Hello everyone,
Today, we’re happy to introduce base update 193 to the game as well as detail two soon to be released Autumn time limited events for War of Rights! It’s been a few months since the last game update was released, and so this one contains many fixes and additions to the game - as well as a few surprises.
Let’s start off by detailing the upcoming time limited events and then continue to dive into what is included in today’s update.
Autumnal Splendor - Limited Time Environment
Just two days from now, come November 1st, Maryland will undergo a mesmerizing autumnal transformation for the fall season. The trees are shedding their leaves, painting the landscape in a vibrant symphony of oranges, reds, and golds. This enchanting metamorphosis, for the duration, will cover every map and mode, embracing the beauty of fall.
But that's just the beginning...
The Risen Dead of Antietam - Limited Time Event
In this limited time 100-player event, 'The Risen Dead of Antietam,' Confederate and Union soldiers must band together to confront relentless hordes of over 400 risen dead in a cooperative and adrenaline-pumping experience. Teamwork is not merely encouraged, it's the key to your survival. As you face wave after wave of the undead, you'll need to rely on each other's unique skills and strengths to endure.
The core objective in this mode is to hold successive key points strategically, fending off the approaching zombie onslaught. Your team's ability to work in harmony is paramount, as these points represent the last line of defense against the encroaching undead.
Exclusive for this event is the introduction of the 'Torch Bearer' class, which adds a unique dynamic to the mode. In lieu of the flag bearer class, the ‘Torch Bearer’ is armed with a signal torch (specifically, a Flying Torch used by signal corps in the Civil War). In addition to serving as a remote spawn point (the only active one during a zombie wave), the 'Torch Bearer' is the literal guiding light of the team, crucial for spotting the incoming risen dead and preventing them from overwhelming your position.
'The Risen Dead of Antietam' features a variety of zombie types, each presenting distinct challenges. The undead range from fast and relentless, to slow but overwhelming in number. Your team will need to adapt and strategize accordingly.
This mode is the thrilling result of extensive research and development into AI navigation and behavior, which also functions as a necessary test intended for our highly anticipated addition of horses to War of Rights - and what better way to ‘enliven’ a boring stress test than in a way that promises both valuable data and a true test of your survival skills? A 'War of Frights', if you will.
This immersive zombie mode promises an unforgettable experience where teamwork, strategy, and the guiding light of the 'Torch Bearer' are the keys to your survival. Do you have what it takes to hold the line and withstand the relentless undead in 'The Risen Dead of Antietam'?
This limited time event represents a groundbreaking first for War of Rights and Campfire Games. To say it's a departure from our usual updates is a vast understatement. We are extremely eager to hear your thoughts and sincerely appreciate all feedback!
Join in on the spooky autumn fun come November 1st at the moment both events go live by tracking the traditional main menu countdown timer signaling the events’ commencement!
Character Customization Improvements & Losable Hats
In this update, we have enhanced and expanded character customization for your character's head. Players can now finely adjust age, eye color, hair, and the newly introduced skin tone using sliders. Additionally, you can toggle the hat on and off for a better view of your character.
Skin tone and age will also influence other visual aspects of your character. If you increase your character’s age, his hair will naturally lighten and whiten. Moreover, selecting a slightly darker skin tone also will impact eye color and hair.
These changes also enable hats to become dislodged during battles. Any dramatic experiences the player encounters, such as being knocked down, can result in their hat being knocked off. To save on server performance, unfortunately you cannot pick them back up.
Procedural Dirt and Blood
In today’s update, we're also immersing you in a new way as blood and mud collect on characters as battles unfold. No longer will character dirtiness be statically assigned during customization and at spawn. Instead, it will dynamically accumulate dirt, blood, and debris based on your in-game experiences.
For instance, trudging through deep mud will muck up your trousers and brogans, while taking a tumble in the mud will cover your entire character in grime. And when it rains, nature will lend a hand by washing the blood and dirt away.
This transformation necessitates extensive changes to our asset setup. As a result, this feature will initially be available on specific clothing items, with a gradual rollout planned for the rest of our assets over the upcoming months.
Destruction - Doors
This update also brings further enhancement to our environmental destruction. Doors are now included in our growing list of destructible objects. In past interior combat scenarios, players could exploit doors for unrealistic protection from attackers by keeping them closed. This is no longer the case. Doors can now be broken down using artillery, small arms, and melee attacks - such as those made by the undead!. Doors will go through various destruction states, becoming more mangled, and soldiers hiding behind them become increasingly vulnerable to small arms fire at each stage of destruction.
As this is the initial implementation of the feature, not all doors will be destructible at once in this update. Expect to see more and more doors become destructible throughout the next few updates.
Quality of Life Improvements
In response to community feedback, long-awaited relief is on the way for 'T' spammers. In this update, we're introducing the ability to customize the game information elements that are displayed. You can choose from three settings:
- Timer: This maintains the current behavior, appearing for a few seconds when pressing 'T.'
- Always: The element will always be visible.
- Never: Ideal for those seeking full immersion, as it prevents the visual aid from appearing at all."
For instance, you can now configure player name tags to remain visible regardless of whether you press the HUD display button. Furthermore, you have the ability to adjust the duration for which a chat message remains on the screen when a message is sent.
Update 193 Patch Notes
- Added 10 artillery battery crews to the character customizer: Cooper, Edgell, Stewart, Cook, Richardson, Miller, Squires, Pelham, Balthis and Brockenbrough.
- Fixed several character issues including artillery items, kepi materials, incorrect insignias, shirt textures and beard vertex normals.
- Updated the straw hat geometry.
- Added additional shirts and trousers for the 1st LA.
- Added destructible doors.
- Added more facial customization settings in the character customization menu.
- Hats can now get knocked off of soldiers during knockdowns.
- Added procedural blood and mud buildup on characters.
- Updated the kepi and braids for the US sharpshooters.
- Added feather options for the hats of the 6th WI.
- Fixed inconsistencies with the sun angles across all of the levels in the game, resulting in longer and more interesting shadows at noon throughout the game but especially at South Mountain.
- Resolved several animation issues tied to performing an action while at the double quick or charge speed such as aiming a revolver, entering right shoulder shift, stabbing with a bayonet and clubbing with the rifle butt that would result in a lot of tiny and very quick steps taken by the character.
- Fixed the revolver’s idle animation, causing it to dip down towards the waist of the character each time movement was initiated.
- Fixed officer haversack clipping through the baldric.
- Fixed the Sgt. Major NCO rank of the 14th TN not having an NCO sword.
- Added 1st VA cavalry, 2nd MD and 2nd WI infantry to the character customizer.
- Added double breasted frock coats as an option in the character customizer for all CSA officers.
- Made the text on the credits page white.
- Updated the terrain shader of the game, resulting in us being able to seamlessly blend between detail terrain textures and distance terrain textures without any of the distance terrain texture colours bleeding into the detail terrain textures. In short: more colour accurate textures up close.
- Updated the grass detail terrain texture.
- Fixed the normals of the herringbone and concrete sidewalks of Harpers Ferry to eliminate any ugly seams.
- Made the stone wall around the Mumma graveyard slightly slimmer so that it is consistently vaultable.
- Added a new opened variation to the North Carolina Sack Coat and updated the skinning of the NC sack coat.
- Fixed undershirts clipping with the open jackets.
- Standing in close proximity to the muzzle or on top of the barrel of a cannon while it fires will now cause a knockdown and damage to your health.
- Added several new settings in the gameplay options menu related to the in-game HUD such as always-on player names, text chat and compass/morale states. Also added a chat message display timer setting to prolong/shorten the duration that the chat is shown.
- Overhauled the quartermaster wagon models of the game.
- Added the following flags: 89th New York National Colors, 30th Ohio Infantry National Colors, and 1st Virginia Cavalry standard. The 1st Virginia cavalry flag is based upon a September 1862-dated eye-witness sketch by Alfred R. Waud. The sketch is now held by the Library of Congress.The 6th Wisconsin National colors have been revised to more closely match the surviving artifact, with thanks to the archivists of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum for their kind assistance.
- Added regimental drums for the 4th Alabama Infantry, Hampton's Legion Infantry, 30th Virginia Infantry, 20th New York Infantry, 30th and 36th Ohio Infantry regiments.
- Fixed the Pry barn door LODs.
- Fixes to the R. Miller Tenant house model.
- Fixed the Henry Rohrback farmhouse’s attic glitch.
- Updates to the time of day settings, resulting in slightly less pitch black house interiors at night.
- Minor Piper slave house scene fixes on the Antietam and Drill Camp levels.
- Updated the Washington artillery hat insignias.
- Adjusted the red colour on artillery uniforms.
- Changed the material of the artillery gauntlets.
- Fixed incorrect collar insignia for some of the double breasted frock coats in the character customizer.
- Added a new backend master server separate from Steam’s server tools to more reliably populate all of the online servers within the server browser of the game. Once mass tested and verified to be working as intended, this new backend master server will replace Steam’s version.
- Completely overhauled the main menu backend code to be much more modular and thus futureproof.
- Implemented the first iteration of the new server browser, designed to offer up more information of each listed server.
- Motion vectors for DLSS & TAA are now more accurate, requiring no more intermediate format to work with motion blur, reducing rounding errors.
- Forward rendering and post effects are now able to sample sun shadow information past the first 4 shadow cascades.
- Fixed an issue with glass materials resulting in them rendering through volumetric fog.
That’s all for now. We look forward to joining you all on the soon-to-be autumnal clad fields of glory!