Happy New Year, folks! Welcome to the first update of 2024!
New Year, new start!
This update focuses on a comprehensive quality-of-life update for Squad 44, encompassing animation, level design, and coding changes designed to further optimise the game. There’s also been work on bug fixing, improving the new player experience, and making the game environments more immersive.
Starting with the level design, we have been working hard to upgrade the graphics, focusing primarily on the foliage, lighting, and water on Chapter 1 maps. Work has also been undertaken to improve various historical landmarks in the game to align them more with their real-world counterparts (e.g. Koepelkerk and Veghel Town Hall). This has all been undertaken with optimization in mind, with draw calls significantly reduced, LODs refined, and textures appropriately packaged. Players also have extra options now to refine their graphics settings in-game. DLSS and texture streaming has been updated to improve performance further. This graphical overhaul of Chapter 1 maps is ongoing work as we look to update the game's overall appearance and performance in 2024.
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In addition to level design optimization, we have also been busy cleaning up code. In doing so, we have entirely reworked the spawn and logistics systems. This means that all infantry squads now have access to a truck capable of carrying supplies to allow Infantry Squad Leaders the ability to build FOBs independently, with the FOB limit increased to 6. While the Infantry Squad Leaders will be able to use supplies to place light weapons down, they will be entirely reliant upon the Logistics Squad to keep those weapons supplied with ammunition, in the form of construction points. Red zone restrictions preventing construction of emplacements behind the lines have also been introduced, to help reduce backline camping and present a more realistic front-line concept of warfare.
These changes have been made for technical and gameplay reasons. When playing with the new update, feel free to share your feedback as we will continue to refine these systems going forward.
We’ve started work on making the game more approachable for newer players (with plans for a bigger look at accessibility slated for later this year). There are a few things you may notice:
- On-screen compass to assist with player orientation
- Visual prompts notifying players when a point is won or lost
- Sound prompts when players health is low, to signify risk of bleeding out
- Several gun sights have increased peep-holes for easier use: Grease gun, Sten, Springfield, and the M1 carbine)
- Springfield M1905 now has a bayonet
- Refined camera shake on shooting
Long-term bugs like those encountered when shooting out of windows from slight angles have been fixed, as have the Cromwell armor and the offset markers on maps. There’s also a new spawn menu UI, improving FPS and allowing Squad Leaders to name their sections and delete previously placed markers.
We have many more changes coming down the line - a roadmap is coming very soon! In the meantime, let us know your thoughts, feedback or suggestions!
Changelog
Improved Spawn UI
+ Less FPS drop
+ Added spawn points list
+ Fixed offset on minimap for all UI/marker
+ Can name sections + SL markers removable (auto marker disappear time of 10min)
+ Fixed section info bug on changing SL
Added new compass to player UI
+ Removed old compass
+ Updated vehicle compass
Updated Dead/Incap UI
+ Created a give-up button
+ Created an automatic switch to spawn UI after 30s of death
+ Added bleeding/pain sfx
Changes to server hosting
+ Server queue limit = 20
+ Added modding info on server browser
Minor amends
+ Reduced VoIP ducking from 80% to 20%
+ Added wiki & new social media link to the main menu
+ Added a new entry map with camera movement
+ Added new loading screens for all CH1 maps
+ Removed "Modded content" startup loading screen
+ Gebirgs-Division name fix
+ Changed Greek logistics NCO name from Lee Enfield to Männlicher
+ Added a screenshot mode button inside the main menu
+ Removed old logos out of the virtual shooting range
Rally System
+ Added a new UI to reduce the friendly RP size
+ Fixed overlapping friendly RP bug + Removed bug that everyone sees the RP timer
+ Give commander only the visibility of the timer of every RP
+ Changed redzone being visible to everyone
+ Can now destroy enemy rallies by holding "F" (~15 secs)
+ Fixed bug on radioman radial menu and updated UI
Vehicles
+ Fixed tank section not usable on Utah
+ Extinguisher & Wrench range increased
+ Fixed Cromwell internal collision normal
+ Fixed firefly coax mg name from BESA to M1919
+ Updated Flak 38 (10 x 20rnd mags, 6s reload, 10s swap projectile, new reload sounds)
+ Updated Flak 36 reload time to 7 seconds
+ Added missing impact and shrapnel effect for APHE 88mm
+ Vehicle Icon direction arrow added
+ Created Infantry Supplies Truck (IST)
+ Fix for Tank kills and deaths not counting on scoreboard
+ Added "X" to close tank deck menu if the close button is blocked by UI
+ Removed towing radial
Weapons
+ Fixed shooting offset at tight angles through a window
+ Checked zeroing of all infantry weapons (fixed K98k, K98k sniper, Springfield sniper, Garand, M1 Carbine, G43, Mannlichers, Gras, MAS36, Lebel & Lee Enfield Sniper)
+ Increased sight aperture on M1 Carbine, Springfield, Sten & Grease Gun
+ Thinned front-sight on the Mannlicher and Lee Enfield No. 1 MK3 rifles
+ Tweaked basepose on the Lee Enfield No.1 MK3 so the bolt is angled closer to the receiver
+ Added proper Mannlicher rifle non-dry reload
+ Changed firing audio sound for the Mannlicher rifles to be unique
+ Increased firing rate on the M1928 Thompson to the realistic 850RPM
+ Fixed a number of third-player reload animations having no blending
+ Enabled dynamic physics on loose sling ring and bi-pods for multiple weapons
+ Set all bolt action rifles to not allow an additional round in the chamber on a full magazine due to the nature of their reload animations
+ Added Springfield 1905 bayonet
+ Changed Lewis gun model & animations
+ Regenerated physics assets for a number of weapons so they are more accurate to the shape of the weapon
+ Fixed skinning issue on the bullets for the Mannlicher rifles
+ Fixed hand glitching when transitioning between in-and-out of ADS on the Lee Enfield No.1 Mk3
+ Increased ADS time for the M1 Carbine slightly
+ Fixed odd right-hand thumb position on the Bren bipod basepose
+ Fixed offset of M2 ironsights on the halftrack
+ Bumped up the recoil on the FG42 while in bipod to be on par with other similar weapons of its class
+ Fixed K98k, Lebel Scoped, and Springfield Sniper showing bayonets while in ADS in first person
+ Reduced intensity of blur on the M1 Carbine, Sten and MAS36 further
+ Fixed shell ejection offset on the No.4 Mk1 Lee Enfield while reloading
+ Fixed bullet poking out of the weapon briefly during the Springfield reload animation
+ Slight animation tweaks to fix some clashing on the STG44
+ Tweaked lowered poses for the FG42, K98 grenade launcher, MG42, MG34, Boys Anti Tank Rifle, ZB26, Mac 24, Mas36, Mas 38, Bren, Lee Enfields
+ Increased visual recoil on the Emplaced machine guns
+ Added camera shake on firing the handheld mortars
+ Smoothed out ADS transitions for the Luger, FN1922, PA1935, 1911 and P38 pistols
+ Sped up bipod deployment for the Bren, Mac24 and ZB26 slightly
+ Fixed Cup Discharger base angle looking off - Simplified range settings on the Cup Discharger to 50m/100m/150m/200m/250m
+ Fixed M1A1 Bazooka being unable to freelook while in ADS
+ Set Piat to the same weapon lower settings as the other rocket launchers
+ Set M7 Grenade launcher to the same lower settings as the other Grenade Launchers
+ Fixed broken ADS on the Mauser C96
+ Fixed Brandt 50mm mortar having camera shake desynced from the firing animation
+ Added handling foley to all handheld mortars
+ Fixed visible bullet when firing the G41
+ Fixed stretched UVs on the K98 follower
+ Slight tweak to the Luger weapon firing animation (slide moving slightly)
+ Added missing lowering animations
+ Fixed offset ADS positions for Panzerschreck & Bazooka
+ Gave recoil to Piat + Fixed M1 Garand & Lewis Gun animation
+ Tweaked camera shake on several weapons (added to emplaced weapons)
+ Fixed some weapons missing blur on ADS
+ Added zeroing to MP40, Thompson M1928, Thompson M1A1, C96 & Browning M1919
+ Set zero of the Greasegun to its IRL 100m setting
+ Fixed Mac 24 animations
+ Added SFX to Gras mle1974 bayonet equip and use
+ Replaced modern M2A1 Browning barrel with older authentic M2HB barrel
+ Standardized throwing animations for grenades & throwables
+ Fixed sides exposed on binos at 120 FOV
Medics
+ System change for bandage/syringe: (Medic revives to 30% health, bandage heals to 100%, other revives to 10% health, bandage heals to 50%)
Squad Information
+ Added improved info on neutralized/capped/lost flags
+ Added section leader notifications (Player joins/leaves section & on promotion to section leader)
+ Set Sapper/Pioneer to a max of 2 per team
Deployables/Logistics
+ Rework of the emplacement/deployable system (Inf trucks carry supplies, removed MSPs, Radios and spawn tents introduced, Emplacements only buildable at FOBS, all emplacements cost construction points)
+ Set exclusion zone between radios to 400m
+ Set FOB lost to 20 tickets if destroyed by enemies
+ Made FOB placing unavailable in redzones and out of bounds zones
+ Removed vehicle tents
+ Possible fix of not being able to logi resupply
+ Emplacements no longer placeable in mains (150m radius)
+ Logistics shovel builds/destroys faster than normal players
+ Fixed problems with the interact collision on deployable weapons
+ Updated multiple deployables (various changes to costs)
+ Added several new faction-specific deployables (razor wire and hedgehogs etc)
+ Set ladders to not block vehicles
Performance/Level Design
+ Fixed texture streaming to be set to on
+ Updated DLSS plugin to 3.5.2a
+ Fixed DLSS settings selection bug
+ Enabled Mesh Distance Fields on Med & Low graphics settings
+ Added graphics setting for screenspace reflection
+ Fixed smoke bugging out on multiple transparent materials
+ Reduced VRAM significantly on various maps (inc Maleme/Rethymno)
+ Multiple LOD and optimisation fixes to Maleme/Rethymno
+ Maleme - Fixed rockwall turns black on close range
+ Fixed broken LOD mesh on Maleme/Rethymno airfield/barracks
+ Fixed pavement collision on Arnhem
+ Fixed Doorworth castle door weird LOD
+ Doorwerth 03: Removed double axis cdr car
+ Updated redzones for Offensive levels
+ Changed Out of Bounds kill time from 20s to 10s
+ Reworked buildable pontoon system
+ Added extra buildable pontoons to Grave, Arnhem, Veghel, Dinant, Driel
+ Fixed snow ditch gap
+ Improved snowy landscape material
+ Fixed penetration values on different materials (E.g. – Can now shoot through wood fences)
+ Optimized vehicle spawners
+ Ongoing level design overhaul (new buildings e.g. Koepelkerk, Veghel Town Hall, etc)
+ Re-added Arnhem Range (still under construction)
+ Removed Proving Grounds to investigate client crashing bug
Rally System:
+ Set RP to block placing in out of bounds zones
