0.4.6 is live! This latest update delivers a fully new vehicle system and a massive series of optimisations aimed at improving CPU performance! Huge additions have been made to the map, as well as new human enemies on the updated AI system have been re-implemented.

The completely new vehicle system opens the floodgates for a big range of new vehicle content. Want something with storage space - you can have it. Want something fast - you can upgrade it. Want a fortress on wheels - you got it!. The new vehicle system is complete with improved UI, better vehicle interactions, a wider range of vehicles and better driving mechanics.

Improving optimization is ongoing, as always, but this patch delivers a notable milestone in improving CPU-bound performance issues. Furthermore, examination of issues this patch has helped to identify further areas of improvement which will be arriving in the future - so stay tuned for more news on performance.

In addition to the above, this update features a plethora of fixes, improvements and visual updates.


Developer Comment:
It is highly recommended to start a fresh game as some mechanics, craftables and items may be bugged or not be available if using out of date game save files.

Vehicles

• Added new AVS (Advanced Vehicle System) Vehicles.
• Removal of all original road vehicles. These vehicles had various performance and gameplay issues.
• New refuel system.
• New damage system.
• Improved control and power.
• Improved air time when making jumps.
• Currently four vehicle types are available with more on the way.
• Improved vehicle steering.
• Added a new light system to vehicles.
• Improved vehicle detection with AI.
• Vehicles now have stand alone storage.
• Implemented new vehicle HUD when inside vehicles.
• The hit points of vehicles differ between vehicle types.
• The fuel capacity of vehicles differs between vehicle types.
• New engine management UI that can be opened and closed with [E].
• Vehicles are new refuelled by pressing [R] when next to the vehicle
• Vehicles can be repaired from the engine management UI using a repair kit.
• Vehicles can now be flipped the correct way up from the engine management UI.
• Steering speed is now dynamically adjusted depending on the current speed of the vehicle.
• Vehicles no longer get stuck on NPCs during knockdown.
• Vehicle parts now reduce in condition while the car is running.
• Leaving vehicle lights on when not using the vehicle will drain the battery condition.
• Vehicle tuning parts can now be used to give vehicles buffs, for example, reducing fuel consumption, part wear and increasing horsepower.
• EMS Tutorial screen added when first accessing the EMS (Engine Management System).
• Lights now require a fully functional 12v battery to work.
• Adding part upgrades now affect acceleration and horsepower. Note this does not increase top speed, just the time it takes to get there.
• All vehicles have now been set up as per the Vehicle Setup Data document: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vUo9_gk0K_fNyPbem0NHPVWsHYZ0UtFEAAF9E6_KSjc
• Vehicles now have a random condition including health and fuel amount.
• Liam Orling will now recover, repair, refuel and purchase the new AVS Vehicles.

Optimisations and Support

• Reconstructed AIV4 management system for improved performance.
• Fixed cost of some cable components constantly running.
• Fixed injured characters in medical centre having a high background cost
• Removed hidden flagpole asset which was invisible but had running cloth physics
• Fixed oceanology lake tick always running.
• Converted steamboat paddle wheel to static for performance
• Removed test fire torch assets from the character causing some performance cost
• Removed unneeded train assets with a cost on CPU performance. Swapped out various train assets to static versions of the same object which has an improved performance cost.
• Updated fishing logic with constant cost on CPU
• Improved background CPU performance cost on lake paddle boats
• Improved CPU performance with new vehicle system
• Fixed bee hives having a background CPU cost due to a running UI element.
• Improved horse facial anims, body animations and simulated hitch cables CPU costs which now activate based on distance to player
• Improved CPU costs for bird meshes.
• Removed legacy assets relating to inventory model viewer when it used to show a 3D render of weapons
• Fixed weapons running calculations while not equipped
• Fixed an active tick constantly running on explosive eggs.
• Improved CPU costs on NPC controllers.
• General CPU improvements to fire pits/burning barrels.
• Removed unused Ocean Sounds asset which had a small CPU cost
• Swapped all particle effects in the world with a new particle object providing improved CPU performance.
• CPU optimisations for NPC character movement
• Stopped bird animations playing after death.
• Fixed AIV4 NPCs and fish mesh’s background CPU costs.
• Updated functionality of GlobalTraderManager to prevent unnecessary calculations running all the time.
• Removed placeholder FP arms mesh causing a cost even though it would never be visible
• Reduced resolution of volumetrics for performance
• Removed idle spores particle effect around Infected. Partly a design choice but also beneficial for performance.
• Improved performance for AI User Interface elements
• Improved performance for pickup item UI elements.
• Reduced cost of PFX attached to certain streetlights
• Fixed CPU cost for NPC weapons while NPC is despawned
• Improved particle cost for falling leaves from trees.
• Improved performance for 'Hanging Hank' character.
• Fixed error causing unnecessary ticks on NPCs.
• Improved particle cost for various light fittings.
• Improved skeletal mesh cost for disturbance birds.
• Improved particle costs for Infected Nests.
• Improved performance for waterfalls.
• Fixed camera-related CPU costs on vehicle trade windows while not in use.
• Fixed camera-related CPU costs on rowboats while not in use.
• Improved cost for dust particles.
• Improved cost for water particles on washstations.
• Improved cost for particles on waterfalls.
• Improved cost for dust particles attached to floodlights.
• Fixed background cost of particles belonging to the Water Pump generator.
• Fixed background cost of particles belonging to Infected Explosive Eggs.
• Fixed background cost of particles belonging to burst water pipes.
• Improved overall CPU cost for Infected Nests.
• Improved overall CPU cost for Infected deterrent lights.
• Performance improvements vehicle engine audio.
• Various improvements to performance settings for objects across the world.
• Fixed issue with AI manager causing performance to get progressively worse

Added

• Added Nadir Farm location. This will be home to the resistance and used as a safe zone once you are friendly with them.
• Added a new Syno Agriculture location.
• Added Steve’s Crazy Wheels GoKart race track location
• Added Nadir Fishing pond location.
• New location added: Tree Felling Strip.
• New location added: Halfway Station.
• Added ducks on lakes and rivers (part of the bird disturbance system)
• Re-added the Mistress truck.
• Added icon to the power systems found at boat house.
• Added option to toggle wash station light on and off.
• Various options have been added to ‘World Settings’.
• Night time speed multiplier is now located in World Settings
• New start date is the first day of Spring
• Improved how character’s temperature is affected by being submerged in water
• Ambient temperature is now more in line with the time of year and changes with the weather.
• Characters will now start swimming when the water depth is high enough and stop swimming when low enough.
• Added marshal huts and control building to Steve's Crazy Wheels race track.
• Added lap time board that will keep track of 10 laps and display the fastest time at the top in red.
• Added start stop light system to Steve's Crazy Wheels race track.
- Position a go kart on the starting grid. Red lights will start to flash to indicate race start.
- Light turns amber then green to go!
- Passing through the starting position will record time and display on lap boards.
- Once the race has finished after the 10th lap, the time is recorded and lights will turn red, indicating the race has finished.
- After 60 seconds the starting position system will reset allowing you to do another 10 laps. Triggering the system again will reset the lap board.
- Race system can now be reset by interacting with the red power box in the race control booth
• Extended the train tracks to Marbough Town location.
• Expanded roads through Marbough (WIP) location with flyover road system.
• Added new placable battery lamps: red versions of the green ones found around the world
• Added new military NPCs to the Military Base. These human NPCs have been redesigned on the AIV4 system.
• Added military units added to both military base and checkpoint
• Added UV lights around Nadir Farm Safe Zone
• Added an additional large bunker. Can be used as a home base for a player.
• Reimplemented Hazmat enemies into the world
• Added new behaviour when NPCs drop from helicopters but have no immediate target
• Reimplemented alarm towers and drop helicopters using new AIV4 system
• Added waterfall at Syno complex
• Noticeboard added to Nadir Farm Safe Zone (not active yet)
• Added wash stations to Nadir Farm Safe zone.
• Added additional nests around Nadir Farm area.
• Added interior for Syno complex.
• Added radio tower location.
• First three collectable cassette recordings of Daniel Ludlow of Thanatos have been placed in the playable area. Try to uncover the lore behind the outbreak.

Updated

• Updated player inventory map and minimap UI.
• Tree and plant foliage updated with new assets.
• Dead birds now show an icon when looked at by the player after being killed.
• Player no longer needs to be Level 5 in Scavenging to find a Crowbar from tool boxes.
• Adjusted barriers along the Burchet Dam so it is not so difficult to drive a vehicle along it.
• Reduced the displacement on the ocean
• Updated the inventory and placement visuals for candles
• Removed floating squares in the sky.
• Escape and Tab can now be used to exit the door lockpicking minigame.
• Increased damage to NPCs caused by fire
• Large UV lights around safe areas now set Infected on fire.
• Radio towers now reset their activated/destroyed status every ten minutes
• Meiline has been moved from Hanouten and is now located at Nadir Farm
• Added tunnel and roadways to Malbrough area
• Thanatos Guards have been removed from the Decontamination Zone at the Hanouten train station. This is now an infected zone.
• Updated the frost on screen effect to not be so intrusive.

Fixes

• Fixed infected alert icons getting stuck on screen if the player dies while they are visible
• Fixed birds blocking/colliding with vehicles.
• Fixed birds from not being able to be killed
• Fixed fuel not depleting when using a vehicle.
• Fixed some problem areas where player could get stuck in landscape or between cliffs
• Fixed collision on wooden bridge next to the hydro station. This was causing issues with vehicles
• Fixed knockback motion for infected not working correctly.
• Fixed vehicles colliding with rocks on the ground.
• Fixed the built in light on wash stations upgraded to level three
• Fixed performance issue with candles and updated the lighting and visuals
• Fixed the falling/swimming animation trying to play when near a lake or the ocean
• Fixed date on ST-RV watch being incorrect and never updating
• Fixed missing candle mesh
• Fixed landscape gaps near Hanouten Train Station.
• Fixed world pick up items being really difficult to pick up if are small like lockpicks and keycards
• Fixed tool chests always giving a shovel and can opener.
• Fixed candles being half the size they should be.
• Fixed AIV4 NPCs not targeting anyone after being hit by a molotov
• Fixed AIV4 disturbance issue where NPCs could be alerted by their own disturbances
• Fixed audio attenuation for NPC reload SFX
• Fixed NPCs showing looting icons even though they died without any available loot
• Fixed sky getting super dark when under cloud coverage.
• Fixed various NPC sounds not working.
• Fixed NPCs not registering disturbances originating from the player.
• Fixed animation issues and character locking up when cancelling fishing activity.
• Fixed character jumping while fishing. Pressing spacebar while fishing now the character fishing.
• Fixed issues which could cause Alarm Towers to be triggered multiple times
• Fixed some landscape issues around the map causing issues with roads
• Fixed foliage clipping in through Backwater boathouse
• Fixed Liam Orling giving free vehicle repairs.
• Fixed landscape clipping inside the building at the end of Burchet Dam.
• Fixed being able to open the player inventory while fishing and casting.
• Fixed being able to right click multiple times when casting the fishing rod
• Fixed birds not despawning after harvesting allowing for unlimited harvesting.