41.69 Unstable - Niiice

Heya everyone, so today we’re pushing the 41.69 patch out into the Unstable beta, which you can subscribe to by right-clicking PZ in your Steam library, selecting Properties, now go to the Betas tab and select the "unstable" branch from the dropdown menu.

This is a the first release of a wide-ranging version that touches many parts of the codebase – including some fairly foundational stuff to improve the smooth running of MP, some handy new hooks for modders and many and various different fixes and improvements.

The full and unexpurgated changelist is pretty vast, but a quick topline run-through of its contents will now follow:

• FixedIn MPimprovements to car physics, admin improvements, anti-cheat fixes, better handling of dead bodies, PvP and safehouse fixes, fixed grass growing through safehouse floors and much much more.

• VHS fix – an end to the peril of one-time-use video tapes on servers.

• A raft of Steamdeck compatibility improvements.

• New items, new forage finds, updated 3D models, new hair types and more.

• Scarecrows and Lab Skeleton ‘mannequins’ that can be kitted out in player clothes.

• Quality of life features: renamed Skill books, better item placing, movable minimap and many and various other things.

• 3D items now shown as textures rather than models. As such they now slide around less when the player moves, and have far less of a performance impact when all piled up.

• New/improved tag system for modders, and other general mod-side improvements.

• Added ambiance noise for different areas on the map tied to particular buildings and items, such as a little bit of mall muzak.

• Relevant ‘power down’ noises for the above-mentioned sounds to flag the power/water cutting out.

• New sounds for arcade machines, gas pumping, vehicle headlights and car window opening (both via handle and electric windows). Also BBQ noises, campfire sounds, fireplaces and more zed trip/thump stuff.

• Improved treatment of inside/outside sounds depending on whether doors and windows are open or closed.

• Loads of UI and controller improvements that are universally handy, but have primarily been put in for (you lucky!) Steamdeck users. 41.68 works okay with the new handheld device, but 41.69 should provide some vast improvements.

• Lots of general balance, including a spotlight on foods and recipes.

• A shitload of general fixes.

We would be hugely grateful if players could move over to 41.69 and report any oddness or hiccups, and likewise to inform the creators of any mods that have been broken. We have done our best to bypass disruption, but in such a wide-ranging patch there will always be mod toes that the code has unavoidably trodden upon. (Creators of radio/TV-related mods should especially pay attention to the MP VHS fix, as it may cause some issues.)

OTHER STUFF

Elsewhere work continues on Build 42 and 43 content continues, with RJ still focusing on farm animals, and also the introduction of some basic AI versions of wild beasts also. Please consider these WIP!

Also coming to you today with a WIP tag (as we are working on far better player directional ‘strain and lean’ animations rather than a repeated ‘pull animation’) is a video from Aiteron showing his current work on the fishing update. A lot of work these past few weeks has also been into making it work online, and our testers have been having some impromptu fishing competitions already. Here, also, you can see:

• Water splashes (visuals WIP) to show placement of groups