Patch is up (Notes Included)(5/8/03)

[Squeeky]

PATCH IS LIVE ATM





Thursday, May 8th

The Bug Hunt is on! You folks sent us a great number of crash logs last night. Not all were unique issues (obviously), but the data we gathered was fantastic. The programming team is digging into those now and you should see steady stability improvements over the next few days.

Changes in this patch include:

1) In the process of finding a hacking bug, we noticed that hacking "timers" were not operating correctly, thus allowing a hack to last indefinitely. This is now fixed and a hack of a door, equipment terminal, or other device has a time limit again. When that time expires, the hacked item will revert to its normal "friendly-only" access and will need to be hacked again in order for enemy troops to use it further. Hack times and durations are listed below:

Hacking certification
----------------------------------
Door terminals: 3 sec hack, duration 180 sec
Medical & Adv Medical Terminals: 3 sec hack, duration 60 sec
Certification/Implant/Order/Vehicle Terminals: 10 sec hack, duration 30 sec
Lockers: 10 sec hack, duration 30 sec

Advanced Hacking certification
--------------------------------------
Door Terminals: 1 sec hack, duration 300 sec
Medical & Adv Medical Terminals: 1 sec hack, duration 120 sec
Certification/Implant/Order/Vehicle Terminals: 5 sec hack, duration 60 sec
Lockers: 5 sec hack, duration 60 sec

2) Secure Trade has been removed (temporarily) from the game. We're going to redesign that feature and make it available after launch. It's a low priority item and not where we want it to be right now, either in interface or stability. Improvements are coming.

3) A CTD bug was eliminated that occured when you exited a turret as it was being destroyed.

4) A CTD bug was eliminated that occurred while you were moving around in the VR Driving area.

5) Several CTDs were eliminated that had to do with looting corpses.

6) A series of seemingly random CTDs were resolved based upon player-submitted stack traces.

7) We reintegrated one of the framerate optimizations that we had removed yesterday since it doesn't actually interfere with the crash logs.

8) Fixed the "can't connect" game-hanging issue with VoiceIP. Whenever the game couldn't connect because of a firewall or because the voice server was down, the game previously would hang for about 6-8 seconds. This is resolved and should not occur any longer.

9) Fixed a CTD issue that occured if you had the keymap manager up at the same time that you zoned. (Happened most often to passengers in vehicles that were altering their key settings.)

Items 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 were all solved because you folks sent those files when you crashed. Please keep it up!

=====================

[d0rian]

my game crashed and i wanted to send a crash log but there was nothing in it.

i did start the launcher though. did the launcher erase the crash log?

[�io]

Originally posted by Squeeky
PATCH IS LIVE ATM
1) In the process of finding a hacking bug, we noticed that hacking "timers" were not operating correctly, thus allowing a hack to last indefinitely. This is now fixed and a hack of a door, equipment terminal, or other device has a time limit again. When that time expires, the hacked item will revert to its normal "friendly-only" access and will need to be hacked again in order for enemy troops to use it further. Hack times and durations are listed below:

Hacking certification
----------------------------------
Door terminals: 3 sec hack, duration 180 sec
Medical & Adv Medical Terminals: 3 sec hack, duration 60 sec
Certification/Implant/Order/Vehicle Terminals: 10 sec hack, duration 30 sec
Lockers: 10 sec hack, duration 30 sec

Advanced Hacking certification
--------------------------------------
Door Terminals: 1 sec hack, duration 300 sec
Medical & Adv Medical Terminals: 1 sec hack, duration 120 sec
Certification/Implant/Order/Vehicle Terminals: 5 sec hack, duration 60 sec
Lockers: 5 sec hack, duration 60 sec

[CosmicBlend]

Originally posted by Squeeky
PATCH IS LIVE ATM


1) In the process of finding a hacking bug, we noticed that hacking "timers" were not operating correctly, thus allowing a hack to last indefinitely. This is now fixed and a hack of a door, equipment terminal, or other device has a time limit again. When that time expires, the hacked item will revert to its normal "friendly-only" access and will need to be hacked again in order for enemy troops to use it further. Hack times and durations are listed below:

Hacking certification
----------------------------------
Door terminals: 3 sec hack, duration 180 sec
Medical & Adv Medical Terminals: 3 sec hack, duration 60 sec
Certification/Implant/Order/Vehicle Terminals: 10 sec hack, duration 30 sec
Lockers: 10 sec hack, duration 30 sec

Advanced Hacking certification
--------------------------------------
Door Terminals: 1 sec hack, duration 300 sec
Medical & Adv Medical Terminals: 1 sec hack, duration 120 sec
Certification/Implant/Order/Vehicle Terminals: 5 sec hack, duration 60 sec
Lockers: 5 sec hack, duration 60 sec

That is something that is going to really piss people off.. and it is making me less happy with this game.. come on so now if we want to get vehicles out of a facility we are hacking to defend it, we have to get a hacker to stand at the veh term to make sure we can all get vehicles.. GAY GAY GAY. What happens when we need to get an ANT REALLY bad and a hacker cant get down there to hack the terminal.. WOW WE ARE SCREWED TILL WE GET THE HACK, then at that point we may lose power.. then the base goes nuetral at which point we have to try to get an ANT to the warp gate and back rehack the facility then fill it. THATS REDICULOUS..

[�io]

Hackers are seriously getting fucked in this game as stated in this post : http://www.planetside-universe.com/f...825#post129825

[Nekota]

Well it can be a bit irritating and inconvinient but it's not about making the game easy and as painless as possible. Sometimes you gotta work for a base cap. If that means camping a hacker near the terminal fine. If it means calling your hacker off knifing snipers or what have you... fine. It gives hackers a more needed role in my opinion. Also makes it so hackers will be dedicated rather then just hack and run.

EDIT: After reading the recommended post I reafirm my post. You're right hacking by itself isn't that much fun but, it's a contribution. However neither is piloting a Galaxy or driving an ANT or doing both to power up the bases on your continent... but they do give you the satisfaction of knowing your helping the cause.

[�io]

You ever played a hacker?

I don't know about you but i'm already one of the most useful yet most abused (no BEPs for all the jobs i do) of my squad. Now even worse i have to keep hacking the same terminals over and over again for 15mins while STILL not getting a single BEP for it. Yeah you're right i'm super dedicated now, let's go play now!!!



This change is seriously making me think of ditching my l33t ninj4 hx0rz� and just grab the ever so popular Reaver and special assault.

[Nekota]

Yes I did play a hacker as one of my first characters. I'll be picking it up again in a few more levels (prefer setting booby traps rather then stealing terminals and abandoned vehicles ) It's a thankless job I know but, that's what you have a squad for. You're not raking in the BP but, you're allowing your team to be more efficent which is fine with me.

[�io]

Of course you say that you're out there killing peeps and having fun. Running around a base alone and looking at a bar go down is far from my idea of fun.

[Nekota]

Well is it fun in that watching the progress bar of a hack is all I'm doing? No. Is it fun to know that I'm playing a needed role for my side? Yes. Anyone can run out there with a weapon and start firing. That to me isn't fun. My latest (and most likely final spec) has me infiltrating with Adv Eng for placing mines and Boomers for MAX and vehicles. In one more level I'll have hacking again and in 3 I'll have Adv Hack. Generally during a base cap my squad will fan out to hit the CC. I'll fly in with my Mosquito do a quick scan of the base for occupants then I'll rig as many doors as I can leading to the CC. Then after that I'm generally free till the enemy arrives but, even then with all my slots taking with ACEs and an Armor Repair Kit (which I'm about to drop no one sticks around for a repair especially in the heat of battle) all I can do is if I have any left over Boomers I'll go plant some bombs under enemy vehicles (nothing says loving then sneaking next to an enemy MAX or Galaxy placing a Boomer under it sneak off and watch the fireworks) or knife any targets of opportunity as I run to get more Bombs. The problem comes though that I generally have to run back to a nearby tower, my Mosquitos trunk, or ask for a Hacker to hack me a terminal which I'll gladly do myself once I start hacking again.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Maybe if we all post in the beta forums about this issue the devs could change their mind on the weakening of the hackers. I'm not a hacker, nor did I ever play as one, but this doesn't seem fair.

[Dqua]

Do medics get exp for healing people? Do engineers get exp for fixing vehicles, people's armor, facility terminals? No.

Hacking, medical, and engineering don't provide raw exp for their direct use, however, their use gains exp for the people and their teammates in the long from, keeping the soldiers supplied with ammo, weapons, and supplies, health, and longivity for vehicles, longivity in armor upkeep, and base durability with a longer NTU supply because the facilities are being repaired by the engineer and not the NTUs.

[Warborn]

Dqua:
Do medics get exp for healing people? Do engineers get exp for fixing vehicles, people's armor, facility terminals? No.

Hacking, medical, and engineering don't provide raw exp for their direct use, however, their use gains exp for the people and their teammates in the long from, keeping the soldiers supplied with ammo, weapons, and supplies, health, and longivity for vehicles, longivity in armor upkeep, and base durability with a longer NTU supply because the facilities are being repaired by the engineer and not the NTUs.

Nail on the head. Couldn't have said it better. I've used the advanced hacking, engineering and medical skills on several characters quite a bit. You shouldn't need some sort of BEP reward to make you feel as if your job is important, because trust me, it is. You are essentialy in many cases. I couldn't imagine doing half the crap I've done in the past if I didn't have an engineer, medic or hacker around to facilitate it.

Dio:
Of course you say that you're out there killing peeps and having fun. Running around a base alone and looking at a bar go down is far from my idea of fun.

Then why do it? If you're hacking everything in the base, chances are most of it will never get used. Hacking is a support skill, just like medical and engineering (not combat engineering). If you're going around with a hacking tool in front of you 99% of the time, you've got the wrong impression. Don't you have a rifle slot? Why aren't you fighting instead of hacking stuff that most likely will not be used, and if it is, probably won't do more good than you, on the field, shooting some enemies up would.

CosmicBlend:
... we have to get a hacker to stand at the veh term to make sure we can all get vehicles.. GAY GAY GAY

Ever considering that maybe it was not the intention of the developers to let people turn an enemy base almost entirely into a friendly one which you can rearm and reheal at your leisure from? You know, I actually thought people who consider themselves hackers primarily would have been happy with those changes. Now instead of one hacker going in, hacking stuff, and making your advanced hacking skill worthless, you get to use your cert to personally hack stuff for people to use. And, hey, you may even get a "thx" as reward -- just like the engineers and medics!

[�io]

Originally posted by Warborn
Nail on the head. Couldn't have said it better. I've used the advanced hacking, engineering and medical skills on several characters quite a bit. You shouldn't need some sort of BEP reward to make you feel as if your job is important, because trust me, it is. You are essentialy in many cases. I couldn't imagine doing half the crap I've done in the past if I didn't have an engineer, medic or hacker around to facilitate it.



Then why do it? If you're hacking everything in the base, chances are most of it will never get used. Hacking is a support skill, just like medical and engineering (not combat engineering). If you're going around with a hacking tool in front of you 99% of the time, you've got the wrong impression. Don't you have a rifle slot? Why aren't you fighting instead of hacking stuff that most likely will not be used, and if it is, probably won't do more good than you, on the field, shooting some enemies up would.

- Ok then why rewards grunts with BEPs, their job is important to, they don't need BEPs to feel as if their job was important.

- I did it because i could actually hack the stuff and move on(to defend, attack, set up AMS, whatever) now i won't be able to, i have to keep the terms hacked to help my squad.


You guys can try to argue and defend the new change but the fact is the 2 people who argued so far both use the hacking cert as a backup role not their primary one or don't use it all but rather rely on squadmates, the problem doesn't lie there it lies in the guys who, like me, liked to hack the base for his teamates then move on to hack the surrounding towers and/or vehicles, making hacking his priority not a pastime.

Anyway bottom line is i (and i'm sure many others) will be giving up the hacking cert if that timer stays after test.

[Warborn]

Dio:
- Ok then why rewards grunts with BEPs, their job is important to, they don't need BEPs to feel as if their job was important.

You are a grunt. If you're doing hacking, you're either in an infiltration suit (which makes you an infiltrator), or you're in an exosuit and are holding a weapon larger than a pistol, which makes you a grunt. Hacking (or Engineering, or Medical) provides you with a secondary function apart from killing people. But make no mistake, killing people is still what you should be doing. Infantry is infantry, there is no such thing as a full-time medic or a full-time hacker.

... the problem doesn't lie there it lies in the guys who, like me, liked to hack the base for his teamates then move on to hack the surrounding towers and/or vehicles, making hacking his priority not a pastime.

It takes 1 hack to get everyone rearmed at an equipment terminal. It takes 1 hack to get a med terminal converted to heal your guys (assuming you have no medics or engineers). Exactly how can you make a priority out of something that is so basic? That's like saying that repairing body armor is your primary concern. What do you do, wait around with your gun holstered, your proverbial ear to the ground for any sign of a terminal which, although redundant for any practical use, given what you've already hacked, has not been hacked by your side? That's nonsense. I've been playing this game for a long time, and I've never attacked an enemy base where we had to have more than 1 equipment terminal, medical terminal, or vehicle terminal hacked. There is simply no point in having all the terminals in the base hacked, because you'll never need them hacked. If I need a health terminal hacked, I'll ask my hacker to hack it. When it's hacked, I'll heal. Boom, hacker's job is over. Between then and the next time someone needs a hacked terminal, said hacker will be just as much a grunt as I am when I'm not in a tank, or as the combat engineers or medics in the squad are.

Anyway bottom line is i (and i'm sure many others) will be giving up the hacking cert if that timer stays after test.

I honestly doubt that most people will change their cert layout as a result. In fact, I'm sure most other hackers will appreciate the change, as we'll be calling on them more to hack a terminal for us to heal or rearm at. No offense Dio, but you're a bit of an oddity as far as your take on hacking goes. It's like a guy who considers ANT driving his primary job, and then gets irate over base NTU's not depleting when things at the base are used, finally driving himself into a fervor when destroyed terminals consume less NTU's, claiming that nobody will want to drive ANTs anymore now. Neither ANT driving nor hacking is something that was added into the game with the intent of it being a primary job for people to do, and becoming disappointed when changes are made that conflict with your unusual primary job is nobody's fault other than your own for wanting something the game isn't meant to provide.