SoC: Update 2.0 | News 17.08.26
Hey everyone!
It’s been a little over a month since my last post, so I think it’s time to share some development news with you. Work on the project is still moving forward, and right now I’m preparing a lot of new content. However… as you might expect, all of that takes time.
First of all, I’d like to talk about the OST for Update 2.0. Yes, we decided to release it now rather than wait for the actual update, and we don’t see any problem with that. Even if someone tries to use the tracks in their own projects, they probably won’t fit very well, since the ambient music was specifically written for Update 2.0 to create and convey the atmosphere we want for the game!
The ambient tracks were created by Artyom Rudkovsky, and the videos will be released on his channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@NEUROGRUZOVIK
The weapon-related part of Update 2.0 is already in the final stretch.
For the most part, all that’s left is to finish the weapon model icons for the inventory, as well as the upgrade and attachment icons for the customization system.
Over the course of working on this part of the project, I’ve reworked a huge number of textures, replaced numerous models, polished some of the animations, and expanded the customization system where necessary.
It was especially important to keep all the textures at a consistent level of detail and maintain a unified visual style. Why? Because even high-quality textures can look out of place next to each other if one is highly detailed and contrast-heavy while another is much simpler or uses a completely different approach. Your eye starts to focus on individual elements, and the work no longer feels cohesive as a whole.
That’s why I tried to keep the overall level of detail consistent, use the same approach to materials, and maintain a unified look and feel across all surfaces. This way, the textures don’t just work as individual pieces — they come together to form one cohesive visual experience.
On top of that, I’ve also been working on other aspects of the game, such as particles and anomalies. Some of the effects were taken from third-party projects, while others I created myself.
There’s also a new feature currently in development for the anomalies, which I’ll be showing a little later! I’m also working on several visual effect variations for each type of anomaly, so that players can judge how powerful an anomaly is based on its appearance.
Special attention is also being given to unique anomalous formations — there will be quite a few of them in Update 2.0!
Alongside the main development work, Kirill and Maxim created a huge number of new models and made the final adjustments to the Swamps location! Below, I’ve shown only some of the models they made, but you can find more screenshots at the link below:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/S3qMhX92VR13c6pf6
Alternative link:
https://postimg.cc/gallery/GbtZCcH
Now, let’s move on to Patch 1.4.9 for the currently available version of the project.
First of all, here’s a small list of features that will be included in the new update and have already been implemented:
- Exoskeletons:
- They are no longer a full-body suit, but a separate module.
- They can be installed on any suit.
- There are three types of exoskeletons available to the player: Stalkers, Duty, and Freedom.
- Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.
- Stamina now affects jump height, movement speed, and weapon reload speed.
- Aiming speed is now affected by the weapon’s weight and the protagonist’s fatigue.
- Weapon-raising speed near obstacles depends on the protagonist’s fatigue. At 100% stamina, the weapon is raised faster than it was before the patch.
- I’ve partially adapted the more advanced character controller from Update 2.0. The character’s acceleration and stopping will now feel much smoother!
In addition to these changes, I’ve also adjusted the protagonist’s parameters. When overloaded, the character will now become exhausted much faster.
Overall, these changes have improved the gameplay rather than making it unnecessarily difficult. The character no longer feels like some kind of Terminator who can carry a ridiculous amount of equipment and casually run around anomalies and mutants without any consequences.
The game has become more challenging, but there’s no mindless hardcore difficulty here — the parameters are tuned quite well. I’ve also slightly adjusted the damage taken by the protagonist, making the character a bit more resilient overall.
Location changes
Almost every location in Patch 1.4.9 has received improvements to some degree, and this time I’d like to show the changes made to *Yantar*.
Visually, I expanded the location so that it no longer feels like it simply ends right in front of the player. I also reworked the vegetation: in many areas I removed unnecessary elements, while adding more vegetation around the additional geometry.
I also replaced some of the trees in certain areas, improved the swampy terrain, slightly increased the level of detail inside the bunker and the factory, and fixed a number of other issues.
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