New rules for reserves usage

June 23, 2022

Caliber update 0.16.0 is just around the corner. This means it’s time to talk about all the changes that await our players. Let’s start small but important: we have changed the rules for using reserves, making them easier and feel more familiar for fans of shooter games.

How reserves are used now

Now, to use a reserve, you need to perform two actions:

press the 4 or 5 key to choose the item;

press and hold LMB to apply it.

This usage system sometimes resulted in longer use times, with false clicks that caused the player to switch from sprinting to normal running. And the other way around, by releasing the LMB at the wrong time, the player canceled the reserve use and lost the calculated pace of the battle.

How reserves will be used in 0.16.0

Starting from Caliber version 0.16.0, using a reserve will require pressing only one key:

Pressing the 4 or 5 key will automatically select a reserve and use it. After its use, the character will switch to the weapon that was selected before the reserve use.

You can cancel the reserve use simply by clicking LMB.

When a reserve cannot be used

When a reserve cannot be used, the system will notify you and indicate the reason. For example, if it’s impossible to heal someone, depending on the situation, the player will see one of the messages:

First Aid Kit is not ready;

Out of First Aid Kits;

Hit Points are at maximum;

Healing is blocked by the applied effect.

The new system will be clearer and more familiar to new Caliber players and generally similar to those found in other shooters. Also, the innovation will increase the dynamics of battles and improve players’ understanding of the combat situation, since now, after pressing the reserve key, the player will be able to immediately switch their attention to the battlefield.

For those players who moved around with reserves selected to run faster, nothing will change. Because it didn’t work that way.

There is only one operator collection in Caliber that moves faster with the primary weapon stowed away, and that is Alpha unit. But even these characters get a speed boost only when moving with a pistol in their hands, not a reserve.