Episode Summary:This episode is a massive dev drop packed with updates from the last two weeks. The team walks through the ongoing overhaul of vehicle systems, focusing on the Ajax transport. Derek covers the migration of vehicle AI from Blueprints to C++, including new pathfinding behaviors, formation syncing with infantry, braking logic, and adaptive driving based on terrain. Vehicles now stop sliding off buildings when they spawn, thanks to new handbrake logic. The discussion dives into formation integration, improved enemy targeting, garrison logic, seating logic, and plans to enable ramming, shooting from vehicles, and parachute drops.They also highlight upcoming work: destructible environment objects (fences, trees, mailboxes), ramming logic based on vehicle weight class, and how players can eventually use vehicles tactically to break through dense city layouts. A double-click “run mode” is proposed to let vehicles choose whether to obey roads or brute-force through structures, borrowing from classic RTS control schemes. There's also an exploration of vehicle handling, friction issues on hills, tight cornering, and real-world-style terrain collision debugging.Beyond vehicles, the episode covers improvements to the infected: new ambient sound behaviors for idle vs. alert states, refinements to their death and damage logic, and plans for special infected variants like SWAT, firefighters, and medics — all with different resistances and combat dynamics. Nighttime gameplay is also being rebalanced with “stalker” types that become more aggressive after dark, adding pressure and urgency to nighttime missions.The custom game options system is now fully live, letting players modify everything from day/night cycles to infected stats, gas tower range, and more. These settings are shareable via Steam Workshop using a streamlined mod tool that supports JSON-based presets. Players can upload and download challenge modes, tweak gameplay on the fly, and save/load preferred configurations. The system is future-proofed for doctrine integration, and plans are in motion to balance logistics around vehicle fuel and ammo costs through MRS (Mobile Resupply Systems).Other highlights include:Operator shooting range added to the main menu for weapon testing19+ weapons being reintroduced by end of yearNew infected visuals and shader work underwayPreparations for weather, moon cycles, and eventual upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.6 or 5.7Fixes for turret line-of-sight issues, dancing tree VFX bugs, and infected noise replicationPlanned rework of the save/load system targeted for mid-DecemberMap designer “Cre” returns with a new coastal town map and early landscapable price balancingCommunity Q&A covering FOB buildings, operator deconstruction tools, and netcode optimization for ambient soundsThe team reiterates their end-of-year goals: polish Ajax, finish ground vehicle features, implement doctrines, operator improvements, and get the game into a strong position for the holiday sale and the January rebuild anniversary. Players are encouraged to test aggressively, report issues, and experiment with the new tools.
