Upcoming changes

This is the preliminary changelog for the next game patch. You can find the planned dates for the next releases on GitHub. Some of the new features are still subject to change and may be modified again or removed entirely.

You can test these changes by hosting a game in the fafdevelop game mode.

Balance

(#7139) Give an on-impact water vision radius of 4 to Aeon depth charges and the Solace’s cluster torpedoes to be consistent with their normal on-impact vision.
(#7141) Make SACUs easier to access with reduced infrastructure costs and make them more powerful with a general cost reduction for SACUs and targeted adjustments for weaker upgrades (engineering upgrades, UEF bubble shield, Seraphim Overcharge).

Seraphim Shield is moved to the right arm to nerf Seraphim teleport SACUs and enable a more useful Rambo preset.

Seraphim receives a RAS upgrade instead of its higher base cost and base production.
- Quantum Gateways (UAB0304, UEB0304, URB0304, XSB0304)
  - Mass cost: 3000 → 2550
  - Energy cost: 30000 → 25500
  - Build rate: 120 → 160
  - Health: 10000 → 7500
  - Adjacency:
    - Energy discount from T1 and T3 pgens: 0.25% and 5% → 1.563% and 15.62%
    - Mass discount from T2 and T3 mass fabs: 0.75% and 3.75% → 1.25% and 15%
- Aeon Support Armored Command Unit (UAL0301)
  - Mass cost: 1950 → 1550
  - Energy cost: 27100 → 21500
  - Build time: 14400 → 8250
  - Rapid Fabricator:
    - Mass cost: 800 → 500
    - Energy cost: 50500 → 10100
    - Build time: 4200 → 1350
  - Resource Allocation System:
    
    Cost increased to keep requirements for sacrifice the same and to slightly counteract the base cost and quantum gateway buildpower/adjacency buffs.
    - Mass cost: 4500 → 4600
    - Energy cost: 90000 → 94400
    - Build time: 8400 → 20550
  - Personal Shield Generator:
    - Energy cost: 64950 → 44900
    - Build time: 5040 → 4950
    - Energy maintenance cost: 300 → 210
  - Heavy Personal Shield Generator:
    - Energy cost: 100000 → 73600
    - Build time: 7000 → 7900
    - Energy maintenance cost: 600 → 420
  - Reacton Refractor (Range and AoE upgrade):
    - Energy cost: 46200 → 45600
    - Build time: 6048 → 6200
  - Nano-Repair System:
    - Energy cost: 74000 → 42500
- UEF Support Armored Command Unit (UEL0301)
  - Mass: 2100 → 1700
  - Energy: 25200 → 20400
  - Build time: 14400 → 9060
  - Shield Generator Field:
    
    The UEF bubble shield is heavily reduced in cost by removing its prerequisite, and its stats are adjusted to be closer to mobile shields.
    - Prerequisite: Personal Shield Generator → None
    - Energy cost: 360800 → 187700
    - Build time: 10800 → 15400
    - Energy maintenance cost: 1000 → 700
    - Shield stats:
      - Health: 52000 → 22000
      - Recharge Time: 215 → 110 seconds
      - Regen Rate: 150 → 160 hp/s
      - Regen Delay: 1 → 3 seconds
      - Spillover mult: 0.2 → 0.3
  - Resource Allocation System:
    - Mass cost: 4500 → 4600
    - Energy cost: 90000 → 94400
    - Build time: 8400 → 20550
  - C-D3 Engineering Drone:
    - Energy cost: 8700 → 7700
    - Build time: 2500 → 1000
  - Personal Shield Generator:
    - Energy cost: 100200 → 90200
    - Build time: 7200 → 8390
    - Energy maintenance cost: 500 → 350
  - Energy Accelerator (Fire Rate upgrade):
    - Energy cost: 44700 → 40000
    - Build time: 5040 → 5060
  - Heavy Plasma Refractor (Range and AoE upgrade):
    - Energy cost: 30000 → 25500
    - Build time: 3360 → 3370
  - Radar Jammer:
    - Build time: 2500 → 1000
  - Enhanced Sensor System:
    - Build time: 3000 → 2520
- Cybran Support Armored Command Unit (URL0301)
  - Mass: 2000 → 1600
  - Energy: 26400 → 21100
  - Build time: 14400 → 8530
  - Resource Allocation mass: 4500 → 4600
  - Rapid Fabricator:
    - Mass cost: 800 → 500
    - Energy cost: 51100 → 10100
    - Build time: 4200 → 1350
  - Resource Allocation System:
    - Mass cost: 4500 → 4600
    - Energy cost: 90000 → 94400
    - Build time: 8400 → 20550
  - Disintegrator Amplifier (Damage and Range upgrade):
    
    Due to the SACU cost reduction making SACUs upgraded with only this gun upgrade overpowered, mass costs from EMP, Nano, and Cloaking are moved to this upgrade.
    - Mass cost: 800 → 1400
    - Energy cost: 24000 → 45000
    - Build time: 3000 → 6950
  - Personal Cloaking Generator:
    - Mass cost: 5000 → 4700
    - Energy cost: 382200 → 234000
    - Build time: 13800 → 21350
  - EMP Burst:
    - Mass cost: 1000 → 700
    - Energy cost: 60000 → 26500
    - Build time: 3600 → 3000
  - Nanite Missile System:
    - Build time: 3000 → 2750
  - Nano-Repair System:
    - Mass cost: 2200 → 1900
    - Energy cost: 103500 → 86700
    - Build time: 6000 → 7850
  - Personal Stealth Generator:
    - Energy cost: 7400 → 13000
    - Build time: 1800 → 1620
    - Energy maintenance cost: 100 → 70
- Seraphim Support Armored Command Unit (XSL0301)
  - Mass: 2400 → 1650
  - Energy: 30200 → 20800
  - Build time: 14400 → 8800
  - Mass production: 3 → 1
  - Energy production: 300 → 20
  - Added Resource Allocation System:
    
    Seraphim players have continued to struggle with the ability to build a mobile economy because the stats were balanced around the high buildpower of Seraphim SACU spam compared to other factions’ RAS SACUs. Since players aren’t using this, the RAS upgrade is replacing the SACU’s increased base production and base cost.
    - Slot: Right arm (teleport and overcharge arm)
    - Mass cost: 4600
    - Energy cost: 94400
    - Build time: 20550
    - Mass production: 10
    - Energy production: 1000
  - Rapid Fabricator:
    - Mass cost: 450 → 500
    - Energy cost: 47400 → 10100
    - Build time: 4200 → 1350
  - Nano-Repair System:
    - Mass cost: 2300 → 2500
    - Energy cost: 74300 → 75000
    - Build time: 5900 → 11300
  - Tactical Missile Launcher:
    - Mass cost: 1500 → 1800
    - Energy cost: 46000 → 68000
    - Build time: 4200 → 8450
  - Overcharge:
    - Mass cost: 4500 → 1000
    - Energy cost: 283500 → 79500
    - Build time: 12600 → 4350
  - Personal Shield Generator:
    
    The shield generator is being moved to the right arm to nerf teleport and enable a more useful Rambo preset.
    
    Seraphim Teleport SACUs were extremely strong for their 20k mass cost (with ~18k energy infrastructure cost): they were harder to stop from killing an SMD than a telemazer (in terms of DPS/PD amount), their infrastructure is reusable, and the only way to stop multiple teleports on a far more expensive 75k mass artillery or 225k mass game ender is by spamming shields and hoping they got in between the SACU’s gun and the target.
    
    The Rambo preset is changed from Nano + Shield + Overcharge to Nano + Shield + Sensors/Gun Range. It can act as a lategame HP tank that doesn’t rely on energy for DPS like the Advanced Combatant preset or regen for survivability like the Nano Combatant preset.
    - Slot: Back (TML and sensors/gun range) → Right arm (teleport and overcharge)
    - Mass cost: 1050 → 1200
    - Energy cost: 107500 → 43500
    - Build time: 6720 → 5400
    - Energy maintenance cost: 300 → 210
(#7142) Rebalance sniper bots to be cheaper and faster but reduce their range to make them easier to defend with T2 PD and easier to catch with units. Their ability to prioritize ACUs is removed to keep ACUs useful despite the speed and cost buffs.
- Sprite Striker: T3 Sniper Bot (XAL0305)
  - Energy cost: 25000 (35.7 e/m) → 7700 (11.0 e/m)
  - Build time: 4950 (7.07 bt/m) → 3850 (5.5 bt/m)
  - Max speed: 2.5 → 2.7
  - Acceleration and Braking: 2.5 → 3.7
  - Removed ability to prioritize ACUs
  - Heavy Disruptor Cannon:
    - Range: 60 → 47
- Usha-Ah: T3 Sniper Bot (XSL0305)
  - Mass cost: 780 -> 750
    
    Mass cost slightly reduced to bring DPS/mass in line with Aeon sniper.
  - Energy cost: 27000 (34.6 e/m) → 8250 (11.0 e/m)
  - Build time: 5400 (6.9 bt/m) → 4125 (5.5 bt/m)
  - Max speed: 2.3 → 2.8
  - Acceleration and Braking: 2.3 → 3.8
  - Removed ability to prioritize ACUs
  - Sih Energy Rifle:
    - Range: 55 → 42
  - Sih Energy Rifle (Sniper Mode):
    - Range: 65 -> 52
    - Reduce the duration of the reload slowdown with a faster reload damage model:
      - Damage: 2000 → 1500
      - Reload time: 15.2s → 11.4s
  - Sniper mode speed: 1.74 -> 2.0
    
    The last patch changing sniper mode speed said that it was changed to 2.0, but an engine bug made the speed multiplier apply twice, resulting in 1.74 speed. This new speed is an intentional buff, not just a bug fix.
- Absolver: T3 Shield Disruptor (DAL0310)
  
  Range is nerfed to balance Aeon vs Seraphim sniper wars.
  - Shield Disruptor Cannon:
    - Range: 65 → 52
(#7143) Rebalance Fire Beetle with removed cloak to make it interactable outside of later T3 stage or in ACU fights.

Fire Beetle: T2 Mobile Bomb (XRL0302):
- Remove cloak and its associated upkeep and visual effects.
- Health: 500 → 1340
- Regen rate: 0 → 10
- Speed: 5 → 3.8
(#7146) Rebalance Galactic Colossus’s tractor claws so that the GC is weaker against T3 units by itself or when skirmishing but stronger with an army.

Galactic Colossus: Experimental Assault Bot (UAL0401)
- Tractor Claws (x2)
  - DPS: 729 → 240
  - Range: 41 → 30
  - Enemy units attached to the claw can be targeted by allied units.
(#7152) Buff CZAR’s cost and remove the angle limits on its AA missiles.

CZAR: Experimental Aircraft Carrier (UAA0310)
- Mass cost: 45000 → 42750
- Energy cost: 1530000 → 1453500
- Build time: 50625 → 48094
- Zealot AA Missile (x4):
  - Firing angle: 120 → 180

Features

(#7098, #7148) Rework the chat window

The chat window is re-implemented from scratch. It is rebuilt using the MVC-principle, creating a clear separation between state, viewing the state and interacting with the state. This rework fixes a few bugs:

The chat window fully supports UI scaling.
The chat will always snap to the frame when you open it, making it impossible for the chat to be off-screen after a resolution change.

Adds a few features:

You can now issue various chat commands, use /help to learn more.
UI mods can add chat commands with ease.
Autocomplete on names when you start with @.
Convenient for the simulation (campaign, AIs, events) to send chat messages.
Click on a chat message to copy it to clipboard.

And finally there are a few quirks:

The chat now starts bottom-up, instead of top-down.

Bug fixes

(#7104) Fix computing the wrong area in the navigational mesh

The new values may differ from the old values by +/- 15%.

(#7127) Fix French locale for Selen’s toggle incorrectly saying that it toggles the Selen’s cloak, when it actually only toggles selection priority, and the cloak always activates when stationary.
(#7129) Fix typo in unlocalised version of the descriptive name of the UEF T3 Support Land Factory.
(#7139) Align the on-impact vision radius of the Lobo’s (UEL0103) fragmentation shell, Aeon depth charges, and the Solace’s cluster torpedoes to the engine’s vision grid (5 -> 4).
(#7149) Fix missing share condition default causing a score board UI loading error when the game was launched using the single player command line launch option.

Performance

(#6847) Segment formations logic into different files and simplify category filters.

Other changes

(#7036) Game repository: Update the setup instructions for the development environment.
(#7106) Generate BaseTemplate tables at import time instead of parsing them from lua source files.
(#7137) Add missing annotation for CommonArmy game option.