Update 1.3.11

Dear Tankers and Mechanics!

today we're releasing another patch with fixes and a few new features.

Situation report

Our extended discount ended on October 22. We would like to thank everyone who purchased Tank Squad, recommended it to others or shared feedback during the sale. Your support makes a real difference and helps us continue development of the game and the upcoming Ponyri DLC.

Today, we’re releasing Update 1.3.11. This patch focuses on AI behaviour, performance, audio and quality-of-life improvements. Tanks can now use their coaxial machine guns against infantry, infantry spawning has been optimised to reduce CPU usage, and the Battle Scale settings now provide clearer control over the forces used by the enemy AI Commander.

We’ve also introduced Cinematic Tools for Spectator Mode, improved custom squad-name support and added automatic Quartermaster Force Pool replenishment. The sound system has received another extensive rework to reduce audio cut-outs and improve vehicle interiors, weapons, impacts, ricochets and reload sounds.

Alongside these additions, the update includes numerous fixes for vehicle passengers, procedural missions, self-propelled guns, APHE projectiles, cloud saves, vehicle tracks, infantry behaviour and multiplayer vehicle commands. Work on the Ponyri DLC is continuing in parallel, including further improvements to its environments, fortifications, vehicles and AI-controlled aircraft.

Take a look and read our last Development Status #98 if you haven't got a chance:

Cinematic tools

The tools are available in Spectator mode. To access them, first open the Spectator panel, then press F8 or click the SHOW CINEMATIC TOOLS button at the bottom.

Changelog 1.3.11

Below is the list of changes being made:

Added:

• Added Cinematic Tools to Spectator Mode.
• Added camera distance, movement, view, orbital smoothing and camera roll controls.
• Added camera target selection and automatic target tracking in Free Camera mode.
• Added controls for mission time, weather and post-processing effects.
• Added support for saving, loading, resetting and deleting custom post-processing presets.
• Added a new flesh-wound impact effect for infantry.
• Tanks can now use their coaxial machine guns against enemy infantry.
• Static weapon crew commanders now correctly hold binoculars.
• Added a separate button for resetting keybindings to their default values.
• Added automatic Quartermaster Force Pool replenishment after every three missions.
• Added new ricochet sounds for different projectile sizes.
• Added new sounds for very large cannons, Soviet medium cannons, the Karabiner 98k and the MP 40.
• Added a new tinnitus effect for severe player damage.

Modified:

• Custom squad names and selected squad types are now saved in generated Force Pool data.
• Custom squad names are now preserved on the Battle Map and in the in-game HUD.
• Split the Battle Scale setting into two separate options showing the exact number of platoons
• vailable to the enemy AI Commander.
• Improved Soviet 61-K anti-aircraft gun collision detection for AI targeting and ballistics.
• Improved infantry combat poses, with soldiers using crouched positions more frequently.
• Optimized infantry animation initialization to reduce CPU usage when units spawn.
• Optimized infantry equipment attachment to reduce CPU usage during spawning.
• Optimized Panzer III M, Panzer IV H and StuG III G meshes to reduce memory usage.
• Updated vehicle status icons with clearer solid colors and shadows.
• Improved keyboard icon presentation on loading screens and in the in-game Manual.
• Improved the handling and filtering of units in Spectator Mode.
• Player-initiated engine and machine-gun loops now receive higher audio priority.
• Interior engine sounds are now activated only when the player is inside the relevant vehicle.
• Added separate interior and exterior variants for reload sounds.
• Added an optional behavior allowing very large APHE shells to explode without penetrating.
• Increased the capacity of important engine, weapon and interior audio channels to reduce sound cut-outs.
• Improved the balance, range and priority of engine, cannon, machine-gun, ricochet, impact, flyby and reload sounds.
• Reduced unnecessary long-distance NPC movement, melee, reload and shell-casing sounds.
• Improved the responsiveness of projectile flyby and ricochet audio.
• Improved Tiger reflection sounds and adjusted T-34 and other vehicle audio.
• Improved internal impact sounds and restored player hit-feedback volume.

Fixed:

• Fixed incorrect behavior and LOD handling on the Ferdinand command variant.
• Fixed the Ferdinand not being detected by enemy AI.
• Fixed custom squad names not being displayed correctly in the Force Pool Modify window.
• Fixed custom squad names being lost or replaced.
• Fixed self-propelled guns continuing to fire indefinitely.
• Fixed self-propelled guns having problems rotating toward infantry targets.
• Fixed armor gaps behind the KV-1 driver’s visor and hull machine-gun mount.
• Fixed tutorial and Battle Progress shortcuts activating while in Spectator Mode.
• Fixed stale or incorrectly filtered units appearing in the Spectator Unit Selector.
• Fixed the AI Commander spawning the same infantry squad type for every APC or tank-rider passenger squad.
• Fixed StuG III G decals flickering.
• Fixed incorrect weather and time settings in several missions.
• Fixed an incorrect APHE explosion position in the ballistics simulation.
• Fixed infantry becoming permanently trapped inside trenches.
• Fixed detached tank turrets falling endlessly beneath the terrain.
• Fixed incorrect or missing infantry voice lines during melee combat.
• Fixed the game suggesting dead squads as available reinforcements.
• Fixed German battle cries playing two voices simultaneously.
• Fixed the Turret Aiming Speed value being missing from the interface.
• Fixed an enemy T-34 spawning too late during the first campaign.
• Fixed Sd.Kfz. 251 tracks not being properly damaged or repaired.
• Fixed the Flakvierling not being highlighted when it was the last unit defending an objective.
• Fixed rearming a vehicle not restoring smoke grenade and fire extinguisher data in the vehicle save.
• Fixed player-commanded multi-crew vehicles ignoring the selected movement-speed order.
• Fixed passenger-slot problems affecting multiple vehicles and preventing passenger squads from spawning in procedural missions and the Ponyri campaign.
• Fixed retrying a failed cloud-save download causing another environment level to load at repair sections.
• Fixed incorrect voice-over playback for mount-up and disembark commands.
• Fixed the AI Commander ignoring limited-tank restrictions in procedural missions.
• Fixed several engine and machine-gun loops being muted, interrupted or playing at incorrect distances.
• Fixed quiet or missing vehicle interior sounds when several vehicles were active simultaneously.

Noteworthy internal changes:

• Continued development of unit selection and order issuing through the Battle Map.
• Fixed counterattacks not functioning correctly.
• Fixed APCs spawning without passengers.
• Fixed defending enemy tanks spawning at incorrect Battle Station entry points.
• Fixed missing or incorrectly placed fortifications in Ponyri sectors.
• Improved localization asset performance.
• Updated Addressable content and DLC asset-reference handling.
• Embedded the VFX Graph package into the project.