Greetings, Platform Managers!
We’re pleased to share that The Machine World DLC is out now, alongside a brand new Specialists Update available for free to all players.
New Biome
Welcome to the Tech Biome, recently discovered by our traumatized enthusiastic R ‘n’ D Department; here you’ll discover planets unlike any you’ve seen before; littered with discarded machinery and home to treacherous new Aliens, you’ll want to utilize the new buildings, new Core, and new Turrets that have been discovered here to best prepare yourself…
New Aliens
The Tech Biome is home to 14 new Night species and 2 new underground species of Alien that may prove challenging enemies for even the most diligent Platform Managers; these include the Holoformer, which creates illusions to protect itself from damage; the Teleporter, which as the name suggests can teleport itself and nearby units closer to the Core; the Overclocker, which moves faster the more damage it takes; and the Repair Drone, which will repair friendly units when able.
However, the most formidable of these new species is by far the Overseer, considered to be the Apex predator (or as close as machines get to one); with both the ability to teleport and to spawn some of its own minions, you’ll need to be diligent if you spot this one, Platform Managers!
New Blocks
Unsurprisingly, an entirely new biome also means entirely new blocks; you’ll discover 16 new Blocks on these planets, including the Wires Block, which periodically connects to other Blocks within range and increases their durability; the EMP Block, which shocks a number of surrounding tiles when destroyed, damaging them; the Short-Circuit Block, which periodically stuns creatures within its range; and the Hologram Block, which hides nearby Blocks within its range until destroyed.
New Events
The R’n’D Department has also observed several strange new phenomena on Tech planets which may alter strategies for any diligent Platform Manager; there are 5 new events to be dealt with accordingly, including Restoration System, where Drones will create new Blocks in the mine during the day; Spontaneous Teleportation, during which Blocks and Workers will be teleported throughout the day; and System Malfunction, within which building and turret prices are doubled until the end of the day.
…and so much more!
The new Tech Biome also includes a brand new Core to discover, 2 new buildings, and 3 new Turrets to help mitigate the harsh conditions of these planets. We’d encourage you to head to the DLC page, below, for more of an overview of what this optional upgrade contains.
Specialists Update
Of course, the Board of Directors does not pay staff a very menial generous sum undeservingly, so there are plenty of new improvements on the way for all Platform Managers in the latest free update, the Specialists Update. You’ll be able to see the full changelog below, but if you’re particularly industrious and would prefer to jump right in, simply update your game!
Expansion of Oversight Departments
Each Oversight Department now boasts its own Department Head, so that when you select the relevant Oversight Department for your current contract, they will be able to provide you with 3-5 Department Bonuses for that particular contract. You’ll now be able to do this from the Platform Preset menu ahead of beginning your contract, meaning each mining operation will require partnering more strategically with the best Department.
New Specialists
You’ll now be able to unlock one of four new Specialists through both gaining relevant Oversight Department experience and selecting them through your Upgrade console; these competent workers will each have their own unique abilities to greatly enhance your contracts, and may be selected from the Platform Preset menu ahead of all missions.
Distortions
The R’n’D Department has also discovered a new type of block that seems to be appearing in all biomes; they’ve coined the term ‘Distortion Blocks’ to describe these, as they seem to cause distortions in reality that could easily impact mining operations. There have been 25 Distortions discovered, and each will come with its own bonus and malus, so you’ll want to be careful in strategizing which one is right for your contract…for example, the Thick Bark Distortion increases Core durability to +25%, but also gives all underground enemies +100% HP; the Overclocked Coils Distortion increases Turret fire rate by 70%, but also gives each of them a 5% chance to overheat and shut down for 5 seconds after each shot.
New Technologies and Developments
When it comes to business, the Board of Directors are big supporters of the phrase ‘big risks for workers, big rewards for investors’, and have asked the R’n’D Department to implement 10 new difficulty levels for the most seasoned of Platform Managers to challenge themselves with. To accommodate this, you’ll notice that there are around 60 new permanent upgrades to unlock from the Upgrade console, including a new Laboratory branch introducing a range of technologies (including being able to drill through resolit!) that will enhance the way you manage your contracts. You’ll also be able to build up to 6 of the same building to help deal with these new challenges.
Naturally, this far from encompasses everything the R’n’D Department has developed for these latest updates, so read the full changelog below for more details!
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Best regards,
Drill Core Inc. Board of Directors
Full Changelog:
Added 5 specialists: enhanced characters with abilities. You can bring one specialists at a time to help you complete a contract.
Added 20+ new permanent upgrades, including a new branch of laboratory upgrades. They are unlocked through branches after completing certain difficulty levels.
Some old permanent upgrades have been replaced with new ones.
Added 10 new difficulty levels.
Added the Distortions mechanic, which can significantly alter gameplay. 25 Distortions have been added.
Added the Shop building, whose inventory refreshes after each drilling.
Platform bonuses have been replaced with Department bonuses. Each Department now has a unique set of bonuses, from 3 to 5.
Added the Supply Hub building, which is available by default on all platforms. It allows you to purchase various temporary upgrades that can help during the day, at night, or on the next depth. Its inventory refreshes after each drilling.
Ore and some special blocks are now distributed in more clustered patterns across levels.
Added a setting that restores the old gamepad controls.
Added a setting that disables Competition contracts. It can be toggled in the settings menu.
The maximum number of identical buildings is now limited to 6 instead of 5.
Added the option to enable automatic ability use when possible.
Added the ability to remap the Info button.
Increased the number of collectible items in mines.
Increased the maximum number of orders for all platforms by +5.
Core changes:
Titan Core:
The fire rate bonus for all turrets now activates when durability drops below 40% instead of 20%. Invulnerability duration increased from 15 to 30 seconds. Durability reduced from 4900 to 4000.
Plasma Core:
Stun duration reduced from 5 to 3 seconds.
Maximum time between shots reduced from 3 to 2 seconds.
Durability increased from 1900 to 2500.
Ion Core:
Stun duration after shields run out increased from 8 to 10 seconds. Number of shields increased from 12 to 15. Durability increased from 1900 to 2800.
Phoenix Core:
After rebirth, it now shoots fire at enemies within a radius around itself.
Fixed an issue where the Healtower could heal a healthy worker even when a wounded worker was under the cursor.
During the Polar Night event, night abilities are now unavailable only for the first 30 seconds of the night.