[PTS] PTS Update 12-23-15

[PSNews]

This Test Server patch has a number of features and changes that are slated to launch in early 2016. Although many of these features are in an incomplete state, putting them out now allows us to get a jump on testing & iterating for when the team returns after New Years. Nothing here is final, so please feel free to speak up and participate in feedback/discussions. Many of the changes in this update will remain on PTS for several weeks before going Live, giving everyone a chance to voice their concerns.

Features:

• Max Battle Rank increased to 120: Note: XP is not retroactive, XP earned at BR 100 before this update will not count towards 100+ Battle Ranks.
• Construction/(Wip) ANT: Limited early release of the Construct/ANT system; Intended for load/performance testing, this release will also let players drive the ANT, search for resources, and place a VP generator (only the generator will be available and is not much more than a big bomb atm) in order to provide feedback. Note: There's still a lot to do, such as a new placement system and significant amount of polish/bug fixing.  Also, currently only Amerish has no deploy zones for ANTs/construction, so try and restrict testing feedback to that continent.
  • There's a known issue that can prevent existing characters from pulling VP Gens, new characters can be used to test this feature.

Leadership Changes

• (wip) Fireteams: Squad/Platoon leaders can subdivide their squad into smaller groups. This is an early version of this system with features still to come.
• Additional Map AND Minimap context menu functionality with interactable indicators. You can now right click on ally player/waypoint indicators to:
  • remove waypoint
  • invite to squad
  • kick from squad
  • invite to platoon
  • kick from platoon
  • invite to create platoon
  • assign to alpha, bravo, charlie, delta squads
  • promote to squad leader
  • promote to platoon leader
  • (more options coming in the future)
• Increased distance for spawning into squad vehicles from 600 meters to 1000 meters
• Remove the ability for the squad leader to rename all of the platoon's squads
• Reduced cooldowns for offensive/defensive markers from 5 minutes to 2:30 minutes
• New invite all button in members screen that will invite all outfit members to squad/platoon
• New button that allows a squad leader to remove their squad from a platoon
• Squad HUD Indicator changes:
  • all squad members will show within 2500m
  • if you are platoon leader, all other squad leaders will also show and edge clamp
  • if you are a squad leader, then platoon leader will show and edge clamp
  • if you are a squad member, then squad leader will show and edge clamp
  • any vehicle containing squad members will show
• Waypoints can now be removed individually without removing all other waypoints (live)

Indar Changes

Warpgates:

• All warpgates are now updated using the newer updated Koltyr style layout.
• Moved ocean WG over to the west slightly, added bridge crossing chasm that leads to the Ocean WG's next lattice base, Indar Waste Treatment

Small Outposts:

NS Salvage Yard

• Removed outpost from the Lattice

Indar Waste Treatment

• Added additional sunderer cover
• Added larger CyA bldg on south side
• Added hackable equipment terminal to CyA building
• Redirected flow from warpgate, now uses a bridge going over the oceanbed chasm

Briggs Labs

• Added additional sunderer cover
• Replaced Mini Spawn with Main Spawn
• Adjusted cap point area, cover

Indar Comm Array

• Lowered top of mesa approximately 20-30m~
• Added small Sunderer garage
• Added better cover for attackers coming from Dahaka Southern Post
• Increase pain field size on spawn
• Moved vehicle spawn to front of base (goodbye ridiculous vehicle pads!)
• Still WIP; this is an interim fix

West Highlands Checkpoint

• Removed outpost from the Lattice
• Replaced with Large Sunderer Garage

East Canyon Checkpoint

• Removed outpost from the Lattice
• Replaced with Large Sunderer Garage

Sandstone Gulch

• Removed outpost from the Lattice
• Replaced with Large Sunderer Garage

Blackshard Iridium Mine

• Removed outpost from the Lattice

Large Outposts:

Camp Connery

• Moved Cap Point out of Tower into nearby building
• Added additional road on north side
• Added additional cover + sunderer spots

Indar Excav

• Moved Cap Point out of Tower into nearby CyA building
• Added additional road on north side
• Added additional cover + sunderer spots
• Redid B Cap point to be covered
• Added equip term in J Building

Indar Bay Point

• Moved cap Point out of Tower into newly designed BldgO
• Moved cap point into CyA building near Tower
• Added extra roads to reduce chokepoints
• Made it easier for attackers to progress over the vehicle bridge
• Added under-truss maintenance bridge under vehicle bridge
• Added additional roads to reduce chokepoints around base

Quartz Ridge Camp

• Removed teleporter building
• Replaced MiniSpawn with Barracks
• Added stairs to allow Infiltrators to hack vehicle terms, but not up to spawn plateau

Facilities & Facility Satellites:

Hvar Tech Plant

• Greater Hvar Region  – Lowered the height of Hvar plateau significantly
• Disabled AV turrets from the flight deck
• Moved superstructure farther back on plateau, opening up more space for fights between the Tech Plant and its satellite bases

Hvar Northgate

• Renamed to Hvar Databank.
• Complete redesign
• Pulled much of the fortification (walls, gate shield) out of the base to better balance its defensibility (still has a big height advantage)
• Added sundy garages out front to allow fights to stick better

Hvar Southgate

• Renamed to Hvar Physics Lab
• Complete redesign
• Added sundy garage

Hvar West Post

• Complete redesign
• Added sundy garage

Tawrich Tech Plant

• Removed unintuitive road between Tawrich Depot and Tawrich Tower
• Disabled AV turrets from the flight deck

Tawrich Depot

• Readjusted base to better fit Lattice
• Moved gate shield gen building in front of gate
• Changed cap point building from CyA to BldgP
• Widened road that leads to Tawrich tech plant
• Still WIP

Tawrich Tower

• Can now attack Stronghold and Gravel Pass directly from Tawrich Tower
• Added additional buildings and cover leading to Tawrich tech plant

Mao Tech Planet

• Disabled AV turrets from the flight deck

Mao Southwest

• Switched spawn + cap point locations
• Increased size of base
• Added extra gate shield facing Tech Plant Mao
• Moved Gate Gen outside of base

Battlefields:

Quartz Ridge <-> Hvar Databank

• Should now be much easier to fight from Quartz Ridge up to Hvar now due to the hill being less steep.
• Added additional road to the east.

Hvar <-> Hvar Satellites

• Much more room between all of its satellites now, should be better fights here as a result

Quartz Ridge <-> Indar Comm Array

• Added road that was missing to better reflect its lattice connectivity

Mao Southwest <-> Briggs Labs

• Added additional roads + cover between these bases

Heavy Shield

Nanite Mesh Generator

• Hit points reduced from 750 to 450
• Drain per second decreased from 50 to 12.5

Adrenaline Shield

• Hit points reduced from 750 to 450
• Drain per second reduced from 50 to 18
• Shield points received per kill changes:
  • Rank 1 increased from 31 to 90
  • Rank 2 increased from 47 to 104
  • Rank 3 increased from 78 to 117
  • Rank 4 increased from 113 to 130
  • Rank 5 decreased from 157 to 143

Resist Shield

• Resists for Small Arms, Melee, and Anti-Vehicle projectiles decreased from 45% to 40%
• Increased active duration by 50%

Weapon Balance

MR11 Gatekeeper

• Projectile velocity decreased from 500 to 450
• Projectile drop increased from 0.5 to 2.0

MR11 Gatekeeper-H

• Projectile velocity decreased from 500 to 450
• Projectile Drop increased from 0.5 to 3.0
• Recoil increased from 0 to 2.0

Warden

• Maximum damage range to 15m, from 8m
• Horizontal recoil to 0.18, from 0.18 to 0.22
• Horizontal tolerance to 0.4, from 0.5
• Added Underbarrel Grenade
• Added Underbarrel Smoke attachments
• Short reload to 2.5, from 2.15
• Long reload to 3.4, from 3.05 (This corrects a bug to the reload speed that was on Live.)

AMR-66

• Maximum damage range to 15m, from 8m
• Horizontal recoil to 0.18, from 0.18 to 0.22
• Horizontal tolerance to 0.4, from 0.5
• Added Underbarrel Grenade
• Added Underbarrel Smoke attachments

Eidolon

• Maximum damage range to 15m, from 8m
• Horizontal recoil to 0.18, from 0.18 to 0.22
• Horizontal tolerance to 0.4, from 0.5
• Added Underbarrel Grenade
• Added Underbarrel Smoke attachments

Guardian

• Maximum damage range to 15m, from 8m
• Vertical recoil to 0.51, from 0.58
• Horizontal recoil to 0.135, from 0.14 to 0.17
• Horizontal tolerance to 0.35, from 0.5
• Projectile velocity to 680, from 650

DMR-99

• Maximum damage range to 15m, from 8m
• Vertical recoil to 0.51, from 0.58
• Horizontal recoil to 0.135, from 0.14 to 0.17
• Horizontal tolerance to 0.35, from 0.5
• Magazine size to 22, from 20
• Ammunition capacity to 132, from 120

Revenant

• Maximum damage range to 15m, from 8m
• Vertical recoil to 0.51, from 0.58
• Horizontal recoil to 0.135, from 0.14 to 0.17
• Horizontal tolerance to 0.35, from 0.5
• Short reload to 2.0, from 2.5

Pulsar LSW

• ADS Moving CoF to 0.4, from 0.35

Flash Grenade

• Fuse timer to 1.5 sec., from 3 sec

Medical Applicator

• Revive range standardized to 6 meters at all ranks.

Flash Suppressor (Attachment)

• Increases minimap detection range by 15m
• No longer increases CoF bloom

Misc:

• Lightning tanks may now unlock Engagement Radar
• Players can now safely drop from a Valkyrie by default

Bug Fixes:

• Base capture progression arrow now shows on map screen
• VP points for capturing both warpgates is now permanent
• Fix bug that prevented victory points from being awarded for owning all facility types in certain situations
• Fix that should make damage from C4 attached to a moving vehicle much more reliable
• Fixing erratic blinking of centralized HUD ammo/ability bars when at warning levels
• Potential fixes for various minimap bugs regarding indicators disappearing or not showing up

Source: Planetside 2 Test Server: Announcements

[Karbooo]

tl;dr?

-Gatekeeper nerf.
-Base layout changes.
-Underbarrel attachments to Warden
-Flashbangs fuse timer to 1,5s from 3.
-You can drop from valkyries by default
-Med applicator revive range to 6m on all stages by default.
-Some new road from quartz ridge to indar comm
-Heavy shield nerf

[stonedmedic]

wow looks promising.

[JohnnyDread]

That heavy nerf is huge..

Resist nerf comes down to about one less bullet to kill a heavy.
Adrenaline and NMG its 4-5 less bullets to kill then prenerf.


Everyone will be running Resist shields now.
Adrenaline is completely pointless.

[AlexisFR]

That's really interesting, I think I'll check the game out again once most of these changes hit live.

Edit:

That heavy nerf is huge..

Resist nerf comes down to about one less bullet to kill a heavy.
Adrenaline and NMG its 4-5 less bullets to kill then prenerf.


Everyone will be running Resist shields now.
Adrenaline is completely pointless.

I guess its the moment to share some feedback, especially from someone who played as much as you did.

[Synho]

Heavy nerf is too big....

[Karbooo]

Heavy nerf is too big....

I can't care less. I'm already running with resist shield and against nerfed other shields I will be invincible. Though my role is to enter the room first, headshot few guys and make an opening for rest of the squad my K/D will be only around 3, because I'm so good of a teamplayer. Without this I could just farm new players with K/D of 15, but that is not fun.

Sincerely, karbozor

[Earentil]

Changes on PTS guys, I was there with Tim and some changes are huge in Indar, go try ANT its FAST.

[Krogons]

HA Shield nerf, Fuck yeah! My prayers have been answered

What a wonderful gift for christmas

[Laluman]

HA Shield nerf, Fuck yeah! My prayers have been answered

What a wonderful gift for christmas

im gonna do counter-prayer

[AT0Mfr]

My shotgun just said : "Multiple kills !" 

[ChargeMaximus]

FINALEMENT!!GATEKEEPER HAS BEEN NERFED!
And as for the heavy nerf, that's AWESOME!