Update 24: Explosive Expansion

Release Date
 External Link(s)

 — DRG Update Page

**Update 24: Explosive Expansion** overhauled grenades entirely with three different grenades for each class, introduced new loading screens and mission end screens, added several community requested features, a new **Power Attack** mechanic for pickaxes, Steam achievements, and 5 new enemy types. It was released on May 15th, 2019 (as announced 13 days prior on May, 2nd).

### New Features

#### Grenade Rework

The boys and gals in R&D have been hard at work once more! All the old grenades have been reworked, and a ton of new ones have been added. Each class can now unlock up to three distinct types of class-specific throwables, with the potential for more to come in future Updates.

* Engineer
	+ L.U.R.E
	+ Plasma Burster
	+ Proximity Mine
* Gunner
	+ Sticky Grenade
	+ Incendiary Grenade
	+ Cluster Grenade
* Scout
	+ IFG
	+ Cryo Grenade
	+ Pheromone Canister
* Driller
	+ Impact Axe
	+ HE Grenade
	+ Neurotoxin Grenade

#### Loading Screen Makeover

We’ve finally gotten our new orbital drone cameras installed, enabling much better and varied scenic views of mining crews descending to the surface of Hoxxes at the beginning of each mission.

#### End Screen Makeover

The End Screen shown at the end of each mission has gotten a much-needed overhaul as well. Now you get to pose and display all your lovely cosmetics in full 3D while the mission data ticks up!

#### Steam Achievements

They’ve been a long time coming, but they’re finally here! 50+ Steam Achievements have been added to the game, ready to be unlocked! We’ve strived to make them retroactive anywhere it made sense.

#### 5 New Enemies

* Naedocyte Breeder
	+ Imagine a floating bag of slime, constantly spewing out pulsing egg-sacks full of ravenous young. They may look like gentle giants (depending on how much you like tentacles), but trust us when we say you want to take these oozing blimps out quick.
* Naedocyte Hatchling
	+ The result of leaving the Naedocyte Breeders to do their thing. We’ve run into more developed varieties of these before, but this is the first time we’ve ever encountered them in their larval state. They are hatched ravenously hungry, so mind yourselves that you don’t get overrun.
* Q’ronar Younglings
	+ Younger and softer variation of the Shellbacks. Unlike their more solitary-minded mature state, the Q’ronar Younglings hunt in packs. Do not underestimate them.
* Golden Lootbug
	+ Now, this is an interesting one. Unlike the common Lootbug, this particular breed gorge themselves on gold alone. Management has no qualms with employees taking them out for sport and personal gain.
* Huuli Hoarder
	+ This rare beastie seems like a bit of an oddity among the otherwise mostly hostile Hoxxes fauna. Often referred to as “The Clown Car”, the Huuli Hoarder is an abject coward and will run away from any potential threat once startled. However, like the common Lootbug, they subside solely on a diet of precious minerals - as in, taking them out will net you a tidy profit, just take care that you don’t let it separate you from your team.

#### Late Join Drop Pod

**[COMMUNITY REQUEST]** Let it not be said that Management does not care about employee complaints. Joining a mission already in progress now dumps you into a personal drop pod, letting you safely land in the mission area instead of utilizing the horribly unreliable teleportation technology used so far. As with the Supply Pod, it is recommended to keep a safe distance to the landing zone.

#### Better Discord Integration

Sign up for the Miner’s Union and join our wonderful Discord community directly from the Space Rig! We have bigger plans for this down the line, but for now, you can use it to see the number of active members and such.

#### Missions and Assignments

* **[COMMUNITY REQUEST]** The Mission Map now displays Assignment Icons for every team member, making it easier to choose which missions to go on.
* **[COMMUNITY REQUEST]** The Hazard 5 Unlock Assignment now requires you to play the associated missions on Hazard 4 difficulty
* **[COMMUNITY REQUEST]** Dwarves leaving a game will now drop a resource pouch with any materials they had in their inventory
* **[COMMUNITY REQUEST]** Added an option to opt Bosco out of solo missions at the Drone Modification Terminal

#### UI and Controls

* Personal Temperature HUD overhaul
* **[COMMUNITY REQUEST]** Added option to disable Mouse Smoothing
* Improved gear stats display in the Equipment Terminal

#### Pickaxe Power Attack

Surrounded by awful bitey things? Let them know how you feel about that! While having your pick out, hit Fire to unleash a devastating Power Attack. There’s a cooldown on it, so spend it wisely.

#### Models and Audio

* New Heavy Sentry model for Engineers
* New Sentry models for the Minehead
* New Floodlight models for the Minehead
* Several new enemy and weapon sounds
* New Hoxxes model shown on Space Rig
* **Undocumented:** New Dreadnought model

#### Gear Tweaks

* Pickaxe
	+ Fixed the Q-mining exploit
* "Thunderhead" Heavy Autocannon
	+ Fixed a bug with Autocannon fire rate not resetting
	+ Fixed Autocannon lighter barrel assembly mod
	+ Tweaked Autocannon fire rate to increase in a more linear manner
	+ Removed Stun mod
* "Lead Storm” Powered Minigun
	+ Decreased Stun mod chance
	+ Decreased Stun duration
	+ Fixed Aggressive Venting modification to properly function as client
* Deepcore GK2
	+ Renamed Stagger to Stun
	+ Gear stats now display the weapon's stun on weak point hit functionality correctly
* Experimental Plasma Charger
	+ Renamed Normal Shots Bounce mod to Bouncy Plasma
	+ Renamed Charged Projectile Explodes mod to Unstable Containment Field
	+ Increased Radius and Damage of Unstable Containment Field implosion
	+ Fixed some EPC shots doing "generic" damage
* “Bulldog” Heavy Revolver
	+ Removed Stun Mod (anyone who purchased it will get a refund)
	+ Added stun chance as an inherent property of the gun
* Jury-Rigged Boomstick
	+ Stun Mod proc chance increased
	+ Tungsten Pellets Mod armor damage multiplier increased
	+ Blast Wave description made more clear (hopefully)
	+ Blowthrough Mod changed to Super Blowthrough (can penetrate multiple targets)
	+ Fixed Blast Wave mod to work consistently
* Zhukov NUK17
	+ Removed the Stun mod (anyone who purchased it will get a refund)
	+ Rearranged some of the other mods to better balance the potential builds
	+ Increased the accuracy penalty while moving
	+ Increased the speed with which accuracy is regained
	+ Decreased accuracy spread when shooting
	+ Increased Tier 4 Expanded Ammo Bags mod from +100 to +150 ammo
* M1000 Classic
	+ Added a tutorial hint for Focused Shot
	+ Fixed Stun modification to work properly
* Breach Cutter
	+ Fixed the Breach Cutter so it no longer damages the player if fired directly downwards

### Fixes and Improvements

* Deeptora Honeycomb is no longer immune to fire
* Glyphid Praetorian acid gas can now be lit on fire again
* Fixed cases of mission weapon assignment completed not being counted correctly
* Fixed some invisible colliders in levels displaying as ‘Unknown Material’
* Credits pages now change properly
* Fixed a bug that caused a floating Shield Generator or Satchel Charge to appear at the - location of the spawn point
* Fixed some bugs related to saluting while reloading
* Fixed certain armors that caused the player’s arms to be invisible at the beginning of a mission
* Fixed the revive progress bar so it no longer stays on the screen if another player starts and cancels the revive process
* [MIXER Interactivity] Resupplying Ammo now works
* Super Blowthrough modifications changed from 10 penetrations to 3 for all weapons that have them
* Added a failsafe for Shield Generators that fail to deploy

### Post-Update Hotfixes

Hotfixes are small patches meant to fix bugs, improve balancing and include minor additions.

#### Hotfix 1

*16th May 2019*

* Glacial Strata - Decreased the cooling rate for Frost Praetorian breath attack and death cloud.
* Glacial Strata - Cooling effect from blasts of freezing air now stop as soon as you leave the area of effect
* **[COMMUNITY REQUEST]** Typo fixed in Plasma Burster grenade description
* **[COMMUNITY REQUEST]** Hole plugged in upper launch bay. Well spotted, miner.
* **[COMMUNITY REQUEST]** Elevator shafts on Space Rig cleaned up a little because there's nothing we won't do for our players.
* Minor hole plugged in monitor mesh
* Fixed xp bar showing for players on loading screen
* Fixed poodle related overlay issues
* Fixed bomber puddles creating permanent overlays
* Fix for terrain related crashes
* Hoarder's electrical resistance increased
* Cryo Grenade area of effect increased
* Fixed the retroactive functionality for promotion achievements
* Throwing axe can now hit all killable things
* Fixed player able to throw grenades after death
* Certain vanity items no longer show up red when Frozen
* Grenade loadout ui: Extra Detail button hidden for grenades
* Players who just joined the game can no longer be grabbed just as they spawn
* Fixed the barrel hoop game combo display
* Fixed Impact Axe sometimes getting stuck to the player throwing it
* Tweaked stationary enemy encounters in caves

#### Hotfix 2

*20th May 2019*

* Typo fixed on Impact Axe description
* Disabled saluting while having a grenade equipped.
* When dropping a gem / carried item, you no longer switch weapons twice. If you press 1-4 on client you also now get the correct weapon/tool for that item slot.
* Improve spawning of enemies
* Fixed cases of enemies not being allowed to spawn
* Fix choppy motion when latejoining and dropping down.
* Remove Disable Optimizations Pragma
* Grenade count will now be correctly counted when rejoining a game after disconnecting
* Updated Grenade UI after latejoining
* Players rejoining a game after disconnecting will now spawn back directly instead of going down with a droppod
* Improved carriable gems logic in an effort to fix bad cases with throwing and dropping when dying
* Fixed Shield Regenerator deploying twice
* Fixed weapon mastery skin not being available for Bulldog, Autocannon, and NUK17
* Scaled the Q'ronar Younglings smaller
* Localization update.
* Rotating movement removed from planetary ring outside space rig until we find a better solution
* Fix space rig hologram performance (collision related)
* Procedural Smoke and Fire progress
* Space Rig exterior GFX improved
* All the Loading Tips have gotten a grammar- and typo-fixing pass
* Enor Pearl material set to Local Space
* Fixed material issue on Tentacles around Dreadnought Egg
* Fix pickaxe and Gems could become invisible on client if he got downed
* Fix throwing a gem / item on clients would not always select the last weapon.
* Fixed Retroactive milestone progress for achievements "Performance matters" and "Management Approves"
* Added text explaining that Hazard 4 is demanded to play on to unlock haz 5 in the assignment
* The Achievements requiring you to not call in a supply pod or die, now only triggers if you haven't called a supply pod

#### Hotfix 3

*21st May 2019*

* Removed confusing requirement for the "Total Makeover" achievement that required players to change to a non-default owned skin color
* Fixed a bug that enabled the mission time achievement to trigger after waiting in the space rig for an hour and dropping into a mission
* Fixed various Impact Axe shenanigans
* Fixed an animation problem in third person for the M1000 Classic causing it to be misplaced when reloading
* Improved spawn location logic for enemies in an effort to fix missing enemies
* Fixed issues with saluting during autoreload causing magazine spam and broken animations
* Shadows disabled on point lights on Load Screen
* Fixed white light flashes in space rig terminals

#### Hotfix 4

*24th May 2019*

* Added Steam Rich Presence, since Pedro was bored. You might need to restart Steam before it works
* Naedocyte Breeder has been nerfed. It now spawns more rarely and the spawn amount of Naedocyte Hatchlings from the Roe has been decreased.
* Enabled Hoarder's physical animations
* Fixed more cases where enemies would not spawn
* Fixed pathfinder issues around special objects
* Fixed emission on plant that was wrong in Lush
* The NUKs now have static bullet spread that is not affected by either shooting or moving. Run & gun or spray & pray to your hearts content.
* Weapon reloads now better-synced with audio-visual cues.
* Mine head sentry gun now dismantles, rather than disappear, when ammo is spent
* Pathfinder fixes for issues seen around mine head
* Resource bag now only spawns if the player that left had any resources
* Fixed latejoin drop pod choppiness
* Fixed a bug where beards get stuck floating in the air when a player gets downed
* Shortened the Sticky Grenade fuse time
* Cryogrenade now affects Naedocyte Shockers / Hatchlings

#### Hotfix 5

*29th May 2019*

* Sound added to pickup of throwing axes
* Tweaked colors of power attack cool down display
* Fixed a bug with pickaxing frozen teammates not breaking them free
* Fixed the extraordinary laziness of Molly which made her refuse to follow players

#### Hotfix 6

*12th June 2019*

* Fixed a bug with players getting stuck in an invulnerable downed state
* Fixed a bug with BET-C’s pulsating sound
* Fix for ambient occlusion only working for dynamic objects
* Mule, Drop Pod etc. now have floating icons again when holding the laser pointer
* Fixed Mine Head Lauch icon not properly disappearing for clients

#### Hotfix 7 Balance Update

*20th June 2019*

* Bosco can now dig out and carry objects!
* Q'ronar Youngling encounters should be a bit more rare.
* Q’ronar Shellback’s armor is significantly weaker. Most weapons will be able to break it in a few shots. Weapons with armor breaking capabilities will still excel at it.
* Tweaked the rolling animation of the Qronar enemies to resolve unintended jerkiness
* Changed material on the weakpoint of the Glyphid Menace, when it dies so it does not light up dead
* Fixed a bug with sounds becoming muffled for the remainder of a mission after getting hit by a rolling Q’ronar enemy
* Glyphid Praetorian backside is again considered a weakpoint but does not give any damage bonus on its own
* Fixed a bug with the Mission Assignment icon not showing in the Mission Terminal
* Fixed a bug with clients being required to open the map in order for the host to be able to see their Mission Assignment
* Increased attenuation distance for sound and camshake when digging out eggs
* Fixed a bug with the Terrain Scanner getting stuck
* Fixed cases where you would switch weapons after mining and using the Terrain Scanner

**WEAPON BALANCE TWEAKS**

We are constantly tweaking and balancing the weapons based on player feedback and our own testing, and quite a few tweaks are coming in this hotfix. Since the weapons are currently a living system that is still growing and evolving there will certainly be more tweaks in the future, especially with the upcoming addition of the overclocks in the next update. Your feedback has been invaluable in this process so please, keep it coming.

**Minigun**

The minigun has been suffering, especially in high hazard missions, so we’ve made a few changes to address this.

* Increased base damage
* Increased value of the Lighter Barrel Assembly mod to allow for more a more responsive gun build
* Increased value of Magnetic Bearings mod to better balance against the rest
* Increased slightly how long you can shoot before overheating to help against larger swarms
* Increased value of Magnetic Refrigeration mod to better balance it against competing options
* To better balance it against the other choices the Aggressive Venting mod will now also cause enemies to flee
* Stun is now a default function of the Minigun to help gunners stand their ground, we are also working on improving the stun system in general for the next update.
* Changed the Stun mod to a Stun Duration mod since stun is now built-in

**Auto 210**

Some of the mods for this gun have not been able to hold their own so we’ve done some changes to better balance the whole weapon and prepare it for the upcoming overclocks.

* Tweaked the crosshair to look a bit more balanced and moved hit confirmation to the inner markers
* Shortened base stun duration
* Increased base stun chance
* Stunning a creature now requires a weakpoint hit
* Replaced the Stun mod with a Stun Duration mod
* Decreased the bonus of the Overstuffed Magazine mod
* Increased power of Choke mod
* Swapped places of the Choke and High Capacity Magazine mods
* Increased base pellet count to compensate for the mod rearrangement

**Boomstick**

This has been another weapon that needed an overall balance shift to make the mod choices more relevant and interesting.

* Increased the rate of fire bonus from Double Trigger Mod so it feels smoother, also rephrased the description a bit
* Decreased effect of the Bigger Pellets mod to better balance against the Expanded Ammo Bags mod
* Increased base damage to compensate for the Bigger Pellets mod tweak
* The Boomstick now has a base chance to stun targets
* Increased the power of the Stun mod to better balance it against the competition
* Increased effect of 3rd row Expanded Ammo Bags Mod to better balance against the High Capacity Shells mod

**Autocannon**

The Gunner’s Autocannon also needed a little love, though not nearly as much as the minigun.

* Increased value of Damage Reduction Mod so that just like with the minigun, players can better stand their ground against a swarm.
* Increased base splash damage range to help the gun deal with large swarms
* Removed friendly-fire from splash damage so you can safely fire into the fray and not hurt yourself when shooting enemies at point blank range.

**Voltaic SMG**

This little powerhouse had a crazy build hiding in it, those mods responsible have been reigned-in to better compare to the Auto 210 while others got a needed boost.

* Fixed the Electrocution Bonus mod (it used to give a 120% damage bonus which was crazy) now it does 30% just like the NUK17s.
* Renamed the Electrocution Bonus mod to Conductive Bullets since the two mods were identical in function.
* Adjusted the values of Increased Caliber and High Velocity Rounds to better balance against the other mods and other weapons.
* Increased the value of the Improved Gas System mod to make it more relevant
* Swapped places of the second Expanded Ammo Bags mod and the Improved Gas System mod
* Increased the range of the Electric Arc mod as it was too short

**Other Weapon Tweaks**

* Increased damage done by the Gunner’s Sticky Grenade to the creature it is stuck on as it felt a bit meh before.
* Decreased the damage bonus of the Defender mod for the LMG Gun Platform as it has turned out to be too powerful.

#### Hotfix 8

*24th June, 2019*

* Fixed Q'ronar Shellback’s unintended 100% Explosion Resistance to 80%
* Woodlouse younglings are no longer completely immune to explosions and electrical damage when rolling
* Fix for Bosco making gems unreachable after someone Latejoined