Build Update

Edited (Nov 11, 6:18pm UTC) — Fixed some links going through Steam.
Edited (Oct 30, 6:20pm UTC) — Whoops! We forgot to mention a few character clipping fixes.
Edited (Oct 30, 1:55am UTC) — Team IDs for the addbots command were incorrectly listed as ‘alpha’ and ‘bravo’ when they should be ‘0’ and ‘1’.

GROUND BRANCH Version 1030.2
Build ID: 5754012 (Client) / 5754023 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 188 MB (Client) / 45 MB (Dedicated Server)

Although we normally try to refrain from cramming too much into patches (or point releases, otherwise known as non-main updates), more often than not one thing leads to another and we get sucked into the bug-fixin’ rabbit hole. It’s a double-edged sword: takes longer to roll out, but also includes more fixes and improvements.

Patch 1030.2 certainly fits that bill, and Build Update #027 is here to list everything that has changed since the last one.

We also have a couple of important announcements at the end of this post, so stick around—or skip ahead ↓ to them.

What’s new

Online bug fixes

Player count fix (Server Browser)

The Server Browser should once again display the correct player number for every dedicated server in the list.

If you keep seeing empty servers after the update, then, well, they are probably actually empty. Join one and you’re bound to see more people hopping on!

👥 Members of our official Discord community are frequently looking for players to team up with. Join us and get your operatin' on!

🧰 Want to setup your own dedicated server? Follow one of these guides: [1][2] (tech support is also available in our Discord) or rent a professional solution from one of our partners here.

Time of Day fix

The Time of Day setting should now correctly replicate within dedicated servers no matter what, and successfully load the time displayed in the Ops Board. If you happen to find an exception, please let us know!

DedicatedServer.bat

Dedicated server owners can now trust the DedicatedServer.bat batch file to behave nicely and allow servers to shut down and restart as expected.

AI updates and changes

Navigation improvements

Navmeshes were cleaned up to allow bots to more competently navigate maps, so expect better mobility and cover your sectors!

🚧 AI no longer attempt to use ladders. They were constantly becoming stuck, and a fix will require some tricky work that we did not have time for in this release. As a result, the ability was turned off temporarily (so that they at least won't be sitting ducks in the map) and will hopefully return in V1031 with a better and more reliable system.

Increased draw distance

Bots will now pop into view (or draw) at twice the distance they did before: you should be able to see tangos out to around 300 meters (328 yards).

Expected Resistance limit increased to 50 tangos

You can once again gunfight your way through up to 50 tangos if you want—although we cannot really recommend it due to the possible performance impact and also the…

Sight perception fix

While testing friendly bots, Kris detected a significant issue in the AI’s sight perception curve and fixed it. They should now have much better awareness of each other (for example, they will become alerted when seeing a friendly bot engaging) and be generally more responsive to sight triggers, so stay on your toes.

Detection ranges have not been increased.

☠️ This fix does increase difficulty, particularly in how fast their reaction time now appears. We recommend players turn down the Expected Resistance values if they wish to keep prancin' around the AO.

Difficulty levels adjusted

Due to the above fix making bots a lot more reactive, we have tweaked the current difficulty levels slightly in order to offset the extra challenge to a degree.

☠️ Again, we recommend even the more seasoned players to lower the Expected Resistance settings (either numbers or skill) and work their way back up. Although bots are still considerably limited, the challenge is, in a sense, more realistic now: one should not expect to be able to take on 30 enemies by themselves with ease, regardless of skill.

[🧪 EXPERIMENTAL] Adding bots

You may now use a console command to add bots to your team (Terrorist Hunt or PvP) or the opposing team (PvP only). When playing offline or as a server admin, simply open the console (default ~ or NumPad *) and use:

addbots <number of bots> <team>

Where:

<number of bots> — The amount of bots you wish to add (currently no limit).
<team> — Which team the bots should be added to:

• 0 — Alpha (red)
• 1 — Bravo (blue)
• 255 — Auto/random, also used for non-team-based game modes (Terrorist Hunt, Deathmatch, Last Man Standing)

The AI for these bots is exactly the same as the one in Terrorist Hunt, so do not expect very complex or game mode-specific behavior, or to be able to give them orders.

Other useful commands:

removebots <number of bots> <team>
Removes the designated amount of bots from the designated team (use 255 to remove amount from both teams).

killbots <team>
Kills all bots within the designated team (255 for all teams).

freezebots <team>
Freezes all bots within the designated team (255 for all teams).

unfreezebots <team>
Unfreezes all bots within the designated team (255 for all teams).

🧪 Adding bots, as mentioned in the title, is an experimental feature. It is also a foundation for the eventual development of friendly AI.

New suppressors

M110 & M110K1 (7.62 mm)

The M110 and M110K1 suppressors have arrived, and each has its own dedicated asset. They were modelled after the longboi KAC® M110 Suppressor and the oddball KAC® 7.62QDC-CQB—the version seen on MARSOC K1s, specifically.

🔧 The M110 has also been updated to use the more authentic M110 Flash Hider by KAC®.

AR-15 (5.56 mm)

The AR-15-type rifles (M4A1, MK18, M416 etc.) have all received a new suppressor. It is modelled after the SureFire® SOCOM556-RC, one of the most widely used silencers among US special operations forces.

It comes in both FDE (Flat Dark Earth) and Black: simply pick your favorite from the Muzzle Device drop-down menu. “Can we expect more skin choices for attachments like this in the future?” Damn right you can.

🎨 In fact, the AN/PEQ-15 now offers the same skin choices: choose either the Black or Tan version from the Lights / Lasers attachments tab.

Pouch skins and other cosmetic fixes

• Pouches should now correctly match the color of the platform/belt they are attached to, or go with the most appropriate available skin (black, tan or green).
• Pouch skins have also received another color correction pass to reduce the variations in tone, so your rigs should now look a lot more uniform.
• Various other items have also received a more subtle color correction pass.
• Fixed several character clipping issues: beards, balaclavas and shirt sleeves.
• The Headset attachment will now use the correct model when attached to ARC rail helmets. Skins have also been fixed.
• Fixed some texturing issues on the MP5‘s fire selector and grip.
• The MP5 bolt handle positioning has also been corrected.
• Fixed texturing issue on the SR-25/M110 7.62 NATO magazines.
• Selecting the Male 02 head should no longer occasionally display white-skinned arms.
• Tweaked the blood impact effect to be a little more subtle (no more cartoonish blood drops, for one).

User interface (UI)

• Art pass on the Item Customization screens:
  • Edited, formatted and re-positioned the bottom message to be more general and helpful.
  • Changed the drag-and-drop attachment slot icons to a more subtle white circle with a drop-shadow effect for visibility.
  • Updated some of the attachment tab titles to be more intuitive (e.g. “Lights / Lasers” replaced the less obvious “Accessories”).
• Updated the layout for all Ops Boards to match the style in the Terrorist Hunt one.
• The header for the Ops Boards now display the current game mode (e.g. “Team Deathmatch”) to make it easier for players to know what they are about to play. The exception is Terrorist Hunt, which still displays a randomly generated operation name (e.g. “Operation Choking Moan“).
• The After Action Review (AAR) screen now displays a clear mission/match result title and a little description of the outcome underneath.
• We have also replaced the AAR player stat icons with clear descriptions (Kills, Accuracy, Shots, Hits etc.).
• Customize Operator screen changes:
  • Changed the Profile column title to Operator, as it was leading some players to mistake it for a “global” operator/loadout save profile. (We will have that feature eventually.)
  • The skin selection triangle no longer displays a short version of the name; instead, longer names now break into two lines. That should make skins instantly identifiable and easier on players that are not used to acronyms and other abbreviations.
• Minor art pass on several UI elements, most notably in-game interaction prompts.
• Changed the look for the defender’s objective HUD in Defend (PvP).
• Updated the gear on the Main Menu operators to a more tacticool look.

Audio

Gunshot sound occlusion fix

Although Mikson has been working exclusively on V1031, he has taken the time to provide a quick fix for a lot of gunshot SFX that had occlusion disabled.

🚧 KNOWN ISSUE (PvP only)
Spatial audio volumes in the Alpha (red) side of the Ready Room are messed up, resulting in sounds being cut off in unexpected spots. This is particularly noticeable in the Testing Range.

New default settings

Heads up:

• The default Lean control now uses Hold instead of Toggle. You can change the Lean style under Settings > Controls.
• Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA) is now the default antialiasing method. You can change it under Settings > Video.
• Standard Fire Mode has been changed back to Semi-Auto. You can select your default fire mode under Settings > Gameplay.

Miscellaneous

• Added a weight value for various items that did not have any defined.
• Fixed/updated the weight value for several others.
• Fixed some typos here and there.
• Changed the display name of a few items and skins for better accuracy, consistency or comprehension.

Some important announcements

Animations and character update

Provided that a game-breaking issue is not found in the current patch, V1031 is the update on which most of the team will be focused on in the next couple of months.

Earlier this year, we were forced to delay the big animation and character update, and were hoping that they would be ready for V1031. Unfortunately, we have had to make another difficult decision: the new animations and character assets are now tentatively scheduled to be in V1032.

Although a lot is done and Mike continues to work on new animations, implementing the new character rig is an all-or-nothing process—meaning that we simply cannot make the switch until everything is at least at the same level of functionality as we have currently with the old rig. With just one animator and one programmer (whose work is often required on every front), pushing the animations back once again is just the reality of things that we will have to deal with.

So what will V1031 entail?

Having determined that we were going to have to delay the animations and character work again, we also determined that GROUND BRANCH V1031 will now be a big user experience update.

As awesome as smooth animations and brand-new assets are, at the end of the day there are lingering issues in GROUND BRANCH that are a lot more vital to the experience than cosmetic ones. We need more purpose in the game with objective-based game modes. We need better AI. We need a better way to use weapon attachments. We need better multiplayer round rotations. We need default team skin restrictions that make PvP games easier to setup. We need, in general, a more rounded and thought-out gameplay experience.

Within our constraints, that is the kind of thing we are going to be working on for V1031… along with hot new content and updates such as map work, items, visual effects and improved sounds, of course.

Price is going up soon!

The intention to eventually increase the price point for GROUND BRANCH has been noted in our Store Page and FAQ since we first released on Steam. And when update V1031 is released in the upcoming months, the asking price for GROUND BRANCH will be raised to $29.99 (USD), with regional pricing adjusted accordingly.

A few reasons why we are doing this now:

• 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.

So if you were holding off on getting GROUND BRANCH or needed a compelling argument for your friends who are still waiting, this is it. Join in now while it’s cheap!

💵 The final (v1.0 release) USD price is subject to change, but expected to be in the $39.99 range.

· · · · ·

This has been BUILD UPDATE #027!

Thanks for taking the time to read the release notes for Patch 1030.2.
Have you played it yet? How do you like it so far? Let us know in the comments or reach out in one of our communities.

Whelp, time for us to get back to work now! As always, thank you so much for your continued support and we'll see you on the next update.

GROUND BRANCH Version 1030.1
Build ID: 5556979 (client) / 5556987 (dedicated server)
Download size: 99.5 MB (client) / 57.1 MB (dedicated server)

This Build Update details the first patch for GROUND BRANCH V1030, now live under your regular (non-CTE) game install.

ℹ️ What about CTE?
In case you are wondering: GROUND BRANCH CTE will not be used for a while, so if you need to free up some disk space, go ahead and uninstall it.

Patch 1030.1 is primarily a server/networking fix, but has many other smaller fixes and improvements. There are known/reported issues we have yet to get to, so expect another patch in a few weeks’ time and keep the reports coming.

We’re adding the full changelist at the end of the post for those curious about all the inner workings and under-the-hood changes. Here are the highlights:

Code and networking

Automatic server shutdown

In order to fix an issue with dedicated servers behaving erratically after being constantly on for some time, they will now shut down automatically after a set period:

• If empty, servers will shut down at 6+ hours. Otherwise, they will shut down at 8 hours—but will wait between rounds/time limits.
• Added a server message to display when the time limit is up or the server is about to be restarted.

🔄 RESTART
Most hosting companies will take care of monitoring and restarting the server automatically once it has shut down. If your hosting server does not provide that capability or you are hosting a server on your own hardware, we include a simple script (DedicatedServer.bat) that does the same. It is located in the root directory of your dedicated server installation.

Log spam

Fixed log spam for various blueprints, mainly relating to acoustic portals being opened/closed (details in the Changelist section).

Maps

General cleanup

• Fixed various instances of collision volumes either missing or being where they shouldn’t be, as well as portions of the map where players were getting stuck. Maps that got a collision cleanup were Creek, 747, Power Station and City.
• A section of the hills on Storage Facility was going dark when players walked past it. That was caused by a trigger volume (used to dim the skylight inside the tunnel) extending past its intended area. It’s now fixed.

🐞 Map cleanup is very reliant on user feedback. Thanks for all the reports!

Lighting

• Lights have received a minor optimization pass. Performance gains may be slightly noticeable on lower-end specs in some conditions.
• Creek at nighttime has been brightened up a little.

Shadows (Medium)

When using the “Medium” setting, shadows would be rendered out of view way too close to the player; that should now be fixed.

Gear

• The extended PMAG magazine is back in business with 35 rounds for you to go to town with. Look for PMAG 5.56 NATO (Ext) (30) in the magazines/ammunition attachment tabs.
• Cleaned up materials and textures for the PM II 5–25x scope.
• Replaced the suppressor for non-SD MP5s with the 9 mm pistol model. Temporary fix just to get rid of the AR suppressor that it was using.
• Fixed off-center alignment for the suppressor on the M17 pistol.
• Reduced how far back you can mount scopes on the M416, M416 CQB, FAL Tactical, M110 and M110K1 rifles to avoid clipping through the camera.

Miscellaneous

• You can now use the Radio (default B) to masterfully sh*t-talk taunt your opponents in free-for-all game modes like Deathmatch.
• Added a game mode option (UseTeamRestrictions) to enable/disable kit restrictions defined in each team profile (…\GroundBranch\Content\GroundBranch\TeamProfiles\<teamname>.mlp).

Changelist

* Added extended PMAG back in
* Fixed issue in Storage Facility where skylight gate volume extended out into outside play area and was turning skylight intensity down outside
* Fixed various "getting stuck" bugs on 747 and Creek maps
* Fixed missing collision on interior Power Station wall
* Fixed shadows popping out too early on Medium shadow setting
* Brightened up night a bit on Creek
* Fixed collision issues with trees on Creek
   * May still be some instances as they are hard to track down
* Fixed minor collision issues in 747 and Power Station
* Small optimization in lights
   * Saves roughly 0.4 ms on Tanker ship on mid-range system
   * Might see slightly bigger gains on low-end machines
* fixed getting stuck with death overlay on-screen if teamkilled
* updated BP_SkyLightGate, BP_SimpleAmbience_Wwise, BP_SplineEmitter_Wwise & BP_SpineOcclusion_Wwise
   * changed bDebug variable transient to make sure it didn't cause log spam if accidentally left enabled.
* updated BP_DestructibleWindowPane_Master
   * removed log spam about acoustic portal usage.
* updated BP_WindowCover
   * fixed acoustic portal usage
   * simplified replication, hopefully without breaking it.
   * removed log spam about acoustic portal usage.
* updated BP_BoxCar
   * prevented usage of open/close acoustic portals on server
   * removed log spam about acoustic portal usage.
* updated BP_Door_Swinging
   * removed log spam about acoustic portal usage.
* updated BP_Door_Rollup
   * will instantly match target alpha at start of round/game instead of animating
   * removed log spam about acoustic portal usage.
* updated GBGameInstance & GBGameMode to add support for a scheduled server shutdown
   * if empty at 6+ hours, will shut down early.
   * otherwise, will shut down at 8 hours between rounds/time limits.
* created WBP_EndGameMessage to display when time limit is up or server is about to shutdown.
* added game mode option UseTeamRestrictions to enabled/disable team restrictions defined in team profile.
* updated BP_Trigger_CustomiseOperator to reset HUD visibility properly (oops – fingers crossed thats all it was).
* added MuteAll, UnMuteAll & MuteTalking functions to GBPlayerController.
* updated GBVOIPManager to allow Radio in non-team games (e.g. deathmatch) for shits and giggles.
* Fixed ladder collision issue in Creek barn
* Tweaked MinSightRelativeX value to lessen scope clipping while crouched for M416, FAL Tac, M110 and M110K1
* Cleaned up some geometry and material stuff for PMII_5-25x scope to make it look better
* Fixed off-center M17 suppressor
* Changed MP5 suppressor
* Cleaned up some floating meshes on Creek
* Cleaned up some collision on City
* removed numbers from Storm1 & Storm2 in ST_MissionNameNouns
* removed game modes from primary asset list to stop it warning about them
* updated WBP_GameModeList and related to correct excluded game modes

This has been BUILD UPDATE #026!
Thanks for taking the time to read the release notes for Patch 1030.1. We'll keep tackling bugs and issues in version 1030 for a couple more patches still, so we'll see you on the next update!

GROUND BRANCH Version 1030
Build ID: 5514975 (client) / 5515031 (dedicated server)
Download size: 5.6 GB (client) / 398 MB (dedicated server)

⚠️ NOTICE ⚠️
This update will completely wipe your saved game settings, but not your item builds – although we strongly recommend manually deleting all folders in …\Documents\GroundBranch.
That is necessary to ensure certain updates and items do not conflict with old files. Sorry for the inconvenience!

It’s been a long time since version 1029, and if you haven’t been up to date with the CTE version of the game, this update might get overwhelming—but mostly in a good way. The last few months have seen a lot of work in a lot of areas, and more improvements and fixes than we can reliably count.

Feedback from those who ventured into GROUND BRANCH CTE has been very positive and, having finally landed on something that we feel confident to push to the main game, it’s finally time to officially release GROUND BRANCH version 1030. If this is your first time with 1030, we hope you like it as much as we all do.

There’s months of work to cover and a lot to describe, so let’s jump right into it.

Changes in default controls

As mentioned in the opening notice, all your game settings will be reset when you first launch this update.

It’s a good chance to reconsider your custom key bindings and keep the following default controls changes in mind:

• Climbing is now accomplished by holding Space. That allows players to cancel the action and avoids accidental climbs.
• Zoom In/Out (aka Scope Magnification) is now accomplished via Alt + Mouse Wheel Up/Down.

The Default Controls/Press Any Key to Continue screen has been updated accordingly and received a fresh coat of paint.
If you would like to skip it next time you launch the game, go to Settings > Gameplay and selected "Yes" in the Skip Startup "Press Any Key" Prompting dropdown.

Remember you can change nearly all key bindings under Settings > Controls and Settings > Gameplay.

User interface (UI)

The last few months have seen the first pass of the UI overhaul, an ongoing process to improve all areas of the user interface in GROUND BRANCH.

Since version 1029, many small elements—from interaction prompts to transition screens—have received minor art updates, while a few others were more significantly changed. Here are the more prominent ones:

Customize Operator screen

The first official iteration of the new Customize Operator screen layout is here, and it is guaranteed to make your Tactical Barbie® experience a lot better.

Although it should be fairly intuitive, some of the features are worth explaining further:

Editing items

You can now edit items straight from the loadout overview screen by clicking the ⚙️ icon in the bottom-right corner of each item slot. No more looking for your favorite MK18 build in a drop-down menu just to add a suppressor!

Once you’re happy creating or editing a build, click SAVE, choose a build name and you’re done.

Saving a version of an existing build with the same name will trigger an "Overwrite?" prompt. Accept to overwrite the previous version, or choose a different name to save as a new build.

Presets/kits

Your operator customization screen is now split into four main sections that we’re calling presets or kits. Although the rationale is similar to what we had before, these sections—kits—can now be saved/loaded individually. They currently are:

Profile

This section is very likely to receive more options in the future, but offers nothing new

• Name – Your player/character name.
• Appearance – One of the (currently) four options of heads. Better heads and more choices are on the way!
• Facial Hair – Whether or not your operator has a tactical beard.

Weapons Kit

Your selection of firearms – but we’re now teasing an upcoming slot.

• Primary – Your primary weapon.
• Secondary – Your secondary weapon; previously Sidearm.
• [NEW] Special Purpose – Not yet available; this is where things like breaching shotguns and other specialized weapons will go.

Gear Kit

This is where the more functional, load-oriented part of your customization goes.

• Headgear – Your choice of helmet or soft cover.
• Platform – Vests, rigs and plate carriers go in here.
• [NEW] Belt – A new slot, belts were previously selected under Platform. You can now run both of them and that means a lot more real estate to attach pouches to. Nice.
• Holster – This slot is likely going away once we get things more in order. There’s currently only one holster option (in three different colors), though you can choose to not carry one at all now.

Outfit

A mostly cosmetic, apparel-focused section:

• Eyewear
• Mask (previously Facewear)
• Top (previously Shirt)
• Pants
• Gloves
• Footwear

💡 SAVING AND LOADING
To save a preset/kit, click anywhere along the [Save/Load] area at the top of its column, and select SAVE in the menu. Previously saved kits will be listed for loading in the same menu.

Loadout summary

The Loadout summary is the old list of all ammunition, ordnance and equipment you’re carrying on your Platform and/or Belt. It is now located below the Weapons Kit.

Encumbrance meter

Now that the Encumbrance System is in place (we’ll get into full detail on that later), we need something to convey how much you’re carrying.

The Encumbrance meter gives players a rough idea of whether the loadout is “Light”, “Medium” or “Heavy” in terms of encumbrance on a scale of 5 to 55 kg. Each of the three weight categories is currently only a simple abstraction, and there’s no actual upper limit on how much the player can carry.

Most – if not all – non-cosmetic items have a weight value now, So keep an eye on that meter for how much you're carrying (and please let us know if we missed something!).

HUD and other UI changes

In-game UI and HUD elements work largely the same as before, but they look nicer. Here are some of the main areas of interest:

New Stance Indicator

The Stance Indicator has been updated with brand new icons. In addition to the character stances, they now also convey the weapon position your character is currently using.

Wondering if you have your rifle at Low Ready, your pistol at Close Ready, or even have anything equipped at all? Turn the Stance Indicator on:

Settings > Gameplay
• Show Stance: Crouched
• Show Stance: Standing

Some notes:

• Leaning is no longer displayed. It is unnecessary at this point and at odds with the much more useful weapon position indicators.
• Gameplay settings have yet to be updated to allow the player to control which icons to display (for example, only show icons for when your weapon isn’t immediately visible on screen).

Spectator Mode

The Spectator Mode (F6) now features a minimap that tracks the position of friendly players. Additionally, all the little shortcuts are now listed in a bottom bar.

If you press Middle Mouse Button while in Spectator Mode, you will see extra options. They include minimap display options such as zoom level controls, showing terrorist positions and player names, and more.

AFK detection system

After 2 minutes of complete inactivity, players will receive a prompt. Failure to respond to it will result in them being removed from the mission area and sent back to the Ready Room.

Player muting shortcuts

When playing online, you can now select the Mute All, Mute Talking and Unmute All shortcuts at the bottom of the screen.

General HUD art pass

The entire HUD has received a basic art pass, from the Inventory top bar all the way to text chat formatting. New VOIP icons, adjusted interaction prompts and updated pop-up hints are also part of the package.

You may now also display your framerate (Settings > Video > Show Framerate) and net info (Settings > Gameplay > Show Net Info) in the top-left corner of the screen. (Note: Show Framerate might cause your resolution to be reset.)

Item skin display names

We have gone over all item skins to fix mismatching skin names and make sure they were consistent across items. It’s a lot of skins, so there could still be a rogue label or two out there—ring us if you find any.

Little known issue: the abbreviated name for the Snakeskin (Desert) skin for the M4A1 Block II and MK18 Mod 1 carbines displays with a lower case ‘d’ (desert). It displays correctly internally and we have no idea why.

Encumbrance System

One of the most eagerly awaited features in the game, the Encumbrance System is finally here. Although it still has a way to go, it is a solid foundation sure to make loadout choices and play style even more important.

The main components of the Encumbrance System are stamina and arm strength:

Stamina

Your stamina level will drop the more you run, sprint, jump and climb around. The more weight you carry on your character, the greater the impact of your movement on your stamina level. Lower stamina will increase weapon sway when aiming by adding a visible breathing (up and down) pattern to it. When your stamina level drops to zero, you are currently still able to perform all actions—except for jumping.

To recover stamina, simply go a little while without repeatedly performing more draining actions such as running, sprinting, jumping and climbing.

Arm strength

Your arm strength is affected by how long you stay in the Ready (muzzle forward) and Engaged (aiming down sights) positions. Like stamina, the rate by which your arm strength drops is affected by the weight of your weapon build—the heavier it is, the faster your arm strength will drop. Lower arm strength levels will increase aim jitter/shake over time.

To start recovering arm strength, change to a less exerting weapon position such as Low Ready, High Ready or Close Ready (pistols). Putting your weapon away (1 for Primary and 2 for Secondary) will also recover arm strength.

Steady Aim

As seen above, your aiming stability is now adversely affected by your movement, weapon position and loadout/weapon weight.

To momentarily stabilize your aim and counter these negative effects to a considerable extent, you can use the new Steady Aim feature: simply hold your Sprint key (default Ctrl) while stationary and your character will exhale and stabilize your aiming (represented by the corner vignette effect) for a few seconds, allowing you to take more accurate shots.

Crouching (default C) will further reduce weapon sway.

Other effects

In addition to the aspects above, you will also notice the following effects taking place:

• Weapon inertia will cause your weapon to “overshoot” a few degrees beyond the point where you stop moving it, and then bounce back to that point. The heavier your overall weapon build, the more pronounced that effect will be.
• Movement is no longer as linear or instant. Starting to move takes a little while, and so does stopping; this is particularly noticeable while sprinting, where the momentum will make your character take a few steps before coming to a full stop once you release the movement key. To counter momentum, you may press a movement key in the opposite direction—for example, pressing Move Backwards (default S) after sprinting forward).

💡 WORK IN PROGRESS
It's always worth remembering that this is all a work in progress and will get refined over time. Keep hitting us with that feedback.

Dynamic lighting and optimization

One of the major reworks since v1029, dynamic lighting was (and remains) a huge hurdle to implement.

Originally only present in Depot, it is now working in every map—including training. Although dynamic lighting was initially a big performance hog, it has gone through numerous optimization passes that have improved framerates for most systems.

It is still generally more demanding than the old static lighting and some maps will invariably run better than others, but the advantages outweigh the performance impact and have allowed us to implement a few neat features:

Interactive lights

All artificial lights are now interactive. They can be shot out and switched off via the power switch boxes around the map.

Each power switch box is either linked to a particular building or area. If you cause enough damage to one of these boxes, it will be disabled and shut down the power.

Selectable time of day

You can now select the precise time of day you want to deploy at in the Ops Board with both hourly and 15-minute increments. In multiplayer, this function is reserved to server admins.

Time is displayed in the 24-hour clock military format.
For example: 4:30 PM is displayed as 1630; midnight is 0000, noon is 1200 and so on.

🌙 GOING TO NIGHT VISION
AI enemies can still see normally in the dark, so play nighttime Terrorist Hunt at your own tacticool masochistic risk.

❌ KNOWN ISSUES: Dynamic lighting

• Lighting may seem off for some times of the day, namely for around 0400 hours.
• Dynamic lighting causes all areas of the map to be uniformly lit, which often causes indoor areas to be excessively bright. To work around that issue, the lighting is dimmed when the player enters such indoor areas. This may cause excessively dark indoors at times, as well as darkened outdoors when looking out windows or doorways.
• Another visual glitch is surfaces brightening and darkening as you move along the map. We’ll be working on toning these effects down.
• Because the sun angle is now dynamic, some light leaks may occur on certain structures and landscape bits that weren’t originally made with dynamic lighting in mind. Be sure to report those!

Maps and level design

In addition to a lot of cleanup on the existing maps, here’s what’s new:

New maps

Creek

Set in a woodland area with plenty of structures—ruins, cabins, shacks—scattered around the perimeter, with the eponymous creek serpentines from one end of the map to the other.

Paintball

John took the old speedball-like Paintball map and made it cooler.

❌ The Paintball map shows the old version in the preview image.

Other major map changes

• Depot Compound is now playable in Terrorist Hunt.
• Depot has a makeshift bridge joining the warehouse rooftops together. It’s called the Love It or Hate It Bridge.
• Among other updates, 747 has a new ladder behind the small hangar that leads to a maintenance rooftop platform.
• Power switch boxes have been added to all training maps.
• They’re also present in Small Town, Power Station and the aforementioned Depot and 747.

Visuals

Temporal antialiasing

Temporal antialiasing (TAA, Temporal AA) now uses new default parameters to create a sharper image that vastly improves on the blurriness of the regular effect, although it may also negate the smoothing where it may be desired.

You can tweak the sharpening parameters via the following lines in your Engine.ini file (located in %LOCALAPPDATA%/GroundBranch/Saved/Config/WindowsNoEditor):

[/Script/Engine.RendererSettings]
r.TemporalAACurrentFrameWeight=0.2
r.TemporalAASamples=16
r.TemporalAASharpness=0.75
r.Tonemapper.Sharpen=1.0

We encourage everyone to try different values and let us know how it looks and performs.

Blood effects

New blood effects have been added for an extra layer of immersion: entry/exit wounds, surface splatter and impact mist. It’s only a first implementation, but already quite satisfying.

Tactical lights

Tac lights use a new, more authentic effect. The brightness output, color temperature and spread is also slightly different between each model and based on real-life values. These will also get updated somewhere down the line.

Reticles

There should be less instances of red dot/holo reticles not being visible against backgrounds. Some sights also have less brightness steps—subject to change.

❌ Reticle brightness changes may not be noticeable on some lighting conditions and sights.

Audio

Soundscapes

All maps—with the exception of 747 and Power Station—have gone from completely silent spaces to having full ambient sounds for both day and nighttime, Ready Room and training levels included.

❌ City and Tanker Ship are still unfinished, but on their way.

New/updated gunshot SFX

Mikson has also added/updated gunshot sound effects for the M4A1/Block II, M416D/CQB, MK18 Mod 1 (WIP), MK25, G19 Patrol/Urban, M1911A1, AK-74M/MI/MI CQB, AKM, FAL, M110/K1, MK48 Mod 0, SVD, MK14 Mod 2 (WIP), MP5, M9A3 and M17.

Acoustics

Another audio aspect that has received a lot of attention was acoustics. Gunshots and VOIP are now occluded by walls, sound different depending on whether they’re fired indoors or outdoors (but will “propagate” through open doors and windows) and will reverb as appropriate.

❌ Occlusion for footsteps and AI voice lines is still messed up; they should hopefully be fixed by the next update.

Mixing and mastering

Mikson has revised a lot of sound effects—mainly gunshots—to ensure better quality and consistency.

Listen servers are back!

Remember when listen servers broke down and resulted in a butt load of negative reviews? That sucked, and also forced us to pull the functionality from the game until a fix was available.

Well, all is good now because listen servers are back—and well-tested.

Here’s how to host you own game lobby without the need to setup a dedicated server:

1. In the main menu, click Host Game and setup your lobby as you prefer (make sure to set player limit to accommodate all the players you want to host!).
2. To invite friends into your lobby, press Shift + Tab to bring up the Steam Community Overlay.
3. Select a friend from your Friends list and select Invite to Play/Game. If they accept, they will be brought into your lobby.
4. To change maps or use any admin functionalities, open the console (~ or NumPad *), type admin and press Enter.

💡 WHY CAN'T PEOPLE SEE MY SERVER?
Because they are intended for private sessions among friends, listen servers do not show up in the Server Browser currently. We may add a filter or tab in the future for those who want it displayed publicly.

Gear

New weapons

M110 and M110K1

These semi-auto rifles are variants of the venerable SR-25 rifle from Knight’s Armament Co.® (KAC). Serving in either the sniper rifle or DMR (designated marksman rifle) roles, they fire 7.62×51 mm NATO (7.62 NATO) rounds from a 20-round magazine.

The M110 is fitted with a full quad-rail handguard and a fixed stock, as well as a 20″ barrel, and has served in regular US military units as the M110 SASS, or Semi-Automatic Sniper System.

The M110K1 is a shorter and lighter version fitted with a lighter handguard with less rail space, a collapsible Magpul® ACS-L stock, and a shorter 16″ barrel. It is known to be used by SOCOM units, most famously the Marines Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

❌ The M110 and M110K1 cannot attach a suppressor… yet.

AKM

Likely the most ubiquitous assault rifle in the world, the AKM is the AK-47’s mass production-friendly cousin and has been long overdue for inclusion in GROUND BRANCH.

It fires the 7.62×39 mm (7.62 Soviet) round from a 30-round magazine, in either semi- or fully automatic modes. It currently can only fit a sound suppressor, the 1P78 Kashtan scope, or the rail adapter.

FAL Tactical

A FAL with a top accessory rail and full quad-rail handguard, it fires 7.62 NATO rounds from a 20-round magazine and also has selective fire capability: semi-auto and full auto.

New equipment

[WIP] Rangefinder

The Rangefinder (Safran Vectronix® Moskito) is a compact day and night observation device.

In-game, it currently works identically to the regular Binoculars, except it has a night vision mode that can be toggled on by pressing N while looking through it.

This is a basic, first-pass, WIP implementation.

Updated items

MP5 series

The entire MP5 series of submachine guns has received shiny new models, with a few notable additions:

• The rear sight diopter is now of the “V-notch” type. Although not entirely authentic, it makes for a better shooting experience with iron sights.
• In addition to the built-in flashlight handguard, you can also swap out the regular MP5 handguard for a tri-rail handguard. Both are available under the Accessories attachments tab.

M4A1

The M4A1 has a new model with a 16″ barrel, standard M4 stock and the KAC® RAS handguard from the original SOPMOD version.

AN/PVS-15 NVG

New model to replace the really old night vision goggles we had. Still need to replace the mount/arm.

PMAG

A newer and nicer model for the Magpul® 30-round PMAG (previously POLYMAG). We still need to hook it up to the Taran Tactical® Extended Base Pad, however, so the 35-round AR magazine is temporarily unavailable.

New skins

Added some quick new skin options, ’cause why not?

• Indigo and Black (Jeans)
• Tan (Headset)
• Coyote Brown (T-Shirt)

Other gear/content updates

• Color-corrected the skin/texture for a lot of weapons and apparel.
• Offset rails should now only accept appropriate sights: backup iron sights and low-mount mini red dots (e.g. RMR, Micro T-1).
• Scope rails (for “piggybacking” optics) should similarly only accept low-mount mini red dot sights.
• Added new suppressor models for AKs and 9 mm pistols.
• The MK18 Mod 1 now uses the more authentic FDE (flat dark earth) handguard color regardless of the skin selection. (Known issue: AN/PEQ-15 units mounted on them no longer switch to the tan version.)
• The MK25 pistol now has a threaded barrel.

❌ KNOWN ISSUES: Skins

• Pouches for the Plate Carrier are not switching to their tan skin variation when that would be the best match for the vest.
• A similar issue may be experienced with the green Chest Rig.
• The Headset attachment is similarly not matching the selected skin of the Watch Cap.
• Helmets that use the ARC rail version of the Headset attachment are using the regular version instead.

What else is going on?

Animator Mike Munk is still working diligently on new animations for the new character rig, which is now fully setup and awaiting for the switch to v1031. Mike has been working closely with our active-duty SOF consultant to ensure maximum authenticity. Trust us: we cannot wait to see all of that in action either.

Another addition to the team, environment artist and level designer Will Bullen is taking care of a little something we hope to be able to reveal soon, as well as in charge of giving all maps a fresh coat of paint in the future. Will is also assisting as an all-around hard surface artist, and was responsible for finishing the M110/K1 rifles started by Dan Conroy (who has since moved on to a different project).

Like Mike, Mr. Bullen has previously worked with our project lead John Sonedecker on Antimatter Games’ Rising Storm 2: Vietnam. He also has several Hell Let Loose levels in his portfolio, which is a definite plus. Welcome aboard, Will!

And if you’ve made it this far in this very long post, here’s a little reward: open up the console in GROUND BRANCH, type travel training_base, hit Enter and get a sneak peek on something that Will has been working on.

This has been BUILD UPDATE #025!
We hope you enjoy this update, and we cannot thank you enough for all your support, feedback, loyalty and patience over all of these months. Thanks for sticking with us, and we hope to have more news for you soon.