Like we mentioned a while back, we've wanted to simplify the rules so they aren't such a massive block of text to slam onto new players, and aren't a complicated maze to navigate for old ones.
We've implemented a much, much simpler version, which should be more or less the same in spirit, but should do away with a lot of unnecessary technicality.
Please tell us if there's typos, errors, or weird stuff going on in the revised set.
Highlights of the hotfix include changes to Omicron Theta and Sigma-17, continuing the story resolution from the last two official events, "The Arms Race" and "Force of Arms"'. Additionally, the muzzle cone change for all guns has been reverted, primarily affecting snub balance. The development team is in holiday mode at the moment, apologies things are taking even longer than usual to process. Happy holidays.
ART
- Added: Unique explosion effects for house capital ships.
- Added: Unique capital ship explosion effects for several non-house factions.
- Added: New generic explosion effects for all other capital ships.
- Added: New Outcast destroyer turret effect.
- Changed: Battleship Razor impact effect changed.
- Fixed: Praefect explosion effect changed to a Cruiser.
- Fixed: IMG explosion effect changed to a cruiser.
- Fixed: Linked up Order cruiser turret effect to the Order turret.
BALANCE
- Changed: Reduced collision damage by 2.5x (3.0 -> 1.2) to make up for armor removal.
- Changed: Muzzle cone angle reverted from 30 to 40.
- Changed: Reverted the change: "Buffed turn rate of all class 1 - 4 (fighter) guns by 30 degrees (generally from 90 to 120)."
- Changed: Ragnar rebalanced. Hitbox remade, model improved, arcs improved.
- Changed: Cruiser missile balance changes: damage increased by 35%; power usage increased proportionally. Reduced seeker range and fov. Ammo reduced from 90 to 30.
- Changed: Battleship missiles updated in accordance with Cruiser missiles.
- Changed: Fixed the Nomad Marauders & Devastators.
- Fixed: Poltergeist engine changed from Rheinland Freighter to Rheinland Bomber.
- Fixed: Updated price of IMG & Insurgency Cruisers as they previously still had BC-tier prices.
ECONOMY
- Changed: HRC refinery changes: cooking rates reduced from 75->25 & 150->50 (Basic and Advanced recipes respectively). HRC yield doubled. Fuel consumption doubled.
- Fixed: Black Market Augments icon issue.
- Fixed: Iridium Ore is no longer a 1-volume ore.
ENCOUNTERS / NPCS
- Changed: Updated Hokkaido encounters.
- Changed: Magellan encounters difficulty nerfed.
- Changed: Dresden encounter difficulty nerfed.
- Changed: Aim accuracy of encounter Cruiser NPCs reduced across the board.
- Changed: Sigma-15 encounters relocated (still in Sigma-15).
- Changed: Nerfed the amount of missile ammo NPCs carry.
- Changed: Removed shield resistance modifiers from encounter NPCs. Shields adjusted.
- Removed: Corsair encounter in Omega-5 removed.
SYSTEMS
- Added: Various changes regarding the Omicron Theta story arc:
- Added: Many wrecks around Freeport 9.
- Changed: Freeport 9 model changed.
- Changed: Atka model changed.
- Changed: Freeport 9 IFF turned neutral, NPCs added to show it's a warzone, docking temporarily limited to Freighters only. Preparation for a follow up official event, Soon™.
- Changed: NPCs around Atka added, docking temporarily limited to Freighters only. Preparation for a follow up official event, Soon™.
- Changed: Freeport 9 and Atka infocards to reflect the Theta story arc.
- Changed: Battlecruiser Vis, Tercio, Augusta infocards to reflect the Theta story arc.
- Changed: Battlecruiser Vis relocated next to Freeport 9.
- Changed: Battlecruiser Tercio relocated next to Atka.
- Changed: Battlecruiser Augusta relocated next to Atka.
- Added: Gallic civilian guns added to New Haven.
- Added: Omicron Pi AI minefield given an entry point landmark.
- Added: A little bit of new-ish music. Have fun running into it!
- Added: Uncharted 5 is now even more hazardous.
- Added: California - Pennsylvania unstable jumphole.
- Changed: California - Texas jumphole permits all ships again.
- Changed: Inverness Hive's IFF changed from Nomad to Vagrant.
- Changed: Increased LODs of several vanilla wrecks.
- Changed: Livadia Shipyard moved back to Omicron Kappa.
- Changed: Cruiser Saschenwald relocated from Thuringia to Hamburg.
- Fixed: Several crashes in Hokkaido.
- Fixed: Ibiza model fixed.
- Fixed: Orkney - Tau-61 jumphole renamed to stop confusing people. It is not a Freighter-only jumphole.
- Fixed: Fixed an issue in Omega-5 regarding non-existent exclusion zones.
- Fixed: Primus now offers missions.
- Fixed: Increased the radius of exclusion zones around Kepler's jumpholes to prevent people getting instakilled upon entry.
- Fixed: Missions are now available in Manchester and Newcastle.
- Fixed: Omega-48 - Garvagh Husk is no longer destructible.
- Fixed: Omega-7 - Elbe Border Fortress station geometry fixed.
Once again this year we'll be placing POBs into holiday mode for the duration of the holiday season, beginning at server restart tomorrow and lasting until the 5th of January. This will keep POBs from taking wear & tear damage or eating supplies, as well as making them invulnerable. Processing and crafting will work as normal.
Any active attack declarations will be paused through the holiday period. Apologies for the short notice, and here's to a happy new year.
Thanks to all of your votes and engagement, I am happy to announce that Discovery made it into the Top 100 for the Mod of the Year Contest 2023!
This means we've now moved through to the phase 2, with a second round of voting to decide the MOTY winner and the ranked position. Discovery is the only representative for Freelancer, so it's up to us to fly the flag this year!