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

(#7121) Reduce stun duration of Loyalist’s Disintegrator Pulse Laser since it was extremely powerful against T2 units, Ilshavohs in particular.

Loyalist: T3 Siege Assault Bot
- Disintegrator Pulse Laser:
  - Stun Duration against T1/T2 mobile units: 1.5s per shot (2.3s per volley) (70% stun uptime) → 0.4s per shot (1.2s per volley) (36% stun uptime)
(#7123) Reduce Novax’s ability to kill many shields, T2 fabs, and engineers in a single volley, and rebalance its costs to make it more vulnerable to artillery fire, especially when built in large numbers.

Novax Center: Experimental Satellite System (XEB2402, XEA0002)
- Defense Satellite’s Orbital Death Laser:
  - Beam Lifetime: 8.1s → 5.4s
  - Damage: 60 (4860 per volley) → 90 (4860 per volley)
  - Damage Radius: 1 → 0.5
  - Aim Speed: 360 deg/s → 8 deg/s
  - Charge cost: 0 E → 72000 E (3750 E/s average)
  - Charge drain rate: 0 E → 5000 E/s
- Base Station:
  - Mass cost: 36000 → 32000
  - Energy cost: 512000 → 800000
  - Build time: 44800 → 43600
The build cost is reduced by the cost of power generators (with storage adjacency) required to power the satellite’s firing cost. The energy cost is increased to guide players towards building the power required for firing before building the Novax.
(#7123) Remove Omni from the Novax as it unnecessarily counters cloak which is already more than sufficiently countered by T3 Omni radars. Since Omni can detect underwater units, sonar is added to partially keep that interaction.

Novax Center: Experimental Satellite System (XEB2402, XEA0002)
- Defense Satellite:
  - Omni radius: 60 → 0
  - Sonar radius: 0 → 60
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 (#7139).
(#7141, #7164) 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.

Since they’re easier to rush and are more powerful, SACUs have their ACU target priority ability removed to allow overcharge to counter early SACUs again.

Due to costing less, the buildpower of non-UEF SACUs is reduced (engi presets keep their buildpower). UEF keeps their buildpower because they have a weaker engineer preset, the most expensive base SACU, a T4 that struggles with pushing, and unique ravagers.

Combatant and Rambo presets are separated by a high energy cost difference and Rambos get a mass cost reduction. This allows combatants to help with a faction’s early issues, while Rambos play a role in the late game by being efficient but high infrastructure cost combat units, and highly versatile engineering units that can mitigate the dominance of air and the risk of reclaim donations.
- 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 20%
- Aeon Support Armored Command Unit (UAL0301)
  - Mass cost: 1950 → 1550
  - Energy cost: 27100 → 21500
  - Build time: 14400 → 8250
  - Buildpower: 56 → 42
  - Removed ability to prioritize ACUs
  - Rapid Fabricator:
    - Mass cost: 800 → 500
    - Energy cost: 50500 → 10100
    - Build time: 4200 → 1350
    - Added buildpower: +42 → +56
  - 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 → 49000
    - Build time: 5040 → 4950
    - Energy maintenance cost: 300 → 210
  - Heavy Personal Shield Generator:
    - Mass cost: 1800 → 900
    - Energy cost: 100000 → 200975
    - Build time: 7000 → 3660
    - 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 → 57500
- UEF Support Armored Command Unit (UEL0301)
  - Mass: 2100 → 1700
  - Energy: 25200 → 20400
  - Build time: 14400 → 9060
  - Removed ability to prioritize ACUs
  - 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
    - Mass cost: 3500 → 3300
    - Energy cost: 360800 → 244700
    - Build time: 10800 → 14500
    - Energy maintenance cost: 1000 → 700
    - Shield stats:
      - Health: 52000 → 22000
      - Recharge Time: 215 → 100 seconds
      - Regen Rate: 150 → 160 hp/s
      - Regen Delay: 1 → 3 seconds
      - Spillover mult: 0.2 → 0.3
  - C-D3 Engineering Drone:
    - Energy cost: 8700 → 7700
    - Build time: 2500 → 1000
  - Resource Allocation System:
    - Mass cost: 4500 → 4600
    - Energy cost: 90000 → 94400
    - Build time: 8400 → 20550
  - Personal Shield Generator:
    - Mass cost: 2000 → 1700
    - Energy cost: 100200 → 289000
    - Build time: 7200 → 6950
    - Energy maintenance cost: 500 → 350
  - Energy Accelerator (Fire Rate upgrade):
    - Energy cost: 44700 → 43900
    - Build time: 5040 → 5060
  - Heavy Plasma Refractor (Range and AoE upgrade):
    - Energy cost: 30000 → 28600
    - 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
  - Buildpower: 56 → 42
  - Removed ability to prioritize ACUs
  - Rapid Fabricator:
    - Mass cost: 800 → 500
    - Energy cost: 51100 → 10100
    - Build time: 4200 → 1350
    - Added buildpower: +42 → +56
  - 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 → 50100
    - Build time: 3000 → 6950
  - Personal Cloaking Generator:
    - Mass cost: 5000 → 2000
    - Energy cost: 382200 → 312700
    - Build time: 13800 → 8300
    - Health bonus: 15000 → 17000
    - Energy maintenance cost: 3500 → 2500
  - EMP Burst:
    - Mass cost: 1000 → 700
    - Energy cost: 60000 → 32500
    - Build time: 3600 → 3000
  - Nanite Missile System:
    - Build time: 3000 → 2750
  - Nano-Repair System:
    - Mass cost: 2200 → 1900
    - Energy cost: 103500 → 92300
    - 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
  - Buildpower: 56 → 42
  - Removed ability to prioritize ACUs
  - 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
    - Added buildpower: +42 → +56
  - Nano-Repair System:
    - Mass cost: 2300 → 2500
    - Energy cost: 74300 → 141200
    - Build time: 5900 → 11650
  - Tactical Missile Launcher:
    - Mass cost: 1500 → 1800
    - Energy cost: 46000 → 68000
    - Build time: 4200 → 8450
  - Overcharge:
    - Mass cost: 4500 → 3000
    - Energy cost: 283500 → 155000
    - Build time: 12600 → 13800
  - 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 → 1000
    - Energy cost: 107500 → 190000
    - Build time: 6720 → 4000
    - Energy maintenance cost: 300 → 210
(#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.
(#7147) Increase Scathis accuracy and survivability so it can better compete against other enders.

Scathis: Experimental Mobile Rapid-Fire Artillery (URL0401)
- Health: 9000 → 17000
- Regen: 0 → 134
- Add stealth field with 24 radius and 400 e/s maintenance.
- Proton Artillery:
  - Fixed spread radius: 70 → 63 (approximately +23% dmg/area)

CZAR: Experimental Aircraft Carrier

Buff CZAR’s cost since it underperforms against spread out surface AA. (#7152, #7172)

Mass cost: 45000 → 42750
Energy cost: 1530000 → 1453500
Build time: 50625 → 48094

All T3 Sniper Bots

Remove snipers’ ability to prioritize ACUs. (#7165)

T3 Sniper Bots

Reduce the speed of sniper bots so that they cannot infinitely kite GC and Ythotha, and increase range as compensation. (#7167)

Sprite Striker: T3 Sniper Bot
- Max speed: 2.5 → 2.3
- Heavy Disruptor Cannon:
  - Range: 60 → 65
Usha-Ah: T3 Sniper Bot
- Max speed: 2.3 → 2.2
- Snipe mode speed: 1.74 → 1.7
- Sih Energy Rifle:
  - Range: 55 → 60
- Sih Energy Rifle Sniper Mode:
  - Range: 65 → 70

Mercy: T2 Guided Missile

Rebalance the Mercy with higher damage and lower damage radius to increase its versatility and move it in the direction of its old identity while keeping it fair at higher levels. (#7175)

HP: 90 → 10
Mass cost: 230 → 270
Energy cost: 4600 → 8850
Build time: 1200 → 1600
Kamikaze:
- Damage: 1000 over 9.5 seconds → 2100 over 4 seconds
- Damage radius: 7.5 → 3.5

Seeker: T1 Anti-Air Turret

The Aeon T1 AA turret was weaker than the equivalent units of the other factions, which made it struggle more against T1 bombers and T2 gunships than expected. For comparison, the UEF and Seraphim turrets have 65.71 and 66.67 DPS, respectively. (#7182)

Sonic Pulse Battery:
- Damage (DPS): 14 (60) → 15 (64.29)

Features

(#7098, #7148, #7157) 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

Fix computing the wrong area in the navigational mesh. The new values may differ from the old values by +/- 15% (#7104).
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 (#7127).
Fix typo in unlocalised version of the descriptive name of the UEF T3 Support Land Factory (#7129).
(#7136) Change description of Seraphim AA units to match the other three factions’ equivalent units

Ialla: T1 Anti-Air Defense
- Description: Anti-Air Defense -> Anti-Air Turret Iathu-Ioz: T3 Anti-Air Defense
  - Description: Anti-Air Defense -> Anti-Air SAM Launcher Iashavoh: T2 Mobile Anti-Air Cannon
  - Description: Mobile Anti-Air Cannon → Mobile AA Flak Artillery
(#7138) Fix default target priorities that use parentheses to enable richer category parsing using normal category parsing instead.
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) (#7139).
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 (#7149).
(#7177) Fix non-number mod version numbers erroring in rule and session init (encountered with the AutoTML mod).
(#7178) Fix projectiles passing destroyed units as damage instigators instead of themselves.
Re-add missing DummyUnit import to defaultunits.lua needed for mod compatibility (specifically BrewLAN Research & Daiquiris) (#7180)

Graphics

Fix the icon of the Aeon T1 power generator (#7095).

Performance

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

Other changes

Game repository: Update the setup instructions for the development environment (#7036).
Generate BaseTemplate tables at import time instead of parsing them from lua source files (#7106).
Add missing annotation for CommonArmy game option (#7137).
Annotate some engine behavior and miscellaneous lua functions (#7179).