Happy 2022 Everyone!
2021 was quite a year for us here at Downpour! From large backend updates to settling into a new home for our studio, and new guns and mechanics, the team has done a lot this year to enhance Onward. We continued to work to make sure we can build on and make improvements to the game. We love what we do, we love our community, and we want to continue to build the best game we can for you all to enjoy.
The 2021 Summary for Onward:
4 New / redesigned Maps added
2 New weapon Interactions added
A major code refactor
Hundreds of bugs fixed & adjustments made
Performance Enhancements throughout the game
New anti-cheat system
2 new weapons
14 new custom community maps added
In addition, we have been updating some of our graphic assets in different parts of the game to improve the visuals for PC and Oculus players throughout the year. These are additional graphics updates that are different from the upcoming PC graphics update being worked on by the team currently.
Example of Old vs. New graphics that has been updated in the game:
Onward continues to be a labor of love for everyone here at Downpour. We ended the year releasing update 1.8.10, which received tons of positive feedback due to the additions of the two new guns and the rerelease of Turbine. This added some new ways to play and tactics to explore throughout the game. We understand there were some hiccoughs with the newly added weapons after the release and we made it our priority to get those corrected at the start of the year.
We will continue this year by working on finalizing some bigger projects that have been in the pipeline for a while now. The Devs desk will go over some of the major projects that we are currently working on.
From the Devs Desk:
Gunstock Calibration
The physical gunstock is a gaming accessory that holds your VR controllers in place to simulate the pistol grip and foregrip of a weapon. These have been used to help with accuracy and immersion when playing. The Gunstock calibration feature will help calibrate physical gunstocks to the guns in Onward for a more realistic feel when aiming and firing.
New Animations
Major improvements to player character models and AI models; character models will now have more realistic walking and arm movements. Originally the plan was to have the AI animations come out first and then release the player animations shortly after. We have since decided to release the animations together. We would also like to take this moment to introduce the person who was brought on to lead this project, TomN.
“Hello, I am the lead animator for Downpour Interactive. I have been a professional animator (among other titles) for 23 years. Originally, I trained to become a traditional animator. During my last year in college, I realized the media industry was evolving and changed gears. As such, I devoted myself to the exploding field of computer animation. Soon after graduating, I joined a small video game studio, Point of View, Inc.
From there I started crafting game cinematics for a variety of other studios and their projects. This led to animating commercials, music videos, television series, and over 20 feature films. Recently, I worked with Disney Imagineering - where I created visual effects and character animations for upcoming attractions at Disney theme parks. I came full circle 18 months ago and returned to video games animation. Among these, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond with Respawn Entertainment and character rigging for The Odd Gentlemen, a small boutique studio in Los Angeles.
Dante reached out in 2020 and asked me to lead the animation team. This team of talented professionals Dante assembled is a daily pleasure to work with. We’ve been hard at work revamping and developing new animations for Onward. Expect remarkable creations from Downpour!”
Improvements to IK System
The IK system is the system that renders your hands holding the controllers and how and where those hands are in the game. We are working on making improvements to this system to be more accurate with where someone is located.
Connecting to your friends
Getting together and jumping into Onward with your friends is a popular method of playing the game. The game is offered across three different platforms and with a large player base, we understand that it makes it a bit difficult at times to easily find your friends' lobby to jump into. We are looking into developing some new methods to help make connecting with your friends easier.
New Tent
While most of the intensity experienced is on the battlefield, the tent is the main hub where the majority of setup and communication happens. It’s important that when you first join a lobby you feel that immersion when in the area where you begin your setup and communications for the objectives to come. We want to improve the experience you have when you are in the tent. Below are first ever looks at some concepts of design work for an improved tent environment.
Community Center:
Did you notice after the holidays the increase in lobby pages? There are more lobbies and games being played than ever before! We want to take this time to welcome all the new members to the Onward community. We hope you are enjoying the different game modes and the new teammates you have met. Please make sure to review our community guidelines and have a great time playing out on the battlefield.
https://www.onwardthegame.com/community-guidelines.html
New Community Custom Maps added
Cap Practice submitted by FLapinski
Create a private competitive lobby and join volk. Once you load into the round you will be able to disable the code even before the timer is over. This is one of the best ways to increase your capping speed.
Homestead submitted by Glitch0320
Intel suggests that Volk forces are setting up operations on a small farm in the Midwest. A Marsoc unit is sent to investigate and eliminate the threat.
Refuel submitted by Koiz
A beautiful Caribbean island once home to a South American cartel is now under Volk control. The island has become a major contributor to the Volk war effort, and you and your squad have orders to dismantle the smuggling operation and eliminate any hostiles found.
Lookout submitted by Gridder
MARSOC deploy around the mountain region in northern Europe for suspected VOLK activity. Recon has found a small forward operating base that VOLK are using to operate around the area and MARSOC begin the assault on it.
There is a lot in store for 2022 and we have only just started! Stay updated here and on our social media pages.
Stay Frosty!