Contracts receive a small complexity boost this update adding a few possible complications to the objective. Hunts and captures may attempt to flee or appear with backup for example. The goal of the complications is to add an occasional break in the routine that increases the difficulty of completing the contract or tests a skill that usually isn't involved. The complications of a contract are invisible at contract select so you'll always need to be prepared.
A few updates ago, a visibility blocking layer was stealthily added to the ocean so any ship sufficiently deep would be invisible to autotargeting effects. Since this change hasn't had any serious effects, a small quality of life feature is being added to cut its most time consuming side effect. AI ships sufficiently underwater will now have their engines slowly destroyed so you'll no longer need to dive to finish off any hunt quarries or artifact transmutations.
1.19.4
Major Features
- Added a small chance for hunt and capture contracts to spawn with a backup ship.
- Added a small chance for hunt and capture contracts to spawn attempting to flee until caught.
- Added a small chance for an enemy ship to spawn attacking a rescue.
- Added a small chance for an enemy outpost to spawn at delivery points.
Minor Features
- Updated all smoke effects to match the cloud and steam effects.
- Multiple destination deliveries will choose additional destinations by proximity to the previous instead of proximity to the origin.
- Delivery contracts cost gold on hard difficulty.
- AI ships deep underwater will slowly take damage to their engines.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed non-airship non-watercraft ships with no land propulsion parts spawning irregularly.
- Fixed lava bubbles always looking blurry with motion blur enabled.