Loot'n Toot'n Freighters
As some of you have already realized we're making some changes to freighters and how they work. Some of these changes are already implemented in Revelations 1.4, but others will be made in the forthcoming 1.4.2 patch as well as this summer's scheduled Revelations 2 deployment.
Can it be?! Do Freighters finally drop loot??
Before Revelations 1.4, freighters did not drop any loot when they were destroyed, something which could be both disastrous and handy for the owner. Disastrous because it meant you had no chance to get any of your stuff back and handy because it meant that your enemies couldn't get it either.
After the Revelations 1.4.2 patch, a free mandatory invisible upgrade will be added to all freighters in the form of reinforced bulkheads with a built in quantum-dot-field-lattice and a high-tech sprinkler system! This will allow freighters to drop parts of their cargo when they are destroyed, just like other ships.
A new weapon in the battlefield: Lag bomb?
Prior to Rev 1.4 all containers in a ships hold (ships and cargo containers) were jettisoned into space. Due to the introduction of wrecks, this system changed.
If a ship carrying a large amount of jettisonable stuff in its hold is destroyed, a problem arises: Each one of the items is added into local space which can cause severe lag while the data is being propagated. In the case of freighters this can involve the jettison of thousands of shuttles (for example) at once... which is bad... very bad.
Due to this and other reasons, nearly everything from a ship will be placed in the wreck instead of being ejected into space, including ships and unassembled containers.
This might correspond to a rather big change for some people; if your ship carries a smaller ship in its hold then the smaller ship will not be directly usable if it survives the pop. To make it usable another ship needs to pick it up and jettison it.
Another example is a ship carrying secure containers. Before these containers were all jettisoned as assembled containers, should they survice, they are stored in the wreck. This change will apply to all ships, not just freighters.
Here you can see the effect: before and after :-D
But how can we loot it? 100 Bestowers 4tw?
Freighters are huge beasts with roughly a million ton cargo capacity. It's going to be mighty difficult to transport the loot from a wreck, especially since the freighter might be carrying equipment that smaller ships cannot carry because of sheer volume. Also, freighters are not able to conduct any cargo operations in space.
This problem will be solved in Revelations 1.4.2 with another free freighter enhancement, a universal freighter cargo transfer port which will allow in-space freighters to loot items from freighter wrecks as well as General Freight Containers. This procedure will be completely transparent to the pilot who can just loot these types of containers like others.
Freighters and Starbases
In Revelations 1.4.2 we will also see more freighter love in the form of in-space operations where freighters will be able to conduct all normal cargo operations when they're close to an online POS Control Tower such as transferring cargo to and from Starbase structures and corporation hangars of other ships.
You might be wondering about what technological breakthrough causes this. Being just a lowly programmer I'm not privy to all the specifics but from what I've heard it has something to do with Tachyons.
The same principles will most likely apply to construction platforms (outpost eggs), allowing freighters to transport building materials to an outpost being built.
The only thing freighters cannot do in these locations is jettison items, but as we all know freighters don't have a jettison tube.
Is there any chance you have a short version?
- Freighters will drop loot correctly. Soon™!
- All unassembled items are dropped inside ship wrecks, including other ships formerly ejected from the wreck.
- In Revelations 1.4.2 freighters will be able to loot freighter wrecks and general freight containers in space.
- In Revelations 1.4.2 freighters will probably be able to do most cargo operations in the vicinity of certain starbase structures.
Corporation Enhancements
On a separate note, corporations are getting some much deserved loving in Revelations 2 ("'tis about time!"?). We've been getting fabulous feedback from players and are working hand-in-hand with the community to improve corporation management. Without committing to anything at this stage, some of the highlights we'll be looking into for this release are:
- Corporation Wallet Divisions
- Data Export
- Improved remote item management
- Improved and simplified corporation interface
- Remote starbase management
- More roles
You get the idea, but we've got a huge list compiled from player feedback. That being said, I'm not sure what will get into Rev 2 and what will come later, but we are fiercely committed to improving the quality-of-corporate-life. The list above is what's at the top of our pile at the moment and hopefully we'll get it done.
War Fees
On a yet another separate note, the mechanics of War Fees will change in the 1.4.2 patch.
Previously a war issued by an alliance would cost 50M + 50M/week. If the alliance or corporation being warred against was already the victim of another war that fee would increase by 50M for each war declared against the victim.
Money-grubbing CONCORD has decided that the number of wars declared by the aggressor will now also count to increase the war prices and the larger of the two is used to determine the war instigation and upkeep fees.
Example: Alliance P has ten wars in progress. They will have to pay 500M/war/week to keep the war machine running. If they now declare war on the eleventh corporation or alliance that war will cost 550M to start and the upkeep cost will be 550M/war/week for all the wars until any of the wars is canceled.
This is an important matter of game-balance and we're happy we're finally getting it in.
That's all for now. I'm looking forward to telling you more about improvements to corporation management once we have it all finalized, but that has to wait until next time.
Tootles,
Nonni