Patchnotes for 0.31.35

🎃 In-Game Halloween Event

• Pumpkin Armour and Headlamp:
  Get ready to gear up in the most terrifying way possible. These new items are not just for show; they are SCARY!
  
  
• How to Acquire Them:
  New Enemies - Halloween Demons: These cute scary foes can be found roaming every map from 7 PM to 8 AM. If you manage to defeat them, there's a chance they'll "happily" relinquish their armour and headlamp (HA! Like they have a choice).
  
  
• Where to Find Them:
  Keep an eye on your map in your PDA to locate these Halloween Demons.
  

🛠️ Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug where enemies could be invisible at the edge of the screen in further cases.
  
• Made some in-game name changes for clarity.
  

Community Events: Double the Fun!

🎨 Fan Art Frenzy

🕷️ Spider Hunt Extravaganza

What's Next in 0.32

• Fixed an issue where enemies can be invisible when at max distance
  

Hunters,

First and foremost, a massive thank you to each and every one of you for your invaluable feedback. We've been closely listening to your experiences and suggestions, and as a result, before the next major patch, we're rolling out further balance changes in this minor patch to address your major concern – faction reputation balance.

Balance

• Reputation gains from daily quests have been significantly increased.
  

Gameplay

• Starting reputations for both the Crimson Corp and Green Army factions have been adjusted. Players will now begin with a "Cautious" relationship status with these factions, a shift from the previously "Hostile" status.
  
• Minor rebalancing of reputation requirements of some trader items to ensure a more balanced trading experience after above change.
  

Bug Fixes

• Fixed multiple issues related to rare cases of item disappearing.
  
• Addressed a rare crash scenario to enhance game stability.
  
• The fixes from beta branch 0.31.29 have been integrated into this patch. You can find the details Here.
  

As always, your insights play a crucial role in our continuous efforts to refine and improve ZERO Sievert. Let us know your feedback so we can continue to evolve and expand the world of ZERO Sievert. We're also excited to give you a sneak peek into what's on the horizon. Stay tuned for our next dev blog where we'll delve into the throwables set to debut in our upcoming major update. The exact date is still TBD, but we promise it's something you won't want to miss!

Thank you for being a part of our community, and as always, happy hunting! 🎮

Opt-In Steps

• Right Click on ZERO Sievert in your Steam library.
  
• Choose "Properties."
  
• Select the "Betas" tab.
  
• Choose "public-beta - 0.31.29" from the dropdown menu.
  
• Your game should auto-update to 0.31.29.
  

Adding Launch Options

How to Add Launch Options

• Right-click on ZERO Sievert in your Steam library.
  
• Choose properties.
  
• Under the general tab, input "-log_to_file" AND "-strict_cloud", without the quotation marks, into the "Launch Options" text box. It should look like the below screenshot:
  
  
• Close the properties tab and launch the game; the game will generate a pop-up window to let you know the above two launch options are enabled, like below:
  
  
• You can then find the log stored in %LOCALAPPDATA%\ZERO_Sievert\ (e.g C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\ZERO_Sievert) and send it to us.
  

P.S,
We've secured a nomination for the "Best Game" at the prestigious 2023 GameMaker Awards! 🏆

This recognition is a testament to the dedication and passion of our wonderful community. As we bask in this moment, we humbly ask for your support to clinch the title. Lend your voice and cast your vote for Green Army ZERO Sievert!

Show your love and vote for ZERO Sievert at this link

Hunters,

Your consistent feedback has been instrumental in identifying issues, refining gameplay mechanics, and enhancing the overall experience. This patch, in particular, has been shaped significantly by your insights. We truly appreciate each and every one of you for your dedication and for being an integral part of Zakov!

As always, we're committed to acting on your feedback. Please keep sharing your thoughts; we're truly grateful for every perspective you bring to the table!

Balance

• Increased reputation gains for daily quests.
  
• Increased reputation gains for main quests.
  

Gameplay

• The item transmitter, required for a quest, is now available for purchase from the Crimson Corp trader.
  
• Expanded ammo types in the barman's inventory.
  
• Adjusted the weapon repair items available from the doctor.
  

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where faction quests wouldn't appear immediately after joining that faction.
  
• Fixed an issue where a single piece of equipment was erroneously applied to all sub-tasks in the 'Crimson work' quests.
  
• Fixed an issue where Crimson Corp and Green Army soldiers had non-randomised armour.
  
• Fixed an issue where difficulty settings (sliders) for quest money and reputation rewards weren't functioning correctly.
  
• Fixed an issue where skills would reset themselves upon pausing the game.
  
• Fixed an issue where difficulty settings would reset when tabbing out of the game in the main menu.
  

Balance

• Reputation gained from daily quests has been slightly increased. (This will be applicable from the next set of generated quests)
  
• Repairing armor from the Doctor will now increase your reputation with the Scientist faction.
  
• Using the Doctor's services for healing will now increase your reputation with the Scientist faction.
  
• Buying/selling items from a trader will now increase your reputation with that particular faction.
  

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where questlines were being reset.
  
• Fixed an issue where the daily quest objective "Retrieve the Equipment" could not be completed.
  
• Fixed an issue where there was no map marker for the "Clear the Swamp" quest.
  
• Fixed an issue where Igor could spawn in the swamp during the "Old Man" quest.
  
• Fixed an issue where items placed at the bottom of the inventory would move up by one cell.
  
• Fixed a crash that occurred when modding Igor's weapons.
  
• Fixed an issue where dying with permadeath enabled would not erase the save file.
  
• Fixed an issue where weapons could be loaded with a different ammo type when performing a series of actions.
  
• Fixed an issue where high-tier Loner backpack was accessible despite low reputation with Loner faction.
  

• Resolved an issue where the game crashed when firing a weapon with certain suppressors attached.
  
• Fixed a gameplay issue that prevented the completion of the "Soldier work 2" quest.
  
• Fixed bugs preventing the completion of “Ride the Outpost“ and "Eliminate the Assassins" quests.
  
• Corrected an issue where "I've helped you dock" from Crimson Corp can be triggered multiple times.
  
• Fixed a problem where Daily Retrieval Quests items did not count towards the intended quest completion.*
  
• Resolved an issue where the "Retrieve the Analyzer" task could not be completed if active on 2 different maps.*
  
• Addressed an issue where saves were not deleted upon using ALT+F4 on the death screen in permadeath mode.
  
• Corrected an inventory corruption issue occurring after using ALT+TAB multiple times.
  
• Fixed a bug where inventory items disappeared after using ALT+TAB multiple times.
  
• Resolved a problem where quest items are stacked in the user inventory even if the items aren’t stackable.
  
• Fixed a bug where disassembled weapons could be found in NPC's corpses.
  
• Fixed a bug where disassembled weapons could be found in Weapon Boxes.
  
• Fixed a bug where Mr. Junk's and Igor's quests could not be completed if the player handed in the quest but died before extraction during the same raid.
  
• Corrected a gameplay issue where users cannot be killed by anomalies while having an infirmary module installed.
  
• Resolved a bug where traders' money resets to 15,000 Roubles at 7AM regardless of the difficulty slider settings.
  
• Addressed a description error for "Laboratory Main Room Key".
  
• Resolved a graphics issue where Fog of War gets drawn at full extent of scoped view.
  
• Restored the functionality of taking screenshots using the F12 key within the Steam client.
  

• Fixed a bug where the game would crash when clicking "Repair Gear" from the crafting station.
  
• Fixed a bug where the silencer of all guns wouldn't produce sound.
  
• Fixed a bug where difficulty settings would change for the previous save when creating a new one.
  
• Fixed a bug preventing looted weapons from being modded.
  
• Fixed a bug where removing attachments from the crafting station would duplicate them.
  
• Fixed a bug where stash items wouldn't count for quests and crafting station requirements.
  
• Fixed a bug where the equipped armour would become invisible after closing the trade menu.
  
• Fixed a bug where new saves would have the same skill level as previous saves.
  
• Fixed a bug where disassembled weapons could be found in NPC's corpses.
  
• Fixed a bug where new saves would have the same installed modules as previous saves.
  
• Fixed a bug where installed modules wouldn't provide any items when being looted.
  
• Fixed a bug where the reputation with Green Army or CC would drop to 0 when deploying on any map.
  
• Fixed a bug where certain weapon mods were being attached by default but not reattachable.
  
• Fixed a bug where the backpack carry weight was sometimes calculated incorrectly.
  
• Fixed a bug where grass was not being drawn all the way to the edge of the screen.
  
• Fixed a bug where NPC names were being displayed when discarding items onto the ground.
  
• Fixed a bug where the skill level would reset after pressing ESC.
  

New feature for future bug Investigation

How to add launch options

1. Right-click on ZERO Sievert in your Steam library
   
2. Choose properties
   
3. Under the general tab, input -log_to_file or -strict_cloud into the text box of "Launch Options"
   

Hunters,

Thank you for your patience and understanding in the leadup to this patch. Update 0.31 not only brings exciting enhancements to ZERO Sievert, but it also lays the groundwork for more thrilling updates in the future. In this patch we are excited to bring you deeper connections to the in-game factions. Choose your allegiance wisely - will it be the formidable Green Army or the lucrative Crimson Corporation? Discover new quests, daily challenges and more!

As previously discussed in our dev blogs, this patch comes with a save wipe. To go alongside the save wipe, we've introduced a new save file system and numerous quality of life (QoL) improvements. We understand some players may wish to continue their journeys on their old saves, for those players, we're launching the Legacy branch today, which you can easily access from your library.

We hope you enjoy this patch, and as always, let us know all your feedback on our Discord channel (or here!).

Happy hunting!

Major Update 0.31 Patchnotes

Save Wipe

• Right Click on ZERO Sievert in your Steam library.
  
• Choose "Properties".
  
• Select "Betas" tab.
  
• Choose "Legacy - Build 0.30" from the dropdown menu.
  
• Your game should auto update to previous version for you to continue your old save.
  

Modding

• The Mod.ini file is no longer supported due to changes in the way weapons and items are stored in the backend, and that we have implemented a more powerful replacement.
  

  Dev notes to modders:
  Changing Existing Data
  Mod.ini is no longer supported in ZERO Sievert. Instead, we've implemented a powerful replacement! Most of ZS's game data is now stored in external JSON files, instead of being concealed within the game's code. This gives you the opportunity to adjust many different variables and values that were previously inaccessible. Not only can you alter weapon names, but you can also adjust their damage, bullet speed, magazine capacity, and almost everything else. JSON files are essentially text files that store data in a specific format, which can be edited with any text editor. However, you may need to tell your OS to open the .json file extension with a suitable program. JSON can be a bit fussy, so make sure you validate your JSON after editing, using an online tool, and always save in UTF-8 encoding.
  
  You can find the new database files in the game's install directory (via Steam, right-click on ZERO Sievert in your library, then select "Manage" then "Browse Local Files"). The game's base data can be found in the /ZS_vanilla/gamedata directory. There, you'll find many JSON files, covering everything from ammunition to weapon mods, to chest loot tables, to NPCs. Feel free to modify these files as you wish. For example, if we wanted to rename the Nozin Makant to the solemn and respectful "Igor4eva," we would simply open up weapon.json, search for "Nozin Makant," change the name, and save the text editor. Upon running the game, the new game data is loaded, and the Nozin's name will be different. If you wish to truly honor Igor's memory, you might want to boost the Nozin's damage - though tread carefully because this change will also affect enemies. Unfortunately, you can't change game data while the game is running, so make sure to check your work before launching the game!
  
  Creating Something New
  If you're looking to add something entirely new to the game, inserting it into the existing JSON files might be a bit challenging. You might have noticed a JSON file called gamedata_order.json in the install directory (and in the "ZS_vanilla" directory too). This file controls the location of JSON files and the order they are loaded into the game. Usually, gamedata_order.json uses relative paths. If you wish to add a new model of the BB 19 MOOSE, let's say a .45 ACP variant, you can create a new JSON file with only that item and then point to that JSON by adding a new file path to gamedata_order.json in the install directory.
  
  Extra notes and limitations
  Please be aware that if you modify files inside the Steam directory, they will fail Steam's file integrity check, and your modifications may be lost upon reinstalling. To avoid this, we've made it possible to store mod files elsewhere on your computer to prevent them from being overwritten. As mentioned, gamedata_order.json usually uses a relative path to find JSON files, but it can also accept an absolute path. We highly recommend storing your mod files in a static location on your hard drive to prevent accidental loss.
  
  There are a few limitations currently, however. NPC behavior and quest logic are not exposed, and many internal strings in the game are not available for editing either. At the moment, it's also not possible to change item or bullet graphics, which we know is a feature many of you are eagerly waiting for. Implementing dynamic graphics, audio, and logic into our engine in an efficient manner is a complex task that we don't want to rush.
  
  That's all from us for now. Over to you! We hope you enjoy experimenting with the core mechanics of ZERO Sievert!

  
  

Cloud Save

• Cloud Save feature now added to the game.
  
• An option to DELETE CLOUD SAVES is now available in the settings. Please use this function with caution, as it will permanently delete all your save files, as indicated by its title.
  

Faction Relations & New Questline

• You can now join the Green Army or the Crimson Corporation once you grow your reputation among the factions.
  
• Completing main quests and daily quests will increase the reputation with that faction.
  
• Daily quests given by the Networker NPC are now separated based on the different factions.
  
• Added new quests and tweaks to existing quest.
  
• Items sold by the trader of a faction now require a minimum amount of reputation with that faction to be bought.
  
• Members of either the Green Army or Crimson Corporation will have access to exclusive quests as part of the chosen faction.
  
• Each faction will have their own daily quest, including Loner and Scientist factions.
  
• You will lose reputation with a faction in two ways:
  - When you shoot the first bullet to an NPC of a faction
  - When you actually kills an NPC
  

• The game will now pause automatically when the window loses focus.
  

Performance Improvement

• Improved loading times in game.
  
• Multiple memory leaks sealed up.
  
• Total memory usage significantly reduced.
  

• Fixed an issue where weapons flickered upon loading.
  
• Fixed an issue where the main menu could be interacted with during the boot screen.
  
• Fixed a bug where the "EC74 Iron Sight" attachment would disappear after being removed from some weapons.
  
• Fixed an issue where the "Suppressor 9x19" was not compatible with the BB 19 Moose 9x19 weapon.
  
• Fixed a crash that would occur when accessing the crafting station while the scope was active and an attempt was made to remove it.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur when the space bar was spammed in the loading screen menu during numerous map runs.
  
• Fixed an issue causing FPS drop when passing through gas on Low-Spec Machine.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur after hitting the Go button to the Industrial Area in the Travel Menu.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur while attempting to divide a stack in inventory.
  
• Fixed an issue where the teleport menu would become non-functional for several seconds after being spammed.
  
• Fixed a problem with hit registration that could sometimes become corrupted while attempting to shoot against enemies.
  
• Fixed an issue causing corrupted behavior when the game window was being dragged using a laptop trackpad.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur after placing a scrap weapon/material in the weapon slot and attempting to travel on any map.
  
• Fixed a bug where creating a new save using “Equipment 5” wouldn't give 0 Roubles.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur after pressing "O" in the Bunker.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur while standing in a high radiation level zone on the Makeshift Camp.
  
• Fixed an issue where only one Extraction Point was sometimes present on the Industrial Area Map.
  
• Fixed an issue where a "Task" menu placeholder was present on multiple NPCs when being interacted with.
  
• Fixed a bug where in-game days were not progressing after time passed 00:00.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur when pressing the "Skip" button in the "Survived" screen after being extracted.
  
• Fixed an issue where traders' inventories did not refresh after 7:30AM.
  
• Fixed an issue causing random FPS drop in the Bunker.
  
• Fixed a problem with corrupted map generation near the Motel on the Makeshift Camp.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur after closing Debug while the Free Camera was active.