Version 1.1.2.0 - Waterways and Psi Update

Hi guys,

We're rolling out a new content update. It's going to land on experimental branch first in order to thoroughly test it out.

To play experimental branch on Steam, you right click the game in your library and go to "Betas" tab. To do so on GOG Galaxy, you go to Manage Installation -> Configure. Make sure you don't override all your live version saves just in case something goes horribly wrong.

The first major theme of this update is the change to psi mechanics. The full changes are listed below. They are not primarily meant to kick the full psi builds down a notch (though they will do that), but to address the following issues with psi that I find the most problematic and detrimental to the game as a whole, not just in terms of difficulty:

Psi gives you too many utilities. Due to how the psi functions now (prior to this update) it's almost impossible to add new stuff to psi without extending the already bloated spectrum of combat utilities of any given psi generalist (which most psi builds are) even further, since, unlike with combat utilities, there are no limits to what a psi invoker can access during combat.

Psi is cheap to spec into. Even though every psi school is a separate skill, they are all based on a single base ability, which is the only one required to be maxed out in order for your character to be powerful. If you invest heavily enough into it, the psi abilities themselves will make up for many deficiencies in other areas. No other robust build works like this, they usually require at least moderately strong investment into a secondary base ability.

Psi does not require any expendable resource. Pretty much every other build does so I introduced a resource for psi as well. Now it has a dual (or hybrid if you will) resource management aspect. Also I used this opportunity to put a sort of a limit to how much psionic output you can dish out in a single fight, so we'll see how this works out.

This is the least important point, but it's still worth addressing. Some abilities are a bit too cheesey and easy to exploit so I changed them up a bit. This does not make them perfectly balanced or un-cheeseable and I know there is other stuff out there that's cheese as well. These are just the ones that bothered me the most and were long overdue to change.

Anyway, the detailed changes are in the list below. What I hope to do in the future with psi now that I've dealt with psi generalist question is to facilitate more hybrid builds, which I think the new system will support well.

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The other major theme of the update is a lot of new content for the waterways - one big new dungeon, a couple of smaller locations, many new random encounters and other stuff. I'll leave it to you guys to find out for yourselves.

On a related note I halved the price of all the fancy jet skis and all the parts, so they will be easier to acquire now. We do not need such ridiculous prices anymore since we added the economic component to the difficulty settings.

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Here's the full change log:

General

• Improved the start up time for the game
  
• Initimidation now scales off either Strength or Will (whichever is higher)
  
• Halved the cost of most jet ski frames, engines, batteries and suspensions
  
• Increased the damage of all jet ski weapon attacks
  

Psi

• You now have to "innervate" psi abilities that you plan to use and you're limited in the number of innervated psi slots (1 + 1 per 3 intelligence, up to maximum of 6). Existing psi characters can use Will stat instead for the number of slots with some downsides, or they can opt to switch to Int by consuming a pill that's been subtly slipped into their pockets.
  
• Innervating psi abilities from multiple psi schools will now incur global 15% psi cost penalty per additional school
  
• Innervating psi abilities from multiple psi schools will now incur global 15% psi cost penalty per additional school
  
• Introduced psi reserves, which is the long term psi resource that does not regenerate naturally, but through the usage of psi inhalant which can not be done in combat. Psi reserves are depleted when you regenerate psi naturally or through psi boosters. Maximum amount of psi reserves is equal to 5 times the maximum psi points.
  
• Psi inhalant is craftable with some skill in biology and chemistry.
  
• All existing player characters will get generous amount of psi inhalants first time you load the game in new version
  
• Upon loading the game for the first time in the new version, a random set of psi abilities will be pre-innervated for you. If you don't like the random selection, just reload the same save.
  

Psi Abilities

• Force Field psi cost changed to 40 (up from 25)
  
• Force Field is now destructable and has its health points scale with invoker's skill. Each segment of the force field has separate health, but destroying one will destroy all of them.
  
• Thermodynamic Destabilization base damage percentage changed to 30% (down from 50%) and it now scales by 0.5% (down from 1%) per skill point and is capped at 100%.
  
• Thermodynamic Destabilization action point cost changed to 10 (down from 20)
  
• Enrage maximum duration changed to 2 (down from 4)
  
• Increased the amount of damage of Neural Overload and Psi-cognitive Interruption blocked by resolve
  
• Added psi mentors for all psionic abilities in the game (except one) to the random loot table
  
• Psycho-temporal dilation and Limited temporal increment learning requirements swapped to their correct positions
  
• Psycho-temporal contraction now has a high chance of causing its opposite (with randomized power) when it expires
  

Items

• Biohazard suit now provides full protection from a certain very, very bad gas
  
• Spearhead sniper rifles will now have base action points of 32 (up from 30)
  
• Rapid Reloader firearm enhancement will now also have a 25% chance of restoring a random amount of action points ranging from 50% to 100% of the base action point cost of the weapon (but capped at 20ap); this can only trigger once per turn
  
• Dragunov now costs 30 ap to fire (up from 25) and has 60% chance to restore 10-20 ap once per turn; also has slightly increased damage
  
• Added shiv blueprint
  
• Psionic Accelerator now increases psi regeneration by 50% (up from 20%)
  
• Added Kzozel Yantar, a stronger version of Kzozel
  

Creatures

• Reduced the throwing precision of hunchback mutants
  
• Mutant dog's acid blob attack will now deal some of its damage directly
  

Quests / Areas

• Added a mercantile check when paying to use the Wormhole
  
• Silas' death will no longer fail the attack on Scrapper base quest; the player can now speak with Colton to get the reward instead
  
• Added shiv components to certain encounters in which the player loses his inventory
  
• Added new graphics for a few secret cave doors
  
• Added more content for the waterways - one big new dungeon, a couple of smaller locations, many new random encounters and other stuff
  
• Added some new ways to escape from a jail guarded by a hefty knife thrower
  
• Added a vending machine to the Gray Army base; it accepts zlatortiyas only
  
• In the same base, it is now possible to translate messages on one of the computers with sufficient intelligence
  
• Added a tool with which the player can repair/configure a certain camp defense asset; found in multiple locations in the Black Sea
  

Visual

• You can now zoom the game in by holding shift while scrolling the mouse button, but the feature needs to be enabled in the options first
  
• High explosive and frag greandes and mines now have new visual effects
  

UI

• Made a new death screen that will allow you to scroll through the combat log to see exactly what killed you if you didn't catch it during combat
  
• Fixed the scroll bars so they can be mouse scrolled when moused over
  

Feats

• Locus Of Control - Change AoE radius to 2 (down from 3)
  
• Force User - now also increases health of force field by 50% (plus 5% per spec, max 5 spec points)
  
• Critical Power - Base bonus changed to 1% (down from 1.5%) and spec bonus changed to 0.1% (down from 0.15%); I'm not happy with this feat in general. Straight unconditional passive damage boost feats is something I'm going to avoid in the future for sure
  

Tweaks

• Acid pistols (and other acid attacks) will now spill acid on the ground regardless of whether they hit the primary target or not
  
• Certain random encounters will no longer appear in low-level zones (Arsonist in early under-passages, rabid dogs in Crossroad Caves, etc.)
  
• Balor now has Sprint, and gets an adrenaline shot on higher difficulties
  
• Cliff can now be given a coagulation shot to stop him from bleeding to death
  
• Kareem now needs his "memory refreshed" when asked about certain things
  
• The Black Eels questline can now be started after you've found the drill rotor circuit board
  
• Halved the amount of money Mykola needs to repair one big machine from 2000 to 1000 charons
  
• Some dialogs tweaked to reflect the new psi changes
  

Bugs

• Fixed the bug that cause the energy shield to dissipate at 2% instead of the nominal 10% rate every turn, but I set it to 5% base now instead because 10% just seems a bit too severe to me now; also changed the minimal dissipation rate to 1.5% (down from 2%)
  
• Explosive barrels and various misc. explosions should now properly trigger volatile entities such as mines
  
• Throwable barrels and rocks will now behave properly when throw in water (they will not detonate on impact)
  
• You can no longer double-click while holding a modifier key (shift, alt, or ctrl). This is to prevent situations such as rapdily alt-left clicking to transfer items from a container from also triggering the double-click event and transfering extra items. Let me know if this
• causes any anomalous behavior.
  
• Sledgehammer and machete handle now also count as metal components like knife one
  
• Fixed the bug that would cause the caster tentacles to crash the game after the player dies or disengages
  
• Ranged weapon innate precision modifier will now always be applied if it's negative
  
• Fixed Gorsky's base not being renovated on easy difficulty
  
• Fixed sometimes not getting a quest note (and subsequent xp once it's completed) from Kohlmeier when starting his quest
  
• Fixed traps not despawning after Foundry mines have been cleared, which resulted in hostile miners
  
• Fixed spears and nets not appearing in the loot locker in the Arena
  
• Fixed Saban not properly receiving his spare W2C ammo
  
• Fixed JSHQ bioscan not detecting mutagens
  
• Fixed an entrance to a cave near a certain homestead being impassable, even if discovered
  
• Fixed an important flag not being set when going through some branches during a discussion about a truly deathly topic with the Ferryman
  
• Fixed electrified floor destroying auto-turrets in Water Treatment Facility in one of the variations; also added a sound effect during discharge as to give the player a warning
  
• Fixed a bug where sleeping in the camp (and under very specific circumstances) triggering a certain crucial event even if the player, paradoxically, already prevented its occurence
  
• Fixed the final quest note prematurely being marked as completed
  
• Fixed a crash that may occur if the player obtains some floaty things for the camp too early
  
• Fixed certain native weapons being non-equippable
  
• Fixed Captain Grim sometimes ending dialog when telling him about some facilities
  
• Fixed being able to sleep in the camp even after you got fired
  
• Fixed the bug that caused players to get stuck on some hives after destroying them.
  
• Minor dialog/map/scripting tweaks
  

That's it for now guys. Let us know how you like the changes.

Cheers.