Patch History/Archive/2020 Jul to Dec

On this page, recent patches for Vox Machinae may be found. Information is usually copied verbatim from the Steam News page.

This page is archived every six months. For older patch notes, please see Patch History/Archive.

## Patch Notes - 0.37.5 alpha

December 10 - TonyDanza

Hey hey, it's your boy TonyDanza here with another fresh Vox Machinae patch right out of the oven.
Servers will be updated over time so you might not see some of these changes immediately depending on which server you play on (you'll see them right away if playing offline).

0.37.5 alpha

Just Drill Things

* Changed drilling pose to speed up recovery time after drilling.
* Increased fuel capacity by about 12%.
* Adjusted drill weapon position to reduce chance of failed ground refueling.
* Decrease heat cost of drill weapon.

Talkin' 'Bout Bug Smacks

* Fix a rare error that could cause decreased performance if Discord integration does not start properly.
* Fix a very rare error that could prevent the in-game screenshot function from working.
* Fix bug where explosions sometimes dealt unintentional damage to GDR parts that should have been protected by an armor plate which was destroyed by that same explosion. Applies to all explosions, but most noticeable with Hammer missiles.
* Fix bug where GDR parts at the very edge of an explosion could receive a small amount of negative damage. This sometimes caused destroyed limbs to reappear on the damage readout at critical health and be announced as destroyed more than once.
* Fix bug which could make adding Comrades or Blocking players not work.
* Fix an error that could occur when changing a weapon while editing a loadout.

and the other ones…

* After adding a Comrade, the menu returns to the Interact screen instead of the main menu.
* Add support for Generic 5-Axis joystick "5-Axis,12-Button with POV ".

I hope you enjoyed these patch notes!
Don't forget to subscribe and smash that like button, and I'll see you on the next one.
File:Lunar2020ratinablanket.pngFile:Lunar2019piginablanket.png

Steam News page

## Drill Changes - Patch Notes - 0.37.4 alpha

November 26 - TonyDanza

File:VoxM Drill Changes.jpg
The Drill Grinder has been relatively unchanged since the original launch of Vox Machinae. Today, we are making some important changes to its fuel and drilling mechanics that we believe further differentiates it from other options, and helps to carve out a unique role while discouraging unintended behaviour.

Our biggest concern with the Drill was its ability to remain airborne at high altitude for long periods of time. This became a problem with the addition of modules, one of which can increase the rate of fuel refill. Since the Drill already had a much faster fuel refill than other Grinders, it was possible to refill faster than gravity could pull you back down to ground level. This problem was made even worse if a leg or two were lost, either during combat or broken off intentionally by the player.

The only surefire way to resolve this was to reduce the base fuel refill rate of the Drill. This does go against one of Drill's design goals though, which is to have a class that can refuel fast so as to re-position quickly when spotted, engage in sneaky brawling, and dodge incoming fire. Our solution is to allow the Drill to rapidly refuel by drilling into things with its drill weapon. This forces the Drill to return to ground level in order to refill for the next big jump. We've also given the Drill a few minor stat buffs. By drilling things, the Drill now effectively has an unlimited fuel supply, but only if it returns to the ground to get it.

Plus, it looks wicked sick.
File:VoxM Wicked Sick.gif

We hope you try out this new mechanic and let us know what you think. We are always working to make the game more enjoyable for all players in a match.

Full Patch Notes:

0.37.4 alpha

* Drill can now refill its fuel extremely fast by drilling into the ground or enemies.
* Drill regular fuel refill rate significantly reduced.
* Increase impact force required for Drill legs to be damaged from falls.
* Drill legs immediately flare out when using the drill weapon, to assist in good drill-to-enemy ettiquette.
* Drill weapon now generates a small amount of heat.
* Drill upward jet force increased by 10%.
* Drill fuel capacity increased by 15%.
* Drill downward jets now engage even if the fuel tank is empty (previously they would not activate unless a small amount of fuel had been refilled).
* Fix enemies not spawning properly in Convoy (oops!).
* Overhaul Hummingbird module no longer cuts out temporarily if you consume all your fuel.
* Add support for VKB Gladiator NXT joystick.

Steam News page

## Patch Notes - 0.37.3 alpha

November 19 - TonyDanza

This update makes the AI not so terminator-esque. We plan to add a host setting for the AI skill level in the future.
Also of note, microphone input volume is now automatically controlled, so you hopefully won't need to keep telling people they are too loud or too quiet.
There are also lots of bugs fixed!

Server updates are being rolled out throughout the day, so you might not notice some of the changes yet, depending on which server you connect to.

0.37.3 alpha

* Bots will now avoid running into obstacles such as teammates, vehicles, and buildings where possible.
* Bots have more human-like reaction times.
* Bots have more variation in their aiming, including targeting limbs.
* Mic volume is now automatically adjusted to avoid the case of overly loud or quiet voice chat.
* Improve quality of terrain at Medium and Low terrain texture quality settings.
* Players who have connected to the game but not joined a team now show up on the player grid (making it possible to kick them from the game, if desired).
* Fix an error that could occur on the player Interact menu.
* Fix bug with did not equip newly earned hat when choosing to do so on the "new hat" screen.
* Fix bug which cause Power Venting module to require pressing twice to reactivate.
* Increase efficiency of Power Venting module.
* Fix wrong armor pieces being shown as damaged/destroyed on Dredge when viewed at a distance.
* Fix capturable factories that spawn as random events on Convoy mode not giving their intended buffs.
* Fix voice chat being cut off when switching between Hangar and Cockpit when using a controller other than a VR motion controller.

✈️
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File:2017meatball.png

Steam News page

## Patch Notes - 0.37.2 alpha

October 30 - TonyDanza

Further fixes and improvements!

0.37.2 alpha

* Fix missing static effect on voice chat screen.
* Fix UI elements flashing momentarily at start of the game.
* Bots will fire slightly less often.
* Audio tuning, including: horns, minigun impacts, ice geysers, hammer missiles.
* Removed "Comrades Only" server filter, which was a source of confusion. Games with your comrades in them will still show with a special icon.
* Fix an error that could happen when quitting the game.
* Restore missing spooky cobwebs during Spooky Week.
* Fix music cutting out on Acidium Lakebed level.
* Add support for Thrustmaster T-Rudder pedals.
* Add support for VPC Mongoos T-50CM2 throttle.
* Add support for Thrustmaster TCA Sidestick Airbus Edition (will show as T16000M in game).
* Fix texture error on pilot eyes.

Also, don't forget it's currently Spooky Week, so watch out for those worms!

Steam News page

## Patch Notes - 0.37.1 alpha

October 1 - TonyDanza

This update addresses bugs and feedback we've received for the 0.37 Lockdown Update.

0.37.1 alpha

* Fix wobbly Dredge arm.
* Fix player eyes not animating.
* Fix Bot Stomp mode progressing to the next wave with one enemy still remaining.
* Increase minimum impact velocity required to deal damage to Drill legs.
* Module sounds should be easier to hear.
* Cockpit ambient sounds quieter to accommodate players who lean back while playing.
* Horns have been tamed, and also scale back after being held for a long time.
* Added sub channel hits to some of the module activations.
* Adjusted voice chat to be heard better when leaning back in the cockpit.
* Removed computer bloops from voice chat.
* Reduce filtering on outside sounds.
* Reduced volume reduction that happens during voice chat.
* Increase volume of equipment swap sounds in the Hangar.

AMD Radeon users IMPORTANT INFO: If you experience double-vision in the game, please update your video card drivers.

Steam News page

## Lockdown Update

September 26 - TonyDanza

File:VoxM Lockdown Update.jpg
Our latest update is all about raising the quality bar of our game. Though there's plenty new toys to play with, we wanted to focus on improving both the visuals and audio of the VOX experience. Have a look at what you can expect next time you boot up our brand of stompy bot action:

File:Scattershot Reborn.png **Scattershot is Reborn**

Scattershot is like a whole new beast to behold. It now features a powerful punch, with dangerous heat buildup, a narrower spread, as well as faster-moving pellets. There's all-new special effects and sounds to go along with it too, to help accentuate its presence. Now it's truly the boom stick it was always meant to be.

File:Audio Remaster.png **Audio Remaster**

Our crack audio team has been hard at work holistically improving the audio experience in Vox Machinae. It starts with a full Remaster and Rebalance, dedicated sub channel, as well as rebalancing of spatial audio. There's a tonne of new sounds for Scattershot, Railgun, Minigun, Hammer, and Skyjacker. Various gameplay cue audio has now been added, such as weapon swaps, match win/loss, jumpjet velocity rattles, game start sound, and fun secret stuff too. Grinders have seen a vast audio improvement to help complement their mass with various creaks, scrapes, jostles and thuds. It's truly a feast for the ears, and we hope you like it.

File:Hopper Downscale.png **Hopper Downscale**

We've taken our industrial-strength shrink ray to Hopper and shaved 20% off his total dimensions. Why did we do this? Hopper was always meant to be our small and scrappy scout unit, so we wanted to go the extra mile to emphasize this. Now he's leaner, meaner and harder to hit.

File:Improved Habitat Lighting.png **Improved Habitat Lighting**

Our hangar lighting presentation has been dramatically improved, with both grinders and pilots receiving/casting dynamic shadows. Additionally, new direct lights in the hangar will add a more convincing sheen to surfaces. We didn't stop there either, now both hangar and cockpit scenes feature improved reflection and specularity, which allow our more metallic surfaces to really… shine.

File:2X More Icons.png **2X More Icons**

We know every pilot wants to be unique, and while our initial selection of pilot icons was a valiant effort, there's always more that could be done. So we did just that, two times more icons to be exact. Now there's even more ways to help pilots express their style in tiny icon form.

File:Cable Tech 20.png **Cable Tech 2.0**

Not satisfied with the way our cables tended to glitch out, we forged a new tech to end the madness and usher in a new era of well-behaved cables. Cables can now squash and stretch, bend without malice, and better simulate weight, all while being obscenely efficient to render. This has also meant many more cables in the cockpit can now be simulated, adding to the immersion factor.

**Honorable Mentions**

In the spirit of cramming as much goodies into our updates as humanly possible, here's some more notable highlights in this release:

0.37.0 alpha

* Menu system UI has been reworked, it's now snappier, doesn't lag in the cockpit, doesn't show jaggies around screens, and intersects properly with things around it.
* There's now a snazzy new slip vector guage that shows how fast you're going in any direction.
* Your avatar's virtual nose now changes skin tone based on the pilot you selected.
* Replaced Grinder level-of-detail models with much better hand-crafted ones.
* Changed how terrain textures update to take the same amount of time regardless of headset or monitor frame rate.
* Terrain once again casts shadows into the cockpit
* Fixed various bugs relating to the cursor on the scope screen
* Drill's mass has been re-distributed to better reflect volume of components. Leg weight reduced by 50%, torso increased by 33%. Overall mass unchanged.
* Bots have improved aim, will fire at targets of opportunity when their main target is out of view, and can engage at longer distances than before
* Player-controlled dedicated servers are now available under the Join/Host menu, and no longer show on the server browser (until someone controls them).

Steam News page

## Patch Notes - 0.36.8 alpha

July 16 - TonyDanza

0.36.8 alpha

* Add support for Thrustmaster Pendular Rudder.
* Add support for CH Combatstick.
* Add support for Saitek Pro Flight Quadrant.
* Fix incorrect music playing on Blast Chamber level.
* Long player names will be cropped and no longer extend into areas where they should not.
* Grinder symbol on the scoreboard will now correctly show what the player is piloting even if they change what Grinder they will spawn as next time.
* Left hand will no longer scale incorrectly while changing player height.
* Fix bug which could cause wrong player to be announced as winner.

Steam News page