October 1, 2020 Update

PC servers will come down Thursday, October 1, 2020, at 6am PT (3pm CEST), for the game update below. Downtime is expected to last up to four hours.

"There were warning signs. We rely so much on this technology, and yet understand so little. An inconsistency here, an outage there, the occasional soldier lost forever in the data."

- We overlooked it all because we had no choice... Did we have a choice? I still haven't heard back from the 50 who were there at the time of collapse. They could be gone, too. Lost forever in the data.

The Shattered Warpgate
After months of work, the time has finally come for this massive, multi-faceted update to make its way PlanetSide. With The Shattered Warpgate, we overhaul the icy continent of Esamir, introduce an entirely new Campaign and Mission system, revamp Outfit resource accumulation and War Asset costs, and refine many other aspects of the game as well.



Esamir Upheaval
The continent of Esamir has gone through many changes since you last saw it. The Northeastern Warpgate has been destroyed, and in its wake are the time-frozen remains of an ancient Vanu structure, and a vortex of energy pouring into the sky.
 * New Skybox: Esamir has gotten colder with an overcast sky, the auroras have gotten brighter, and the sky shudders with cracks of lightning overhead.
 * Abandoned Bases: Due to hardline failures and defunct technology, many bases on Esamir have been abandoned for the snow to reclaim.
 * Disabled Vehicles: Disabled during the explosion, derelict vehicles can be found scattered throughout Esamir, and with the right tech, able to be reclaimed.
 * New and Modified Bases: After the collapse, empires scrambled to modify and construct new bases to accommodate the changed environment.
 * New Warpgate Location: Nanite Systems has unveiled new "Haven" technology that acts as a pseudo-Warpgate for the eastern portion of Esamir.
 * Revamped Lattice: The lattice has been reconfigured to conform to the new environment, and bases now tend to be fewer and farther between.
 * Environmental Hazard: An Electrical Storm roams the battlefield, calling down deadly lightning bolts and overloading vehicle systems.



Campaigns
With The Shattered Warpgate update, we introduce our first-ever "Campaign" to the game. The story of The Shattered Warpgate centers around the detonation of a Warpgate in northeastern Esamir. Nanite Systems spearheads the investigation into the mysteries surrounding the event, and enlists the help of soldiers across all empires to help return stability to the land.

What's a Campaign?

 * A Campaign is a multi-staged progression of the in-game world that takes place over several Chapters.
 * Participating in a Campaign will unlock lore-driven story missions that explore the evolving war on Auraxis, and the minds of those behind it.
 * Campaigns and their Chapters are specifically crafted to be completed without an extensive time commitment; and the events therein are meant to exist alongside the normal day-to-day gameplay of the world.

What's a Chapter?

 * Chapters are time-locked segments of a Campaign, and cannot be repeated, or participated in if you miss out.
 * Each Chapter tells a separate portion of the overarching story, and the world continues to evolve with each Chapter.
 * There are multiple "Events" (similar to Missions) that must be completed before a Chapter is considered complete.

Campaign Rewards and Equipment

 * Campaigns and their Chapters each have rewards available on completion. A Chapter's rewards are unlocked when all of the Chapter Events are completed, and a Campaign's rewards are unlocked when each Chapter within the Campaign is completed.
 * Additionally, new equipment is available during a Campaign, some of which may be unlocked with Campaign Standing.
 * Campaign Standing is earned by participating in Chapter Events, as well as Campaign Side-missions (explained more in the Mission section.)

Unlocking the Campaign
The certification cost of a Campaigns scales with Battle Rank, and players with an active membership gain access automatically. When a Campaign is unlocked, it remains unlocked for all subsequent Chapters, and unlocking a Campaign with certifications must be done per character.

Certification Costs per Battle Rank: We hope you'll find The Shattered Warpgate a welcome change of pace that will cement elements of the existing lore while continuing to create new stories for all to enjoy.
 * BR 1-10 = 100 Certs
 * BR 11-20 = 250 Certs
 * BR 21-30 = 500 Certs
 * BR 31-40 = 750 Certs
 * BR 41-50 = 1250 Certs
 * BR 51-60 = 1500 Certs
 * BR 61-70 = 1750 Certs
 * BR 71-80 = 2000 Certs
 * BR 81-90 = 2250 Certs
 * BR 91-100 = 2500 Certs
 * BR 101+ = 2750 Certs (Includes players who have prestiged.)



New Mission System
Players now have access to an all-new Mission system that offers up daily missions players can complete for rewards.

What's a mission?

 * A mission is a time-limited objective that a player can take on within the game world.
 * Missions can be accepted daily by visiting a Mission Board, or opening the UI window with the "i" key by default.
 * All players can accept up to 3 missions daily, and players with active memberships can accept up to 6 each day.

Contractors, Rewards, and Rarities
Each mission is dispensed from a "Contractor" that represents one of the factions in our world. While all contractors have the ability to reward experience, boosts, and certifications, there are additional rewards offered based on the contractor.
 * Nanite Systems - Implants, ISO-4, and Nanite Systems weapons can be rewarded by completing Nanite Systems missions.
 * Black Market - Implants and A7 can be rewarded by completing Black Market missions.
 * Vanu Sovereignty, New Conglomerate, Terran Republic, and Nanite Systems Operatives - Merit and Empire Weapons (or NS for NSO,) can be rewarded by completing faction missions.

Missions come in a variety of rarities which represent difficulty, time investment, and intensity. The higher the rarity, the better the rewards for that mission type.

Training Missions

 * Players up to BR15 will receive "Training Missions" that help acclimate new players to various types of gameplay.
 * These missions also offer better-than-average rewards for the time investment.

Campaign Side-Missions

 * Players who are participating in the current Campaign will have access to various Campaign Side-Missions.
 * These side-missions reward Campaign Standing, in exchange for a certification buy-in.
 * Playing through the Campaign will also unlock new side-missions that have a chance to appear in your daily pool.



Indar Terrain Changes

 * The Crown has received changes to capture point placement, D point has been removed, and B point can now be reached from both the north, south, and eastern sides of the base through an underground combat area.
 * Ceres Hydroponics has received some adjustments to reduce prop density, and adjust sight lines, and the hill to TI Alloys has received some new paths around the eastern side.
 * TI Alloys has received reductions in its defensive capabilities, and the rock bridge connecting it to The Crown has been destroyed.

Sanctuary Changes

 * Players will now log into Sanctuary initially.
 * The visuals within and without Sanctuary has received much in the way of cleanup and improvement.
 * A new "Social" chat channel is available for all Sanctuary-goers, allowing cross-faction chat throughout the station.
 * Mission Boards are available within Sanctuary, that will take you to the Mission page on interacting with them. They've also been placed in each Warpgate.
 * A campaign rewards vendor can now be found in the Outfit Quartermaster shop.
 * Outfit Quartermaster/Outfit Recruiter have swapped places.
 * FL-34 and SPRK-33 in the Black Market shop have swapped places.
 * Speaking with FL-34 in Sanctuary will open the implant crafting menu for the player.



Implants

 * All exceptional implants can now be crafted for an ISO-4 cost from the crafting screen.
 * Firestorm
 * This implant has been added to the drop table.
 * Actual crafting cost has been instated at 3500.
 * Recoil and CoF bloom penalty from 200% to 100%
 * No longer uncaps horizontal recoil tolerance.

Mentor Chat

 * Players who complete the Leadership tier 2 directive will now have access to Mentor Chat regardless of their current Mentor Rank.
 * Replaced Implant Pack Tier 2 Leadership directive reward with "Mentor Chat Access."
 * Players up to BR30 (and less than 100 directive score) now have access to /new chat, was previously until BR15.

War Asset Costs Overhaul
Changes to Map-based Resource Gain
 * Upon a successful capture, bases award their full resource value to any participating outfits above a contribution threshold of 1000 score.
 * Outfits who own a base continue to gain resource ticks over time once every 5 minutes, (no changes from Live.)
 * Sanctuary no longer offers resource trading.
 * Expeditions have been retooled to provide larger resource drops with a consistent conversion.
 * Assets can no longer be Overclocked at all. This is an experiment to see if the slowed pacing, coupled with the resource changes below, result in more diverse war asset usage.

War Assets now have resource type associations drawn more exclusively with their desirability.

Auraxium-based Assets:
 * Light ANVIL
 * 5 Auraxium for 3 ANVILs
 * Medium ANVIL
 * 25 Auraxium
 * Heavy ANVIL
 * 50 Auraxium
 * Facility Modules
 * 10 Auraxium for 5 modules
 * Duration from 10 minutes to 20 minutes.
 * Weight from 5 to 0.

Synthium-based Assets:
 * Citadel Shield
 * 25 Synthium
 * Steel Rain
 * 15 Synthium
 * Weight from 50 to 25
 * Crafting time from 30 minutes to 15 minutes.
 * Orbital Strike
 * 75 Synthium

Polystellarite-based Assets
 * Bastion Fleet Carrier
 * Time to craft per asset increased to 12 hours per piece.
 * 25 Polystellarite
 * 20 Polystellarite
 * 15 Polystellarite
 * 10 Polystellarite
 * Colossus Tank
 * 15 Polystellarite

Expedition Values:
 * Synthium Short
 * Cost from 100 Auraxium to 50 Auraxium
 * Yield from 25-35 to 35 Synthium
 * Synthium Medium
 * Cost from 150 Auraxium to 100 Auraxium
 * Yield from 50-70 to 75 Synthium
 * Synthium Long
 * Cost from 200 Auraxium to 150 Auraxium
 * Yield from 75-105 to 150 Synthium
 * Polystellarite Short
 * Cost from 50 Synthium to 25 Synthium
 * Yield from 5-7 to 7
 * Polystellarite Medium
 * Cost from 75 Synthium to 50 Synthium
 * Yield from 10-14 to 15
 * Polystellarite Long
 * Cost from 100 Synthium to 75 Synthium
 * Yield from 15-21 to 30



Colossus
Dev Note: We're increasing the survivability of the Colossus' deployment shield significantly, though there will likely need to be additional tuning on a per-type basis following this change.
 * Deployment Shield damage has been reduced by 50% across the board.
 * The "War Horn" is now available for the Colossus in the Depot.

Liberator
''Dev Note: These changes allow ESF to more effectively engage Liberator crews, and the health reduction provides and all-around reduction in the staying power a Liberator can have over certain fights. A2A lock-on resistance changes are applied so that the shots to kill versus Tomcats does not see a shots-to-kill change from Live. ''
 * Maximum health from 5000 to 4500.
 * Aircraft nosegun resistance (type 8) from 85 to 83.
 * A2A lockon resistance (type 45) from -100 to -75.

Nanite Costs
Dev Note: Overdue housekeeping change as Harasser/Lightning have been balanced along similar lines in recent years, and should result in slightly fewer Harassers on the field at any given time.
 * Harasser nanite cost from 150 to 300
 * Lightning nanite cost from 350 to 300

Aspis Anti-Aircraft Phalanx Turret
Dev Note: This returns some of the range that was lost in a previous update, increasing the maximum projectile distance from 450 meters to 750 meters.
 * Projectile lifespan from 1.2 seconds to 2 seconds.

M202 Wyrm (ESF)
Dev Note: These changes result in a slight boost to the effectiveness of this weapon at extreme distances.
 * M202 Wyrm minimum damage from 250 to 275.

Havoc Missiles (ESF)

 * New "Havoc Missiles" are now available from the Black Market weapon vendor in Sanctuary as an ESF secondary slot weapon.
 * These A2A lockons will fire a barrage of four missiles that, on impact, will prevent the target vehicle from being repaired for a short time.

Galaxy and Bastion
''Dev Note: For the Galaxy, this is a small change in the realm of being able to survive one extra Tomcat lockon missile, but with a typical repair convoy, this small change should pay dividends for overall survivability. For the Bastion, the goal is to to reduce some of the extreme value lockons currently have against the weakpoints, though these changes don't dethrone the weapon by any means.''
 * A2A lockon resistance (type 45) from -125 to -100.

MAX
Dev Note: Burster MAX should feel slightly less impotent now when dealing with aircraft.
 * NS-10 Burster indirect (flak explosion) damage from 25 to 28.

Player Studio items

 * Old War Heavy Assault armor and helmet (Terran Republic,) by Doku
 * Armadillo Sunderer exterior, bumper, and tires (All Factions,) by Steveo
 * Challenger Vanguard exterior plating (New Conglomerate,) by Lobstrex
 * Response Infiltrator armor (NSO,) by binarycoder
 * Ravenshroud helmet (Terran Republic,) by CountPoly

Bug Fixes

 * Using bad html in the Outfit MotD will no longer bleed into the rest of your chat box.
 * Default keybindings no longer activates your vehicle utility with the horn key.
 * Colossus now generates outfit logs when crafted or spawned.
 * Cleaned up issues with wielded knife animations.
 * NSO characters can now switch profile banners. A bug still exists with new NSO characters being equipped with the wrong default banner.
 * SR-200 (NSO Sniper Rifle) no longer inherits camo applied to the character's body.
 * Javelin cockpit handlebars now rotate correctly in first person.
 * Black Market terminals now show weapon stats correctly.
 * Fixed various broken props and stretched textures.
 * Removed outdated information from the Membership panel related to earning levels.
 * NSO faction now has its own Heavy Assault Shield effects, visible when they are not assigned to another team, like when they're used in Sanctuary.
 * Fixed a typo in the air vehicle render distance description of the graphical settings menu.
 * Fixed an issue causing vehicle HUD overlays to be rotated for a frame before realigning themselves.
 * Selecting Koltyr on the World Map no longer shows broken image.
 * Camos should now appear properly on characters, instead of sometimes showing missing.
 * Fixed a longstanding issue where the player BR would appear incorrect on outfit applications after the outfit leader, logs off and back in with pending applications.

Gameplay

 * To accommodate the additional rewards through the Mission system, alerts no longer offer ISO-4, A7, or Certs.
 * Alert winners now receive 25,000 XP and losers/runner-up receive 10,000 XP.
 * Daily Ribbon Bonuses have also been removed.
 * Render distance can now be set for infantry/ground vehicle/air vehicles individually, this option can be found in the graphics settings.
 * Minimap and Map zoom levels now persist between logins and while transferring continents.
 * Attempting to promote someone to platoon leader will prompt you with a confirmation dialog.
 * Water on Indar, Amerish, and Esamir has updated visuals.
 * Reduced the performance impact of many UI elements.
 * Made adjustments to Join Combat in an attempt to target more balanced fights.
 * Adjusted Empire Strength to mainly rely on Territory control, instead of base-specific control.
 * Observer camera can no longer capture vehicle capture points.
 * Lengthened the quickest respawn time available by 3 seconds.
 * Revisited loading screen tips to ensure accuracy, and added new ones related to Bastion, Colossus, Missions, and Campaigns.

Looking Forward
Welp, that was a massive update. It's difficult to overstate just how much work goes into something like this, and the team has been grinding for months to not only create these new experiences, but also pave the way for future updates in a similar vein. With The Shattered Warpgate, we introduce not only the new Campaign, but also Missions, and that's what I wanted to chime in on for a bit here toward the end. The Mission System is important from a design perspective (at least conceptually, we'll see how it turns out,) because it answers a question that has been asked for years: "What do I do with my session?", or in some cases just "What do I do?"

For those of us who have been playing PlanetSide 2 for many years now, the low-friction drop in and drop out gameplay, and the make-your-own-fun sandbox had a special appeal, but even that was supported by other systems such as Alerts or Directives that provided focus points in our sessions. Directives mainly address the long-term goals for players, while Alerts created more pressing win-conditions. Session goals, however, haven't been explored all that much. Alerts are about the closest things players have to a session goal without creating one of their own, and Alerts aren't available at all times of day. So with Missions, regardless of how much time you have to play in that session, whether it's 2 hours or 30 minutes, we wanted to give you something specific that you could accomplish and feel rewarded for. The system also had the potential to help guide new players through training missions and slower, less intense forms of gameplay as well.

Speaking of new players, I'd like to quickly touch on what we have coming up later this year. As much as it's been talked about it over... forever, the new player experience is actually something we're working toward in the near term. A new tutorial, character select screen, and some surrounding elements are among that which we have on our list. Between a new tutorial and the Missions System, the whole new player experience (and the introduction to the world of Auraxis as a whole,) should end up in a better place. For the time being, the old tutorial has been re-enabled as we determined there was some value there in terms of early retention, despite it not being an ideal introductory experience.

Outfit Wars is also getting some fun changes to it. And by fun changes, I'm really talking about a massive overhaul that will allow more outfits to participate, introduce a proper ranking system, and remove the sandbox qualifier grind that burned players out during the first couple of tests. We'll be talking about this and more in a Livestream here in the nearish future. When we've got a date lined up, we'll let you know.

Thanks everyone, hope you enjoy the update. -Wrel, Lead Designer