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[Asid]

GHPC Update 20250902
Tue, 2 September 2025



Regular Update: Abrams overhaul, audio immersion, optimizations

GHPC Early Access has been updated to version 20250902. This is a regular update, introducing new features, adjustments, and bug fixes. We've got plenty more in the works for GHPC! As always, you can get additional info by visiting our Discord server and YouTube channel. Links are on the GHPC website.

ABRAMS OVERHAUL



As some of the flagship tanks in GHPC, the M1 and M1IP Abrams get an outsized portion of the attention and play time. In light of this, the art team felt that it was time to revisit the vehicle's internal and external modeling, in order to take care of some improvements we've had on the to-do list for a while. Their parallel work on the Abrams overhaul is now ready to release in this update.



The most obvious change is the new commander's weapon station, featuring a corrected and more intricately detailed .50 caliber machine gun with all of its mounting hardware. This weapon, much like the M85 machine gun on the M60A1 and M60A3, can be operated from inside the tank and has its own gunsight. (Note: the commander's machine gun reticle cannot be illuminated - this is a recreation of its real-life abilities and is not a bug!)



This weapon is useful for engaging helicopters and light APCs at close range, as well as suppressing troops outside of coaxial machine gun range, and all without exposing the tank commander to bullets and shrapnel from outside of the tank. It may struggle frontally against Warsaw Pact light armor, as most of the Soviet troop carriers were designed with this threat in mind.

More impactful than the .50 cal is a much more subtle change: the completely overhauled damage model of the Abrams fighting compartment. Careful inspection in X-ray mode during AAR will reveal the extent of the changes: a transformation of the formerly empty interior into a cluttered space full of vital equipment and support structures. Penetrating hits on the center of the tank will now find plenty of things to interact with, including several flammable components like hydraulic reservoirs and ammunition boxes.



The main effect of this change is that the Abrams will much less frequently be a "pin cushion" happily soaking up dart after dart and continuing to fight like nothing happened. In many cases, the consequences of such a tactical failure will now be a burning tank and a crew bailout, just like with every other tank in the game.



Of course, there's plenty of other detail that can be included in a tank model, and our art lead has painstakingly recreated several new items that were not present in the previous iteration of GHPC's Abrams. The full list of details is perhaps best left as a trivia challenge for enthusiasts, but you may notice things like expanded skirt and sprocket configurations, an engine grille guard, new spare road wheel mount points, and the quirky clear plastic roadwheel hubs that allow crews to check their lubrication levels. We've also given the base model M1 its early gunsight reticles in the Gunner's Auxiliary Sight (GAS) and Thermal Imaging System (TIS), which were noticeably different from the later iterations.



(As an aside - with the addition of the remote-controlled .50 cal on the Abrams, an obvious question is whether we'll be adding other controllable heavy machine guns, such as the remote-controlled commander's weapon system on the T-64. The answer for this is the same as it was for the Abrams until this update: we are indeed working on these and will add more of them when they are ready.)


VEHICLE AUDIO IMMERSION OVERHAUL

While the programmers pour most of their hours into the upcoming Command Mode feature, our audio engineer has been plugging away at a series of improvements to the soundscape. With this update, the soundscape for moving vehicles has been totally changed, replacing the simple track noise loop and basic suspension "clunk" sounds with a lively and dynamic audio environment. The noises you hear while driving around will now respond to exactly what the vehicle is doing, including tire noise, track pin strain, torsion bar flex, and the various rattles and resonances created in a 40-ton hulk careening through the countryside.

Meanwhile, for the moments when you're not racing around but instead sitting in defilade lining up shots on targets, there are now a series of switch click sounds for optical controls. These are designed to resemble the actual sounds of the knobs and throw levers found in the real-life vehicles, from the polarity switch on the Abrams to the clicks of the zoom wheel on the Soviet 1G42 gunsight found in the T-64B and T-80B.

There have also been various other improvements to the stability and coherence of the soundscape, including fixing an issue in the recent updates that led to distant explosions being inaudible.


OPTIMIZATIONS

A look at the full change log will reveal a significant number of optimization-related entries. It's very typical for us to try to optimize the game in small ways as we work, especially if we're adding new features that will demand more of the performance budget. Sometimes, though, we manage to get multiple optimizations in at the same time and make a larger impact. This update is one of those times.

While the exact impact will depend on each user's specific hardware and the nature of its performance bottlenecks when running GHPC, we think a significant portion of the player base will notice the game running more smoothly with this update. (And if not, don't worry - there are still plenty of performance improvements being worked on for the future.)

If your system is struggling with CPU load when running GHPC, don't miss the new option to disable vegetation interaction in the graphics settings. This should help ease the processing load slightly and buy you a few more frames.


NEW MISSION

Most of the mission team's effort has been devoted to preparing a nice set of missions for Command Mode, but they did find time to add a new standard mission in this update. You can find "Echelon Engagement" in the Fulda Outskirts mission list.


CHANGE LOG




NEW CONTENT

  - Added usable commander's weapon station to Abrams tanks

  - Overhauled M1 and M1IP Abrams exterior models to include new details and improved resolution in key areas

  - Overhauled Abrams interior component models to include more complete set of equipment in the fighting compartment (including several flammable hydraulic components and ammunition stores)

  - Overhauled vehicle chassis soundscape to make it more immersive, lively, and reactive to the way the vehicle is moving

  - Added audio for kinetic projectile impacts on terrain

  - Added audio for switching optics magnification or vision mode

  - Added new mission "Echelon Engagement" in Fulda Outskirts


FEATURES AND ADJUSTMENTS

  - Early model M1 Abrams now has early style reticles for auxiliary sight and Thermal Imaging System sight (TIS)

  - Vegetation interaction can now be disabled in the game's graphics settings to boost performance

  - Tracers are more prominent in thermal scopes

  - Switching optical magnification now includes a visual effect

  - Improved muzzle blast dust effects

  - Improved ricochet visuals for directional consistency

  - Improved falloff and muffling of some vehicle sounds

  - Optimized rendering of decoration objects and fences

  - Optimized rendering of some particle effects

  - Optimized memory usage of visual effects

  - Optimized and stabilized vehicle audio effects

  - Optimized some aspects of the physics system

  - Optimized the thermal rendering system

  - Optimized the vegetation interaction system


FIXES

  - Fixed certain objects being able to fall through the map forever and cause game instability

  - Fixed AI vehicles driving too fast or too slow when following a route

  - Fixed platoon members stopping permanently for no reason

  - Fixed platoon members driving away in a specific direction for no reason

  - Fixed various sound effects being overly quiet at distance

  - Fixed Malyutka aim being vertically inverted if the hull was facing in certain directions

  - Fixed Marder A1+ night sight flipping upside down when X-ray mode was on

  - Fixed overactive steering on Bradley, Marder, and M113

  - Fixed an issue that could lead to a vehicle getting frozen while pivot turning

  - Fixed animation issues with infantry weapons

  - Fixed reticles being white instead of green in some thermal sights

  - Fixed some Abrams hatches not animating

  - Fixed camo nets not fluttering when the vehicle is in motion

  - Fixed many cases of floating or misaligned grass

  - Fixed visual issues at map edges

  - Fixed missing terrain details in some locations

  - Fixed some events in missions

  - Fixed certain visual effects appearing black in thermal vision

  - Fixed controls list not including a night vision mode entry

  - Fixed rendering issues in map view while game is paused

  - Fixed timed mission triggers not properly syncing with mission time

[Asid]

GHPC Update 20250930
Tue, 30 September 2025



Regular Update: Command Mode, T-64B1

GHPC Early Access has been updated to version 20250930. As always, you can get additional info on this and future updates by visiting our Discord server and YouTube channel. Links are on the GHPC website.

COMMAND MODE



What is Command Mode?

Ever since the RTS mode that was temporarily in the game for April Fools 2025, many players have asked for the feature to return. There were lots of questions about why we would do all that work only to remove it. Well, like most things we do for April Fools events, that feature had a second purpose, which was to serve as a testbed for our actual goal: a standard game feature that allows players to adjust the battle plan for friendly forces! The first iteration of that feature is now here. We call it Command Mode.

In a mission with Command Mode enabled, the routes and commands for friendly vehicles are visible on the map immediately at the start of the mission. You have unlimited time to adjust or rewrite these as desired, until you come up with a plan that you are confident in.

Want to send the tanks ahead to make sure it's clear before the APCs move up? Want to move two platoons around opposite sides of a position for a pincer attack? Want to have one group wait until another group reaches a position before proceeding? Now you can do all of that and more.

If things are starting to go sideways during the mission, you have full control of the plan and can adjust it at will. Drag nodes around, add and remove modifiers, or just right-click on a platoon leader and set new orders instantly. The friendly forces will do their best to adapt on the fly.

Command Mode is optional

Some people will undoubtedly prefer to just play the game the standard way, without worrying about plans or having their head in the map. That's fine too! All Command Mode missions have been provided with a default plan, so you can just click the start button and play the game. All the fine-tuning is fully optional.

This is the first iteration

As we see how players are adjusting to Command Mode, we intend to refine it and use it for most or all new missions moving forward. It will become another standard tool to change how the scenarios play out, especially when there's a need to adapt to a changing situation.

It's possible that there will be some quirks with this feature, as with anything new in an early access game. If you encounter issues, please use the bug reporting links in the "Help" section of the game's main menu to let us know! All links are also available on the website: https://gunnerheatpc.com/


NEW MISSIONS

With the launch of Command Mode, we're debuting ten missions compatible with the new system. Two of these are brand new and found in the Fulda Outskirts list, while the other eight are revisions of existing missions under Eastern Hills.

All of these missions have been designed to work with the flexibility of the Command Mode features, meaning you are free to approach them as tactical puzzles in whatever way you see fit. This should be especially noticeable in cases such as the mission Obscene Odyssey, where even being able to make your tank force wait for airstrikes or do stationary gunnery against enemy positions can improve the survival rate significantly!


NEW VEHICLE: T-64B1



Our vehicle team had to make some revisions to the T-64B model to support the NSVT machine gun being usable, so while they were at it, they went ahead and added some additional minor variants, particularly the T-64B1.

The "B1" designation indicates that this is a T-64B which lacks the equipment to guide gun-launched anti-tank guided missiles (GLATGMs). As such, the loadout for this variant has had its Kobra missiles replaced with standard ammunition, and there is no missile guidance unit on the turret roof.

We've also added a couple of "obr.1981" variations without the weld-on armor plate on the hull's upper glacis plate. These can be used to represent vehicles that have not yet undergone the retrofit process that added the extra high-hardness steel plate. The frontal hull armor resistance of these tanks, especially against APFSDS darts, is slightly lower.

All of the T-64B variants are available in the customizer or randomly in the USSR forces in campaign mode (when logistics scores allow).

To remove ambiguity, here's a chart showing the differences between T-64B versions in GHPC:

Tank                  GLATGM system.   Hull add-on armor

T-64B obr.1984    ✅Yes.                  ✅Yes
   
T-64B obr.1981    ✅Yes.                  No
   
T-64B1 obr.1984  No.                      ✅Yes

T-64B1 obr.1981  No.                      No


MAP ICONS

With the Command Mode release, all of the icons for vehicles and infantry on the map have been updated. They now use NATO-style symbology to indicate their type. There are also informational labels when you hover the mouse on a friendly icon in Command Mode, which can be useful if you're trying to learn what the symbols mean.


OPTICS ADJUSTMENTS

Alongside the more major changes, we've made a few adjustments to various optics-related items.

For starters, the PZU-5 gunsight for the T-64's NSVT machine gun has received some bug fixes, and the powered traverse for the gun mount itself is now much faster as it was in real life. T-64A and T-64B players should benefit from a much quicker aim time when engaging unarmored targets with the heavy machine gun. (The weapon is now usable on the T-64B, just like it was for the T-64A in the previous minor update!)

Next up, the PZB-200 night sight on some of the Leopard 1 variants has been revised. The Leopard 1A1A2 and 1A1A4 now have an updated reticle, with a combination of fixed and dynamic markings.



The dot reticle slides vertically to indicate the actual aim point for the current ammunition and range settings as calculated by the fire control system, while the other marks serve as a backup reference. The T-shaped arrangement at the top is the zero mark.

And last but certainly not least, it is no longer possible to shoot while using the commander's binoculars as a makeshift scope. This should make unstabilized weapon platforms feel more authentically limited, rather than being turned into unreasonably effective systems by "videogame logic".

There are of course other changes arriving in this update, and you can check out the full list below to read about them all.


CHANGE LOG



NEW CONTENT

  - Added Command Mode, allowing direct viewing and control of friendly forces' battle plans in compatible missions

  - Added two new Command Mode missions in Fulda Outskirts

  - Added eight Command Mode revisions of existing missions in Eastern Hills

  - Added T-64B1 tank (T-64B without gun-launched anti-tank guided missile systems)

  - Added 1981 variants of T-64B and T-64B1 (lacking weld-on reinforcement plate on upper glacis)

  - Added right-click menu for friendly platoons on map in Command Mode, allowing instant changes to their behavior

  - Added info panel when hovering the mouse over a friendly unit on the map

  - Added out-of-bounds zones in some missions, where incursions are met with aggressive enemy strikes

FEATURES AND ADJUSTMENTS

  - Panning the map view is now done with middle-click or Alt-click

  - Updated PZB-200 night sight on Leopard 1A1A2 and 1A1A4 to more accurately depict the real optic

  - Map markers for friendly and enemy units now display symbols to indicate what kind of vehicle or emplacement they are

  - Map markers for friendly platoons now merge into a shared icon when the map is zoomed out enough

  - Existing T-64B has been renamed to T-64B obr.1984

  - Updated powered traverse speed of T-64's NSVT machine gun

  - T-64B now has a usable NSVT machine gun

  - Aiming and firing are no longer available while looking through commander's binoculars

FIXES

  - Fixed some physics issues that could lead to the entire game breaking

  - Fixed an issue that caused vehicle hulls to slowly drift forever after firing

  - Fixed multiple mission bugs

  - Fixed several issues with AI navigation

  - Fixed reticle illumination in PZU-5 sight for NSVT

  - Fixed some audio issues