It’s time for another preview of what’s to come, gangsters! Today we bring you the Beta Branch of Patch 1.05, giving you a chance to test out some of our upcoming features and fixes, such as our new weapon proficiency system.

To join the Beta:

• Open Steam.
• Go to the Library and right-click on Empire of Sin > Properties > Betas.
• Choose the beta branch available in the drop-down menu.
• You should then be able to download the beta build. No password needed!

As usual, we welcome any and all feedback you might have on this patch! You are all part of Chicago after all, crew.

Discord: https://discord.gg/qX2PTYK
Forum: http://pdxint.at/3tflvQ6

See below for a full list of Patch Notes for Beta Branch 1.05.

Changelog - Beta Branch 1.05​

The Highlights

• New weapon proficiency system introduced
• Controller overhaul and improvements
• Major mission improvements

Combat

• Animation speed improvements when peeking/leaning
• Added a fade after auto resolve
• Fixed an issue in Basic Move that could cause a softlock
• Resolved issue with console logs and action bar prompt showing up in combat when they shouldn't
• Added chance for gangsters to escape combat if they lose when attacking in autoresolve
• Fixed a softlock that could occur after autoresolving several combats in quick succession
• When there are multiple different targets you can execute, the system will now order them by distance, so it auto-targets the closest one and will then cycle through
• Fixed thugs not attacking after you enter and exit ambush mode before opening a loot crate
• Change color of dice and win percent in combat autoresolve screen to reflect chance
• Fixed an issue where pain killers could cause overwatch or suppressing fire to softlock during their trigger
• The AI has been asked to stop throwing grenades through walls
• Ensure the correct amount of damage is applied to the defenders when the defenders win in an autoresolve
• Armor damage now gets applied once per ability activation, not once per attack (burst fire weapons have between 3 and 5 attacks when shooting.)
• Selecting a target, whether they are valid or not, will now always select the first action in the action bar. If the target is not valid, the info panel will telegraph why
• The Melee ability is only valid as a first action if the character does not have a primary or secondary weapon equipped
• Healing items and actions should now target the active character as default
• Fixed issue with starting position of vehicle combat tween sometimes being incorrect
• Fixed issue where a car on curb was on world map and got pulled into street combat
• Ensure guards who hate the player do not start combat outside of max combat range
• Strike and Move should work with all abilities. Updated ability description
• Rapid Reload now affects all guns, not just handguns. Any gun will cost zero AP to reload
• Break Shot no longer breaks melee weapons
• Fixed "Exit Ambush Mode" prompt button showing up in combat in tutorial
• Allowed highlighting characters while in combat
• Fixing Break Shot and weapon repair at end of combat, so old saves where melee weapons could have been broken now load those weapons correctly
• Preventing displaying possible combat effects on character HUDs when outside the player's turn
• NPCs not attacking independant npcs who are fighting on the player's side and vice versa
• Fixed issues with Unleash Fury's AP usage and cooldown reset
• Fixed an issue with Melee NPCs having the Doctor's Heal ability
• Fixed an issue with Tier 1 Melee characters having no equipped weapon
• Fixed an issue where the Meat Hook weapon used in the Meat Hook ability did not have a valid critMod value
• Made characters affected by Knockback to trigger other combat-cell-aware abilities like Overwatch or Poison from Death Blossom Bombs
• Stampede and Bull Rush ability rework, stampede and bull rush now move along a movement path to their targets and are melee selection abilities
• Fixed execution blood splatter not appearing on camera
• Allowed the player to take two single pistol shots against different targets again
• Shooting a pistol doesn't end the player turn anymore but after the player has shot their pistol they can't change weapon until their next turn.
• Fixed error thrown when opening and closing pause menu on combat auto resolve screen
• Fixed bug where weapon proficiency requirement was ignored and gangsters could equip higher tier weapons
• Fixed an issue that could cause cover to disappear in the middle of combat
• Camera now lingers on characters that are dying from the Bleeding Out or Deep Wounds states
• Stop the player from spawning in the middle of interiors
• Fixed issue with Genna dying and throwing an error
• Increased strength of Faction AI squads
• Removed duplicate gangster death responses
• Fixed an issue where an error would be thrown when trying to deselect certain area of effect abilities
• Fixed an issue where combat could fail to start when a group of moving guards tried to initiate combat
• Fixed issue with bosses stepping out to shoot someone, then if they were hit by overwatch and put into the bleeding out state, they could still finish their attack and re-enter cover
• Fixed softlock with the Action bar when player left clicks after using a hotkey to select an ability
• Shoot First should now only work if Overwatch has not been selected manually in ambush mode
• We now stop melee weapon damage types being added to the player's primary weapon when they use an execution.
• Extra thugs will no longer spawn if the player loses combat or flees from a derelict building without leaving the world map. Thugs will replenish after a certain amount of time
• Added a new target filter applied to all AI to give them at least some baseline desire to target enemies. Fix a situation where the AI could decide not to attack a valid target
• Fixed a situation where an AI might not move from their current position and continuously pass their turn
• Fixed a softlock when using flush against a character who has no valid moves
• Ensured Faction AI attackers do not start a building attack too far away from the door position
• Fixed issue with moles that were told to leave the location and could stay in the location if combat was started while they were nearby
• Updated Stampede to use the bull rush animation for 1.05
• Changed all Boss abilities to cost 1AP and end the character's turn when used. This will help to keep boss abilities consistent across the board
• Fixed softlock in combat after timebomb explodes
• Increased the range within which the AI cannot spawn when attacking safehouses. Better randomize the starting positions of enemy safehouse guards
• Increased the speed and add transitions to rain of fire and sweep to stop a timeout error
• NPCs were healing too frequently in combat. Reduced the amount of healing items equipped to NPC characters
• Enemy characters should no longer peek the wrong way, when targeted by a character that is not their current primary focus

UI

• Action Bar highlighting boss abilities
• Full refactor of Action Bar
• Made sure the equipment tutorials don't fire when the game menu is open
• Made the resource summary buttons non-interactive when ui is blocked
• Various new tooltips
• Existing tooltip improvements
• Fixed highlight not deselecting on Action Bar
• Fixed callout lines on controls screen
• Fixed restore defaults button showing up on controls screen
• Prevented shop UI from breaking when item doesn't have an owner
• Adjusted highlighting on Purchase Racket UI
• Fixed issue where game menu could not be navigated after pressing "start" on combat autoresolve UI
• Show "A" button next to combat action when using controller
• Fixed issue with showing event outcomes above options in event window
• Fixed issue where sometimes certain ammo would not be visible when equipping in the character screen
• Hide movement indicators when moving characters with the left analog stick
• Refactored Game Alerts
• We now hide income button for hotels in racket overview screen
• Prevented switching to sell mode if the player inventory is empty
• Character attributes will now no longer be shown as over a 100 on the character sheet
• Prevented Cinematics from blocking notifications
• HUD improvements
• UI marker improvements
• Show the size of the racket on world map and on popup
• Show player hp/max hp on new character tooltip
• Select first button in conversations, as well as in a few tutorial steps
• Owner portrait on Ward Info panels now refreshes correctly
• Made neighborhood owner name truncate with ellipsis to prevent overflow, uses last name instead of full name
• Stop mission resolution screen, alerts and game alerts from showing on the End Game screen
• Merged hiring notifications, enemy killed notifications
• Adjusted placement of notifications
• Adjusted the command cursor to accurately reflect whether or not a command is valid
• Character sheet relationships will always show the real name of other gangsters rather than unknown character
• Fixed UI audio for notifications
• Rapid Reload description was outdated on the talent tree screen
• Made all morale notifications proper case and in the past tense
• Weapon proficiency screen
• Upgrade cost now in red when the player can't afford the upgrade
• Implement gangster tier colors on crew screen and rap sheet
• RemovedFire and Call from the command wheel
• Fixed an issue where the interactable highlighting could get stuck enabled
• Fixed a performance issue when interactable highlighting is enabled
• Added right click to unequip item
• Added a confirm dialog to selling in the shop
• Show why weapons can't be used when you don't have the relevant proficiency trait yet
• Mission POI tooltip and Wandering Gangster tooltip updated to provide more information
• Replaced Out-Of-Combat Character HUD with new Combat Character HUD
• Added setting for virtual cursor sensitivity
• Hire button on character sheet is greyed out if you're missing the notoriety or the character is angry
• Added wraparound to pause menu and combat action bar
• Show building size in racket attack confirmation
• Stopped showing underboss notifications
• Patch Message from Sal is shown in a loaded save
• Fixed Main Menu buttons not displaying button bullets
• Fixed case where relationship lines on crew screen could get misaligned
• Fixed character management highlighting issue
• Added new street cursor and map cursor sprites
• We now only show a single POI over a building despite multiple POIs being inside
• Show warning on Characters who have their weapons unequpped as a result of the weapon proficiency change
• Made UI navigation with shoulder triggers work better at lower framerates
• Added "Babies of Empire of Sin" to credits

Missions

• Stopped bodybag prop from being a navmesh obstacle so it doesn't block players from reaching an NPC
• Fixed issue with jumping from alt CMA line to main
• Added in checks to help improve mission pacing
• Fixed softlock happening after clicking on NPC quickly after conversation in Mock mission
• Fixed mission marker not reappearing for POI targets who leave a location with the "LeaveBuilding" scenario
• Fixed O’Banion mission not completing if you kill Yale and not the squad
• Some characters in Tommy Biscuits' mission "Fate" were not displayed correctly on PS4
• Rigged tables now has penalty for removing tables
• Fixed Charitable Donations event not firing
• Fixed Bernie Barnes mission throwing error if you attend a sitdown during it
• Mission journal is now split into into 3 tabs
• CMA are considered main missions now
• Fix for ensuring derelict buildings are no longer gifted
• Dyer mission fixes for issues highlighted by autoresolve
• CMA missions will fire only after completing/failing boss mission
• Remove the range requirement from the Begin Sitdown command
• Missions now give out rare weapons at a minimum
• Mission NPCs should no longer cower out of combat
• Made the set focus mission appear as the first mission rather than obtain 5 rackets in the tutorial
• Romy mission fixes, stopping multiple Romys from appearing, allowing player to select faction to improve relationship
• Fix for getting 2 wallets from Stolen Wallet mission
• High Class house boss will now ask you about the money regardless if he lends it to you or not
• Setting mission to complete if you upgrade by 1 instead of fully, changing time limit from 1 to 2 months
• Fix for unresponsive button in StClairs first mission, Bumpy fights with StClair in Queenie Says mission
• Time between boss missions for Mock, Ragen Capone and Donovan have been shortened
• Fix for unlocking mission building after it is invalidated for Frankie's First Step mission
• Fixed issue with Booker Jones and Police interrogator for CMA mission
• Take over racket screen now waits until combat is resolved before opening in St Clair mission.
• Rosie appears in a set location in Nosey Nellie, rather than appearing close to the player once they are far enough away from Jacques
• Giving the player more time before being ambushed in Bloody Brew mission
• Fix for Taking The Bait mission ending early
• Fix for Same Game Different Team completing during combat
• Fix for POI not moving when mission racket changes in To Your Health
• Wrong dialogue fix for Maria Dish Best Served mission
• Fixed Trashed Room modifier not being removed after Who Care's mission
• Added Protestor modifiers at the beginning of Protestor mission instead of after and removing at the end of the mission
• Fixed to deal with player taking over the Two Brew racket early
• Changed first mission shown to be Sowing Seeds instead of Brick By Brick if player has no focus set
• Fixed gangster still fading to void if you free them from jail immediately after combat
• Fixed the doctor not appearing in the right location in The Doctor's In mission
• Fixed error appearing when combat happened before Bruno was spawned in Genna mission
• Fixed issue with POI not updating when derelict racket is taken over in Who Cares mission
• Fixed issue where both Sowing The Seeds and Brick By Brick with start in tutorial
• Fixed A Sticky Situation getting softlocked if it couldn't find a brothel placement
• Updated objective text when building is changed during To Your Health mission
• Added code to get a new building if stolen syrup derelict gets taken over
• Set base mission NPCs to be the hired gun profession rather than citizen
• Fixed killing Dutch first in Round The World softlocking the game
• Fixed Zee leaving a location after it was deactivated throwing multiple errors
• Fixed Two Brew
• Fixed High Class House autocompleting without returning to worker
• Updated objective name in To Your Health when the mission is moved to another racket
• Fixed combat softlock in Bon Fortuna mission combat against Dutch
• Fixed David and other customers appearing out of bounds in Paid In Gold
• Fixed Son I Never Had mission breaking if you don't own any rackets for Raul to go to
• Fixed Better To Have Loved And Lost not completing Clear Out The Derelict objective when racket is taken over before talking to Bumpy
• Fixed Grover mission auto failing if casino for mission is upgraded
• Fixed In The Trenches mission not updating bar name and not completing enter racket objective if building with mission in it changed
• Removed building lock from Lawmaker mission
• Fix for player not being able to enter racket for Lawmaker mission and removing the auto equipping of the gun which can cause a softlock
• Fix for player not getting correct reward in Pineapple Primary after passing persuasion check
• Replaced Candace and Brittny in brothel after take over in In The Trenches mission

General

• World map visual improvements
• Memory improvements on the PS4
• Cancel the equip ammo tutorial if the player doesn't have a primary weapon equipped when it starts
• Fixed issue with assigning to safehouse with group selected
• Changed Black Market health item quantities to 6
• ChangedNorah Quinn's notoriety gate to 0
• Increased loot tables for health items by 10%
• Fixed issue with triggering the Neighborhood Summary tutorial
• Updated localisation
• Taxi use polish
• Ensured Diplomatic states are removed if not removed through proper channels
• Don't show tutorials for equipping items if the player's already equipped those types of items
• Fixed an issue with a specific thug model which caused its ragdoll to begin in a T-pose
• Reworking Synergy to make it less abstract and more manageable
• Changed starting cash amounts based on difficulty
• NPCs stop moving when you click to talk to them
• Fixed bureau models t-posing while ragdolling
• Fixed hair clipping with hat on Mission NPC
• Fixed P looking like an F in Police Patrol on Police Wagon
• Safehouses use name to prevent accidentally using the wrong faction name
• Stopped characters from getting stuck in the swap weapon animation when pre-combat is cancelled
• Prevented moving squad actors from skipping path destinations
• Ensured that "Load Latest Save" on Game Over screen can only load moments from this current session
• Fixed game paused movement clicks
• Fixed issue with the controller where zooming out limits the space the controller cursor can be moved
• Fixed a truck spawned driving across sidewalk
• Disposed of unnecessary loading screen after taking over a racket and turning it into a safehouse
• Updated bar interior art
• Updated brothel art
• Updated safehouse art
• Fixed issue with camera angle getting too horizontal when talking to NPCs underbridges
• Added 40 seconds time to the sitdown warning
• Derelict buildings are no longer able to be added to weekly income/expenses. Income/Expenses set to 0 value are cleared
• Factions will improve their alcohol types being served, even if they can't quite hit the preferred target
• We now make sure minor factions pay expenses correctly, allowing protection treaties to time out
• Change movement speed
• Genna's move audio needed more variety
• Fixed characters making move sound too often
• Added specific VO for thugs
• Remixed the volume of West Loop Gate underscore
• Adjusted character talent unlock duration
• Fixed issue where you would be unable to close virtual cursor
• Moles accuse screen no longer corrupts the player's faction data
• Moles can be used by AI multiple times
• Fixed issue with pausing the game and calling moles after assignment
• Remove the rush option from racket upgrade
• Automatically demote crew member from lieutenant if arrested without the frustration penalty at losing rank
• Ragdolls tint correctly, characters clothes don't change to white on dying
• Adjust take floors for gangsters
• Made all tier 5 gangsters have 0 notoriety
• Adjusted starting talents to match gangster tiers
• Various blinking fixes in select screen & sit downs
• Saltis hat tip issue fixed
• Fixed foot mispositioning in shot miss anims
• Fixed the one-armed effect which sometimes occurs in combat Idle due to IK snapping
• Replaced boss-sitdown with a new song, see if you can spot it
• Gangster rebalance - made Norah start with the Heal talent already learned.
• Lowered the machine guns to hip height, and raising the hip height idle to avoid half cover collisions
• Made sure that stampede and bull rush work correctly with cover and step out
• Doubled the amount of time it takes for gangsters to form relationships
• Healing outside of combat feature improvement
• A bug preventing some modifiers from updating was resolved. "A Penny Saved" trait works correctly now
• Minor factions accurately reflect what they can afford when setting up standing orders
• Fixed missing Animator transition for certain machine guns to use the Sweep ability
• Made sure crit damage never goes below a weapon's base max damage
• Added sitdown Skip Prompt. Any key presses will show a skip prompt, which on pressing will skip that portion of dialog
• Gave most gangsters primary weapons, adjusted take floor for all gangsters, changed relationships for gangsters so that all gangsters hate two other gangsters
• Time limit added between "end war with" requests, so the AI doesn't keep bothering you about it
• Updated remove building sequence to ensure the income and expenses are removed correctly, resolving money exploit
• Fixed softlock in accuse screen
• Updated the Radial Menu so that LB closes the UI. Moved Wars/Notifications to LT/RT
• Exterior safehouse guards should no longer respawn on top of each other after saving from a new game
• Fixed Madeline Dunbar not saying a line
• Fixed alert SFX playing every time player moves between menu screens
• Added a new time bomb landing sound so it doesn't make a grenade explosion when it lands
• Fixed police baton out of sync + all other melee weapons that were out of sync
• Fixed Rain of Fire SFX being too loud
• All selected characters are teleported to the sitdown location
• Allow talent re-speccing from the talents tab
• Fixed error thrown when character leaves due to lack of loyalty
• Made injured gangsters not take wages
• Fixed audio errors sometimes thrown when declaring a War on an enemy faction with a boss
• We now allow players on controller to switch between nearby interactable objects using DPAD Up and Down
• Removed "Switch Character" prompt from action bar when using controller
• Reset patron walk speed when moving between locations and correctly reset the speed of patrons after their drunk status wears off
• Adjusted the cost of Deflect Level 5 on Brothels and Casinos
• Added a common shotgun and rifle to the black market store
• Hide tall world map buildings when camera is zoomed in
• Applied discount to the number of kills required by higher tier gangsters to reach the next tier
• Adjusted required kills for each weapon proficiency tier
• Fixed issue where the crew screen mini tutorial couldn’t be skipped using a controller
• Autosaves now wait until all characters enter or exit the building before saving
• Fixed a Nullrefrence error thrown if the player loads a game while in a sitdown cinematic
• Made Bosses adhere to new weapon proficiency system
• Showed weapon proficiency trait names in new tooltip
• Updated controls screens to reflect new input mappings

Known Issues

• In order to fix an issue with moles and the sabotage events (send a mole after a faction, save/load then that event is reset to default)we have had to cancel Mole missions for any moles on older saves as their data was corrupted. You can just send them off again and it will all work just fine.