Hello Everyone!
February came, and now that February is pretty much gone it’s time for our monthly sitrep. The Developers continue to work hard on some much needed improvements, redesigned features and bug fixes.
Stay Frosty!
Kidding...
From The Dev Desk:
In our last sitrep we mentioned that 1.8.8 would come out quicker than our usual patches, but unfortunately that turned out to not be the case. We hit some speed bumps and are making sure it’s in the best condition for you. 1.8.8 will significantly reduce the occurrence of broken lobbies, which often cause problems such as voice chat issues, lobby lockups, and rounds not assigning points correctly. The update rewrites the code that is the foundation of Onward’s game modes. This part of the code interacts with a lot of areas in the game, and we’ve run into a lot of specific and unforeseen issues as a result. We appreciate the patience you’ve all shown over the past month, and we are working to get the update out as soon as possible.
Because of the delay with 1.8.8 we’re working to release a couple of patches to address the most urgent issues with 1.8.7, the first of which (1.8.7.1) has already been released. Next up will be patch 1.8.7.2. The 1.8.7.2 patch will focus on fixing issues that affect a lot of you, and issues affecting competitive play.
- Connection issues for PCVR players, where a registry reset was needed.
- A number of Voice/Audio fixes and adjustments while inside the tent, along with a design change to the team chat function.
- AI adjustments such as footsteps and visibility from a distance.
- Some Map adjustments, such as broken walls and railings are likely to be included.
- We are pushing to try and get improvements to tablets and smokes in as well.
A detailed breakdown of the fixes and adjustments will be given when 1.8.7.2 is released.
In addition to the focus we’re putting on the 1.8.7.2 patch and the 1.8.8 update we are making strides with future features: as Onward continues to grow the player base has increased exponentially. Having this many players (and lobbies) in the game means we have to rethink some of Onward’s features. For example we need to make it easier to find and play with your friends, and we want to make sure you have as much fun playing the game as possible. To get to that point we are working on implementing a party system to find and more easily group up with your Onward crew to get games going. With any multiplayer game, there are different play styles and different mindsets. We are also working on the features to help with toxic players, for example allowing you to mute them, and adding measures to prevent sustained team killing.
Also being looked into is an implementation of a ranking system. A place where you can get statistics on kills, deaths, revives, and more. Once we get closer to the final design we’ll share more details with you! Another addition will be a revamped version of Abandoned. The map is set in an old abandoned soviet factory located next to a lake in the harsh Siberian landscape. Also high on our list is improving graphics for PCVR users with the use of Shadowmask lighting. We don’t have an estimate on the Shadowmask update quite yet however, as we are waiting for a Unity update to start this implementation.
Community Center:
This month we have made a major update to our official Onward Discord channel. We have always shared a home with the VR Master league, whose roots lie in the Onward Discord. However, with the growth of both Onward and the Master League, the VRML has spread their wings and opened up their own server to give the Onward Discord community a chance to make some adjustments. Explore new channels and new ways to interact with fellow Onward players. If you’re not in the Discord, what are you waiting for? https://discord.gg/fYHHJFkwTr
Our Twitter campaign for finding out the fan favorite map is coming to a close! We are in the Semifinals and the Finals will wrap up at the end of the month. Make sure you check out our Twitter account (@OnwardTheGame) to see the progress and get your final votes in!
Starting in March we want to Highlight you, yes you, our community! We want to showcase our players and show off your Onward fandom. Send us your photos in a DM of you being an Onward fan for a chance to be featured on our social media Community Spotlight.
If you’d like to get to know a little more about the people who work at Downpour you can also follow our company accounts on Twitter (@DownpourInt) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DownpourInteractive) , this month we are featuring our QA Lead, Kaysaun.
Stay Frosty!
(for real this time)