2015-11-25 - 3.7 Patch notes - Beta 1 reworks

Spotlight features

Beta 1 teleport and highway network reworks

After the rework of Alpha 2 islands, Beta 1s are next in line to receive the teleport and highway network treatment, namely Hokkogaros, Domhalarn, and Norhoop. This is also the moment where they receive the new assignments and field terminals, with level 6 random assignments available for the first time.

Reworked distress beacons / Teleport anomalies

In the last patch we have temporarily disabled the deployment of distress beacons, in order to allow us to finally remove some much hated mechanics that have been implemented a long time ago to battle the unwanted tricks players could do with beacons.

Distress beacons are now re-enabled in this patch, although with some significant changes:

New teleport anomalies will start spawning on all zones, which are a side effect of enemy teleport activity. You are only able to deploy distress beacons in the close vicinity of these, which will basically “hijack” enemy teleport jumps and pull them out at your location.
Once a beacon is activated, the anomaly will despawn and enemy NPCs will start spawning like before. So one anomaly, one beacon.
Teleport anomalies have 3 levels, which limit the type of beacons that you can use with them. Level 1 beacons can be used anywhere, level 2 only on beta and gamma, and level 3 on gamma only.
Levels are the equivalent of stripes that we’ve had so far too on the icons. Beacon names and icons have been updated to be more straightforward, so you don’t have to wonder anymore whether “platoon” or “commando” is the higher one.
Teleport anomalies also emit significant interference (on beta and gamma), so it will also affect PvP a bit. They are destroyable though.
Teleport anomalies can be activated (doubleclick or interact button) and will teleport you to the nearest other anomaly.
Fully completing all waves of a beacon will spawn a teleport anomaly echo, which only lasts for 5 minutes, but it can teleport you to another random anomaly on the same island, so you can continue your "beacon rush" without walking too much.
The multiple activators requirement and basically the whole "activation" part for beacons has been removed. You only have to deploy them and they instantly activate, and all beacon types can be used solo.
The volume of distress beacons has been reduced from 1 to 0.1 U.
Last but not least, distress beacons are now known as Teleport Attractor Ports (TAPs).

New artifact scanning mechanic

The new artifact scanning breaks away from the triangulation method, and is much more similar to directional geoscanning:

The scanner provides a list of the artifacts in range like before, but additionally to the range it also gives you a bearing indicator which will guide you to the scanned location. Note that the results can have a significant deviation, depending on your distance from the actual artifact and the accuracy rating of your equipment.

In practice this mechanic still requires multiple scans to narrow down the exact location (unless the random gods really love you), but it should be much more straightforward and intuitive than the old one.

Terminal facility balancing

Facility base efficiency points have been changed around a bit to increase the difference between Alpha and Beta facilities and possibly encourage Beta-based facility usage in light of the much higher risk.

Alpha 1 main terminals:

All 0 (no change here)

Alpha 1 outposts:

Old: 0 / 50
New: 0 / 25 (higher on selected facilities)

Alpha 2 main terminals:

Old: All 50
New: 25 / 50 (faction specialization, see below)

Beta main terminals:

Old: All 50
New: 50 / 100 (faction specialization, see below)

Faction specialization means that all 3 factions have 2 facilities that have higher efficiency at those terminals:

TM: Prototyping, Refinery
ICS: Factory, Repair shop
ASI: Reverse engineering, Recycling

Beta outposts:

As you know the facilities here can be manually upgraded 3 times each, using a maximum of 10 points at the highest stability (1 point per 10 stability).

Old levels: 0 - 50 - 100 - 125
New levels: 50 - 100 - 125 - 150

(Meaning even if you don't spend any upgrade points, all the outpost facilities are at 50)

Gameplay

Change: The spark teleport feature has been removed from the game. With the teleport and highway network reworks we felt that its negative aspects finally outweigh its advantages. Note that this doesn't affect the home base/last base respawn mechanic which is still working.
New: Created a ramp around 1367,1030 on Tellesis to alleviate lengthy detours during some assignments.

Robots and modules

Fix: The line-of-sight check of L-demobilizers was broken.

Extensions

Change: Removed the Spark teleportation extension and reimbursed EP and NIC.
New: The NEXUS - Navigation extension has now Advanced robotics level 1 as a prerequisite.

Industry

Change: Your faction relation has now 4 times more influence in terminal facility efficiency, bringing it more or less in line with the facility base efficiency and extension efficiency factors.

Assignments

Fix: Private transport assignments created with a field terminal being the source or the target point should now work properly. Note that unlike in the case of main terminals where the assignment automatically completes when you enter, for field terminals you need to manually put the SynSec container into the field terminal storage and right-click submit it to deliver the assignment.
Fix: It is now possible to unpack and fill SynSec containers within a field terminal storage.
Fix: Fixed the display of private transport assignments in the active assignments window.
Change: The return teleport is now only awarded to squad members if they are on the island where the assignment takes place. On Beta islands ONLY the assignment owner gets a return teleport option.

Intrusion

New: Participating in a SAP event will now apply a PvP flag.

GUI

Fix: Fixed the tactical icon position on some Thelodica assignment structures.
New: Added a landmarks filter for assignment structures.
New: Field terminals can now be turned on and off on the radar from its right-click menu.

General

Fix: It's not possible anymore to redeem items while you're still on the training zone.

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