Commanders!
Along with the recently unveiled Battle UI overhaul, we’ll be introducing another significant change to how the game looks and feels in the Spirithaven season. Starting from Update 0.31, the tanks are bound to look far better than in the past. These improvements will consist of three parts:
- New visual model quality
- Visual model improvements for all vehicles
- Dynamic Dirt system
Let’s check these out one by one. But, first and foremost, a few words about the entire set of changes.
New Visual Model Quality
As you might have noticed from our previous unveils for this season, the models for vehicles introduced in Update 0.31 look quite a bit better than the older ones. Since the launch of the entire season system, we’ve been steadily improving the visual quality of newly introduced vehicles to the point where we are indeed happy with the way they appear. Just take a look:
Click the image to open a larger version
Polygons, high-resolution textures, improved shaders – it now all blends into a stunning display of current gen visuals and we are more than pleased to confirm that all newly introduced vehicles will come with this level of quality.
Click the image to open a larger version
Click the image to open a larger version
Of course, there’s the matter of old models as well. We’d like to fix the older models that are especially wrong. Yes, we are talking for example about the infamous T-72B model that we’d like to overhaul this season by introducing a completely new one (along with all vehicles that use it as a basis, such as the Polish T-72M2 Wilk MBT).
Click the image to open a larger version
Click the image to open a larger version
Click the image to open a larger version
Recently, we’ve conducted a poll on Discord regarding which vehicles you’d like to see fixed first. The T-80U model was mentioned a lot and we also found some partial problems with the Abrams series as well as the Leopards, plus some more individual issues. We will be fixing those in the future, one by one.
But, back to the Spirithaven season...
Visual Model Improvements for All Vehicles
This season, we aren’t only introducing new models or fixing specific model bugs. We are improving the looks of all models. Simply put, without losing any FPS, we’ve optimized the way our rendering algorithm works, allowing for better detailing and image quality even at longer distances. We’ve also improved the used vehicle surface rendering methods (including the calculation of metallic gleams and texture masks) in order to make all models look as realistic as possible.
Click the image to open a larger version
Click the image to open a larger version
Click the image to open a larger version
Click the image to open a larger version
The goal was not only to improve the visual fidelity, but also make them look more like battle-worn machines. We’ve heard your feedback that some models look “plastic” – starting from Update 0.31, this should no longer be the case.
Take a look at these comparisons:
Click the image to open a larger version
Click the image to open a larger version
And last but not least:
Dynamic Dirt System
In the 0.31 update, we’ll be introducing a visual system where vehicles will get progressively dirtier as they drive through rough terrain – snow, sand, mud, this all will stick to the models in order to make them appear even more realistic. After all, your vehicle wouldn’t be squeaky clean with an intensive battle behind it. Just take a look at the example video.
Please note that, for demonstration purposes, the speed with which the vehicle gets dirty in this video has been increased.
Don’t worry; this feature will not come at a cost of any FPS.
We hope that you will like these improvements and are looking forward to your Spirithaven feedback since the 0.31 Public Test Server is scheduled to launch in the near future.
See you on the battlefield!
