Hey Folks!

We've updated the Arena Mode, and it is now available on Steam opt-in beta branch arena_mode. Update 0.14.99.31 adds some new features, fixes, and balance changes to the Arena Mode, where players are currently trying out the new ship combat in a special zone.

• Missiles now have a chance of exploding into debris when intercepted.

• PDC and railgun hits no longer knockdown crew.

• Crew with SkillOpsZeroG now have a 75% chance of avoiding knockdown in collisions and missile hits.

• NAV sensor VIZ circle changed to be more intuitive.

• Ammo and other items in stacks within containers are now exhausted one stack at a time, instead of a little from each.

• Added a combat rifle, carbine, and shotgun to the game.

• Small mining charges adjusted to be useful as breaching charges.

• Arena Mode scorecard now has a handy screenshot button, for sharing with others.

• NAV orbit lines no longer accumulate over time after rotational maneuvers.

• Player ship silhouette works again in NAV when zoomed-in.

• Weapon arcs flicker less now.

• Save on Close now added to options menu.

Several of the changes here are directly as a result of our first wave of feedback from players.

Players were asking if missiles could do splash damage when they were shot down, so we added a chance of that happening. Other players were frustrated with constant knockdowns from direct fire hits, especially the rapid-fire PDCs from enemies. So we nixed knockdowns from those, and also added the benefit of avoiding other knockdowns in collisions and missile hits if players had SkillOpsZeroG.

A number of players were confused by the sensor VIZ circle on enemy ships having a notch in it. That was there to help identify the circle's center, but many interpreted it as a blind spot. So we changed the VIZ to be a solid circle with rotating stalk, which should look more intuitively like a radar sweep.

Players using PDCs and railguns were also frustrated by the way those weapons drained one ammo from each stack, making it hard to reload. So we've adjusted the item removal code to focus on one stack at a time now.

This patch also adds the new combat firearms for personnel, plus adjusts the small mining charge to be usable as a breaching charge. Docking and boarding aren't very common in Arena Mode, but expect this to be more relevant when Fire in the Hold comes out!

For now, though, we put them in there in case you want to play with them.

The Arena Mode score card now has a screenshot button to help players share their builds and results. Plus some fixes to NAV rendering issues, and other UI issues.

As always, there's plenty more for us to fix, change, and add! And we'll be continuing in roughly that order. In the meantime, let us know via the forums or our Discord[discord.gg] (also linked on the game's main menu), if you're trying out the update. We're interested in seeing which ship designs can be the most effective!

Best,

Daniel Fedor

Founder, Blue Bottle Games, LLC