News: GU06 Notes

[DirtyBird]

All servers will come down for Game Update 06 beginning at 6:00 AM. Downtime is anticipated to be less than 2.5 hours. Players may note the following changes:

General Updates

Service Ribbons

• Service Ribbons are quick-to-earn achievements that are repeatable and grant a reward for completing them.
• Service Ribbons are earned by killing enemies with infantry weapons and by supporting your allies. We will be adding more ribbon types (ex: teamwork, base capture, and vehicle ribbons) in future updates.
• Players earn an experience bonus (on top of the normal ribbon experience reward) for the first few ribbons earned each day
• Weapon Ribbons=10 kills
• Revive Ribbon=15 revives
• Healing Ribbon=Heal 10,000 points
• Repairing Ribbon=Repair 15,000 points
• Piloting Ribbon=20 driver assists
• Rewards for each are 250xp
• An additional 500xp if it’s receiving the daily bonus

Alerts

• This is a new, dynamic, server controlled event system. Alerts are automatically triggered and communicated to players through notifications and the [Tab] screen.
• The Alert type being introduced in this initial phase of implementation is Continent Capture. In Continent Capture, empires will need to control a specific continent within a fixed amount of time. If an empire captures all regions on the designated continent before the timer expires that empire will be declared the winner, ending the alert. If no empire captures all regions within the allotted time, all empires will receive a reward proportional to the territory control (i.e. an empire that owns 40% of the territory will earn 40% of the reward). Players do not have to be on the alert continent to receive the reward. The reward is server-wide.
• While participating in the event areas players will receive a percent increase to their experience rewards.
• We will be adding more alert types in future updates.

New Membership Benefits

• Members now have access to an additional daily sale
• Members now have access to an additional three character slots as part of their membership

Client stability improvements

New in the Depot

• Extra character slots can now be purchased from the Depot
• The new common pool NS-15M LMG has been added to the Depot
• New Mercenary Helmets for Combat Medic and Engineer

Infantry Updates

Tank Mines Will no longer arm if thrown on top of a vehicle.

All Shotguns

• Maximum damage per pellet reduced to 134 damage on all shotguns that previously did 143 damage.
• Slowed down to 700 MS, from 575 MS (now matches assault rifle equip times and not carbines).

Slug Ammunition

• Slug animation no longer lowers rate of fire when equipped.
• Now reaches minimum damage at 40 meters, reduced from 65 meters.
• Minimum and maximum damage are unchanged on semi-auto and auto shotguns. Pump-action slug ammunition had its minimum damage raised to 400 from 360.
• Iron sights and optics have been realigned to give a better sight picture.

NC Mauler S6, TR FA1 Barrage, and VS Pandora

• Rate of fire slowed down to 225 RPM.
• Short reload time slowed down to 2050 MS.
• Long reload time is faster at 3350 MS.
• Lowered vertical recoil to 1.3, from 1.5.

NC Sweeper, TR TS4 Haymaker, and VS Nova

• Rate of fire slowed down to 225 RPM.
• Short reload time slowed down to 2900 MS.
• Long reload time slowed down to 4100 MS.
• Lowered vertical recoil to 1.3, from 1.5.

NC Piston, TR AS16 NightHawk, and VS Thanatos

• Rate of fire slowed down to 260 RPM.
• Short reload time slowed down to 2600 MS (long reload unchanged).
• Recoil recovery rate slowed down to 12 degrees per second, from 15.

Minimum damage lowered to 50 per pellet.

NC GD-66 Claw, TR TRS-12 Uppercut, and VS Phobos VX86

• Chamber time slowed down to 600 MS.
• Recoil recovery rate slowed down to 12 degrees per second, from 15.

All NC MAX shotguns

Extended ammunition lowered from +5 ammunition to +4.

NC Scattercannon

• Rate of fire slowed down to 180 RPM.
• Projectile speed slowed down to 300 m/s.
• Magazine capacity lowered to 6.
• Short reload time slowed down to 3800 MS.
• Long reload time slowed down to 3000 MS.

NC Mattock

• Rate of fire slowed down to 180 RPM.
• Projectile speed slowed down to 400 m/s.
• Magazine capacity lowered to 6.
• Short reload time slowed down to 3800 MS.
• Long reload time slowed down to 3000 MS.
• Spread accuracy improved and is now at 2.5 degrees.

NC Hacksaw

• Rate of fire slowed down to 209 RPM.
• Projectile speed slowed down to 300 m/s.
• Magazine capacity lowered to 6.
• Minimum damage lowered to 50 per pellet.

NC Grinder

• Rate of fire slowed down to 180 RPM.
• Projectile speed slowed down to 275 m/s.
• Magazine capacity lowered to 8.
• Short reload time slowed down to 4300 MS.
• Long reload time slowed down to 3400 MS.

Fix for the Phoenix dumb-firing if fired quickly after entering iron sights
The charge on the Lancer can now be sustained through switching to different fire modes (in/out of ironsights)

• NS-11c

• Fixed weapon not working with the ammunition belt.
• Fixed reload speed being 2 seconds for both the short and long reloads. New reload times are:
  • • Short: 1.85 seconds
    • Long: 2.35 seconds
• Fixed forward grip not being aligned with the rail.

• MAX weapons no longer have incorrect access to rail attachments in the VR zone.
• Rez icons should now properly display for combat medics over downed ally MAX units
• Sprinting while reloading a pump action shotgun should no longer cause animation issues
• Fixed animation issues with using under-barrel attachments
• MAXes should have proper access to the Ammo Storage Container Suit in VR training
• The GD-66 Claw reflex sight’s zoom functionality should now be working properly
• Scope overlays should no longer be removed when hit with an EMP grenade
• Claymores and Proximity Mines should be causing appropriate damage again
• Addressed some UI inconsistencies with Heavy Assault’s shield indicator when using Adrenaline Rush
• Fix for the LX Tacti-Eye no longer being accessible after logging out with the scope attached

Vehicle Updates

• Magrider survivability in large falls should be more in line with other vehicles
• Sunderers should no longer slide after stopping on slopes
• Reaver composite armor should no longer cover decals
• When landed and idle, Galaxies should no longer slowly roll backwards
• The Flash’s Wraith Cloak will now deactivate when the driver changes seats
• Normal vehicle effects like brakes should come back when the Wraith cloak effect is removed
• Vanguard IR Smoke, Shield, and Mine Guard utilities will no longer clip through the back plating of the tank
• We no longer have Safe Ejection utilities that fail to eject you safely
• Vehicles should no longer start rocking after firing a few times
• You should now be able to properly exit the Flash rumble seat if they re-mapped their “exit vehicle” key

UI Updates

• /l is now a valid shortcut for leader chat
• The death cam should no longer cancel an active revive prompt
• Squad Leaders should no longer see “Set Primary Defense” as an option in the Quick Action Menu when targeting allied soldiers
• Waypoints now properly display on the minimap
• Updated spawn indicator art on the respawn screen to be more visible
• Vehicle acquisition timer UI should now be updating properly after spawning a vehicle
• The AMR-66 should now be filtered properly in the Depot
• NS weapons should no longer be lacking the preview button in the depot
• Fix for non-selected characters being deleted in error during character deletion process
• Enabling Auto join on Log in will properly persist when you navigate away from the UI page

Facility Updates

All Phalanx Turrets

Increased damage resistance to Aircraft Machine Guns from 85% to 94%. This makes it similar to the damage aircraft machine guns can do to tank top armor.

Spear Phalanx Turret (Anti-Vehicle)

• Min damage upped from 1000 to 1250
• Projectile flight characteristics now match Vanguard 150mm HEAT
• Speed increased from 200 to 250
• Gravity multiplier decreased from 5 to 4

Xiphos Phalanx Turret (Anti-Personnel)

• Changed damage type from personal weapon to heavy machine gun. Allowing it to damage heavy armor targets.
• Adjusted damage and fall off
• Max/Min damage adjusted from 218/150 to 200/167
• Max/Min range adjusted from 100/75 to 85/10

Aspis Phalanx Turret (Anti-Aircraft)

• Can now pitch 10 additional degrees downward.
• Jump pads at The Traverse should now properly acknowledge base ownership
• NPCs should now spawn more reliably in the VR Training Zone
• The Peris Amp Station Barracks, Tower, and Eastern Grove forward spawns have proper capture points again
• Addressed occlusion issues near Zurvan Storage Yard
• Addressed cosmetic geometry issues at Rashnu Bio Lab
• Addressed an issue with players getting stuck in geometry near the SE pass of the Crown
• All banners at Mao Tech Plant should accurately reflect base ownership
• Addressed an issue with prop objects stacked on a capture point at Mani Biolab
• Fixed an exploit that allowed players to pull a free MAX from the VR zone and take it to other continents
• Tower teleporters in VR now work properly.
• Floating objects in the VR tower have been nailed down.
• Fixed the floating AV turret at Heyoka’s western forward spawn
• Fix for SCU shields not properly stopping projectiles and deployables
• Leaving the VR zone with a tool equipped will no longer break your loadout until you resupply

Audio Updates

• There should now be appropriate audio when using the Flash’s turbo utility
• You should once again be able to hear your own footsteps after exiting a vehicle

[Koadster]

Hmm...

Weapon Ribbons=10 kills
Revive Ribbon=15 revives
Healing Ribbon=Heal 10,000 points
Repairing Ribbon=Repair 15,000 points
Piloting Ribbon=20 driver assists

Dont really like how its easy to get a weapon ribbon but harder for teamwork ones.. Should be 15-20 kills and 10 revives and less healing/repair points. Encourage teamwork over kill whoring.

Seems like a good update but there is still some older bugs that havent been fixed, there was a great thread on reddit about it. Also 2.5 hour expected down time... It took them 4 hours to change a few data entrys for the phoenix/lancer, something this big.. Id expect at minimum 6 hour downtime.

[BlaxicanX]

"We no longer have Safe Ejection utilities that fail to eject you safely"

lol

[OCNSethy]

Thanks Bird. Good info.

[Sledgecrushr]

I like that they fixed tanks from bucking after a couple of shots being fired.
And they made our NC maxes even more worthless at range. Good job soe.

[Gatekeeper]

Kind of surprised to see them buffing the AV Phalanx turrets - those things were already very strong, I'm not really sure they needed to be any stronger.

The AI turrets being able to damage vehicles is a good change though.

[BlaxicanX]

So, how do people feel about the shotgun changes?

[Deadeye]

Originally Posted by Gatekeeper

Kind of surprised to see them buffing the AV Phalanx turrets - those things were already very strong, I'm not really sure they needed to be any stronger.

The AI turrets being able to damage vehicles is a good change though.

Nah. The phalanx turrets have always been little more than a speed bump, more valuable to the enemy for points than as a weapon for defence. They need a buff.

[Snydenthur]

Does that chamber time mean reloading or the time it takes to shoot another shot?

Edit. Found out that it might mean reloading. So pump actions aren't changed that much. They still dominate 0-5m and still suck at more distance.

Auto and semi auto shotguns are in the borderline of being completely useless though.

Although it might have the psychological effect of being nerfed and nobody using them anymore, so I think they might have succeeced in making cqc very boring.

[Gimpylung]

Players do not have to be on the alert continent to receive the reward. The reward is server-wide.

Gotta make sure those Crown guys don't feel left out

[Gatekeeper]

Originally Posted by Deadeye

Nah. The phalanx turrets have always been little more than a speed bump, more valuable to the enemy for points than as a weapon for defence. They need a buff.

Don't really agree at all. When the AV turrets are actually manned they're death to infantry anywhere nearby, and strong enough to pound vehicles to death in short order if they don't get killed themselves.

Their weakness is that (1) they don't get manned a lot of the time and (2) it doesn't take much damage to kill them. Their actual damage output (especially for something that's free and doesn't require any certs) was already very solid.

Personally I'd have buffed their health a bit, rather than making them even more deadly.

[Catfart]

Originally Posted by DirtyBird

If no empire captures all regions within the allotted time, all empires will receive a reward proportional to the territory control (i.e. an empire that owns 40% of the territory will earn 40% of the reward). Players do not have to be on the alert continent to receive the reward. The reward is server-wide.

So if everyone just ignores the alert and stays where they are, they get free exp?

[Dodgy Commando]

AV Phalanx turrets can be pretty deadly, but only if they are left alone. I agree they should boost their defence a bit more.

I'd still keep the damage buff. They get destroyed anyway, so make them tougher and deadlier. They will need to be destroyed (not just easy XP), and people will still want to man them as they can withstand bigger punishment, as well as dish it out.

I don't find them useful enough currently, even if they can be capable weapons in certain situations.

Anti-personnel turrets definitely needed some work. Looks like the right thing to do.

As for the rest of the GU, can't complain with more XP. We'll have to see what the Alert System brings, but I don't expect it to be a game changer. I nice step in the right direction though.

Not a shottie user, so I will withhold comment. Personally, I have yet to encounter the frustration that many seem to share here with shotguns, and I don't have to face Scatmaxes.

[Gatekeeper]

I guess my problem with the AV Phalanx turrets is just how strong they are as an AI platform - I've got no problem with them being buffed versus vehicles, but like a lot of theoretically AV weapons in the game - they murder infantry.

I'd say make them tougher and keep the new buffs - but only versus vehicles. Give them better armour versus vehicle weapons, but don't make them any tougher versus rockets, C4, etc. and reduce their splash damage/area to make them less deadly versus infantry.

[PredatorFour]

So my Phobos with slugs does more minimum damage, faster shot time but 15 m less range... i can live with that thanks soe