Update 1.13
Overview
The most significant update we put out in 2023 was Update 1.13. It included a new target, a new weather condition, completely overhauled event gameplay, and added a brand-new set of traits and weapons.
Event Gameplay
Design
For Tide of shadows I was responsible as feature owner for implementing and designing our new pledge system. Since Devil’s Moon we required a extendable system that supported more pact traits. I created a system that allowed us to dynamically update the state of supply points to show players their pact specific traits.
Implementation
Since each player could be pledged to a different pact we needed a way to show all pact traits simultaneously. We opted to make the visibility for each pact trait relative to the client. So players could see different rewards depending on which pact they pledged to. This allowed us to fit 9 different traits while only occupying the physical space of 3 traits. This space saving mechanic was a requirement since our existing supply points couldn’t change in terms of footprint.
Ship Altars
Design
The ship altars filled the role of the event collectable during Tide of Shadows. It retained a lot of the functionality from the previous event’s collectable. We mainly changed around the looks and audio of the collectable to reflect the Tide Of Shadow art direction.
Implementation
There was a lot to do on the technical front since the new assets differed quite a lot when comparing it to previous collectables. So some refactoring was required to fit these new art and audio assets.
Ammo Resupply Rework
Design
In 1.13 we reworked how resupplying ammunition works. The amount you resupply from ammo sources is now a fixed amount per ammo type carried. The previous resupply ruleset worked by resupplying you with a percentage of the total amount you could carry. By decoupling the carried amount from the resupply ruleset we create some more room to balance weapons using ammo carry capacity.
Implementation
To ensure a smooth transition I analyzed the amount resupplied by the old system. I wrote a small python tool that allowed us to read in game data from weapon files. From the game data I was able to extract the maximum ammo carry amount each weapon had. I then applied our old resupply ruleset to these amounts and exported these values out into a data table. I then used this data to make an informed decision on which fixed amounts we should pick for our new resupply ruleset. I approached it like this since I wanted to retain as much of the old balance as I could.
Tool Box
Design
The tool box is a deployable item we added to allow for players to resupply their tools on the go. The tool box itself already exisited as an item that could be found in the world so there was not a lot design work. We also made sure that this could work as an impromtu melee tool.
Implementation
We had to make a small addition to the weapon system to make it possible for designers to provide a rotation for spawned items, in this case the tool box.
Medical Pack
Design
The medical pack is a deployable item we added to allow for players to heal themselves and a teammate on the go. The medical pack itself already exisited as an item that could be found in the world. So it already had a clearly designed ruleset.
Implementation
We had to make a small addition to the weapon system to make it possible for designers to provide a rotation for spawned items, in this case the medical pack.
The Drilling
Design
The Drilling is a versatile firearm with two rifle barrels for quick and powerful follow-up shots and an underbarrel shotgun as a backup. It balances the strengths of both weapon types, but with longer reload time and intensified recoil for a distinctive impact.
Implementation
The drilling was technically interesting. We hadn't designed a weapon that could show different ammo types being reloaded simultaneously. Our weapon system didn't support this feature, so we had to do a lot of work to make it happen.
Another small part that has an interesting setup is the chamber indicators. If you look closely in the video after a chamber is fired its indicator is lowered to show users that the chamber is empty. We dynamically change these indicators by offseting a bone based on the chamber state.
Community Reception
I was quite happy with how the drilling and the event was received by players. There were some concerns about how powerful the weapon was going to be. But once players were able to get their hands on it they realized it striked a nice balance to the point it was actually considered overpriced.