Hello, Chasers!
This month, we’re taking a closer look at the progress on our next major update: the vegetation overhaul. We’re also sharing a preview of what’s coming further down the road, including the Chaser Network redesign, improved character customization, and new lakes and rivers tech.
VEGETATION UPDATE
As many of you probably know, our next major update is focused on a full overhaul of OUTBRK’s vegetation. We’re currently deep in the debugging phase, and the update is progressing well.
For this newsletter, we wanted to share a few GIFs showcasing the updated look of the OUTBRK world. While everything is still a work in progress, we’re excited to give you a closer look at how the environment is coming together.
WIP CHASER NETWORK UPDATE
We’re also in the process of reworking several game systems to make them more engaging and rewarding. The first system we’re tackling is the Chaser Network.
With this update, players will be able to report smaller weather-related events, such as hail and damage, to earn additional points. Tornado reports are also being expanded: players will now need to place their reports accurately on the map to earn additional multipliers.
Here are some design mockups that we’re currently working on bringing into the game.
WIP CHARACTER OVERHAUL
We’re rebuilding our character pipeline from the ground up to better support customization in the future. This is a long process, but it is also a much-needed one.
This overhaul will introduce more faces and hats, while also making it much easier for us to add new customization options later on.
WATER SYSTEM
Our partners at Catalyst are currently working on making OUTBRK's sky effects fully compatible with advanced water shaders. Handling transparency and depth correctly across multiple materials is a complex challenge, but the work is nearing completion.
This will be an excellent complement to the vegetation update, as our current water shaders have remained opaque due to these transparency limitations. The new system will allow for much more realistic water rendering while remaining fully compatible with OUTBRK's atmospheric effects.
That’s all for this update!
You can follow our detailed development on Trello here:
https://trello.com/b/nsBmMfIa/outbrk-game
Consider leaving a review on the Steam store to help us reach more future chasers:
Till next time,
-The OUTBRK Team