Intel Report #015: First V1034 Previews

Hey, everyone!

The Dev Blog is back with Intel Report #015, where we cover the first news for upcoming release V1034, as well as other dev team-related updates.

Let’s get straight to it.

New level designer

We’re officially welcoming Elliot Burgess — a level designer and environmental artist with credits including Rising Storm 2: Vietnam and more recently Ready or Not — into the BlackFoot Studios team!

💡 Elliot is currently busy with early work on a new map called Ranch. If you have any guesses, drop it in the comments.

Female characters are finally arriving in V1034

The first implementation of female characters, which have long been in the works, is fully confirmed to be in upcoming release V1034.

🚺 Some might recall that tactical shooter trailblazers Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon featured female operators all the way back in 1998 and 2001, respectively, and we are proud to maintain this tradition.

Because female characters are directly derived from the male counterparts, a lot of things remain to be re-fitted and may look janky, but we’re getting there.

As previously mentioned on the Steam forums and our Discord, there will be no significant gameplay benefits or drawbacks based on the sex of the character.

Hairy ops

Our female operators wouldn’t be complete without some more authentic hairstyle options than a shaved head, so we’re finally bringing in a few ‘dos that will add an extra layer of customization — as well as some much needed variety — to all characters.

Here are a few samples:

Hairstyles would be a relatively simple thing to implement if it weren’t for all the headgear options: anything that isn’t a close buzzcut can cause clipping with hats, headsets and even helmets. The clipping requires various areas of different hairstyles to be “masked out” and programmed to be hidden only when combined with certain headgear items.

All of that takes a considerable amount of time, which is why we’re unsure just how many (or which) hairstyles will make it into V1034. But rest assured that they will all be making their way into the game eventually!

More characters on the way

In addition to the existing 5 male characters and the previously showcased 5 female characters, contractor Pau Peñalver has created 2 new characters that will also be featured in V1034. Both were inspired by typically Middle Eastern and Mediterranean features:

Kicking up the kickback

Up until V1033, recoil animation was restricted to the weapon itself kicking back and up, with some minor secondary arm movement derived only from the hands being attached to it.

For V1034, our animator Mike is upgrading recoil with more secondary movements, which now include the head and upper body reacting to the kick.

💡 This iteration simply adds secondary animations: the actual recoil and underlying system will be upgraded at a later point to both look and feel more realistic.

This first pass will add 5 types or levels of recoil that correspond to: handguns have a 9 mm and a .45 recoil, most primary weapons have a “light”, “medium” and “heavy” recoil depending on caliber, and both machine guns have unique recoils — with the PKM being closer to the “heavy” recoil, and the MK46 to the “medium” one.

🏃 MOTION CAPTURE
This week, Mike has also recorded motion capture (mocap) for prone, weapon transitions (e.g. changing from primary to secondary and vice-versa), a new sprint, and some other assorted movements that are all expected to make V1034. Fingers crossed!

New muzzle VFX

VFX artist Charles has spent the last couple of months refining the particles for muzzle effects, in special smoke and flash, while also adding some smaller details here and there. Muzzles will also generate more unique particles based on what type of weapon and muzzle device is being used.

🌫️ Next stop for Charles is smoke grenades.

Armory additions

We can confirm two new weapons for V1034 so far: the Galil ARM squad automatic weapon (5.56 NATO, 35-round magazine) and the SA58 OSW battle rifle (7.62 NATO, 20-round magazine).

Our partners have also built a new (and more typical) FAL, which will be replacing both the placeholder FAL Tactical (which was standing in for the SA58 OSW) and the FAL Vintage (a stand-in for a more old-school FAL).

We also have an AUG A1 in its early stages. We wanted to offer modders a template for a bullpup weapon, and though bullpups aren’t very common in modern battlefields, the AUG is one of the more common types out there.

❌ The AUG A1 will not be in V1034, as Mike's to-do list is very much packed already — meaning no time to animate it. We just thought you'd like to know it's on the way.

Small Town update

Another classic GROUND BRANCH map has received a makeover by environment artist Will Bullen: MOUT training site Small Town.

This is less of a major overhaul (à la Depot) and more of a visual update to get it more in line with newer maps. It also officially establishes the map as a training site, linking it visually with The Farm.

💡 The layout for V1034's Small Town remains mostly unchanged.

Locking down the range

Per community request, server admins will be able to disable the Ready Room’s shooting range in V1034. Enabling this server option will add a locked gate to the entrance:

Quick note on AI progress

Enemy AI has been moved over to the Kythera AI middleware, with immediate upgrades in both pathfinding and cover usage. We’ll be showing more once things are less under-the-hood and more visible to the player.

This is it for today’s Intel Report!

As always, we’re incredibly grateful for everyone’s continued support through GROUND BRANCH’s development. We’ll keep working hard on the update.

We’ll have a new report for you next month, so stay tuned. See ya then!