V1.4.0 - Decked Out Update

Our V1.4.0 content update is finally here with the freshly-minted Decked Out Update. Here's what to expect with this (literally) huge update:

Features

Decker Grinder

Decker, aka "Salvage, Dicer, or Last Boss," has been called many things in its various aliases within VOX, but none of those roles were ever player-controllable. That’s about to change with the Decked Out Update, where we’ll put you in the hot seat of this big beauty. Here's a taste of the unique awesomesauce Decker will bring to the table:

• FixedBig Guns2 Large mounts and 2 Fixed. Good luck with the bindings!

• Humming Shift: This short-duration aerial strafe in any cardinal direction () will have your opponents guessing where you'll touch down next.

• Armour+ : This big boi is a damage sponge, as you'd expect.

• Big fuel tank Its breadth of reach is surprisingly far, just don't expect to be ascending to any great heights or lifting off again soon.

• High Heat Capacity: Gotta be able to cool all them shiny guns down, am I right!?

Campaign Quest Bubbles

This feature is all about making intermission quests more clear to follow. We're adding floating bubbles next to character's heads who's conversations progress story threads both critical and minor. There will be bubbles to differentiate between major or minor quests, and ones to show that a character needs an item before the story can proceed.

Campaign Intermission Skipping

This one is for the player who just wants to dive into the action bits of the campaign without all the intermission exposition. While it was already possible to skip intermissions, the option was a bit hidden so we’ll present a clear skip option before each intermission except the 1st one (so players can still learn how to move around for the briefings).

Mount Damage+

(only for weapons on swiveling mounts)

While working on rebalancing Decker, We decided to make a set of global changes/improvements to how the swivelling weapon mounts on work:

• Grinder damage readouts screens now show mount health.

• Disabled mounts will point down. This is visible from both the cockpit and outside.

• Made it more clear to others when a mount has been disabled with additional FX.

• Mount health has been balanced across all grinders and mount types.

In Conclusion

So another jam-packed VOX release, and that's without even getting into platform-specific features for those "continuing their VOX Quest elsewhere." We're so thrilled to finally be able to round out our original core vision for the grinder roster, and can't wait to hear about all the unique ways Decker is changing the game.

Full V1.4.0 Patch Notes:

New Stuff

New Grinder: Decker

• Giant Heavy Grinder with 2 Large and 2 fixed Mounts

• Humming Shift: a lateral short duration jet for additional traversal

Singleplayer Campaign QoL

• For players interested in only gameplay bits, intermission skipping options are now presented during titlecard sequences

• Campaign intermissions characters show helpful visual thought bubbles near their heads to indicate crucial and optional questlines

• Characters that require quest objects given to them will show a unique visual thought bubble indication so player knows their status

Improved

General

• New missile trail effects that last longer, look better, and are more consistent on Quest vs. PC.

• Mallet missile is more clearly visible as it approaches with a cloud ring after arming

• Terrain texture resolution improved on some levels with blurrier patches

• Rook/Drill/Decker stat descriptions now to include extra line for clearer descriptions

• Updated Pulsar effects to punch through fog better

• Many weapon impact effects render more efficiently on Quest Platforms

• Skythorn arm effects more visible through fog from the shooter's perspective

• Heavy foot impact effect is now much more efficient to render, esp for Quest users

• Jumpjet effect visuals improved

• Mallet explosion effects more efficient on Quest

Mount Damage+ (only for weapons on swiveling mounts)

• Grinder damage readouts screens now show mount health.

• Disabled mounts will point down. This is visible from both the cockpit and outside.

• Made it more clear to others when a mount has been disabled with additional FX.

• Mount health has been balanced across all grinders and mount types.

HOTAS

• Added support for VPforce Rhino FFB Joystick

• Added support for VelocityOne Flight Stick

• Added support for VPC WarBRD[-D]

Gameplay

Campaign

• Mission 6: Frank moves quicker through the chase section of the mission.

• Mission 6: Frank's health gets boosted to a higher minimum after the base defense.

• Mission 6: One less consistent enemy chasing you during the chase section of the mission.

• Mission 6: Turret enemies now aim a bit better during chase section to make up for frank moving quicker.

• Mission 5b: There are a few less little worms to eliminate during boss battle

General

• Updated Pulsar effects to punch through fog better

• Grinder Stats visuals in grinder selection menu have been altered to make sense relative to Decker's stats.

• Rook's front bars have been reduced in their dampening effect

Fixes

• fix for hummingbird jet effect not showing up sometimes

• fixed lighting falloff animation on the large cannon impacts so they don't end so abruptly.

• Boundaries will no longer be set to an incorrect boundary for training missions

• Goldrush laser will now properly shoot people at higher angles

• Fixed bug in m5a where jones could constantly be reminding to catach up throughout the mission

• Fixed some boundaries having holes in them where you could pass through

• fixed an issue where a boundary could appear invisible

• Fixed audio issues occurring during higher stages of botstomp

Audio

• New Humming Shift SFX Audio