We're releasing a new update for Battlesector.
It is a sizeable update which contains quite a few important balance improvements (you can find the reasoning for each change in the changelog), some highly requested changes (like displaying Momentum gains as a single figure unit), optimization improvements, and bug fixes.
We'd like to thank the community for all the feedback you've given us so far. Anyone who followed the development of Battlestar Galactica Deadlock throughout the years know that Black Lab Games is the type of developer who keeps improving their games. Please let us know what your opinion on this new update is, it is important for us in sight of future updates.
As you might have heard from the latest dev diary, we'll soon have some very juicy news, so stay tuned.
Changelog:
- Added a visualisation of Tyranid synaptic networks. Mouse over the Connected or Swarm Tactics status effect icon to see the connected units.
- Adjustments to the calculation of low scoring damage rolls. Higher armour units are now more likely to 'Block' low armour penetration weapons.
- Numerous improvements to the decision making of AI units
- Momentum gains are now displayed as a single figure units, instead of 1 new line of text for each momentum event.
- Updated the barks and campaign text for the French language with some minor translation changes
- Numerous optimizations to graphics and AI performance, and reduced memory usage
Balancing
Tyranids
Swarm Tactics:
Swarm Tactics has been skewing the balance of the Tyranid army a bit too far, allowing medium damage units to exceed their potential (i.e. Devourer Gants), but without being of any benefit to the low- and high-damage units. The overall effectiveness of Swarm Tactics has been reduced, which doesn’t have that big of an effect on Genestealers or Hormagaunts, while reigning in the Devourer and Spinefist Termagants.
- Decreased Ranged Damage from 50% to 35% per stack
- Decreased max stacks from 6 to 4
Termagants & Gargoyles:
With the Swarm Tactics debuff, Fleshborers deserve to have their base performance increased so that Termagants and Gargoyles maintain their relevance in singleplayer. Additionally, the maximum range of the Termagant’s Devourer has been reduced to its intended value.
(Note: Only Fleshborer adjustments apply to Gargoyles.)
- Decreased Devourer range from 5 to 4
- Increased Fleshborer damage from 4 to 5
- Decreased Fleshborer ranged falloff from 10 to 5
Trygon:
Successfully using a Trygon to swat an overextended unit of Hellblasters should feel rewarding, especially given the damage debuff the Trygon suffers for the next round. We’ve increased the number of splash targets, and balanced it by reducing the amount of damage done to the secondary splash targets.
- Increased Massive Scything Talons splash targets from 2 to 4
- Decreased Massive Scything Talons damage falloff from 40% to 60%
Venomthropes:
Venomthropes are not currently fulfilling their role as the linebreakers of the Tyranid army. We have upped the defensive effectiveness of Spore Cloud so they have a better chance at closing distance with the enemy. Once they’re in range, their Toxic Lash attack now hits with more raw damage. Combined with lower armour piercing, it means the initial attack may not hit as hard, but the additional follow-up poison damage guarantees the attack will sting more than it used to.
- Increased Spore Cloud evasion from 15 /45 to 25 / 45
- Increased Spore Cloud ranged armour from 1 / 3 to 2 / 4
- Spore Cloud no longer consumes charges
- Increased Toxic Lash damage from 30 to 50
- Decreased Toxic Lash armour piercing from 5 to 3
Blood Angels
Volatile:
The power of Volatile has been a significant factor in the effectiveness of melee swarm units. The ability now uses the splash damage system, and is only able to target 6 models of a unit at most. This still results in a significant amount of damage, but most swarm units will have at least a few models still standing afterwards.
- Changed damage type to splash: 6 splash targets, 60% damage falloff
Primaris Librarian:
The Primaris Librarian has needed a bit of help with survivability, and what better way than to give him a defensive buff while his Wings of Sanguinius is active. This encourages the Librarian to act like a skirmisher, and utilise the ability as often as possible.
- Added effect to Wings of Sanguinius: + ranged armour 1 / 3
Hellblasters:
Hellblasters have been overperforming for their point cost, edging out Intercessors and Inceptors with raw firepower. The increase to their ranged falloff allows them to maintain their role as marksmen, but now requires precision positioning to unlock their potential.
Additionally, there hasn’t been enough risk in using their Supercharged ability. The trigger percentage has been increased so that average damage caused is more closely matched to the potential damage output.
- Increased point cost from 90 to 110
- Increased Plasma Incinerator ranged falloff from 10 to 15
- Increased Heavy Plasma Incinerator ranged falloff from 15 to 20
- Increased Supercharged % to self-damage from 25% to 45%
Assault Marines:
Assault Marines have felt a little too squishy, and have been granted a buff to their health pool.
- Increased health points from 50 to 60
Baal Predator:
Combined with the changes to damage calculation, this health buff helps provide a bit more survivability to the speed-focused Baal Predator.
- Increased health points from 350 to 365
Aggressors:
Aggressors are a staple of single-player armies, but have struggled to find a use for their kit in multiplayer. An increase to their punching accuracy improves their performance as melee armour busters, and making the Fragstorm Launcher a free action gives the Aggressors options to be effective from multiple threat ranges in a single turn, even if they’ve already spent their movement points.
- Increased melee accuracy from 75 to 85
- Increased Flamestorm Gauntlet damage from 2 to 3
- Flamestorm Gauntlets are now considered Pistol type weapons for the purpose of reaction attacks
- Action point cost of Fragstorm Launcher reduced from 1 to 0
Land Speeders:
Land Speeders have been performing very well, but were undercosted for their performance.
- Increased Land Speeder point cost from 70 to 90
- Increased Land Speeder Tornado point cost from 120 to 130
Inceptors:
Inceptors have felt a little too squishy for their role, despite being majorly undercosted for their potential damage output. Both of these issues have been fixed.
- Increased health from from 90 to 100
- Increased point cost from 75 to 90
NOTE: Modified point costs will be reflected in existing campaign, skirmish and multiplayer army lists after the 1.0.5 update is applied.
Bug Fixes
FIX: Saving and loading with Shield of Sanguinius applied applies even more current health.
FIX: Unlimited action points from Empowered Wings of Sanguinius
FIX: Blessing of the Omnissiah persistent effects not working consistently on Lieutenant/Sgt Carleon
FIX: Endless Hunger tooltip is incorrect
FIX: "The Old Ways" HQ upgrade not working
FIX: Exception occurs sometimes during Melee reaction attack
FIX: Flamestorm Gauntlet (Melee) weapon does not have an effect when it hits
FIX: Assaults get placed in reserves after Venomous Corruptions (Added recently kicked units back into the player's army, using veterancy as a tie breaker if there are more recently kicked unit than free spaces.)
FIX: The charge melee line does not appear when melee attacking props
FIX: As the match creator, I can't use the army I just made while waiting for opponent to join
FIX: Post-battle scrollbar handle can only be grabbed at the top of the scrollbar UI element
FIX: Tile status effects do not update when moving after melee charging
FIX: Dialogue is replayed when loading a mid-battle save in Gallians Staff
FIX: Mission Brother Quindar. Intercessor Death From Above skill showing targets in range but not working
FIX: Unit makes double attack when right click is left pressed.
FIX: Gargoyles still using Blinding Venom on units that already have the status effect
FIX: Disconnect dialog prompt disappears if other player goes on to create new live match
FIX: If a health boosting status is removed, don't kill the unit if health drops below zero (have a 1 health minimum)
FIX: Can't skip Intro or Outro video on gamepad.
FIX: The Ghost Land mission objectives don't work when game language is set to Polish