Update 14

Highlights:

• Updated Default Gun Alignment:

  They now align properly to your controllers and should feel more natural to hold

• Open Bolt Weapon Remake:

  They now fire when the bolt closes instead of when the trigger's pulled, leading to a more realistic and unique feel

• Mission Difficulty Settings

• New Settings Menu:

  Settings are now consistently saved & loaded, the UI is a lot cleaner and more straightforward, and you can now configure them from your rucksack menu anywhere in the game!

• Gunstock Mode:

  Enable it in the settings menu

• Bolts no longer automatically release and can be held back / manipulated manually

  

Major Changes/Fixes:

• Replaced TT-33 pistol with a better model
• Organized and standardized materials (helps performance & development workflow)
• Remade most UI (check the changelog below for more info)
• Added more cover between spawn and the rest of the temple on Ruins
• Fixed issue with MAS 49/56 & Tokarev bolt/slide not functioning correctly
• Changed skyboxes, fog, and lighting palette on multiple maps
• Changed socket spawners to trigger grab to avoid misgrabbing with main weapons
• Repositioned VZ61 second-hand grab position. It behaves like the other pistols now

Minor Changes/Fixes:

• Fixed issue where distant audio sounds wouldn't play
• Changed scale on multiple guns
• Made grenade explosion effect larger
• Added more effects to grenade explosion
• Enemies no longer talk when they're dead :(
• Fixed Type56 bayonet (it unfolds properly again)
• AI gunshot sounds now keep playing after they die
• Fixed collision issue with VZ61
• Decreased AI visibility distance on Bridge
• Adjusted enemy presence values on all missions
• Optimized multiple missions
• Fixed bugged enemy spawn on Elephant Grass
• Fixed collision issues with player & M16, XM177
• Made in-game Discord link more straightforward & visible
• Rearranged mission select UI
• Heavily simplified & optimized settings script
• Removed outdated settings options
• Slightly lowered threshold before scroll bars activate to make button clicks easier
• Fixed settings load order to be on par with script load order
• Settings UI now properly shows correct information on start
• Replaced outdated AI helicopters in Firebase Range
• Reworded a few rucksack hints for clarity
• Made PunjiVR logo more visible on startup
• Made back of all menu UI a solid color (no longer transparent at some angles)
• Renamed "Reload Scene" to "Restart Mission"
• Fixed visual artifacting when looking at emissive materials
• Disabled outdated camera settings on XM21 scope
• Fixed minor hand grabber issues outside of main menu scene
• Reworded, removed, updated, and added to the rucksack tips
• Made grenade explosion effect bigger
• Polished and added to grenade explosion effect
• Added more AI cover triggers to multiple positions on multiple object prefabs
• Minor rendering optimizations to Ruins, Firebase Range, Streets, & Bridge
• Made intel more visible on Highlands
• Made single round ammo storable in chest rig
• Fixed issues with side shells on sawn-off shotgun
• Applied more accurate material color to XM21 scope
• Fixed magazine positions on M14, XM21, & VZ 61
• Removed easter egg M14 (golden one) on Firebase Range due to it being extremely outdated... Will add more secrets later
• Fixed issue with hand disappearing when opening the M79 while grabbing w/ forward hand
• Changed materials on multiple items
• Fixed issue with visible magazine ammo not appearing on start sometimes
• Fixed bugged grab point on MAS 49/56
• Normalized scaling on a few outdated weapon models
• Fixed issues with some effects not playing in local space (leading them to be rotated wrong in game)
• Moved ammo spawners closer to player on tables
• Fixed issue with turn setting UI not displaying correctly
• The health watch is now hidden on left hand grab to avoid it floating in the air
• Arranged menu ammo spawners & made them easier to grab
• Fixed issue where hand model wasn't appearing when grabbing some bolts
• Made shotgun pumps a little more responsive. More polish is needed though
• Fixed Type56 bolt lockback issue
• Grabbing the M60's top cover now requires you to be holding onto the main grip first (prevents it freaking out when grabbed by itself)
• Repositioned unfair sniper on Bridge

Closing:

This was a smaller update but a necessary one. It fixed a lot of the long term issues with PunjiVR, including accurate gun alignment and bolt manipulation while also adding a few heavily requested features like a gunstock mode and difficulty settings. Now that this update's out, the entire experience should be a lot smoother and less janky feeling.

If you missed the previous announcement, a testing branch was added about a week ago which let you guys check out and provide feedback on the update before the actual release. It helped me out a ton and saved a lot of time and effort for development, so I will definitely continue doing this for future updates. If you are interested in helping test out future content early, stay alert for announcements here or join the discord (link below) to get instant notifications when a new testing build is ready.

As for the future, I will be reverting back to a more frequent update schedule to try and get at least one major update out every month. I tried the slow but large release schedule with the past few updates, but that style leaves far too much downtime for the state PunjiVR's in right now.

The next update, U15, will introduce a new gamemode and mission called Dustoff. Dustoff will be the first actual transport helicopter mission with a simple but replayable objective: Pick up wounded soldiers at a randomly placed landing zone, then bring them back to base. You'll need to save as many men as you can before the timer runs out.

Along with the new mission, Update 15 will continue to focus on general polish and bugfixing.

I wanted to close this off by thanking you all for your continued support and feedback. I know the past few months have slowed down in terms of new updates, with the AI Overhaul and scrapped graphics update taking up a lot of time, but I'm hoping that the new update cycle will start to kick everything back into full gear. If you experience in bugs, have any suggestions, or just want to stay up to date with PunjiVR, make sure to check out the links below. Thanks again and make sure to keep your eyes peeled!

Discord
Twitter
Subreddit

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How to Revert to the Last Stable Update:

1. Right-Click on "PunjiVR" in your Steam library
2. Select "Properties"
3. In the properties tab, select "Betas"
4. Click on the dropdown box, then select the option for last_stable_build

If you want to go back to the most recent update, follow the same process but click on "None" in the dropdown box.