Hey it's patch day! This one is mainly focused on adding some features to Command Mode and the Map Screen, which haven't had much love for a while. In particular, you can drag a box to select characters and set up zones via the map screen. This makes it a lot more convenient to set zones.

You've also got some new commands like Group Follow Me, which tells everyone you've selected to follow you (or stop following you). So you don't have to individually click on everyone you want to follow you anymore. These sorts of things I always felt were missing.

I've changed some of the controls slightly. In order to make the map screen and Command mode a bit more consistent with each other, I've made the drag-select button the right-click on the mouse (or X on Steam Deck/XBox gamepad) by default. Left-clicking and dragging now moves the camera on both Command Mode and on the map.

I've also added the ability to set 5 different colored map markers, whereas previously you could only set one. Because of all the new functions I've overloaded the map marker button, previously right-click, to open a context menu from which you can set markers but also set zones and other stuff.

That's the main stuff, here's the full list:

• Added options in action menu in command mode, and the map screen, for: Select Followers, Select Everyone, Group Follow Me, Group Stop Following Me, Copy Zone to Group
  
• Right clicking on the map screen now opens a menu from which you can set markers also set/pause/resume zones, along with the above actions
  
• Allow you to set multiple map markers, with different colors, on the map screen
  
• Allow you to right-click and drag a selection box on the map screen, also made Command Mode consistent with map screen by using left-click drag to move the camera, right-click drag to draw a selection box
  
• Allow you to drag-select allies as well as your own community members (so allies can be more easily ordered to follow/stop following you)
  
• Current character path and zones now shown on map screen
  
• Added Control option to action menu when in Command Mode hovering over a vehicle with someone driving it
  
• Made it possible to hover over invaders sidebar on map screen with gamepad controls
  
• Made it possible to take over crop zones from defeated enemy bases
  
• Made it possible to abandon vehicles, and buildings that previously could only be destroyed
  
• Tweaks to feuding to try and make chain reactions of brawls with the same person a bit less likely
  
• Gray targeting reticule when enemy is dead
  
• Show 'Pick Up (Stealing)' on action menu if picking up a body is likely to result in their community members attacking you
  
• Added support for props and equipment having different genders in different languages (e.g. French vs Portuguese)
  
• Added support for modders to add gloves as a clothing type
  
• Fix for people in large communities continuing feuds immediately after being restrained
  
• Fix for unconscious passengers in your vehicle being gibbed by traps if you drive over them
  
• Fix for compass and wind direction being wrong when Minimap Rotation Enabled is off
  
• Fix for Right Stick Click button prompt showing as a question mark on Steam Deck
  
• Fix for some buildings not belonging to the right community in Story Mode
  
• Fix for Emma not being recruitable after you took her green pass allocation
  
• Fix for Kelly continuing to sit down and reminisce in Wishkey Crossing after you talked to her
  
• Fix for fetch quest books such as Advanced Archery being stackable which meant the whole stack got handed over when completing the quest
  
• Fixes for Sharp Objects quest not progressing in some situations
  
• Fix for Highway Patrol base being occupied by raiders or refugees if you don't tell Carter about it for a while
  
• Fix for missing version mismatch error message
  
• Fixes for some mod-related crashes
  
• Updated French, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Lithuanian, Russian and Simplified Chinese translations

And v217 is now in the main branch! That's got stuff like supersampling, the ability to text search for mods, new rifle animations and lot of tweaks and bug fixes.

EDIT - released a quick follow-up patch in publicbeta, v219, to fix a crash.

v219 will be in the "publicbeta" branch for a while, before pushing it to the main game. If you want to try the latest features as they come out (and help test them!) it's a good idea to start using this branch. But keep in mind:

• Because it's the bleeding edge it could be less stable
  
• If you want to be able to play online co-op with someone you'll need to be on the same version as them
  
• If you go back from the "publicbeta" branch to the main branch you may not be able to load savegames created on "publicbeta".

To use publicbeta, just right-click on Survivalist: Invisible Strain in your Steam library and go to Properties, then Betas and in the drop-down select "publicbeta".