The first hotfix for the 1.0 version of AFF is now live on PC. This update introduces a series of balance adjustments, technical optimizations, and stability fixes aimed at addressing feedback gathered since the game's recent release.

Quick Facts

  • Sonic Knife: Slash attack rate reduced by ~22%; damage reduced by ~25%; charged secondary attack damage increased.
  • GU-34 Gauss Rifle: Effective range increased to improve time-to-kill performance.
  • SGZ Special Shotgun: Reload time decreased by approximately 20%.
  • Gunships: Reduced health regeneration rates and increased regeneration delays.
  • Vehicle Shields: Shields now stay down for at least 3 seconds once broken, regardless of the damage source.

Server Performance and Browser Updates

With the surge of new players following the 1.0 launch, the development team has temporarily capped most servers at 32 players to manage CPU load on the networking layer. According to the developers, the bottlenecks have been identified, and work is underway to restore full 64-player capacity in the coming weeks.

Additionally, the in-game server browser has been updated to improve responsiveness. It no longer waits for individual ping responses from every server before refreshing, which should significantly decrease wait times when searching for a match.

Weapon and Vehicle Balancing

The update targets several weapons that were performing outside of intended parameters. The Sonic Knife, frequently cited by the community for its dominance in close quarters, has seen its slash attack rate and damage lowered to prevent matches from becoming overly reliant on the weapon. To maintain skill expression, the developers increased the damage of the knife's charged secondary attack.

The GU-34 Gauss Rifle received a range buff to help it compete with other heavy weapons, specifically addressing a 30-40% discrepancy in time-to-kill (TTK) when using the weapon's intended tap-fire method. Meanwhile, the SGZ Special 4-Gauge Shotgun’s reload time was reduced by 20% to make it a more viable option during active combat.

Vehicle combat has also been adjusted. Gunships were flagged as overly oppressive, leading to reduced regeneration rates and longer delays before healing begins. Vehicle shields have been modified so that sustained small-arms fire can now slowly chip away at them, and once a shield is broken, it is forced to remain down for a minimum of 3 seconds.

Technical Fixes and Quality of Life

The patch addresses several rare client-side crashes related to reconnecting, refreshing the server browser, and traveling between maps. A new profanity and slur filter has been implemented for both chat and server names. Other changes include:

  • Bot Improvements: Bots now demonstrate better target prioritization, improved deployment of equipment, and more effective distribution across objectives.
  • Commander Tools: The voting text now clarifies that the position is opt-in, and "Milnet" will now assist with orders for commanders ranked 5 or lower if no commands are issued after five minutes.
  • Map Adjustments: Various collision fixes and line-of-sight blockers were added to maps including Errah, Irega, Lukather, and Tannhauser to improve gameplay flow and prevent spawn-camping or exploit-heavy tactics.