[PTS] Test Server Update - Sept. 09, 2021 (New Player Experience)

[PSNews]

Download the Test Server client from this thread after reading the Test Server Policies: https://forums.daybreakgames.com/ps...st-test-server-policies-download-link.114038/

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The test server will be available with these changes around or before 6pm PDT / 3am CEST.

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New Player Experience, Inbound

This push to PTS contains most of the main beats for the upcoming New Player Experience update. There is still a lot of polish left to be done, and some of the features we're working toward aren't quite finished. Any relevant notes along those lines will be found below. For the rest of it, we'd love for folks to jump in, run through (and try to break) the tutorial to ensure we can get all the kinks worked out before it hits Live.

Character Create

The character create process has been completely revisited with new UI, audio, visuals, and information. There's currently an issue when running resolutions other than 16:9 that can cause the "hitbox" of buttons and such to be incorrect, or have certain UI elements off the edge of the screen. This is something we're currently working through.

New Tutorial

The tutorial has been redone, start to finish. The tutorial is only available to non-NSO characters, and there is a lot of polish still left to do here. Vocals and audio timings are still being adjusted, NPC behaviors are still being smoothed out, and certain sub-sections are going to get a bit more love before this goes Live. When the tutorial zone is complete, players will roll into an NPE mission that gets the player started with their first battle. We are working on a follow-up mission that centers on introducing the player to squads as well, but that has been disabled for this PTS push.

Colorblind Filters

Players can now find new colorblind filters under the graphics settings. These filters attempt to correct for Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia, and Achromatopsia colorblind conditions within the 3d game world, and there are two sliders available that modify the intensity of the adjustments.

Various NPE-related Updates

• Classes each have a "coversheet" on the loadout screen that conveys the class's intended functions, specialties, and abilities.
• New player starting gear has been revisited.
• The GD-22S replaces the NC6 Gauss SAW for the New Conglomerate.
• TR and VS Infiltrators start with bolt-action sniper rifles.
• Empire-specific Dumbfire launchers have been replaced with Empire Specific G2A lock-on launchers.
• The Lightning starts with the L100 Python HEAT, instead of the C75 Viper.
• All vehicles have received Fire Suppression as a default utility option.
• Vehicles have also either Nanite Auto-Repair as a default defensive slot, or the Deployment Shield, in the case of the Sunderer.
• Terminals in Sanctuary now have visible names above them.
• Waypoints in 3d space have been redone and reach much higher into the sky.
• Basic Training directive has been removed, and the helmet reward is now a part of the new player mission.
• Shield bars will appear above targets that have shields while spotted. The ranges at which you can see health/shields still adhere to how it is on Live.
• Made minor adjustments to the sky at night to increase visibility during the darkest hours.
• Voice overs have been removed from "First Time Events"... was a lot of yelling at you when you're trying to focus on other things.
• All the FTEs that appear now have a new audio signifier when they slide in.
• The upstairs room in each Warpgate now has a Field Commander NPC, and a war table that initiates Join Combat.
• When your loadout changes outside of an equipment or vehicle terminal, you'll receive a prompt telling you that your loadout can't be updated until you resupply or pull a new vehicle.
• Vehicle and Equipment terminals now show the time until you next receive Nanites.
• Main Nav menu now displays the tooltips for those buttons on hover-over.

Sanctuary Embassies

Two new areas have been added to Sanctuary.

• The reception area can be reached by taking an elevator from the Atrium, or the second story walkway. It houses teleporters that bring players of an associated faction to their Embassy room.
• The campaign NPCs found previously will live in their respective faction Embassy.

There is still a bit of polish left to be done with these rooms, and we'll be expanding their functionality in later updates as well.

Lighting Updates

We've changed a couple things with the lighting in this update.

• The first is that models in the loadout screens and character create use a new lighting that gives the models more depth, and a better look overall.
• The second is that we've replaced our light volumes (not the ones from the sun) with a new lighting model that gets rid of a lot of the harsh brightness that occurs near where the light originates. The adjustments are fairly subtle in most cases, but the end result is that some of the extremes in our lighting model are now less so.

Continents and Alerts

High-Pop (Conquest) Alerts

When a continent has more than 800 players on it, a "Conquest" Alert will immediately fire off that uses the same rules of a normal Meltdown.

Dev Note: For the third-party scripters out there, these are the alert IDs used for those events.

• Amerish Conquest: 211
• Esamir Conquest: 212
• Hossin Conquest: 213
• Indar Conquest: 214

Low-Pop Zone Rotations

We're currently developing a feature that will allow Koltyr to become a part of the normal continent rotation, but only be made available during low-population times. Additionally, large continents will spin down when global populations dip below a certain threshold. This feature is still in development, and Koltyr has been disabled temporarily until it's ready.

TI Alloys

Indar's best/worst base is now available for play again.

Missions

System Changes

• Non-Members can now accept up to 5 missions per day.
• Members can now accept up to 9 missions per day.
• Rarities have also been restructured, and you will no longer see the same mission of varying rarities.
• Uncommon and Rare missions may now only be accepted by members, while common missions may be accepted by members and non-members.
• Member missions are now noted with a special icon on the Mission list.

Contractor Rewards

Missions now have consistent rewards based on contractors.

• Black Market will always provide A7.
• Nanite Systems will always provide ISO-4.
• Faction missions will always provide Certs.

Dev Note: We've restructured missions to allow for more control over your rewards, and provide more options to free players. All currencies can be found in the non-member missions, so regardless of what you're looking for, be it more A7, Certs, or Iso, you'll be able to earn it daily. Members-only missions tend to have higher reward payouts overall. The "extra" rewards from missions, the weapons and boosts, were removed from the dailies, though it's possible these sorts of things return as rewards for holidays or in another fashion.

Vehicles

Bastion Fleet Carrier

• The Bastion now has temporary invulnerability for up to 90 seconds after it is called. If the Bastion is ordered to move or attack, the invulnerability will be dispelled early.
• Mauler Cannons no longer have knockback.

Lightning

• L100 Python AP gravity from 4 to 5, to fall in line with other tank cannons.
• L100 Python HEAT direct damage from 525 to 575.
• L100 Python HEAT reload speed from 2 sec. to 2.5 sec.

Heavy Machine Gun Resistance

• Resist type 4 reduced from 87 to 80 for the ANT, Chimera, Lightning, Vanguard, Prowler, Magrider, and Sunderer.
• Resist type 4 reduced from 87 to 85 for the Colossus.
• Resist type 4 reduced from 75 to 70 for Scythe, Reaver, and Mosquito.

Infantry

T9A "Butcher" (TR Directive LMG)

• Projectile velocity from hipfire is now in line with its projectile velocity while aiming at 570.

Defector (NSO MAX)

• Speculative fix for lockons with the Hummingbird lasting long after the projectiles have died.

Cortium Bomb (Tactical Slot)

• Reduced maximum damage of Cortium Bomb against completed construction objects from 9000 to 5500.

Nanoweave Armor (Suit Slot)

• Equipping Nanoweave now reduces base movement speed by 10%, and Heavy Assault Shields are no longer affected by Nanoweave's resistance reductions.

Dev Note: We're aware that this change has been discussed a fair deal in the community recently, and are open to making modifications in the future as needed.

Ammunition Belt (Suit Slot)

• Ammunition Belt now increases the reload speed of primary and secondary weapon slots by 15%, on top of its existing benefits.

Munitions Pouch (Suit Slot)

• Rocket Launchers and Rocklet Rifles will slowly reload while holstered, in addition to the original benefits.
• This effect is currently unfinished, and requires more tech for its final implementation.

Flash Grenade

• Base blind duration from 8.5sec to 6.5sec.
• Made the fade-out quicker after the effect expires.

Quick-Det Flash

• Base blind duration from 4.5sec to 4 sec.
• Made the fade-out quicker after the effect expires.

Implants, Implants, Implants

Cold Heart

• This implant has been overhauled.
• Crouching momentarily will now douse your suit in coolant (you can move around after.)
• While in this state, burning damage is reduced by 90%, you no longer appear map-based recon detection, and your movement speed is reduced by 10%.
• Firing a weapon will immediately end this effect.

Experimental Stims

• This implant has been heavily revised.
• Using a Stim (Medical Kit, Restoration Kit, Infradine) will now temporarily provide you with the benefits of either Rank 5 Safe Fall, Vampire, Battle Hardened, Heavyweight, or Response Jacket, chosen randomly from the list.
• A HUD notification will appear, displaying which implant is currently active.
• Only one benefit may be active at a time.

Symbiote

• This implant has been overhauled.
• When you receive small arms damage while your personal shield is active, you will now heal for 50 health. This effect triggers once every 8/7.5/6/4/4 seconds.
• Rank 5: Receiving common explosive damage will now restore 50 health immediately, and has an independent 4 second cooldown.

Ocular Shield

• Reduces duration of Flash/Concussion/EMP grenade effects by 45/50/60/75/75% (up from the original 15/18/23/30/30%)
• Rank 5: You can no longer be blinded or concussed by your own grenades, instead of making you immune of these effects for a short duration after using a Stim.
• No longer reduces the effectiveness of Concussion Grenade's slow, EMP grenade's shield damage, or Flash Grenade's CoF penalty, only the duration of the applicable affects.

Avoidance

• Spitfires no longer target you at all, instead of only reducing the range at which they target you.

Heavyweight

• Fixed an issue where the knockback protection would only trigger if you had an active personal shield.

Assassin

• This implant now marks targets you damage at all ranks.

Nanomesh Specialist

• Rank 5: No longer pauses personal shield regen while your overshield is active, instead of reducing overshield recharge delay.

Paratrooper

• Rank 5: Passively grants rank 1 Safefall, instead of providing temporary fall damage resistance on Rocklet Rifle reload.

Sidewinder

• Rank 5: You now backpedal 35% faster, instead of being hidden from Thermal Optics.

Misc. Changes, Fixes, and Additions

• Vehicles should no longer take damage from invisible vehicle debris.
• Players speaking in voice chat can now be seen from the map screen.
• VR Training now harbors lanes of Nanoweave and Flak Armor equipped targets, and Heavy Assault will occasionally be spawned with active overshields.
• Models displayed in loadout screens now always use the highest quality graphics settings.
• The female UI idle animation no longer periodically freezes.
• The Outfit Map resources are now filtered off by default.
• Fixed an issue where construction objects being built would have invisible pieces.
• Updated Sergeant Lumifiber Trim icons.
• A7 nodes will now be granted the moment it's decrypted, instead of requiring a second interact.
• Destroying enemy Chimeras with primary or secondary weapons no longer award Magrider kills.
• Javelins now have a 30 second cooldown when pulled from a terminal or ANVIL, in line with other vehicles.
• Fixed broken filters for NSO-related items in the Depot.
• Magriders/Harassers with the PPA equipped will no longer see the Sunderer's ammo dispenser FX on their vehicle.
• Dervish and Javelin can now make use of the Cert Explosion Horn.

Source: Test Server: Announcements