GROUND BRANCH News

Alright, everyone, it’s time for another Intel Update!

These last few months have seen no shortage of setbacks—big and small, both inside the development and outside—but we’re chugging along like we always do. Humans are not built for waiting, and believe us when we say we absolutely hate how long this is taking, but we’re hoping this dev blog will give everyone another good taste of what’s coming.

➕ For those who missed it, our last blog post is available here: Intel Update #008: Reinforcements

Some will argue that the succulent previews you are about to see actually make the wait worse. To those, we say: scroll no further, for this shall be painful.

This is going to be media-heavy, so double-check you’re not on mobile data and let’s move on.




In our last Intel Update, we introduced you to Bad Rhino Studios, a company that has been helping us with (mostly) under-the-hood development.

As part of our partnership, they have ran a thorough performance profiling on GROUND BRANCH and found that the biggest offender was indeed audio- and AI-related. More specifically, AI audio event calls causing big spikes in CPU usage.

Another performance issue we had was related to navmeshes (the areas of maps that bots are allowed to navigate on), and determined to be caused by how the AI interacts with doors within the navmeshes—hence maps Run Down and Tanker having the worst PvE performance, as they have the most doors.

Fixes have been applied to both issues, and appear to have yielded positive results in testing so far. Hell yeah, Bad Rhino Studios.




We cannot get into detail just yet, but we’ve recently gotten a tech artist on board. To put it simply, tech artists bridge the gap between programmers and artists (a job that Kris has so far been solely responsible for, on top of his regular coding duties), so we’re talking a very valuable acquisition for the team here.

There are a couple other positions that may be filled soon, but it’s a little too early to confirm. Bottom line is, we’re putting those sales to good use and will continue to build up the team.




[h2]Character customization[/h2]
One of V1032’s biggest attractions is, of course, the brand-new character assets. Even the heads are all getting replaced with much better ones, with more models to come later:


➥ We have yet to figure out how we’re going to use the dirt/wound layers; whatever we go with, we promise these heads are going to have eyes


And here’s a little selection of loadouts you will be able make with the new gear, showcased with a dedicated pose that Mike created specifically for the Customize Operator screen:


➥ We didn’t have any extra skins setup for the vests and carriers at the time of these screenshots, but rest assured they will be added (See? They do have eyes)


Although not 100% of the assets are new (we’re still missing a few items, like the Ball Cap and Headsets), they are all set to be updated within the next few releases.

In fact, here’s some upcoming eyewear—in various stages of development—that will be in V1032:


➥ Goggles (ESS® Profile NVG), high-poly model


➥ Sunglasses (ESS® Rollbar), high-poly model


➥ Eyeshields (ESS® Crossbow Suppressor), low-poly models (render tools)


➥ Another view of the eyeshields, low-poly models (render tools)

💡 Always keep in mind that these pretty renders (for the eyeshields, specifically) are created by the modeler with complex rendering tools, and will not look as good in-game due to real-time dynamic lighting, resolutions, graphics settings and other engine realities.

And just as a little demo of how much complexity full customization adds to development, here’s a study sent to us by our trusty character asset artist Pau Peñalver as we try to figure out how to deal with goggle headbands vs. helmets vs. helmet accessories (e.g. ear pro/comms):


➥ how goggles ?


Decisions, decisions. Anyway, more shots to gawk at:



[h3]Swatch system[/h3]
As mentioned in a previous Intel Update many moons ago, most of the new character assets are setup to essentially take any color or pattern we want. As a result, the days of mismatched camos and inconsistent pouches will be over as soon as V1032 hits, and you’ll be able to MultiCam OCP the sh*t out of your kit:


➥ Never Always go full MultiCam OCP…?


In keeping with the authenticity that GROUND BRANCH is going for, we are for the most part creating skins that exist for the real-life counterparts of our assets. We may get more flexible as we go (OCP Black?!?!), but one thing we know for sure is that you’ll never see neon or brightly-colored skins in this game — not by us, anyway.


[h2]Y’all got any more of them new models?[/h2]

[h3]New MK14 EBR (WIP)[/h3]
We have a new MK14 EBR model under development by Cody Cudmore to replace our old Mod 2 variant currently in the game.

We know, you may not be exactly excited about a new EBR, but we figure these renders might help:



Here it is again, a little further along:



This new EBR is based on the US Navy’s Mod 1 variant (photo) — a better fit for the game overall, as it is fitted with a shorter 18″ barrel and an adjustable-length stock (which you will be able to switch out for other models in the future).

➕ Click here for a preview of another upcoming GROUND BRANCH weapon (that's for a later update, though!) at Cody's ArtStation page.

➕ For a list of all known upcoming weapons and more, see our Early Access Roadmap. Yes… a SCAR-H is coming. *sigh*

[h3]MK46 (WIP)[/h3]
We’re also getting a MK46 Mod 1 light machine gun made to replace the old MK48, a model that is just as old as the current MK14 Mod 2 EBR. We aren’t 100% sure that it will make it to V1032, but here are some progress shots anyway:


➥ High-poly model; clockwise from top-left: tray cover, belt pouch, view of the open tray, and a view of the full model


➥ Low-poly model with suppressor


Much like the updated EBR, the MK46 is a better fit for the game for a few reasons: it is lighter, shorter, and more likely to be seen in a small, high-speed unit. The 5.56 mm caliber, however, means a firepower downgrade when compared to the MK48’s 7.62 mm round.

We’d like to get at least one additional stock made for this LMG, so drop your suggestion in the comments!

🔫 We have a new M1911 in the making, but that isn't far along enough to showcase just yet. It may or may not make it to V1032.

[h3]Updated accessories[/h3]
The SpecterDR 1x/4x scope has been updated with a new, highly-detailed model by Cody:


➥ Yep, that’s an FDE skin too


… and so has the EXPS3 holo sight, by the same author:


➥ Also in FDE!


Other V1032 weapon accessory changes will include an updated AK suppressor, new/updated backup iron sights (BUIS), and a new MK4 3.5–10x scope to replace the old generic 12x.


[h3]Updated M4/MK18 assets[/h3]
You have probably noticed by now that our M4/MK18 platforms have all been updated with entirely new models — including an FSP M4 Block II rail option — but here’s a close-up just to really get the point across:



The classic M4A1 SOPMOD is also being updated, but since the previous model wasn’t as old, the different isn’t quite as jarring. Still, it’s nice to have art consistency, the potential for cross-modability and, well, the correct barrel length:



Although these will be setup as standalone weapon platforms in V1032, we’ll eventually have a basic “gunsmith” feature where you’ll be able to (for example) select a base M4 platform and swap out the stock, handguard and possibly barrel; that will make customization more flexible and the UI cleaner.




[h2]New weapon positions and stance transitions[/h2]
As teased a couple weeks ago on our Discord and Twitter, we have new animations and poses for the weapon positions. Although nothing is set in stone and this is all one big work in progress, we’ll be trying this style out and update as the feedback comes.

One thing we at BlackFoot Studios agree on is that they look and feel a lot better, especially with the smooth transitions.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Notice the trigger discipline finally adapting to the stance.

⏳ More natural, full-body character movements will all come in due time.

We’re sure there will be justified concerns about flagging—and again, these are not final—but we’re looking into having collision act as the “safety trigger”, so to speak: if you get close enough to a friendly unit, your character will automatically point the muzzle lower (if you’re at Low Ready) or higher (if you’re at High Ready).

It’s also worth noting for these previews that things like animation timing and camera/head movement are TBD.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

As we progress, Mike will also be creating variants of the new ready positions/transitions that account for weapon length and weight. As an example, bringing a machine gun to ADS will be slightly slower than a carbine, while longer weapons may use a more “tucked in” High Ready position to mitigate environment collision and clipping.

⏳ V1032 will be merely our first big animations update. It will lay the foundations for animations and features to be added and improved all the way to the v1.0 release.

[h2]IK foot placement[/h2]
The magic of IK, or inverse kinematics, will allow characters' feet to conform to the angle and height of the environment, as displayed by this silly screengrab from 3 weeks ago. We don’t have a more recent shot because something broke the IK since, but don’t let anybody tell you game development isn’t endless fun:



This initial implementation is guaranteed to create plenty of wonky moments, but that’s what iterations are for.


[h2]Reloads[/h2]
All-new reload animations also mean all-new reload sounds. Sound designer Mikson has also been busy making sure the audio is in sync with the new motions, as well as improving effects all around as he went along.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]Make sure you’ve also checked out the STANAG vs. PMAG (metal vs. polymer) reload audio comparison from the last Intel Update here


[h2]Death animations[/h2]
Another part of the animations update will be a first pass on death sequences. While the current method — a mix of ragdoll and hand-made animations — does not allow for the animations themselves to be as accurate as fully rendered ones, it lets the ragdoll physics maintain full effect, so bodies still react to falling against the environment or off platforms while the animation plays.

Here’s a little demo:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
As the video hopefully conveys, enemies no longer drop like a sack of potatoes: they have animations for being hit in different parts of the body, and even the direction they’re shot from has an effect on how they drop.

There’s more to these animations than just that, but we’re not spoiling it all just yet. Not bad for a first pass, huh?




In addition to upcoming maps Compound (working title) and Rig, already showcased previously, Storage Facility is getting a revamp consisting of a considerable expansion of the outside play area, a new way into the tunnels, and a huge makeover of the tunnels themselves.



If all goes well, the updated Storage Facility will have also received an extra art pass by the time you get to explore it.




GROUND BRANCH V1031 brought us Lua-based game modes, which semi-officially opened up game mode modding to the community. Although development isn’t streamlined at this point, a few community-made modes have already been created:

[h3]Dynamic Take and Secure (DTAS)[/h3]
Those who follow our Roadmap know about DTAS – Dynamic Take and Secure, a PvP game mode we added to the board a while ago. As it turns out, DTAS has been under development over the past several months by our friend and occasional collaborator fatmarrow, also known for his community maps (you can find his progress and tutorial videos here).

In DTAS, teams alternate as attackers and defenders. Once defenders set up the flag, attackers are free to start tracking it down. To win the round, attackers need to have more players inside the flag’s capture radius than defenders. If attackers are down to only one player or fail to capture within the time limit, defenders win. All parameters — time limit, capture radius, team balance — are customizable by admins.

It is currently in advanced testing, and will be available once the first V1032 CTE is released.

💡 DTAS was originally a game mode for Infiltration (aka INF), an old tactical realism mod for Unreal Tournament (1999).

[h3]Rendezvous[/h3]
Fatmarrow has also helped create Rendezvous, a game mode by community regular V2. The description and rules for this scavenge/escape game mode can be found in this Discord link, and the download is in this one.

[h3]Kill Confirmed / Breakout[/h3]
GB community member eelSkillz has created an additional 2 solo/co-op game modes, dubbed Kill Confirmed (a VIP assassination mode) and Break Out (another take on a scavenge/exfiltrate mode).

You can download the game modes from eelSkillz’s GitHub here and discuss them on the Steam thread here.

For a few demo runs of both modes (also featuring V2 and his Rendezvous mode), check out eel’s YouTube channel.



Just to make it official: GROUND BRANCH will support both GeForce NOW and Nvidia DLSS in the near-future!

GeForce NOW is the better-known Nvidia subscription-based cloud gaming platform where, instead of running on the player’s PC, games are run on powerful PCs somewhere else in the world and streamed to the player.

Nvidia DLSS (Deep Learning Super-Sampling) takes advantage of GeForce RTX technology to generate high-resolution, sharp, detailed images from low-resolution native samples via AI. This video offers a good demonstration of how it all works and looks:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[hr][/hr]
[h2]This has been Intel Update #009![/h2]
We've just started internal testing, and although a lot of the game still needs to be put back together, dev builds have been stable and performing well. When we're done with the major fixes, we'll start rolling builds out to the CTE so you can all have a look and help us make sure we have a solid release.

As a final reminder, V1032 won't be the ultimate animations update, but it will help us get there in a lot of ways. It's all about paving the way for new features and a game that looks and feels better as development progresses.

Lastly, the only reason GROUND BRANCH has made it this far is our community's continued support over the years, months, days or however long you've known about our game and talked about it with your friends, bought a copy, started a discussion thread, streamed it, hung around the Discord or even just followed us on social media.

And so as always, thank you for keeping us going, and we'll see you on the next update!

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Stay connected[/h2]
Discord / Steam Community Hub / Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

As underscored by last month’s publisher announcement, development for upcoming release V1032 is still chugging along, and as we work on putting the game back together with the new character rig, assets and animations, another Intel Update is coming at you with everything that’s happening behind the scenes.




It is no secret that the development of GROUND BRANCH has been rocky, and in many ways too ambitious for its own good. Nevertheless, it has endured, and thanks in no small part to our community’s continued trust and support, we have finally reached a point where we can more comfortably go after professionals that can help us stay on track and take this project where it needs to be.

[h3]Tech backup[/h3]
One such example is Bad Rhino Studios, an independent studio from Kansas City that we just partnered with as a means to get more eyes and hands on the game’s overall performance, code, online networking (netcode), and general implementation. As we progress, the studio will also be helping us fix major lingering issues and improve other areas of development.





The fine developers at Bad Rhino have previously lent their expertise to the likes of Epic Games (Unreal Engine, Fortnite), Bohemia Interactive (Arma, DayZ standalone) and even Facebook, so they are more than capable of helping us take GROUND BRANCH to the next level from a more technical standpoint.


➥ Some of the companies Bad Rhino Studios has worked with

It goes without saying that we’re very excited for this partnership’s future, and we’ll hopefully be seeing its repercussions soon enough!

For anyone interested, you can learn more about Bad Rhino Studios and what they do in their website right here.

[h3]Art backup[/h3]
We have also gotten dedicated vegetation artist Paul Brousse on board in a contractor capacity. For starters, Mr. Brousse will be building assets for 4 different biomes (i.e. trees, bushes and ground cover): Eastern Europe, Horn of Africa, Middle East, and Mexico–United States border.


➥ Just a sample of Paul’s work in UE4, from his ArtStation portfolio (link)

In addition to granting environments an extra layer of authenticity, these new custom biomes will generally make maps look better and more consistent. If we’re lucky, they might even improve performance too.

[h3]Further backup[/h3]
We are also looking for a dedicated VFX artist and a producer/project manager type, in addition to a few other roles we may disclose later. At this time, we are only considering close recommendations, but we’ll be sure to let everyone know if we end up expanding our search.


[h2]Other areas of assistance[/h2]

[h3]GPU manufacturers[/h3]
In order to improve performance in the future, we have submitted GROUND BRANCH builds to Nvidia and AMD for profiling. This may lead to potential assistance in optimizing the game, as well as GPU driver enhancements for better compatibility with it.

[h3]Localization[/h3]
Our new publishing partner MicroProse has been helping us localize (that is, translate) the content of our Steam store page to several languages, so that non-English speakers can make better informed purchases and potentially have a minor positive impact on the player base.

Localization of the game itself will also begin as soon as we have a large enough portion of the UI locked down.




Now for what you’re actually here for—taking a look at how V1032 is coming along and getting eyes on some sweet sneak peeks. We get it, and we got you covered.

Here’s some media, starting with this quick audio and animation preview:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]➥ Mmm, crunchy

In addition to all these new reloads, our animator Mike has also put together this satisfying recoil animation that adds a lot of immersion to shooting:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]➥ Notice the more natural “bounce” to the recoil when compared to the basic back-and-forth motion currently in the game. Weapon stances are a work in progress and subject to change.

On the modeling front, trusty contractor and 3D artist extraordinaire Pau Peñalver continues to bang out amazing models to get our character art up to date, and to make sure we don’t have brand-new assets mixed up with really old ones.

Below are some of Pau’s latest creations:


➥ The new Helmet (AF) …


➥ … and here with the camo cover (patterns pending, but they will be there)


➥ Four new types of footwear


➥ The new Combat Boots


➥ New NVG arm mount on helmet shroud


➥ Detail of the new NVG arm mount

Keep in mind that although these previews are already of the game-ready models (yep, no joke), they are generated from rendering tools that have lighting capabilities far beyond UE4’s real-time lighting. You know we like being transparent, so here’s what we really mean by that: they will not look necessarily this amazing in-game, but they will still look pretty good and certainly better than the assets they will be replacing.

In the level design department, Will has put some work on the night lighting and skybox for the still untitled compound map:






➥ Really makes it seem alive, doesn’t it?

In case you missed it, there are a bunch of pretty previews of the upcoming compound map on MicroProse’s GROUND BRANCH product page (click). We know what you’re thinking and yes, it’s going to be totally sick, lit and dare we say, based.




We know—waiting for V1032 sucks. But hopefully this helps ease the wait a little, and reassures everyone that we’re still here, working hard, and expanding the team so that we’re able to improve GROUND BRANCH’s experience at a faster pace.

We’ll have more details and previews for you in a few weeks, so stay tuned and don’t forget to let us know what your thoughts are on today’s intel.

See you on the next one!

🆔 GROUND BRANCH V1031.3
Build ID: 6684573 (Client) / 6684579 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 63 MB (Client) / 32 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 your old saved files do not conflict with the latest changes and cause input and settings issues.

Our last game update, patch V1031.2, arrived with more bugs than we anticipated. Luckily we were able to diagnose and fix most of them relatively easily, packaged and tested a new build, and are now rolling it out as a hotfix for you all.

Hopefully this will take care of most of the recent reported issues—if it doesn't, you know what to do, but please check the known issues listed at the end of the fixes list to make sure it hasn't already been noted.


[h2]Changes and fixes[/h2]

[h3]Ready Room[/h3]

• Fixed Ops Board "In Progress" overlay not always showing up.
  
• Fixed Ready Room team wall not always being removed for PvP modes.
  
• Fixed the player character in the Customize Operator screen disappearing if the round started mid-customization.
  
• Increased sound occlusion in the testing range.
  
• Added spatial audio volume for the Customize Operator screen's background to block all sounds while customizing character.
  
• Fixed round time not being cleared when round stage timer is.
  

[h3]Weapons and attachments[/h3]

• Fixed M9A3 magazine's display name (was listed as 15 rounds when it's actually 17).
  
• Fixed NVG effect not being loaded correctly sometimes and displaying no green tint.
  
• Fixed shotguns preventing players from changing items when fired.
  
• Updated collision on optics to allow placing the Offset Rail and low-mount RMR where applicable.
  

[h3]Spectator Mode[/h3]

• Fixed Show Player Names / Show Enemy Blips not being applied immediately while the spectator overlay is shown.
  
• Fixed spectators having the ready status set to NotReady when sent to the RR even if they had been WaitingToReadyUp earlier.
  

[h3]Maps & level design[/h3]

• Fixed grenades colliding with foliage—they should now go right through leaves.
  
• Fixed foliage protecting players from grenade explosions.
  
• Fixed various bugs on Tanker dealing with collision on pipes and some visual issues with the internal stairs.
  

[h3]Admin[/h3]

• Changed in-game menu Admin button to a drop-down list containing an option to open the Admin Panel, as well as a list of quick admin commands (thanks, Prowlaz!).
  
• Fixed Admin Panel spamming console/log with admin commands.
  
• Fixed StartRound command not working in ReadyCountdown round stage.
  
• Fixed dead bodies being created when StartRound and RestartRound commands are used.
  

[h2]Known issues[/h2]

These audio-related issues were reported, but not yet diagnosed or successfully fixed:

• Occasional lack of gunshot SFX.
  
• Long bursts with the MK48 machine gun can cause the sound to bug out.

🐞 One common issue that we have been unable to fix yet is related to VOIP and microphone usage, from stuttering all the way to freezing or otherwise being unable to communicate via voice. For a list of possible fixes, please see this post: ⚠️🎙️ Microphone/VOIP issues!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]This has been BUILD UPDATE #031![/h2]
Thank you for all the reports! This patch wouldn't be out so soon without all the feedback and we continually receive from the community. If this patch survives first contact, expect a new Intel Update in a few week's time to get everyone up to speed with how V1032 is coming along.

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Stay connected[/h2]
Discord / Steam Community Hub / Reddit / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

🆔 GROUND BRANCH V1031.2
Build ID: 6669244 (Client) / 6669250 (Dedicated Server)
Download size: 119.8 MB (Client) / 60.2 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 your old saved files do not conflict with the latest changes and cause input and settings issues.

Patch V1031.2 is now live on the regular GROUND BRANCH Steam® app!

The second patch for release V1031 includes UI/UX and quality-of-life updates, general bug fixes, and a lot of under-the-hood work to better support game modes in the future. Let's break it down:



[h2]Mission Settings (Ops Board)[/h2]
The Ops Board (the old LED screen where players can change mission parameters and select insertion points in the Ready Room) has been changed from an in-world UI to a pop-up window with the same functionality—except a little easier to use.

Server admins (or any local player in Lone Wolf) now can simply click the right-hand half of the Ops Board to change mission settings in a UI overlay, and then submit all changes in one go:



The mission setting values will continue to be listed on the in-world board until they are replaced with a system that integrates them into the objective descriptions.

[h2]Show Remaining Threats[/h2]
The HUD counter for remaining enemies (in Terrorist Hunt) was moved away from the center of the screen and back to the top-left corner, as well as made optional once again.

Use the Show Remaining Threats mission setting to change how it behaves:

• The number set in this option represents how many enemies are left before the counter starts displaying (e.g. when set to 8, the counter will start displaying when there are 8 enemies left).
  
• Setting it to 0 disables the counter entirely.
  

[h2]Dedicated server spectators[/h2]
It is now possible to join a server as a spectator without it affecting the max player count.

The maximum amount of spectators is controlled by a MaxSpectators option and is currently capped at 16. While this does mean you could have up to 32 people on one server—16 players, 16 spectators—remember to talk with your server provider first to get more slots.
[h2]Improved spectator experience[/h2]

• First-person view should use correct sight lines and look smoother.
  
• Better handling of toggle HUD command.
  
• Show Player Names and Show Enemy Blips selections are now saved to config files.
  
• Minimap rotation should now be correct on all maps.
  

[h3]New watch face[/h3]
The wristwatch has been updated with improved readability:


➥ The new fonts and adjusted sizes should make the watch face cleaner and easier to read. We've also temporarily removed the heartrate (BPM) display until that functionality is actually in place.

[h2]Gunfire loop fixed[/h2]
The dreaded gunfire loop has breathed its last, with Mikson coming to the rescue with the insight Kris needed to find and kill it once and for all… hopefully. Fingers are crossed.

[h2]Net cull distance increased[/h2]
We doubled the net cull distance from 150 to 300 meters to ensure that, while playing online, characters are visible at a distance to clients. This is particularly relevant on maps with longer sightlines, like 747.

This is a stop-gap method until we get the chance to start using the replication graph system.

[h2]Weapon kit validation system[/h2]
Due to the large number of bugs related to improperly placed sights and firearm attachments in general, a lot of work went into improving the kit validation logic related to them.

⚠️ Oops! All your stuff is gone :(
As a result of the kit validation system, the kit version number has been changed to help prevent the use of existing kits that would no longer be considered valid. This means all existing kits and builds will no longer be loaded, so make sure to rebuild your go-to kits in-game before hopping online! We're very sorry for the inconvenience.

The validation process includes making sure that:

• Magnifiers (i.e. G33 Magnifier) are placed behind non-magnified optics.
  
• Night vision scopes (i.e. AN/PVS-22) are placed in front of magnified optics.
  
• Rear (iron) sights have a matching front sight post.
  
• A sight is not blocked by another attachment.
  
• Only one type of optic can be placed on a sight line (i.e. no optic "conga lines").
  
• Only one iron sight or front sight post can be on a sight line.
  
• All attachment mounting points are in contact with a rail.
  
• A riser is placed directly on a rail or adapter and not another riser.
  
• Attachments are not overlapping each other.
  

Trying to save a weapon build that fails any of the above will prompt players with what needs fixing, as well as prevent the loadout from applying:

🐞 The system will need fine-tuning to not be overly restrictive with certain combinations. Please let us know if you come across any such configurations that should be both possible and usable, but are not.

[h2]New Admin Panel[/h2]
Due to changes related to mission settings and game rule handling, the Admin Panel (F8) has been updated and received a first pass of the new UI style:



Yes, you can finally unban people and see a list of team-killers!

[h3]Whitelist support[/h3]
To keep a server private, servers admins can now choose to use a whitelist instead of a password.

The system checks the whitelist file periodically, allowing updates to happen just by replacing or updating the file. The file itself in standard CVS format, making it possible to use a common spreadsheet program and export the results.

As with most admin task, it is also possible to update this via Admin Panel while connected as an admin.

[h3]Game rules are now stored next to other server options[/h3]
Along with the mission setting changes, this change removes the need to remember the associated command line, while still allowing them to be changed on the fly or overridden by a map list entry.

• Fixed Tanker's engine sound occlusion stuttering when moving to upper decks.
  
• Replaced outdated tire bullet impact SFX.
  
• Fixed ground power unit interaction sounds on 747.
  
• Minor under-the-hood optimizaton changes.
  

[h3]City[/h3]

• Removed leftover ladder from subway car that allowed players to mount it.
  
• Added glass to alleyway building fronts.
  
• Added doors to central square buildings.
  
• Added power switches to central square buildings, alleyway buildings and underground station.
  
• Added AI cover nodes to cars: bots will now use them for cover.
  

[h3]Paintball[/h3]

• Replaced the old texts saying "RED TEAM" and "BLUE TEAM" on each side's entrance with flags on poles of the respective team's color.
  
• Changed the color of the lights on each side to reflect the teams as well.
  

[h3]General map cleanup[/h3]
John has also done some minor miscellaneous cleanup (LODs, landscapes, collision, lighting etc.) on most maps.

• Fixed a whole bunch of crashes.
  
• Fixed MP5SD burst mode having no sound.
  
• Fixed NVG effect being inconsistency across maps.
  
• Made drop-down menus stand out better against other menus and text when opened.
  
• Mouse sensitivity settings now allow decimal digit values for fine-tuning. You can still click and type a specific value instead of clicking and dragging.
  
• New icons for Settings screen and Ready Room player status.
  

[h3]Under-the-hood game mode work[/h3]
What originally started as changes to ensure mission settings and game mode rules were being read from the command line properly soon expanded to include a lot more.

This culminated in working closely with community member (and GB proto-modder) fatmarrow to fix, update or outright rewrite existing game mode logic. Many of these changes are mentioned in the raw changelog here, and more can be gleamed by looking through the existing .lua files for those interested.

A number of these changes will make it into various community guides in time, and a new game mode by fatmarrow—Dynamic Take and Secure (DTAS)—is currently being implemented and tested (with tentative release in V1032) thanks to them.

• Sound occlusion in the Ready Room appears to be broken again. We'll get that patched up as soon as we can.
  
• The NVG effect has been reported to be missing the green tint on The Farm (Training map), but not consistently. Please report a bug if you experience this issue on a map!
  
• When playing Uplink, the round start dialog may disappear too fast to read.
  

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We appreciate you taking the time to read our release notes! Quick remindeer that you can read the raw change log here, and don't forget to let us know about any issues you find that are not listed here. Til the next update!

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As we get the next hotfix patch ready and continue to work on upcoming release V1032, we make a little pause in development for a major announcement: BlackFoot Studios has officially partnered with MicroProse, now the actual publisher for GROUND BRANCH!



➥ If this logo doesn’t give you a warm, fuzzy feeling, we salute your enviable youth


Having left a very big mark in the industry, the MicroProse name is no stranger to fans of strategy and simulation—or, in fact, just about any player old enough to remember many of the titles published and developed by the company throughout most of the ’80s and ’90s: from Civilization, Pirates! and X-COM all the way to its myriad combat flight sims like Falcon 4.0.

Founded by retired USAF pilot Bill Stealey and programmer (and now legendary developer) Sid Meier, the company has gone through several acquisitions and changes before being purchased and revived in 2019—almost 20 years after it was last associated with a game—by David Lagettie, owner of TitanIM. You can learn more about MicroProse’s history and revival in this article.

Here is the announcement trailer their team put together with some footage and assistance from our community manager Prowlaz and his UN1T team, as well as creators Karmakut, Controlled Pairs and Ceb Cin. The soundtrack is by community member mrbombastic:


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]➥ Thank you very much to all involved!


[h3]What does this mean for GROUND BRANCH?[/h3]
Only good things. We’ve had plenty of rough patches over the years, and MicroProse brings us some much-needed stability as development continues in earnest towards v1.0. The MicroProse crew will also be handling a good chunk of the marketing and helping us extend our reach not only to their established community, but also to new audiences out there. That means expanding the player base, generating more funding for development, and getting to where we want to be a little faster.


[h3]Is BlackFoot Studios selling out?[/h3]
Not at all. Even if we had not retained complete creative freedom and full rights to the GROUND BRANCH franchise—which we have!—MicroProse has been taking a pretty hands-off approach to all titles under its brand, ensuring not only the integrity of the developers’ core vision, but also of the company’s legacy:

[h3]"Sid [Meier] always said you need to make games with limited information, that are time critical with significant outcomes, and reward players that made the right decisions. […] It’s real enough that you feel you actually accomplish something, and not because you got a power-up."[/h3]
—Bill Stealey (co-founder, former CEO, and currently a consultant for MicroProse) for GamesIndustry.biz

As you can tell from the quote above, GROUND BRANCH fits right into MicroProse’s ecosystem.


[h3]Sneak peek: upcoming maps[/h3]
As part of the partnership announcement, MicroProse has uploaded a whole bunch of brand-new screenshots to their website, including many from a still unannounced map. Below is just a little tease—you can check out the full gallery here.



➥ YES… HA HA HA… YES! (Full gallery here)


[h2]🔥 SALE: Get -15% on GROUND BRANCH![/h2][h3]Ends in 48 hours![/h3]
To celebrate our partnership with MicroProse, we’re doing a small sale: buy GROUND BRANCH on Steam within the next 48 hours and get a 15% discount off your regional price!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/16900/GROUND_BRANCH/

If you prefer buying it from our own official GB store (via PayPal, fixed USD price) so that we get the full cut from your purchase, use discount code MICROPROSE15 during checkout: https://www.groundbranch.com/index.php/store/

Spread the word, grab an extra copy, seize the opportunity.


[h2]MicroProse Community[/h2]
If you’re an old fan of MicroProse or just a big strategy or simulation buff, be sure to join their growing Discord community right here!

To learn more about all of the games currently under the MicroProse brand, follow this link.


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