Jan. 31, 2023 - Love Letter (PTS Update)

The following update is now available on the Public Test Server.
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Download the Test Server client from this thread after reading the Test Server Policies: https://forums.daybreakgames.com/ps2/index.php?threads/read-first-test-server-policies-download-link.114038/
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Hey there, folks. A major focus for the team in 2023 is about tightening up the core of the game and revisiting of past projects. Keeping in theme, we've been working through January on a multitude of gameplay refinements, user experience improvements, anti-cheat development, and an investigation of server performance issues. In this update you'll find a number of community requested features, balance adjustments, and more making their way into (or back into) the game. Read on below.
- Wrel

Anti-Cheat

In the last update we quietly introduced additional anti-cheat measures which we've been monitoring the performance of. In some cases, it would ban offending players (albeit later than we'd like,) while in others it would only flag a target as suspicious, but not meet our thresholds for a ban. In this update, we've plugged some holes and adjusted the tuning parameters of the system to catch and kick these individuals more quickly.

Server Performance

With this update, we'll be releasing new "profiling zones" to the server, which will expose more performance information. These changes come with some additional network baggage, so we've made it easy to replace the zones with the old ones, if the performance impact becomes too costly. We shouldn't need the profiling zones to remain active for too long to get the information we need, which is the next step in further diagnosis of the ongoing server performance issues.

Nvidia DLSS

You'll now have access to Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology through the Graphics Settings menu. DLSS uses AI to enhance framerate performance on DLSS-enabled Nvidia cards.
Learn more here: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/technologies/dlss/

AMD FSR

We've also integrated AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution into the game, accessible in the Graphics Settings menu. AMD FSR can improve framerates using cutting edge upscaling technology, and can be used on any graphics card PlanetSide 2 supports.
Learn more here: https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/fidelityfx-super-resolution

Reflex/ACOG Rework

All reflex sights and ACOG (1x, 2x, 3.4x, and 4x optics) have been reworked to have consistent reticle sizing for any reticle of the same type. For example: All Red Dot reflex sights will have the same size dot as other Red Dot reflex sights, all Chevron reticle sights will have the same size as other Chevron reticle sights, etc. Previously, all optics could vary in size based on the platform they were equipped upon. For example, one LMG's reticles could be larger than another LMG's reticles, and the most dramatic differences could often be seen between sidearms and primary weapons. That should no longer be the case. Additionally, we've given many of the reticles a fresh coat of paint to increase their clarity, and beautify them a bit.

On the way: We're currently working toward integrating the reticle color settings from the UserOptions.ini into the Interface Settings as an option. This will allow players to tint their reticles across the board, allowing an accessibility option for those who struggle with certain optics color setups.

Gender Change Token

• Auraxians around the world can now change their character's gender by unlocking a token in the Depot.
• Voice packs you own will automatically allow access to an "equivalent" voice pack on the gender you're swapping to. (Note: Some voice packs don't have one-for-one conversions across gender, and have instead been packaged alongside similar voice packs. Example: The "Tough" Female has been packaged with the "Grizzled" Male voice. All voice packs have been repackaged in this way, and in many cases renamed.)
• Gender Change tokens will be available for 1 Cert through February and March, and increase to 1000 Certs beyond that.

Remote Vehicle Spawn

• We've re-enabled the ability to deploy vehicles from the map remotely at any base that is not contested.

Dev Note: The spawn system changes toward the end of last year mostly achieved our design goals with the pacing of deployment, and we feel comfortable enough to return remote vehicle spawning to the game in the form stated above.

Character Slot Increase

• Increased the total number of character slots for Members by one, and increased the total number of purchasable slots by 2. This brings the total number of available character slots per account to 16.

NSO Faction Colors

• All NSO-specific weapons and attachments now take on the accent colors of the faction they're associated with.

No-Deploy Zones

• Sunderer to Sunderer no-deploy exclusion radius from 65m to 50m.
• Tech Plants on Amerish and Hossin now use Indar's no-deploy zone placement, as this change was well-received in the Indar test run.

On the way: Fixing an issue with Warpgates not showing their no-deploy radius to relevant vehicles.

Capture Mechanics

• Adjacent regions now only count as "contested" when a timer is active in that region, or in the case of a Conduit Outpost, when a flag has been captured.
• Capture the Conduit Repos and Conduits can no longer be interacted with if you have no secure lattice link, and additional messaging now conveys as much to the player.

Dev Note: This solves an issue where a single player could control a single capture point in a four-point base, and prevent the capture of the next base in the lattice until someone redeploys to deal with them, and has the benefit of making it clear on the map when a base is actively contested or not.

Continent Benefits

• Continent benefits have been removed for the time being. This includes Indar and Esamir's benefits, which have been non-operational for many years.

Dev Note: These benefits don't currently act as strong motivations to capture a continent, which defeats their intended purpose. We're disabling these benefits to tie up loose threads in the current experience, but aren't opposed to bringing back map-persistent benefits in some form if there are good suggestions and a strong desire.

Mission System

The Overview screen has been removed, in line with the changes we've made to auto-claiming missions. As mentioned in the early January update, be sure to accept any unclaimed missions before this update hits Live.
Additionally, the following new Missions have been added to the daily pool:

• Concealed Chaos (Black Market) - Earn 500 experience while cloaked.
• Clandestine Operative (Black Market) - Earn experience by gathering intel or sabotaging enemy facilities.
• Conduit Control (Nanite Systems) - Capture a Conduit Facility.

Valentine's Day Event (Feb. 08 - Feb. 14)

The Depot has received a bundle containing a lovely new NSX Amaterasu variant.

Sweet Nothings Bundle - 1499 DBC

• Queen of Hearts (NSX Amaterasu variant)
• Love Letter Decal
• Sugar Tile Camo

New Directive - A new directive makes an appearance for the duration of the event, rewarding 2000 ISO-4 and the "Huggable" title upon completion.

New Missions - Matchmaker missions have made their way back to Auraxis. You can complete up to two of these missions per day, and earn extra progress through the event directive.

Balance Adjustments

Impulse Grenade (Light Assault Grenades)

• Nanite cost from 50 to 25.

Dev Note: Impulse skiing, Auraxis' planetary pastime.

D7 Hummingbird (NSO Defector)

• Improved lock-on acceleration and projectile turn rate.
• Increased lifespan from 4sec. to 6sec.

Dev Note: The changes here make the Hummingbird more capable of chasing down aircraft who've strayed too close.

AR-ARX Maxwell (NSO Directive Assault Rifle)

• Maximum damage range from 10m to 15m.
• Minimum damage from 100 to 112.
• Magazine size from 26 to 30.
• Reserve Ammo from 208 to 210.

Dev Note: The damage bump helps alleviate the tradeoff penalty incurred by the higher rate of fire, and the Maxwell has received the AR-100's recent magazine size buff as well.

Disruptor Ammunition

• This ammunition type has been standardized across most weapons.
• Each weapon has 20% of its direct damage converted into the weapon's disruption effect.
• A struck target's maximum shield and ability energy is reduced by 0.4% for every point of damage converted.
• In each case (aside from the Thumper, which remains unchanged,) this ammunition type has received a buff. Previously, most weapons provided a flat 10% drain.
• Also cleaned up strings related to this ammunition type to better describe the actual effect, and eliminated legacy benefits that didn't exist.
• Lastly, this ammunition type was providing only the passive drawbacks (and no benefits) for the following weapons: Tempest, NC9 A-Tross, GD Guardian, AF-6 Shadow. Congratulations to anyone who has been playing in hard mode since the Arsenal Update.

Percent drains per shot for each weapon are listed below:

• NC9 A-Tross drains 16% per shot.
• MGR-A1 Vanquisher drains 16% per shot.
• AF-6 Shadow drains 27% per shot.
• The Executive drains 18% per shot.
• Tempest drains 13% per shot.
• GD Guardian drains 20% per shot.

Big Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where camouflage could appear incorrect on remote clients. The days of seeing a Prowler caked in bright yellow, instead of glorious metallic pink, are gone.
• Added automatic removal of "stale squads" that last longer than a few days. If you've seen a "squad leader" that doesn't actually exist (sometimes appearing as a dorito at some obscure place in the world with no body attached to it,) that's what we're referring to. We've seen instances of these stale squads staying for longer than 20 days, in some cases, and would previously be cleared organically when a server was restarted.
• Sunderer and Galaxy now display their ammo and repair icons on the minimap once again. In addition, Deliverer ANTs now show an ammo icon, Lodestar Galaxies now show their deployed state, and Lockon Jammer Galaxies now show a unique icon as well! 
  On the way: Corsair will be getting these icons in the next PTS update as well.

Misc. Changes, Fixes, and Additions

• Removed the "Member Early Access" category from the Depot (it hasn't been updated since 2014ish) and the items therein have been made purchasable by all players.
• Chat now displays an channel suggestion prompt in the text field, instead of an empty box.
• Toggling the ignore incoming tells function now requires you to relog to take effect.
• Clicking on an open character slot now begins the character creation phase, instead of waiting for you to press the Create Character button.
• Updated text size and verbiage of the All Access Member popup.
• Speculative fix for edge cases where you could be kicked from a squad/platoon, but still see their waypoints and chat communication.
• Fixed an animation issue where player models would "pop" when a player enters their idle animation from a locomotion state.
• Fixed an issue where Infravision would highlight yourself after exiting a vehicle.
• Infravision implant's description now conveys that you cannot see cloaked targets.
• Jackrabbit's reflex sight reticle no longer becomes invisible when the user cloaks.
• Fixed an animation issue caused by crouching while reloading the NS-61 Emissary and variants.
• Fixed rechamber animations for the ADVX//Mako, Ghost, Parallax, V10, and XM98.
• The Year of the Tiger decal no longer tints Auraxium Armor the color red when worn.
• All Heavy Assault shields and Combat Medic abilities have been enabled for underwater use.
• The "roots" of underwater seaweed should no longer sway with the rest of the foliage.
• Anti-Aliasing is now available to players on Low graphics quality settings.