Here’s a “short” version, read the post for complete info.

AI (Features):

  • continued to fix bugs and make improvements to Human combat and other AI behaviors

AI (Tech):

  • focused on finalizing and polishing features for Alpha 3.23 alongside optimizations for existing systems
  • work on planetary navigation was completed allowing the team to generate navigation mesh over entire planets
  • continued to implement new rules and finalized synchronization between the server and clients for boids
  • iterated on new ship behaviors with Design, improvements to the aiming-control system for ships and turrets
  • load reduction to AI navigation system
  • improvements to Apollo tool

Animation:

  • team has been working on the “Space Cow”, a medium-sized bird, a predator wolf-like creature, as well as several new vehicles entrance animations

Art (Characters):

  • completed a range of branded racing flightsuits
  • continued working on outfits for the Headhunters gang
  • began exploring specialist armors and worked on handoff sheets

Art (Ships):

  • progress on the RSI Zeus (greybox was completed and all functionality has been validated)
  • Anvil Legionnaire is whitebox complete
  • work on the Resource Network began, 10 ships nearing completion
  • update work on a legacy ship continued

Community:

  • Community team support for the Overdrive Initiative and Stella Fortuna
  • banner design contest for the latter
  • spent time helping prepare the RSI Launcher 2.0 for live release
  • supported various community events

Core Gameplay:

  • Gameplay Features team successfully passed the go/no-go gates for procedural recoil, new scopes, dynamic crosshairs, and reload improvements
  • progress on ammo repooling
  • preproduction for base building
  • added different colored loot screens depending on whether the player is looting an enemy, friendly, or neutral entity
  • added a button to go from the inventory to the loot screen and a pop-up window when an item swap can’t be performed
  • allowed for separate loot-screen styles between the visor and lens
  • conversion of on-screen chat to Building Blocks was completed
  • converted more markers to the new system
  • unblocked animation content to support weapon customization and two-handed carry to work with the new EVA system
  • improvements to how shop items are highlighted when players look at them
  • completed buy and rent interactions for physical shopping
  • improvements to prone locomotion
  • improvements to aiming and targeting for the gunnery system for Master Modes
  • temporary solution for ship-hull penetration was added until Maelstrom is ready to support physical ship armor
  • optimized the dynamic room atmosphere system and made it network compatible
  • more work on cargo elevators and instanced hangars
  • updated radar zone queries to use new zone query time splice tech
  • work began on ‘signature categories’ (different signature detections based on emitters)
  • Arena Commander:
    • improve to multi-crew experience by adding access selection
    • refactored the team-balancing system
    • improved loadout definitions
    • support for the Engineering Experimental Modes and a selection of new maps and modes
    • support for a new system for Gun Rush
  • progress on reputation-based hostility
  • changes to the trespass behavior
  • UI:
    • work continued on the redesigned Contract Manager
    • completed payment validation for beacons
    • made Journal compatible with the new mobiGlas and updated the Home screen
    • support for the legacy Comm-Link and VMS Flash apps
    • visual updates to the Wallet and Assets apps
  • provided new data structure to Mission Design so they could start setting up hauling missions
  • progress on hangars, including the Instanced Interior Manager
  • improvements to the freight elevator and commodity kiosks

Economy:

  • continued rebalancing commodities
  • mission rewards are being rebalanced according to the difficulty and time required to complete them
  • team is involved in the design of reputation and org progression
  • starting to balance the time and cost of autoloading freight elevators

Graphics, VFX Programming & Planet Tech:

  • bug fixing the various deliverables for Alpha 3.23
  • added performance-scaling options to the water simulation
  • Vulkan team worked through several performance issues as they moved closer to matching D3D performance
  • reworking shaders to reduce the total number of PSOs (shaders) that need compiling when the game starts
  • work on Global Illumination continues
  • Planet Tech team started work on Planet Tech v5
  • VFX team continued with networking support for the fire simulation

In-Game Branding:

  • preparations for Invictus Launch Week
  • work for cargo containers and additional signage for various locations

Interactables:

Lighting:

  • worked on instanced hangars, freight elevators, distribution centers and Invictus Launch Week
  • supported the upcoming Character Customizer

Locations:

  • polishing content for Alpha 4.0
  • closed out the upcoming distribution centers
  • kicked off preproduction for new mandates officially beginning in Q2
  • Landing Zone team finalized art for instanced hangars

Mission Design:

  • Mission Feature team was restructured, becoming the Mission Design team
  • following feedback on the Overdrive Initiative event, the team is revisiting the standard data heist missions
  • progress on the upcoming cargo hauling missions (lawful stores across Stanton will not buy your cargo, got to use a fence if you want to sell them)
  • began working on wildlife related missions (Kill ‘X’ Amount, Clear Location, Kill and Collect)
  • some older mission modules were refactored
  • further testing of Blockade Runner

Narrative:

  • revising existing missions like the New Player Experience
  • outlining new missions
  • discussions with gameplay teams on ‘lorification’ of upcoming systems
  • various posts on the website and Galactapedia updates

Online Technology:

  • refactoring of social services backend
  • work to reduce EAC Anti-Cheat false positives in preparation of enabling sanction enforcement
  • finished off long-term persistence work for the Character Customizer

R&D:

  • work continued on the temporal render mode
  • supported the Gen12/Vulkan work

Tech Design:

  • support of preparations for Alpha 3.23 and beyond
  • support for hangars and ship flight
  • polish work on Master Modes

UI:

  • development of the new freight elevator kiosk, commodity kiosk, and item bank
  • preparing mandates coming later this year, including the Resource Network and jump points
  • added new player-facing UI, new mobiGlas
  • new visor and lens improvements
  • polished the new shopping UI and Character Customizer

VFX:

  • finished work on distribution centers and freight elevators
  • completed tasks for several upcoming vehicles
  • progress on jump point effect