Continent Locking

 refers to the system that allows continents to be conquered by the empires, converting all facilities on that continent to the victor's allegiance and granting them a persistent benefit across Auraxis.

Continents are locked when an empire wins a Meltdown Alert, granting the alert's victor a persistent benefit appropriate to the continent they conquered. Continents remain under the dominance of the victorious faction until unlocked, which occurs when the previous continent in the continent rotation is itself locked, or if the continent is the next in the rotation when the server's population crosses 800 players.

Locked continents have all spawning capability disabled, including that of vehicles and of the victorious faction. Players can still be revived and otherwise continue fighting as they wish, however will be forced to choose a spawn off-continent if they want to respawn.

Effects
When a continent is conquered and locked, several effects will immediately occur.


 * All of that continent's facilities, including all three warpgates, will be awarded to the victorious faction.
 * The continent's sky will turn a hue appropriate to the conqueror—red, if the Terran Republic, purple for the Vanu Sovereignty, and blue when the New Conglomerate.
 * A notice will be placed upon the screen of all players alive on the continent, informing them of the victor and prompting them to redeploy to another continent.
 * The victorious empire will immediately begin to enjoy the continent's benefit.
 * If appropriate, another continent will unlock subject to continent rotation rules.

Benefits
When an empire conquers a continent, they earn a benefit that will by enjoyed by their soldiers and facilities across all other continents until another empire conquers that continent. Listed below are the persistent benefits granted to the conqueror by each respective continent.

The following benefits, although listed in-game, are non-functional due to a bug. Accurate as of the December 15, 2021 Update.
 * Hossin — Ammo Supply Towers and Landing Pads now repair allied vehicles and aircraft.
 * Amerish — Generators will auto-repair themselves over time at a rate of 5 health per second.
 * Oshur — Aircraft have their nanite costs reduced by 20%.
 * Esamir — Infantry stood near allied control terminals have their personal shielding increased by 50.
 * Indar — Phalanx Turrets have their heat efficiency increased, causing them to generate less heat per shot.

Though the only reliable method through which to earn these benefits is to conqueror a continent through an alert, owning 100% of the territory on a continent (every facility except warpgates/flotilla) will grant the relevant empire that continent's bonus. However, given owning even a fraction of that amount of territory would start a meltdown alert, this is almost impossible to achieve and is a relic of game versions prior to the implementation of continent locking.

Continent Rotation
Whenever it is appropriate for a continent to unlock, the game will unlock the continent that has spent the longest time locked—if continent A has been locked for twelve hours, continent B for three, and continent C for sixteen hours, then continent C would unlock first, followed by continent A when the system needs to unlock an additional continent.

There are currently two triggers that can cause a continent to unlock.
 * When a continent is conquered, assuming the server's population can support it, the next continent in the rotation will be immediately unlocked.
 * If the server's population exceeds 800 players, the next continent in the rotation will immediately unlock.
 * When the server's population falls below 800 players, conquering a continent will not open the next continent if it would cause less than three continents to be locked.

Newly unlocked continents will open in an unstable state. Up to three continents may be locked at a time.

History

 * June 26th, 2014 Patch
 * Continents can now be locked to a conquering empire in one of two ways:
 * Dominate the continent by owning at least 94% of the territory
 * Win an alert
 * When a continent locks, the conquering empire automatically captures all remaining regions on the continent
 * All players on the locked continent will be prompted to redeploy to another continent.
 * A maximum of 2 continents can be locked at any one time.
 * Whenever a continent is locked the oldest existing locked continent will automatically unlock.
 * A Continent Benefit is now only active while the continent is locked.
 * Continent Benefits have changed:
 * Amerish gives -50% Infantry Purchases (up from -10% Aerospace Purchases)
 * Esamir gives -50% Mechanized Purchases (up from -10% Mechanized Purchases)
 * Indar gives -50% Aerospace Purchases (up from -10% Infantry Purchases)
 * Hossin gives +25% XP (new)
 * To accommodate continent locking, Global Alerts have been removed from the game, meaning every alert is now specific to a continent
 * When a continent is unlocked the warpgates on that continent will rotate, and territory will be reset to a default starting configuration for each warpgate.
 * Warpgates will no longer rotate every other week and are now exclusively rotated via continent locking.
 * August 5, 2014 Update
 * We did some polish and bug fixing. We also added new adversarial alerts.
 * Adversarial Alerts
 * An Adversarial Alert triggers whenever an empire controls at least 75% of a continent
 * The "defending" empire wins the alert by gaining 35% territory control
 * The continent locks in the case of an attacker win
 * It is considered a draw if neither the attacker nor defenders meet their win condition
 * Outfit capture data will clear if continent locking or unlocking changes base to faction other than what captured it.
 * If the last continent you were on is now locked, it will try to find another continent for you before resorting to VR.
 * Capture Progress is now reset when a continent becomes locked.
 * Added lock icon on continent selection drop down to show if a continent is locked.
 * August 29, 2014 Update
 * Alerts
 * Removed Adversarial Alerts and reverted to the previous alert implementation:
 * Alerts trigger based on time
 * Alerts have a maximum duration of 2 hours
 * The empire with the most territory control at the end of the alert wins and locks the continent
 * Quality of Life/Misc
 * It is now possible for up to 4 continents to unlock automatically based on server population. Previously, only up to 3 continents would unlock automatically.
 * October 2, 2014 Update
 * Nanite of the Living Dead!
 * New Alert type - Pumpkin Hunt
 * The empire that has destroyed the most pumpkins at the end of the alert locks the continent.
 * Bugs Fixed
 * Continent locked Amerish does not reward 50% consumable bonus (PS-518)
 * Continent Locking: Continent territory control after reset does not match up with warp gate rotation
 * Continent Locking: Outfit capture does not reset after the continent unlocks and regions reset
 * October 3, 2014 Hotfix
 * Pumpkin Hunt alerts no longer lock the continent.
 * October 30, 2014 Update
 * Misc
 * Continents can again be locked by owning at least 94% of the territory, independent of alerts.
 * The following bugs have been addressed (PIT issue # where applicable):
 * Indar continent lock incorrectly provides -50% consumables cost in addition to the intended -50% air resource cost
 * November 12, 2014 Hotfix
 * Continent locks should provide appropriate bonuses
 * January 8, 2015 Hotfix
 * Indar will now unlock correctly on Connery
 * April 9th, 2015 Update
 * Auraxium C4 cost is now reduced by Amerish lock benefit.
 * October 29, 2015 Update
 * Victory Points
 * Continents will no longer be captured by alerts and territory control alone! Victory Points are a new method of scoring within the game. If your faction earns the required number of Victory Points, then the continent is yours! The continental VP scoreboard is shown at the top of the Map screen. Mousing over each faction will bring up the “Points to Victory” window, which breaks down progress and overall score.
 * There are a numbers of ways to earn VP:
 * Permanent Victory Points
 * Link your warpgate to enemy warpgate = +1 VP
 * Link your warpgate to both enemy warpgates simultaneously = Continental Victory/Lock
 * Capture all Techplants = +1 VP
 * Capture all Amp Stations= +1 VP
 * Capture all Biolabs = +1 VP
 * Capture all major facilities (Amp, Bio, Tech) simultaneously = Continental Victory/Lock
 * Win Alerts = +2 VP
 * Flux Victory Points
 * Capturing more than 45% of a continent’s territory can earn you “Flux” Victory Points. Flux Victory Points count toward continental victory, but can be won/lost with the territory you control/lose.
 * Percentage of Territory controlled:
 * 45% = +1 VP
 * 50% = +1 VP
 * 55% = +1 VP
 * 60% = +1 VP
 * 65% = +1 VP
 * 70% = +1 VP
 * 75% = +1 VP
 * 80% = +1 VP
 * 85% = +1 VP
 * 90% = +1 VP (Continental Victory)
 * Continent Benefit Changes
 * Hossin Benefit – 50% off MAXs has been removed, controlling Hossin will now provide vehicle and aircraft repairs at friendly ammo resupply towers/pads.
 * November 3, 2015 Hotfix
 * VP reward changes
 * Alerts = 3
 * Cap all of any facility type = 2
 * Warp Gate Link = 1
 * Territory flux point starts at 35%,
 * 35% = +1 VP
 * 41% = +1 VP
 * 47% = +1 VP
 * 53% = +1 VP
 * 59% = +1 VP
 * 66% = +1 VP
 * 72% = +1 VP
 * 78% = +1 VP
 * 84% = +1 VP
 * 90% = +1 VP
 * November 12, 2015 Hotfix
 * Layout and info changes have been made to the Victory Point Scoreboard on the map screen.
 * Alerts now require at least 30 pop on two factions in a zone to start.
 * Alerts can now start on multiple continents at once.
 * Increased Alert rate, Alerts should fire off 45-90 minutes after last alert ended.
 * Linking both warpgates simultaneously no long caps the continent, but instead grants 3 victory points (in addition to the 2 victory points you get for linking the individual warpgates).
 * Indar now only requires 8 victory points to lock.
 * December 10, 2015 Hotfix
 * Indar alert will now be twice as likely to fire off than any other alerts.
 * Victory Points awarded for winning an Indar alert has been increased from 3 to 4.
 * Victory Points awarded for winning an alert (other than Indar) has been increased from 3 to 5.
 * Increased minimum continent population required to launch an alert from 30 to 40 per faction (only two empires need to meet this requirement.)
 * Increased alert duration from 60 minutes to 90 minutes.
 * Alert can no longer run simultaneously on multiple continents.
 * April 27, 2016 Update
 * Victory Cores
 * With the HIVE, we’re introducing the concept of Victory Cores. These cores are shared across each faction and can be viewed in the VP UI.
 * When a continent unlocks, each faction has a certain amount of cores available. By default, each faction gets 2 cores, with an additional core given to whichever faction unlocked the current continent. Cores are automatically placed in HIVEs the system thinks are the most viable every 180 seconds, with the following rules:
 * The closer the HIVE is to an enemy Warp Gate, the faster it will generate Victory Points. HIVEs that can generate more VP are prioritized over those generating less
 * If your active HIVE is in a contested area, your core can not be relocated.
 * If you overextend into enemy territory without enough support, the system will determine your HIVE to be too dangerous to provide a core too. If you’re setting up in enemy territory, bring some significant backup or you won’t get a core.
 * When an active HIVE is destroyed, the faction who destroyed it will steal that core for their faction, and it will then automatically activate the most ideal HIVE, provided another empty HIVE exists.
 * It’s worth noting that Silos must be restocked with Cortium constantly, as HIVEs, like modules, require an active power source to function. If a Silo runs out of Cortium, an active HIVE will no longer generate Victory Points.
 * VP Scoring Changes
 * Additionally, the overall VP scoring has been updated as follows:
 * All continents now require 15 Victory points to capture (including Indar)
 * Indar alerts are now worth 5 VP
 * Linking a single warpgate VP reward has been increased to 2, from 1
 * Linking both warpgate simultaneously VP reward has been increased to 4, from 3
 * Capturing all of any facility type VP reward has been increased to 3, from 2
 * Capturing all facilities VP reward has been increased to 15, from 10
 * VP reward has been increased to 2, from 1
 * May 12, 2016 Update
 * Locking Esamir will now properly reduce the cost of the ANT by 50%.
 * October 24, 2016 Update
 * Continent Lock bonuses now persist until the continent is locked by another faction.
 * June 14, 2017 Hotfix
 * Replaced the duplicate Esamir continent lock icon.
 * Speculative fix for stacking particle effects on control points due to Esamir benefit.
 * Esamir lock benefit now activates on vehicle capture points as well.
 * July 26, 2017 Update
 * Maximum number of continents that can be locked at any time from 2 to 3.
 * Number of players needed to open a second continent from 900 to 600.
 * July 31, 2017 Hotfix
 * Server populations above 1200 will no longer open two additional continents after a continent lock.
 * September 26, 2017 Update (Critical Mass)
 * Continent Locking Revamp
 * With the Critical Mass update comes a major revision of the way continents are fought over and conquered. When one faction has refined enough cortium and taken control of enough territory, that faction triggers an alert which signifies the impending domination of a continent. If the triggering faction wins the alert, they will conquer the continent and call in an armada of Bastion Fleet Carriers to rain destruction upon their enemies.
 * The Goal
 * One of the driving motivators of revitalizing the continent locking system is to encourage more strategy and competitive spirit in PlanetSide 2. Prior to this update, locking a continent was not only confusing for many players, but also happened abruptly, and often times without direct influence from the players fighting on the front lines. The new system intends to create a climactic end-of-continent encounter that challenges players not only as individuals, but as squads, platoons, and outfits. We want players to feel the rush of a hard fought victory, and reward them for partaking in it.
 * October 5, 2017 Hotfix
 * New continents now unlock when global population reaches 800 players, up from 600 players. This should reduce the chance of a sparse, third continent opening.
 * October 19, 2017 Update
 * Continent locks now have a chance to yield a reward of 100 certs.
 * October 24, 2017 Hotfix
 * Indar and Amerish will now show who locked the continent in the map screen dropdown menu.
 * November 20, 2017 Update
 * Locked continents should no longer start meltdown alerts.
 * November 22, 2017 Hotfix
 * OPEN MAP in the World Map menu no longer clips when player is on a locked continent.
 * December 7, 2017 Update
 * Locked continents should no longer start meltdown alerts.
 * December 13, 2017 Hotfix
 * Bastion Fleet Carriers now appear on recently locked continents up to 1500m away.
 * February 8, 2018 Update
 * Newly open continents will be put in an "unstable" state where the majority of territories will remain offline until population reaches a certain threshold. For the time being, Unstable continents will also auotmatically go online after two hours so that off-peak times of day still have an opportunity to rotate the continent. While in an unstable state...
 * Meltdown alerts cannot be triggered, meaning that the continent cannot be locked in this state.
 * June 12, 2018 Update
 * HIVEs are gone, and are no longer needed to trigger a Meltdown alert. Once Warpgates are charged (and only when they are charged,) the first faction to reach 41% territory control will trigger a Meltdown alert. Unlike the previous version of Meltdown, the triggering faction no longer needs to win the alert in order to lock the continent. In this version, whichever faction has the most territory control at the end of the now 1 hour and 30 minute alert will claim victory over the continent, and rain fire from the sky.
 * April 25, 2019 Update
 * When a faction locks a continent, their victory anthem will play.
 * July 2, 2019 Hotfix
 * Speculative fix to prevent players from spawning directly into locked continents on login.
 * August 28, 2019 Update
 * Esamir's continent lock benefit no longer stacks particle effects, and the performance impact of this benefit has been greatly reduced.
 * August 29, 2019 Hotfix
 * Continents should no longer unlock themselves immediately after a Meltdown alert.
 * Continents no longer lock themselves in the year 2155.
 * December 17, 2019 Update
 * Improved the World Map screen to showcase lock states better and made other visual improvements.
 * January 15, 2020 Update
 * Continent Rotation and Empire Strength
 * Territory now matters at all times, as each empire gains strength when key facilities are captured, and when continent events are won. When a faction reaches 100 Empire Strength or more, a Meltdown alert fires off (provided no other events are currently active,) and the victorious faction will lock the continent.
 * Misc. Fixes, Changes, and Additions
 * Locked continents should no longer show unstable icons from the map dropdown.
 * June 17, 2020 Update
 * Hossin continent lock benefit now only affects allied vehicles and MAX units.
 * September 22, 2021 Hotfix
 * Koltyr will now be added to the continent unlock rotation during times of low population.
 * Depending on how low the current global population is, large continents still in the Unstable state may also be spun down to help funnel players into Koltyr.
 * October 6, 2021 Hotfix
 * Reduced large continent unlock requirements so that Koltyr becomes less frequently available on lower population servers.
 * October 20, 2021 Hotfix
 * Koltyr now enters the continent lock rotation when the server-wide population is less than 200 players.
 * Large continents can now unlock if the server-wide population is greater than 150 players.
 * Koltyr no longer auto-triggers an alert immediately upon unlocking, and will instead trigger a Conquest alert (metagame event 215) when population reaches at least 90 players on the zone.
 * It's possible that the large continent unlock limit comes down further, or is removed altogether in the future.
 * It's possible that the large continent unlock limit comes down further, or is removed altogether in the future.