Archive:Release 6

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Hello Prospectors! The new Release is here and it is packed with features, balancing, quality of life changes and of course the Story Quests!

We are very excited to share the story of the Lost Prospector with you, as Season 1 is in full swing now.

## STORY MISSIONS – NEW CONTRACT TYPE (SOLO MODE ONLY)

* We have implemented a new contract type – Story Missions
	+ The Story Missions will appear in the Solo Mode and you can learn more about the lore of The Cycle when you complete these contracts
	+ The Story Missions will unlock exclusive rewards and additional XP for the Fortuna Pass

## VISUAL EFFECTS UPGRADES & MISC

* Spitters, Squatters, Hurlers and Skulkers have been reworked to increase their visual quality.
* We made performance improvements across many areas of the game!
* Storm Updates
	+ Foliage now sways according to wind direction at the start of the match
	+ Foliage now reacts more distinctly to the storm as it increases in intensity
* Stumble Animations Updates
	+ We have a new system for triggering stumble animations depending on where a character gets hit
	+ The droid enemy type now uses the new system and have an expanded animation set for hit reactions
		- Shooting by direction (front, back, side)
		- By area of the frame (arms, legs, chest, head)
		- Weapon damage will now cause flinches, staggers, and stumbles according to damage deal
* UI Improvements
	+ Team nameplates now show through geometry
	+ Unified font and appearance on nameplates for better readability (enemies, guns, abilities, objectives, teammates)

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## GAMEPLAY CHANGES

*Dev Comment: The idea behind the Navigator is to enable players to quickly get information about nearby objectives, without having to open the map. Its also meant to be a place where we can put less critical information so we can clean up the HUD and make it easier to parse the information in the main mode.*

* We have implemented “The Navigator”
	+ Pressing Middle Mouse or X (default key mapping) enters this mode (Can be changed in the options menu)
	+ When in this mode the HUD changes to give a better idea of where objectives are located around you and give you a better idea of what to do next
		- Navigation markers for nearby objectives will be displayed
		- The scoreboard is visible
		- The contract info is expanded if the player is not already engaged in the activity
		- Performing certain actions will exit the mode, e.g. shooting or charge punching
	+ The HUD has seen further changes in layout and functionality to accommodate the new mode
* Placement-based rewards: from now on, you will receive your rewards packages based on your placement on the leaderboard, instead of your amount of VP! So make sure to survive and evac for the really juicy rewards packages!
* Contract changes
	+ In Solo & Duo you will now always have the Minerals and Uplink contract active, along with 2 random contracts. For Squads Uplink and Laserdrill cannot be in the same match anymore. Furthermore the chance for the Letium contract has been increased in Squad Mode.
* Fall damage has been turned off
	+ Removed fall damage but kept the movement penalty when jumping from tall heights
	+ Minor tweaks to the falling distances needed to trigger landing animations and cam shakes
* Vehicles now don’t cloak anymore when left idle

## WEAPON BALANCING

*Dev Comment: This update’s main focus was long range weapons. Its been a big issue that they are very effective at close range and that some are obvious choices over others. We’ve tried to address this by looking at damage or ammo count in some of the more obvious cases, but also by looking at sniper ADS times in general. We had some scope Mods that were annoying to use, some that we’re obviously better and now it should hopefully feel a bit more consistent to use these mods. We’ll continue to look at how we can make better distinctions between long range/short range play in the future, so please let us know what you think!*

* Archive:KOMRAD
	+ Spread reduction in ADS from -25% to -75%
	+ Refire time from 0.75 s to 0.7 s
	+ Direct damage from 25 to 40
	+ AoE damage from 75 to 80
		- Mods
			* “Big Bertha”
				+ Direct Damage bonus from 200% to 300%
* Maelstrom
	+ Base spread from 8.5 to 9
	+ Max spread from 8.5 to 10
	+ Damage falloff start from 2000 to 1750
	+ Damage falloff end from 4000 to 3000
* Scarab
	+ Mods
		- “Coolant Chamber”
			* New: Reduces clip size by 6
* Archive:KBR Longshot
	+ Damage from 145 to 120
	+ Time to ADS from 0.45 to 0.6
		- Mods
			* “Explosive Rounds”
				+ Direct damage penalty from -15% to -20% (radial damage bonus remains at 40% of standard)
				+ Refire time penalty from +50% to +35%
			* “Hollow-Point Rounds”
				+ Damage bonus from +20% to +15%
				+ Does not increase the falloff of damage at longer ranges (still affects effective range)
			* “Extended Magazine”
				+ Clip size bonus from +6 to +3
				+ Reload time penalty from +25% to +15%
			* “High Caliber Chamber”
				+ Refire time penalty from +35% to +20%
				+ New: Clip size reduced by 2
			* “Burst Mode”
				+ New: Damage reduced by 10%
			* “Rapid Cartridge Feeder”
				+ Refire time bonus from -15% to -10%
			* “Stabilizer”
				+ Does not increase refire time anymore
				+ New: Reduces velocity of projectile by 15%
			* “1.5x Scope”
				+ Time to ADS bonus from -20% to -25%
				+ Tweaked zoom-in behavior
			* “4x Scope”
				+ Time to ADS penalty from +30% to +25%
			* “8x Scope”
				+ Reduced zoom level slightly
				+ Time to ADS penalty from +50% to +40%
* Bolt Action
	+ Damage from 280 to 260
	+ Refire time from 1.15 to 1.2
	+ Clip size from 10 to 6
	+ Time to ADS from 0.4 to 0.6
	+ Projectile speed from 30000 to 28000
		- Mods
			* “Hollow-Point Rounds”
				+ Refire time penalty from +5% to +10%
				+ Projectile speed penalty from -15% to -20%
			* “Extended Magazine”
				+ Clip size bonus from +3 to +2
				+ Reload time penalty from +25% to +20%
			* “Quickswap Magazine”
				+ Reload time bonus from -20% to -15%
				+ Clip size penalty from -3 to -1
			* “4x Scope”
				+ Is now a 2D scope
				+ Scope time penalty from +50% to +25%
				+ Zoom levels remain the same
			* “8x Scope”
				+ Reduced zoom level slightly
				+ Time to ADS penalty from +30% to +35%
* Archive:Basilisk
	+ Damage from 225 to 200
	+ Does not deal extra damage to AI anymore (used to deal 125%)
	+ Refire time from 0.85 to 0.95
	+ Recoil curve altered, lingers vertically so the user needs to adjust the aim more between shots
	+ Time to ADS from 0.55 s to 0.7 s
	+ Equip time from 0.55 s to 0.65 s
	+ Unequip time from 0.5 s to 0.6 s
	+ Now has a damage falloff curve
		- Starts at 50 m, ends at 100 m
		- Falloff multiplier at end is 75% of original
		- Mods
			* “Heavy Frame”
				+ Refire time penalty from +20% to +10%
			* “8x Scope”
				+ Reduced zoom level slightly
				+ Time to ADS penalty from +30% to +15%
* Archive:Kinetic Arbiter
	+ Time to ADS from 0.6 to 0.7
	+ Projectile speed from 25000 to 26000
	+ Does not deal extra damage to AI anymore (used to deal 125%)
		- Mods
			* “Expanded Container”
				+ Clip size bonus from +3 to +2
				+ Reload time penalty from +30% to +20%
				+ No longer increases equip time
				+ New: Increases time to ADS by 0.1 s
			* “Low Caliber Mag Rail”
				+ Initial projectile speed bonus from +40% to +20%
				+ Damage penalty from -20% to -15%
			* “Aerodynamic Scope”
				+ Time to ADS bonus from -25% to -10%
			* “1.5x Scope”
				+ Reduced zoom level slightly
			* “8x Scope”
				+ Reduced zoom level slightly
				+ Time to ADS penalty from +30% to +15%
			* “16x Scope”
				+ Reduced zoom level
				+ Time to ADS penalty from +50% to +25%
* Archive:KARMA-1
	+ Time to ADS from 0.65 s to 0.5 s
	+ Spinup time from 0.9 s to 0.65 s
	+ Projectile speed from 20000 to 22000
	+ Projectile gravity from 1.2 to 0.6
	+ Does not deal extra direct damage to AI anymore (used to deal 150%, AoE Damage still deals 150%)
		- Mods
			* “Magnetic Slabs”
				+ Reload time bonus from -15% to -10%
			* “The Splinter”
				+ Falloff start from 300 to 250
				+ Falloff multiplier at end range (800) from 25% of original damage to 10%
			* “Improved 4x Scope”
				+ Time to ADS bonus from -15% to -10%
			* “8x Scope”
				+ Reduced zoom level slightly
				+ Time to ADS penalty from +20% to +60%

## ABILITY BALANCING

*Dev Comment: We’ve started to work through some of the older abilities in order to improve their communication and usage. We’re also trying to do some audio passes to lessen the need for the Suit AI voice over lines as you trigger them. Big changes have been made to Warp and Barriers, that we hope will make it more clear how they function, while also reducing technical issues. With the removal of blocking meshes we’re considering how we can add that functionality in the future, but in a way that is clearly communicated and less problematic for AI navigation and player collision. Please note that we will gather your feedback regarding these changes and adjust those changes if possible.*

* General
	+ Removed Suit AI voice over when triggering the abilities below
	+ Fixed issues with ability spawn limits not being applied
	+ Stim Boost and Adrenaline Shot is now not usable in DBNO since they don’t have any noticeable effect
* Turret
	+ Does not block player movement anymore
	+ Turret cap changed from infinite to 1
	+ New sound effects and sound range tuning
* Archive:Directional Warp
	+ Now teleports you to the location of the projectile instead of the ground underneath it
	+ Speed of projectile is affected by the angle its being thrown
	+ Speed reduced from 7000 to 3500
	+ Lifetime increased from 0.55 s to 1.2 s (reaches a bit further than usual)
	+ Made some minor adjustments to timing and position of projectile spawn to match the animation
	+ Updates to particle effects
* Warp Bomb
	+ Same behavior changes as Directional Warp
	+ Speed reduced from 3000 to 2500
	+ Lifetime from 0.5 s to 1.2 s
	+ Damage radius from 4 m to 4.5 m
	+ Damage falloff start from 1 m to 2 m
	+ Damage falloff remains at 33% at furthest range
	+ Adjusted projectile height to be consistent with normal blink dagger
* Archive:Snare Trap
	+ New particle effects for snared targets that indicate the direction to the mine
	+ New sounds, now also plays a warning sound when you’re almost inside the trigger area
	+ Reacts faster to targets entering the trigger area
	+ Changed it to not be a projectile throw anymore to avoid physics issues, now spawns at your feet
	+ Max active amount from infinite to 1
	+ Lives forever if no targets enter trigger area
	+ Lifetime after target enters trigger area from 30 s to 10 s
	+ Escape range increased slightly
* Archive:Kinetic Barrier
	+ Duration increased from 15 s to 20 s
	+ Reduced size significantly, should not cut through floors as much when inside buildings
	+ Now always spawns a set distance in front of you, previously depended on where you looked which could cause some orientation issues
	+ Cannot be deactivated early anymore
	+ Upgrades
		- New Level 1: Decrease cooldown by 5 s
		- New Level 2: Increase duration by 5 s
* Safeguard
	+ Remains blue in color, indicating that its a more stereotypical, protective bubble
	+ No weapon (except piercing) can fire through it
	+ Cannot be killed anymore, making its duration the only limit to its lifetime
	+ Reduced in size
	+ Now always spawn centered from your position as you activate it
	+ Cannot be deactivated early anymore
	+ Upgrades
		- New Level 2: Increase duration by 5 s
* Protective Shell
	+ Remains blue in color, meaning it won’t let any damage travel through it
	+ Cannot be destroyed anymore, making its duration the only limit to its lifetime
	+ Blocks projectiles from both in- and outside the shell (Player cannot shoot out of it)
	+ Can still be deactivated early by using the ability again while its active

## QUALITY OF LIFE

* PLAY BUTTON in the Station – We have decluttered the screen and added the Play button
* Shop – buying more than 1 of the same item is now easier with increment buttons
* Inbox sorted by timestamp – new messages will now be sorted at the top of the inbox
* Fortuna Pass – you can now more easily upgrade your pass and buy extra levels from the Fortuna Pass screen

## IMPROVED TUTORIALS

* We have added new tutorials in the matches. The contract you encounter is explained to you once you encounter it during a match. The AI suit will tell you more about this contract and how to complete it!
	+ The following contracts are included: Minerals, Boss Hunt (Alpha Warden), Clear the evac-platform, Zeal & Red Zeal, The Hunt, Storm Surge,  Power Stations & Super Power Stations
* We have implemented a Station help overlay – new players will see help text when they first enter a new menu screen
* Faction select has changed – It now has more info about the factions and what’s next to unlock

## FIXES & IMPROVEMENTS

* We fixed an issue where healing an ally would slow them down
* We adjusted the equip animation of the Bolt Action to properly show when its able to fire
* The keybinding remapping option for banners ‘J’ has been added to options
* We fixed a bug where an evacuating player would send their pact mate a pact-break voiceline
* We added a brand new reload SFX for the Kinetic Arbiter, Bolt Action, Hammer, Scrapper, KBR Longshot, Karla
* We rebalanced some challenges (dailies, primarily) to be a bit easier to complete
* We adjusted the Daily & Weekly Challenge rarity
* We added a tutorial exception to evac-monster contract scoring to make sure the contract gets completed exactly once when killing the last monster
* The K28 Autopistol has a new ADS reticle
* We added a tutorial exception to the evac-monster contract scoring to make sure the contract gets completed exactly once when killing the last monster
* We have fixed the missing icons for the Special Quest challenges in the Fortuna Pass
* We have given the Veteran Head the correct icon in the appearance tab
* We fixed the fact that “Buy gold level access” is still shown after purchasing “gold level access”
* We fixed the missing female Syndicate Enforcer items

## KNOWN ISSUES

* If your name contains special characters it is not shown properly.
* Items still lose their upgrades when dropped, we’re working to remedy this in the future!
* When you die in a duo or squad match your team rank will not change until all of the players are either escaped or foamed. We know that this can cause confusion but the rank shown at the end of the match will be the correct one.
* If you are using a controller, please note: There is no full controller support, yet.
* Some of the new text is not properly implemented in all languages. This relates to the following things: Station Help Overlay, Story Missions, HUD Changes, NAV mode and some of the reworked abilities. The text will be updated as soon as possible.
* Gadgets can only be upgrades by one level in the Gear Store despite saying that level two is available.

Please remember: Even though we are now in Early Access and the 1st season has started, the game is still in development. This means that bugs and crashes are to be expected.

If you find any issues during your session, please don’t hesitate to report it using the bug reporter tool in-game.

Please also keep in mind that queue times, especially late in the night might be longer than expected due to lower player count around these times.

We hope you have fun during your time on Fortuna III and look forward to reading your feedback!