Blog Banter 30 Review: Crucible 1.0 Patch Notes

Build 306979 to BB30 addresses Patch Notes for Crucible 1.0

Released Saturday, November 26, 2011. The following are the relevant file sizes for client updates:

- Windows from Incarna 1.1.3 to Crucible 1.0 is Lotsa Meg
- Windows full client is a Fuktun o' Gig.
- Mac from Incarna 1.1.3 to Crucible 1.0 is unknown, but we're sure it'll be fine.
- Mac full client is YOUR ENTIRE HARD DRIVE.


Table of Contents

CRITICAL
FEATURES
CHANGES
FIXES


CRITICAL

The regularity of wormhole spawns will be gradually decreasing to a much lower frequency. This will occur progressively over the next few weeks. Make your plans accordingly.


FEATURES

Rise of the Pirate Factions

• Corporations and Alliances can now declare allegiance to pirate factions.
• New pirate faction Incursion events will be occurring across space; Gurista Blockades, Serpentis Enterprises, Angel Cartel Rackets and Blood Raider erm... Blood Raids.
• New Faction Supertechnologies will be revealed.
• Roaming NPC encounters now mean there is a chance of discovering a Sansha deadspace complex in Angel Cartel territory, or a Blood Raider outpost in Guristas territory. Perhaps even a CONCORD patrol in low-sec...
• Pirate NPCs will now respond appropriately to pilot standing with their faction. If a pilot has positive standings with the appropriate faction, the NPCs will not engage unless fired upon.

More details on these changes can be found in the following (not) Dev Blogs; Diary of a Pod Pilot, 2nd Anomaly From the Left

Faction Warfare

• NPC Navy response in 1.0-0.7 systems has been reduced (Customs and CONCORD remain unaffected)
• A Navy Officer may spawn to defend threatened Complexes. These have a chance to drop Navy modules.
• Bounties have been added to Navy NPCs for collection by opposing Faction capsuleers.
• Command bunkers now give grid-wide minor buffs to the owning faction.
• Incursion effects are now inflicted on systems being conquered, reducing benefits for the defending force.
• Conquered systems give system-wide cost reduction to owning faction pilots for repairs, insurance and medical clones.
• Instead of Loyalty Points for enemy pilot kills, successful PvP kills will now be rewarded with an ISK bounty.
• Loyalty Point rewards for missions has been reduced to encourage a change of focus from PvE to PvP.
• Remote repairing a fellow Faction Warfare pilot with a GCC flag or -5.0 security status no longer results in a hit to faction standings.
• It is now possible to influence the true-sec of a system by up to 0.09, meaning 0.5 systems can be reduced to 0.4 and 0.4 systems can become CONCORD protected 0.5s. 

Read more about the above features in these (not) Dev Blogs, Sand, Cider and Spaceships, A Scientist's Life in EVE and Interstellar Privateer.


Backstory

Storyline-driven live events will be forthcoming to re-invigorate the conflict as tensions between the Empires and the pirate factions escalates. For further details on the backstory, check out the following perspectives;

• Minmatar Militia (Random Posts From Auga)
• The Blood Raiders (Shall We Not Revenge...)
• Independent Pirates (Eveoganda)
• Tinfoil Hat Wearers (Mike Azariah)

Exploration

Directional Scanner

• The cone of scan coverage is now displayed both on the ship view and the solar system map.
• The solar system cone can be dragged to determine range and width of scan.
• The range can be toggled between AU and Kilometres and can be changed with a slider bar.
• A new UI interface allows for control of granularity and custom presets.

• Introducing Deep Space Exploration Ships (Tech II variants of Tier 2 Battlecruisers).
• Exploration is no longer restricted to the heliosphere of solar systems. Deep Space Exploration ships are capable of striking out into the unknown and unexplored deep space between systems. Who knows what might be out there...
• To lead the rag-tag fleet into the unknown or to hold the line on the escalating factional frontlines, behold new non-combat capital ships:

The Capital Interdictor (Zeus)

Originally developed by ORE as a mining fleet guardian, the Zeus capital class interdictor whilst not designed to mount any direct-fire weapons, has nonetheless been subverted for military application. Officially classified as a non-combat vessel, the Zeus is capable of high-sec travel, although pilots should be aware that CONCORD will respond as normal to the uncontrolled use of area-of-effect modules.

Multi-harmonic pulse emission technology allows the fitting of specialist modules that can enable the following functions:

• Ship-module disabling Electro-Magnetic Pulse waves.
• Focused temporary stargate jamming.
• Grid-wide decloaking pulse wave.
• System-wide scanning for cloaked ships.
• Wormhole Generation

The Mothership (Athena)

Designed to accompany the Zeus in deep space operations, the Athena is non-combat capital originally designed to support colonisation and deadspace outpost construction, but has been adapted to support remote fleets on the front lines. As such it functions as a mobile starbase and provides all of the same facilities (manufacture, research, refine and repair). Further details here.


Market Improvements

• The autopilot and market tools have been linked to allow intelligent route planning based on market data.
• A product 'Heat' map function on the galaxy map allows market activity to be studied by location.
• The custom discount market interface allows sale of goods at reduced prices to favoured clientele.
• It is now possible to modify existing market orders with an improved intuitive interface.

Standings Mechanics

• Global Criminal Countdown has been reduced to 5 minutes.
• Attempts to remote repair a ship with an aggression flag will no longer be hampered by a warning message.
• If a pilot with an active aggression flag joins a fleet, all fleet members are notified.
• Declaring War is now decided by a "first past the post" voting system and the voting timer has been removed.
• Custom war declarations allow for a objective-linked costs.
• It is no longer possible to remote repair an unaffiliated neutral. The repairer and repairee must be in corp, alliance, fleet or Faction Warfare allies.
• In addition the Ship and Captain's Quarter view, there is now a Station Exterior View allowing pilots to visually monitor the undock.
• Station docking perimeters have been reduced to conform to the actual size of the station. All stations are now "kick-out" stations.
• Stargate security protocols have been improved and it will no longer be possible to enter a system if a pilot's security status is too low.
• Positive faction standings now give a discount on the following station services: repairs, office rental, clones.
• Standing increases are given for coming to the assistance of neutral pilots with less than 10m SP.

Further information about these changes can be found in the following (not) Devblogs:  Haberdashers Run Amok, Diary of a Pod Pilot, Urziel's EVE Chronicle, Beyond Space, Mabrick's Mumblings.

Planetary Interaction

• It is now possible to wage economic warfare on your planetary interaction neighbours by staking 'claims', expanding territory and taxing competitors on your land.

Controls and Camera

• Ship controls are now possible with a joystick interface allowing vessels to pitch, yaw and roll.
• First-person perspective cockpit and third-person tailplane views are available.
• All ships now have preset internal cameras allowing a variety of fixed views.
• The advanced camera interface allows for custom anchorpoints and fixed direction views.
• Picture-in-picture functionality allows for more accurate target monitoring.
• Multiple actor tracking allows for squads, fleets and goodfites to be viewed in all their glory.

Read more about the above features in these (not) Dev Blogs; Shall We Not Revenge... and Freebooted.


Miscellaneous

• New Launcher animations.
• Guided missiles now launch from the missile silos visible on every launcher-capable ship.
• Unguided rockets/assault missiles/torpedos now have launcher models that mount on hardpoints and track targets just as turrets do.
• All weapons-fire animations have been revisited and are now so pretty they'll melt your eyes.
• Ships can now be "prepared for transport" in the right-click context menu, allowing the transport of rigged ships without the need for an alt.
• Complexes, anomalies and signatures now spawn randomly throughout the day rather than all at once after downtime.
• A new rig type allows rig slots to be used as additional fitting slots.
• A new ship upgrade system with weapon modification upgrades such as the Ammo Revolver.
• Bounty system revisions.
• Easy character switching (no need to log out and log back in any more).
• Further social media integration (EVE Gate/Facebook/Twitter/G+)
• Null-sec gates can now be tolled by the Sovereignty holding alliance.

Further information about these changes can be found in the following (not) Devblogs: Rants From New Eden, Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah, Sand Cider and Spaceships, Finders & Keepers, Voyager Spirit, Omnis Arcanum of EVE, MuppetNinjas.

[This is the final review of Blog Banter 30, thanks to everyone who took part.]