Pilots,
Those of you who tried the first iteration of the Limited Public Test may carefully analyzing every ingame detail, trying to detect all the changes that have been implemented since then.
To make this task easier, we bring you the whole patchnotes:
This article contains changes made to the test version of the Conquest game mode since the first closed public test. A detailed description of the game mode and its mechanics can be found here: http://forum.worldof…es-to-the-game/
Changes to the main mechanics of the Conquest game mode
- The Thunderstorm event that disables the re-spawn ability now happens earlier (at the 7th minute)
- Penalty to the re-spawn cooldown timer after each subsequent aircraft destruction was increased to 15 seconds.
Changes to areas of operations
- Several exceedingly complex and unbalanced areas of operations have been disabled and are being reworked:
- Old Fortress: Front Line
- Old Fortress: Day of Reckoning
- Scorching Sands: Desert Wind
- Archipelago: Combat Reconnaissance
- Asian Border: Emerald Ridge
- Asian Border: Outpost
- Asian Border: Confrontation
- Plateau: Preventive Measures
- Plateau: Blazing Sky
- Alpine Gambit: Turning Point
- Northern Bridgehead: Valhalla
- Northern Bridgehead: Breakthrough
- 9 new, less complex areas of operations with fewer key territories were added: (italic means there are no final localized names yet)
- Plateau: Advance Game
- Plateau: Weapon of Revenge
- Plateau: Turning Point
- Alpine Gambit: Enemy Territory
- Alpine Gambit: Vertical
- Alpine Gambit: Collision
- Alpine Gambit: Day of Reckoning
- Alpine Gambit: The Ridge
- Alpine Gambit: Moment of truth
- 3 new asymmetric areas of operations were added:
- Plateau: Shock Wave
- Northern Bridgehead: Cold Skies
- Alpine Gambit: Edelweiss
- Types of key territories and locations of starting spawn points have been changed on the following areas of operation:
- Archipelago: Stumbling Block
- Scorching Sands: Leading Edge
*Final naming of some maps may vary
Changes to the battle interface
Several changes to the battle HUD have been made to make orientation on the battlefield easier.
Modifications have been made to:
- The Mini-map
- Aircraft markers
- Pointers toward enemy aircraft
Minimap-Radar
- The minimap has been completely reworked. It is now integrated in the radar and combines the main orientation elements (pointers towards cardinal directions, icons showing directions towards key territories) and tactical information (objects, enemy and allied aircraft surrounding the player aircraft).
- It is now possible to switch between 3 map zoom modes by pressing «9» and «0». Zooming all the way out shows everything on the map, while fully zooming in switches to showing the situation around the player’s aircraft.
- Added new functions to the radar Alt-mode. Now it shows AA gun coverage, repair zone coverage over the airfields, as well as information on ground objects in the sector.
- The full map for an area of operation can be found in the battle information panel by pressing «Tab».
Aircraft markers
- Changed the basic principles behind information in the aircraft markers and distance
- Amount of information shown about an aircraft on its marker gradually increases as they get closer, which helps with visual assessment of distance
- Changed how the effective shooting range is indicated: now the distance numbers to an enemy aircraft become red once you enter effective shooting range for the main caliber armament.
Pointers toward enemy aircraft
- Pointers for enemy aircraft in close proximity of the player’s aircraft have been moved closer to the middle of the screen. Pointers towards distant enemy aircraft are shown near the screen edges.
Other visual changes
Several visual improvements and changes have been made in the spectator mode:
- Added cinematic post-effects.
- Added new dynamic cameras.
- Added panoramic cameras to all maps.
Changes to graphical effects:
- Improved shooting tracers.
- Improved aircraft hit effects and effects on dealing damage to enemy aircraft.
- Improved color correction for explosions and smoke.
- Fixed errors that caused incorrect switching between different shooting modes.
New target lock system
- Changed the basic mechanics for automatic target locking. Now when a new target is kept in the center of the screen or being dealt damage, it will be automatically locked onto.
- Changed basic mechanics for manual locking of targets in the center of the screen: the closest target to it can be locked onto by pressing Mouse Middle Button. Subsequent button presses will start switching between targets at short range around the center of the screen.
- Added the ability to lock onto the closest aerial target by pressing «X». Subsequent button presses will switch between all targets visible to the player in order of distance to them.
- Target locking now works in all camera modes. Targets can be locked onto while using the free camera, rear gunner manual control, bombing cameras, etc.
- Added the ability to lock onto dangerous enemy targets — those that are dealing damage to the player’s aircraft or aiming at it. It is activated by pressing «C».
- The “camera towards target” feature has remained unchanged and switches the camera to show the locked target as before. Press «G» to activate it.
Changes to battle balance
Forward-facing armament
- Broadened the difference between armament settings for different gun types: machineguns, cannons, and high caliber cannons. Evading enemy fire will become slightly easier, while accurate shooting with high caliber armament will require more leading while aiming.
- The shooting range for long-range, high caliber cannons has been increased significantly.
- The effective shooting range and salvo duration for heavy fighters have been increased. Simultaneously, their ability to hit maneuverable targets has been slightly decreased.
Defensive turrets
- Increased the effectiveness of turret fire while in manual control mode.
- Increased the shooting angles for several defensive turrets.
Bombs and rockets
- The rocket and bomb replenishment time for several attack aircraft has been decreased.
- Increased the probability of hitting enemy aircraft with R4M and Mk. 4 FFAR rocket salvos.
- Increased the effectiveness of bombers in altitude bombing.
- Mechanics for how bomb and rocket racks influence the flight characteristics have been changed. Now equipping rockets and bombs will affect flight characteristics less noticeably, but this influence will remain the same throughout the battle no matter how many ordnances have been dropped or launched from racks and replenished.
Altitude mechanics
- Altitude echelons have been emphasized more strongly. Optimum altitudes and ceilings have been tuned; spawn points for various classes have been moved. Changes to the normal altitudes of light and heavy defenders and the Attack Flights of bombers were made.
- Changed how aircraft flight characteristics are affected by altitude. Now, when flying at the whole range of optimum altitudes (from 0m to optimum), the aircraft has maximum maneuverability; when exceeding the optimum altitude, the flight characteristics will deteriorate significantly; when flying close to the ceiling, the flight characteristics will be barely sufficient for level flight. These three states are conveyed by the altitude numbers on the battle HUD: they will switch from white at optimum altitude range to orange when exceeding it, and then to red when approaching the ceiling.
- The ability of bombers and heavy fighters to operate efficiently at high altitude has been emphasized more strongly.
- Low altitude fighters no longer exceed high altitude aircraft in maneuverability at high altitudes.
- The altitude parameters of attack aircraft will allow them to overcome terrain easily but they will no longer be able to climb high in the air.
Defender aircraft and bots
- Changed the flight characteristics and behavior logic for light and heavy fighters. They became more efficient at choosing targets and defending sectors.
- Light defenders became a harder target for heavy fighters.
- Heavy defenders became more dangerous for single fighters.
- The flight characteristics for Attack Flight bombers have been changed, especially at higher tiers: altitude increased, overall survivability increased.
- Decreased the shooting accuracy and increased the behavior algorithms for bot aircraft.
Other game systems
Controls
- The ability to control aircraft pitch via the keyboard has been returned.
Get Airborne!
