Grounded Update 1.4.1 Patch Notes

The survival game Grounded from Obsidian Entertainment has rolled out its latest update, version 1.4.1, which aims to enhance the gaming experience with several significant fixes and optimizations. This update is particularly noteworthy for tackling a variety of technical issues that players have encountered, improving the mechanics and stability of the game. Among the key enhancements are upgrades to the game's balance, addressing bugs, and fine-tuning the performance to ensure a smoother experience, especially in multiplayer mode.

Since its early access launch in 2020, Grounded has captured the interest of gamers with its inventive spin on survival mechanics, where players must navigate a treacherous backyard from the perspective of a character shrunk to the size of an ant. This patch follows the game's previous major update, Fully Yolked, and while it stands as the last significant content rollout, it solidifies the game's foundation, providing players with a more polished adventure. The improvements in the 1.4.1 patch include better load times for player bases and a reduction in memory usage, bolstering the overall performance, with a specific focus on enhancing the multiplayer gameplay environment.

Significant Improvements

• Respawn Visibility: Players now immediately see their environment upon respawning in solo play, with no three-second dark screen delay post-defeat.
• Creature Behavior: Allies in base and Waft Emitter conflicts no longer experience freezing issues upon arrival for clients.
• Shout Attacks: Bosses and Wasp Drones in New Game+ modes have had their shout-based area attacks corrected to avoid unintended damage.
• Upgrade Persistence: Milk Molar enhancements now properly persist for clients through to New Game+ activation.
• Structural Integrity Display: Base structures now accurately reflect their true support status upon loading.
• Login Accuracy: The Microsoft Account login prompt now displays the correct environment data.

CHANGES:

• Damage Resistance: The „+Damage Resist“ trinket effect now mitigates 50% of incoming damage, a significant increase from the previous 10%.
• Console Text Chat: Players using gamepads on consoles now have the ability to initiate text chat in-game.

Enhancements and Efficiency Improvements

• General Enhancements: Game performance has seen comprehensive improvements.
• Multiplayer Efficiency: Playing with others now boasts enhanced performance.
• Memory Utilization: Overall memory consumption has been reduced, leading to smoother gameplay.
• Play Mode Optimization: Environments with numerous connections perform more robustly during play.
• Graphics Rendering: Enhanced visuals in interior environments on low graphical settings.

Issues Addressed in Stability

• Autosave Trigger: Resolved an issue where collecting items from a deceased pet followed by an automatic save could cause the game to crash.
• Dialogue Completion: Implemented a fix for crashes that would sometimes occur after finishing a character interaction.
• Joining Progress: Adjusted the game's rejoin mechanism to prevent crashes when a player returns to a session in a state of incapacitation.
• Base Loading: Corrected a stability problem where entering a game area with player-created structures could lead to crashes.
• General Play: Enhanced overall stability to reduce the chances of random crashes during gameplay.

Additional Fixes and Improvements

• Voice Communication: Adjustments ensure that voice chat preferences are retained after restarting the game.
• Visuals in the Pond Lab: Fixed an issue where entering the Pond Lab incorrectly displayed an underwater visual effect.
• Oak Lab Roots Visibility: Resolved a graphics glitch that caused oak lab roots to incorrectly appear at certain distances on low graphic settings.
• Lighting During Defense Events: Corrected the lighting transition issues during active defense encounters.
• Pond Lab Cutscene Accessibility: The Pond Lab cutscene now correctly triggers for remote players.
• Infused Weapon Duplication: Ensured that duplicated infused weapons retain their unique effects.
• Water Clarity on Low Settings: Enhanced the visual quality of water when the game is set to low graphical settings.
• Raw Science Notification: Addressed the premature Raw Science notification for joining players.
• Siren Light Animation: The siren lights in the vicinity of the Black Anthill boss now animate properly when they come into view.

NINTENDO SWITCH

The popular survival adventure Grounded by Obsidian Entertainment has undergone enhancements specifically for the Nintendo Switch. Visual stability has seen improvements, notably within the Pond Lab dome where the water fog's consistency has been stabilized. The game's performance has received a boost, especially in lab environments where security cameras link to unlockable doors. Artistic elements showing suddenly within structures, commonly referred to as ‚popping,‘ have been mitigated.

On the handheld console, loading of the Playgrounds has been refined to ensure smooth gameplay. Communication during multiplayer sessions is more reliable with the recent update; the game now efficiently recognizes when players connect their microphones after joining a session.

• Performance Updates:
  • Enhanced visual consistency
  • Streamlined lab camera performance
• Technical Improvements:
  • Minimized art popping in interiors
  • Optimal loading for Playgrounds
• Communication Fixes:
  • Dynamic microphone detection during play

With these updates, the experience for Switch users continues to align with Grounded's offerings on other platforms, like PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, sustaining its reputation as a solid choice for survival RPG enthusiasts seeking thrill in a backyard teeming with perils.