NavalArt update V1.4 Beta - Parts, optimization, and preview features

Foreword

Due to the substantial workload involved in developing the career framework, level configuration, and testing, we have decided to release the official 1.4 update in mid-February.

As for the core game updates, they include a large number of new parts, numerous bug fixes, and extensive optimization efforts. After undergoing a half-month stability test within the community, these changes are now ready for an official release.

We have therefore decided to roll out the above content in advance as Version 1.4 Beta, in order to improve the overall player experience.

Version Control Recommendations

You can switch versions in the Properties menu of your Steam library, choosing either Version 1.32 or the Public Test Branch.

Steam post imageThe 1.4 Beta default release will only receive bug fixes in the near term. No additional updates will be made before the official Version 1.4 release in mid-February. This branch represents the most stable version.

The Public Test Branch is intended for ongoing testing of new mechanics and for collecting feedback on new content. At present, its content is identical to the stable release.

After collecting feedback and fixing any potential issues in the stable release, we plan to open early testing of the Career Campaign on the Public Test Branch around January 20, with new content being updated periodically before mid-February.

Note: The Career Campaign will undergo extensive adjustments during the testing phase. Career save files created in the test version may not be compatible with the official 1.4 release.

Optimization Projects

Major improvements to save file loading speed

General

• Optimized CPU-heavy operations such as UV calculations

• Added preloading for deck material resources

• Optimized ship loading functions

• Optimized buoyancy curve calculations

• Optimized weapon loading

• Optimized static loading, including improvements to RebuildMesh for adjustable hulls

Dock Scene

• Reduced the number of materials used in the dock scene

• Optimized mesh generation logic for vertex-edited hulls

Summary

On a personal mid-range PC, loading an ~8,000-part save in the dock scene was reduced from 4640 ms to 1700 ms, making dock loading 2.7× faster

Dynamic scene loading was reduced from 4290 ms (2309 ms + 1981 ms) to 2366 ms (1692 ms + 674 ms), nearly a 2× speedup

Major improvements to combat scene frame rate

General

• Added screen-pixel-occupancy-based LOD; LOD currently applies in combat and sea trial scenes

• Significantly reduced the performance cost of anti-aircraft weapons

• Optimized wake/track rendering frame rate

• Optimized draw time for shells, torpedoes, and other weapons

• Optimized particle performance in combat

• Optimized ocean height sampling functions

• Optimized physics calculations

• Optimized turret pathfinding algorithms

• Optimized UI performance overhead

Summary

On a personal mid-range PC, in the mission Hunting Flagship Yamato:

Before optimization:

Early phase: ~60 FPS

Mid phase: ~40 FPS

After optimization:

Early phase: ~116 FPS

Mid phase: ~70 FPS

Overall frame rate improvement of approximately 2×

Steam post image(Credit: Discord Worldoz )

General

• Added AI torpedo range checks

  • When a target enters 80% of torpedo range, the AI will launch torpedoes.

• Added ship loading failure notifications for all scenes

• Fixed an issue where screenshots with non-transparent backgrounds contained semi-transparent pixels

• Fixed an issue where using in-game text input fields could trigger other hotkey functions

Dock

• Fixed an issue where creating an empty save that was not saved before entering Sea Trial would cause the empty save to be loaded again when returning to the dock

• Fixed an issue where the bottom hotbar in the dock scene could not correctly assign custom parts

• Fixed an issue where color-separated parts were not visible in Armor Mode

• Fixed an issue where part paint was not restored when undoing a deleted part

• Fixed an issue where the text showing vertex movement distance did not disappear when exiting vertex editing with the ESC key

• Adjusted the generation angle for new ship save thumbnails

  

Gallery

• Added independent ray tracing parameter controls for individual ships

• Added the ability to adjust ship position and rotation while using the ray tracing renderer

• Fixed an issue where the ray tracing renderer incorrectly rendered flags with transparency

• Fixed an issue where Gallery presets could save ships that had already been deleted

• Adjusted ship placement in the Gallery so that right-click can be used to cancel placement

Steam post image（Credit: Discord Deviant）

Level

Added Airstrike Level

• UK WWII Early

• UK WWII Mid–Late

• UK HellLoop

Adjusted

• Reduced the number of enemy aircraft in all non-HellLoop Airstrike Level

• Airfields in the Sea Trial scenario now display the player fleet’s flag

Fixed

• Fixed an issue in the Battle Test IJN Escort Carrier campaign where the player spawn point was at the edge of the map

• Fixed the ship name issue for Leninsky Komsomol in campaign scenarios

• Fixed weapon configuration issues on Omaha-class ships in campaign scenarios

Steam post image(Credit: 平子鱼)

Custom Color Segmentation System

Sailor and Civilian characters now support custom skins and outfit coloring.

The following parts can be customized: Hat, Brim, Skin, Collar, Tie, Clothes, Trousers, Footwear.

This system is still under development. Due to optimization considerations related to weapon part color segmentation, it currently supports character customization only.

Parts

Advanced weapon animation

Multi-Trunnion Elevation

• Now supports weapon parts with multiple barrels

Weapon Component Linkage System

• Weapon components can now shift position and rotate in response to elevation changes

• Supports Gunsight Elevation Linkage

• Supports Complex Rigid Linkage

These features currently apply only to vanilla parts and will be made available to mods after a future ModTool update.

Added

• High-arc trajectory support for anti-ship missiles

Steam post image(Credit: Discord Worldoz)

Added the following parts or variants

Adjustments

Provided Multi-Trunnion Elevation and Weapon Component Linkage System support for the following parts

Adjusted or fixed the following parts

Rework the following parts models

Apply smooth shading to the following models

Adjusted the following parts

Aircraft

Added engine vectoring animations for VTOL fixed-wing aircraft.

Fixed an issue where the tailwheel of n676 Grumman F3F “Gulfhawk” did not touch the ground after placement.

Adjusted the animation curves of propeller-driven aircraft slightly.

Adjusted n680 Hawker “Sea Hurricane” to add catapult-assisted seaplane takeoff support.

(Credit: Discord LakV)