Star Conflict 1.2.3
Pilots! Starting today, we are launching automatic seasons of team battles, which we’re calling ‘Star Conflict Leagues’, in test mode. Testing is necessary in order for us to understand what still needs to be improved and corrected. The final version of the seasons will take (approximately) 12 weeks, and will end with play-offs for the top teams in ‘Star Conflict Leagues’. We will announce the start of SCL proper in project news. Stay tuned!
In addition, we are proud to announce the transition to a ranking system. We have been testing it with your help for a long time and now we’re finally ready to announce the official launch. The changes affect module mechanics as well as matchmaking.
Star Conflict Leagues
The new mode is open to teams with a small number of pilots. Teams from SCL tournaments can face each other during the season, raising or lowering their rating. The test version of SCL for public access is only going to show the rating and the team’s place in the standings, while players within the team will be able to see the number of games played and the number of battles won. To learn more about the new SCL mode visit our dev blog.
Teams
The process of creating teams is the same as with creating corporations, except that it’s free
A team can have up to 6 pilots
The pilot who created the team is assigned leadership
A pilot can only lead one team
A pilot can only be on one team
Only the leader can invite and kick pilots
Team leadership can’t be transferred to any pilot
Each team has its own rating depending on battle results
Battles
There are certain timeframes for battles in SCL. Battles are held every day during the following hours: 0.00-1.00, 2.00-3.00, 6.00-7.00, 8.00-9.00, 10.00-11.00, 12.00-13.00, 14.00-15.00, 17.00-18.00, 22.00-23.00 (all times in UTC)
Pilots will get special notifications on battle start
Battles will be held with ships of ranks 13-15.
During the testing period 4 pliots from each team can participate in battles
Each pilot has to equip at least 3 combat slots with ships
The team forms a wing for each battle
Wings join a special queue
Only team leader can add a team to the queue
Special conditions
Breaking game rules on general servers may lead to bans on any team actions: joining battles or changing roster
Rank system
The game now has a new matchmaker that forms teams based on ship ranks. Ship equipment mechanics have also been reworked. You can learn more about the new matchmaker and module system in our dev blog.
Ships can join the same battle in 3 ranks range
Balance is calculated based on the highest-ranked ship in combat slots
Battles have a mandatory condition of having the same number of high- and low-ranked ships in each team.
Ship restrictions
Allowed difference between the highest and the lowest-ranked ship in one’s combat slots has been reduced to 3 ranks
Added module ranks
Now each weapon and each module has its own rank range
Each ship can only be equipped with weapons and modules of appropriate ranks (rank ranges are individual for each module and weapon)
Modules of inappropriate ranks installed before the update have been dismounted and placed in storage
Changed ship survivability progress
Ships will be getting a large part of their maximum possible survivability on the first synergy levels. Besides, total survivability has been increased for most ships, yet survivability for rank 14-15 ships remains the same.
PvP
Wings of 3 or 4 players had a significant effect on game balance, a solo player had little chance to put up any kind of resistance regardless of his skill.
That’s why 3-man and 4-man wings no longer have access to PvP modes
Such wings can move to the game mode that requires teamwork skills built specifically for them. This is the aforementioned SC Leagues mode.
Wings of this size can still access the following game modes: Special Operation, PvE, Sector Conquest, Weekend Tournaments, Open Space
PvE
Mission Fire support
Increased cruiser missile turret damage
Other
New PvE missions now show tips from non-player characters, similar to messages in Open Space.
Weapons
All ship equipment that deals damage, as well as restoration modules, will be changed the following way: equipment of lower ranks will become stronger, while characteristics of identical equipment on higher ranks will remain the same.
Mass Driver
Damage reduced by 7%
Destructor
Damage increased by 10%
Field size increased by 30%
Ion Emitter
Damage increased by 7%
Effectiveness of resistance reduction has been increased by 20%
Modules
In order to increase the attractiveness of Command fighters we made some changes in the mechanics of active modules for this role that should make the role’s use more situational and interesting.
‘Aegis’ System
Passive effect is now approximately 75% of the previous value, does not require energy or being manually toggled.
The primary toggled effect is now 100% stronger, but it works for 10 seconds with a 45-55 second cooldown (depending on rank).
Coating Polarizer
Passive effect is now approximately 75% of the previous value, does not require energy or being manually toggled.
The primary toggled effect is now 100% stronger, but it works for 10 seconds with a 45-55 second cooldown (depending on rank).
Gravi-scanner
Now has passive effect, working at 15% of the base value, does not require energy or being manually toggled
The main effect remains unchanged.
Also, passive effects of these modules no longer suffer from control effects, for example from Ion Diffuser or Stasis Generator
Miscellaneous
Open space
Engineer gates now only work for group members
Errands
Tweaked errand mechanics in Open space:
Removed cooldowns between errands, now you can complete them without interruptions.
Slightly reduced rewards for each errand.
Modules
‘System Hack’ can now seize control of mines whose owners have been defeated in battle
Manufacturing
When someone manufactures a ship, a message is now broadcasted to general chat
Dreadnought battle
Improved queue mechanics
Incomplete teams are now supported by AI ships
If an enemy team only has mercenaries and no corporation pilots, in case of victory it has no effect on defence forces of the contested location
A mercenary can’t get into battle if it’s a sector conquest battle in a location belonging to the mercenary’s corporation. You can’t participate in battles against your own corporation
Corporations
Officers can no longer kick pilots from the corporation
Locations
Introduced a number of important changes and fixes on more than 50 battlegrounds, including locations:
Alpha-7
Iridium haul
Control Post
‘Poseidon’ Complex
Tracking Station
Corporation shipyards
Research Center
Inverter
Ice belt
Defiled Solaris Wasteland
Dreadnought Battle
Federation Hangar
Lava Spines
Iridium Mines
Iridium Strand
Abandoned Complex
Mendes IX
Monolith Ruins
Naberia-392
Other open space locations
Bug fixes
Robot in Empire hangar no longer leaves the zone
Holograms can no longer take bombs and capture beacons
Fixed the medal From The Grave being given for using Holograms
Fixed incorrect display of repairs while using Holograms
Fixed a bug with building and upgrading dreadnought turrets
Fixed a bug with incorrect AI ship rank matches in dreadnought battle
Improved texts
Fixed technical details appearing in mail messages
Fixed incorrect use of free space in storage when manufacturing ammunition