Patch 0.9.0 is Live - 🗺️ Custom Maps 🎮 Controller support 🤖 AI Updates

In this patch we are continuing to follow the roadmap and launch the Custom Maps feature. This allows players to submit their own environments and missions. This bring a new wave of content coming in to the game. We suggest continuing to check back in the game to see what your fellow players have been cooking up. However, that’s not all that is included in this update. We have two other features we have included that came as a direct result from your feedback. Controller Support and improvements to the AI. We will go into detail about each feature included in this update and you can get the detailed change log at the bottom.

Custom Maps

We want to start by thanking everyone again for your help with the custom map beta. We were able to identify several areas of improvement and squash some bugs in the process.

Custom Maps will allows players to get new content from other players. New Maps with new unique missions. To access these missions, head over to the main mission board and look to the right, this is where the Workshop missions will be located. If you want to try a mission, click on it and press the subscribe button. Once you are subscribed the Missions will show up in the main mission board.

Thanks to community members Joules and CommodoreShawn there are already 3 new missions available. Make sure to check them out.

Controller Support - Beta

We know how important it is to be able to play your way, so we made controller accessibility a top priority. Dagger Directive now supports controllers like Xbox and PlayStation and also handheld systems like Steam Deck and ROG Ally.

When you launch the game, it’ll automatically detect your controller and load a default gamepad layout so you can jump right in to play. Also, just like with keyboard and mouse, actions are fully remappable in the settings menu. Set things up exactly how you like and play on the device that feels best for you. For a feature as detailed as this, we want to make sure we are addressing your needs. Which is why we are considering this first release as a Beta. We are planning to continue working on the controller accessibility (for example: adding a radial menu for weapon attachments), so we want your input. Please post any suggestions or feedback in our Discord.

To add some additional support for hand held devices (like a Steam Deck) we have also included a new setting in the Settings Menu (in the General tab). You can now find a “UI Menu Scaling” option. This can increase/decrease the size of the UI throughout the game*.

*Note: This UI setting is tied to your cloud save data so the setting will carry over if you change to a different device.

Default controls are setup as followed

AI Improvements

We hear your feedback loud and clear especially around the AI, so we took action. During this development cycle, we carved out dedicated time to address the most common concerns players have been raising. Alongside several design and functionality updates, we also resolved a number of bugs that were impacting AI behavior.

You should now see the AI reacting more realistically in combat scenarios. Key improvements include:

• Suppressors have a much greater effect. Using a suppressor now decreases the suppressed alerts and even prevents the alert depending on the weapon type and range.

• To offset the suppressors a bit we added a nearby impact alert. If you miss your shot and the round impacts the wall behind the AI then it still alerts them. If it passes by without impacting anything then there won’t be a reaction. The range scales based on weapon type.

• We changed the way they respond to fire. Instead of firing in the direction of the incoming fire they will narrow in on you over time. This is randomized so they may get lucky and fire near you or they may get unlucky and fire 50-100m away from you.

• The AI’s accuracy now decreases over time. Originally it would increase to provide more of an opportunity to return fire but it never decreased again. Breaking contact and re-engaging them would mean they started with very high accuracy. Now it falls off again if they are not actively shooting so they have to build up to higher accuracy again.

• Adjusted the fire delay based on the last time they had a target. This causes the AI to start with heavy fire and have it fall off over time. It resets if they see a target again.

• Lowered their night time vision a bit more to make it easier to sneak around at night and break contact if needed. Their flashlights still improve their vision as long as the target is in the flashlights cone.

This is another incremental step in our effort to improve the AI to account for various play styles. They were a bit too difficult now and hopefully we haven’t gone too far in the other direction. We’d love to hear your feedback and we’ll use it to make more improvements!

Host Unable to Revive Bug

We’ve been tracking reports where the host couldn’t revive other players. This one was tricky to reproduce, so it took some digging, but we’re confident we found the culprit. The issue should now be resolved. If you still run into this during gameplay, please let us know so we can keep hammering on it.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to play the game, reach out with feedback, or just took a moment to let us know you are having fun. With 0.9.0 out the door, we’re already moving into Patch 0.9.1, focusing on more AI improvements, performance, controller polish, and the fixes that keep the game feeling better with every update. We take your feedback seriously, and we’re committed to making thoughtful, meaningful changes that elevate your gameplay experience.

Change Log

• [AI] Reduced shot passed by alert distance for all weapons.

• [AI] Using suppressors further reduces the shot pass by alert distance.

• [AI] Reduced range for the AI under attack distance to help prevent too many AI from responding at once.

• [AI] Each bullet now has a max distance for pass-by alerts. Shots that are too far or moving too slowly will no longer alert AI. Ranges between 75m-600m depending on the round. Suppressors further reduce this range. This further helps to reduce the number of AI alerted by one shot flying by.

• [AI] AI reacts to bullet impacts now. If your suppressed shot misses, and you fire from far enough to not trigger the suppression alert, impacting a wall close to the AI character will trigger a nearby impact alert. This offsets the previous change a bit.

• [AI] Accuracy now falls off over time instead of just going to the max and staying there. So if you break contact and then attack again they will have the lower starting accuracy.

• [AI] Increased fire delay based on the last time the AI saw a target or received a combat alert. This causes their suppressing/blind fire to reduce over time if they no longer see a target.

• [AI] Added a shot delay reset if the AI sees a player after not seeing them. Improves reaction time when seeing a target while searching for them.

• [AI] Reduced volume of fire against helicopters.

• [Art] Improved post processing effects, mainly around color correction. Scenes shouldn’t be quite as dark during the day as they had been before.

• [General] Added the friendly fire indicator to the binoculars.

• [General] Reviving is now radius based instead of needing to look directly at the interactable. This should make it easier to start reviving.

• [Graphics] The game will now detect if it’s running on the steam deck and set the proper graphics settings for you. It will only do this the first time it’s launched on the Steam Deck.

• [Input] Added improved controller support that includes default button mapping, button icons are displayed in the menu, and added more input options to allow taps or holds to activate actions. Tap and hold times can be adjusted in the General Settings tab.

• [Input] Input mapper now displays what was mapped.

• [Input] Multi-axis keybindings now properly show all inputs and are locked.

• [Input] Unassigned keys now display as “Unassigned” instead of a blank area.

• [Missions] Fixed the incorrect dialogue playing when the intel is collected on Dock Disruption

• [Missions] Fixed found drug dialogue occurring twice on Dock Disruption. Previous saves will still have the issue.

• [Weapons] Magazines now update their weight based on the ammo remaining

• [UI] Added a clock to the map menu that displays the current mission time.

• [UI] Steam keyboard will open when using a Steam Deck or Big Picture Mode when selecting a text field.

• [UI] Added UI scale options for 0.5x, 0.75x, 1x, and 1.25x. The Steam Deck will default to 1.25x. This can be changed at any time from the General Settings menu.

• [Workshop] Added custom map support (https://www.daggerdirective.com/custom-maps-guide)

Bug Fixes

• [AI] Fixed AI side stepping back and forth too often..

• [Attachments] The PGO-7 description now has the proper magnification listed.

• [Attachments] Fixed 1x scopes showing as 2x in the UI.

• [General] Cleaned up shaders to improve performance and batching.

• [General] Fixed Move Left and Move Right being reversed in the Settings UI.

• [General] Fixed controller support count. It was limited to 1 controller. You can now have up to 100 connected.

• [General] Potential fix for Host not being able to revive other players.

• [General] Fixed death cam not working in multiplayer when dying from fall damage.

• [Graphics] Fixed impact effects rendering only on one side.

• [Graphics] Improved performance in and around the armory by ~15%.

• [Input] Fixed input name displaying incorrectly when adding an additional mapping.

• [Input] Fixed left and right movement controls displaying the opposite description.

• [Input] Fixed not being able to remap one direction of movement and look axis input.

• [Missions] Fixed the environment post processing not matching in the ship when you select a mission. It had been slightly different.

• [Networking] Improved Players IK. You should not see floating weapons on players anymore.

• [Networking] Fixed a few issues around networked objects not cleaning themselves up and ending up floating in the ship scene.

• [Networking] Fixed an error in mission loading where the clients could start loading before the host has finished sending all mission info causing the clients and host to get stuck in a black screen.

• [Save/Load] Fixed drone orientation not saving. Affects new saves going forward.

• [Save/Load] Magazines in the players inventory now save and load ammo counts correctly. Affects new saves going forward.

• [Save/Load] Fixed mortar strikes not resuming when loading from a save.

• [UI] Controllers names are now plain text to make them easier to read.

• [UI] Fixed the crouch input mapping dialogue not displaying correctly in the training.

• [Weapons] Fixed floating suppressor on AK74.

• [Weapons] Fixed missing suppressor slot on SVD.

• [Workshop] Fixed custom weapon pistols not slotting into pistol slots.

Known Issues

• [Networking] Swapping an attachment can cause it to show as floating for other players. Detaching or dropping the old one and then slotting in the new one avoids this.

• [Networking] Rare issue of rejoining a game failing and sitting on a black screen.

• [Workshop] Custom maps briefing audio starts playing if you have the briefing muted. Turing the mute off and on again fixes it.

• [Workshop] Completion stars on the mission selected for custom maps will sometimes display too many levels.