Update news for 2010-07-07 - NEXUS modules

Spotlight feature

NEXUS modules

Networked Extension Utilization Systems, or NEXUS modules were designed to enhance the performance of certain robotic parts and thus provide a greater performance when Agents are working together in a squad.

A few NEXUS modules

We are currently introducing altogether 9 types of NEXUS modules via kernel technologies, each backed up by its appropriate extension to improve their efficiency.

When activated, these modules provide bonuses to all squad members within a 100 meter range. This range can be increased by the Basic and Advanced squad management extensions up to 400 meters (and even further with prototype modules). If you walk outside its range, the effect will simply disappear.

All squad members can use as many NEXUS modules as they want within a squad, but each Agent can only be affected by up to 3 different NEXUS modules at the same time and only by 1 of each type (the first one, if there are more).

NEXUS effects affecting you are shown below the robot status window just like other effects.

Tactical GUI reworked

New tactical GUI

Targeting brackets, selection, flags and effect GUI items got redesigned so you can see more of your actual enemy. The distance of locked targets is now displayed under the brackets too. The modules panel also got a new skin, making it more compact.

Gameplay

  • New: A new optional control method for robots is now available on the Options/Gameplay tab. If you turn this on, left/right movement keys (A and D by default) will turn the camera left and right instead of moving the robot when the right mouse button is not pressed. When the right mouse button is pressed, controlling works normally (mouse for camera, A/D for moving left/right).
  • New: Robot types are now shown in tooltips in the targeting computer and the landmark information window when you hover over them with the mouse.
  • New: Information windows are now available from the right-click menu of robots in the targeting computer and the landmark information windows.
  • Change: The blue (+) icon that was showing when the target was within police tower range has been removed as it has become close to obsolete. In its place PvP and aggression flag icons are now shown on the landmarks list window (pull the icon column wider if you don't see them).
  • Change: Loot tagging now only works on NPCs.
  • New: You can now walk out of blocked tiles in case you get stuck in one for some reason.
  • Fix: The market window could be opened on the terrain by selecting multiple items from the cargo and was causing errors.

Robots and modules

  • New: A new module technology has been introduced: Maneuvering equipment. It's up to you to find it, research it and use it.
  • Fix: Tier 1 and 2 sensor amplifiers had their accumulator usage switched.
  • Fix: Changed the armor repair cycle time bonus of the Vagabond to armor repair amount bonus.
  • Fix: Shield hardeners had no effect when they were activated before shields.
  • Change: Shield bonus of the Artemis has been changed to armor resistance bonus.
  • Change: Armor HP bonus of the Prometheus has been changed to armor resistance bonus.
  • Change: Slightly increased the explosion radius of small and medium seismic missiles.
  • Change: Long range firearms have now longer falloff and shorter optimal ranges.
  • Change: "Flechette" bullets' optimal range bonus changed to falloff bonus.
  • Change: Ballistic missiles now require level 3 decoders in reverse engineering instead of level 5 ones.
  • Change: Medium EM-guns got a slight range increase, higher tier EM-guns got increased cycletimes (lower rate of fire) and increased damage (overall a slight damage boost for higher tier EM-guns).

GUI

  • New: Larger fonts are now available for the most important GUI elements (chat, help, information windows, mail etc.). You can turn this on from the Options/Gameplay tab.
  • Change: The NPC-tag that was the orange arc above robots is now displayed as an orange + sign next to their icons.
  • Change: Removed the double-click maximize feature from terrain windows.
  • Change: Updated the end product display in CT information windows.
  • Change: Changed Agent selection method in the corporation payout window from dropdown menu to list-selection.

Graphics

  • Fix: The teleport lightning effect was sometimes stuck onto robots.

Extensions

  • New: The "Leadership" extension category has been renamed to "NEXUS management", containing all squad and NEXUS module-related extensions.
  • New: Programmed mass production: this new extension allows you to repeat a production cycle 1-11 times, depending on the extension level. This works just like you would manually restart the same production with the same item quantity, which means that line calibration degrades between cycles just like normally. Materials are consumed when a new cycle starts, when not enough materials are found the remaining cycles are deleted.
  • Fix: Optimized engineering was not affecting auxiliary accumulators.
  • Change: Recolored the extension level bars so they better reflect the fact that level 5-6 are already optimal and levels above that are "overdrive" with heavier EP costs.

Assignments

  • Fix: The abort option in the right-click menu of assignments did not show a confirmation window.
  • Change: Outer zone delivery mission rewards have been increased.
  • New: New counterpart missions for delivery missions that send you to other islands.

Sound

  • Change: Updated the sound effect of the mining module.

General

  • New: Hopefully reduced lag, especially in chat.
  • New: Italian localization is now available.
  • Change: Due to an unexpected natural phenomenon the day-night cycle has been shortened. One full day on Nia is now 3 Earth-hours. Syndicate scientists are baffled.

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