot direction way more often and try not to stand in the open as much
  
• Fixed an issue where Guard AI would leave their post and go a long way to investigate a dead body
  
• Fixed an issue where dead bodies could be "newly discovered" by the same AI multiple times
  
• Adjusted GBKytTargetSelector so it includes dead bodies
  
• Updated SpatialQueries asset to make cover point generation less restrictive so that the AI takes cover in more situations
  
• Updated footstep hearing
  
• Added visibility and hearing multipliers to GBWorldSettings, so AI perception can be tuned per-map
  
  
  • Increased visual and audio detection by 50% in City, Compound and 747
    
  • Decreased visual and audio detection by 25% in Small Town and Rig
• Tweaked AI vision, increased default vision range, lowered primary FOV, increased secondary FOV weight
  
• Fixed an issue where AI would go back to unarmed state after being suppressed
  
• Nav mesh work on Compound, updated door navlink locations to avoid AI getting stuck
  
• Updated barks for different AI states

• First pass on focus zoom feature: slight zoom-in effect when in ADS while holding the Focus Zoom key (bound to LCtrl by default)
  

  ⚠️ Experimental feature!

  If it's not bound to LCtrl by default, bind it under Settings > Controls > Keybinds > Focus Zoom)

  • Aim sensitivity scales appropriately when focus zoomed
    
  • Focus zoom disengages when player or player head moves significantly
    
  • Additional vignette effect when zoomed (stacks with Hold Breath vignette)
• Changed Defuse game mode to display bomb group names on Ops Board
  
• Added new DefuseValidate Lua script
  
• Fixed up some Defuse missions after using the aforesaid validation function
  
• Minor tweak to IntelRetrieval and TerroristHunt validation functions to provide better dumps of guard point/squad mismatches
  
• Created new PoweredItem blueprint (BP) class as a mirror image of the LightFixture BP class, but for things that aren't lights (e.g. ceiling fans). This ties into time of day and Light Zone Controllers so that power boxes turn them on and off, and they can be powered or not at particular times of day
  
• Improved collision checks for doors
  
• Improved collision checks for players to ignore volumes (fixes lean being preventing due to audio volumes, etc.)
  
• Stopped firearm firing when going to and from prone
  
• F4 and F6 now prompt player to confirm intention to leave game before taking effect
  
• Fixed use of timer.Clear(self, name of timer) instead of timer.Clear(name of timer) in various Lua game modes
  
• Rejigged kit restriction detection and handling
  
• Misc updates to Lua game mode libraries:
  
  
  • In general, for indicating an error state in functions supposed to return tables, they now return an empty table rather than nil
    
  • Created actor.GetOverlappingPlayers() to remove need to use GetOverlaps() and specify GBCharacter class.
    
  • Updated player.Kill() to bypass any and all damage reduction/prevention, and to prevent use in the Ready Room
    
  • Updated vector.VectorNew() to ensure it returns nil value if supplied with incompatibility values rather than returning NaN
    
  • Hooked up ai.Create in AI Lua library
• Fixed news helicopter not appearing in City in multiplayer
  
• Added restrictions to stop Use/Interact actions while prone, to prevent hostages being lead by someone prone, and to stop hostages going prone
  
• Bug fixes to a few game modes
  
• Skylight override volumes extended so as to permit desaturation of skylight lower hemisphere color

• Removed Use Simple Character Shadows video setting as it offered negligible performance gain and caused various rendering issues when not in direct sunlight

• Adjusted rear sight of FAL a bit forward
  
• Added missing top rail to FAL
  
• New item skins:
  
  
  • Headset: Foliage Green
    
  • Helmet (HC) (non-cover version): OCP and MARPAT Desert
    
  • Tactical Pants: Coyote Brown
• Tweaked hue of MARPAT Desert camo pattern
  
• Minor color tweaks to existing headset skins
  
• Reworked channels in Helmet (HC)'s color mask to allow camo pattern on the helmet shell
  
• Updated existing Helmet (HC) skins to account for the above channel changes
  
• Cleaned up Combat Pants and Combat Shirt skins:
  
  
  • Made whole zipper "area" of the shirts' collar use the same color as the actual zipper teeth
    
  • Fixed knee pad and stretch material inconsistencies between different skins of the Combat Pants
    
  • Fixed various overly bright colors (especially shoulder velcros on Combat Shirt)
    
  • Changed Khaki skins to a more authentic version
• General color correction on various skins
  
• Tweaked MARPAT Woodland pattern hue to be slightly more red (affects all skins that have it)

• Fixed bombs having 00:00 displays after round reset
  
• Adapted bomb timer display to cope with 2-hour long rounds (you crazy guys)
  
• Improved interaction with doors having multiple components, e.g. doors with glass elements in City
  
• Added visualization of movement radius for Guard Point in mission editor (when selected)
  
• Set Big Bomb and DTAS flag to receive all lighting channels (problem was dark bombs in some parts of maps), and also for the new hazard sticker on the power boxes
  
• Fixed visual texture bug with Male 03 arms
  
• When opening doors, UE4 navmesh is no longer being updated
  
• Stopped missions without a valid map being displayed in mission selection list (e.g. Ranch)
  
• Converted 747 generator cable spline mesh into static mesh to remove warnings and fix collision
  
• Fixed extra long ceiling fan and cleaned up placement based on new mesh
  
• Fixed up lighting groups on Compound and Storage Facility (to fix lights that did not turn off when power turned off)
  
• Fixed missing geo on bottom of flatbed truck
  
• Also made flatbed truck into a blueprint that allows parked supports to be extended or not
  
• Fixed light poles in Small Town not casting a shadow
  
• Updated GBSightComponent to stop updating when player is using DebugCamera or similar command
  
• Updated master hair blueprint to improve hair bun handling: fixes issue where hair bun is added, then hair mesh is updated to a version that does not include a hair bun socket
  
• Changed handling of sound banks in Laptop and Big Bomb (may or may not fix crash issue)
  
• Various map bug fixes for 747, City, Storage Facility, Depot, Rig and Power Station

• Made kit restriction UI/ZK stuff save to GroundBranch\Defaults for standalone and listen server and to ServerConfig if dedicated server
  
• Added SERVER_SHUTDOWN_TIME_MAX check back into CheckServerShutdown() (restores absolute 48-hour uptime limit)

• Zeroed out the rotation on handgun aims (partially fixes crouched pistol offset when aiming; left lean is known to still be offset)
  
• Fixed issues with PKM or MK46 not showing tray opening animations until equipped again
  
• Fixed being able to go prone mid-air
  
• Updated SVD to add support for locked back bolt etc. to match up with reload animations (work in progress)
  
• Work on crouch lean offsets (work in progress)
  
• Corrected sight-to-eye curve values for crouched handgun animations

• Created and implemented new smoke grenade VFX textures (better coverage, especially at ground level)
  
• Decreased spark color alpha value (brightness intensity) to address a bug report
  
• Fix for smoke hanging around after round reset
  
• Light destruction adjustments: the red sparks should no longer happen (strange smoke behavior a work in progress)
  
• Adjustments to the size/life of the light destruction sparks

• Minor audio level bug fixes
  
• Partial fix for bullet cracks
  
• Changed sound location for big bomb from bottom of the barrel to the top (fixes some issues with bomb beeps being in the wrong spatial volume)
  
• Reduced complexity of acoustic portal handling in doors (possible FPS spike mitigation)
  
• Adjusted the rate of fade from one room to the next, and adjusted the check interval rate for portals
  
• Setup reload audio for Galil ARM and SA58 OSW
  
• Adjusted some missing tails and reverbs

• Created and assigned proper minimap (Ops Board and Tablet) textures for The Farm, Arena, Arena 2 and Paintball
  
• Visual cleanup and other minor visual tweaks to Watch App (wristwatch face features)
  
• Added keybinds for spectator night vision and headcam in Settings > Controls
  
• Very minor font/formatting update to bomb LED screen
  
• Added key shortcuts for translate, rotate and scale gizmos (W, E, R) in the mission editor
  
• Fixed corruption of mission actor names when loading a new mission in the mission editor
  
• Hid GuardPointType field in mission editor (not used in V1034)
  
• Fixed some UI bugs in mission editor
  
• Fixed incorrect version number on HUD
  
• Player blips put back on the Ops Board in training game modes, e.g. The Farm
  
• Custom properties (tint and scale) applied to player blips on Ops Board when in training or unknown mode

---

Until the next build, folks.

---

We have another update for the Community Test beta branch, where we're testing upcoming release V1034 of GROUND BRANCH. First time hearing about it? We got you covered:

❓ How to join the Community Test beta branch

• Right-click GROUND BRANCH in your Steam Library and select Properties…
  
• Click 'BETAS' on the left-hand list menu
  
• Select 'communitytest - Community testing branch' from the drop-down menu
  (no password required)

Steam will begin downloading the files for the testing branch. Patching may take a while.

🐞 Where to report bugs

You can report bugs and issues using any of these methods:

• The in-game Bugs & Issues screen (press Esc once in-game and look along the top menu)
  
• The Steam forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/16900/discussions/
  
• The #bug-reports channel on the official GROUND BRANCH™ Discord

Your reports help us locate and fix issues faster, so keep them coming!

🚧 These issues are known to still be present:

• Enemy AI may be unresponsive/idle/stuck in various contexts — if you see it, please make note of whether it was online (dedicated server? Listen server?) or offline, which game mode was being played, as well as map and location etc.

  ⚠️ Bots are particularly prone to getting stuck in doorways; we're actively working on fixing/improving this issue.

• Changing directions (WASD) with a primary weapon equipped will cause visible "hitches" in the weapon movement
  
• Weapon movement, poses and animations in general are still being put back together after the prone overhaul — please bear with us
  
• Leaning is bound to feel particularly strange, due to the combo of new poses and the ongoing animation work (all WIP)
  
• Walking or running with a primary weapon equipped causes the character's right foot to "hover" before it actually touches the ground
  
• The prone stance does not conform to terrain angle
  
• Aiming (ADS) with a pistol while crouched is offset to the right
  
• Character and weapon collision while prone is pretty finicky! Let us know how it all feels to you
  
• The Tablet (map) is currently offset to the bottom while crouched, and unusable while prone
  
• Various combinations of hairstyles and headgear items have visible clipping or overall jankiness
  
• The SA58 OSW does not have correct reload animations hooked up

Upon launching the game, a dialog should now pop-up for players to choose between DX11 (the default option) or DX12, with a checkbox to always use your choice (and not ask again).

We recommend players to try both options and see if there are differences in performance. If you can, report back to us with your results and system specs!

⚠️ You may need to restart Steam to see this option.

⚠️ DX12 may cause the game to crash upon exiting.

• Stopped AI auto-spawning at AI spawn points when levels load
  
• Fixed a bug where AI would have too much accuracy for the first shot
  
• Made sure to shoot 100% accurate when the AI intends to miss a shot
  
• Fixed an issue where Veteran AI would be unresponsive
  
• AI settings reaction time will always be above 0 (override INI settings if necessary), otherwise it will break
  
• Tweaked accuracy settings for AI for all difficulty levels
  
• Tweaked time it takes for AI to aim at their target
  
• Fixed a bug where AI in status Idle could go back to unarmed after engaging an enemy/hearing a gunshot
  
• Increased and/or added random delays for various AI actions so they don't happen at the exact same time for multiple AI
  
• Fixed an issue where AI could go back to unarmed after witnessing another being killed right next to it
  
• Added randomization to movement when losing sight of target, now either walks, jogs or sprints (sprint has lowest probability)

• Cleaned up some more fit/clipping issues with hairstyles, beards and the Ghillie Hood (still work to do)
  
• Ball Cap (Reverse) now uses regular Head (Center) patch selection rather than callsign patch
  
• Minor color tweaks to black Hiking Boots skin

• Fixed Galil ARM missing third-person sounds
  
• Rearranged main menu music to be a better loop
  
• Bombs in Defuse game mode now have beeping sound

• Minor cleanup on loading screen elements:
  
  
  • Server names should no longer overrun game tips (needs testing for edge cases)
    
  • After-Action Review (AAR) insertion upon going back to main menu should no longer have a white border around it

• Changed PhysMat type for Creek embankment meshes to fix footsteps sounding like wood board flooring
  
• Fixed missing friendly name tags in Ready Room and (when selected) play area

---

First and foremost, we'd like to thank all testers for putting up with an unholy amount of bugs to help us get GROUND BRANCH V1034 in shape for the release. Your feedback, reports and patience are all greatly appreciated!

We'd also like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who has helped keep our ambitious little project afloat by purchasing copies, keeping servers running, discussing the game, leaving comments and feedback, engaging in the community, creating content or simply enjoying the game alone or with friends. We couldn't keep it going without your support.

Lastly, we'll be easing up on the work hours during the holidays, so you won't be seeing any new updates until the New Year (unless we get an unexpected showstopper, at least).

And on that note… Happy holidays from everyone at BlackFoot Studios! We'll see you in 2024.

---

Here's Update #02 for the Community Test beta branch!

To all testers and reporters so far: thank you so much for the feedback! Keep it coming!

❓ How to join the Community Test beta branch

• Right-click GROUND BRANCH in your Steam Library and select Properties…
  
• Click 'BETAS' on the left-hand list menu
  
• Select 'communitytest - Community testing branch' from the drop-down menu
  (no password required)

Steam will begin downloading the files for the testing branch. Patching may take a while.

🐞 Where to report bugs

You can report bugs and issues using any of these methods:

• The in-game Bugs & Issues screen (press Esc once in-game and look along the top menu)
  
• The Steam forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/16900/discussions/
  
• The #bug-reports channel on the official GROUND BRANCH™ Discord

Your reports help us locate and fix issues faster, so keep them coming!

🚧 These issues are known to still be present from Update #01:

• Enemy AI may be unresponsive/idle/stuck in various contexts — if you see it, please make note of whether it was online (dedicated server? Listen server?) or offline, which game mode was being played, as well as map and location etc.

  ⚠️ Bots are particularly prone to getting stuck in doorways; we're actively working on fixing/improving this issue.

• Changing directions (WASD) with a primary weapon equipped will cause visible "hitches" in the weapon movement
  
• Weapon movement, poses and animations in general are still being put back together after the prone overhaul — please bear with us
  
• Leaning is bound to feel particularly strange, due to the combo of new poses and the ongoing animation work (all WIP)
  
• Walking or running with a primary weapon equipped causes the character's right foot to "hover" before it actually touches the ground
  
• The prone stance does not conform to terrain angle
  
• Aiming (ADS) with a pistol while crouched is offset to the right
  
• Character and weapon collision while prone is pretty finicky! Let us know how it all feels to you
  
• The Tablet (map) is currently offset to the bottom while crouched, and unusable while prone
  
• Various combinations of hairstyles and headgear items have visible clipping or overall jankiness
  
• The SA58 OSW does not have correct reload animations hooked up

We've had some issues getting the dedicated servers working with the first Community Test build. Hopefully the problems have been solved, but you should try using the updated steamcmd line below (adjusted as necessary for your setup):

As soon as this build is out, we will try working with server operators to get this fixed.

• Fixed a bug where AI would turn instantly when visually detecting players:
  
  
  • Now respects ReactionTime set in AISettings before firing, and has a turn rate limiter
    
  • Added ReactionTime delay to audio bark when hearing a gunshot, so that they do not react immediately
• Tweaked perception for suppression: AI should be a bit more reactive towards fire in their direction
  
• Fixed a bug where the AI wouldn't turn properly towards the player when sprinting to cover
  
• Fixed a bug where the aim for the AI would be off when the player character was prone and rotating their upper body (AimTarget for AI is now based on bone position)
  
• AI visual perception now scales with stance (minimum when prone), movement (increases when players are moving / running / sprinting) and the time and loudness of the last firearm discharge
  
• Slightly increased AI visual detection range
  
• Decreased primary and secondary visual detection cones by 10 degrees
  
• Decreased influence of secondary cone
  
• Increased AI noise detection range
  
• Increased AI noise detection uncertainty (they will be less sure of where shots are being fired from)
  
• Increased randomization in AI shooting cadence to avoid the repetitive 1 shot › 1 second pause › 1 shot pattern
  
• Updated behavior for investigating noise and last known target position for guard AI:
  
  
  • Guard AI will no longer leave their guard point, but remain in proximity
    
  • Guard AI will usually check (look around) when they perceive something, but will not go investigate

• Gave Male 06 his eyeballs back
  
• Fixed bugged MPX reload that had floating mags
  
• Updated Galil ARM:
  
  
  • Fixed missing weapon animations (bolt movement, ejection etc.)
    
  • Hooked up correct Galil animations (reloads etc.)
    

    ⚠️ Still missing reload sounds

    ⚠️ Still missing gunshot SFX for other players (online)

  • Created default build (fixes missing magazine in default build)
• Reverted Join from friend invite (mod version) to original (should fix Host Game connection issues)
  
• Added calls to clear character camera effects when switching character (e.g. returning to Ready Room) or when using the Customize Operator menu, so that hopefully headcam and NVG effects don’t transfer over when players die or change loadouts
  
• More fixes for hair and headgear fits

• Added Prone, Stance Up and Stance Down to the Controller keybind list (Settings › Controls)
  
• Bound Prone to [Face Button Right] + [Right Shoulder Button] as default
  
• Cleaned up appearance of Controller keybind list to match that of Keyboard/Mouse

• Increased bird flock height by 3 meters
  
• Dirt footstep effects: decreased sprite size, adjusted lifetime, and made the effect more subtle

⚠️ There have been new Community Test updates since this release. See our Events page.

Welcome to the public testing for GROUND BRANCH V1034!

In our last Intel Report, we established today (December 19th) as a hard deadline to push the V1034 release into testing. And so here it is — with all the new stuff, which includes a lot of very broken stuff that we'll be fixing on our way to the stable release with your help.

Please keep in mind that a lot of things are expected to be broken, which is kind of the point of public testing: the more people breaking things and reporting them, the faster the issues are discovered and the easier it is for us to prioritize fixes and changes.

❓ How to join the Community Test beta branch

• Right-click GROUND BRANCH in your Steam Library and select Properties…
  
• Click 'BETAS' on the left-hand list menu
  
• Select 'communitytest - Community testing branch' from the drop-down menu
  (no password required)

Steam will begin downloading the files for the testing branch. Patching may take a while.

🐞 Where to report bugs

You can report bugs and issues using any of these methods:

• The in-game Bugs & Issues screen (press Esc once in-game and look along the top menu)
  
• The Steam forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/16900/discussions/
  
• The #bug-reports channel on the official GROUND BRANCH™ Discord

Your reports help us locate and fix issues faster, so keep them coming!

All done? Alright, this is what to look out for:



Major changes and additions:

• The new Prone stance is accessible via the Z key (default)
  
• Players can also change stances by binding the new Stance Up and Stance Down keybinds
  
• First pass on new enemy AI — we have rebuilt the AI from the ground up and it is neither fully tested nor feature-complete, so please bear with us as we collect feedback and iterate during this testing period
  
• Six female characters can now be selected under the Appearance tab
  
• A few hairstyles are now available for all characters, along with a shorter beard for male characters

⚠️ Weapon modding is still set for addition in the final V1034 release, but it is not currently available in the public testing.

⚠️ As mentioned previously, the new AI is far from final and will continue to be worked on over several updates.

Things you can report, but may not need to:

• Enemy AI may be unresponsive/idle/stuck in various contexts — if you see it, please make note of whether it was online (dedicated server? Listen server?) or offline, which game mode was being played, as well as map and location etc. (this may be an issue with legacy mission setups rather than the AI, so let's figure it out)
  
• Changing directions (WASD) with a primary weapon equipped will cause visible "hitches" in the weapon movement
  
• Weapon movement, poses and animations in general are still being put back together after the prone overhaul — please bear with us
  
• Leaning is bound to feel particularly strange, due to the combo of new poses and the ongoing animation work (all WIP)
  
• Walking or running with a primary weapon equipped causes the character's right foot to "hover" before it actually touches the ground
  
• Prone does not conform to terrain angle
  
• Aiming (ADS) with a pistol while crouched is offset to the right
  
• Character and weapon collision while prone is pretty finicky! Let us know how it all feels to you
  
• The Tablet (map) is currently offset to the bottom while crouched, and unusable while prone
  
• Various combinations of hairstyles and headgear items have visible clipping or overall jankiness
  
• The Galil ARM and SA58 OSW are lacking bolt/ejection and charging handle movements (in the weapon themselves)
  
• The default Galil ARM and SA58 OSW builds are missing a magazine
  
• The SA58 OSW does not have the correct reload animations hooked up

Here's the full list of changes in this build:

• Major overhaul at street level (new enterable central buildings, enterable peripheral buildings and a large new bank section)
  
• Missions rejigged to conform to and take advantage of new features
  
• Cleaned up a lot of collision issues

• Calls to prayer added using new Time of Day alarm system

• Fixed specular value on creek embankment material so it better matches the ground
  
• Reworked terrain and collisions to reduce possibility of getting stuck on trees

• Optimized grass meshes
  
• Switched guard tower at main gate to the mirrored version
  
• Added some cover plates to top platform area of Depot guard towers (gives more cover to that area for AI and players)
  
• Tweaked grass wind settings
  
• Increased draw distances for log foliage and some door frames

• Added light blocker mesh to stop sunlight coming into Power Station tunnel when sunlight is at very low light angle

• Added the vista from Tanker
  
• Fixed some poor tiling on the legs/superstructure
  
• Texture sharpening
  
• Replaced all industrial doors with new ones, improved opening directions, yaws and clutter around them for better movement
  
• Fixed some inverted or bad normal maps
  
• Replaced wood interior doors with newer version
  
• Replaced roll up doors with newer version
  
• Converted glass blueprints to Depot style
  
• Some PFX optimizing
  
• Material tweaks
  
• Optimized light settings
  
• Improved bloom and light shaft settings, same as Depot
  
• Fixed DFAO bleeding on some interior wall meshes
  
• Reduced complexity of derrick railings
  
• A few material tweaks
  
• Set some small props to Projectile collision profile
  
• Sun light optimization

• Consistency and cosmetic overhaul

• Fixed some props and decals hidden in walls
  
• Fixed some reflection captures that were in the void
  
• Tweaked signage
  
• Material tweaks
  
• Fixed inverted phone

• Consistency and cosmetic update
  
• Extended distance of some foliage and added a bit of unevenness to the Farm shooting range terrain to help with foliage culling leaving the terrain bare at distances

• Added new life raft pods, tweaked draw distances for large meshes
  
• Cleaned up collision with Tanker internal staircase railings

• Galil ARM
  
• SA58 OSW

• MPX (new model)
  
• FAL (new model)
  
• Adding back in old metal AKM mag due to popular request
  
• Fixed bad normals on FAL magazine
  
• Fixed bad setting for metallic texture on 1P78 Kashtan sight that made it black in shadow

• SRS model and textures updated
  
• AN/PEQ-15 lasers now emit from the correct apertures depending on type selected (visible/IR)
  
• Laser beam point light effect reworked slightly

• Created male and female subtypes of clothing
  
• New Flannel Shirt style (previous version renamed to "Light Flannel")
  
• Some pouches removed on rigs and vests to accommodate new radio asset
  
• Updated/cleaned up a lot of inaccurate color schemes for various tops and pants
  
• Changed cap and reverse cap to have callsign at the back
  
• All country patches removed except those representing dev team countries (US, Australia, Brazil, UK, Germany, Canada and Spain)
  
• New patches added:
  
  
  • Blackbeard
    
  • Too Deep
    
  • Tertia Optio B
    
  • United States B (R)
    
  • United States B (L)
    
  • United States IR (R)
    
  • United States IR (R)
    
  • US–UK Friendship Flag
    
  • SCOPetrol
    
  • Ram Airways

• Migrated from Unreal AI system to Kythera AI middleware (huge change)
  
• Main updates in behavior:
  
  
  • New target acquisition based on engagement time and distance
    
  • New perception system, with different cone of visions that take lighting and time of day into account
    
  • Basic suppression (firing at last known location)
    
  • Crouching and going prone when no cover is available nearby
    
  • Holding fire when another bot is in the line of fire
    
  • Replaced pathfinding/navmesh system with Kythera solution, including ORCA avoidance
    
  • Scouting out of windows
• AI loadouts updated to take account of new kit and disappearing pouches
  
• At lower skill levels, AI fire tracers with increasing frequency and have more frequent muzzle flash effects

• Added female characters (new heads and clothing assets)
  
• Morph targets added to create female variations of existing kit
  
• Various under-the-hood changes to integrate with new Kythera AI systems
  
• Hair styles added for both male and female models, with different options according to head type and gender
  
• Updated eyelash meshes created and added for all characters
  
• Radio and PTT module added to relevant platforms
  
• New beard style (short/spotty)
  
• New prone action mapped to Z key by default
  
• Stance Up / Stance Down keybinds now available, as an alternative stance control scheme to move between standing, crouched and prone (uses only two keys)

• New headcam-style camera for Spectator Mode and Debug (Ctrl + Up arrow)
  
• Updated DLSS and Streamline plugins
  
• Underwater effects added to all water volumes which can be entered by going prone or looking down while crouched, depending on depth
  
• Added various new branch, log and tree assets
  
• New colorblind graphics settings, including colorblind correction modes and custom reticle and laser colors
  
• Main menu max FPS is now capped to value of new MainMenuFPS config variable (default 60 FPS)
  
• Spectator Mode night vision now cycles through green and white phosphor settings (previously only green)
  
• Replaced static normal texture for callsign patches with a procedurally generated normal, to make the letters stand out (literally)
  
• Added specular and AO (ambient occlusion) into the patch decal chain, to remove AO and to set a constant specular value on body patches (previously there was some speckle in shadow caused by underlying AO)
  
• Small pass on tracers (visuals and onset)
  
• Callsign patches now added to the back of helmets (or to the back of the NVG counterweight, if equipped)
  
• Specular AO mode enabled
  
• Brought the post-processing on the UE4 debug camera into line with the normal character post-processing
  
• Changed AA samples to 16, since it was causing issues/artifacts with DLSS SR
  
• Reworked handling of DLSS FG when in main menu and when the game is starting
  
• DLSS FG (Frame Generation) will be turned off in the main menu, only be enabled when game starts
  
• Added smooth Time of Day transitions for TimeOfDay console command
  
• Big pass on consistency and values of colors and brightness of inventory/outfit items (let us know if you catch any inconsistencies!)
  
• Changed default resolution from 1280x800 to 1920x1080 (may need some further work for Steam Deck)
  
• Various tooltips converted to GB standard
  
• Fuse boxes, DTAS flags and other gameplay props set to never distance cull

• Introduction of prone posture and transitions
  
• Overhaul of all movement animations and poses
  
• New animations for body and head recoil (reacting to weapon recoil)
  
• Updated MK17 animations with polish pass
  
• Updated M24 character animations so they were mesh additive
  
• New mag check animations
  
• Prone death animations
  
• Created SA58 OSW animations
  
• Created Galil ARM animations
  
• Polished FAL animations

• Overhaul of all bullet impact and other VFX
  
• Reworked smoke materials, especially with regard to ambient lighting
  
• Smoke grenades tweaked to last longer and to have different smoke propagation
  
• New muzzle flashes: suppressed, flash hider, and AK-specific FX created
  
• New shell ejection smoke FX
  
• Added color control for the muzzle flash smoke elements
  
• Adjusted the M67 Frag dirt explosion
  
• Reworked Breaching Charge and door explosion effects
  
• New blood impact effects
  
• New manhole/steam FX in City
  
• Bug system added to various lights (bugs circle lights at night)
  
• Dynamic light system now uses separate VFX for shooting out the light when on vs off
  
• New footstep FX
  
• Set physical materials for a large number of materials that were missing one
  
• Lights can now be blown out by grenade explosions
  
• Created FX for light fixture destruction

• Added server-configurable door to block off firing range in Ready Room
  
• Server browser and dedicated servers updated to transfer new information relating to mods and player names
  
• Server browser now displays a list of players and a list of mods that are active on all servers
  
• Enabled some engine anti-cheat settings
  
• Added AllowVotesWhenAdminPresent property (if FALSE then no votes can be started, except by admins, when an admin is online)
  
• Added server setting for ready countdown time (default 45 seconds), which is used unless overridden by the map list
  
• If a dedicated server is started up without a map list, a basic one is generated (previously dedicated servers would just hang until restarted with a maplist.ini added)
  
• New rules (e.g. DisplayFriendlyNameTags) are now added and are editable if not already present (e.g. because using a legacy Server.ini file)
  
• Added server restart settings to admin/server settings widget
  
• Added new ServerRestart admin console command, which is by default only enabled for admins, and causes the immediate restart of the server.
  
• Added shutdown options to Server.ini in ServerConfig, including new "shutdown at hour of day" option (previously servers only restarted after specified length of time)
  
• Added vote settings to server settings admin menu
  
• Added VoteDelayFromRoundStart setting to vote.ini — votes not allowed until X minutes of play have elapsed

• Added Randomize Objectives feature to Ops Board and to game modes (OnRandomiseObjectives)
  
• Added pause feature (in single-player only) when in game menu is accessed
  
• Added player volunteer feature to game modes and server roster (players and admins can set a "volunteer" flag that can be read by a game mode to determine who to pick for a random role such as flag carrier or hostage)
  
• Changed mission setting process in UpdateMissionSettingsTable() in GBGameMode to only set (and thus record as changed) mission settings that were actually changed
  
• Intel Retrieval, Terrorist Hunt, Team Elimination and Uplink updated to incorporate Randomize Objectives feature
  
• Flashbangs do not always stun if they are more than 0.5 meter above player's eyes (to prevent bangs through floors)
  
• Fixed bomb mission actors, and added Lua callbacks for when bomb takes damage from projectiles and grenades, and a test mode in which shooting a bomb causes immediate detonation
  
• Rejigged/repurposed old PVE “Defuse” game mode, intended as mod example. Added missions for Small Town, City and Rundown
  
• New short range friendly name tags (if server rule UsesFriendlyNameTags is TRUE)
  
• Teamkill warnings for the team killer should now display every time it happens
  
• Team balancing code moved into Lua library and added to Team Elimination and Uplink modes
  
• Team Elimination, Uplink and Hostage Rescue modes are changed so that if auto balance is off, defender spawns are shown in the ready room (otherwise they are obscured until round start)
  
• NVG automatically flips up now when equipping tablet, and automatically flips back down when tablet is put away
  
• Pathable news helicopter added to City map (flees when shot at)
  
• Passing a nil AI class reference to ai.GetControllers now returns default AI controller class
  
• Added new Rig Hostage Rescue (Living Quarters) mission
  
• Created new door sign component and added it to doors in Rig crew quarters area for easier call-outs
  
• Changed spawning behavior so that if spawning mid-round, there is no player freeze and gun starts in (mid) ready (* isn’t it ADS now?)
  
• Added time of day alarm system, optionally providing events based on astronomical time (e.g. sunset, midday, sunset) rather than hours
  
• Changed mission editor to send player back to ready room after edits
  
• Underwater mode added, in which weapons cannot be fired or brought to ADS, and breathing is limited, forcing the player out of prone when breath runs out; if the player cannot move out of the water, they will quickly take drowning damage
  
• Hackable laptop now auto-equips after hack (to avoid accidentally leaving behind in intel retrieval, etc.)
  
• Added Player Stance property to PlayerStart mission actor, so players can spawn in either upright or crouched
  
• New library calls available to game modes to kill or damage players, and to spawn an effect at a player
  
• Female characters who become hostages in Hostage Rescue are made male during captivity (because some of you are weirdos)
  
• Added double-click-to-zoom-to-actor functionality in the actor list in the mission editor
  
• Improved validation for TH missions by alphabetically sorting the list of guard point names in the event of a discrepancy with number of guarding squads (may also automate finding odd one out)

• Implemented new dynamic reverb system that accounts for the size and layout of indoor areas
  
• New main menu music and stingers from Venus Theory
  
• Depot audio level updated
  
• Updated City level audio, added idle vehicle sounds as well as ambient city sounds such as sirens and horns
  
• Updated level audio for Depot, Creek, Run Down, Power Station
  
• Resynced reload audio for AKs, ARs, FALs, G3A3, M1014, MK14 EBR and handguns
  
• Added dynamic window audio and fixed missing audio
  
• New sounds for news helicopter (City)
  
• Implemented power box interaction and electrical hum
  
• Music manager subsystem added
  
• Created underwater filter and set up water foley sounds
  
• Female characters now have a female voice playing in the Comms Menu (G)
  
• Acoustic portals now open and close and the correct time
  
• Stray acoustic portals are now autodetected by coincident doors

• Renaming of various settings names and other UI elements
  
• Ready Room locker hints hopefully less confusing now
  
• Server, game mode and mission details added to the Esc menu
  
• Swapped Rotate and Pan camera actions when click-dragging in Customize Operator screen (for character and for items)
  
• Added is-modded and has-kit-restrictions filters for server list
  
• Split up Gameplay settings into an additional screen (HUD)
  
• New stance icon for Prone and related UI changes and additions
  
• Holding down Ctrl will hide UI elements in Customize Operator screen
  
• UI pass on admin server settings menu (mainly prettifying names)
  
• Reduced opacity of AI hotspot marker
  
• Tweaked mission editor UI a bit to make key shortcuts work in more cases and to fix minor UI issues
  
• Added match info screen to loading screen
  
• Hid advanced AI settings button (new AI settings need to be dialed in first during testing)
  
• Added some new loading screen tips

• GetShadowIndex() == 0 silent crash fixed
  
• Capsule shadows should be handled better by character items
  
• Fixed bug where sometimes dragging spinbox (e.g. in mission settings) would result in a value 1 more than expected
  
• Fixed the ‘T count’ bug where you can't change the terrorist count on the Ops Board (may also fix other related bugs in custom modes and similar)
  
• Fixed up NVG, Binoculars and Rangefinder to remove overlay if not in first-person view
  
• Fixed incorrect velocity settings for 7.62×39 mm (AKM) round
  
• Fixed broken laptop placements in City, Docks, and other maps
  
• Tweaked the autobalance code to NOT balance teams with only 1 player playing if the ideal team size difference is 0 (i.e. symmetric game modes like Team Elimination that aren't attacker/defender-based)
  
• Fixed IR strobes still flashing after NVG turned off
  
• Fixed NVG overlay remaining sometimes after removing NVG
  
• Tablet screen is now blurry again (consistent with overall NVG effects)
  
• IR strobes reduced in intensity
  
• Reworked NVG bounce algorithm (causing lens misalignment) to be more FPS-invariant
  
• Improved the logging when an item fails to spawn
  
• Body patches now have working normal maps (depth/texture)
  
• Hostage run exploit patched
  
• Fix for laptops causing collision when not active
  
• Rangefinder NV mode fixed up a bit
  
• Fixed resurrect command not working via admin menu, and added missing SuperKick and ResurrectAtMe options
  
• Activating debug camera now destroys associated player state so no more phantom players appearing in roster and stopping SP games from starting
  
• Fixed Tablet missing a dropped item class, causing issues with picking up
  
• Updated grenade code in relation to inconsistent throw location
  
• Fix for eyewear items not taking on proper skin when leaving character editor
  
• Changed default player freeze on round start to last until end of pre round wait period rather than for the pre round wait duration (in case players spawn in late)
  
• Fixed no validation for bad ASCII characters when setting name in character editor
  
• Fixed Patches dialog not preventing background clicks
  
• Custom collision component added to dynamic lighting blueprint to fix problem with (e.g.) shooting a pole breaking the attached light
  
• Fixed reticles not changing size when zoom is changed while not ADS
  
• Placement of Breaching Charges prevented while 'frozen'
  
• Use of detonator for breach charge prevented while 'frozen'
  
• Fixed out-of-level exploit in Rig Top Deck Deathmatch, Last Man Standing and Team Elimination missions (stairs East of shack 5)
  
• Tentatively fixed bots running out of cargo door in 747 Terrorist Hunt (Interior)
  
• Big pass on collision in Creek to try to eliminate instances of getting stuck on trees
  
• North-facing doors now register a close event properly
  
• Fix for equipment and weapon attachments showing shadows when "Use Simple Character Shadows" is set in settings

Hey, everyone!

We're back with another Intel Report as the development of GROUND BRANCH V1034 continues diligently behind the scenes. Here's the usual reminder:

⚠️ 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), July (#016), August (#017), September (#018) and October (#019).

And with that out of the way, we got just one more thing before we can take a look at what's been cooking since our last dev blog:

We weren't planning on it, but Valve approached us with a nice exposure deal to participate in the Steam Autumn Sale, and so we accepted at the last minute.

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

If you have a PayPal account and are willing to pay the game's USD price, consider buying your Steam key from {LINK REMOVED}our official store using code <code>GBFALL23</code> at the checkout to apply the same 25% discount.

🚨 The Autumn Sale ends November 28 — don't miss it!

Alright, on to the report!

We've mentioned it a lot before, but just in case this is your first Intel Report: upcoming release V1034 will introduce the new prone stance into GROUND BRANCH.

And as much as we would've liked to be proven wrong, adding prone has been as massive an undertaking as we predicted, with entire systems being reworked to support it.

In addition to all of the things necessary for prone to be implemented on the character side alone, care is being taken to support it within maps (environment interaction) and to generally make sure it doesn't break various areas of gameplay. For example: did you know that preventing the characters' legs from clipping right through a wall if you crawl backwards towards it requires additional programming? Regular character collision used while standing or crouching doesn't automatically apply to prone, so extra logic has to be created specifically for it.

The same is true for something as seemingly simple as making the character conform to sloped surfaces while prone (instead of disregarding the terrain and always looking like it's lying on a perfectly flat surface) — all of that requires intricate logic to happen. Take a look:


Arm and weapon collision also had to be reworked for prone, as the short-stocking and other collision animations don't just carry over for the stance. For the time being, obstacles will simply prevent players from turning their aim beyond a certain point (this may or may not change as prone develops and feedback is received).


Before collision


After collision

Another factor we had to account for: what happens if you go prone in water? Which leads us to…

Section by Matt "Fatmarrow" Farrow

One consequence of bringing prone into the game in V1034 is that it is now possible to go underwater in areas that were previously not accessible.

We are still not decided as to whether we want to let players go prone underwater; it is not something we intended as a core gameplay feature, and it is probably something we would like to prevent entirely (older players might remember 2001's Ghost Recon line "Too deep" whenever you tried to lower your stance in waters that would submerge your character).

Nevertheless, as an interim solution in V1034, we have added some underwater effects for those players who want to leopard-crawl their way through the watery deep.

In our interim solution, you can hold your breath for a short while, but when you start seeing pulsing effects on screen, you will soon be out of breath. At that point, the game forces you out of prone to take a breath (and too bad if you are in front of an enemy). While underwater, you cannot shoot, use items, or aim down sights. It may turn out that this is a game mechanic we are happy to keep, but until then, have a go and see what you think. See below for a demonstration of the new underwater effects in Creek (as well as a demonstration of the new smooth time of day transitions).

💡 Even if we end up preventing players from going underwater, the effects will be useful for non-gameplay camera purposes such as Spectator Mode and screenshots.

---

Though prone is currently highly functional — in the sense that the foundation is there and it allows all essential actions (moving, shooting, aiming, reloading, switching items) — there's still plenty to fix and refine, even if we're not expecting to release a fully fleshed out iteration straight away.

New enemy AI systems continue to be developed, with existing features also having to be rebuilt within the new Kythera AI middleware. This month, we'll be focusing on more sight detection.

Take a look at this first video:


In the video above, a character walks into the cone of vision of an AI bot, quickly raising its Alertness Level from "Idle" (Alertness = 0) to "Suspicious" (Alertness > 0). Once Alertness reaches 1.0, the bot goes into the full "Alert" state and is instructed to engage the enemy.

When the character is no longer visible, the AI goes into a "Cautious" mode and is instructed to start searching for the target after a short period of time. (This, of course, is just the basic behavior, which will be expanded over time.)

💡 Why are there 2 cones of vision?

• The wider cone (gray) is the actual visual perception cone for the AI: any enemy activity picked up within it will raise alertness.
  
• The smaller cone (red) is used for target selection: targets within this cone will be engaged according to priority — more on that in a future report.

But how does visibility work? Well, target visibility is determined by various factors such as:

• Distance: the closer to the target, the faster the AI will identify it
  
• Angle: targets that are in the primary cone of vision (red) will raise suspicion more quickly than targets in the secondary cone (gray)
  
• Time of day: broad daylight makes detection easier by increasing the range/length of the cone, while nighttime makes it shorter
  
• Light sources: proximity to artificial light sources can make targets more easily detectable

To illustrate the last two points (time of day and light sources), here are two quick demos:


In the demo above, the player character is outside of the AI's cone of vision for nighttime. As time of day is changed to daytime, the cone expands and the player is now within the AI's visual range.

But nighttime isn't the only factor to consider:


Above, the player is initially invisible to the AI. As the character steps into the light, however, you will notice how the Alertness value quickly increases until the AI is alerted and starts engaging.

💡 Please note that these videos and visualizations are merely for demonstration purposes and don't necessarily represent final AI detection behaviors or values.

💡 For earlier AI-related news and demos including grenade usage, shooting out of windows, cover system and world interactions, make sure you've checked out Intel Reports #017, #018 and #019.

Although we have basic light detection in the game currently (in V1033), these systems had to be rebuilt with the move to the new AI middleware. They should hopefully be more consistent and efficient than the current implementation, as well as better integrated with other AI behaviors.

Section by Matt "Fatmarrow" Farrow

We have now implemented what we call a Time of Day alarm system in order to implement an appropriately timed call to prayer in the Compound map.

Islamic prayers are not synchronized with hours of the day, but are aligned relative to astronomical phenomena like sunrise, midday and sunset. Luckily, we have already established an internal system which maps a "standard day" to an actual day of the year, where hour 6 is designated sunrise and hour 18 is designated sunset (this system is what already allows you to use shorthand like "sunrise" instead of a specific time of day). Of course, the times of sunrise and sunset depend on the date and latitude, but this is also taken into account in the system.

For example, the Fajr prayer (the first of the day) takes place at the first light of dawn. Through trial and error, we determined that a "standard" hour of 5.5 or so (a little bit before the standard sunrise at 6:00am) reasonably satisfies this criterion. In the Compound level itself, a blueprint plays a call to prayer sound effect on receiving an alarm event from the time of day system.

💡 The system can also be rigged to work with "normal" or "actual" hours, for example to have a bell sound every hour.

One reason for this deep dive is to point out one of many features that modders will soon be able to use to help them bring their own maps and props to life (though map mods will not be available just yet, as we are focusing on weapon mods in V1034). There is an eclectic but relatively extensive library of features that will be available to player-authored blueprints. In due course, we will provide documentation to assist with this.




With the introduction of playable female characters, V1034 needs basic call-outs for the Comms Menu (default G). Here's a quick look:

🔊 Audio reverb is also being updated. Whereas in V1033 the reverb is essentially binary, accounting only for whether you're "outdoors", in a "large room" or in a "small room" — with no in-betweens — in V1034 reverb should dynamically adapt to the size and layout of rooms.

Section by Matt "Fatmarrow" Farrow

You know how it goes. You play Intel Retrieval for the first time. Excitedly, you search the laptop and then you hot-foot it to extraction. But why is the round not ending? The laptop, of course, is where you left it, and not with you at extraction. It is a GROUND BRANCH rite of passage, but it isn't all that fun.

So in V1034, we'll try having players pick up the laptop automatically after searching it. There was some concern about players being "locked" into the pickup animation, but in practice it is not really a great inconvenience or vulnerability. You can say a fond goodbye to the "did I remember to pick up the laptop?" meta game.

It turns out that making country flag patches was a bit of a minefield.

Rather than be forced to make what might be construed as political decisions regarding which country flags/patches to include (or not), we have decided to limit the official selection of flag patches only to those that represent the countries of our development team.

The good news is that the process of making and sharing modded patches will soon be streamlined via Steam Workshop, so we anticipate that the community will step in to fill the gap if there is demand.

In this month's bugfix corner, we have a few doozies that will be in V1034:

• Fixed reticle not updating when scope magnification levels are changed by the player while not in ADS (aim down sight) mode.
  
• Fixed lights being blown out when shooting poles and other parts of light fixtures rather than the bulbs or light strips themselves (a particular issue on Small Town and Depot, for example), and some new VFX has been added for lights shot out while off, and also to add some visual feedback when multiple shots are required to take out a light (for example the large floodlights in Depot).
  
• Tweaked various outfit and gear skins to:
  
  
  • No longer mismatch with other items of the same skin (especially camos)
    
  • Have better consistency in camo pattern scaling
    
  • Tone down excessive brightness (most noticeable in desert patterns/colors)
• Breaching Charges can no longer be placed or detonated while the player is "frozen" (e.g. at round start).

Though we wanted to have a full V1034 release before the end of the year, difficulties with the implementation of prone have thrown the proverbial wrench into those plans, as is probably clear at this point. So we're settling for releasing the public testing version of the update by then.

As much as we don't like giving out ETAs: we'll be aiming to start the public testing on December 19 — about three and a half weeks from today.

So hang in there and pray to the gaming gods that we get as much as possible in order by that date.

We have a testing branch to put out, so next time you hear from us, it should be a Build Update rather than another Intel Report.

Enjoy the weekend, and as always: thank you for your continued support of this project. We'll see you next time!