Mar. 16, 2023 - PTS Update (MAX, A2G, and New Abilities)

Discussion in 'Test Server: Announcements' started by RPG_Wrel, Mar 16, 2023.

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  1. RPG_Wrel Lead Designer

    The following update is now available on the Public Test Server.
    --
    Download the Test Server client from this thread after reading the Test Server Policies: https://forums.daybreakgames.com/ps...st-test-server-policies-download-link.114038/
    --

    Server Performance
    In this update, we've made significant performance optimizations to NPCs that can be "interacted with" by the player. These interactable NPCs include terminals, vehicles, generators, conduits, and certain mission objectives – basically any NPC that requires you to press a button to ask it to do something.

    Previously these NPCs would query interaction requirements on any character in range, even ones that aren't intending to use them. This change is especially important when it comes to CTF conduits, which were also checking for line of sight (another costly check) at sometimes long distances. We still have areas to investigate further when it comes to the creation of characters on a zone, but these NPC changes address one of the major areas of focus we outlined in an earlier update.

    We strongly encourage that if you have a chance to check out the PTS update, please do so. If you see any strangeness with interactable NPCs, we'd like to know that as well.

    Faction-Specific Class Abilities
    In this update, each faction receives one new class ability! In most cases, these are abilities that were available as prototypes during previous Campaigns, with balance adjustments and cleanup where needed.

    Hermes Cloaking (VS Infiltrator only)
    Provides a speed-enhancing cloak with added fall resistance to help you maneuver around the battlefield.
    • Rank 1: Cloak lasts for 6.5 seconds, increases sprint speed by 20%, and recharges in 13 seconds.
    • Rank 2: Cloak lasts for 7 seconds, increases sprint speed by 20%, and recharges in 12.5 seconds.
    • Rank 3: Cloak lasts for 7.5 seconds, increases sprint speed by 20%, and recharges in 12 seconds.
    • Rank 4: Cloak lasts for 8 seconds, increases sprint speed by 20%, and recharges in 11.5 seconds.
    • Rank 5: Cloak lasts for 8.5 seconds, increases sprint speed by 25%, and recharges in 11 seconds.
    Demeter Veil (NC Heavy Assault only)
    While active, the Demeter Veil reduces incoming damage to you and nearby allies by 25% for up to 6 seconds.
    • Rank 1: Reduces damage by 25% for up to 6 seconds. Protects allies within 5 meters and regenerates to full over 14 seconds.
    • Rank 2: Reduces damage by 25% for up to 6 seconds. Protects allies within 5 meters and regenerates to full over 13 seconds.
    • Rank 3: Reduces damage by 25% for up to 6 seconds. Protects allies within 5 meters and regenerates to full over 12 seconds.
    • Rank 4: Reduces damage by 25% for up to 6 seconds. Protects allies within 5 meters and regenerates to full over 11 seconds.
    • Rank 5: Reduces damage by 25% for up to 6 seconds. Protects allies within 6 meters and regenerates to full over 10 seconds.
    Triage Pulse (TR Combat Medic only)
    A pulse of healing nanites washes over nearby allies, causing them to regenerate health over time, and immediately restoring health for critically injured allies.
    • Rank 1: Allies within 6 meters heal 60 health per second for 5 seconds. Allies below 100 health are healed for 100 health immediately. 25 second cooldown.
    • Rank 2: Allies within 6 meters heal 60 health per second for 5 seconds. Allies below 100 health are healed for 125 health immediately. 25 second cooldown.
    • Rank 3: Allies within 6 meters heal 60 health per second for 5 seconds. Allies below 150 health are healed for 125 health immediately. 25 second cooldown.
    • Rank 4: Allies within 6 meters heal 60 health per second for 5 seconds. Allies below 150 health are healed for 150 health immediately. 25 second cooldown.
    • Rank 5: Allies within 6 meters heal 60 health per second for 5 seconds. Allies below 200 health are healed for 150 health immediately. 25 second cooldown.
    Repair Drone (NSO Engineer only)
    NSO Engineers have the option to replace their turret with a loyal drone that will repair nearby mechanical targets. Enemies can destroy this drone.
    • Rank 1: Repairs 40 health per second to mechanical targets within 10 meters. 45 second cooldown on deployment.
    • Rank 2: Repairs 43 health per second to mechanical targets within 10 meters. 45 second cooldown on deployment.
    • Rank 3: Repairs 46 health per second to mechanical targets within 10 meters. 45 second cooldown on deployment.
    • Rank 4: Repairs 59 health per second to mechanical targets within 10 meters. 45 second cooldown on deployment.
    • Rank 5: Repairs 52 health per second to mechanical targets within 10 meters. 45 second cooldown on deployment.
    Dev Note: We also plan to bring back the Light Assault's deployable jump pad campaign item as a Black Market purchaseable, but we'd like to take some time to clean up the visuals before releasing it in a later update.

    MAX adjustments
    The updates to MAX units below are, as a whole, meant to reduce the lethality and longevity of this equipment on the battlefield.

    MAX units can no longer be revived
    Dev Note: For emphasis -- while this is commonly suggested adjustment that we are willing to try out, it is also a drastic change that will likely have unintended side-effects in the long-term. It will break habits you may have cultivated over the past ten years (reviving MAXes or relying on them to tank for you,) it will likely impact how a MAX unit is used altogether (players may become more timid while in a MAX, which creates more of the exact behavior that this suggested change is attempting to solve for,) and anti-MAX weaponry may need to be rebalanced to account for the added weakness. Any feedback here is appreciated.

    Other MAX Adjustments
    • Ordnance Armor now properly reduces damage from Infantry Lock-ons (type 68) by 20%. This was previously 0% for Infantry Lock-ons and 40% for Infantry Rocket Launchers (resist type 34.)
    • MAX nanite cost from 450 to 350, now in parity with the Defector.
    • Headshot multiplier for most weapons reduced from 2x to 1.5x
    • MAX units can no longer equip the Safeguard or Phylactery implants.
    • Defector's Time Bomb no longer kills the user, and instead inflicts high self-damage and momentary slow upon detonation.
    • Added new "Fallout Hardening" defensive slot that reduces incoming Orbital Strike damage by 11/14/17/22% and Burning damage by 50/60/70/75/80%.
    NC-specific MAX Adjustments
    NCM1 Scattercannon
    • From 5x pellets at 130@8m - 50@20m
    • To 5x pellets at 100@8m - 50@20m
    • Refire rate from 460ms to 500ms
    AF-34 Mattock
    • From 3x pellets at 112@15m - 92@50m
    • To 3x pellets at 112@15m - 84@40m
    AF-41 Hacksaw
    • From 5x pellets at 75@8m - 50@15m
    • To 5x pellets at 75@5m - 40@15m
    AF-23 Grinder
    • From 10x pellets at 50@8m - 35@20m
    • To 8x pellets at 50@8m - 35@20m
    Additional Vehicle and Infantry Adjustments
    Nimitz Reactor (NC Vanguard Defensive Slot)
    • Depleted shield no longer has a longer shield recharge time than the normal damage delay, and is instead standardized at 6 seconds upon receiving any damage.
    • Shield health regenerated per second from 100 at all ranks to 100/150/175/200 at ranks 1-4.
    • Activating Forward Vanguard Shield, Fire Suppression, or Smoke Screen will restore 500 shield health immediately.
    Dev Note: The changes here are meant to make Nimitz Reactor a more viable defensive slot option.

    ESF Infantry Lock-on Resistances
    • ESF Infantry Lock-on resist (type 68) from -130 to -100. (Note: The Scythe was errantly at -150 resist, instead of the intended -130 prior to this update.)
    • Dervish Infantry Lock-on resist (typ 68) from -125 to -60.
    Dev Note: This pushes ESF into two lock-ons to burning, instead of two shots to kill; and the Dervish can now receive three hits before burning, instead of two.

    M14 Banshee (TR Mosquito Nosegun)
    • Extended Magazine size from 6/9/12/15 to 2/4/6/8 rounds.
    • Maximum blast damage from 150 to 100.
    M30 Mustang AH (NC Reaver Nosegun)
    • Reduced Extended Magazine skill line ranks from 4 to 2. This skill line has been refunded due to the reduction in ranks and will need to be repurchased.
    • Maximum blast damage from 100 to 60.
    Misc. Changes, Fixes, and Additions
    • Fixed an issue with the Ancient Psykinetic Blade looking "bunched up" under certain conditions.
    • Fixed an issue preventing the Platoon Color picker from appearing when the dropdown is selected.
    • Fixed a pixel-wide separation of tiling textures that would appear at certain mip levels.
    • The first character on a new account can no longer skip the tutorial.
    • Health and shield numerics has been defaulted on for new installations.
    • Disruptor Ammunition's effect is no longer cloned on a weapon it is not equipped on, if you have it equipped on different weapon in the loadout.

    --

    Mar. 17, 2023 - PTS Hotfixes
    • You can no longer interact with Teleporters from long distances.
    • Triage Pulse no longer prevents revives from taking place on affected allies.
    • Nimitz Reactor's shield recharge delay is now properly 6 seconds.
    • Repair Drone now self-destructs when entering a vehicle and plays an error message, instead of awkwardly despawning.
    Known Issues
    We're investigating an issue where Nimitz Reactor can unreliably grant its 500 shield health.
    • Up x 8
  2. Freyzez

    Great updates inc. But Wrel no C4 fix on vehicles :/ when is this gonna be fixed? it should not be possible to mount infinite C4 on a vehicle and oneshot everything.
    Make Colossus tank great again!
  3. 36thelement

    Great changes! No new stuff for Light Assault though...
  4. uamadman

    I think we should finally nip the faction specific weapon balance in the butt and make it easier to balance the factions.

    TLDR:
    • Instead of hard cutting the the respawn ability of all Maxes, I would suggest messing with the Revive time and State
    • Add close range pellet options for the VS/TR.
    • Bringing back slugs for NC maxes and balance them to be as performant as the opposite faction equivalents.
    • Reviewed patch notes you listed that I thought were good and modified some a bit
    (Example Rough Notes)
    Maxes Revive Changes:
    • Now takes 50% longer to revive
    • Only has 100hp
    • Has a 50% speed buff for 10 seconds.
    Other MAX Adjustments
    • Ordnance Armor now properly reduces damage from Infantry Lock-ons (type 68) by 20%. This was previously 0% for Infantry Lock-ons and 40% for Infantry Rocket Launchers (resist type 34.)
    • Headshot multiplier for most weapons reduced from 2x to 1.5x
    • MAX units can no longer equip the Safeguard or Phylactery implants.
    • Defector's Time Bomb no longer kills the user but reduces the users HP to 100. Additionally it has a 50% reduced movement speed.
    • Added new "Fallout Hardening" defensive slot that reduces incoming Orbital Strike damage by 11/14/17/22% and Burning damage by 50/60/70/75/80%.
    NC-specific MAX Adjustments

    NCM1 Scattercannon
    • From 5x pellets at 130@8m - 50@20m
    • To 5x pellets at 100@8m - 50@20m
    • 120 RPM

    AF-34 Mattock
    • <EM1 Alike>
    • 143 Damage x 10 Meters
    • 125 Damage x 65 Meters
    • 300 RPM
    • 75: Magazine Size
    • 600: ammo Pool
    • Hip Aim
    • Crouch Still: 0.9
    • Move: 1.15
    • Stand Still: 1.15
    • Move: 1.65
    • Bloom per Shot: 0.06

    AF-41 Hacksaw
    • <EM6 Alike>
    • 167 Damage x 10 Meters
    • 125 Damag x 75 Meters
    • 250 RPM
    • 60 Magazine Size
    • 500: ammo Pool
    • Hip
    • Crouch Still: 1.25
    • Move: 1.5
    • Stand Still: 1.5
    • Move: 2
    • Bloom per Shot: 0.06

    AF-23 Grinder
    • <SAW Alike>
    • 200 x 10 Meters
    • 143 x 85 Meters
    • 200 RPM
    • 50: Magazine Size
    • 400: ammo Pool
    • Hip
    • Crouch Still: 1.65
    • Move: 2.15
    • Stand Still: 2.15
    • Move: 2.65
    • Bloom per Shot: 0.06

    TR-specific MAX Adjustments

    M2_Mutilator
    • Now uses pellets
    • 75x5 @ 8 Meters
    • 35x5 @ 50 Meters
    • Magazine Size 25
    • Ammo Capacity 250
    • Hip
    • Crouch Still: 0
    • Move: 0.25
    • Stand Still: 0
    • Move: 0.5
    • Bloom per Shot: 0.5
    • Pellets Spread: 2

    VS-specific MAX Adjustments

    Nebula VM20
    • Now uses pellets
    • 50x4 @ 8 Meters
    • 25x4 @ 50 Meters
    • 300 RPM
    • Magazine Size 50
    • Ammo Capacity 500
    • Hip
    • Crouch Still: 0
    • Move: 0.25
    • Stand Still: 0
    • Move: 0.5
    • Bloom per Shot: 0.5
    • Pellets Spread: 2
    • Up x 1
  5. uamadman

    My thoughts on the unique abilities:

    TLDR:
    VS: Very weak and not in the spirit of teamplay
    NC: Very strong teamplay
    TR: Moderately strong teamplay



    Hermes Cloaking (VS Infiltrator only) - In general abilities that have movement meta associated with high alpha damage weapons cause quite a stink. However the biggest issue is that the other factions abilities have a massive force multiplying effect.

    Demeter Veil (NC Heavy Assault only): Depending how this stacks it could be massively overpowered. For larger pushes NC hordes will now have 25% greater health pools and the other factions won't have comparable counters.

    Triage Pulse (TR Combat Medic only): This ability is similar enough to the NC ability to provide over time benefits and feels just slightly weaker since its healing probably doesn't stack with Nano-Regen Device. Where as the 25% resist from the heavy ability passively buffs the effective health per tick for the NC.
  6. Shadowpikachu

    Unsure about the max no-revive and the lowering of cost, this will mean more maxes since most maxes that just roam dont get revived ever, but the well placed good teamwork maxes get it decently often.

    I was the one advocating for the headshot multiplier change, it'll make it a lot less bull to actually scrape away from them and generally reduce the insanity while not touching well-placed maxes or more paced maxes that the design helps the most, a consistent damage hard to remove wall that is relatively safe with support and a nightmare when positioned well.

    I wonder what'll make it to live, i just hope reviving them stays and at most slow down the revive especially now they take a bit more damage from rockets which'll make peekshooting them much better as an option.

    I'd like to see the result of this but i'd advocate the fact you are removing a big part of medic gameplay as well and general fun for both sides to scramble, weaker maxes that get rocketpeeked so hard with that lower dps seems fine enough to keep them in line, remember that most the uprising was because nanoweave being removed increased max effectiveness even more so something drastic isn't that needed in live just something to rebalance where it was.

    Edit: Maybe just lower the numbers on safeguard if you keep revives? It doubling the revive hp is dumb but making it the same number on infantry would be nice if not just 250.
    • Up x 1
  7. Effect



    Seeing a max you killed, while being double outpopped, get revived is the opposite of fun. So don't let maxes get revived period. They're force multipliers and do not deserve to be revivable.

    Allow killing the max to matter.
  8. Epsom

    Ok, I understand what you're TRYING to do here, but if you're going to completely break the one thing that NC maxes shined at, you need to also fix the fact that NC max AV is terrible compared to the TR and VS av max. Vs max has zero drop and the ability to open up with a burst and burstable overdrive. TR AV maxes are either solid long distance vs both AI and AV (Fracture) or do great damage shortrange (Pounder).

    NC AV maxes are garbage compared to TR and significantly worse than VS at both AI situations and AV situations. But, up until now, at least the NC AI max was overpowered to compensate. Now they're just going to be worse across the board.

    And to top it off, the TR and VS AA maxes, which in theory should be equivalent since they have the same guns, are already much better than the NC AA max, thanks again to the worthless shield that is at best situationally good for AI fights.

    Simple fix- make one of the longer range AI NC maxes do meaningful damage to vehicles. That at least gives some choice. Or make the projectile speeds of the rockets better so they are comparable with the awesome fracture missiles.
  9. uamadman

    For these two I meant:
    • Only has 100hp after revive.
    • Has a 50% speed debuff for 10 seconds.
    idk, maxes will no longer be worth even 250 nanites after these changes. They will immediately get focused and people will int to make sure they die, just because they know they can get the next rez grenade and slide out.
    I suggested the 3 changes to ensure the maxes are punished for over extending and providing enough punishment for playing outside their effective support. Also, normalizing the max weapons seems smarter than just having high alpha pellet weapons.
  10. Shadowpikachu

    Implying max revives will save being double outpopped at all, if the revive itself was nerfed instead of removed you can time rockets or whathaveyou to keep it down since the only thing you can do is genuinely just get XP.

    This will not matter in the proposed situation but will if a max out of position goes down and can be gunned after being rezzed since it'll take way too long to bother reviving them for them to die immediately to even small arms, in which im not opposed to changing their revived HP **HARSHLY** as suggested elsewhere too. (just not the speed changes because already slow to react to run)

    Maxes that play great and are positioned with good support should stay very strong, the aggrivation more comes from timmy age 3 pulling a max and running over some with it unjustly imo, which the current proposed design allows just as well as supported maxes and design dictates how people will use a thing.

    Just imagine, the timesink of repeatedly reviving a max that cant get a foothold back will do the same but have more player excitement on both sides trying to get it to happen without it being free as hell, also doubling down as a dead max being a secondary objective to recover or push over.
  11. Effect


    It's not an implication, it's an objective truth. Good coordinated players can regularly perform well against mass overpop until maxes start getting spammed. The reason you don't see more players (not just good players) fighting against overpop is because the endless mountain of bad game mechanics (like reviving maxes) that make it a waste of time for the average player to even try.

    I can imagine the time sink of killing a max and watching it get revived and seeing all my work go down the drain. Maxes do not need the ability to be revived. Period.
  12. Cosomos


    NC Our Prayers have been answered!
    • if suddenly gaining 500 shield is too much maybe forcing shield regen on for ~3 or 5 seconds could be a better alternative?
    • An alternative upgrade path for the nimitz reactor could be additional conversion of hull to shield.
    • If nimitz was turned into a passive upgrade, it could get a 5 rank upgrade path like a shielded Sunderer(10s->6s).
    as long as this is applied Nimitz would become viable:
    Now we only need some additional balancing on Disruptor Ammo so it's gimic of draining ability energy has an impact before the enemy is dead.

    When this releases, sorry in advance prepare for Vanguard spam for a week or two.
  13. Shadowpikachu

    Only the mindless overpops that doesnt have that 25% be good players as well, i aint ever seen it get turned around other then people join to atleast 40% defenders.

    This sounds like more a problem with medic to begin with.
  14. Effect

    I have seen it.

    Medics are a separate issue that could use tuning. Maxes do not need the ability to be revived.
  15. uamadman

    The current meta involves medics heavily, without it a single heavy/medic pair will have a larger health pool over 10 seconds than a max with 3 engineer's tethering it. Without revives the current maxes will be outclassed by regular infantry and almost immediately you'll see max usage drop to near zero.

    You're essentially advocating the destruction of this class.

  16. szqc

    Demeter Veil (NC Heavy Assault only)
    It is well known that the skills of all faction infantry are the same (except MAX). The new Demeter Veil of NC can increase the HP of all infantry units around it in a large range, while other factions do not have the same ability, which is unbalanced.



    Triage Pulse (TR Combat Medic only)

    TR's new Triage Pulse is not as good as nano-Regen Device in most cases. Triage Pulse is not only inferior in distance and cd to nano-Regen Device, but also in treatment volume in most cases.

    NC MAX
    AF-34 Mattock
    Why is NC's MAX strong? Most of the battles on the planetside that require MAX are indoors. Most indoor battles are within 20m, but the AF-34 Mattock can perfectly handle situations from 0-20m using its extremely short ttk. So you don't have the right nerf for it.

    Nimitz Reactor (NC Vanguard Defensive Slot)
    Why is the Vanguard of NC strong? Because of the ****ng Forward Vanguard Shield. In most cases, when the Forward Vanguard Shield is activated, Vanguard cannot be destroyed within 8 seconds. But within 8 seconds, the pioneer can easily destroy other MBTs. This is unbalanced.

    Therefore, my suggestion for Vanguard modification is:
    Delete the Forward Vanguard Shield
    Add the existing Nimitz Reactors to the passive system.
    Adding new active capabilities can enable Nimitz Reactors to restore all shield health immediately.
    Add new Defense Slot can upgrade Nimitz Reactors so that Nimitz Reactors can convert another 2000 hp into shields, with a total shield amount of 3000 and an increase in Shield health regenerated per second.
  17. Shadowpikachu

    Probably the point max haters have wanted catharsis like this since beta, all of reddit is chanting for maxes to be ritualistically slaughtered with the only thing being they are cheaper which really only facilitates the bs surprise maxes.

    I still think changing how something interacts is better then outright removing it especially when both maxes AND medics have it as a thing in the playstyle, assuming getting a max back up and running is extremely difficult when rebalanced, which is vastly preferable to the lower nanite cost which will lower chainpulls by 10 minutes, so you can just pull a max to throw at people and be nearly as effective unless you are the top few % perfectly supported farmers.

    ALSO in his proposed double-overpop, within that 4-10 minute base maxes that die cant be pushed over to dent them, instead they can just instapull another as well as the starting max population being near 2x because of how easy it is, the only upside is engi/medic balance but there are max loadouts that self sustain so?

    Nerfing the revives actually would lower the % of maxes AND the difficulty of taking the base, not to mention that if you can take a base with 25% pop to begin with before whats the problem when the greater pop has more opportunity because more players, you wont get much to help you without pop based balancing.

    A downed Max with nerfed revives may just get mulled over by normal gunfire with a longer effective spawntime, also killing the medic trying, making it more advantageous then 'ill just instapull another max'.
  18. Caspar de Haan

    I think making maxes unrevivable is not the way to go, since i simply do not see a reason to get them. If you have any defending a base, and two OSes are shot on the point (in quick succession, like sometimes happens), they die instantly (even with the new defensive slot). So it is either only good to run ONLY maxes and engineers (and 1 or two medics) or none at all, and have your soldier be able to be revived.
    What if, and this is a weird idea but hear me out, once you die as a max, you can only be revived as the class you were when picking the max? This would mean that the "boost" from being a max is over, but you would still be able to add to the fight, without being a deadweight as a max in the first place, since dying means you can no longer be part of the battle? Idk, just a wild idea i suppose. I also really like the idea of simply increasing their revive timer by a significantly amount, this would also solve a lot of problems with OSing a point before running in to retake it.
    • Up x 2
  19. 4EMODAN

    change the prowler's shield(rampart projector) to have a separate health pull
    Medic TR treatment is completely useless, let his aura at least resurrect allies
  20. LoganGaming01

    I like a lot of these changes and will make gameplay a lot more different.
    The only things I don't like about the update so far is that Cloakers for the VS is getting buffed when they are already super annoying to fight as Cloakers anyways compared to other factions and them getting a buff will just make this so much worse to deal with them. I feel like another faction to get the cloaker buff to give another faction a chance to fight the copium amount of Cloakers the VS faction has.

    The last thing I don't like about this is that Surface to Air lock on Missiles are getting nerfed because most of the time in a fight. Those are the only things we have to counter against planes for most of the time there isn't a lot of air combat besides the 3-7 planes that harass everyone on the ground. Even then Rockets are pretty slow so if a Player can fly behind a mountain or a building, the rocket will just hit that since it can't really keep up with anything besides a Galaxy.
    I do see the appeal to this though cause it can keep players in the air longer and won't end any fight within 3-4 rockets or so which can lead to longer engagements but I feel like a better counter to this is that surface to air lock on rockets should get a boost in speed but have a very short range (like 150-300 meters) before it burns out and a slow turn so that does give pilots a chance to out maneuver them or just get out of that range for the rocket to burn out.

    Still either from that I like pretty much else that I see with this update and can't wait to see how it turns out when its released to the public servers
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