New Features
Feature: Combat Retry
- You are now able to retry a battle in manual combat once after seeing the results of an auto combat. This can be disabled in the Advanced Setup.
- Added a new sector Exploitation: 'Orbital Relays'. Orbital relays function akin to teleporters, letting you transport an army through a relay to any other accessible relay in an instant.
- Forward Bases can be upgraded to Forward Relays, allowing you to connect them to the Orbital Relay network
- A new covert operation has been added to the 'Insurrection' skill in the cover ops tech tree: 'Relay Disruption'.
- A new Diplomatic agreement is now available for any (Defensive) Ally with whom you share both an 'Open Borders' agreement: 'Open Relay Agreement'.
- Imperial Defenses are no longer destroyed upon exploration, instead, they're turned off so that their combat and world map effects will no longer be active in their sector.
- Imperial Defenses in a colonized or annexed sector will gain a Garrison Militia of equal strength to the Colony Militia and unlock a sustainable strategic operation, which can target a friendly or enemy colony
General
- Units bought from the NPC dwellings will now get production bonuses from the player's HQ, helping to keep NPC units viables in the late game.
- Cover bonuses are now applied to hit chances after bonuses that make a unit harder to hit, rather than before. This means that stacking evasion mods with cover will be less effective, as will using cover to reduce the effect of Easier To Hit debuffs.
- Units can now enter melee overwatch after sprinting, allowing melee units to more easily get into position to disrupt enemy lines.
- Partial Obstacles, such as Dvar Trenches are no longer destroyed by Heavy units. Instead, they are now destroyed by units with the Large and Huge passive abilities, since those are the units that cannot make use of the cover the obstacles provide.
- Any unit upgrade that adds a status effect on hit to a units attacks now has a higher strength to apply from single shot attacks than from repeating attacks.
It was felt that Heroes in vehicles were too weak, mostly because heroes alone are actually more powerful than many vehicles when the game starts. These changes are meant to try and make the investment of getting into a vehicle more worthwhile.
- Vehicles now give a bonus to armor, shields and/or hit points instead of overwriting those stats on the hero
- Decreased Advanced Piloting unlock level from level 8 to level 6.
- Decreased Advanced Piloting costs from 10 points to 8 points.
- Vehicle Loadout perks now only give Vitality I instead of both I and II
- Decreased base hero hit points from 60hp to 50hp.
- Changed Death's Gaze to an AoE ability with a 4 hex radius and a casting range of 5.
- Changed Life's Grace to an AoE ability with a 4 hex radius and a casting range of 5.
- Life's Grace now dispels negative Status Effects
- Increased Bio Launcher Tier from Tier II to Tier III
- Tactical Aid Rig - Increased heal per Action Point from 7hp to 12hp.
- Tactical Repair Rig - Increased heal per Action Point from 7hp to 12hp.
Based on the feedback we’ve collected we’ve done a huge range of tweaks to the game’s balance. With these changes, we were mainly trying to achieve the following:
- Increase compatibility between races and secret techs by allowing unit upgrades to be used more freely
- Increasing the strength of many tier 3 units which were considered sub standard
- Reduce the effectiveness of certain defensive mods, which were too powerful (especially those involving evasion and health regeneration)
- Generally try and balance the strength of units and upgrades across the board, to fix some obvious cases where a unit or upgrade was much stronger or weaker than it’s equivalents elsewhere.
- 'Emergency Quadratic Shielding' Mod now has stagger immunity in the post death effect
- Disassembler 'Gatling Gun' - Increased damage from 11 to 13
- Constrictor (Tactical Operation unit) 'Static Crush' - Reduced damage from 25 to 22
- Cloaking Implants can now be applied to all light, non-mechanical units (was light cyborg and biological)
- Quantum Support Nanites now heals for 10hp per turn (was 20%)
- Engineer shotguns now has 1 level of high impact
- Vanguard 'Gun Turret' (Engineer Summon) - Increased hit points from 20hp to 30hp
- Laser Tank 'Laser Cannon' - Increased damage from 12 to 14.
- Laser Tank now has 'Hyper Armor' defense mode
- Walker - Increased damage of 'Gatling Gun' from 11 to 13.
- Vanguard Racial Building - Increased experience gain from 'Combat Simulation Center' from 2xp to 3xp
- Improved Combat Sensors - Decreased harder to hit percentage from 20% to 15%.
- Improved Combat Sensors Sensors can now be applied on Non-Animal and Non-Ethereal units instead of Light Units only.
- Amazon Defense Turret - Increased damage from 11 to 13 damage
- Amazon Biomancer 'Scan:Catalogue' - Increased the cooldown from 2 turns to 4 turns.
- Advanced Instinct Controller - Decreased psionic resistance from 5 to 4.
- Regenerative Bio Regulator - Decreased biochemical resistance from 5 to 4.
- Blood Fury Inducers - Decreased the max stacks from 4 to 3.
- Blood Fury Inducers now gives 4hp per stack (was 10%)
- Regenerative Bio Regulator Mod now heals for 8hp per turn (was 15%)
- Grounding Harness Mod can now be applied to all units with Land Movement (previously excluded Mechanical units)
- Primal Awareness Amplifier Mod can now be applied to all non-mechanical and non-mindless units (was all biological and cyborg units)
- Reforestation operations will no longer destroy the roads in a sector
- Emergent 'Gunk Spit' - Increased the range from 5 to 7.
- Emergent 'Gunk Spit' - Increased the damage from 7 to 11.
- Emergent 'Gunk Spit' - Changed from repeating to a single shot attack.
- Emergent 'Gunk Spit' now has a str 8 chance to apply blind.
- Frenzied - Increased hit points from 40 hp to 45hp.
- Frenzied 'Battle Vomit' now has Choking (str 8) instead of Armor Melt.
- Hidden Units now have Flanker
- Hidden Rifle attacks now have High Impact
- Adaptive Carapace - Decreased max stacks from 5 to 4.
- Adaptive Carapace can now be triggered by melee as well as ranged attacks.
- Tunneling Claws - Increased damage bonus from 10% to 20%
- Tunneling Claws can now also be used by the Ravenous
- Tormented 'Visions of madness' - Changed from once per battle to a 3 turn cooldown.
- Tormented 'Visions of madness' - Increased Insanity duration from 1 turn to 2 turns.
- Tormented 'Echoes of Torment' - Increased the optimal range from 5 to 6, meaning it has 60% hit chance at max range instead of 50%.
- Tormented 'Echoes of Torment' now checks each target individually.
- Accelerated Healing now heals for 8hp per turn (was 15%)
- Cloaking Carapace can now be applied to all light, non-ethereal units (was light kirko, animal and mounted units)
- Adaptive Carapace can now be applied to all non-ethereal units (was kirko, animal and mounted units)
- Explosive Resistant Armor Mod - Increased Armor bonus from +1 to +2
- Reconstruction Kit Mod - Increased healed hp from 25 to 35.
- Reconstruction Kit Mod - Increased resurrection hp from 25% to 50%
- Reconstruction Kit Mod can no longer resurrect tier 4 units.
- Dvar Excavator now has the 'Hyper Armor' defense mode
- Dvar Excavator now enters defense mode after using defensive flamers
- Dvar Rocket Artillery 'Train weapons' now only affects missile barrage
- Dvar Rocket Artillery 'Mounted Gun' - Increased damage from 9 to 11.
- Dvar Foreman 'Hand Mortar' - Increased range from 4 to 5.
- Dvar Bulwark 'Concussive Volley' - Decreased range from 7 to 5.
- Fortified Trenches now heal for 8hp per turn (was 15%)
- Advanced Target Recognition Mod can now be applied to all units (was mechanical and infantry only)
- Illuminator Targeting System Mod can now be applied to all heavy units (was heavy mechanical and cyborg only)
- Captain's Regalia Mod can now be applied to all infantry and mounted units (was infantry only)
- Tectonic shift can no longer be cast on water sectors
- PsiTec Vision Enhancers mod - Increased Shield bonus from +1 to +2
- Adaptive Camouflage Projector mod - Decreased the harder to hit from 20% to 15%
- Drive Modulator mod - Decreased heal hp per use from 15 hp to 10hp
- Overseer 'Cerebral Override' no longer triggers Arc Retaliation Defense
- Overseer 'Cerebral Override' no longer has damage increased by the Heavy Weapons Factory
- Wraith 'PsiTec Cannon' - Decreased damage from 13 to 12.
- Wraith 'PsiTec Cannon' - Removed High Impact.
- Subjugator 'Project Agony Field' - Increased damage from 12 to 14
- Subjugator 'Project Agony Field' - Added High Impact
- Subjugator 'Project Agony Field' - Added Armor Bypass
- Mirage 'Defense Mode' now grants stagger resistance
- Guild Assassin 'Pulse Sniper' - Increased damage from 20 to 22
- Guild Assassin 'Breach Round' now adds 30% accuracy to the next attack
- Indentured 'Arc Power Blast' now has an inherent +30% accuracy bonus
- Syndicate Enforcer now has stagger resistance
- Enforcer 'Defense Mode' - Increased Shield bonus from +2 to +4 to adjacent allies and self.
- Enforcer 'Defense Mode' can no longer stack.
- Shredder Bomb Operation - Increased costs from 25 energy and 1 operation point to 30 energy and 2 operation points.
- Ionic Infusion Mod - Decreased chance to apply Electrified from 12 strength to 8 strength
- Acid Rain Operation - Decreased damage from 8 to 5
- Acid Rain Operation - Decreased the amount of armor melt from 2 to 1
- Acid Rain Operation now lasts 5 turns.
- Mantra Of Clarity Mod - Decreased harder to hit from 20% to 15%
- Explosives: Incendiary Mod - Increased strength chance to apply bruning from 4str to 8str
- Explosives: Electrical Mod - Increased strength chance to apply electerfied from 4str to 12str
- Oblivio Mundi Operation (Psynumbra doomsday) - Decreased unhappiness from 40 to 30
- Amazon Initiate 'Dark Vine' - Increased the range from 5 to 7
- Amazon Malictor 'Dark Thorns' - Increased the range from 5 to 7
- Pain Mirror Mod - Increased damage from 6 to 8
- Pain Mirror Mod - Increased range from 3 to 4
- Psynumbra Sacrifice to the Abyss - Increased summon duration from 3 turns to 4 turns
- Psynumbra Sacrifice to the Abyss - All compatible mods are now copied over into the summoned unit.
- Kir'ko Initiate - Removed Psionic Mastery
- Kir'ko Malictor - Removed Psionic Mastery
- Syndicate Initiate - Increased costs from 80 energy and 250 production to 100 energy and 270 production
- Syndicate Malictor - Increased costs from 120 energy, 400 production and 20 cosmite to 140 energy, 440 production and 25 cosmite
- Dimensional Cascade Operation (Voidtech Doomsday) - Decreased stolen energy income from 40% to 30%
- Create Phase Echo Operation - Increased costs from 60 energy and 5 operation points to 75 energy and 7 operation points
- Dimensional Collapse Operation - Decreased costs from 100 energy and 9 operation points to 75 energy and 7 operation points
- Phasewalk Modulator Mod - Decreased harder to hit from 25% to 15%
- Phasewalk Modulator Mod can now be applied to all light units with ground movement (was infantry and mounted only)
- Aegis Tank - Increased movement points from 24 to 32
- Purification Field Mod - Increased healed hp from 10hp to 15hp
- Phoenix Bomb Launchers Mod - Increased cooldown from 1 turn to 2 turns
- Pyrex Absorption Panels Mod now heal for 12hp per turn (was 20%)
- Pyrex Absorption Panels Mod can now also be applied to Biological units
- Amazon Purifier - Increased costs from 80 energy and 270 production to 100 energy and 270 production.
- Vanguard Purifier - Increased costs from 80 energy and 270 production to 100 energy and 270 production.
- Dvar Purifier now has Entrench
- Hazmat Protection Mod is now unlocked at tier 1 instead of tier 4
- Purifiers now have Prime Rank: Critical
- Tenets Of Healing Mod now gives a heal that affects the caster and adjacent units, instead of just a single target.
- Regenerative Light on the Kir'ko Lightbringer now heals for 16hp per turn (was 30%)
- Declaration of Truth level 3 now heals for 10hp per turn (was 20%)
- Guardian Demon Shell Mod - Decreased harder to hit from 25% to 20%
- Total Network Integration Mod - Increased resurrection health from 15% to 25%)
- Total Network Integration Mod no longer gives immunity to status effects.
- Malware Daemon - Increased damage per shot from 6 to 8
- Malware Daemon can now inherent passive mods from the caster
- Autonomous Repair Subroutines now gives 6hp per turn (was 10%)
- Bloated Pustule is now a Mindless unit
- Xenoplague Parasite Mod - Increased health bonus from +5hp to +10hp
- Bio Spore Purification can now also heal mechanical units that have xenoplague mods
- Bio Spore Hyper Aggression - Changed from a single action to a free action
- Bio Spore Hyper Aggression - Changed from a once per battle ability to a 2 turn cooldown
- Bio Spore Hyper Aggression - Now affects air units
- Bio Spore Hyper Aggression - Can now affect mechanical units with xenoplague mods
- Parasitic Infection now reduces all damage resistances by 1 point (was biochemical resistance by 2 points)
- Added a new mod at tier 3 called Xenografted Muscles, that buffs melee units
- Regenerative Spore Cloud now heals for 8hp per turn (was 15%)
- Hyperstimulation Beam Operation can no longer target Mindless units
- Spacer Hellcopter 'Launch Fire Barrel' Increased range from 5 to 7
- Spacer Hellcopter 'Launch Fire Barrel' - Changed the name of this ability to 'Spacer Missile' to better match its icon and visual effect.
- Spacer Mad Preacher 'Effigy Hysterics' - Increased duration from 2 turns to 3 truns
- Paragon Reactive Shielding Mod - Decreased max stacks from 5 to 4
- Autonom Network Connector Mod - Increased Armor bonus from +1 to +2
- Self Repair Systems Mod now heals for 12hp per turn (was 20%)
- Regeneration Spores Mod now heals for 10hp per turn (was 20%)
- Growth Seed Cluster 'Regenerative Pollen Deluge' now gives 16hp per turn (was 25%)
- Wild Shrike - Increased movement speed from Normal to Fast.
- Wild Harrier - Increased movement speed from Normal to Fast.
It was felt that too much investment was required to deploy fleets into the oceans, so we’ve made changes to allow players to get to them earlier and deploy them more cheaply.
- All Tier 2 ships are now unlocked by default and no-longer require research
- All Tier 3 ships have had their unlock research moved to the location of where the T2 ship research was
- All racial ships have had their upkeep amount halved
- All racial ships are now cheaper to produce
There were a number of units that had 24 movepoints instead of 32. These units now have 32mp, and the Cumbersome property, which causes them to move more slowly in tactical combat. The following units are affected:
- Dvar Earth Crusher
- Dvar Rocket Artillery
- Dvar Baron
- Dvar Sapper
- Dvar Dreadnought
- Quartzite Basher
- Quartzite Crystal Worm
- Quartzite Worm
- Quartzite Crystal Basher
- Autonom Network Controller
- PsiFish Siren
- PsiFish Medusa
- Empire Walker
- Empire Behemoth
- Empire Techno Prophet
- Empire Heavy Trooper
- Growth Vine Sprout
- Growth Flowering Node
- Growth Seed Cluster
- Amazon Bombardon
- Amazon Arborian Queen
- Vanguard Walker
- Vanguard Drone Carrier
- Assembly Disassembler
- Assembly Reaver
- Kir'Ko Tormented
- Kir'Ko Barrager
- Kir'Ko Harbinger
- Syndicate Subjugator
- Syndicate Zenith
Interface
- Improved the indicators that show when a unit has new mods available
- Keybinding improvements
- Added keybindings for accessing the following interfaces: diplomacy, operations, quests, colony overview, military overview and unit template management.
- Added keybindings for tactical combat abilities
- Chat (tab) can now be rebound
- Removed obsolete keybindings
- Recategorized all keybindings
- Added NPC faction toggles to the advanced setup world settings
- Right-clicking dwelling trade items now opens their Imperial Archives page
- You can now annex a sector to your colonies without having a unit present, if you've already explored and cleared it
- Infecting units with xenoplague when you are not a xenoplague player can now spawn xenoplague units under the control of a xenoplague player who didn't take part in combat
- Improved interface of the combat result. Now more clearly shows units changing sides or when units have transformed through metamorphosis or other effects.
- Applying mods to heroes/commanders now counts towards the Technologist Empire Task.
- The system can now remove a single mountain hex in order to place a road between two sectors, if more than one mountain hex would need to be cleared, then no road will be placed.
- Ravaged Worlds Planet Template - Commanders now spawn next to a resource node, which will be the recommended first annexable sector.
- The strategic AI no longer constantly re-applies mods and now correctly upgrades units when they have access to newly researched mods.
- The Cryo-Medical Facility now gives one level of stagger resistance as well to units built in the colony.
- Your racial colony structure can now be built in colonies not of your own race.
- Generate Knowledge is now no longer locked behind research, it is available at the start, for every colony.
- The 'Transit Infrastructure' sub-skill has been moved to tier 3 research
- The text and name of 'Colony Infrastructure' and 'Anthropologic Research' have been swapped.
- The 'Xeno-Relations Division' sub-skill has been moved to the new 'Anthropologic Research' skill group.
- The Targeting Array's combat effect has been changed to no longer make tactical operations cost no operation points. It instead now gives ranged abilities from friendly units +10% accuracy and +1 hex range.
- The Pulse Defense Turret's combat effect's chance to stun Cyborg and Mechanical units for 1 turn has been changed from strength 8 (arc) to strength 4 (arc).
- The following Imperial Defenses no longer block regeneration:
- Pulse Defense Turret
- Orbital Defense Uplink
- Aerial Denial System
- Trades up to 5 turns ago can now be reviewed by clicking on them in the trade history. Only applies to trades made after this patch.
- The AI is more likely to use melee attacks over ranged attacks
- The AI is less likely to stand units next to enemies that explode when they die
- The AI is more likely to use staggers against units that have full action attacks
- The AI will no longer make wounded units run away if they're independent
- The AI is more likely to use free abilities when available
Gameplay
- Fixed an issue where units in garrisons wouldn't be affected by sector wide effects from doomsday weapons and other operations
- Fixed an issue where switching your hero's vehicle from a flying vehicle to a land vehicle while above the water would destroy your hero.
- Fixed an issue where using the Escape Module on a hero would put all unused skills on cooldown when the hero is resurrected.
- Fixed issue where embarking an army would drain all move points from floating and flying units in the army as well.
- Dvar Prospector, Dvar Earth Crusher, Amazon Arborian Queen no longer regain Full Move Points after cancelling their Sector Center abilities.
- Mind Controlled Units can no longer be retreated from Manual Combat as it would allow the owner to keep them.
- Valkyrie is now correctly listed as a Skirmisher Unit to reflect stats (was Elite)
- Amazon Lancer vehicle now correctly gives Defense Mode: Shields Up (was Defense Mode)
- Dvar Trenches now correctly give the 25% bonus to accuracy they always should have
- Reactive Kinetic battery now correctly states that it can be applied to all heavy units (description before said heavy mechanical only)
- Subjugator - Control Collars now correctly lists the strength of the mind control check
- Pain Mirror correctly bypasses armor
- Malware Daemon - Now correctly lists the strength of the mind control at 8
- Bio Spore Hyper Aggression - Now correctly describes the size of the AoE it affects
- Fixed Issue where the Laser Sword couldn't equip the Hallucinogenic Regulator mod
- Fixed Dvar Bulwark Autocannons' from being too loud.
- Fixed Hackers Shoot SFX