Ladies and Gentlemen... after months and months of hard work in Changed3D in the ventilation sector, today is finally the day I can launch the public release of the 4.2.6 release version! As polished and bug free as I could make it! This is a massive update to the game, changing and adding so much! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it!

The Ventilation Sector is a whole new set of levels found right after The Library, where you will dive deep into the inner air conditioning area of the facility, where all sorts of creepy crawlies, new and old, wander around in the dark! Puro's home is also there, and he wants to tell you a few things...?

The Ventilation Sector has new enemies, new assimilations, new dialog, and new mechanics! While previous parts of the game have also been modified, polished and slightly improved in some ways. Colin's character mechanics also have some QoL tweaks!

And a brand new Main Menu / SaveGame / LoadGame interface? Oooh! Finally a working and pretty UI has been implemented for them!

New Transfur sound FX overhaul and better latex particles? Experience Transfurs in a whole new EAR! Crunchy, slimy, wobbly, you'll hear a lot more variation and INTENSITY in these new sounds! And with these new latex particles, you'll be even more immersed in the experience, literally!

This includes the notable Photo Mode, where you can freeze time, move around, apply effects, and take pretty (or scary) screenshots! This also serves as an exploration tool!

Well, without further ado, the V4.2.6 Release Changelog!

# Improvements & Tweaks:

• Updated FSR plugin
• Added DLSS plugin
• Updated Unreal Engine version from 5.4.4 to 5.5.4
• Improved latex particles and decals
• Improved Menu System and its UI
• Ventilation Area levels
• Ventilation Area monsters
• Improved Base Monster class to inherit from the same parent class as the Human class
  • More consistent movement mechanics and better movement framework
  • Allows for Crouching, Jumping, Sneaking, Walking and Running the same way a Human character does
    • Allows for AI to control its pawn's movement in a similar way the player input works
    • Allows the Animation BP to handle movement animations in a more consistent way like with the Human ABP
  • Allows the Animation BP to handle movement animations in a more consistent way like with the Human ABP
• Allows the Animation BP to handle movement animations in a more consistent way like with the Human ABP

• Improved Dark Latex Pup melting mechanic
  • Can now walk through when its melted
  • Overlapping is now consistent
  • Slowdown-apply can be noticed with a camera shake
• Improved First Person camera animations for Human and Monster
• Overhauled Poison and Latex sounds!
• "Rich Text" functionality for the Dialogue Box and Notes
• Added "Ultra" quality preset (WARNING! Very expensive)
• Improved Monster AI to have an "error rate" when hearing noises
• Introduced chance of AI failing to hear a noise (Should AI Perceive Noise); in contrast with before, that if a noise was indeed heard, it would always count it
• Made Dark Latex Monsters no longer detect you with their Transfur Box (instead they will only use Touch perception)
• Added a new cheat: Imperceptible mode ('Y' key)
• Added "cheat" SFX
• Added a key to clear all active cheats: 'L' key
• Implemented a new Music Manager system; allows for switching foreground music's "intensities"; can queue background musics while foreground musics are playing; and more!
• Significantly improved mirror reflection in inactive elevator in OfficeAreaHallwayOne
• Tried to reduce latency with looking/camera movement
• Turned off the "Toggle Music" functionality from pressing 'M' key in packaged distribution builds (only disables that functionality from the specificed key in distribution builds)
• Re-added green/blue tints to saved/loaded SaveSlots
• Sneaking state is now maintained when crouching and uncrouching
• Added some animations to the Save/Load menu
• Set to now be able to enter Sneak state when already crouched
• Added volume option for the Heartbeat loudness
• Added volume option for the Typewriter sounds' loudness
• Made hiding from the White Tail a little bit more believable (harder; standing upright or not avoiding his line of sight will make him see you behind the tree, before he never saw you behind the tree)
• Disabled Male White Latex Wolf 2 TF sequence; it no longer follows my newer design philosophies and strays too far from what I'm striving to make
• Disabled Balcony Cat TF sequence; it no longer follows my newer design philosophies and strays too far from what I'm striving to make
• Overhauled AI Sight
  • AI no longer detects instantly with sight
  • Most AIs now detect with the position and yaw rotation of their head
  • If you are crouching or sneaking and are far away, AIs will take a lot of time to see you, and case contrary, AI will see you really quick
• Human no longer forcefully stops sneaking when on danger and can start sneaking when in danger
• It is now easier as a human to realize when you have a pursuing target and when every target stops chasing you
• Changed materials on Yuin's fake Save Station to latex materials; no longer can you be fooled if you pay proper attention to it!
• Added significantly better hair fur for Male/Female Dark Latex Monster and for Puro
  • This new hair fur also has simulated physics
• Added "jiggle bones" for some creatures (physics-based simulation for certain bones, like the tail and ears)
• Added Photo Mode! Now you can take pretty pictures while time is paused
• RHI Switcher now works properly (You can now change between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12)
• Enabled Rate Optimizations and set to Only Tick Pose When Rendered for monsters' skeletal meshes, should improve performance in instances with many monsters
• Selecting "New Game" now directly starts new game without prompting to select a slot
• Adjusted DoF when meeting Puro for the first time at LibraryAreaMainLobby to see Puro more clearly
• Fixed Puro twiching his head when he's heard a noise but is already seeing the player
• Improvements to UI gamepad navigation for 'Fullscreen Note' and 'Document' screens
• Removed second patrolling Dark Latex Monster just before the Salon where all the Dark Latex Monsters are sleeping
• Changed Dark Latex puddles' behavior to only react to actual footsteps, and not just overlapping
• Slightly tweaked light flicker sound and material behavior

# Bug Fixes:

• Fixed first level of StasisArea always loading at first
• Fixed a serious bug with saving/loading levels, in which data would be lost (heavily related to LevelScriptActor)
• Fixed a bug with footstep attenuation
• Fixed a bug with the player mesh messing with other attenuation behaviors
• Fixed "Ray Tracing" not enabling; it now works!
• Fixed a bug with stale noise locations not being updated, primarily meant for Stiger monster
• Fixed air-crouching (disabled crouching while in-air)
• Fixed mouse sensitivity option in Controls config
• Fixed Field of View option in Controls config
• Fixed button key-binding in Controls config
• Fixed "Stop running" not working when starting to crouch/sneak
• Fixed not being able to make a decision on Dialogue Boxes with the Gamepad
• Fixed a bug with crouching being faster than sneaking
• Fixed queued input when Dialogue Box finishes (e.g. holding CTRL would cause you to crouch at the end of a dialogue)
• Fixed human crouched animation overlapping inside wall
• Fixed a bug which left the game completely unresponsive if a dialogue box appeared at the same time in which a transfur began

What do you think of the update? What was your favorite monster? Found bugs or want to let me know of feedback? Share your thoughts on the Discord!
Or maybe you want to have exclusive builds before anyone else, for that matter, visit my Patreon!

I have to sincerely thank my patrons for supporting me so much through this arduous process, who tested and shared their thoughts and feedback all throughout! Thank you!

I really hope you have a blast playing this new version! There's a LOT of hard work poured into it, and I hope it strives to be a unique and engaging experience!