Grounded's first content update's bug fixes changelog revealed before official release

Grounded Screenshot Hedge Dusk
Grounded Screenshot Hedge Dusk (Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)

What you need to know

  • Grounded is an Early Access and Game Preview survival game from Obsidian Entertainment.
  • Its first content update to add new features is scheduled to drop later today, August 26, 2020.
  • Ahead of the release, the Grounded team has revealed the extensive list of bug fixes in the content update.
  • The changelog is all of the bug fixes and improvements that will be included, hopefully making the game much more stable.

The next content update for Grounded is a bit of an enigma, but at the very least we know what bug fixes and improvements will be included in the August 26 update later today. Ahead of the release (currently scheduled for about 10 am PDT / 1 pm EDT), Obsidian Entertainment has revealed all of the bug fixes in a giant changelog for the content update, without revealing any of the new features. It's an extensive changelog, besting both previous patches' changelogs, so it will hopefully drastically improve the game's stability.

The changelog includes the following changes and tuning:

Combat changes / tuning

  • Buffed damage on the Spider Fang Dagger so it's on the higher end of tier 2 weapons
  • Buffed damage on Spike Traps significantly
  • Spiders learned a new set of attacks to choose from instead of just their basic bite
  • Added a brief forced delay between block start events, preventing the player from perfect-blocking by mashing the block button
  • Slightly reduced the bonus damage given by the Eyepatch
  • Adjusting larva blade poison proc so it's consistent
  • Reducing the stun ratings of two-handed weapons
  • Slightly reducing amount of damage the mint mallet deals so it's in line with tier progression
  • Tier 2 insects now have a cooldown after being stunned before they can be stunned again
  • Perfect Blocking no longer reduces armor durability

Interface changes / tuning

  • Updated Raw Science UI icons to be more consistent across the game
  • Adding shortcut for dropping items in the inventory screen (Drop Stack is in the context menu)
  • Adding "Deposit / Receive Stack" button on storage UIs
  • Shift + clicking item stacks in the storage UIs will transfer the full stack clicked
  • Dragging an item stack onto the paper doll in the inventory screen will drop the item stack in the world
  • Crafting an item with a full inventory will now notify that the item was dropped in the world
  • Storage and Flag marker icons have been revised, regrouped, and their colors have shifted (Requires a one-time tour of the yard to set everything back / new trail markers will be blank by default)
  • Slight revisions to a few SCA.B flavor schemes
  • Canteen slurps available are displayed in the equipped item HUD element
  • Additional icon art
  • Added a highlight effect that appears on interactable objects when the player looks at them. This feature is controlled by the "Highlight Objects" Accessibility setting

World changes / tuning

  • Revised clover cave layout and lighting, and moved entrance slightly
  • Revised flooded area layout in southeast corner of yard
  • Updated house electrical socket with final, non-blockout art
  • Items left in the world (not in a container, etc.) for 48-72 in-game hours will eventually despawn once out of range of all players. Items loaded from a saved game from version 0.1.x, will have all item timers start at zero to give players a chance to react to this change
  • Players and critters now create ripples in the water while moving
  • Kids are starting to throw Archer Cookies over the fence, along with their Billy Hogs and Apples
  • Added a few footprints throughout the yard

Building changes / tuning

  • Base buildings will now be more reliably anchored when built on top of objects such as the Baseball
  • Palisades will no longer immediately collapse when an attached building is removed
  • Water Containers can collect falling droplets
  • The player can now drink from Water Containers while holding weapons
  • Stairs may now be embedded in the ground like scaffolds and ramps
  • Walls that are sandwiched above by two floors will have their crenellations suppressed
  • The camera will slide to the correct position when interacting with a Weapon Wall Mount
  • Tweaked the placed position of the Weapon Wall Mount to be more centered

Performance changes / tuning

  • Better Windowed-Fullscreen performance in Windows versions of the game
  • Better UI/Inventory GPU performance
  • Significant load game time improvement for games with large bases
  • Better GPU performance during nighttime

Other changes / tuning

  • The Voice Chat Activation setting is now properly reapplied when entering a game
  • SCA.B flavor scheme collectibles now have a pulsing light and are slightly bigger to make them more noticeable
  • Hedge Berries now float in water
  • Prevented very large numbers of ants from being assigned the same task, such as killing a weevil
  • Reduced the camera near clip plane fixing the camera clipping into the player when using high a high field of view
  • Polished up spear movement and aiming animations for 1st person
  • You should now see grass extend to the furthest reaches of the yard
  • Ants now find and store lost Ice Caps
  • Soldier ants can now properly drop ant heads as loot
  • Tall woody weeds are now displayed as "Husky Weed." Dandelions and husky weed both still supply weed stems. Husky weed now respawns
  • Ants will not be happy if you take their eggs
  • The Resource Analyzer now animates when analyzing
  • A couple of new smoothies can be whipped up at the smoothie station

Grounded Screenshot Roses

Source: Obsidian Entertainment (Image credit: Source: Obsidian Entertainment)

Beyond the changes and tuning, there's also the following bug fixes:

Top community issues

  • Incapacitated players are now saved instead of ignored when a save game is made or they exit the game. With this, players that reload an incapacitated character will have their backpack spawned where they died instead of them just spawning without their inventory in the world. Not retroactive
  • Items and insects will spawn under the world less. Cleaning up items / insects that have fallen through the level upon load. (This should help with insect population / egg spawning)
  • Insects should no longer spawn inside of the large Pond rocks. Any insect currently in the rocks upon load should be snapped out. (This should help with insect population / egg spawning)
  • Grass planks will no longer fall through the ground
  • Fixed Hedge Berries appearing in incorrect positions for clients, making them very difficult to harvest
  • Fixed torch sound effects
  • Insects should no longer "walk through walls" when not looking at them or when they are at your far away base
  • Fixed giant arrows sometimes spawning when shot into a large insect

Major issues

  • Multiplayer clients will no longer crash when despawning droplets containing items

Game issues

  • Optimized building collapsing so the game will no longer lock up when collapsing huge structures
  • The game will no longer crash when collapsing very long structures
  • Fixed issues where walls could get built in-between a wall snap spot messing up your wall grid
  • Gnats will now need a little more delta-V than a Bounce Web can provide if they want to go to space
  • Fixed a problem where insects would not become appropriately hungry and sleepy after the players slept

Items / equipment / resources issues

  • Standalone buildings that are attached to walls and floors will collapse as well if the floor or wall they are on collapses
  • Large Rake Rock now has proper collision
  • Soda pop can now be dumped from a canteen
  • Fixed water droplets near sprinkler and oak tree that respawned immediately when you approached
  • Fixed gas arrows not being one-time use
  • Rotten Bee Armor can no longer be repaired for free
  • Workbench light will no longer be disabled after loading a save

World issues

  • Fixed wall crenellations appearing inconsistently on clients and the host
  • Fixed wall crenellations appearing incorrectly after loading a saved game
  • Fixed fingers moving on weapon hand during one handed movement animations
  • Restructured 3rd person body aiming for unarmed punching
  • Unfinished buildings no longer block the third person camera
  • Swapping armor after having collected Raw Science no longer displays the material of the previously equipped armor
  • Fixed issue with seeing fogless voids in the world after having emerged from a large body of water
  • Puddle drinking animation and camera improved to address clipping issues

UI issues

  • Fixed SCA.B Bugged scheme not appearing in list correctly
  • The resting UI updates properly upon bedtime
  • SCA.B won't flash thirst and hunger danger if levels are good
  • Defrag button in Inventory can now be navigated using the Gamepad
  • Less explosive results when using the Drop Stack action
  • Fixed Clover Hood and Poncho description being the same as the Leggings

Windows 10 Store issues

  • Fixed issues with 4k fullscreen resolution failing to work properly
  • Fixed issues with Alt-Tab crashing the game

Xbox One issues

  • Reduced screen edge artifacts / flashing

Grounded

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Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.