The ENDLESS major milestone rolls out the proc-gen mission feature and the first wave of content types that it can create to give you freedom to keep playing as you please. In addition, ENDLESS adds the first Story Era for Cyber Knights - a major city-wide event that sets up stories, proc-gen premises, new contacts and more. The proc-gen system also forced a lot of good updates to other guts in the game which has resulted in some exciting changes for levels like Loophole Heist, Haven Smokeout and Forward Op -- more fun, more variation. And of course, we fixed a towering mountain of small bugs and QoL issues.
We're a little behind on the roadmap timing, but it was worth the wait to get proc-gen right. You can read a full review of how we have approached proc-gen below, but here the tldr; we've released the proc-gen feature (the game can make randomized content within a set of rules) and the first set of content. The content and rules are still limited, so you'll find repetition if you play enough proc-gen missions. Our next step for proc-gen is to rapidly expand the content and rule set until you repetition fades away. We will not delay, expect more content and rules every single week.
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Proc-Gen Missions
Proc-gen is a pretty wide open term - while we're all talking about the same concept (RNG, rules, content blocks, combining, endless play) the implementation from game to game is always different. For Cyber Knights, proc-gen means creating unique, replayable and repeatable missions that are directly tied to your contacts and current world events in New Boston.
The major milestone ENDLESS and Update #27 complete the major task of creating a fully functioning set of rules and content that can be recombined into many different mission experiences. The Cyber Knight's system is capable of generating, randomizing and combining elements including:
- Individual mission maps (currently limited to 3 maps)
- Starting positions, exit options, enemy locations and patrol routes
- Missions stage structure (pending, but more complex missions like Carnivore will be created)
- Objectives (currently limited to raids, assassinations and CPU Spiking hacks)
- Employer, Enemy and friendly factions
- Matrix hosts connected to terminals
- Loot from lootboxes and matrix downloads
- Leverage, Special Rewards
A key point here is that we are not generating mission maps. Our goal has always been lovingly hand crafted maps and that is the path we'll continue. So our goal is to ensure that map which you played for one objective, start point, enemy, door, lootbox and terminal layout can play very differently if you play it with another objective, against a different faction set of enemies, starting somewhere else, have different exit options, different secondary objectives and as many different wrinkles as proc-gen can create.
While the catalog of options is still small today (3 maps + hacking map) and objectives are limited (2 total today), we can't wait to see the pool grow every week and the possible repetition fade out of the system as we march toward 100 maps and 15+ objective types. While the catalogs of possible options and combinations are smaller, the final resulting options are limited today.
But, as any multiplier category of rules or content grows within the set, the resulting possibilities will grow very quickly. The most important areas of growth will be level maps and new objective types. Wo while we may be here (^) today, we're excited for the steady stream of updates to include constant adds to proc-gen until we get here - and then we'll go ahead an update until that looks small too.
Needing More and More
Proc-gen will put a lot of pressure on every other system in the game. We will work hard to meet that pressure but it is impossible we will keep up. For example, you're going to have money now - a steady income if you want it - but there aren't going to be enough guns to spend your money on. Your team is going to level up, and you'll find that for many factions, the enemies aren't ready for you past Power Level 4. And on and on.
The answer is clearly updates. So we will be serving that dish hot.
Story Eras
Story Eras are major events that have lasting effect on the game's story and simulation elements. Things are changing in the world of 2231 - big things - and they majorly impact the world, New Boston, the megacorps and the underworld. As these events unfold, you'll often have an opportunity to be involved in how they unfold or how you navigate the aftermath or exploit the opportunities. Such events always create situations in which Cyber Knights and their covert op teams are needed.
Update #27 opens the door to the first Story Era - the Treaty of '31. We won't go into depth or spoil it. To be honest, the feature we focused on adding here was proc-gen missions, but the Story Eras (as there can be more than one running at a time) set the context and premise of many of your proc-gen missions. So, this first Era has some of its proc-gen premises added but is light on story and missions. The job of the next few weeks will be to fill it in both regards.
New Era Content
New Eras will introduce new factions, new contact types, new weapons, story, recruit opportunities and always new proc-gen premises. The types of proc-gen missions you were encountering - including their objectives, the employer and the targets - will changes as the Eras change. Eras are key establishing the living and dynamic nature of the city in Cyber Knights, and a lot of that is in the new things each Era can bring to the table or unleash upon New Boston.
For example, with the Treaty of '31, we've added 8 new types of Contact Traits including Influential, Uninspiring, Easy to Please, Guarded, Vengeful, Detail Oriented, Hard as a Nail and Weak Organization. Contact Traits can now impact new types of things that they did not before, like speed of Influence gain for Contacts, what types of services they are interested in adding or upgrading, their ability to resist attempts on their life via Death Res and more. Also, the new event has spurred the addition of new Contact Types with unique service offerings: Corporate VP, Dockmaster, Spec Ops CO.
Haven Smokeout, Loophole Heist, Forward Op Improvements
The new proc-gen system has necessitated the creation of a number of new and exciting authoring tools for levels and their myriad of challenges. These improvements have been rolled out first to this trio of missions and we're excited to see them spreading to every mission in the game. For all 3 levels, we've improved the balance, placement and counts of enemies from play to play. Head counts are better tuned up, placement and patrol paths are tightened and (like proc-gen) you won't find that everything plays the same every time -- enemies, objectives and patrol paths are now in flux -- so keep your wits about you and don't lean on old memories to get you through.
Loophole Heist level 1 has a new starting point, making it a more exciting and dynamic level. We also fixed an issue with an enemy patrol being under the floor.
Merc Profile Access
When prepping to deploy for a mission now, you can use a newly added and very helpful button to jump directly to a Merc's Profile. From there you can fix loadout issues, double check a Wound or complete any training you need. Upon hitting ESC, you'll return to the mission deploy screen, ready to dive back in again.
Other Fixes
The memory leak in Appearance had persisted, we had fixed 50% of the leak but missed the other half. Now it should be 100% water-sealed. Aitana will no longer appear unexpectedly in the tutorial if you reload the turn or level.
The ESC button is working again from the Matrix. We've removed the floating, disconnected nodes in Carnivore hosts.
Weapon Mods like Rapidshot Mecha now correctly list that they reduce AP for reloading by -1. We've removed some unnamed and unused filters from the end of the weapon mod's filter list.
v1.2.1 - 12/9/2023
- Proc-gen system can now create missions for your team continuously
- Proc-gen has limited permutations now but will continually expand through Early Access
- Proc-gen missions currently include Raid (free looting), CPU Spikes (hack-only) and Kill 3 (taking out military targets) objectives (key expansion point)
- Proc-gen missions draw on a pool of 3 mission maps (key expansion point)
- Introducing the first Story Era - a major event and the aftermath in New Boston
- Added 8 new Contact Traits: Influential, Uninspiring, Easy to Please, Guarded, Vengeful, Detail Oriented, Hard as a Nail, Weak Organization
- Added 3 new Contact Types: Corporate VP, Dockmaster, Spec Ops CO
- Added helpful "Merc Profile" button to mission deployment screen to make quick changes before deploy
- Improved balance, enemy counts, positions and level variations for Haven Smokeout job
- Fixed mission tagging on Haven Smokeout to indicate that there is a Hacking opportunities for looting
- Adjusted starting position, enemy counts and positions for Loophole Heist stage 1
- Fixed bug where new Soldier Aitana could appear in the tutorial accidentally on reload
- Fixed issue where game menu would not open during Matrix Hack when hitting ESC or (B) (default)
- Fixed issues with weapon mods that decrease or increase Reload AP cost (like Rapidshot Mecha)
- Fixed issue with display of Security Tally, not Security Level, on Save Slots
- Fixed issues with disconnected nodes in Carnivore matrix hosts
- Fixed issues with default host names appearing in some missions
- Fixed memory leak in changing character appearance, sorry for crashes!
- Fixed broken string in movement alerts for cameras and overwatch
- Removed 2 unnamed Weapon Mod filters at the end of market filter
- Fixed bug with enemy ending up underground in Loophole Heist level 1