Major Update 5 “Bootcamp” Is Here – New Tutorial Mode, P-40 and More!

Our new major update, "Bootcamp," is out! Learn more about what is new in this update here.

New Features / Content

Linear Tutorial Mode

For this major update, our team focused on something that has been one of the most common requests in reviews, surveys, and general feedback: a proper linear tutorial mode that gradually unlocks the UI and guides you through every important step. Many new players felt overwhelmed by the game’s systems and UI when playing for the first time, so this is an important step toward improving onboarding as we move closer to the 1.0 release.

Please note: Not all languages are supported yet.

The tutorial is available in English but not in other languages yet because it's a very fresh feature and the texts weren't available yet for translation work.

If you are a non-English speaker, if you know a non-English language, you can help the game become accessible for more people by adding your own translations with this easy online tool:

TRANSLATE GROUND OF ACES

(We will update Crowdin with the new tutorial texts this Friday.)

Thank you so much to all our community translators!

Updated Quest System with Rewards

We expanded the quest system so that it gradually unlocks and rewards you with building elements and props. This way, people don't get overwhelmed with too many choices right away, and you get steadily introduced to new objects and structures that you can build.

Steam post image

PRO MODE if you want everything unlocked from the start

For players who want everything unlocked right from the beginning: There is the "Pro Mode" option. Just open the map parameters and click the checkbox for "Enable pro mode" and you can play the game like before.

25+ New Props

We added another batch of new props based on feedback from the community. You can use them in the map editor, and you unlock them in the normal game mode while going through the quests.

• Typewriter Table

• Stove

• Metal Bed

• Wooden Bed

• Shelf: Books

• Shelf: Folders

• Shelf: Personal Stuff

• Locker

• Filing Cabinet

• Metal Table

• Outdoor Table

• Chalkboard

• Pilot Board

• Anti-Tank Pimple

• Small Fuel Tank

• Water Tower

• Clothesline

• Clothing Rack

• Clothing Stand

• Polish Military Airport Flag

• Wicker Chair

• Scramble Bell

• Telephone

• Warning Sign (Gas)

• Warning Sign (No Smoking)

• Warning Sign (Track Discipline)

• Warning Sign (Low Flying Aircraft)

• Warning Sign (No Entry)

Drag Placement for Sandbags

You can now build rows and squares of sandbags using the drag placement tool, making it much faster and easier to create defensive lines.

[EDIT] Please note: Fences Temporarily Disabled

Fences are currently disabled as buildable elements while we work on adding drag placement support for them as well. Our programmer is still working on implementing drag placement for fences, and they will return in a future update as soon as possible.

If you are currently working on a custom map that requires fences, the alpha build on the testing branch still includes them. You can finish placing fences there, then move to the updated version to continue working on the custom map with the new props and features.

We apologize for the inconvenience. The change for the fences is a bit more complicated because we want to keep the fences that were built the old way still intact on all the existing maps, and that works a different way than the sandbags.

The P-40 "Kittyhawk" Has Landed — New Content in the Free "Wings of Valor" DLC

Our free bonus DLC "Wings of Valor" also received new content:

• The Curtiss P-40 "Kittyhawk"

• The "Malta" skin for the Supermarine Spitfire

• Decorative Posters

You can simply add the DLC for free, and the new content will be available in the main game:

Ground of Aces Wings of Valor

What is "Wings of Valor"?

This DLC is a promise we made during our crowdfunding campaign and we are now building it up piece by piece. Wings of Valor exists thanks to the incredible support of our backers, who made it possible for us to lay the foundation for additional content beyond the base game.

Wings of Valor is available for free in its current state, as it currently includes only part of its planned content and Ground of Aces itself is still in Early Access. It will transition from free to paid when we launch the 1.0 version of the game. Players who pick it up now will receive all future additions at no extra cost.

Planned content for "Wings of Valor":

• De Havilland Vampire

• Another aircraft voted on by the community (tba)

• An additional aircraft selected by the development team (tba)

• Digital artbook

• Two legendary pilot NPCs voted on by the community

Other Improvements

• Added some new icons to the toolbar that should be easier to recognize at a glance

• Unified most scroll bar visuals

• Added Crew HP to Crew, Plane Management and Mission Menus

• Added planes being on missions to Plane Management and Mission Menus

• Changed names of props to better reflect them

• Added colored prop icons

• Adjusted some influence spheres

• Added toggle for auto speed up during night phase to options

• Adjusted the capitalization of multiple objects in-game to make it consistent

• Disabled accidental overwrites of provided maps

• Bug Fix: Cancelling a blueprint from a crate with the destroy tool allows it to be replanned again

• Bug Fix: Cancelling the destruction of a crate doesn't change the view to the constructed version anymore

Thank you for playing and supporting Ground of Aces! Don't hesitate to leave a review here on Steam. It really helps an indie game project like ours!

We will monitor the new reports and feedback that will come in now and over the weekend.

• The Blindflug Studios team