Perpetuum

Update news for 2011-02-04 - Hide & seek

Spotlight features

Signal detection & masking

One of the most fixed things in Perpetuum up to now was the constant, fixed distance of 1000 meters players could see each other. We are now introducing a new system: how far you can see and how far you can be seen from will both vary based on the robot you use, and the two will not necessarily be the same anymore.

New modules have been also added to help modify these values during gameplay: Signal detectors will allow you to see farther away, and Signal maskers will allow you to be seen from a shorter distance. Finally a third type, Target markers will make your target show up for people farther away (basically reduce their signal masking). As with all new technology, you will have to acquire the knowledge from alien kernels. Check out the ingame help for more details on the exact mechanics.

Incubators

Incubators are basically player-deployable bio-mechanical breeding facilities. They are not plants by definition but they are using the same system like other plants and can be harvested with the same modules. The first item of this kind is the Noralgis and it is used to create Briochit, a new high-end component that is now an integral part of tier 4 items. Noralgis will not grow everywhere, you can read some planting hints in the ingame help. It can be planted on both alpha and beta islands, but will grow faster on the latter.

NPC caravans

Building upon the same system that has been introduced in our previous patch, new spawns of roaming NPCs have been added that move together in a group.

Gameplay

  • Fix: Deleting many geoscan results at once should not create excessive lag anymore.
  • Change: Interference now affects locking range, and increases locking time even more.
  • New: Interference negatively affects the robot's detection (will be easier to detect).
  • Fix: Packaged robots can be put into field containers again.
  • Change: Improved Syndicate protection effect timer to help issues with longer loading times.
  • Change: Insurance payouts have been reduced.
  • Change: Intrusion registration fee has been increased.
  • Change: Fort Beuvis, Wizma and Sehovski II. Stations have been relocated.
  • Fix: Activating a teleport while approaching it or using autorun towards it will now properly stop your robot.
  • Fix: Crash when leaving the range of a container while dragging something out of it.

Robots and modules

  • Change: Intakt's speed slightly decreased.
  • Change: Replaced the Troiar's drained energy amount bonus to neutralized energy amount.
  • Change: Troiar's base accumulator recharge time reduced from 240 sec to 150 sec.
  • Change: Readjusted the ranges of small and medium missiles to 150/180m.
  • Fix: Corrected the transferred energy parameter of the standard energy transferer to 200 AP.
  • Change: Doubled the interference effects of deployable emitters.
  • Change: Sensor amplifers' locking time bonus decreased.
  • Change: Increased the weight of all types of tuning modules.

Graphics

  • New: The Arkhe received a new paint color.
  • New: Added missing assignment header graphics.

Graphic engine

  • New: Robots have now decaying paint jobs: the colored parts of their hull will gradually wear off as they receive damage. This is only a visual feature and does not affect their performance. (Note: wear state is reset when robots are packaged.)

Extensions

  • New: Four new extensions have been added which are connected to the sensing system: Signal detection, Signal masking, Optimized signal detection, Optimized signal masking.
  • Change: The price of all extensions has been increased (the NIC part only, and more apparently for high-end extensions).
  • Fix: The standing loss reducing effects of the Diplomacy and assignment specialization extensions were not working correctly.
  • Fix: Extension history was not updated properly directly after an extension upgrade.
  • Fix: Intensive helioptris harvesting and Intensive triandlus harvesting have been replaced by one common extension, Advanced intensive harvesting. (EP has been reimbursed for those 2 old extensions.)
  • Fix: Extensive triandlus harvesting had no effect.

Industry

  • Change: Epriton isn't liquid anymore. Scientists are baffled.
  • Change: Redistributed mineral amounts, some minerals are now more abundant on islands belonging to a specific faction.
  • Change: Material regeneration rate has been decreased on alpha islands.
  • Change: Tier 4 modules now require Briochit as a component.
  • Change: Single components in damaged nuimqol and pelistal fragments have been increased to 2.
  • Fix: Refinery yields now receive the various modifiers after the quantity multiplication, making yield values much more precise for large numbers.
  • New: Kernel research will now tell you when the research was not successful (chance failed).
  • New: Confirmation window when canceling factory or prototyping productions.

Corporations

  • New: Confirmation window when canceling rent (closing up) on corporation storages.

Assignments

  • Fix: Assignment reward items sometimes appeared at the wrong terminal when you have been there last. They will now always spawn at the assignment's delivery point.

Market

  • Change: Kernel NPC buy order prices have been reduced.

GUI

  • New: Added a different icon for field containers.
  • New: Improved module slot listing in robot information windows.
  • New: Geoscanner area scan result percentages are now displayed more precisely on the map.
  • Fix: The neutral Agent standing filter on the landmarks was not working.
  • Fix: The tactical icon of the Lithus was incorrect.
  • Fix: Item tooltips in field/lootcontainers didn't work.

Sound

  • Change: Several robot movement sounds have been updated. (bye-bye sequerphone *snif*)

General

  • New: A new console command has been introduced which will only delete terrain data from the datafile: "deleteterraindata". Useful if you get the rare "garbled terrain" bug.
  • New: The assignments hotkey will now work for the terrain assignments window as well.
  • Change: Container and folder names are now limited to 50 characters.

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