New Game Mode - Galactic Conquest
The main feature of this patch is the Galactic Conquest game mode. Prepare for tactical combat that will test your pilot skills and team cooperation! This mode combines well known mechanics, such as capturing points, with unique ones like Team Powerups and Capture point upgrades. Read a detailed description of the mode in the latest Dev Diary.
- Galactic Conquest is now the main game mode in the Team Battle mode which awards Xp and Junk.
- Three maps are available in the matchmaking rotation.
- All Galactic Conquest battles will be 5v5.
- Team Deathmatch maps are still available in the Custom Game option.
Three New Maps
Three brand new maps are introduced into matchmaking. Each offers a different tactical challenge as well as visual experience.
Abandoned Colony is specific for its narrow corridors which support close-range combat. The only open space is the large plaza in the middle with a Team Power-up.
Junkyard Belt takes place in an open asteroid field which allows for sniping and dogfights. The map is unique in its verticality - the central Capture point is in the top middle while the Team Power-up is right below it at the bottom.
Junk Vault 1101 features a rugged landscape cut in two by a huge central cliff. Neutral teleports allow teams to attack their opponent from almost any side.
We’ve also finally improved the mini map visuals.
Tactical Interface (Chat Wheel)
All successful teams need cooperation. That’s why we’ve added a chat interface. The default activation key is R. The wheel allows different options based on what you’re aiming at. You’ll be able to issue specific commands when targeting enemy and allied ships, team powerups and capture points.
Class System Overhaul
Rookie Replaced by Cruiser
We’ve streamlined the game start so that new players experience the depth of the game and chose their playstyle right from the start.
- We’ve removed the Rookie Ship class from the game and replaced it with the Cruiser, which will serve as the starter class
- All other classes now unlock at Cruiser level 3, which the player reaches after the first match.
- All Rookie ships have been converted to Cruisers and Rookie class progression has been transferred to the Cruiser so that it allows the same CPU and AP.
Progression Overhaul
For the full release we’ve lowered level up requirements.
Leveling up now rewards Space Credits.
The unlock level of various blocks has been rebalanced for a smoother early game experience.
Class Role Rebalance
To highlight the overhauled class system new class icons have been designed.
The whole idea behind the class rework is that each class should offer a unique gameplay experience and have a clear role in the new game mode.The Frigate’s role is to use it’s speed to quickly reach key objectives around the map, however it should be outmatched by other classes in head-on combat. The Battleship should excel in holding points and direct combat, but suffer from low mobility and be vulnerable to long-range. The Destroyer is a long-range damage dealer and suffers at close range.The Cruiser is the support as well as a middle-ground class. These attributes have been translated into the following balance changes.
- The Frigate now does 64 % base damage with all weapons at a 80 % rate of fire. This amounts to 80 % base DPS.
- The Battleship now has a maximum range of 2500 m for all weapons. This affects the Cruise Missile and Heavy Gauss.
- The Destroyer now does 125 % base damage with the Cruise Missile, Heavy Gauss and Uber Gauss and 90 % damage with all other weapons.
- The Cruiser stays the same.
- Heavy Gauss and Uber Gauss projectile speed has been increased by 25 %.
- Phaser max range damage has been increased to 6.5/s (by about ~9 %).
The new class selection screen gives much clearer information about the roles, strengths and weaknesses of each class.
Note: We’ve refrained from further class-focused balance changes for now, because we want to let the community adjust to the different conditions of the new game mode. In the following patches we plan to implement the Module system. One module per ship will allow it to specialise on a particular function in a similar way to loadouts in other games (i.e ability resistance for the Frigate or even stronger armor for the Battleship).
Balance Changes
Movement changes
These changes address the increased importance of mobility in the new game mode.
- Rotation speed has been increased for all ships. All ships can expect a 10 - 30 % increase - the larger the ship the larger the increase.
- Horizontal strafing, ascent and descent speeds speeds have been increased by 25 % to 50 % of forward movement speed.
Energy Rebalance
The purpose of this change is to make the energy system less punishing for new players. It should not significantly affect late game energy balance as these stats produce similar results to the old system with a large number of weapons.
- Base energy regeneration has been increased to 100 GJ/s. Base energy capacity has been lowered to 800 GJ.
- Energy generator production has been decreased to 15 GJ /s and Battery capacity has been reduced to 150 GJ.
Custom Game Option
- The Custom Game option is now available for all players in the Play menu.
- Multiple players can enter the same game, when they type in an identical game name.
- The first player to enter a Custom Game lobby is the Founder and has rights to change maps and start the match.
- 6 maps are available in the Custom Game interface - 3 Galactic Conquest maps and 3 Team Deathmatch maps. They follow their standard rules.
- Bots may be added and their ships and skill is scaled based on the average strength of human ships.
Shop, Credits and DLCs
- For the first two weeks after release (July 26 - August 9) Space Credits are 50 % off! Stock up on Credits now so you’re ready for all future premium stuff.
- Flexible prices for bundles and ships in the Shop have been implemented. This means that your price for a block bundle adjusts if you already own some parts. That way you’ll never pay for the same thing twice!
- If you already own all block skins in a ship bundle, the price is now significantly lower.
- Three new Steam Launch DLCs with unique ships and more are out now! For the first week after release (July 26 - August 2) all DLCs are 40 % off!
What Didn’t Make It
Sadly, some features from the roadmap didn’t make it into this release. In the following patches you can look forward to:
- New Research Tree
- Repair Kits in maps
- Competitive features such as MMR and leagues
What has changed in the previous patches?
If you haven’t played the game since the January release, here’s a list of features added in the meantime:
- Player Profiles and Avatars
- Hall of Fame
- New Abilities
- Ship Likes in the Lobby
- US Servers, which radically reduce ping in the US and East Asia
- Upgraded scoring system based on matchmaking ranking
- New Cyber Set
- Daily Quests
- Ship Core Shield bound to ship HP
- Builder improvements
- Free Addons that cost no CPU
- Editing ships while waiting for matches is now possible
- A whole lot of balance changes!
Aaaand that's it for this changelog. There are many other smaller changes, that it's possible we didn't include every single one. Let us know, what you think about the new features and how we could improve and expand upon them on the forum HERE.
