Update #91 rolls out to the streets of New Boston with improved safehouse Simstream Trainer rules, an important (if boring) tutorial update, rebalanced cybernetic bonuses, movement alerts for all types of buff/debuff zones on the map like Tox-Cloud, inventory/equpping improvements and fixes for heaps of bugs.
We are hard at work during Early Access, prioritizing constant improvement and expansion of the game. We're hitting around an average of an update every 3 days with fixes for your F10s, new features or new content and always something getting better. If you like the pace we're keeping here, think this is how Early Access should be done, and like that fact that none of these updates invalidate a saved game, please take a moment to leave a review.
Move Alerts for Poison, Morass and More
Any on-map area that will have an effect on your player like Tox-Cloud, Morass or Aero-Shrap Shell will now visually alert you at the point at which you will pass into its field of effect. While a lot of these abilities are from the Scourge branch, Sniper's JTAC Talent, Soldier's Entrench and items like Smoke Cloud and Medi-Cloud also have this helpful alert so it is clear where you are passing in and out of their boundary.
Thanks to everyone who put F10s in about this one and we are glad to see it wrapping up. The ability for the movement simulator (which plans and checks movement for interruptions or special things before it occurs) is the last piece that was blocking us from moving forward with Skip / Fast-Forward Enemy Turns, so we're going to be getting to that major milestone soon now.
Simstream Simplified
There was a rule when base building first came out that you only got Simstream Trainer XP if you ran a mission and the Cyber Knight went with you on the mission. We've removed this limit, which doesn't fit well with the rest of the design allowing for missions without the Knight. It's a helpful simplification. Sorry this wasn't clearly explained to start with and glad we could simplify here.
In the next update, we'll be working toward updating the UI in the Trainer and Detox to be more clear about the rules at the point at which you are picking a merc.
Cybernetic Improvements
We've made a few balancing tweaks to cybernetics this week - we've improved Dermal Plating 1 and 2 to increase their HP bonuses to +50 and +75 HP respectively as well as granting Dermal Plating 2 a Built-In Armor bonus that reduces all types of Damage, including Pure. Dermal Plating comes along with a hefty Move Speed debuff (which, you can make up elsewhere) but its bonuses are now more fetching to help balance that out.
The Knight's Quantum Rider also gained a +2 Initiative bonus, helping the Knight stay one step ahead and get a better chance to use their Initiative timeline manipulation Talents.
Tutorial Decoupling
Back when we added the new stealth and combat tutorial, we made the mistake of using the characters that you had picked and designed in your squad in the tutorial. This was cool - you get to work with your team right away to learn the ropes. However, this tied out hands in silly ways - making the tutorial either require updates for every new character added to the game or forcing us to vastly limit the character options for the Soldier and Vanguard slot.
With Update #91, we've removed that limitation by adding 2 new tutorial-only characters who hang with you while you learn the ropes. Aptly named Tutorial Anne and Tutorial Joe, these are temp characters for the tutorial only.
Now, we can move forward with the new upcoming Agent EX class and slot them painlessly into the Vanguard's new game column as a new options. :hype: Boring, but very important for future options in new game :D
Inventory Continued
There is a lot of work to do to keep improving inventory and equipping screens, mostly in small ways. But we're continuing to make progress, this week fixing an issue with stacking that was affecting certain characters more than others. If you change your armor and other team members are wearing the same armor, you will see what armor you have equipped instead of it being hidden. The same goes for multiple hackers on the team who share the same deck type.
We also fixed a bug that was occurring where a Hacker might end up with 2 cyberdecks and not be able to do anything about the hidden second.
Tox-Cloud Rules
We've fixed a bug in restoring Tox-Clouds and Morass areas where they could end up not where you expected on retry turn or just loading from the menu. In a few cases, this resulted in some badly poisoned mercs - sorry!
We've also clarified the description of Tox-Cloud to be clear that while it is moving, its center will not pass through a wall.
v1.6.31 - 6/4/2024
- Removed Simstream Trainer requirement that a Knight had to be on a mission to gain XP thru trainer
- Solo missions (hack-only missions) do not grant Simstream Trainer XP, which is now noted on victory screen
- New tutorial update: Tutorial Anne and Tutorial Joe decouple Tutorial from your squad
- Improved Dermal Plating 1 and 2 with more HP (50/75), Built-In Armor buffs (5%) for DP 2
- Knight's Quantum Rider gains +2 Initiative bonus
- New movement alerts for all types of on-map areas of effect like Tox-Cloud, Morass, Medi-Cloud and more
- Added note to Tox-Cloud's description to be clear it will not pass through walls
- Fixed bug with retry turn or reloading when Tox-Cloud or Morass areas are in mission
- Fixed issue with buff/debuff data in Matrix not including all upgrades from class tree
- Fixed bug in inventory where equipped shared by multiple characters (8/8 SecurTek Lightsuits) would not appear when changing armor
- Fixed issues with unswitchable cyberdecks
- Fixed issue with Child of the Belly not automatically starting if its timeline event ends
- Improved buffs/debuffs from Leverages to correctly show in hovers / status pop up
- Improved display of cybernetics to include Built-in Armor, improved hovers and Pure Dmg hover