|
|
Post by rob on Oct 2, 2013 13:53:03 GMT -5
Hi all,
Welcome to build 70! Changes this week:
* Remove automeld from short term storage
* Sort long term storage by type/level
* Allow short term storage to sort by time left or type/level
* Add supply caches
* Add Vindicator class
* Increase Phantom outer shield delays by 1 second
* Let minions wander approximately twice as far from their home forts
A supply cache appears when a region reaches 50% cleared. Another shows up at 55%, 60%, etc up to 95%. We'll probably play with these percentages over time. Clearing all the forts in the box yields a tank unlock item. We are hoping to add a version of this next week which spawns a boss when the box is cleared. (The box spins incorrectly in swirly-camera mode. We'll try to address this next week.)
The Vindicator is the first of the level 20 tanks. The plan is to add more of these over time. He's designed to be harder to use but with a bigger upside for those who can master him.
We increased the minion wander distance in order to make it more difficult to build long skinny paths through enemy territory, and to make it less viable to make a safe spot by killing a single small fort.
We appreciate your help in testing the game. Thanks for playing!
Rob & Tim
Jetbolt Games
|
|
tribow
Gallant Tester
I'm write lore, AND IM FUNNY!
Posts: 77 
|
Post by tribow on Oct 2, 2013 15:29:57 GMT -5
this is going to change my scouting with the paladin a lot heheh
|
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Oct 2, 2013 16:03:33 GMT -5
Stuck on "Error: Old Build. Reload your browser to get build number 70" after doing everything I could think of except restarting my computer - which I guess I'm going to do now.
|
|
|
|
Post by tim on Oct 2, 2013 16:05:09 GMT -5
Stuck on "Error: Old Build. Reload your browser to get build number 70" after doing everything I could think of except restarting my computer - which I guess I'm going to do now. Ctrl+Shift+R should force your browser to clear its cache. |
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Oct 2, 2013 16:10:32 GMT -5
I guess I didn't think of everything >_<
decided to just clear my history; it worked, thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by quicklite on Oct 2, 2013 21:30:37 GMT -5
Thoughts on the new build: supply caches are really neat, though I see you're thinking of changing them around next build, but I can't comment on that until I've tried the next build  The phantom nerf was needed. As for the vindicator, I don't know enough about it to make any assumptions. As for the minion wander, I actually love it! It feels like I'm constantly fighting an army of minions, which is cool. The only problem is with all the minions blending into each other as they are, I feel like the individual forts lose their own sense of character. Maybe you could have a set of minions that stay by the fort, and a set that roam around a little? I also feel like they could be played on a little more. What might be fun is to give drill annexes minion-spawning powers again, and then give those 3x their average wander radius, as well as giving deltas 3x their normal radius and max minion count (maybe less than 3x, but idk). That would mean that until you killed said drill/delta, you'd have to fight through hoards of their minions, giving more revelance to minion-central tanks, and making fights more interesting. Oh, and the trailblazer might've been pointless earlier, but now it's just useless. The only way it can regen shields now is through the 2nd trigger, and that doesn't have a long enough cooldown to be a particularly effective means of survival. Either set the minion gun on always on (though weaker), and change the 2nd trigger to overdrive, or buff the second trigger and then introduce a few other co-op scouting tanks (such as a healer, a stunner, etc.), allowing for not only the ability to scout with teams, but the ability to have scouting teams that keep each other alive to counter the new difficulty with scouting. |
|
|
|
Post by Kelsoo on Oct 3, 2013 5:53:03 GMT -5
Not sure if anyone has the Vindicator yet. So far I only know of about 8 people who have level twenty tank unlocks, and about 4 or 3 of those 8 who are still active. I've still yet to make it beyond the Cutlass, though in fairness I have been gone for like a month. Looking forward to testing out any of the new tanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ood on Oct 3, 2013 8:08:39 GMT -5
Kelsoo 8? Your disillusionment about this game is apalling.
1. SirNull has it.
Rob checked.
Bring on the supply caches!
|
|
|
|
Post by Kelsoo on Oct 3, 2013 8:22:15 GMT -5
fOod you dare challenge my apprehension? I am Grid12.
Guess I should start getting around to unlocking those three then. Vindicator here I come.
|
|
|
|
Post by Crunch on Oct 3, 2013 13:06:26 GMT -5
The new build is really nice. I love the new enemy wandering distance and the item sorting is a great addition. And I can't wait to try out the new tank (eventually). Bugs/Oddities: Supply Caches sometimes overlap into another region: • This may be intentional, but it does strike me as odd. I've seen 3 overlapping so far, but they've all been by a single tower/grid space. Perhaps it's an off-by-one sort of error? Convoy bosses rotate/spin occasionally: • I'm using Click to Move + Follow Camera. • It happens most often when a player approaches the left side of the convoy boss. After slowly rotating ~5-15 degrees, the boss will abruptly snap back to normal. • I'm uncertain if this error happens for fixed camera users. I don't have a screen shot of it, but next time I see it I'll try to grab one. Also, if it's any help, I feel like I've only seen them spin CCW. Edit: It's also a curiosity that the hornet can out shoot its loot range. With larger enemies (coincidentally, the most desirable ones to get loot from) you can even see them, but still miss out on the drop. Is this intentional or something which could be tweaked in the future? Cheers! Edit #2: i.imgur.com/xVt74Te.pngThis is a screen shot of the bug mentioned above. I confirmed that nobody else had seen the voy spinning, also that I was the only one using follow cam. The screenshot unfortunately didn't catch the rotation at its apex. At its peak it rotated as much as 25 degrees on this occasion, pictured here is roughly 11.5 degrees. Also, I noticed a slight pivot on one of the minion tanks for just a moment. Again, it rotated CCW, but it only did so after Dr Flux stunned it. My assumption is that this behavior is somehow triggered by close proximity to a non-cloaked player, if that's any clue. Lastly, its rotation seemed to reset when it exited and re-entered my visibility. I'm not sure if this is coincidence, but it could be something to find out in the future, if you're having trouble finding the problem. |
|
|
|
Post by Crunch on Oct 4, 2013 17:57:14 GMT -5
Bump for suspected bug update.
|
|
|
|
Post by fire on Oct 4, 2013 21:55:26 GMT -5
I really like the new caches, its a nice reward for clearing that would have been done anyways. Also perhaps you can make the levels more centered to the circle when you hit 3 digits? the last number is entirely out of the circle now xD gyazo.com/7dc1aea4bd2e2c141587ca8eb41743fd |
|
|
|
Post by Kelsoo on Oct 5, 2013 12:50:47 GMT -5
Alright so heres the deal with convoys. As QL has already stated, they get into a endless myriad sort of cycle of trying to buff the loot for them, and then still making clearing viable. The majority of convoys are ignored in favor of clearing. While some get killed, they really just go unnoticed. Usually because players are too busy clearing bother to check when they are around, or when they see them its either too late or they are borderline uninterested.
As it stands now clearing does pay off. While it still may be monotonous with not enough enemy variety as of now (and an extreme lack of difficulty considering how much loot and reward comes your way), the reward will hold off that for now. But clearing for convoys is where it isn't worth it. You just clear the whole region and ignore the leper. They have transcended to the fat girl status.
As it stands I think the loot pools are too small, unless you start giving convoys loot you can't get anywhere else. I am aware of modules, but they drop so rarely and give such a minor benefit these are often looked over, not to mention you have to hope for one for your specific tank, as well as hope that tank is leveled high enough. As it stands they only have coins going for them, and they have almost become somewhat of a novelty with all this loot is sort of cascading with such a ample abundance upon the player's head.
Giving convoys specific augment loot would be a temporary fix, but I think this should not be implemented at all costs, less they become glorified (and) cherry picked Deltas (which also are still in need of some mending). In my opinion and after some thought I have come to the conclusion and peroration of; giving them a higher module drop rate/ maybe giving them a new item to drop (later on maybe?) as well and keeping module drop rate the same. And then nerfing their loot to 5's or 6's for augs. Aesthetic drops would be cool too, though I have no idea how possible this actually would be.
Other build notes to come:
The Phantom is fine now, it is still an extraordinarily better tank than what it used to be, and a great benefit to any clearing team. Though....
Trailblazer is in need of some sort of a buff. I do not hold an ample or even mild love or interest in scouting, and thus my opinions on this matter I would find not as helpful as someone who maybe excels in this sort of area.
And my thoughts on fixing Deltas have been posted in previous builds, I will get around to the whole level 20 tanks though. More thoughts on the new build to come~
|
|
|
|
Post by Crunch on Oct 5, 2013 20:51:40 GMT -5
Kelsoo, I'd like to take a chance to disagree with your opinion that convoys are not worth doing and that they are, subsequently, being ignored.
I've played with a very many people who always, without exception, drop their current project for an opportunity to destroy a convoy. I'm only aware of 2 people who rarely engage in convoys when somebody else calls them out. And as far as current loot is concerned, I think that convoys are fine for the time being. Mods are highly sought after and drop consistently (yesterday we got 2 mods from a single ladybug voy). In mods and coins, convoys offer consistent access to highly useful drops.
In my opinion, convoys are already 'cherry picked' in the same way a delta is: Somebody discovers delta/voy. That player calls out. Other players flock. Delta/voy dies.
This is a perfectly reasonable system and rewards teamwork and coordination. Convoys are dynamic and fun, they're also more dangerous, giving more reason to work together and opportunity to show off to your peers.
Really, effort should continue to be put toward adding new and interesting game mechanics. If the game is boring or monotonous, it doesn't matter what the loot tables say, anyway.
|
|
|
|
Post by fire on Oct 5, 2013 21:13:29 GMT -5
A problem we just ran into, we managed to kill the zeta core, only problem is, absolutely nobody got loot, because it was killed by DoT when everyone was backing away. I would like to ask that the drop radius is increased by at least half a screen as having to conquer such a difficult enemy and nobody, not even the killer receiving loot is absolutely horrible.
|
|
♥.
