BUILD UPDATE #028: V1031 now available! Be advised: price is going up soon!

🆔 GROUND BRANCH V1031
Build ID: 6338489 (Client) / 6338525 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 3 GB (Client) / 447 MB (Dedicated Server)

🚨 CLEAR YO FILES
We strongly recommend everyone to delete all files located in %LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor (copy-paste this into your File Explorer address bar and hit Enter) to ensure that old files do not conflict with the latest changes and cause input and settings issues.

After about 20 days of testing on the GROUND BRANCH CTE app, Version 1031 is now stable enough for the main branch of the game, and our little community can reunite and enjoy all the latest content and updates together, at last.

A lot has happened since V1030—from programmer Kris being knocked out by meds to industry legend John Romero tweeting about us out of nowhere (holy sh*t, by the way)—and in this period GROUND BRANCH has become a better experience than it was in almost every way: it has better audio and visual effects, a nicer-looking and more user-friendly interface, improved controls and options, 2 new game modes, a new CQB map and a brand-new consolidated training area, and even a few updated assets.

Although V1031 isn’t without issues (such is the nature of Early Access, though we’ll be sure to patch those as soon as we can), we had to move on and transition the project over to V1032 so that Mike (Munk, animator, of Killing Floor and Rising Storm 2 fame) can transition from working on a separate environment to actually putting all those new animations into the game with Kris’ assistance. We’ll be mentioning all known left-over issues in this build in the release notes below.

💚 Before we get on with it, we'd like to thank all players who took time off their gaming to test V1031 on CTE, report the issues they found, and provide valuable feedback. We love you and we appreciate you.

Oh, and just one more thing:

Price is going up this Monday (March 8th) at 12pm EST!

As announced just a little over 4 months ago in Build Update #027, GROUND BRANCH was due a 10 USD price increase with the release of V1031. The game has come a long way since it was released on Steam® Early Access in August 2018, and with V1031 now live, we feel like it has earned the less modest price tag of 29.99 USD for all the reasons we are quoting here from the original announcement:

• GROUND BRANCH has been in Early Access for over 2 years with no price change, and it is now a lot further along than it was in the beginning. With V1031, it will be even more so.
• We genuinely feel that—despite the relatively slow development and current lack of polish—we are offering fans of the hardcore tactical shooter genre something unique that no other game out there is offering.
• The game has been sitting at a “Very Positive” user score for both recent and all-time reviews, with an approval rating of around 85% . As such, we believe that all the improvements that are planned for the next main update will more than justify the new price.

The new price of 29.99 USD will go live this Monday, March 8th, at 12pm EST (5pm GMT), with regional pricing adjusted accordingly. If you still have friends on the fence, you have a couple days to pull them over to our side!

Build highlights

New user interface

The UI has received a considerable art, style and user experience pass. Some screens, prompts, dialogs and other smaller UI elements have yet to get a makeover, but we’ve gotten to most of them by now.

Here’s what’s new:

Main Menu

The first menu you’ll see doesn’t look a whole lot different, but you may notice a few minor style and formatting changes, along with the new stripped-down GROUND BRANCH logo, a version indicator, new tooltips and also these main changes:

• Training will now take you to the new consolidated training compound (more on that in the Content section) instead of the old list of outdated training maps.
• Lone Wolf replaces “Play Offline”. It just has a nicer ring to it and makes it immediately clear to players that it is a solo mode.

Lone Wolf

This screen has been cleaned up considerably and now only displays relevant game modes (Terrorist Hunt and Intel Retrieval—more on the latter later) and maps, as well as a map search box.

You may also notice the new map descriptions in the bottom-left (unless you’re pointing at City, ’cause we forgot to add a description to that one. Got a suggestion? Post it in the comments).

💡 Where did the AI settings go?
Short answer is they need to be put back somewhere. In the meantime, you can set them in the Ops Board in the Ready Room, and custom AI settings can be copied from DefaultAISettings.ini (…Steam\steamapps\common\Ground Branch\GroundBranch\Config) into AISettings.ini (%LOCALAPPDATA%\GroundBranch\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor) and edited. Simply copy and paste the [SkillLevel@Custom] section, change the values, and save.

Host Game

With a similar screen layout to Lone Wolf, the new Host Game UI should make self-hosting a lot more intuitive. Here are some of the changes:

• Notices and prompts will outline listen server limitations and how to invite friends into your game.
• Added an in-game inviting tool, accessible via the prompt upon launching the server, or via Esc menu (Invite Friends option in the top menu bar).
• Self-hosted servers are now hard-limited to 8 players max. This is likely to be reduce further due to such servers being much more prone to poor performance than dedicated servers.

Server Browser

Not much change here from a functional standpoint, just a new layout and exposed filters at the bottom-left. We’ve also temporarily removed the server tabs that were out of order (they will be back when they work again), so we’re left with Internet and LAN only. The Game Mode column should also correctly display the game modes currently being played on servers.

💡 Dedicated server capacity
Dedicated servers are now limited to 16 players max, whether on PvP or co-op. Although that was already the planned player limit for PvP, co-op is being built with 8-player teams (max) in mind, for both game design and performance reasons. We do plan on having a hard limit later, while still allowing private servers to run higher capacities—but with certain conditions we have yet to discuss, such as a separate server tab and/or enforcing password protection.

Settings

Received a big UI/UX pass, which rearranged where each option is and what they are labeled for better consistency and intuitiveness. We’ve also added a lot of tooltips to clarify some of the less obvious options, and changed a lot of defaults to more familiar, intuitive and usable settings.

Controls screen

• Added Clear Bind button to binding prompt.
• New binds: Tac Light / IR Illuminator, Laser and Toggle Laser Mode (more on these further below).
• Now lists previously hidden binds such as Admin Panel and Forfeit.
• Now features a dedicated tab for Controller binds, which can now use button combos with Left Trigger (LT, L2), Left Shoulder Button (LB, L1) and Right Shoulder Button (RB, R1). It’s a first pass, so issues are expected.

🐞 Known issue: Controller binds have been reported as displaying in the Keyboard & Mouse tab as default binds. Simply changing them to your preferred Keyboard/Mouse keybinds should make them work normally.

Gameplay screen

Now features a Sight Priorities section, which allows the player to determine sight hierarchy when multiple types are equipped. This will make sure you know which optic you will default to at mission start, as well as which order it will cycle through when switching.

Video screen

Added drop-down menu for Screen Space Reflections (SSR) settings, under Settings > Video > Graphics (right below Anti-Aliasing Method). Keep in mind that SSR is a performance-light solution known to display odd reflections in some contexts. It may also display visual artifacts unless TAA (Temporal Anti-Aliasing) is used.

Audio screen

Channel now allows more options, including “Auro 11.1”: a great option for headphone users due to its extra “height” channels that allow players to discern sounds that are coming from above. We’ve added a nice tooltip to the ? icon so you know what to choose for your audio setup.

Other UI/UX changes

• Getting to know your teammates has been made easier by a HUD element that displays player names. Like the VOIP HUD pop-up, they are only enabled in the Ready Room as a tool to get used to each other’s voice and appearance before the action phase, as well as to make admins’ lives easier.
• The Session Roster screen (previously “Game Info”) has a new look, and will now correctly display players that are currently using VOIP.
• The top menu bar (Esc menu) has been rearranged and now offers a Main Menu shortcut (via GB icon button), as well as contextual options such as “Session Roster” (display current players in the session), “Invite Friends” (for self-hosted games), and “Admin” for server admin options. Tooltips were also added.
• Interaction prompts (“Use”, “Pick Up” etc.) have been updated with a new look and custom key icons.
• First pass to improve pop-in hints.
• Some map names were changed: Tanker Ship is now Tanker, Training Base (previously only previewable via console) is now The Farm, and the User Arena maps are now just called Arena and Arena 2.
• The Bipod is now called Bipod (Non-Functional) to make players aware that they are not usable yet.
• Changed display name convention for scopes: Name (Magnification), e.g. ACOG (4x), Specter DR (1x/4x) etc.
• Added magnification value to the display name of Russian scopes 1P78 Kashtan (2.8x) and PSO-1M2 (4x).
• Minor tweaks to text chat appearance.

Gameplay and controls

Attachments

• Weapon lights can now be bound to your preferred key (default 5). They are still accessible via the Attachments Wheel and share the keybind with the new IR Illuminator, with NVG use determining which is active. This logic is bound to be changed to use the same one as the visible vs. IR laser (see below).
• The new IR Illuminator function on the AN/PEQ-15 has two settings, LO (wide and dim) and HI (focused and bright). Switch between them with the Reticle Brightness keys (default Home and End).
• The visible and IR lasers on the AN/PEQ-15 share a single toggle key (default 6), and another key to switch between them (default 7). The switch logic will be carried over to visible vs. IR lights.
• Lasers and lights all have both a “momentary” (hold key) and a “toggle” (double-tap to turn on, tap once to turn off) activation mode.
• The G33 Magnifier is now togglable via the same binds used for Scope Zoom In/Out (default Alt + Mouse Wheel). It is still accessible via the Attachments Wheel as well.
• Variable magnification scopes now all default to the lowest magnification level.

🐞 Known issues:
• The weapon logic for the light vs. IR Illuminator switch may not always work, causing them to either not switch properly when NVG is toggled or be both on at the same time.
• When playing online, light and laser activation can be glitchy when using the toggle mode (double-tap).

Breaching Charge

The clacker/remote detonator is back: it will be equipped automatically after placing the Breaching Charge, which is no longer time-detonated. Simply press Fire to detonate the charge remotely.

Grenades

• You can now throw grenades through windows once the glass has been shattered, and both glass panes and doors will now be blown up if within range of frag grenades.
• Adjusted M67 Frag explosion radius: the max damage radius has been increased from 4 to 6 meters, with damage scaling down from there until the minimum damage radius (10 meters). (The simple radius damage implementation currently in place will be replaced with simulated shrapnel later.)

Doors

• Will now open and close smoothly, even when gradually opened and closed. They’re much more responsive to walking/running into as well once partially open.
• Gradually opening/closing doors once again uses an open/close logic rather than push/pull. Assuming default controls, you would now hold F + Mouse Wheel Up to gradually open and F + Mouse Wheel Down to close, regardless of which side of the door you’re on. (This was changed due to the inconsistency of the push/pull mechanic.)
• When blown up, doors will no longer display a missing teal texture.

🐞 Known issue: Doors have been reported to occasionally prevent movement when playing online, as if the position did not sync up between server and client.

💡 A little note on doors
The current door implementation is fairly old and due a much needed overhaul. Please bear with the obvious issues until we get a better system in place, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Wristwatch

A default item equipped on your character’s left wrist, the Wristwatch is incredibly helpful, especially in multiplayer games. It currently displays in-game time and a compass that rotates in relation to the world, making call-outs, navigation and keeping track of time much easier.

Rangefinder

In addition to its NV mode (default N), the Rangefinder will now actually do rangefinding. Use Aim Down Sights (default RMB) to look through it and Fire (default LMB) to scan the distance to the target. Day mode has a fixed 8x magnification, displays a mil reticle and has a cutout at the bottom to assist HUD readability. Night mode is fixed at 5x and displays a simple reticle dot at the center of the view.

The item has also received a new circular overlay, better suited for a monocular device.

🐞 Known issue: The range reading might not always be correct, as we still have to make sure it is not colliding with invisible objects, reading past objects that it should not, or having other types of issues.

New game modes

Kris has spent a lot of time reworking the game mode logic completely. It is now based on Lua scripting and should allow for a lot more flexibility when creating and adjusting modes, making everyone’s lives a lot easier—from Kris’ to those of future modders.

In addition to rebuilding the existing game modes from the ground up in the new system, Kris has also rigged up a new objective-based PvE game mode, called Intel Retrieval, and revamped an existing PvP one (formerly Defend), now called Uplink. Let’s go over them:

Intel Retrieval (PvE)

Intel Retrieval is the first PvE objective-based game mode in GROUND BRANCH. It currently consists of successfully locating and extracting intel from the mission area.

The player selects one of the available insertion points on the Ops Board’s map (which also displays the assigned extraction point) and, upon deploying, must search the laptops in the mission area for the intel by holding Interact (default F) while keeping the laptop in view.

If the intel is found, the laptop is taken (it currently attaches like a backpack) and the player must then successfully reach the extraction point, marked with green smoke. If the intel-carrying player is killed in a multiplayer session, the item will be dropped and can be picked up by a living member of the team.

Server admins can also choose to “Exfiltrate as a team” on the Ops Board, forcing all surviving players to be at the extraction point in order to finish the mission for extra teamwork points (currently imaginary).

Intel Retrieval can be played on Small Town, Depot, Storage Facility, Creek, Run Down, Tanker, Power Station, 747 and City.

Notes

• We have yet to mark possible intel locations on the map. For a list of all possible locations per map, click here.
• Up to 2 extraction points can be assigned randomly, and up to 3 are available per map.
• Keep in mind that your weapon will be slung/holstered when searching the laptop. Upon finishing the search, your weapon must be manually re-equipped.
• If by any chance the laptop decides to disappear off the face of the map, it should respawn at its original location.

💡 As a first pass on the mode, we are still trying things out and are curious about how it plays. Should there be only one laptop you must locate instead of several you need to locate and then search? Do we want the laptop to be carried in one hand with a handgun in the other, instead of on the player's back, or should it go inside a backpack? Let your thoughts and ideas be known in the comments.

Uplink (PvP)

Previously known as Defend, Uplink is almost a PvP version of Intel Retrieval.

Teams take turn as either attackers or defenders:

Attackers must locate the laptop (a single one on the map) and uplink valuable intel through it.

Defenders will deploy near the laptop must prevent that from happening by either eliminating the attacking team, or running out the round time (default 10 minutes; can be set to 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 min by admins).

Uplink can be played on Small Town, Power Station, Storage Facility, Creek, Run Down, 747 and City.

Notes

• Admins can also determine Defender Setup Time on the Ops Board. This value determines how much time (in seconds) defenders have before attackers can move.
• There is a spawn protection area around the attacker’s insertion area to prevent defenders from spawn-killing them while they are stuck in the defenders’ setup period.

💡 A very basic mission editor is in place and can be opened using the editmission console command. It lacks documentation and usability features, but those who wish to try it out as-is for whatever reason, can do so.

Visual effects (VFX)

Visuals have received a considerable overhaul, as previewed in our video from a couple months ago:

Be on the lookout for these:

• As noted earlier, Screen Space Reflections (SSR) have been enabled again. Although not without issues, SSR can vastly improve the look of some maps and bring materials to life.
• New NVG depth-of-field (DOF) effect and updated overlay mask.
• Fixed the color of nearby objects “seeping through” when wearing NVG, as well as glare appearing white.
• New grenade explosion particle effects (M67 Frag and MK13 Flashbang).
• New flashbang stun effect: “burned image” effect and ear ringing (very WIP—does not consider distance or direction players are facing).
• New laser effects: Visible Laser dot and IR Laser beam and dot.
• Updated holo and red dot reticles to appear luminous again: will be harder to see against certain backgrounds, but look much better and realistic.
  • Aimpoint® sights have a slightly brighter reticle than others.
  • Added tint to holo and red dot sight glass to improve reticle visibility (and in the case of red dots, for authenticity as well).
  • Glow has been re-added to illuminated scope reticles as well.
• Tweaked the Marker Strobe effect to look a little strobier and less prone to clipping the character.
• Muzzle effects now originate a couple inches away from the muzzle rather than inside them.
• Lasers no longer go right through characters.
• The light on top of power switches will now turn off once the box is damaged.

Known visual issues

• Although sleeves and gloves were slightly adjusted, some combinations will still look funky here and there. Gotta wait for that V1032.
• Laser dots may “dip” into walls when moving certain ways in relation to surfaces.
• The new red dot/holo lens tint appears to allow players to see through smoke. We’ll be patching that as soon as possible, even if it means removing the tint until we figure out how to fix it properly.

Audio

All those new visuals above would not mean much without the audio to go with them. Mikson has greatly improved how GB sounds since our last major update with soundscapes for every map (no more dead silent missions!), new voice lines for AI enemies and Comms Wheel (default G) and new SFX to both replace old ones and add to previously quiet actions. Here’s the full list:

Sound effects (SFX)

• New placeholder AI voice lines: donated by voice actor Daeln Murphy (thanks, Daeln!), these are only meant as a temporary upgrade, as we intend to use native voice lines for the final game rather than accented English.
• Added grenade bounce sounds. (Still missing certain surface types.)
• New explosive (M67 Frag, MK13 Flashbang, Breaching Charge) SFX, with indoor and outdoor versions.
• New spent shell casing sounds, with different sounds for different calibers.
• New door opening/closing sounds.
• Improved footstep sounds.
• New gear movement sounds dependent on weight of current loadout.
• New item drop sounds.
• Weapon transition sound effects: rustling fabric, mechanical clicks and other sounds from moving a gun around while in gear.
• Door explosion debris SFX.

Soundscapes/ambiences

• Power Station and 747 now have environment sounds.
• The new maps (Run Down and The Farm) do too, so no more dead silent maps.

Other audio changes

• Fixed the lack of occlusion in the Ready Room testing range.
• Improved various sound effects, as well as acoustic portals and sound occlusion.
• Increased audio stun effect radius from breaching charges when on the opposite side of the door.
• Reduced the probability of AI callouts/bark to mitigate repetitiveness and keep tangos from giving themselves away so often.

Content

Maps and performance

A lot of work has gone into map optimization, and players are likely to have better performance overall—particularly on map Depot. Playtesters have also reported lower FPS drops when using PiP scopes, though your mileage may vary. How is the game running for you now? Let us know and help us optimize further!

New map: Run Down

To draw from the new map descriptions: This decrepit abandoned building standing in an Eastern European industrial district appears to have hosted a school turned field hospital.

Run Down is a very atmospheric map with no shortage of very tight CQB ranges and nerve-wracking moments even when playing at daytime hours. It features a 3-level building with a courtyard in the center, a small surrounding area and a small garage building at the annexed parking lot.

New map: The Farm

The real-life Camp Peary is a military reservation in Virginia (USA) that hosts a CIA training facility known as The Farm, where clandestine officers and other personnel are trained.

In GROUND BRANCH, The Farm (built by former Hell Let Loose environment artist Will Bullen) replaces all the previous training maps with one single hub containing an indoor shoothouse, an indoor and an outdoor shooting range, and an aircraft-based shoothouse.

💡 There's a lot of room for ideas and expansion in The Farm, which we hope to be able to try in the future. One of them is making the new shoothouse (whose layout was suggested by our active SOF advisor) randomized to some extent, possibly adding multiple entry points as well to keep things fresh.

Other map updates

Maps are a continuous effort to refine as we move forward, both aesthetically and functionally. In addition to general cleanup, some maps have received more substantial updates.

Much of the superstructure section of Tanker was reworked and upgraded, with other sections of the ship being built upon considerably as well. Make sure you also keep an eye out for all the power switches that were added to control the lighting of different parts of the vessel.

City‘s street level has seen major updates as well, especially noticeable inside the central square buildings:

Power Station‘s substation area is now a lot more interesting, offering much better cover. You may notice other smaller changes elsewhere in the map.

🐞 Known issues: Performance may be sluggish on maps Tanker and Run Down when playing Lone Wolf or self-hosting co-op games. This is likely due to high CPU usage by AI and navmesh optimization issues.

Gear

Modest updates in this department, but still pretty tight:

• Added Eye Pro glasses, selectable for the EYEWEAR slot. They’re missing a dedicated icon.
• Added extended magazines for MK25, M9A3 and M17 pistols.
• Added proper NVG mount and tweaked flipped-up angle to be less obstructive. Needs work.
• Replaced the MP7A1 and MP7A2 with a higher-quality MP7A1 model. No extra skins yet, but we’ll get there.
• Replaced the MP7 Suppressor with a new model.

• Replaced the old PMII 5–25x scope with a newer model. Scale has been fixed too.
• Replaced old generic Tac Light attachment with SureFire® M600V model, named Tac Light (M600V) in-game.
• Replaced the old Holster with a new model—the first of many Pau Peñalver models to make it into the game. Currently offers 4 skins to choose from.
• Replaced the old Rail Cover attachment with a much higher-fidelity model, now called Rail Panel (Long). Also added a shorter version: Rail Panel (Short).
• Attachment slots for the Plate Carrier were adjusted for a more authentic look. The top row has also lost a slot.

Known issues (general)

• The SVD no longer accepts a suppressor (it was never meant to), but still lists the Suppressor in the Attachments menu.
• This is not a new issue, but it might be more noticeable now in some contexts: scope sight pictures can appear either darker or brighter than the world outside of it.
• The old bugs that break weapon poses when switching items and sights are still out there, despite Kris’ numerous attempts to fix them. If you get them, please make an in-game report if possible.
• Some players reported seeing up-and-down weapon shake. We’re still looking into it.

This has been BUILD UPDATE #028!
Thank you for your continued support, for all the amazing response to this little passion project of ours, and for allowing us to keep pursuing it to its end. We're not going anywhere as long as you guys are out there and on board. Keep safe, enjoy this build, and we'll see you on the next update.