***Official Squad Thread***
- Thread starter Xcept1
- Start date
Alpha Version 6 Incoming!
The release will go live at 1700 UTC.
Hi Squaddies,
It's Update time! We would like to thank our community for being so patient with us as we continue to grind away at the beast known as Squad development. Alpha 6 is now upon us and we would like to take the time to share with you the changes you will experience since the last Alpha version.
Note: Due to a major change in the way we do Graphics Settings, all of your custom settings will reset upon first launch of Alpha 6.
Major Changes
Unreal Engine 4.11 Update
We've updated to Unreal Engine 4.11, pulling in a good number of engine features and performance updates. Take a look at the massive changelog for the engine to get an idea of the scope of all things that changed: HERE.
New Deployable: Emplaced Heavy Machine Gun
The first iteration of Vehicles are here! The Emplaced Browning M2 .50 caliber rifle is a beast of a heavy machine gun, capable of tearing apart even the most determined of infantry attackers. Placeable as a FOB deployable by Squad Leaders, the Browning M2 is your new best friend when locking down an open field on Chora, or creating a kill-zone on a Sumari road. Its effective range for target suppression is well over a kilometer and can easily stop a soldier with just one shot. But due to its limited traverse and elevation angles, operators be careful of your flanks and be sure to have backup!
The Browning M2 consumes FOB Ammo Points (which will regenerate over time) when you reload, and you can only have 3 deployed per FOB (2 in Bunker Configuration and 1 Self-Standing). Sustained fire will overheat the weapon, denoted by how much smoke is pouring out of the front of the weapon. The emplacement itself can be damaged and destroyed with rockets, UGLs, incendiary grenades and hand grenades. Employ it wisely in defence or as a means of fire support, and it will prove invaluable in the firefights to come.
New Map: Gorodok
We are proud to include in this release a new map that we've been teasing in previous news posts. Gorodok is an eastern european inspired map, with large expansive terrain. While Squad is still primarily infantry focused, we will launch with one AAS gameplay layer focusing on a segment of the larger map, pitting Russian and Militia forces against one another in open forest style engagements.
Map Update: Sumari
A much expanded Sumari is finally ready to be released after many months in the oven, and it's looking absolutely gorgeous. More than twice in size with hundreds of enter-able buildings, this map will continue to provide endless tactical challenges to any Squad trying to navigate its narrow corridors and many firing lanes. Below is a quick look at the various layouts.
Map Update: Fools Road Tunnels
Fools Road has undergone a drastic change, underground that is. A completely new Militia fortress has been carved out of the mountain, with crisscrossing tunnels serving to act as a means for defenders to further entrench themselves. Designed not only as a showcase of our new capabilities to show enclosed underground areas, but to also provide an intense close quarter battle experience for Squads willing to venture into the depths of the fortress.
Effects Update: Foliage and Water interaction
We have now added foliage and water particle and sound effects, be mindful when moving through both of these terrain obstacles as those around you can now see and/or hear you.
General Performance Improvements
We've fixed a number of performance issues in the game on top the engine performance changes that came with UE4.11.
On the server, we've done a full pass of over all of our networked objects, reducing their networking footprint and replication cost, making things overall more efficient. We've also fixed inventories so that weapons that are not equipped no longer tick and are only updated to client once every second. We've fixed an issue where spawning a soldier hitched the server, and removed a large number of networked properties that were not needed.
On the client, we've been making passes on every map, merging many small meshes into one big detailed meshes to reduce shadow casting overhead. We've also implemented Distance Field Shadows (More Info here) while reducing the distance of the highly detailed Cascade Shadow Maps, which has given us a major performance boost on maps with a lot of trees like Fools Road and Operation First Light.
In addition, we have reduced bones on the player skeleton so that players farther away will consume fewer resources for animations. We have also eliminated a lot of excess animation nodes and cleaned up our animation code to be more efficient across the board.
AMD Specific Performance Improvements
We've implemented a Low Quality sounds toggle in the Game Settings on top of general cleaning up of the soundscape, which should help many users with poor audio performance on AMD hardware, as well as in general. If you are having very low FPS with AMD systems, turn on Low Quality Sounds and you should see a nice performance bump. We actively encourage those that do have AMD hardware to try this new update out, and to provide with us feedback on your play experience.
Server Update: RCON support for Servers
We have now added in a standard implementation of the valve R-CON or remote console protocol. This protocol will allow server admins to issue console commands for things like broadcasting messages and kicking players remotely via an R-CON application of their choice. In addition to this. Our initial rollout for Alpha v6 includes the standard aspects of R-CON like specifying the port / password, connecting, and authenticating, and will be expanded in a minor upgrade with the ability to issue specific commands. Additionally, with the help of Disposable Hero from the Tactical Gamer community, an open source Squad Remote Admin tool is being developed which will feature basic R-CON functionality specialized for use with the Squad server.
Founders Perks: Skin Additions
Founders Skins have been added back to the game! If you backed us on Kickstarter or pre-ordered at the Founders level, you now have access to your ingame item rewards. They are disabled by default, so you need to go into your Game Settings and enable the skins you want to use. Note: The Founders Patches for the character models are still being worked on, so while the options are there in the menu, they are nonfunctional.
Full Changelog
Gameplay
Systems
UI
Sounds
Art
Maps
Admin
We hope that you all enjoy this latest Squad update, as always your feedback and bug reports are always welcome on the Forums.
Offworld Out.
The release will go live at 1700 UTC.
Hi Squaddies,
It's Update time! We would like to thank our community for being so patient with us as we continue to grind away at the beast known as Squad development. Alpha 6 is now upon us and we would like to take the time to share with you the changes you will experience since the last Alpha version.
Note: Due to a major change in the way we do Graphics Settings, all of your custom settings will reset upon first launch of Alpha 6.
Major Changes
Unreal Engine 4.11 Update
We've updated to Unreal Engine 4.11, pulling in a good number of engine features and performance updates. Take a look at the massive changelog for the engine to get an idea of the scope of all things that changed: HERE.
New Deployable: Emplaced Heavy Machine Gun
The first iteration of Vehicles are here! The Emplaced Browning M2 .50 caliber rifle is a beast of a heavy machine gun, capable of tearing apart even the most determined of infantry attackers. Placeable as a FOB deployable by Squad Leaders, the Browning M2 is your new best friend when locking down an open field on Chora, or creating a kill-zone on a Sumari road. Its effective range for target suppression is well over a kilometer and can easily stop a soldier with just one shot. But due to its limited traverse and elevation angles, operators be careful of your flanks and be sure to have backup!
The Browning M2 consumes FOB Ammo Points (which will regenerate over time) when you reload, and you can only have 3 deployed per FOB (2 in Bunker Configuration and 1 Self-Standing). Sustained fire will overheat the weapon, denoted by how much smoke is pouring out of the front of the weapon. The emplacement itself can be damaged and destroyed with rockets, UGLs, incendiary grenades and hand grenades. Employ it wisely in defence or as a means of fire support, and it will prove invaluable in the firefights to come.
New Map: Gorodok
We are proud to include in this release a new map that we've been teasing in previous news posts. Gorodok is an eastern european inspired map, with large expansive terrain. While Squad is still primarily infantry focused, we will launch with one AAS gameplay layer focusing on a segment of the larger map, pitting Russian and Militia forces against one another in open forest style engagements.
Map Update: Sumari
A much expanded Sumari is finally ready to be released after many months in the oven, and it's looking absolutely gorgeous. More than twice in size with hundreds of enter-able buildings, this map will continue to provide endless tactical challenges to any Squad trying to navigate its narrow corridors and many firing lanes. Below is a quick look at the various layouts.
Map Update: Fools Road Tunnels
Fools Road has undergone a drastic change, underground that is. A completely new Militia fortress has been carved out of the mountain, with crisscrossing tunnels serving to act as a means for defenders to further entrench themselves. Designed not only as a showcase of our new capabilities to show enclosed underground areas, but to also provide an intense close quarter battle experience for Squads willing to venture into the depths of the fortress.
Effects Update: Foliage and Water interaction
We have now added foliage and water particle and sound effects, be mindful when moving through both of these terrain obstacles as those around you can now see and/or hear you.
General Performance Improvements
We've fixed a number of performance issues in the game on top the engine performance changes that came with UE4.11.
On the server, we've done a full pass of over all of our networked objects, reducing their networking footprint and replication cost, making things overall more efficient. We've also fixed inventories so that weapons that are not equipped no longer tick and are only updated to client once every second. We've fixed an issue where spawning a soldier hitched the server, and removed a large number of networked properties that were not needed.
On the client, we've been making passes on every map, merging many small meshes into one big detailed meshes to reduce shadow casting overhead. We've also implemented Distance Field Shadows (More Info here) while reducing the distance of the highly detailed Cascade Shadow Maps, which has given us a major performance boost on maps with a lot of trees like Fools Road and Operation First Light.
In addition, we have reduced bones on the player skeleton so that players farther away will consume fewer resources for animations. We have also eliminated a lot of excess animation nodes and cleaned up our animation code to be more efficient across the board.
AMD Specific Performance Improvements
We've implemented a Low Quality sounds toggle in the Game Settings on top of general cleaning up of the soundscape, which should help many users with poor audio performance on AMD hardware, as well as in general. If you are having very low FPS with AMD systems, turn on Low Quality Sounds and you should see a nice performance bump. We actively encourage those that do have AMD hardware to try this new update out, and to provide with us feedback on your play experience.
Server Update: RCON support for Servers
We have now added in a standard implementation of the valve R-CON or remote console protocol. This protocol will allow server admins to issue console commands for things like broadcasting messages and kicking players remotely via an R-CON application of their choice. In addition to this. Our initial rollout for Alpha v6 includes the standard aspects of R-CON like specifying the port / password, connecting, and authenticating, and will be expanded in a minor upgrade with the ability to issue specific commands. Additionally, with the help of Disposable Hero from the Tactical Gamer community, an open source Squad Remote Admin tool is being developed which will feature basic R-CON functionality specialized for use with the Squad server.
Founders Perks: Skin Additions
Founders Skins have been added back to the game! If you backed us on Kickstarter or pre-ordered at the Founders level, you now have access to your ingame item rewards. They are disabled by default, so you need to go into your Game Settings and enable the skins you want to use. Note: The Founders Patches for the character models are still being worked on, so while the options are there in the menu, they are nonfunctional.
Full Changelog
Gameplay
- Deployables now no longer can be stacked one on top of the other
- Decreased Construction point and Ammo point income on FOBs
- Increased time necessary to take down a friendly FOB
- Tweaked recoil on some weapons
- Stamina now stops recharging while falling or jumping
- Insurgency tweaks. Minimum cache distance is now 300m on 2k maps and 400m on 4k maps, Insurgents now loose tickets if they get killed and there is a high but finite number of insurgent tickets (500 tickets) as a secondary win condition (make FOB placement and medics a little bit relevant again)
- Tweaked minimum arming range on rocket projectiles
- Speed up the time it takes to show the nametags above peoples head
- Smoke grenades no longer kill you with direct hits
- You can no longer focus while moving (within reason, there is a small velocity buffer)
- Updated recoil zoom modifier on ACOGs
Systems
- Added Foliage bending on some maps, partial implementation at this stage
- Fixed an issue with soldiers standing when dead if you connect to a server with a game already in progress.
- Fixed weapon disappearing after using medic bag or field dressings.
- Fixed a number of crashes related to VOIP
- Added LODs to the soldier skeletons, improved performance on the animation-side when rendering multiple characters at a distance on screen
- Added Low Quality Sounds, which should help some AMD users who are having stuttering issues related to sounds.
- Fixed issues with grenades exploding too late when you are dead
- Fixed a bug in AAS where lattice links would incorrectly look the wrong direction when looking for home links (fixes a potential locked in main situation).
- Mains now always contest their neighbors in AAS, which should prevent potential locked-in-main situations
- Fixed a PAAS issue where too many flags could be contested.
- Fixed an issue when leaning and sprinting while wounded would get the player stuck in that state
- Fixed an issue while jumping out of gun while holding fire allowed you to jump in the gun and fire without pressing a button.
- Tweaked MP443 pistols hit detection settings
- Fixed an issue where players are using more field dressings than are in their inventory
- Fixed players being able to spawn on other squads rally points when changing squad
- Adjusted projectiles so they overlap instead of block on water collisions, causing projectiles to now enter water
- Fixed weapon reloading desyncing between clients
- Fixed return to origin of the weapon reload being too slow/fast/various times
- Fixed an issue where the field dressings and medic bags would dissapear on weapon switch.
- Fixed enemies markers occasionally being visible during the first moments when you join a server
- Fixed some cases where the server list was not updating properly
- Fixed suppression effects not firing off under certain hit detection conditions
- Reworked code for healing yourself and someone else. This should prevent you from healing yourself and someone else at the same time with the medic bag
- Updated scalability to force distance field shadows on all graphics settings
- Fixed grenades from showing unequipping animation when there are no grenades left
- Fixed grenades not showing 1p and 3p in Listen Servers
- Fixed Shovel and patches being displayed below player
- NetUpdateRate optimizations. All spawn points down from 100 to 1, FOB spawns from 100 to 10, CameraMan from 100 to 10
- Improved performance on shovels, they now use a timer instead of ticking and only tick the timer when they are equipped
- Prevent reloading if your input is disabled. This prevents a bug that is caused by deploying and reloading at the same time
- All weapons now only tick when they are equipped, and unequipped network update rates have been drastically decreased
UI
- Server Browser no longer kicks you back to main with a server full message after you have completely loaded the map, instead you should see this message pop up within a few seconds of trying to join a server.
- Updated inventory slider, you can now disable auto switching between weapons as well as confirm and cancel weapon switches that are only still highlighted in the UI.
- Fixed Purple smoke grenades having blue UI icon
- Optimised the Main Menu UI
- Optimised the in-game HUD
- Fixed Squad Leader icon number disappearing when he goes incapacitated
- Simplified the code for and added more validity checking to the team switch confirmation widget
- Fixed an issue where multiple toasts could crash the game due to incorrect garbage collection safety
- Fixed Tickets not always showing at rounds end
- Fixed an issue where overlapping Capture Zones would cause the capture widget to not show while you were in a capture zone.
- Fixed Sergeant Chevrons and Squad Leader Number overlapping
- Fixed the map timer not always showing the text in the correct format
- Fixed an issue where the Map Timer would desync between server and client
- Fixed keyboard not getting automatic focus on password dialog box when entering passworded servers
- Updated Minimaps on all maps to show fields, bodies of water, gameplay boundaries and also a distance scale
- Fixed toast messages being cut off by a smaller than normal dialogue box
- Fixed Fools Road and Sumari minimaps being out of alignment
- Updated Militia and Russian faction radial menu to use the Russian radio instead of US or INS
- Added map icon for HMGs
Sounds
- Added Sound collisions to most passable vegetation, as you move through foliage you will make a noticeable sound
- Modified bullet hit dirt sounds
- Updated main menu music
- Added reverb volumes in tunnels on Fools Road
- Fixed attenuation and increased volume on healing sounds.
- Added Bleeding and Wounded/Incap EQ filters that adjust based upon your health.
- Modified SVD fire sounds
- Modified default M4 fire sounds to later fit for dynamic reflections
- Fix to crack flyby sounds
Art
- Improved LODs on various static props
- Added window bar props to various maps
- Added water interactivity, collisions and impact effects by the player, small arms and explosives
- Fixed corrugated metal fences and scrap with double sided geometry settings
- Updated metal fences and log trenches to have proper materials and impact effects
- Overhauled bullet impacts on Dirt to use new gpu debris and random dust animations
- Fixed Smoke Grenade effects not rendering at far distances
- Fixed Smoke Grenade effects not always colliding with the surrounding environment
- Fixed tracer rounds showing too close or behind the gun barrels.
- Fixed several physmats having wrong footstep dirt effect, causing weird excessive foot fx on plastic, rubber etc.
- Added small working tool props as map decoration
- Relocated all shell ejection sockets to their right position, and improved the visual look of them spinning out of the ejection port
- Resized dirt bullet hits and improved random dirt animations
- Updated blast shockwaves relevant to dirt, grass and wood
- Fixed hescos disappearing at a distance
- Added small bulletholes for Makarov and other 9mm pistols
- Fixed RPG7 low quality geometry sight being mis-aligned
- Fixed misaligned rocket on the RPG7 during the reload
- Adjusted Particle Bounds of RPG7 rocket concrete explosion
Maps
- Fixed issue where you could get stuck under the hopper car on Fools Road
- Fixed issue where you could use prone to get into the pipe on the gas silo Fools Road/First Light
- Fixed Op First Light warehouse door collisions from being borked
- Updated lighting on all maps
- Added more cache locations that are outside of buildings
- Fixed players falling through mine roof on Fools Road
- Fixed players spawning on the hesco bunker roof on Fools Road
- Updated playable boundaries on a number of maps
- Updated max tickets for BLUFOR on Logar Insurgency
- Added Chora Insurgency Layer
- Added Sumari Insurgency Layer
- Updated cap zone names for some maps
- Ambient sound fixes on Gorodok, Logar and Firing Range maps.
Admin
- Added RCON Server plugin
- Added map icon for admin cam
- Fixed crashing on Admin-Camera as soon as you reload your weapon
- Fix for crash caused by jumping in admin cam while reloading on listen server and non-networked games.
- AdminRestartMatch command should now restart the map and stay on the same level
We hope that you all enjoy this latest Squad update, as always your feedback and bug reports are always welcome on the Forums.
Offworld Out.
OP how bud?
We are now pushing a version 6.2 hotfix release, which contains:
Regarding the VoIP breaking for some people on round end:
We have discovered the cause of the issue (the online session in the engine is being improperly destroyed for yet unknown reasons which in turn prevents the VoIP from functioning properly since it depends on the online session being in place). We are hoping to get a fix out for the issue very soon.
For updates on the VoIP issue and to post info about it, please refer to the following thread: http://forums.joinsquad.com/topic/18771-voip-stopping-after-round-end-provide-info-for-the-devs-here
- Attemped fix for a major part of the stuttering issue many users were seeing
- Attempted fix for playercount issues that servers have been experiencing
- Converted most of the existing admin commands to work with the new RCON command system
- Fixed a crash related to players entering vehicles
- Fixed a sound attenuation issue on Chora
- Fixed various light source problems on multiple maps
- Fixed Sumari AAS1's lattice being wrong
- Fixed the FOV issue when entering emplacements
Regarding the VoIP breaking for some people on round end:
We have discovered the cause of the issue (the online session in the engine is being improperly destroyed for yet unknown reasons which in turn prevents the VoIP from functioning properly since it depends on the online session being in place). We are hoping to get a fix out for the issue very soon.
For updates on the VoIP issue and to post info about it, please refer to the following thread: http://forums.joinsquad.com/topic/18771-voip-stopping-after-round-end-provide-info-for-the-devs-here
May 2016
The Wheels of Squad are turning!
Hi Squaddies,
Hot on the heels of V6, it's time for the Monthly Recap! While most of the month was dedicated to working on the Alpha V6 release, there was still work going on that is in preparation for much further down the track. It's in these recaps where we gather and explain all that has happened behind the scenes during the month that has passed.
Systems
Vehicles
http://i.imgur.com/9jxVMb2.gifv
Now that the Emplacements milestone has been hit, we are concentrating all our efforts to bring Vehicles into the following version (V7) of the Alpha. Just to recap the vehicles that are production ready are as pictured below, the US Army Humvee; US Army M939 Truck, Insurgent Technical; Russian BTR-80 configured with a 14.5mm KPVT turret and finally the Ural 375D truck used by Russian and Militia forces. Our current plan involves preparing the above vehicles for upcoming major Alpha updates.
Our artists are hard at work crafting the animations, effects, sounds and gameplay systems needed to finally bring Vehicles to the fray.
http://i.imgur.com/Sh8wI03.gifv
Art
Apartment Blocks
Our talented artists have been hard at work creating a new multi-storey apartment block that will be used in most Eastern European maps. Taking inspiration and references from real life, we're expecting this set to really add to not only the immersion factor of our maps but also present a real awesome tactical challenge to Squads entering urban combat operations. As you can see it's still a heavy work in progress with many assets still in progress, but its development over such a short amount of time has been very encouraging.
SKS Rifle
Switching gears to weapons, a new weapon previously unseen but has been in the works is the SKS, a Soviet semi-automatic carbine chambered for the 7.62x39mm round (same round as the AKM). Loaded by 10-round stripper clips, while it lacks the automatic firepower of its more modern assault rifle counterparts, it makes up for with a slightly higher muzzle velocity and better weapon stability.
PPSH41 Submachine Gun
While we're still on weapons, the PPSH41 showed up in a previous recap months ago, we apologise for the amount of time it's taken to show this iconic Soviet era weapon again but as we're pushing more weapons through the pipeline, the more we can show off! Animation is one of the last stages before final implementation into the game from the art department, so expect this weapon to be in a future Alpha version.
TT33 Pistol
Another weapon aimed at militia and insurgent forces is the TT33 pistol. Designed to supplement the already implemented Makarov, it fires the larger 7.62x25mm Tokarev pistol round and has more theoretical stopping power than the Makarov.
Mapping
Yehorivka
More progress has been made on Yehorivka, and it is looking fabulous with its big wide open expanses and lakes.
Modding Community
Before we sign off we'd like to do a little showcase of the work that's going on in the Squad Modding scene! With the soft launch of the SDK last month, many budding artists and modders have banded together and started creating some very interesting projects within the engine. Presenting this little corner is Squads Modding Community leader, Zeno.
Squad Modding Hub
The Squad Community Modding Hub was created by Zeno(me) and Mitsu back in late December last year. This was a push from us, to create a common ground for all modders in the Squad family, regardless of project size and previous experience. This resulted in a Discord server, that serves as a gathering point for everyone that seek to make squad greater (again)! Originally we consisted of a handful of dedicated modders with widely ranging skillsets, from industry professionals to people who had never touched a game editor before. But as Squad is growing, so are we as a modding community, and the Squad Modding Hub now consist of 1000+ members, all eager to see what the future will bring for Squad Modding.
The main goal for us is to provide the best possible assistance and experience for people who wish to explore and expand Squad as a game. We will work to promote modding and mods, create tutorials and guidelines, assist with troubleshooting and testing, and in general be a great place to hang around.
So if you are a person who really wish to have an impact on the future of Squad, by creating the changes and content that will take this game to a whole new level, Join us today!
Zeno
Co-creator of Squad Modding Hub
Squad Modding Hub on Discord: www.discord.me/SquadModdingHub
Here's a small snippet of what the community has been working on!
For more information, the modding community also releases a monthly newsletter called The Wrench , which you can find in the modding section of the forums HERE.
We hope you all enjoyed this month's recap, it's going to even MORE busy here at Offworld Industries as we grind away at getting Vehicles finally into the game!
Offworld Out.
Join the discussion >>
The Wheels of Squad are turning!
Hi Squaddies,
Hot on the heels of V6, it's time for the Monthly Recap! While most of the month was dedicated to working on the Alpha V6 release, there was still work going on that is in preparation for much further down the track. It's in these recaps where we gather and explain all that has happened behind the scenes during the month that has passed.
Systems
Vehicles
http://i.imgur.com/9jxVMb2.gifv
Now that the Emplacements milestone has been hit, we are concentrating all our efforts to bring Vehicles into the following version (V7) of the Alpha. Just to recap the vehicles that are production ready are as pictured below, the US Army Humvee; US Army M939 Truck, Insurgent Technical; Russian BTR-80 configured with a 14.5mm KPVT turret and finally the Ural 375D truck used by Russian and Militia forces. Our current plan involves preparing the above vehicles for upcoming major Alpha updates.
Our artists are hard at work crafting the animations, effects, sounds and gameplay systems needed to finally bring Vehicles to the fray.
http://i.imgur.com/Sh8wI03.gifv
Art
Apartment Blocks
Our talented artists have been hard at work creating a new multi-storey apartment block that will be used in most Eastern European maps. Taking inspiration and references from real life, we're expecting this set to really add to not only the immersion factor of our maps but also present a real awesome tactical challenge to Squads entering urban combat operations. As you can see it's still a heavy work in progress with many assets still in progress, but its development over such a short amount of time has been very encouraging.
SKS Rifle
Switching gears to weapons, a new weapon previously unseen but has been in the works is the SKS, a Soviet semi-automatic carbine chambered for the 7.62x39mm round (same round as the AKM). Loaded by 10-round stripper clips, while it lacks the automatic firepower of its more modern assault rifle counterparts, it makes up for with a slightly higher muzzle velocity and better weapon stability.
PPSH41 Submachine Gun
While we're still on weapons, the PPSH41 showed up in a previous recap months ago, we apologise for the amount of time it's taken to show this iconic Soviet era weapon again but as we're pushing more weapons through the pipeline, the more we can show off! Animation is one of the last stages before final implementation into the game from the art department, so expect this weapon to be in a future Alpha version.
TT33 Pistol
Another weapon aimed at militia and insurgent forces is the TT33 pistol. Designed to supplement the already implemented Makarov, it fires the larger 7.62x25mm Tokarev pistol round and has more theoretical stopping power than the Makarov.
Mapping
Yehorivka
More progress has been made on Yehorivka, and it is looking fabulous with its big wide open expanses and lakes.
Modding Community
Before we sign off we'd like to do a little showcase of the work that's going on in the Squad Modding scene! With the soft launch of the SDK last month, many budding artists and modders have banded together and started creating some very interesting projects within the engine. Presenting this little corner is Squads Modding Community leader, Zeno.
Squad Modding Hub
The Squad Community Modding Hub was created by Zeno(me) and Mitsu back in late December last year. This was a push from us, to create a common ground for all modders in the Squad family, regardless of project size and previous experience. This resulted in a Discord server, that serves as a gathering point for everyone that seek to make squad greater (again)! Originally we consisted of a handful of dedicated modders with widely ranging skillsets, from industry professionals to people who had never touched a game editor before. But as Squad is growing, so are we as a modding community, and the Squad Modding Hub now consist of 1000+ members, all eager to see what the future will bring for Squad Modding.
The main goal for us is to provide the best possible assistance and experience for people who wish to explore and expand Squad as a game. We will work to promote modding and mods, create tutorials and guidelines, assist with troubleshooting and testing, and in general be a great place to hang around.
So if you are a person who really wish to have an impact on the future of Squad, by creating the changes and content that will take this game to a whole new level, Join us today!
Zeno
Co-creator of Squad Modding Hub
Squad Modding Hub on Discord: www.discord.me/SquadModdingHub
Here's a small snippet of what the community has been working on!
For more information, the modding community also releases a monthly newsletter called The Wrench , which you can find in the modding section of the forums HERE.
We hope you all enjoyed this month's recap, it's going to even MORE busy here at Offworld Industries as we grind away at getting Vehicles finally into the game!
Offworld Out.
Join the discussion >>
stroll on v7 #hypetrain
@xcept1 whats the time scale on v7 roughly m8y? 1 month 2 months or in between ?
Honestly not sure. What with vehicles being the main push now and the recent release of UE 4.12 it could be a while. I would imagine 4.12 implementation could go either way. We could try to get vehicles and 4.12 in one hit (who knows how long that would take) or focus solely on vehicles then focus on 4.12... I'll try and root around some more when I'm back home tomorrow evening.
Not for vehicles for a long, long time (if at all). Getting that sort of thing all networked and synchronised for clients is a nightmare. There's a good possibility for weapons though.
We are now pushing a version 6.3 hotfix release which contains:
- Likely fix for the "VoIP bug", a case where on round end in a server the player has reconnected to, an event callback in the game session was not properly cleaned up resulting in the steam session being destroyed and major parts of the VoIP system being disabled. This may potentially fix player count reporting issues that have been occurring as well.
- Updates to rivers and lighting on a number of maps.
- Fix for an issue relating to sprinting while focused.
- Fix for the inability to lean in a certain flag on Sumari.
Totally forgot to post this, aplogies!
Modding Community News
Introduction
Hello and welcome to this new recap article focusing on development in the Squad modding community. These monthly articles will feature and promote ongoing projects that are being worked on by our dedicated and hard working modding community.
Modding Hub
The Squad Community Modding Hub was created by Zeno and Mitsu back in late December 2015. This was a push from us to create a common ground for all modders in the Squad community, regardless of project size and previous experience. This resulted in a Discord server, that serves as a gathering point for everyone that seek to make Squad greater (again)! Originally we consisted of a handful of dedicated modders with widely different skillsets, ranging from industry professionals to people who had never touched a game editor before. This mix was vital for us, as it allows for a low entry barrier, and also gives the people the ability to learn from experienced users with an high understanding of the different professions of modding. We have also included several highly motivated individuals into our management team, this to create the best experience for you as a modder. As Squad is growing, so are we as a modding community, and the Squad Modding Hub now consist of 1300+ members, all eager to see what the future will bring for Squad Modding.
So if you are a person who really wish to have an impact on the future of Squad, by creating the changes and content that will take this game to a whole new level, Join us today!
Squad Modding Hub on Discord: https://discord.me/Squadmoddinghub
SDK Release and Community progress
An first iteration of the Squad SDK (Software Development Kit) was released 20th of April. This enabled the community to access the Squad assets used for creating maps.
This instantly spawned lots of new maps and projects, ranging from deep jungles, cold mountains, scorching deserts and dark forests. These projects are now maturing nicely and with the competence level in the community rising, we are confident Squad will have a strong and experienced modding community for years to come.
To download the SDK and start modding with UE4 and Squad, go to this thread and follow the instructions closely. SDK Release Thread
Mapping
With the SDK release focusing mostly on the mapping part of development, we are showcasing some of the amazing work being done by our community mappers.
Marv
Jungle Map
Marv has been hard at work with his latest project, featuring a dense jungle theme unique for Squad. With atmospheric lighting and fog Marv has figured out the perfect formula for an immersive environment.
Switcher
Operation Dry Harvest
Switcher’s Map ‘Operation Dry Harvest’ features a CQB centered map layout that is surrounded by dense forest that allows flanking maneuvers when you’re stuck fighting the enemy in the compounds.
AK47
Halo Bloody Gulch remake
The remake of ‘Bloody Gulch’ from Halo is AK47 latest project. He combines classic aspects of the map with Squad-esque environments that fit right into the tactical gameplay.
Noxxid3
Jala Map
‘Jala’ is definitely one of the more mountainous terrains in this recap, featuring a variety of ridge lines and extremely dense forests. Watch out, there could be an enemy behind the next tree!
LMR Sahara
6km x 6km, Sahara Plains
Sahara Plains offer wast expanses of desert warfare, with a huge mountainrange stretching across the map, an highway passing through the scorching desert and desert villages with fortifications giving cover from the onslaught. Heavily inspired by the PR classic "Kashan Desert", many players will surely feel right at home in this map.
EliteLurker
3 Kings
‘3 Kings’ is as his creator EliteLurker describes a map that is 100% focused on gameplay and designed to feature faster paced combat, while still retaining some of the classic Squad gameplay. EliteLurker has a long history of level designing, so we are eager to see the progress of this map.
Igno
WIP Forest map, 2x2km, Villages, lakes, Lumbermill.
Igno’s Forest Map takes us to very rural areas offering open areas for long range engagements and dense forests that offer natural cover.
Blindside
Tresenka border - Project Thread
Authors Description
“It's inspired by most of the Chinese maps in Battlefield games and PR for its visual appearance. But as a larger map, I would like to have quite a few routes to each objective, kind of like mini, or secondary objectives. Large wide open spaces for objectives, surrounded by dense woodland and brush in between the points. But since it is a large map, I want to somewhat condense the area of action to make infantry gameplay a bit more interesting, because large open maps can be quite boring with 10 minutes of running time, then instant death or engaging enemy from extreme distances. Much more vertical gameplay as well, and designing the map specifically with gameplay in mind. To have a large map with large distance between objectives can be boring also so I'm trying to somewhat change that by making lots of ground cover for infantry and kind of "choke points", such as those mountain pathways, and kind of focus zones.
while the distances are large, I want there to be a kind of clear objective”
BigZ
BigZ is working on a european countryside style map, where he wants to encourage fighting through fields and farms. He wants to build it in a future proof way, already thinking about good vehicle play when they eventually drop.
OakleyHidef
Normandy
Oakley Hidef set himself the goal to up his modding by working on a rendition of the french countryside in Normandy. He also joined up forces with Fallen Heroes and is now part of the core team.
Sidney
Radar Array Model
Sydney's massive radar array sure is a landmark that will be interesting to see in future maps. Having learned 3d modeling from scratch, he is setting his sights on definitely some of the “largest” projects currently underway in the modding community. We can't wait to see what more Sidney has in store for us in the future!
Modding
Fallen Heroes Development Team
The Fallen Heroes Team is working hard on producing first person assets with a focus on grenades in the last time. Work continues on bringing the Squad feeling into a World War 2 setting.
World War I Total conversion mod
McQueen and Sekkyoku101 is working on an exciting new project focusing on rebirthing the battlefields of World War I. This project is still in its infancy, but they are showing great progress towards making an unique and enjoyable mod.
Coding
Nkey
Nkey has been creating something that would offer maps in Squad to use even larger landscapes. He developed code that allows origin rebasing in a multiplayer environment. This might sound confusing to people, but in practical terms it allows the game to create new points in space which upon calculations are made from. fixing the known issues with floating point precision. This will allow Squad developers to expand their maps drastically, as it removes artifacts such as animation issues and scope jittering, currently appearing approximately 3km from the level centre. (noticable at the edge of Kohat for example) This new technique will open up for maps as big as 20x20 km (400 sq/km), resulting in a much more capable engine.
Other
Karmakut
SquadOps
SquadOps is the first step to allow Mil-Sim oriented communities to enjoy Squad even more. With predefined objectives and an extensive amount of preperation, planning and well coordinated execution, SquadOps will let military roleplayers and mil-sim enthusiasts feel right at home.
Read more about Squad Ops and their mission here: Squad Ops Thread
New SDK release and Unreal launcher integration
The next step in the modding support for Squad is to release a brand new and much more content heavy version of the current SDK. This version will include all released assets so far, meaning all content that is in the v6 of Squad will also be in the SDK.
Another great feature to come with the new SDK launch, will be the integration into the Unreal Launcher. This will allow for automatic updates and a much more streamlines pipeline for modding. It will also give great exposure to Squad Modding, as we are hoping for a large influx of experienced UE4 artists to give Squad a shot with this new integration.
That's it for this time! We hope to see many more of you jump into the editor and give modding a try, and we are continuing our unrestricted support for the modding community via both the forums and also the Squad Modding Hub on Discord.
Best regards.
Zeno - Mitsu - Rotzbua
Squad Modding Hub
Management Team
Modding Community News
Introduction
Hello and welcome to this new recap article focusing on development in the Squad modding community. These monthly articles will feature and promote ongoing projects that are being worked on by our dedicated and hard working modding community.
Modding Hub
The Squad Community Modding Hub was created by Zeno and Mitsu back in late December 2015. This was a push from us to create a common ground for all modders in the Squad community, regardless of project size and previous experience. This resulted in a Discord server, that serves as a gathering point for everyone that seek to make Squad greater (again)! Originally we consisted of a handful of dedicated modders with widely different skillsets, ranging from industry professionals to people who had never touched a game editor before. This mix was vital for us, as it allows for a low entry barrier, and also gives the people the ability to learn from experienced users with an high understanding of the different professions of modding. We have also included several highly motivated individuals into our management team, this to create the best experience for you as a modder. As Squad is growing, so are we as a modding community, and the Squad Modding Hub now consist of 1300+ members, all eager to see what the future will bring for Squad Modding.
So if you are a person who really wish to have an impact on the future of Squad, by creating the changes and content that will take this game to a whole new level, Join us today!
Squad Modding Hub on Discord: https://discord.me/Squadmoddinghub
SDK Release and Community progress
An first iteration of the Squad SDK (Software Development Kit) was released 20th of April. This enabled the community to access the Squad assets used for creating maps.
This instantly spawned lots of new maps and projects, ranging from deep jungles, cold mountains, scorching deserts and dark forests. These projects are now maturing nicely and with the competence level in the community rising, we are confident Squad will have a strong and experienced modding community for years to come.
To download the SDK and start modding with UE4 and Squad, go to this thread and follow the instructions closely. SDK Release Thread
Mapping
With the SDK release focusing mostly on the mapping part of development, we are showcasing some of the amazing work being done by our community mappers.
Marv
Jungle Map
Marv has been hard at work with his latest project, featuring a dense jungle theme unique for Squad. With atmospheric lighting and fog Marv has figured out the perfect formula for an immersive environment.
Switcher
Operation Dry Harvest
Switcher’s Map ‘Operation Dry Harvest’ features a CQB centered map layout that is surrounded by dense forest that allows flanking maneuvers when you’re stuck fighting the enemy in the compounds.
AK47
Halo Bloody Gulch remake
The remake of ‘Bloody Gulch’ from Halo is AK47 latest project. He combines classic aspects of the map with Squad-esque environments that fit right into the tactical gameplay.
Noxxid3
Jala Map
‘Jala’ is definitely one of the more mountainous terrains in this recap, featuring a variety of ridge lines and extremely dense forests. Watch out, there could be an enemy behind the next tree!
LMR Sahara
6km x 6km, Sahara Plains
Sahara Plains offer wast expanses of desert warfare, with a huge mountainrange stretching across the map, an highway passing through the scorching desert and desert villages with fortifications giving cover from the onslaught. Heavily inspired by the PR classic "Kashan Desert", many players will surely feel right at home in this map.
EliteLurker
3 Kings
‘3 Kings’ is as his creator EliteLurker describes a map that is 100% focused on gameplay and designed to feature faster paced combat, while still retaining some of the classic Squad gameplay. EliteLurker has a long history of level designing, so we are eager to see the progress of this map.
Igno
WIP Forest map, 2x2km, Villages, lakes, Lumbermill.
Igno’s Forest Map takes us to very rural areas offering open areas for long range engagements and dense forests that offer natural cover.
Blindside
Tresenka border - Project Thread
Authors Description
“It's inspired by most of the Chinese maps in Battlefield games and PR for its visual appearance. But as a larger map, I would like to have quite a few routes to each objective, kind of like mini, or secondary objectives. Large wide open spaces for objectives, surrounded by dense woodland and brush in between the points. But since it is a large map, I want to somewhat condense the area of action to make infantry gameplay a bit more interesting, because large open maps can be quite boring with 10 minutes of running time, then instant death or engaging enemy from extreme distances. Much more vertical gameplay as well, and designing the map specifically with gameplay in mind. To have a large map with large distance between objectives can be boring also so I'm trying to somewhat change that by making lots of ground cover for infantry and kind of "choke points", such as those mountain pathways, and kind of focus zones.
while the distances are large, I want there to be a kind of clear objective”
BigZ
BigZ is working on a european countryside style map, where he wants to encourage fighting through fields and farms. He wants to build it in a future proof way, already thinking about good vehicle play when they eventually drop.
OakleyHidef
Normandy
Oakley Hidef set himself the goal to up his modding by working on a rendition of the french countryside in Normandy. He also joined up forces with Fallen Heroes and is now part of the core team.
Sidney
Radar Array Model
Sydney's massive radar array sure is a landmark that will be interesting to see in future maps. Having learned 3d modeling from scratch, he is setting his sights on definitely some of the “largest” projects currently underway in the modding community. We can't wait to see what more Sidney has in store for us in the future!
Modding
Fallen Heroes Development Team
The Fallen Heroes Team is working hard on producing first person assets with a focus on grenades in the last time. Work continues on bringing the Squad feeling into a World War 2 setting.
World War I Total conversion mod
McQueen and Sekkyoku101 is working on an exciting new project focusing on rebirthing the battlefields of World War I. This project is still in its infancy, but they are showing great progress towards making an unique and enjoyable mod.
Coding
Nkey
Nkey has been creating something that would offer maps in Squad to use even larger landscapes. He developed code that allows origin rebasing in a multiplayer environment. This might sound confusing to people, but in practical terms it allows the game to create new points in space which upon calculations are made from. fixing the known issues with floating point precision. This will allow Squad developers to expand their maps drastically, as it removes artifacts such as animation issues and scope jittering, currently appearing approximately 3km from the level centre. (noticable at the edge of Kohat for example) This new technique will open up for maps as big as 20x20 km (400 sq/km), resulting in a much more capable engine.
Other
Karmakut
SquadOps
SquadOps is the first step to allow Mil-Sim oriented communities to enjoy Squad even more. With predefined objectives and an extensive amount of preperation, planning and well coordinated execution, SquadOps will let military roleplayers and mil-sim enthusiasts feel right at home.
Read more about Squad Ops and their mission here: Squad Ops Thread
New SDK release and Unreal launcher integration
The next step in the modding support for Squad is to release a brand new and much more content heavy version of the current SDK. This version will include all released assets so far, meaning all content that is in the v6 of Squad will also be in the SDK.
Another great feature to come with the new SDK launch, will be the integration into the Unreal Launcher. This will allow for automatic updates and a much more streamlines pipeline for modding. It will also give great exposure to Squad Modding, as we are hoping for a large influx of experienced UE4 artists to give Squad a shot with this new integration.
That's it for this time! We hope to see many more of you jump into the editor and give modding a try, and we are continuing our unrestricted support for the modding community via both the forums and also the Squad Modding Hub on Discord.
Best regards.
Zeno - Mitsu - Rotzbua
Squad Modding Hub
Management Team