- Fixed: M2MG gunpod no longer fires off center - Fixed: AF-4J couldnt fit 4 sparrows on stores + centerline stores - Fixed: FM-104G explodes when using wing stores - Tweaked: Only enemies now show up on minimap - Fixed: Missile locking volume drowning out everything else - Fixed: Percentage for throttle 2 remained in UI for aircraft that do not have secondary engine controls. - Fixed: Flare counter didn't work - Tweaked: Minimap enemy display size - Tweaked: Improved YF-16E turn rate at all speeds - Added: A-4D central stores - Tweaked: YF-17 flight model improved, stabilators fixed. - Tweaked: MGI-29L flight model improved, stabilators fixed. - Added: XF-20 stabilators - Added: XF-T stabilator - Tweaked: YF-31 Active Aim sharpened; low frequency oscillation on roll axis traded for more precise low magnitude, high frequency oscillation - Tweaked: Typhoon control surfaces now cover full length of trailing edge - Fixed: YF-5D erratic flight model & AI bailing out on start - Fixed: AF-4J flies less like a brick -more like a smooth brick - Tweaked: MGI-17 can now carry Atoll and Alkali - Fixed: XP-80F front gear was not visible - Tweaked: FM-104G OP turn rate nerfed - Tweaked: USSR missiles have different lock tone now - Tweaked: Overall lock tone - Added: MGI-23 belly grids & conversion inner wing hardpoints from stores to grids - Added: MGI-23 stabilators - Fixed: YA-15 loadout bug where weapons on the right wing would not be applied in sortie
Notes - Old saved loadout presets for the YA-15 are no longer compatible. To fix go into the loadout preset xml and change "wingRIght" to "wingRight" - There are still some issues with the XF-12 and TY-95 on which the AI seems to bug out and crash into the ground. I haven't yet gotten to the bottom of this but the problem seems to lie deep within the AI behaviour loop.
Active Aim Control
I decided to use this event to provide some further elaboration on the new active aim control scheme. Unlike some other games that use similar systems, active aim still requires you to fly the plane "properly" and think about your aiming motions as a pilot. To use active aim correctly, you have to fly fluently, in one motion. No rapid inversions to negative G, no maneuvers you wouldn't normally perform using conventional roll/pitch/yaw control. You cannot simply aim and expect the nose to perfectly face in that direction, you have to guide its movement in a natural way and aim when the aircraft is in a good, positive state. This puts the "active" in active aim; you're still flying the aircraft yourself.
Aggressor Campaign Development
The coming few weeks I will be putting Aggressor through a large scale testing process including nearly every possible combat scenario, every type of aircraft or weapon, all types of operations and all entity variations in one grand theory. Results of this testing will be shared in the discord along with pictures of (non-classified) events. In order to realize this, I'll start coding all the different gamemodes at once. In effect put the game together as a cohesive whole and ensure, in this moment, that every single gamemode I had planned for the future is supported using the current data model. This means it may be a while until the next update, so if you find any serious issues, report it to me quickly so I can make a patch while the game is still "intact".
This development will take place alongside the much needed 3D mission builder overhaul. In summary, you will be able to fly around the mission builder in 3D and place objects in places that would normally be obscured by overhanging geometry.
Driving this development will be the creation of 2-3 internal missions featuring just about every mission scenario/feature/aircraft type imaginable, so that this new mission builder will be capable of creating the campaign. Think of stuff like the capability to handle large aircraft formations, carrier operations, VTOL tailsitters and proper AI ground navigation under non-standard circumstances.
-Markz out
Update 1.1.9
1.1.9 - Control Update
The main focus of this update was the addition of a new control scheme called "Active Aim". This control method allows you to aim your aircraft with the mouse. Toggled by right click, this is now the default secondary control method. It's not exact due to the unstable nature of the physics calculations and suboptimal PID values, but it does a good job once you get the hang of it.
Aircraft
In total 4 new aircraft have been added, 2 of which are trainers. The 2 flight school missions I've previously mentioned in the DC have been put on hold awaiting the mission builder update. Because of this, the trainer aircraft are not flyable by default, you would have to manually modify the data files to pilot them.
There are two new fighter aircraft you do get to control though;
The YFA-17 Cobra, powered by two 14000 lbf thrust class engines, makes for an excellent dogfighter at all altitudes. This plane's famous carrier-borne derivatives will play a major role in the upcoming campaign, details of which will be disclosed later on.
The XF-T is a fictional spin on the XF-5E based on the Hesa Saeqeh jet fighter in service with the Iranian Air Force. In game, it features upgraded aerodynamics and lower weight than the XF-5E, resulting in superior power-to-weight ratio and climb performance. The twin tails provide increased vertical stability, making for an easier aiming experience. These planes will be part of a rogue squadron, featuring in a later campaign.
Stabilators now work on aircraft that use them.
Changelog
- Added: Active aimed control method for mouse control - Tweaked: XF-20 red livery was missing streak - Tweaked: XF-5E tail fin & exhaust redesign - Added: XF-5E red streak livery - Tweaked: XF-20 AFB redesign - Added: XF-T - Fixed: G-force effects now work with UI hidden - Tweaked: clean fire onset - Tweaked: improved cockpit instruments precision and calibration speed - Fixed: YF-29 hardpoint cameras - Fixed: Weapons attached to fuselage disappearing - Added: Vastly improved cockpit lighting - Added: YFA-17 - Added: L-39F - Added: YA-130 - Added: Working stabilators on YF-16E and YFA-17 - Fixed: Orbit camera issues - Fixed: YF-16E stabilized and calibrated. The flight model does not feel heavy anymore - Fixed: Instant dogfight loading times optimization - Added: Instant dogfight options for fuel, ammo and cockpit g-force effects - Tweaked: Ambient wind sound greatly reduced - Added: Advanced dynamic reverb based on surrounding geometry - Fixed: Incorrect reflections at high altitudes - Fixed: Chase camera no longer spawns far away from aircraft - Tweaked: Aircraft prices adjusted - Tweaked: Flares optimized, better CPU performance - Fixed: when camera is forced out of the cockpit due to disintegration, cockpit muffle now toggles off - Tweaked: fire visual improvements - Tweaked: afterburner visual improvements - Added: CHAFF and it's ability to distract radar-guided missiles like the AMRAAM - Tweaked: Active aim is now the default for mouse control, with conventional pitch/roll as second option - Tweaked: Minigun sound improvements - Fixed: Condensation remaining after wing destruction - Tweaked: Drastic improvement in high altitude manuevering for all aircraft - Added: Missile/bomb/rocket ammo - Fixed: Reduced the chance of rollover when ground handling - Tweaked: Ground particles now match terrain color - Fixed: Hangar CC - Added: Control surfaces can now be jammed and torn off by collisions (previously only bullet hits and explosion shockwaves) - Fixed: MGI-17 & MGI-19 loss of control and/or blowing up upon instantaneous pitch and roll above 400kts - Tweaked: Controllability of all jets - Fixed: MGI-29L hardpoint cameras - Added: MGI-21 & 21PD airbrakes - Added: Instant dogfight now supports bombers - Added: Setting that allows freelook in action cameras (locked means fixated on aircraft, mouse means you can freely look around) - Added: UI angle of attack indicator - Fixed: FAB-250 collider intersections - Fixed: MGI-17 tail being ripped off - Fixed: LA-11FN and Fang propellers not taking damage - Added: Minimap - Added: Setting for toggling minimap (settings-HUD option) - Tweaked: Secondary control smooth x and y sliders now feature linear increments (only relevant for roll/pitch mouse controls) - Added: UPK-23 gunpod (ussr) - Added: FAB-5000 (ussr) - Added: Steam Achievement "The Big One" - Fixed: Steam Achievement "Big Gun" wasnt working - Added: 2 entities
NOTE You may have to rebind the pop flares control if you had previously changed it. The pop flares control was renamed to "Pop Flares/Chaff"
Whats To Come
Over the following months, two campaigns will be created. The first campaign, codenamed Blue Sky (not the actual name), will take place in the mountains. The majority of operations will be carrier launched. The timeline is modern warfare, with the inclusion of 5th gen fighter aircraft. Future campaigns are to be developed sequentially, one after the other.
The second campaign is closer to Aggressor's original vision and style. Like the first campaign, it takes inspiration from various air combat creative works released in the past, details about the missions will remain top secret for the time being. Dozens of new unreleased/unflown aircraft will see action for the first time in this campaign. It will be released alongside the full game launch, AKA at the same time Aggressor gets out of EA. With the addition of this second campaign, this launch window runs well into 2023.
-Markz out
Experimental Controls Patch
[Screenshot unrelated]
NOTE: this update gets rid of the fireworks
Controls Patch
A minor patch/update with the biggest change being the option of having gamepad controls for camera orbit/lookaround. Three new options have been added to the control settings panel, but only 2 of them; the camera and view sensitivity options are in working order. The "secondary controls" refer to the control scheme you can toggle in flight with right click, AKA the mouse as joystick scheme. Its been renamed to secondary controls because you will soon be able to control the aircraft with something other than the mouse in this mode.
Changelog
- Fixed: singlemissions return button in hangar now actually works - Added: loading screen - Fixed: UI now picks up negative G's - Added: cockpit G-force effects - Added: view sensitivity option - Tweaked: hangar UI - Added: new options to control settings panel - Fixed: gamepad or other controllers should now be supported for looking around - Fixed: FAB-250 interfering with camera - Tweaked: NS-45 ammo count increased from 40 to 200 - Fixed: weapon camera not working on USSR missiles - Tweaked: More aircraft are now compatible with the later model Sidewinder - Tweaked: USSR missile trails - Tweaked: USSR engine heat - Optimized: afterburner light optimization - Optimized: USSR missiles
ANNIVERSARY UPDATE
Aggressor
Taking a break from the usual serious nature of updates to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of Aggressor. On this very day, 1 year ago, Aggressor was released to the public in early access at approx 12:00 UTC. A moment to remember, I made a small update to celebrate. This wasn't just some aimless venture taking up development time of real issues though. I used this opportunity to get familiar with the Unity VFX graph, an extremely powerful tool for visual effects that allows not 10s of thousands (current particle systems), but millions of particles to be displayed on screen. It does this by making heavy use of GPU acceleration.
EFFECTS CAN BE INVOKED BY USING THE WHIPLASH MISSILE (available only on high tier aircraft).
The possibilities with this are certainly exciting and something to look forward to. When the time is right for more larger scale events to be added to the game, this will be the primary tool to accomplish the visuals while retaining performance.
(NOTE: Another patch will come approx 24-48 hours after this one which will return the Whiplash missile stats to normal and remove the special effects, enjoy it while it lasts)
Changelog
- Tweaked: moon brightened - Fixed: UI remaining after close - Fixed: peaks map too bright areas - Added: sonic boom visual effect - Tweaked: sonic boom sound more acute - Fixed: decreased minimum gun range on some aircraft allowing shots to be taken at close distance. - Added: Whiplash missile - temporarily enhanced - Fixed: jet fire remaining after disintegration
Update 1.1.8
Summary
A small update adding some new content to the game but mostly focused on fixing some technical issues picked up by the community. Most notable of the new weapon types would be the 106mm recoilless rifle you can mount on a P-51.
NOTE: Camera orbit control rebinding left out for now because of technical issues with mouse axis detection.
Changelog
- NOTE: Camera orbit controls left out because of technical problems with mouse axis rebinding. - Fixed: ussr bomb not compatible - Tweaked: YF-29 Sideram loadout now uses AMRAAM instead of ASRAAM. - Fixed: landing gear phasing into the ground on hangar override - Tweaked: increased Colt Mk12 damage by 30% - Added: single missions free flight button when mission is accomplished - Tweaked: payout for a mission decreases with the number of times you completed it - Tweaked: USSR missiles performance improvement - Added: mission summary for singlemissions - Fixed: mission builder now uses the unlocked hangar - Fixed: Wingtip weapons twisted at non-zero heading - Fixed: Failing to place a weapon on an occupied position still removed the discard button - Tweaked: Can no longer change hardpoint attachment type or exit loadout editor while actively dragging weapon - Fixed: Weapons cycling issue where unselected weapons would still attempt to lock - Fixed: Locks maintained after cycling to new weapon type - Optimized: Removed 200+ legacyUI objects from world + old scenes removed from build - Optimized: Various old systems removed from world and approx 6000 lines of code removed - Optimized: Water collision optimization - Tweaked: Part fire explosion coloring - Tweaked: XP-82T gun layout - Added: M2MG Pod - Added: P-51N military cavalier livery - Added: P-51N wingtip stores - Added: 106mm recoilless rifle - Fixed: XP-82T lacked target info throwing errors - Added: Option to align camera with horizon (current) or aircraft roll (new) in settings. The 3rd "target align" option is still WIP. - Added: 1 second padlock kill delay before switching to next target - Fixed: FM-104G could not manually equip later Sidewinder model - Added: XF-20 2 red liveries - Added: XJS-10 grey military livery - Tweaked: XJS-10 afterburner heat - Tweaked: YF-16E flight model improvement - Tweaked: Islands map color - Added: Ocean map - Fixed: Parking brake causing some aircraft to phase into the ground on mission start
Patch 1.1.7
Patch 1.1.7
A small update following up on 1.1.6 with some changes and tweaks plus an extra livery for the XF-20.
Changelog
- Added: nation can now be switched in the menu by clicking on the big nato/ussr text top left of the screen. - Fixed: invert roll/pitch mouse control settings - Fixed: weapon controls not picking up stick inputs - Fixed: music not playing occasionally - Changed: data no longer saved when exiting instant dogfight, only when moving to the hangar, decreasing load time. - Fixed: wingtip weapons exploding on some aircraft - Fixed: tail surfaces coming off XFS-8, XFY-107, MGI-23 and Taifun - Tweaked: cloud intensity ridges map - Fixed: bombs exploding in various configurations - Fixed: auto-trim not kicking in - Tweaked: XP-84B ammo count - Added: XP-84B afterburner visual - Added: XF-20 livery - Tweaked: tree color arena map
Update 1.1.6
Caution: This update will discard all player progress. Post incomplete but will be expanded tomorrow
Introduction
Hello all! At last, I present to you Aggressor 1.1.6: New Horizons. As much as I'd like to make this into a massive post right now it's getting late so I'm keeping it short. What you need to know is that the main reason for the long wait was a core revamp of game systems which proved necessary to support the various new gamemodes and gameplay mechanics that are on the horizon, coming to the game within the next few months.
State of 1.1.6
The game now has an experimental mission builder which should be used with great care, considering it is still in active development and not foolproof. You can play around with it but don't press the wrong buttons in the wrong order.
Instant dogfight is still the main gamemode you'll be interested in for now since there is still just one campaign; flight school. Had to scrap all the old missions, just 2 thankfully, since they might as well belong to a different game now. The AI now uses a decentralized model allowing me to make it much more complex without creating too much obfuscation. The biggest change of all though are the controls, which now use Rewired. Rewired is an advanced input system with support for many more types of flight sticks and modules.
Gameflow
Instead of choosing your nation continuously throughout the play session, you now set this on a one-time startscreen that determines player nation for the entire game session. Much of this flow is defined by various data files that are now stored in the flashpointstudios folder (previously flashpointgames). You may delete the flashpointgames folder as it is no longer in use.
Progression
Aircraft are no longer progress locked in the instant dogfight gamemode and any future quick-action gamemodes will follow this rule. The campaign however will still feature the same currency system for acquiring weapons and aircraft. I've designed some interesting mechanics for this that will be explained in the follow up.
Many less sinificant but still interesting features have been sneaked into this update during it's long development, an example would be the missile cam shown above that is activated by holding down the fire button.
Changelog
Further details will follow tomorrow morning as I expand this post. For now, here is a list of some prominent changes/fixes:
- Flight model changed - 3D crosshair - Core data structure changed to accommodate future gamemodes Frontlines and Aloft and speed up content addition - Complete controls revamp with full rebinding using Rewired - Missile guidance improved - External flare module Extra control settings panel added for input smoothing and other properties not found on the rebinding screen - Added landing gear for all aircraft - Aircraft naming convention changed - Added Skypedia - Added experimental mission builder - Game volume fixed - Cockpits for XF-5E, F-86AF, F-86FX, P-51N, LA-11FN, Fang, YA-15, MGI-15 and MGI-17 - Flight School campaign overhaul - Clear Sky campaign - Complete UI and menu navigation revamp - Added various AI aircraft - Parking brake - New maps - Droptanks - More missiles - Different VFX bombs, missiles, explosions, part explosions, part fires and more - Added flares - Rain - Added singlemissions/simple campaigns gamemode - Instant dogfight revamp - MiG-21PD VTOL jet - Select/deselect engine controls - Complete weapons system and targeting overhaul - General-Purpose AI (GPAI); revamped, more easily upgradable AI - Various new liveries - Camera system revamp - Various extra camera features (MSL CAM, ACTION VIEW, etc) - Various entities - Removed add cash button - Added 2 menu soundtracks - Various optimizations - New post-FX (motion blur and chromatic abberation) - New settings panel with live tweaking of values - Manual trim - Auto-trim system, settings included - Parking brake - Loadout presets - Hangar overhaul - Sound overhaul, increased volume range. - Better overall visual quality - Increased pilot kill probability on cockpit hit to 1 in 50. (previously 1 in 100) - Midair collision sound effect
NOTES - Minimize G-forces when retracting/extending landing gear to avoid malfunction - Do not set parking brake at speed over 5 knots - The mission builder barely works - A handful of controls in the mission builder still use the old system and cannot be changed for now - Use procedural world preset in the mission builder at your own risk, generation algorithm will change in the future.
Known issues - Large aircraft landing gear problems. - Occasional failure to fire when missiles of varying type are attached to an aircraft - Fix in patch 1.1.7 - Mission builder: cannot open another mission after mission already opened. Exit and enter mission builder again and then load the new mission. - If using a joystick or any other module for throttle/trim, make sure the remap throttle and/or remap trim are disabled in the controls panel (not the rebinding panel) - Some aircraft like the XP82 have a tendency to roll to one side - Cannot delete flight/triggers in mission builder
I'd like to hear your feedback in the discussions, I will be more active on here from now on as opposed to the previous months, when everything was constrained to the Discord.
Update 1.0.6
Description
This update brings a few more experimental features to the table. Most notably: landing gear, which is as of now only available for the Marlin, Claw and Comet aircraft. A landing gear control has been added, assigned to G by default.
Landing gear is fully integrated with physics, this means it is affected by aircraft manuevers. Moderate to high G-forces and rolling moments could induce retraction problems, so fly as smoothly as you can when the gear is not locked down yet.
The select instances control has been removed to make missile firing slightly easier/less confusing. Now, you just switch between next/previous weapon types, and fire as many as you want (of that type) by pressing Fire.
Also interesting is the Scramble gamemode which is being worked on. For now it just serves as a sandbox for the brand new General Purpose AI (GPAI) that will eventually replace the old model. Scramble will be an incremental gamemode where you fight off intruders, defending the airbase and it's facilities. You will make use of the airbase for refueling/rearming and will be able to scramble wingmen to help you out.
Some other changes: - Added "Typhoon" fighter - Increased performance of Storm/Thunderstorm/Supercell weather - Sun improvements - Flight model tweaks to various aircraft - New, more dramatic heat blur effect for various high tier jets
Visions for the next update
I will attempt to introduce a cockpit view to the game. Just like with the landing gear, this will happen gradually, with more and more planes being equipped with cockpits as time goes on. Also more optimizations to the weather system, improving the performance and look of clouds. Engine start and shutdown operations are on the way as well. Many people have reported that joystick yaw is inverted, so I will add a toggle to control that.
Patch 1.0.5
Fixes the hills map not being loaded. You can now safely load this map without locking up your screen.
Update 1.0.4
Things: - Added "Hills" map - Fixed target markers - Sound tweaks - Bolt airbrake nerfed - Bridge weakened - Fixed faulty camera controls (combining x and y) using gamepad
