Facepunch Studios has deployed its latest Maintenance update for the popular survival game, Rust, honing in on immersive enhancements and much-needed bug fixes. Prioritizing quality-of-life improvements, this update modifies the gameplay environment by altering how sound propagation functions, among other refinements.
Enhanced Sound Design
An instrumental change detaches the gunfire sound effect from the grid-loading system. Players can now detect gunshots from increased distances, adding a layer of realism and strategy to gameplay. Previously confined to a 350-meter range, pistols, SARs, SKSs, SMGs, and shotguns can now be heard at 400 meters. More powerful weapons, such as the AK and LR, have a reach of 500 meters, while LMGs, miniguns, and long-distance rifles like the bolt action and L9 echo across 600 meters. This update elevates tension during gunfights, compelling players to consider the risk of drawing attention to their location when using heavy firepower.
Numerous Visual and Gameplay Improvements
The update introduces several enhancements for player convenience and immersion. Team coordination is streamlined by displaying which bags belong to team members when a player wields a hammer with building privileges. The minicopter now features visual and audio damage indicators, gradually escalating into smoke effects when taking hits. In a nod to realism, foliage displacement sees smoother transitions, so grass and plants reappear slowly following movement. Additionally, volumetric clouds are set as the default visual preference, though players retain the option to disable this feature manually. Furthermore, workshop submissions now automatically come with screenshots, easing the sharing of in-game creations.
Bug Fixes and Future Plans
This patch also resolves a variety of bothersome bugs that players have reported. These corrections address issues such as random character animations, invisible respawning characters, and peculiarities with deployables and environments such as rugs on tugboats and horses on planters. The adjustments extend to fixing the AK's missing empty magazine sound, along with improving guides and physical behaviors for ceiling lights.
Looking ahead, Facepunch Studios is gearing up for significant meta and balance changes expected in October, a Naval update that introduces modular boats in November, and a teased Warhammer crossover DLC. These upcoming updates promise to further enhance Rust’s dynamic survival gameplay.
