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Here comes a great game update! The recently released Sandstorm version solves the most reported issues and introduces two new really fun features: PvP Leagues and sandstorms! Are you ready, Captain?
Improvements and additions
- Welcome to the weekly Leagues! PvP leaderboard is now split into divisions. You'll be promoted or demoted depending on your score.
- Added an additional Bolts reward for winning each PvP battle. Get promoted to a better division to earn better PvP rewards!
- At the end of each weekly League the 3 best players will earn an special reward.
- Added Sandstorm hazard events (PvE only, displayed in the map): Sandstorms will damage slowly the systems of both Sandcruisers in some PvE battles!
- Pirate Arena now has more battleground areas.
- Map icons for main story missions have been improved.
- Now Takami shows different expressions! <3
- Several art related improvements and tweaks for the plunder screen and several backgrounds.
- Improved Sandcruiser gallery mode
- Black Widow Sandcruiser now has damage ship animation
- Other minor and internal tweaks and improvements.
Issues fixed
- Fixed a few crashes that appeared under certain circumstances, typically just after certain main story battles.
- Solved the iPad Mini 1 specific stability issues issues with some fixes, tweaks and optimizations.
- Improved the PvP matchmaking: rival Sandcruisers now will have maximum 1 level more or less than yours.
- Fixed an issue where weapons with Burning didn't destroy Systems under certain circumstances.
- Other minor and internal fixes.
We plan to continue expanding and improving Hazard events and the weekly Leagues, so as always please send us your related feedback and suggestions!
How would you improve the Leagues? We plan to add more Hazard events, which new types would you add (they may affect certain Systems, Boosters, energy or health during a battle to introduce new strategies and make battles less repetitive)? Would you randomly add Hazard events to PvP battles?
Junior Member
Originally Posted by AlexRocaSanchez Go to original post
Hi,
Hazard events are a good idea when it affect both players the same way ( system damage ) but i don't think its a good idea to add some that may give random "buff" , especially in PvP, you can lose even if you have a better tactic if the other player have luck and a buff to his system. I think there is allready enough "random" in battles with the Random critics, and random hits with weapon like Burster and Rockets. Battles are a little repetetive, true, but i don't know how you can fix that , maybe some 2vs2 or 2vs1 i dont know.
When i travel accross map and my ships stops " hey there's an abandoned Ruin let's take a look " or " Hey we need help " , i almost say No 100%. The best that can happen is finding 400 bolt, and the worst is being in a trap and have to fight wich is not worth when you have a long road to go and you need take as less damage as possible. If we could find Power cells in these " trap" i would ALWAYS say Yes .
Last thing, i think i finished all main quest, i can only find some at the Tavern...if im right it's very sad because my best ship is only lvl 6 i can't believe i made all main quest.
thats it, i like the game,and sadly i dont see enough people speaking about it here, good luck
Senior Member
Originally Posted by marleyy22 Go to original postHi,
Hazard events are a good idea when it affect both players the same way ( system damage ) but i don't think its a good idea to add some that may give random "buff" , especially in PvP, you can lose even if you have a better tactic if the other player have luck and a buff to his system. I think there is allready enough "random" in battles with the Random critics, and random hits with weapon like Burster and Rockets. Battles are a little repetetive, true, but i don't know how you can fix that , maybe some 2vs2 or 2vs1 i dont know.
When i travel accross map and my ships stops " hey there's an abandoned Ruin let's take a look " or " Hey we need help " , i almost say No 100%. The best that can happen is finding 400 bolt, and the worst is being in a trap and have to fight wich is not worth when you have a long road to go and you need take as less damage as possible. If we could find Power cells in these " trap" i would ALWAYS say Yes .
Last thing, i think i finished all main quest, i can only find some at the Tavern...if im right it's very sad because my best ship is only lvl 6 i can't believe i made all main quest.
thats it, i like the game,and sadly i dont see enough people speaking about it here, good luck
Hi marleyy22!
As of now we plan to keep hazards in PvE only, to make sure you can enter the area affected by them taking the proper decisions before. As an example, in this case sandstorms slowly damage the systems of your ships, so let's say you may prefer to do it with something equipped that repairs them.
Things like that allow us to create different strategy scenarios where we can highlight different underused weapons or ship types, that as of now weren't too popular, make the battles less repetitive and help us to balance current things that as of now can be improved in terms of gameplay balance. In any case, as you may know we introduce small rebalance tweaks here and there every few game updates, so we'd tweak them if needed.
Regarding the reward you get when the 'hey we need help' -and similar- random map events aren't a trap, we acknowledge as of now they are too small. We plan to rebalance them soon, both increasing the reward and to make the difficulty of the related enemy (when it's a trap) proportional to the reward.
The main PvE story now has 4 episodes, but we plan to add more somewhere in the near future. On average people completes the main story with level 6 o 7 Sandcruisers, so it may be your case. Once you reach this point I'd suggest to focus into the Pirate Arena, where you can get cool rewards fighting other players to keep improving your ships.
Member
Been meaning to add feedback here, but kept getting distracted lol.
I'd offer season end rewards to everyone, based on what league the player finishes in, but better rewards to the top 10, and crazy awesome rewards to the top 3. I bet this would increase participation and heavily increase competition for the top. Even if the top felt unreachable, there would be incentive to climb the ladder no matter where you are on it.How would you improve the Leagues?
Unrelated to leagues but:
I like Marley's idea of 2v2, or 'last man standing' team tournaments.
A co-op mode would be cool too. Players that are 'friends' could team up on one or the others ship or 2 player ships could be created. One player controls offensive systems while the other support. That would require attack and support systems to have their own energy pools probably. Would be fun though. Maybe a year or two down the road lol...*shrug*
I couldn't think of any, until I thought to myself, "What would make this harder and more involving?".We plan to add more Hazard events, which new types would you add (they may affect certain Systems, Boosters, energy or health during a battle to introduce new strategies and make battles less repetitive)?
Firstly, I recommend against anything that does hull damage, as that would be frustrating since it would slow down progress for someone leveling up.
What about an electrical storm that randomly zaps systems, having the same effect as a stun support system? I'd time it so that there were two systems down at all times, with a third getting hit a second or two before the first is up. That would be challenging and annoying.
Good times.
A meteor shower that periodically falls and depletes flares, or if no flares equipped, damage random systems.
Passing through a mine field might be interesting. Hitting one could result in shield depletion for both ships.
Could make zone specific hazard events, like a snowy zone with blizzards. The cold could slow down energy generation or booster cool downs.
I dunno lots, of potential.
Hell no. Players hate random number generators in pvp. Working hard and losing because of bad luck is extremely rage inducing and frustrating. Critical strikes, and random targeting multi shot weapons are as far as I'd recommend going with randomness in pvp. Hardcore gamers enjoy winning and losing to skill, while gamblers and less skilled players get a thrill out of winning by chance. A hardcore gamer will put years into a game, while others hop early unless they can win easily, in which case they sooner than later get bored and hop anyway.Would you randomly add Hazard events to PvP battles?
Most in game purchases in app games are made by those who want to progress faster, or after progress is finished, get better gear to kick butt in end game content (pvp is the ultimate "replay value" in any game, in my opinion).
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