SANDSTORM News Patch 1.4.2 and Halloween Event Now Live

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We’re releasing a patch today that includes new limited time Halloween content, gameplay improvements, bug fixes, and more. As stated in our last patch earlier this month, we are still planning to make improvements to the playlist system. Stay tuned here for more, as we will be releasing our third State of Production post soon.

New Halloween Content

• Limited time Co-op playlist: Task Force 666, Oct. 24th - Nov. 4th
  
  • We found an old VHS tape of some Australian indie horror film called “Task Force 666” in the basement of our new Calgary office.
    
  • We watched it. Turns out it was cursed.
    
  • Our team started getting sick and delirious. Lots of blood.
    
  • Everyone came to and suddenly we had a new Co-op playlist scheduled to go live today.
    
  • It’s Hardcore Checkpoint against Frenzy enemies at night.
    
  • Available on night time version of Farmhouse map with only weapon flashlights to guide you.
    
  • Supply points are increased from 20 to 30.
    
  • Players respawn with Mk 18 CQBR.
    
  • Both you and Frenzied enemies steal health when you deal damage equal to the amount of damage you dealt, with a maximum of 300.
    
  • We are unsure at this point if the playlist is also cursed.
  
  
  
  
  
• Limited time Versus playlist: Vampire Team Deathmatch, Oct. 24th - Nov. 4th
  
  • Kill the enemy more than they kill you with whatever weapons you like.
    
  • Steal health when you deal damage equal to the amount of damage you dealt, with a maximum of 300.
    
  • Available on all maps during the day.

User Experience

• During an official match, when the map changes, players will be rearranged and assigned to teams based on individual performance. This is to encourage more enjoyable matches where teams feel more evenly matched. The system will not split up players together in a party, and instead will treat them as a unit.

Critical Fixes

• Fixed a frequent and persistent crash caused by skeletal mesh merging, which is a system that optimizes character cosmetic rendering.

Gameplay

• Increased the recoil for the FAL.
  
• Decreased recoil for machine guns when firing while aiming down sights.
  
• Decreased recoil for the Galil.
  
• Decreased recoil for the Galil SAR.
  
• Reduced the supply cost by 1 supply for the following weapons:
  • M16A2
    
  • M16A4
    
  • G36K
• Added the Greased Bolt weapon upgrade for the Insurgent Commander class in Co-op.
  
• Added the Tracer Ammo weapon upgrade for the Alpha AK in Versus and Co-op.
  
• Increased speed of weapon switch animations to and from underbarrel grenade launchers by 20%
  
• Added new drum magazine speed reload animations for the Galil and Galil SAR.
  
• Added the M82A1 CQ to Insurgent Marksman class in Co-op.
  
• All underbarrel grenade launchers now utilize the correct “muzzle strike” animation when performing a melee attack.

Visual Improvements

• Updated the pistol sprint animations for first and third person to keep the pistol pointed forward.
  
• Updated the pistol sprint melee animations. They no longer use an open hand, and now start and end in the new sprint position.
  
• Updated the first person M203 underbarrel grenade launcher models to be barrel mounted instead of rail mounted.
  
• Updated the M16A2 third person model with a new barrel mesh.
  
• Updated all AK variants with new third person grenade launcher component animations.
  
• Updated the generic first person walk cycle animation to match the speed of Hardcore default run speed.
  
• Created a new first person ready animation for the VHS-2 when equipped with a grenade launcher.
  
• VHS-2 smoke rounds for the grenade launcher are now blue and white to match the ones used by other weapons.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where the laser sight weapon upgrade was not replicating correctly for other players.
  
• Fixed an issue where the player’s leg would not be visible during the door kicking animation.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Mk 18 CQBR would receive too many magazines.
  
• Fixed an issue where the RPG-7 when dry fired would animate the weapon’s sight instead of the trigger.
  
• Fixed an issue where reloading the M24 or Mosin when prone or crouched would result in the arm not animating correctly.
  
• Fixed a bug with the shell moving slightly during the start of the first person VHS-2 grenade launcher reload animation.
  
• Fixed an issue where if you rebind the lesson pop up key to anything other than the “L” key, it would not show this updated binding in the UI when the player was prompted to press it.
  
• Fixed an issue where the VHS-2 and QBZ-03 weapon icons would not always reliably show in the stats and end of round screens.
  
• Fixed an issue where the QBZ-03 would not transition correctly when swapping mid reload between drum and standard magazines, or standard and drum magazines.
  
• Fixed an issue with the third person M16A2 where the barrel mesh would be attached to the magazine.
  
• Fixed an issue where players would not see the correct movement animations if joining a Hardcore Co-op match late or playing on a server running the Slow Movement mutator.
  
• Fixed an issue where the first person AKM magazine would flicker during a speed reload. Y’know because it was so fast.
  
• Fixed an issue where the player would see the rocket disappear then reappear, without reloading it, on the RPG-7.
  
• Fixed an issue where the incorrect animation pose would play when discarding the AT4 in first person.
  
• Fixed an issue where the incorrect animation would play if viewing an Insurgent character rigging a weapon cache objective in third person.
  
• Fixed an issue where the characters arm would become displaced during the third person mine preparation animation.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Flamer enemy in Co-op Frenzy would not always be on fire for some players in the server.
  
• Fixed an issue where the 4x PSO-1 scope could potentially clip with the camera when the weapon it was attached to was fired in full auto.
  
• Fixed an issue where the G3A3 bipod was not animating correctly.
  
• Fixed an issue where the L85A2, VHS-2, and QBZ-03 could not scavenge mags from the Mk 18 CQBR.
  
• Fixed an issue where the drum magazine would not show correctly when resuming a staged reload with the VHS-2.

Map Fixes

• Hillside
  • Fixed a collision issue on a snowbank which would allow players to hide inside of it.
  • Fixed an exploitable sight-line to the weapon cache objective on Push Insurgents.
    
  • Added a set of wooden fences to a balcony on Skirmish to prevent the weapon cache objective from being destroyed from a distance. These fences are built to be extra sturdy and can take multiple rocket rounds without buckling in the slightest.
• Ministry
  • Fixed an issue where players were able to exit the playable area.
• Crossing
  • Fixed an issue where the lighting in the Loadout room was over exposed.
    
  • Fixed an issue where certain ground textures were flickering.
    
  • Fixed an issue where a rock could be seen through, allowing players to defend objective A on Push Security.
    
  • Fixed an issue where ground textures were clipping with one another near the E objective on Checkpoint Security.
    
  • Fixed an issue where players would be required to jump to get over numerous ground obstacles instead of being able to walk across them.
    
  • Fixed an issue where players were able to access an unintended room on Skirmish.
• Hideout
  • Fixed an issue with a specific door that would become stuck when destroying the hinges in Push Security objective A’s building.
    
  • Fixed a clipping issue with a particular wall hole that players could become stuck in at Security spawn on Firefight East.

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