Update 0.3.7.0 has arrived! New starting scenarios allow you to get straight into the action by starting the game in different places. Get started by crafting the new improvised axe and pickaxe. Then store your new items in the improvised leather backpack. Take a look at the fancy new visuals for several NPCs!
This update has a lot of fixes thanks to the continual support of our Steam testing community. The fixes are varied, but many of them aim to address issues surrounding saving/loading issues, progression and NPCs.
Additionally, several new techniques aimed at improving performance have been implemented as part of the ongoing work into gameplay optimisation.
Developer Comment:
Due to some of the game's default keybindings being remapped, it would be advisable to remove your original keybindings before launching the game (version 0.3.5.0a) if you have played before. This can be found in appdata/local/joegame_a/saved/savegames. Delete the file named “DefaultJOEPlayer_KeyBindings.sav”. This file will then be regenerated upon launching the game.
New Game Start Scenarios
New game scenario selection menu on new games. Choose from Driftwood, Survivor and Nomad (these are NOT difficulty modes, just starting scenarios)
Driftwood
Follow the story from the start, meet Sheriff Sen and Kenneth Hughes with a couple of small tasks to complete in order to leave the safety of Backwater Beacon. Recommended for players wanting to start the story from the very beginning.
Survivor
Start down on the beach with a stranger known as James Bell, a jolly man that can assist you in your survival as well as trade with you from his eclectic collection of items. But be aware he has a steep markup. Make your own way in the world, while still being able to attempt Sen’s Wreck Quest and visit the Backwater Beacon Safe Zone at any time.
Nomad
You are your own completely from the get go. Spawn in the nomad camp with access to sleeping provisions and a warm campfire only. Safe-camp tents cannot be used as save points or storage - you will need to make your own. You will not have access to the Sen’s Wreck quest, but will temporarily have access to Backwater Beacon and noticeboard quests while the three scenarios are fleshed out.
Player
- Fixed melee weapons disappearing after showering.
- Fixed upper-body disappearing if showering with a melee weapon in-hand while in first person and after having swung the weapon prior.
- Fixed circumstances causing the character’s body to appear without arms after showering.
- Fixed losing ammunition loaded into weapons on death. Ammo is returned to the inventory and can be scavenged from body bags.
- Fixed MK18 weapons having iron sights installed while using a scope/sight.
- Fixed removal of a scope attachment causing the weapon to appear partially missing while aiming in first person.
- Fixed using number inputs to enter safe code numbers simultaneously cycling weapons and using health items.
- Fixed issue when exiting an NPC trade menu in first person causing the character to appear headless on the next trade interaction.
Campfire
- Fixed character getting stuck at an odd angle after sitting at a campfire.
- Fixed being able to give crouch inputs while sitting at a campfire.
- Improved heat source falloff curve which was causing the player to overheat too quickly. Applies to campfires, burning barrels, etc.
- Fixed issue when adding too much meat to campfires causing it to continually add meat to the fire.
- Fixed spit attachment requiring zero sticks to manufacture.
- Reduced scrap cost of spit and grill.
- Grill no longer requires a workbench to craft.
- Fixed campfire rest locations allowing characters to fall through the ground.
- Fixed campfire continually applying heat modifier to the player when extinguished, no matter how far character is from the campfire.
Quests
- Fixed supply run quests allowing the player to collect additional supplies causing the quest to incorrectly progress.
- Fixed noticeboard not refreshing at 7am.
Items & Crafting
- Fixed old unusable item 'Water Flask' being sold at traders.
- Fixed crafting benches only crafting one item at a time, even when set to craft 'Max'.
- Reduced weight of Extreme Survival Backpacks from 15KG to 2KG.
- Removed invalid chrome weapon variants from the trader.
- Added additional lootable crates around the map.
- Added an improvised pickaxe to the inventory crafting list.
- Added an improvised axe to the inventory crafting list.
- Added a basic leather backpack to the inventory crafting list.
NPCs
- All traders now use the cinematic camera system when interacting with them.
- Fixed Liam’s truck hitbox always blocking collisions in the safe zone even when it is not there.
- Fixed NPCs turning their head to look at Amy like something out of The Exorcist.
- Updated Sheriff Sen’s model.
- Updated Kenneth Hughes model.
- New trader "James Bell" was added to the new safe camp.
- Fixed corpses from nest spawns not despawning after leaving the area.
- Fixed horde spawned NPC corpses not despawning.
- Fixed traders not updating their wallets at midnight.
- Fixed nest spawns spawning infected whether active or not.
Environment
- Fixed double-toilet mesh issue in house near breakfast cafe.
- Fixed road barricades missing their textures.
- Fixed various walls in the Hanouten Safe-zone medical centre allowing the player to get stuck inside them.
- Fixed not being able to shoot through shop/store windows.
- Updated garage door models. These will be intractable at a later date.
- Vehicles now spawn in driveways and garages again.
- Fixed bushes turning into tree stumps when harvested.
- Fixed positioning of interaction UI on Kenneth Hughes basement door .
- Fixed invisible collision around basement exits.
- Fixed backwards collision on stairs on the starboard side of the drydock ship with a new platform and ladder.
- Fixed caravan door showing incorrect door mesh and being open by default.
- Fixed gaps between embankment and landscape near the dry dock.
- Added a new dock shed on the east shore near the Hanouten lighthouse.
- Introduced additional basic workbenches around the map.
Saving/Loading
- Fixed manual saves overriding previous manual saves.
- Fixed items getting lost when stored in a vehicle and reloading a saved game.
- Fixed inventory not generating the correct number of rows in loaded games.
- Weapon fire mode now saves.
UI
- Improved order of items in the crafting menu.
- Various spelling error corrections.
- Fixed health showing incorrect value on the ST-RV and inventory UI.
Performance
- Fixed crash while in inventory.
- Various error fixes potentially contributing to CPU performance.
- Implemented new instanced meshes throughout the environment to improve performance (ongoing process).
- Updated all traders to use non-AI based mechanics similar to Sen and Kenneth. This reduces the need for AI pathing and other costly calculations.
Known issues & outstanding changes
- Torch doesn’t illuminate directly towards the center of the screen making it difficult to examine objects in close spaces.
- Game is missing left-handed support.
- Swapping an item with a Jerry Can in the fuel slot on the quad causes the other item to be placed in the fuel slot.
- When LED light runs out of battery, it unequips but does not re-enable belt chem-light.
- NPCs can have ‘black beams’ coming out of their eyes when running the game using FXAA.
- Sleeping bags placed on foundations or flat ground can sometimes be placed at an unusual angle.
- Number of Bandages and Medkits appears incorrectly on the HUD after loading a savegame.
- Disturbance Meter appears incorrectly on the HUD after loading a savegame.
Alpha Version 0.3.7.1a
• Fixed issue with crafting from the inventory not taking any resources.
• Fixed issue with vehicles spawning on top of other vehicles on a loaded save game.
• Fixed issue with items placed in a vehicles inventory getting overwritten on loaded save games.
• Fixed cooking pots and buckets of dirty water, clean water or animal fat scraping to 250 empty cooking pots.
• Fixed not being able to fill cooking pots or buckets with dirty water in the ocean or lakes (Rivers do not currently fill pots)
• Fixed not being able to hand in quests to Kenneth Hughes on Survivor / Nomad starting scenarios (Will not work with earlier save games)
• Added the ability to wash with soap in the ocean and lakes, stand in the water and use the consume item function from the inventory. Each bar of soap will give you 12% but will only wash you until you are at 70%.