Jun 14, 2024

GROUND BRANCH - Scopey

Happy Friday, folks!

Patch V1034.4 is now available. As we get modding ready, more fixes and improvements piled up which make no sense holding back — so we're getting them out there. Also we can't stand receiving bug reports for the rotated MK46 suppressor anymore (that may or may not be the real reason).

While it downloads and installs, please take a moment to read the patch notes below — that should help you figure out what changed, what to be on the lookout for and what to report.

📢 IMPORTANT NOTICE to server owners re: rubber-banding

We're aware of the severe online rubber-banding issue, and although we haven't fully determined the cause yet (we have a lead!) we did notice that the issue keeps increasing in severity the longer the server is live. Restarting the server usually fixes the issue.

👉 As a temporary solution, we suggest admins/owners set up their servers to automatically restart every 4–6 hours. The default timer has been changed to 3 hours.

Patch notes

Known issues

We are aware of an issue where hiding your HUD while spectating will stay on-screen when you return to the game when resurrecting or returning to the Ready Room (RR); to work around this issue, go to Spectator Mode (F6) and toggle the HUD on again (default H)
Another issue happens after you dive (sprint and then go prone); upon standing back up and starting to move, your character will automatically sprint

Servers

Changed minimum number of hours for scheduled server restart to 3 (given rubber-banding issues, we recommend a low value), and values lower than this now default to 3 rather than 24

Increased difficulty for Veteran AI: generally raised detection scale (sight and hearing), reaction speed and aiming
Fixed AI being unable to reload the M24 rifle

Audio

Fixed missing M24 suppressed sound
Fixed missing sound for MK14 EBR reload
Fixed call-to-prayer (Compound) not ending after leaving map
Fixed various instances of bad acoustic portals in all maps

Inventory and general assets

Fixed rotated suppressor on MK46 ⭐
Added non-standard reticle color feature to allow PSO-1M2 scope to use previous yellow/orange color
Fixed AK-105 and AK-74M not being able to take a suppressor
Fixed missing suppressor for M110K1
Fixed Galil ARM not ejecting shells
Tweaked old corrugated metal sheet model to look a bit less dark

Maps and missions

Slightly reduced bloom (WIP)
Considerable update to Compound to improve AI navigation:
- Adjustments to main house interior
- Increased overall size of stairwell
- Removed a few small rooms that didn't contribute to gameplay much
- Reduced size of bathrooms
- Adjustments to size of most rooms to accommodate larger stairwell
- Collision updates
- Tidied up placement of small props to improve navigation
- Fixed up audio volumes
- Increased max yaw of most doors
Collision and miscellaneous pass on 747 and Compound missions (after Compound main building remodelled by Will)
More navmesh cleanup in Power Station, Run Down and Storage Facility
Fixed player collision issue on Depot rocks near helipad area
Fixed some mesh culling on Depot
Removed debug AI movement test actor from Storage Facility (red sphere)
Changed default climate to use default weather (and not fully clear/cloudless weather)
Fixed some bugs with the mission tag validator
Updated Ready Room (RR) signage: font, text size, padding and copy
Fixed one of the name plates going missing from one of the RR lockers

Game modes

Fixed hostage bag not being removed when the hostage is released in Hostage Rescue (HR)
Tentative fix for tap-leading causing hostage to keep being led in HR

Modding

Fixed mods (especially Quick Create mods) being given wrong file size
Updated Quick Create mod menu to offer to convert missions
Fixed up Quick Create mod menu a bit: changing staged mod now updates mod contents section, and GetModPath now uses current settings rather than defaults
A lot of under-the-hood work to support modding officially (soon!)
Fixed mod-based game mode validators not running

Mission Editor

Fixed up validation widget to work with modded game modes and validators
Mission editor script picker causes script name in editor to update when changed
Changed behavior of Save and Save As… to no longer save to game directory — no build will overwrite modded missions; users are now prompted to use Save As…, which now saves to StagedMod folder by default

Gameplay and settings

Fixed bad camera mode in Spectator Mode
Changed default Lean Roll setting to 5 (from 0)
Re-enabled NVG Overlay Scale option (Settings › Video)
Possible fix for the ol' shaky weapon bug
Reduced impact of leaning on stamina and arm strength (should allow leaning for 2–3 minutes before depleting either)
Changed lean, run and sprint spam thresholds (now harder to spam)
Various changes to ensure that stamina and weapon sway values are correctly applied and reset under various circumstances
Breaching Charge updated to more reliably cause injury to AI and players behind the door when breached
Rebalanced autoexposure for NVG and naked eye (will make things look darker at night and will make moon phase and appearance more definitive for illumination levels for NVG and naked eye at night)
Spectator camera now remembers the last camera style, so it won't keep resetting to headcam when switching through players and starting/stopping spectator mode
Raised texture size on scope render target to slightly mitigate blocky sights

General UI

Updated rail slots to fix issues where dots that are further away appear over the top of dots that are closer
Added Censored Patch feature: individual mod patches can now be hidden entirely from your game by clicking the 🚫 icon in the top-right of an entry
Fixed Randomize Objectives button not being selectable
Updated HUD widget to ensure player names do not linger when leaving/entering Ready Room
Improved Ops Board's insertion points to be more responsive to clicks and more accurately play animations, as well as prevent sound effect spam when hovering
Updated insertion point widget nodes to give some of its visuals back (much softer shadow)
Updated appearance and copy of pop-up hints, and cleaned up the slide-/fade-out animation
Reduce pop-up hint on-screen duration from 20 to 10 seconds
Added key shortcut icons to dialog buttons (Enter = OK/Yes; Esc = Cancel/No) — the shortcuts themselves already worked before, so this is only a visual indication!
Fixed first person camera not being available in Spectator Mode
It should now also be possible to toggle between headcam and regular first person camera using C key when fixed to first person
Changed UK spelling in Color Blindness setting labels (Settings › Video) to US spelling
Updated text in various tooltips for consistency, spelling and clarity
Updated various Modding and Admin Panel menus to use consistent button and scrollbar visuals
Made patch detail/button gray out if patch visibility setting prevents modded patch being viewed
Added "?" icon for the case where a patch is set but doesn't load (so it doesn't look like an unset patch)
Updated DLSS 3 (Frame Generation) tooltip to include notice about FPS counters not reporting the "correct" framerate (NVIDIA Overlay will report the final framerate)
Other general cleanup

Miscellaneous

Fixed crash related to ToggleDebugCamera command
The usual massive amount of under-the-hood changes and fixes

Jun 14, 2024

Final Stand: Ragnarök Newsletter #18 - Version 1.1

Final Stand: Ragnarök - UCE Travis

Team Tidings

Hey Folks,

We’re beyond excited to welcome you to another edition of the Final Stand: Ragnarok newsletter! In this edition, we’ll be covering our biggest content update ever - including a brand new scenario, new enemies, new bosses, and more! Delve into the Dungeon Maze, where a gauntlet of powerful undead prevent your means of escape. If you manage to fight through them (and avoid the myriad traps set for you along the way), you’ll come face to face with the Warden, one of Hel’s strongest Generals. In addition to the new Dungeon Maze scenario and all it has to offer, we have a series of balance changes, performance improvements, and bug fixes to talk about! So without further ado, let’s get into it.

State of the Build: Update 1.1 - The Dungeon Maze Beta!

Dungeon Maze

After months of hard work and testing by our team, we’re excited to announce the Beta edition of our third scenario, Dungeon Maze! You and your fellow Champions will battle your way through a prison purpose built to confuse, confound, and confine you. Navigate your way through the stone corridors of Hel’s stronghold, evading traps and unlocking new pathways by completing unique encounters. Your ultimate goal is to reach the Warden, one of Hel’s fiercest generals and the last line of defense for the entire prison. Reaching him will be no small feat, and defeating him and his lieutenants will take everything you have.

Above: Concept art of the Dungeon Maze’s spidery depths, beckoning you further in.

Above: One of our new objectives, featuring hundreds of mindless dead and the infamous ‘Big Boys’.

The Jailers and the Warden

The Champions within the Dungeon Maze’s confines face steep opposition in their escape attempt. Two of the Warden’s subordinates, known collectively as the Jailers, await those who manage to progress far enough to threaten the prison’s security. They are the Soul Reaper and the Dead Caller, fierce foes that emphasize new mechanics and attack patterns. Reaching these bosses will require accomplishing different randomized objectives - be careful not to get lost along the way, as the longer it takes you to reach one of the Jailers, the more enemy reinforcements will arrive to try and stop you!

The Soul Reaper

The first of two Jailers that you will face during your escape attempt, the Soul Reaper is a ruthless enforcer of order that views you as nothing more than a pest to be squashed. Utilizing powerful magic and a pair of enchanted weapons, the Soul Reaper will require keen awareness of your positioning in order to succeed. Standing in the path of his sweeping strikes will not only deal a ton of damage, but will also serve to heal him. If you’re careless with where you stand, you’ll end up losing a battle of attrition as the Soul Reaper overwhelms you with his minions at full health!

Above: The Soul Reaper about to perform his namesake on a helpless Champion.

Above: Concept art of the Soul Reaper, whose ravenous hunger knows no limits.

The Dead Caller

The second Jailer within the Dungeon Maze is the Dead Caller, a demented mistress of torment that calls upon the spirits of the damned to power various runestones. Tread carefully and keep an eye on your surroundings, as these runestones are the key to victory…or defeat. Among the Dead Caller’s repertoire are a runestone that summons an impenetrable shield and a runestone that summons additional and deadlier variants of enemies. The most dangerous, however, is the Rune of Sacrifice. These runestones cause damage dealt by Champions to be reflected to themselves and nearby allies, effectively turning your attacks against you. Simply burning the boss down isn’t an option here - if you want to win, you’ll need to be careful.

Above: Concept art of the Dead Caller, a terrible mistress of the damned whose wrath you must beware.

Above: The Dead Caller dispatching some overeager Champions, calling upon her army of necromancers to join her.

Above: The Runestone of Suffering is one of many runestones the Dead Caller will utilize when fighting. Destroy it quickly, lest it return the favor.

The Warden

Handpicked by Hel herself to protect the Dungeon Maze and manage its forces, the Warden is not only a vicious fighter but a strategic mind. Overcoming him will be your final challenge, and what a challenge it is! Three arcane towers protect the Warden, shielding him from harm while he throws massive javelins at any nearby Champion. Each of these towers is protected in turn not just by hundreds of undead, but by Officers, powerful minibosses that strengthen the defending forces in unique ways. Defeating the Warden will require first defeating his Officers and disabling his shield.

The first of these three minibosses is the Summoning Officer, who will continually spawn portals nearby in order to overwhelm you with numbers. The second is the Support Officer, who continually buffs nearby undead so long as they remain in the field. The third is the Artillery Officer, who directs scores of skeleton archers and launches long range projectiles at the Champions. After each of these Champions is defeated, the towers under their control must be captured, held, and then destroyed in order to weaken the Warden’s shield.

Above: One of the Warden’s protective towers mid-destruction, after being captured and overloaded by the Champions.

Once the Warden’s shield is gone, the final fight begins. You will be staving off hundreds of elite enemies as he calls for reinforcements, and every second counts to finish the fight. The Warden himself utilizes a mix of area of effect attacks, high single target damage, and heavy knockbacks to disrupt players. Defeat him to finally escape the Dungeon Maze, depriving Hel of one of her best generals and leaving her stronghold in ruin!

Above: The Warden doing what he does best - commanding soldiers and mocking his opponents.

New Enemies

Dungeon Maze is host to all sorts of deadly denizens, some of which you’ve never seen before. Bolstering the endless ranks of the damned, these undead will make your escape that much more difficult. Not only will you find them wandering the halls of the Dungeon Maze, but you’ll also spot some of them in our two other existing scenarios - Arena and Towers of Vigrith.

The Forsaken General stands out amongst its peers with prodigious size, leading the ranks of the Dishonored Dead from the front. This sturdy, high damage enemy is absolutely relentless - and completely immune to knockback and crowd control. You’ll need to deal raw damage to bring one of these elite soldiers down. Lesser versions of this new enemy are referred to as ‘Berserkers’ and can be found in certain encounter rooms.

The Plague Bearers are larger, stronger variants of their mindless undead cousins. Occasionally found as the objective of encounter rooms within the Dungeon Maze, these Big Boys(yes, that’s their current title in-game) can take a ridiculous amount of punishment before they collapse. Defeating them is as much an exercise in patience as it is in skill.

While not yet stalking the halls of the Dungeon Maze, the Skeleton Commanders are an entirely new enemy that deals death from afar. Summoning ranks of lesser skeleton archers to follow them into battle, these master marksmen launch volleys of arrows with staggering efficiency. While closing the gap will make them less effective killers, it’s by no means a sure thing - once you’ve gotten close enough, the Skeleton Commander will set a series of traps to make you pay the price for approaching. Beware and utilize your ranged attacks to bring them down.

New Objectives

In addition to the new enemies and bosses you’ll face in Dungeon Maze’s Beta, there are several new objectives that have never been featured in FS:R before. You’ll see these objectives in randomized encounters that you have to complete in order to progress to the next boss in Dungeon Maze.

One example is the ‘Capture’ objective, which requires the player and their fellow Champions to remain within the radius of a crystal in order to control it and open the way forward. You have a limited time to capture the crystal, and leaving the radius of it will stop any progress you were gaining - so stand your ground and fight off the horde!

Above: This objective will require you to carve your way through several elite enemies, all while dodging volleys of archer fire and pit of poison gas.

Another new objective is focused on defeating a mass of spiders - and I mean a lot of them. Seriously, I cannot overstate how many spiders there are in this room. Arachnophobes beware. You have to destroy the egg sacs spawning them within the room and kill the Broodmothers protecting them, all while hundreds of smaller eight legged attackers quite literally block your path forward.

The above examples are only two of many new variations you can find in the new scenario, and some of the mechanics used in these encounters will be able to be used for future scenarios or existing ones in-game. This greatly increases our ability to add more variety to the gameplay loop for a given match of FS:R.

Traps, Treasures, and More

What dungeon would be complete without some traps to go with it? Or treasure, for that matter! Fortunately, the Dungeon Maze Beta is awash with both. You’ll have to avoid two kinds of pressure plates that see spikes jutting outwards and powerful magic stripping away your Champion’s shield. Flames roar from the mouths of stone dragons along the walls of long corridors, and toxic poison spreads from a hard-to-reach vent, daring you to find and shut it off at the source. It is fortunate that great risk comes with great rewards, for behind locked gates, hidden alcoves, and numerous dead ends are treasure chests with Champion Runes and consumable items galore. Keep an eye out for doors off the beaten path, and then break them down to earn whatever Hel’s minions tried so hard to hide from you.

Above: Some of the pressure plate traps you can expect in the Dungeon Maze. Believe me, they blend in terribly well in a fight.

Release Notes: Update 1.1

Major Features

The Dungeon Maze is here!

A brand new scenario featuring three new bosses, several new enemies, several new objective types, and a completely different environment from anything else you’ve seen in FS:R. The Beta for this new scenario is live with FSR 1.1!

Art

Dungeon Maze Assets

The Art team has completed a major effort in populating the Dungeon Maze with new walls, ceilings, and assorted smaller props. This includes a major lighting and set dressing pass for beautification - though lighting may be tweaked slightly in the future.
In addition to the Dungeon Maze itself, a background scene was constructed for Dungeon Maze to clearly illustrate the differences from our other zones.
New model for some spider variants.

New Ability FX

With the addition of many new NPC types (including Elites and Bosses), we’ve also added new VFX to make their abilities stand out. From the Soul Reaper to the Skeleton Commander, you’ll see a lot of new VFX popping!

Audio

New Dialogue

Dungeon Maze comes with a whole set of dialogue, including new villains like the Warden and Soul Reaper. We’ve also added some new lines to the Towers of Vigrith scenario.

Additional SFX

Our Audio team has been creating a whole slew of SFX for new abilities, new events, and updating outdated SFX. Listen to the audioscape and let us know how you like it!

Menu SFX

We’ve also completed a pass on audio in the assorted menus of the game, especially the Equipment and Rune Mod selection menus. Background music and SFX have been altered to more easily show what menu you’re in.

Gameplay

New NPCs

Dungeon Maze is host to three brand new bosses - the Soul Reaper, the Dead Caller, and the Warden, each with their own mechanics, attack patterns, and models.
In addition, we’ve also added a variety of Elites that will show up in other scenarios, including Forsaken Generals, Skeleton Commanders, and Giant Spiders.

New Scenario

The Dungeon Maze scenario is a brand new addition to the current scenario lineup - escape from Hel’s labyrinthine fortress while slaying swarms of undead! Dungeon Maze comes with a variety of new objectives, enemies, and doors to smash down! While we still consider Dungeon Maze to be in a Beta state, there’s a lot for you to discover in-game.

Match Size Balancing

We’ve tweaked the math behind matches to balance them a bit better for different numbers of players. This includes damage and defense buffs for Champions, as well as extra lives in the Towers of Vigrith scenario at lower player counts.

Bug Fixes

Completed a number of assorted SFX fixes, including playing the wrong SFX and playing SFX at the wrong volume.
Fixed some unintended behavior on boss NPCs, causing them to play animations incorrectly.
Fixed Intel ARC GPUs not being able to run the game.
Fixed startup issues for certain laptops, due to a false reporting of their specs.

What's Next?

With Dungeon Maze soon to be in the hands of our players, we’re excited to continue adding content to it, our other existing scenarios, and the game as a whole. Coming soon, in addition to a focus on some oft requested quality of life fixes (improved visibility for downed allies, anyone?), you can expect to see FS:R’s first Battle Pass! For the next big content update, we’re currently hard at work on a sixth Champion and an entirely new game mode. Keep an eye out for more information soon.

Above: Who could this Champion be? A new fighter?

Final Note

While we currently consider Dungeon Maze to be in a Beta state, we’re proud of the exceptional work our team has done to get it where it is today. The amount of effort and love put into it has been a pleasure to witness, and I hope that sharing some of what it has to offer in this newsletter provides some excitement for what’s to come with FS:R. Be sure to tune in to our next edition to keep getting the latest and greatest from us at Unchained Entertainment!

If you or a friend has been waiting to check out Final Stand: Ragnarok, we just went live with a sale on Steam! Get FS:R for 25% off until June 27th! You can purchase the game right here on Steam.

If you’re looking for other Champions to play with, you can check out the FSR Discord server here: https://discord.gg/finalstandragnarok

We’ll see you on the battlefield, Champions!