Note: scroll down to the comments section for the latest hotfix & minor update news!
Update v1.0.3.0 is now live! Among various minor fixes & enhancements (see the Change Log), it finally brings you the new
Profile system and the
Seasonal Challenge mode!
Let's start with the most interesting stuff before getting technical! ;-) :wunderwurm:
To celebrate the start of Season 1, USC will be on a 50% SALE from 31st October to 7th November! Don't miss it if you were planning to get into the game! Ducky approved! :rd1:
What's in the Season?
With every Season comes the chance to unlock new in-game rewards and to win exclusive items by being the best Commander in USC Forces!
Players with a Profile can participate in the new
Challenge game mode, and any Single Mission they play (provided they're logged in) earns them experience toward their next rank and a chance to be displayed on the Single Mission leaderboards. (Scroll down to find more information about creating a Profile.)
Season 1 unlockables:
:rd1: Players who helped beta-testing the profile system automatically get the 'Camigo' (camouflage indigo) armor customization. A few select players who helped a lot also get the RD-1 Shoulders. They will be notified in e-mail.
There are
four Challenge Missions in Season 1. These all have a fixed random seed and almost all other parameters are pre-set and locked, so all players and all attempts will face the exact same odds.
:rd1:
Completing all four--regardless of what score you get--will earn you the 'Titanium camouflage' armor customization!
- 'Carnage in the Mines': This is a 2-squad Seek & Destroy mission that will put your assault skills to the test. The difficulty level is adjustable, but to get the highest score, you'll surely need to ramp up things!
- 'Low-budget tactics': What can you do with 50,000 Credits? With an adjustable difficulty and a fairly uncommon map layout, your expertise of using low-end gear to the best will be tested.
- 'A databank too far': A tough data acquisition mission in a surface base where time runs short--a true test of tactics.
- 'Hardcore survival': Help a low-rank squad survive 20 turns of hell while struggling to secure all databanks. Saving disabled. This will hurt ;-). :uscdogtag:
:rd1:
At the end of the Season, the five top ranking players per each Challenge will be awarded with the 'RD-1 Shoulders' insignia, as well as with a public token that will identify them as top ranking Commanders.
:rd1:
The best player in the Season will receive an exclusive, physical USC Season 1 Champion ceramic mug! The Champion will be determined by the average of the four Challenge rankings (not scores), lowest wins. Not completing a Challenge will count as a ranking of 20. In the case of a tie, the sum total score of the four Challenges will decide.
* Illustration only; actual mug will have a Season 1 Champion caption and may have different art.
Other rules: Since it's the very first season, you can use your veteran custom team(s) with all bonuses. Some of the Challenges are configured to use an uncommon team setting, so you may need to re-gear, but you may use your crafting materials and prototypes freely. The next season will probably contain Challenges that require a completely new team, but it will also feature missions for veteran squads.
Season 1 will be 1,5-3 months long, based on activity, but it will end no sooner than 1st December 2015 and no later than 31st January 2016. All players will be notified at least 1 week prior to the end of the season.
Challenge activity will be monitored based on game and squad data. Attempts to cheat will be dealt with effectively. Please ensure to remain on-line when playing a ranked mission, otherwise your efforts will be lost. With any related question & issue please write to [email protected].
The Profile system
The Profile system is a new
optional on-line feature that keeps track of your mission
statistics, enables you to earn
ranks,
achievements, and various in-game
rewards, and lets you participate in the
Seasonal Challenges! To use it, you only have to create a USC profile in a few very easy steps. Whether you are a seasoned mission specialist or just playing for fun, playing with a profile will be rewarding over time!
Creating a profile
1. Click the "Log in / Create profile" button in the Profile gadget at the top of the Main Menu.
2. Enter your desired username and password, and click OK.
3. Fill out the additional fields—we only ask for an e-mail address for technical reasons, no other personal information needed!
4. Click OK—a confirmation e-mail will be sent with a final link to activate your profile.
Voilà! After you’ve activated your profile, you can log in by clicking “Log in / Create profile” and entering your data. If the process is successful, you will see your name and rank, and a button called “View profile & challenges”. Click it to enter the Profile menu with all the Seasonal Challenge features.
The Profile menu
The Profile menu is the central hub for all your statistics, achievements, and challenge participation functions, as well as for profile controls (change username, password, e-mail, or deactivate your profile in the “Edit profile details” menu). With time, we plan to add even more features to it, but for our very first Season, it does what’s needed!
On the left side you can review your most important Single Mission statistics. Your rank depends on your best and total performance—the more you play and the higher “best mission score” you earn, higher a rank you will be granted. For now, it is mostly a matter of prestige (it is displayed next to your name in the leaderboards), but we have many plans for the next Season, depending on our experience and your recommendations!
On the right side you find the
Challenges of the current Season with a button to play them, and one to view the leaderboards. Your personal best score and current overall ranking are also displayed.
The Profile menu also lets you to select your active
Insignia (if you have any). These are profile-bound tokens of expertise granted by completing a greater challenge or some other specific activity, displayed both in-game as a kind of visual addition to your units’ gear, and next to your name in all leaderboards.
Update v1.0.3.0 Change Log
Build 0342b -- 30.10.2015
-- Added v1.0 version of the Profile system with Season 1 features.
-- Various menu and interface-related minor fixes and improvements.
-- No changes were made to game rules on any level this time.
What's next?
A mostly interface-related major update will come in the next few months (probably synced with the beginning of Season 2). It will contain improvements to both menu and in-game interface usability and support for touch screen input. It will probably also include some balancing based on Season 1 experience and a few new gameplay elements (surprise!).
Good luck, happy hunting!
The Alpha Demo you can now try for free includes the following major features:
