What's new?
The update features expanded naval base building, a new propulsion module (Ballast Tank) that allows for creation of submarines, two new weapons, a new naval-oriented skirmish map called Islands, as well as many other less major improvements and additions.
The previously announced advanced AI difficulty customization still requires some work, and will come out on May 4th. Sorry for the delay.
Submarines
Submarines can be built with the help of a new propulsion module called Ballast Tank. Equipped with enough of these modules, a unit can freely submerge and surface at any time when in water.
When submerged, submarines are less vulnerable to some types of damage (kinetic weapons do less damage, lasers and EMPs have no effect at all). These units can be very advantageous on maps with large bodies of water.
Marine Factories
Marine Factories are factories that can be built on build pads which are placed in water. They act the same as field factories with the exception that they can be used to deploy units that cannot move on land.
In addition to the factories, almost all other buildings can be built on water. The exceptions are - Repair Pads and Resource Chutes. In order to repair units directly on water, a new building has been introduced - the Repair Bay. It can be built on water, and will repair, recharge and restock all units that surround it (one by one). If placed close enough, multiple repair bays can target a single unit, which will increase the repair speed.
Large Railgun and EMP
The update also introduces a new railgun-type weapon - Large Railgun. The new railgun, like the artillery gun, inflicts a lot of damage per single hit, it is relatively slow to aim, and has a significant cost. Unlike the artillery gun, the new weapon shoots very fast projectiles that can reach their targets almost instantly.
The EMP Gun, instead of inflicting damage, drains the energy of its target by a set amount per hit. Its projectiles also immobilize the target unit for a few seconds. EMP guns are very useful against fliers, which can be trapped and destroyed with a few well placed shots.
Other
- New skirmish map (Islands);
- Sandbox changed to include the Marine Factory;
- Regular Railgun balance changes (decreased range to 7.5);
- Various interface improvements and fixes.