Lightning/History

Game Update Number 4

 * The inner/outer blast radius from the following vehicle based weapons has been reduced
 * Lightning: L100 Python HEAT : Inner radius blast reduced from 1.5 to 1 meter. Outer radius blast reduced from 7 to 5 meters.
 * Lightning: L100 Python HE : Inner radius blast reduced from 2 to 1.5 meters. Outer radius blast reduced from 11 to 8 meters.
 * The experience granted for killing many enemy vehicles has been increased:
 * Lightning: 400 xp, increased from 100 xp

Game Update Number 8

 * Tank Armor Changes: In general the below changes will allow tanks to sustain one more anti-tank round to the front and sides and about 1.5 to 2 more tank rounds to the rear. Armor certifications are listed as decreasing, this was to keep them able to absorb roughly one addition anti-tank round to that side. Also smoothed out some unnecessary inconsistencies between the tanks.

Lightning
 * Front Armor Increased from 55 to 65
 * Front Armor certification bonus decreased from 10 to 7
 * Side & Top Armor Increased from 45 to 58
 * Side Armor certification bonus decreased from 10 to 8
 * Top Armor certification bonus decreased from 15 to 8
 * Rear & Bottom Armor Increased
 * New Armor Piercing 30mm Resist Type: A new resist type has been created for Tank Busting caliber chain guns. Tanks have been given a vulnerability to this resist type. This makes these weapons nearly as effective as they were before the above armor increases.
 * Lightning (65)


 * New Armor Piercing Round Resist Type: A new resist type has been created for AP tanks rounds (and a few other weapons). Tanks have been given a vulnerability to this resist type. This makes these weapons nearly as effective as they were before the above armor increases.
 * The following weapons use this new resist type
 * Lightning L100 Python AP


 * Lightning (-25) AP resist damage

Game Update Number 11

 * Resource Cost Increases for Tanks and MAXes
 * Lightning: 300
 * Miscellaneous Changes
 * Pulled the third person camera for Main Battle Tanks and Lightnings out about 1 meter

Performance Update Number 2

 * ESF Nose cannon adjustments (Default and Rotary)
 * Lightnings: Resistance increased about 20%
 * VS Vortex VM21
 * Charge Level 2
 * Small reduction to damage against Sunderers, Lightnings, and all aircraft
 * Armor Piercing Bullets
 * Lightning resistance to Armor Piercing Bullets increased: Adding about 1 second to the TTK on average.

June 19th, 2014 Patch

 * L1015 Zepher
 * The resist and damage adjustments results in the following changes
 * Lightning (9 HK to 10 HK)

August 5th, 2014 Update

 * Resource Consolidation
 * Nanite Costs of Vehicles and Consumables:
 * 350 - ESFs, Lightning, MAX
 * Bugs Fixed
 * Lightnings and Vanguards turrets are showing stretched textures when the turret is turned

September 26, 2017 Update

 * MBT and Lightning Armor
 * Main Battle Tanks and Lightnings now receive the same amount of damage from all sides, except from the bottom or behind. This means that remaining mobile is less punishing, as getting shot in the side no longer penalizes you with extra damage. At the same time, successful flanks and sneak attacks on targets from behind will now yield double damage against that target.
 * Vehicle Handling Improvements
 * Most of the vehicle handling adjustments have already hit live servers, but additional adjustments have been made to Racer and Rival chassis for Lightning, Vanguard, and Prowler. These changes reduce some of the slipperiness that comes from these chassis types, and reduces penalties related to stopping power and brake use.
 * MBT and Lightning Main Cannons
 * Main Battle Tanks and the Lightning have received a pass on their main cannons that allows them to compete more closely with one another, and overall gravity and projectile speeds have been reduced to bring in the common effective ranges of these weapons.
 * HEAT now stands out as the fastest reloading and highest damage over time cannon; AP has the best velocity and lowest gravity of the other cannons, as well as higher alpha damage per hit; and HESH has the best splash damage, and the same direct damage as AP, but suffers from AP’s poor reload speed, and HEAT’s lower velocity and heavier projectile.
 * The Lightning’s C75 Viper has been repurposed as a tank busting weapon that unloads a high amount of damage over its 6 round magazine, but can only achieve that damage over short ranges, due to heavy cone of fire bloom.
 * Flanker Armor (Lightning, MBT)
 * Lightning and MBT Armors have been refunded, and a new “Flanker Armor” has been added.
 * Flanker Armor increases resistance to C4, ensuring that two bricks will not be able to kill a Main Battle Tank.
 * Lightnings will still be destroyed with two well-placed bricks, but the damage of each brick is significantly reduced, complementing the small size and maneuverability of the platform.

February 8, 2018 Update

 * Removed braking penalty on Racer chassis.
 * Dev Note: The previous brake reduction was causing issues with the lateral friction while moving over hills and rough terrain. This change makes the vehicle easier to control all around.

March 20, 2019 Update

 * Tank Shell resistance (type 7) from 0 to -50
 * Rear armor from -100 to -50
 * Dev Note: While the original goal of increasing survivability for more casual or inexperienced players was well intentioned, tank versus tank combat became too much of a slugfest to be enjoyable for veterans. This change is a major swing back toward shorter tank versus tank time to kill values to bring back some of the tense, fast-paced gameplay (as well as some of the frustration that gameplay caused.) We'll continue to pursue avenues for easing less experienced players into the tank game, but it will no longer come at the cost of this style of gameplay.

September 15, 2021 Update

 * Default Utility and Defense
 * Standard vehicles have received rank 1 Fire Suppression as the default utility item.
 * Standard vehicles have received rank 1 Nanite Auto-Repair as their default defense item, except for the Sunderer, which has received rank 1 Deployment Shield.
 * Lightning
 * The L100 Python HEAT has replaced the C75 Viper as the default main cannon.
 * L100 Python HEAT direct damage from 525 to 575.
 * L100 Python HEAT reload speed from 2 sec. to 2.5 sec.
 * L100 Python AP gravity from 4 to 5, to fall in line with other tank cannons.
 * Resist type 4 reduced from 87 to 80 for the ANT, Chimera, Lightning, Vanguard, Prowler, Magrider, and Sunderer.