Greetings Commanders,
The Caspian Explorer Update is now live. Embrace the depths of space with a large new exploration ship from Zorgon Peterson built to seek the stars. Available now via ARX early access, alongside a number of changes to on-foot weapons and NPC behaviours as well as bug fixes.
Features of Note:
Added Zorgon Peterson Caspian Explorer:
In world holo-screen adverts now present for Caspian Explorer.
Mk II Ablative Armour - Armour that allows for faster and steeper planetary entries. These include lightweight alloy, reinforced alloy, military grade composite, reactive surface composite and mirrored surface composite variants. *
Mk II Gravity Optimised Thrusters - Size 7 thrusters that reduce the most severe effects of gravity on High-G worlds.
Mk II Supercharge Optimised Frame Shift Drive (SCO) - Size 8 FSD that enhances the effect of supercharging your FSD when using a fuel scoop at a neutron or white dwarf star.
*We are aware of an issue with the Mk II Ablative mirrored surface composite and as a result it has been removed from the game temporarily. The team are working on a balancing fix has which shall be implemented next week. Once this fix is in place the module will be available for purchase and use.
Added Pre-Built Ships:
Caspian Explorer Galactic (69,000 Arx).
Caspian Explorer Stellar (38,000 Arx).
Caspian Explorer Standard (19,020 Arx).
Adjustments Made to On-Foot NPC Combat Behaviours:
General Movement Speed:
Introduced a haste system which controls NPCs movement speed. Maximum haste values make NPCs run faster than current speeds.
NPCs will be more combat efficient, more decisive, and have better threat detection.
Dodging Improvements:
NPC will now prioritise dodging into cover if possible.
Crouching Improvements:
NPCs will crouch more often including behind cover, reloading, or to evade.
Retreating/Cover Movement:
Improved reaction time when an NPC needs to take cover.
NPCs will make better use of cover and be less likely to stand in the open.
Under Threat Behaviour Improvements:
If the NPC is shot at or has low shield or health, they will attempt to take cover.
Once their shield has returned, they will resume usual behaviours.
This behaviour replaces the old "fleeing" behaviour entirely.
Advance Towards Threat Behaviour:
Strikers and Scouts may decide to advance under fire until they lose their shields entirely.
Other NPCs are more likely to retreat under threat.
Crime Scan Adjustments:
Security will now crime scan from a longer range. This removes the short walk to the target.
Security NPC will turn to face the target before starting.
Grenade Behaviour Adjustments:
Grenades are more often used against groups.
Grenades are used to flush targets out from cover.
NPCs will now use memorised and reported positions to better identify large groups of targets.
Ensured that NPCs will no longer throw EMP grenades at targets with low shield proportion.
Rebalanced suits & weapons
Rebalanced NPCs suit and shield resistances to reduce the disparity between damage types vs shields and armour for suits/shields (this does not affect the player they are using the old resistances)
Weapon changes:
Improved stow and draw times for all weapons
Adjusted weapon handling modification to account for new stow and draw times
Decreased flight time on projectiles for:
Manticore Executioner
Manticore Tormentor
Manticore Oppressor
Increased ammo for:
Karma AR-50
TK Eclipse
Decreased ammo for:
Karma C-44
Decreased reload speed for:
Karma L-6
Powerplay:
Markers will now be placed on the galaxy map over rival systems, indicating targets for undermining and reinforcement efforts
A maximum of 3 markers will be placed per Power
The system targets of these markers is determined entirely by player undermining efforts - the top 3 undermined system by players in a power will have an undermining marker placed over them.
Similarly, the top 3 attacked systems by players in a power will have a reinforcement marker placed over them.
A system may not be marked for undermining if it has already been undermined to 10% beyond the threshold to drop a state (e.g. from Fortified to Exploited).
Note this may result in minimal markers being active whilst this system is active within the enclave only.
Marker placement will update once per day.
Within these marked systems, Power Conflict Zones will generate, fully enabling combat as a viable means of undermining.
An additional +25% merit bonus will be awarded for all undermining actions taken within a marked system.
An additional +35% merit bonus will be awarded for all reinforcement actions taken within a reinforcement marked system.
A system must be undermined to unoccupied and then acquired within 1 cycle for the bonus to be issued.
Only the agents within power that acquires the system will be issued bonuses, and that power must have actively taken part in undermining the system to the unoccupied state.
Merit bonuses will be issued on a tier system, so agents with a higher undermining contribution will receive a higher bonus:
25th Percentile - 20,000 Merits
50th Percentile - 10,000 Merits
75th Percentile - 5,000 Merits
Bonuses will be issued on a weekly basis over the maintenance period.
Markers will now be placed on the galaxy map over rival systems, indicating targets for undermining efforts.
Merit Bonuses will now be awarded for undermining and subsequently occupying another power's system.
Initially, both new mechanics will only be active for the Powerplay systems surrounding HIP 87621.
The 4 Opening Campaign Community Goals will now count reinforcement actions as contribution. Note that this will not function if you are acting as a traitor (e.g. signed up to the federal CG whilst pledged to an independent power).
Power Conflict Zones will now be visible across the entire system - previously they could only been seen on the navigation panel if within 1000ls.
Bug Fixes
Resolved trade powerplay activities rewarding significantly less merits than intended.
Resolved further instances of fleet carrier cargo transfers failing and erroneous stock errors.
Resolved Dodec interiors not changing with economy type.
Resolved settlements within the enclave being of Horizons type instead of Odyssey types.
Resolved instances of a crash that could occur when a player dies in an active on-foot Conflict Zone whilst another player is doing through the respawn flow.
Resolved an issue when selecting a facility in the System Map, then selecting another facility it would incorrectly display the demolish options of the first selected facility.
Resolved the loading spinner on the "Cancel Construction" panel taking longer than the timer states to become interactable with.
Improved player feedback when a request to rename a System Colonisation facility fails.
Resolved an issue where the System Colonisation Ship will display a Cancel Construction option after completing the primary construction.
Resolved instances where the Brewer Corp. fanfare audio could repeat after closing the construction effort screen.
Resolved the Powerplay Care Package expiry timer not displaying on the Care Package UI.
Resolved instances where the Powerplay Care Package UI screen would state that on-foot materials space was full when the player has adequate space.
Resolved broken strings being displayed in the Info panel when converting Powerplay Care Packages.
Resolved a couple of issues with text being truncated or cut off in Community Goal UI.
Resolved the warning text being missing for armour modules when storing multiple modules, this now highlights that the module will be replaced by factory default.
Resolved the weapon detailing cosmetic only applying to the projectile and not its trail when firing the Mining Volley Repeater module on the Type-11 Prospector.
Resolved various minor clipping issues with the Type-11 Prospector geo
Resolved instances where some buildings in the High Tech & Factory star port interior barrel were not correctly being avoided by auto-dock.
Resolved instances of being able to skip the glide phase of planetary landing.
Resolved instances of backfaced culling on doors at Tourism settlements.