Arma Reforger gets Major Update 0.9.9.97, Patch Notes and more

As of today, September 14th, a monumental update has dropped for both Steam and Xbox users, showcasing a blend of aesthetic, gameplay, and technical enhancements.

Bohemia Interactive’s dedication to immersive and authentic environments shines brightly in this update. The environment teems with life, from noise-triggered birds and ambient insects to the gentle rhythm of ocean waves. Everon now boasts 13 interconnected hiking trails adorned with over 1,500 line markers, trail maps, and signposts. An accompanying trailer offers a sneak peek into the revamped atmospheres of Everon and Arland.

Beyond the aesthetic allure, a series of game refinements await players. Numerous bugs have been squashed, and optimizations applied, ensuring a smoother gameplay experience. Some key takeaways include:

• Everon’s expansion with new locations like the Power Plant.
• Squad marker modifications for better in-game communication.
• Refined game actions such as missile damages and ADS state blending.
• Rectified game glitches from incorrect spawns to turret malfunction.

As per the developer:

Creating the most authentic and immersive experience has always been a key priority for the Arma Team, and our next Major Update builds on that desire. You can expect reactive birds, insects, and lush ocean waves. Everon also features 13 interconnected hiking trails, competing with 1500+ line markers, trail maps, and hiking signposts. See for yourself in this atmospheric trailer that encompasses the enhanced environment of Everon and Arland.

It is not just the environment that got an improvement, you can look forward to a host of bug fixes, optimizations, and stability improvements, such as fixed crashes when downloading an addon on Xbox or when trying to host the game from a client.

For the complete patch notes, check below:

Arma Reforger 0.9.9.97 Changelog

Game

• Added: Everon – New Power plant location
• Added: Everon – Tourist trails
• Added: Everon – Set of recreational props
• Added: Everon – Flavor update (murals, posters, notice boards)
• Added: New color variants of Church_01
• Added: New variants of cargo containers
• Added: Ocean simulation synchronization
• Added: Ambient bird flocks triggered by noise in the surroundings
• Changed: Everon – Satmap updated
• Changed: Increased saline bag effect from 30 to 90 seconds
• Changed: Map markers configured.
• Changed: Squad marker – players’ own squad now has higher opacity than others
• Changed: Squad marker info layout has squad leader nickname marked with an icon
• Changed: Squad marker refresh rate to 10 seconds
• Changed: Squad leader markers are now clickable and display group info on hover
• Tweaked: Blending of ADS state in different situations
• Tweaked: Damage application of missiles when hitting vehicles
• Fixed: Performance issues with spawned animals resolved
• Fixed: Player now remains authenticated after the game mode reset – the server was showing fewer players in the server browser
• Fixed: Player reconnection message does not indicate FAIL with authentication
• Fixed: ArmaVision Camera was visible on a map which allowed players to exploit it as a map marker
• Fixed: HUD Manager’s Layer Handlers didn’t register themselves to HUD Manager upon initialization
• Fixed: Base supplies are no longer deducted for pre-built services when loading a save
• Fixed: Game Master budgets desynchronizing for clients
• Fixed: Newly joined Game Master Clients have the wrong budget information
• Fixed: Arland base couldn’t be captured because of defender FIA AI being spawned inside of a fuel tank
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where a turret could keep shooting after the character in it became unconscious
• Fixed: 2D Optics – Binoculars overlay stuck on screen when exiting free building mode
• Fixed: 2D Optics – Non-illuminated reticles may become translucent
• Fixed: Multiple issues with nametags

AI

• Changed: AI simulation was spread through multiple frames by default
• Fixed: Navmesh Server should run only when using Workbench.

Multiplayer

• Fixed: Streaming of player controlled entity could be broken – (#T174981)
• Fixed: Current muzzle not correctly replicated

Visuals

• Added: Ambient Insects
• Added: Shore waves effect
• Added: Tessendorf foam accumulation
• Added: Particles – Emissivity curve
• Added: Per-effect particle collision presets
• Added: Particle lights – world-space relative y-translation
• Added: Particle light shadows
• Changed: Forest Generator now supports partial regeneration
• Tweaked: Particle emissivity multiplier – better behavior for LV < 0
• Tweaked: Particles – Better behavior of emissivity map

Modding

• Added: ParticleEffectEntity is now replacing SCR_ParticleEmitter
• Added: BaseWorld::GetTimeSlice script API
• Added: Ability to disable AIGroup/AIAgent from script and code
• Added: Particles API getters/setters support for Max LV param
• Added: Dynamic marker example class with documentation
• Changed: Separate replication from ParticleEffectEntity to an inherited entity ReplicatedParticleEffectEntity
• Changed: DamageManger requires RplComponent now
• Fixed: Crash when there is no effect position in MuzzleEffectComponent
• Fixed: Crash when there is no effect position in MotorExhaustEffectComponent

Workshop

• Added: Downloading calculation of size between version patches
• Added: Author block/report cancel when joining a server
• Tweaked: Workshop – download speed optimization
• Fixed: Crash when addon download fails due to CRC check or corrupted SHA
• Fixed: Workshop – download may freeze if the connection is unstable
• Fixed: Exiting the game during mod download corrupts said mod and redownloading shows download progress exceeding 100%
• Fixed: Interrupted add-on download fails after continuing
• Fixed: Various download issues
• Fixed: XBOX – Workshop – Download is aborted if the addon cannot fit

Enfusion Blender Tools

• Fixed: Batch FBX export no longer adds leaf bones

Stability

• Fixed: Compartment occupant was cleared too early leading to a server crash later
• Fixed: Crash that happened when destructible entities had HandleDamage called with non-valid damage types
• Fixed: Crash when trying to host the game from the client
• Fixed: Crash when download fails due to lack of storage space
• Fixed: Workbench crash with EquipedLoadoutStorageComponent
• Fixed: Crash caused by improper handling of controls
• Fixed: Linux server crash with gamecode::EntitySlotInfo::DetachEntity
• Fixed: Crash when meleeing a fire hydrant. DamageContext’s lifetime could expire, resulting in a crash.
• Fixed: Game crashes when opening server details in quick succession
• Fixed: WB crashes if it starts with broken scripts
• Fixed: Crash when downloading addon on Xbox
• Fixed: Crash in fur material when fullscreen mode changes and the game project is not loaded
• Fixed: Crash when rendering BlurWidget without source render target set
• Fixed: Crash in JsonApi during script recompilation in Workbench
• Fixed: Rare crash in the under-water effect
• Fixed: Underwater crash for worlds with no ocean material
• Fixed: Crash when destroying entities with a Damage manager and no rpl component

Audio

• Added: WaterDepth signal
• Added: Dedicated sounds for explosions in water

Known Issues

Game:

• Incorrect faction player count in the Deploy Menu
• Players sometimes cannot join already existing groups on the server after they connect
• All vehicles will disappear after 10 minutes of not using them
• Some buildings/compositions can be built without a proper obstruction check making these buildings/compositions unusable
• Deleting objects/fortifications does not reimburse supplies when it was built from a supply truck but deleted from the camp’s freebuilding mode
• Respawning on the radio in the vehicle will not allow players to use gadgets
• AIs can teleport behind the wall if they are not able to get there normally
• Players can get stuck in a tripod turret if they fall into an unconscious state and get healed
• Players in gunner position can’t capture bases
• Characters in the turrets sometimes start drifting away creating a surrealistic portrait of a man with really long arms holding a turret
• Persistent Sprint and Aiming Down Sights controls do not register properly when using a controller
• Looking at the player spawn while someone is spawning will make his name not show until you turn around
• The character will spasm a little while he is sprinting and reloading at the same time
• Sometimes a character will not be able to use weapons or items if he falls from the vehicle after moving items between his and the vehicle’s inventory

Game Master:

• Deleting all dead bodies and destroyed vehicles with the GM can lead to the kick of all GMs from the server
  • Workaround: Delete entities in smaller batches
• Entity filters in GM do not work properly
• Using a lightning strike with GM that has a character placed in the scenario will not do anything
  • GM needs to delete his character or change the keybinding for the lightning strike

Workshop:

• After enabling a previously disabled add-on, included missions are not displayed in the “Scenarios” tab until the game is restarted
• Xbox: The player isn’t informed about full addon storage
• If the player reports a mod and tries to join the server that has that mod reported, he is unable to progress toward the dialog that shows up on the screen
  • In order to join the server, he has to open the Workshop tab and cancel the report from it or double-click twice on the name of the mod to get past the UI dialog

Warning: 

• Server performance can be greatly reduced when replicating a high number of characters (players + AIs), and this issue becomes more prominent with increased limits, making it difficult to handle 128 players and 200+ AIs.
  • Playing Everon Conflict with 128 players is not recommended, while Arland might be more feasible due to its smaller size and fewer AI spawns. Pure PvP without AIs could be a potential alternative for larger player counts.