Today we’ll be releasing the new 1.32 build to our default branch. This update is a rather big one when it comes to gameplay. We’ve introduced two new mechanics and made quite a few quality of life fixes. If you run into any issues on 1.32, please report them directly to the team using the in game tracker (fixed in this patch). Of course as always you’re free to come join us and speak with the team directly on our official Discord server.[discord.gg]

We’ve made some massive changes to the way zombies ‘hear’. The much improved system allows for zombies to respond to a sounds origin rather than simply locking onto the player. This falls more in line once again with the original concept. Zombies don’t just respond to sound, they’re annoyed by it in a sense. What this means is, the more noise you make, the more trouble you’ll be in! We will be expanding greatly on zombie awareness and general behavior in the coming updates so please provide ideas and feedback!

Changes to zombie response to noise:

• Zombies have the ability to walk to a sound instead of chasing the player instantly.
  
• Walking zombies can open doors and break windows
  
• Their chance of ignoring a sound is high when their annoyance is low
  
• Their chance of going to the sound is high when their annoyance is increased
  
• Small chance of AI still chasing player with high annoyance (when player fires weapons near zombie)
  
• Outdoor zombies have a higher response to noise and they move for longer to the sound source

A massive mechanic we have always intended to incorporate into the game is sneaking. The current stealth system leaves a good deal to be desired. The updated system is exactly what we envisioned from the concept. The new stealth/sneak mechanic has been completely developed from the ground up.

We have greatly expanded on zombie noise detection, adding a good deal of depth and realism to zombie behavior.

Sneak and Comfort UI

Another new mechanic players will notice is the rested/comfort mechanic. This mechanic is part of the backbone to our improvements in overall gameplay when it comes to structures and setting up a home base. As some of you know, we’ll be expanding on structure customization, trapping and overall structure systems. The comfort mechanic is an early introduction to a bigger overall system.

As the system stands now in its infancy the buffs and mechanic are quite simple.
How the comfort meter and resting works, players receive a constant health and stamina tick when in a structure. The buffs remain active at all times when in a structure. Leaving a structure begins the buff timers countdown (3m).

• The player receives a comfort buff when in a structure
  
• The comfort level is based on your surroundings
  
• A fire raises comfort level
  
• Placing a sleeping bag raises the comfort level
  
• Comfort buff timer counts up (3 minutes) as of now
  
• Once the time reaches the top the buff is activated
  
• The buff timer doesn’t start counting down until the player leaves the structure
  
• Buff effects health
  
• Buff effects stamina

*Take Note!
These changes represent a shift in the team's current dedication. We have a really enjoyable game but it needs some polish. Tweaking mechanic behavior is very much based on player feedback. A good deal of which we get from both the in-game reporter/suggestion feature and our official Discord. As with most all of our development, nothing introduced in 1.32 is set in stone. We will listen to your feedback and make adjustments as we see fit.

We plan on expanding on both zombie behavior and the newly introduced comfort system in the next few updates so feel free to share any and all ideas you may have!

We’ve made some decent quality of life improvements in 1.32. Firstly we’d like to thank everyone who has been providing quality tickets via the in-game reporting feature. These tickets go directly to the team and help us dictate exactly what should be worked on and how important it is to everyone.

Some of the fixes include being able to log off near zombies, an annoyance that was originally introduced with good intention however is no longer needed. We’ve also made numerous fixes to the /stuck system, players can use stuck while in vehicles now and the stuck command now works while ‘moving’ this should fix issues where players were stuck far above the ground and system checks thought they were moving.

Additional improvements include players that may fall through the ground while in a vehicle will now place you back on the terrain rather than shooting you off in the general direction of mars. Check out the additional quality of life changes below.

• It is now possible to log off near zombies.
  
• Quitting the application no longer causes a crash.
  
• Stuck command now works when in vehicles.
  
• Stuck command now works when moving. In the event the player is far from the ground.
  
• Falling through the ground while in a vehicle now places you back on the ground.
  
• Campfire grill now turns red when it cannot be placed.
  
• Commercial generators now have double the capacity at 40 units of fuel

Andre had some time to work on some lighting issues, one of them being fires ending so abruptly. This effect was rather jarring, to the point it felt like something might have broken with the fire rather than you running out of fuel. This quick improvement adds a great deal the the ambience and lets the player know their fire needs tending without the shock!

Fire light improvements

Woodstove lighting

This week's community spotlight is an event that has been put together by one of our supporters LobitoGamingTV.[www.twitch.tv] He has taken it upon himself to gather up a bunch of fellow streamers and content creators and try to get Survive the Nights some much deserved traction. There are 20+ streamers participating in event held all day Saturday, May 18th. There will be a dedicated streamer server, keys for giveaways and general creator driven madness. Be sure to check on his channel and others over the weekend!

Some of the creators participating in the event and giveaways are listed below! (subject to ya know, stuff and things)

lobitogamingtv[www.twitch.tv]
askasto[www.twitch.tv]
auroragigglefairy[www.twitch.tv]
mrsspookypants[www.twitch.tv]
kualija[www.twitch.tv]
kenny_the_viking[www.twitch.tv]
lars_the_viking1[www.twitch.tv]
pitchieb[www.twitch.tv]
gamerbearloki[www.twitch.tv]
williamnharry14[www.twitch.tv]
hamandlizgaming[www.twitch.tv]
stefutnik[www.twitch.tv]
omgitzvexy[www.twitch.tv]
swarr102[www.twitch.tv]
sarahandjeff[www.twitch.tv]
lord_reveka[www.twitch.tv]
r3dhot_gaming[www.twitch.tv]
kira5175[www.twitch.tv]
phoenixkinggamingofficial[www.twitch.tv]
steeliatee[www.twitch.tv]
soukiden[www.twitch.tv]
luellaa[www.twitch.tv]
c0nflicx[www.twitch.tv]


Performance

• Reduced texture resolution on various oversized textures.
  
• Optimized some particles that were incorrectly prewarming.

Comfort

• Added all new resting system with multiple comfort levels. The more rested a player becomes, the longer they receive buffs to their health and stamina regeneration.

Quality of Life (QoL)

• Fixed ammo duplication glitch.
  
• Weapon wear option now also affects melee.
  
• Required calories in day can no longer go negative.
  
• Day progression now works consistently.
  
• It is now possible to log off near zombies.
  
• Quitting the application no longer causes a crash.
  
• Stuck command now works when in vehicles.
  
• Stuck command now works when moving. In the event the player is far from the ground.
  
• Falling through the ground while in a vehicle now places you back on the ground.
  
• Campfire grill now turns red when it cannot be placed.
  
• Commercial generators now have double the capacity at 40 units of fuel

UI

• Added new sneaking/noise indicator UI
  
• World creation page overhaul to make the flow better and provide increased information before joining game.

Zombies

• Zombies no longer respawn quickly when returning to the the area.
  
• Cleared structures now stay empty for longer.
  
• Overhauled zombie hearing/vision to make sneaking possible.
  
• Fixed issue which caused zombies to repeatedly scream.

Environment

• Improved campfire/hearth visual effects.
  
• Fixed items falling through building interior items.
  
• Fixed AI walking through various props like concrete barriers and shipping containers.
  
• Fixed zombies walking through tents that have been harvested.
  
• Fixed gap between river and terrain.
  
• Fixed collision issue on bridges at swamps.

Server/Host

• Starting servers that have loot respawn disabled no longer causes server lag on started.
  
• Config option for disabling hordes now works as expected.

SFX

• Reduced combat sound volume.
  
• Reduced zombie footstep sounds.
  
• Increased dampening of zombie footstep sounds when there is a wall between player and AI.
  
• Increased footstep sound falloff.

Analytics

• Improved analytics data collection so that we can make informed decisions more easily.

If you're enjoying the game and our recent updates, please consider leaving a review. Thanks for your support! :)

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