With the big special 100th update still a few days away, we're hitting the streets with Update #99B, another one "right on the edge" of being worthy to qualify as 100th, but not quite there. We'll need something bigger to make that splash, right? With Update #99B, we've fixed some issues and clarified the rules around Stun Break, added another new helmet, 2 new tattoo options, fixed Slashslide and Crimson Vector issues with stairs, small variations in height and going around corners, improved the weighting for early game stories to make sure they are early and improved the rule set for the Off-Duty Trait when it might get stuck on your Knight.
It's a big one for a half-update (#99B doesn't even its own number!) If you feel bad for #99B or you just love new free updates, content and features please please take a moment to leave a review
As always, we take your saved games very, very seriously. Since you'll always be seeing a lot of updates around here, we want to reiterate our saved game policy so everyone understands our commitment to your games. No saved game will ever be invalidated by an update. All new content and features will be added immediately to all saved games (with the reasonable exception of New Game options). You never have to restart if you don't want to. This is a studio commitment that we have made and kept for many years and games. We stand by it. So do not stress about the many updates that will continue to come - heist on my good heisters.
With Update #99B, we've fixed an inconsistency with how Stun Break could be applied and added a proper debuff (-2 AP) for when enemies do break from Stun.
Before Update #99, Stun Break operated different depending on when you targeted your enemy in the turn. This caused it to act one way if you targeted an enemy who was in the current Turn (yet to act) and another way if you targeted an enemy who was setup to act in the next Turn. We have resolved this bug and now Stun Break works as intended regardless of when the targeting occurs.
When an enemy achieves Stun Break, they immediately get their Turn. They now suffer a -2 AP penalty when Stun Breaking, but they will take whatever actions they can with the remaining AP and MP.
We know this can be painful - but we encourage you look closely at your enemies before you Stun them. Stun Break is locked to a specific set of enemies - Head Hunters, heavy drones, and enemy leadership like Captains and Sentinel Execs. It is never added to an enemy type due to progression and the Stun Break % value never goes up by progression.
Therefore, using Stun on these mini-boss enemies is a risk. Stun is guaranteed effective for the grunt and soldier level enemies. Therefore, exercise selective targeting when using your Stun items and Talents.
As your squad becomes more powerful in native combat, and as the enemies that you worry about become hover tanks, head hunters and enemy leadership classes, then you may find that Stun naturally becomes less important of a mechanic in your team build and find that you need to adjust your build to bring in new tools to handle these harder enemies.
Finally, keep in mind that Shock Mines and Venom Traps still interrupt an enemy in motion, Stunning them and taking all of their AP for that Turn. They may roll to Stun Break at the start of their next Turn, but these tools are still very effective at interrupting enemy turns much like Overwatch.
We are excited to be keeping the pressure on with new helmets and more options too! With Update #99B, we've released another helmet - sleek and fitted! - as well as 2 new tattoo options. The first tattoo option gives you a new tribal neck option and the second option gives you a tattoo design of stitches across the lips.
More cosmetic options will be continuing to pile on, now that we have opened the gates with the development of the modding tool set.
With Update #99B, we have fixed some of the issues that have come up with Cybersword's Slashslide and Warmachine's Crimson Vector. These regressions were mostly caused by other adjustments to the move system around drones and flying things, so it is good to circle back and cover these cases once again for these melee-in-motion Talents.
Slashslide and Crimson Vector now work effectively up and down stairs as well as over minor terrain variations, tilts, and trash on the floor. The issue where a small amount of height change to the target could block Slashslide or Crimson Vector from successfully targeting is now resolved. Slash on, good slashers!
In addition, we've improved the rules for checking step out around cover for Slashslide and Crimson Vector so it is more likely to intelligently offer to step out around cover and therefore make your targeting without having to make a painful 1 AP move to get around cover in the first place. Let us know how this works in the field!
We have adjusted the story weighting for some of the stories that have early game rewards and challenges that should not accidentally (through RNG) end up late in the game. This includes stories like the Clinic Expansion and your option to get the first E-Rifle. Neither of these make much sense if they happen to accidentally RNG late and appear at Power Level 5!
We have adjusted the rules for the negative and temporary Trait Off-Duty. The rule for Off-Duty was always that it blocks the merc from deploying to any mission unless that mission specifically requires the merc by name. This was great, except for if your Knight accidentally goes Off-Duty ...
Now the exemption has been widened to include any case in which the mission requires a specific named character (Requires: Emille) including requesting that singular character by class (Requires: Knight).
- Added 1 new helmet option to appearance - sleek and fitted
- Added 2 new tattoo options to appearance (neck tribal, mouth stitches)
- Fixed inconsistency with Stun Break (always works the same now, gain full turn at -2 AP)
- Increased weighting of storylines that should be within the first few Power Levels (clinic upgrade, etc)
- Adjusted rules for negative Trait Off-Duty to allow the Knight to go on a heist when required
- Fixed issues with hair placement and hair coloration after #99A
- Fixed issues with Turret not appearing at the start of the Ward War