I hope everyone is ready for a massive update! The combat system has been re-built from the ground-up. Program mechanics have been completely redesigned. Oracle has been overhauled and streamlined. I have tweaked a bunch of things for "ease of use", and re-balanced the economy. I even reworked several UI elements, and added several coats of fresh polish! The complete change log is below. As always, nothing is set in stone and this is by no means "the final version". As we continue to play the game, and you guys send in the feedback, things will be changed, tweaked, re-balanced, or completely rebuilt. The new system has been designed to make it much, much easier for me to add in new content going forward.
Combat Changes
- There is no more Code Shell and Matrix Cohesion. Damage is inflicted in the form of "Tags". Tags are either applied against one of the IC (or Avatar) ratings, lowering it's effective rating, or add a buff/debuff. This plays out very similar to the previous system, except Tags are more mutable than traditional damage. Tags can be added, removed, consumed, transferred, used to power-up sub-routines, etc. Excluding special tags and viruses, this means there are 5 types of damage instead of 1.
- System Heat no longer exists. Instead the Avatar will gain a Tracking Tag when failing a Masking test. When the Avatar has a number of Tracking Tags equal to their Masking, the Host has identified their connection and boots the player from the system. When executing programs, the player needs to fail two sequential Masking tests to gain a Tracking tag.
- IC now have 5 attributes: Core, Link, Reaction, Brain and Firewall. Core and Link determine how many Disruption and Static Tags the IC can handle before crashing (respectively). Reaction determines how often it can react in combat (opposed by the player's Response). Brain does nothing on it's own, but as the IC accumulates Daze Tags, it has a chance of automatically failing subroutines based on Daze Tags vs Brain rating (as a %). Firewall is used to resist the player's programs, and is the primary means of defense. Due to the attribute variation by IC type, certain types of damage are more effective against different IC.
- The player has new Hardware attributes: "Body", which is the same as IC Core. "Response" is opposed by IC Reaction to determine their activation speed. "Masking" is now used in masking tests to resist gaining Tracking Tags. "Sensors" increase the effectiveness of Analyze programs. "Firewall" is used to resist almost all hostile programs ran by IC.
- Most IC attributes are static, with only the Firewall and Power ratings being based on the Host level (the level difficulty). A Dead End in a level 3 system, or a level 10 system would have a Core rating of 10 regardless. This helps to represent that IC of the same type are effectively the same out-of-the-box, but the strength of the Host system can bolster certain aspects of them. That being said there will be more IC variants coming down the pipe in the future with greater attributes, which will only be encountered in higher level systems.
- Virus-type subroutines no longer have a duration. Every time the infected (IC or Avatar) activates, it rolls a Purge Test to get-rid of the virus. If successful, the virus doesn't proc, and it's Tag is removed. If failed, the virus procs and forces a Purge Test on the next activation. Virus subroutines do not proc when first applied. Player's use their Firewall rating for Purge tests, not factoring in Tags, and IC use the Host level.
- Analyze subroutines are no longer automatically successful. The IC Firewall can kill the subroutine before it can affect them, giving a reason to make higher level Analyze programs.
- Analyze no longer reveals all of the IC info. One Analyze Tag reveals Power and Firewall ratings. Two Analyze Tags reveals all attribute ratings. Three Analyze Tags reveals the current Tags on the IC.
Oracle Changes
- Programs are no longer sorted, or restricted by Class. Program Class no longer exists. Any subroutine can be with any other subroutine. Want to Analyze the IC, while infecting them with a virus? No problem.
- Programs no longer limit the number of subroutines they can run. You could have a program with a dozen Disruption subroutines, which would apply a dozen Disruption Tags when executed (although it would be a little difficult to build).
- Programs can now be built with additional "Elements", which add downsides or prequisites to programs, but lower their Complexity. This makes them easier to build, allowing for more subroutines, or a higher Rating. Elements are learned by increasing your Programming Skill, and possessing a relevant subroutine. For example, if your Programming Skill is 5+ and you buy the Decay subroutine, you will learn the "Backlash-Decay" element. If your skill is 4 and you already know Decay, you will learn "Backlash-Decay" when you skill becomes 5.
- Oracle has been rebuilt with a new button-driven interface. This does take away some of the immersion, but also increases ease of use. Thematically, this is not your character building the program, just setting the parameters. Oracle then takes these Parameters and generates code-blocks, making it easier to write the code. There is a short sequence where your character "works on the program" after hitting the "Start Programming" button.
- In addition to adding subroutines and elements to programs, players can now tweak the Heat and CPU Load of programs. Increasing the Heat or CPU Load will decrease Complexity, where as decreasing the Heat or CPU Load will increase the Complexity.
- Players can no longer manually set the program description in Oracle. It is generated based on the subroutines and elements. The player can still manually name the program (and is encouraged to do so, as the action-bar prevents 2 programs with the same name from being loaded at the same time).
- Program settings in Oracle do not reset after building a program. This makes it easer to churn out several copies of a program, but will require the player to close and re-open Oracle to build a different program.
Misc Changes
- Eliminated the Home Intro level, and instead the interview loads right into the normal Home level. In the story update there will be a scene after the interview, but for now it makes it less cumbersome starting a new game.
- Hardware have higher starting values.
- All contract payouts have been increased. Contracts use to pay (((Difficulty *1.05) * ($8)) * 1.1). It has been increased to ((((Difficulty *1.05) * ($8)) * 1.3) +$20). This roughly means a 20% pay increase, plus a flat $20 per contract.
- Rebuilt the entire tutorial system. When a new feature is encountered a small button will appear on the screen with the words "Tutorial - "tutorial name". Clicking the button will bring up the tutorial window, which only takes up a small portion of the screen. The tutorial window displays one paragraph of the tutorial at a time, and players can click through the paragraphs as they read them. This actually allows me to give more information, while also avoiding the "wall of text" which can be a big turn off.
- The knowledge base has been compeltely redesigned. I have done away with screenshots in order to give as much information as possible. The function is also redesigned, so that whenever I write a new tutorial it will automatically add an entry into the knowledge base (which will save me time in the future). All tutorials can be accessed through the Knowledge Base.
- Rebalanced Skill tests. Players now have an 85% chance of success vs. an equal level difficulty, up from 60%. Tests now have a guaranteed 10% chance of success, and a guaranteed 5% of failure (the range is clamped at 10%-95%).
- All Slave input commands have been migrated to the Root Access. Slave nodes no longer have a command line.
- All Root Access commands now use a universal format, which will make it easier to remember, or infer commands.
- Stealth XP is earned by passing masking tests. For masking tests made when executing a program, XP will be earned only if the Heat of the program is greater than 75% of your Stealth rating.
- Programming Bits are now called Code Bits.
- Rebalanced Programming costs. They are now based on the total complexity of the program, instead of the rating. This means that adding Elements, increasing Heat and CPU Load, or adding Code Bits will now also decrease the cost of programming.
- Reworked all Perks and Mods to the new system.
- Removed the "Bomber" Mod.
- There is no longer a 20 program limit. The player can have any amount of programs in their library.
- The active status screen, and IC status screen have been replaced. Look down in combat to notice it, or press the Left Shift key to bring up the status window when not in combat.
- Target Files for upload and download jobs now disappear when turning in the contract.
- File Deleter is no longer a program. There is a trashcan within the Data Storage window (Tab key by default) which files can be dragged into to be deleted.
- When selling programs, their value is displayed beside their name. Dragging them into the merchant's window will sell them automatically, and then refresh all windows. This radically increases the speed and ease of selling programs.
- Rebuilt the UI for hardware, and named all of the motherboards.
- Cleaned up a lot of now-defunct functions and assets in the Home level, improving performance.
- Changed the functionality of the Interview. Answers will now increase the XP of skills, ultimately determining their starting values. You will start with an extra subroutine, a unique perk, and am extra program element based on your choices. Players will now start with $500, regardless of choices, and starting skills will be higher on average, which should help make the early game easier.
- Updated all Ravencore rank up program rewards to the new system.
- Brightened the walls in Haven.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed a bug where the Brute Force Attack would close all windows instead of just the Root Access.
- Fixed an Overwatch bug where the message from Spook could say they wre heading to the exit, before the objective was complete.
- Fixed several spelling errors in the Overwatch runs.
- Fixed a bug with the program queue that would cause the queue to rapidly empty without executing a program.
- Fixed a bug with the Guardian in Haven causing him to walk strangely. He now stands besides the enterance without moving.
- Fixed a bug with the Passbreaker, where pressing the buttons with the mouse instead of the keyboard would be unresponsive.
- Fixed a bug with missions that would sometimes prevent progress. Most commonly encountered in the "Repair SpyNet" mission.
- Fixed an error in the Set-Up the Traitor operation description.
- Fixed a minor texture bug in the Home level.
- Fixed a bug that was causing the Log notifications to not show when the Home screen was open on your computer.