[2019] July 25, 2019 - PC Update (Midsummer Mentors)

PC servers will be taken offline on Thursday, July 25, 2019 at 6:00am PT for maintenance. Downtime is expected to last up to 3 hours.

Forum notes here: https://forums.daybreakgames.com/ps2/index.php?threads/july-25-2019-pc-update-midsummer-mentors.252208/

Mentor System Expansion

Mentor Squads were implemented late into last year, and around that time period we had discussed implementing a Mentor rating system, but ultimately decided not to commit to the work until we knew how players would make use of Mentor Squads in the first place.

Trying to craft a rating system of any kind can be difficult for a game with a sandbox focus, and is at risk to negative and exploitative behaviors. Knowing this, we wanted to devise a system that is light on gameplay rewards, and is instead geared specifically toward players who already engage in the right behaviors.

The expansion of the Mentor System isn't a substitute for tutorials, (which we're also focused on delivering later this year alongside other new player experience enhancements,) but the community has always been a big part of why new players choose to leave or stay.

Mentor Rating

We've introduced a new Mentor Rating system that recognizes veteran community members that have made it their goal to help new players.

Mentor Rating is earned each time a Mentor Ribbon is awarded. Mentor Ribbons can now only be earned while leading a Mentor Squad when players beneath BR30 earn battle ranks.

Mentor Rating decays over time, so a player's rating will need to be maintained.

Mentor Tiers

Mentor Rating is sorted into tiers for recognition. These tiers are shown when players are hosting Mentor squads in the squad finder.

• Copper Tier: 0 - 499
• Silver Tier: 500 - 699 - Players can now speak in Mentor chat.
• Gold Tier: 700 - 899 - Gold Mentor Tier icon shows next to name in chat channels.
• Auraxium Tier: 900 - 1000 - Auraxium Mentor Tier icon shows next to name in chat channels.

New Player chat channel

All players beneath battle rank 30 will have access to the New Player chat channel, where they can ask questions and receive answers from our most dedicated veterans.

Silver Tier and greater Mentors can also read and speak in this chat channel, and their name will be prefaced with the word "Mentor" for clarity.

Players can access the New Player chat channel by using one of the following commands:

• /new
• /newplayer
• /mentor

Be Here for the Right Reasons

We want the players who pursue Mentor Rating to be doing so for the right reason, and that is to help new players.

PlanetSide 2 has a fairly violent learning curve, and the community is one of the most helpful resources new players have access to.

Be respectful and helpful in these channels, as we won't be tolerating any malicious behavior, and this can have very real implications on your account.

Mentor Squad changes

A common request for Mentor Squads was to return map marking capabilities to better guide the squad, so we've re-enabled Map Smoke, Offensive, and Defensive map markers for players running Mentor Squads.

Mentors moving forward

In the future we'll be flagging trustworthy community members to speak in New Player channel regardless of Mentor rating.

We've also started working on an outline highlight system that we'll be able to use to highlight mentor squadmates through walls (and potentially apply this tech elsewhere.)

It's likely we'll need to tune the Mentor Rating system once we see it out in the wild, so it shouldn't be a surprise if more changes come later on down the line.

Infantry

Ambusher Jump Jets (Light Assault Ability)

• Ambusher Jump Jets now ticks up energy over time, instead of recharging instantly.
• Implants and other equipment that effect energy restoration (and consumption) now also impact Ambusher Jump Jets in a similar manner to other abilities.

Flight Suit (Light Assault Suit)

• Cooldown reduction on Ambusher Jump Jets has been removed.
• Now increases the regeneration rate of Ambusher Jump Jet fuel by 10/15/17.5/20%.

Paratrooper (Implant)

• Now affects Ambusher Jump Jets at all ranks.
• Energy regeneration from 2/3/4/5% to 3/4/5.5/8% restoration.
• Rank 5 benefit changed to reduce fall damage for 6 seconds, instead of increases bottom armor.

Aerial Combatant (Implant)

• Rank 5 benefit no longer instantly recharges Ambusher Jump Jets.
• Aerial Combatant now restores the same maximum fuel to Ambusher Jump Jets as it does to other jump jet types, at all ranks.

Failsafe (Implant)

• Now works with Ambusher Jump Jets at all ranks.

Assimilate (Implant)

• Rank 5 bonus now restores Ambusher Jump Jet energy as well.

Heavyweight (Implant)

• Now plays a particle effect on activation.

Survivalist (Implant)

• No longer triggers when health drops below 40% and instead triggers when the player's shield is depleted.

Dev Note: This change increases the effectiveness of Survivalist on non-Carapace loadouts.

Assassin (Implant)

• This implant has been restructured, and the percent chance to trigger has been removed.
• Kills beyond 150/125/100/50m will remove spot checks on the player, and conceal them from spot attempts for 1 second.
• At rank 5, headshot kills will also trigger this ability, and targets you damage with any weapon will be spotted.

Gunslinger (Implant)

• Now activates when NSO characters kill other NSO characters.

Mending Field (Implant)

• Rank 5 benefit should now work with NSO characters.

Electrotech (Implant)

• Rank 5 benefit now despawns enemy non-turret deployables, instead of destroying them.

Advanced Shield Capacitor (Infantry Suit)

• NSO Combat Medic and Heavy Assault now have access to the Advanced Shield Capacitor suit slot.
• Advanced Shield Capacitor now reduces shield recharge delay by 1 second, in addition to its pre-existing benefit. (This benefit does not stack with Survivalist implant.)

Dev Note: This change should help bring ASC back into a more competitive place with certain loadouts.

NS-44L Showdown (Rare, Common Pool Sidearm)

• ADS movement speed multiplier from 0.25x to 0.5x

Dev Note: Minor change for feel while doing some cleaning of other elements relating to the aim down sights firemode.

High Priority Fixes

• Speculative fix for outfit applications crashing when being viewed.
• Speculative fix for missing daily login certifications for members.
• Maximum Pressure continent event should now trigger naturally.

Misc. Changes, Fixes, and Additions

• Speculative fix for valid spawn locations sometimes being hidden indefinitely.
• The NS Vandal no longer shakes violently when fired.
• Fixed an animation issue that would mount MAX weapons higher than intended in first person.
• Players exiting a Drop Pod should now render more quickly.
• Squad locking your vehicle should work once again.
• Fixed an issue where swapping weapons shortly after a reload would play the reload animation of the weapon you just swapped to.
• Hacking terminals and spitfires should now properly assign them to the hacking players' team.
• Skyshields no longer trigger on players of the same faction.
• Players should no longer look squished on the character select screen.
• When creating a new character, your last selected character's camo will no longer be shown.
• Fixed many, many, many, many interactions between NSO characters and other factions
• Fixed an overlapping ammunition indicator for weapons that don't use ammunition.
• Enabling and disabling Bloom in the UI now works.
• Cert Horn explosion now appears on low settings.
• Thumper's Disruptor ammunition will no longer duplicate its effect on multiple grouped targets.
• Ammunition Belt now properly provides additional ammunition to the Thumper.
• A "Craft Implants" button has been added to the Implants section of the loadout screen.
• NSO characters will no longer be damaged by allied Pain Spires.
• NSO characters now have a default horn on the Lightning.
• NSO Aircraft Synergy cert line now works correctly.
• NSO Light Assault Rocklet Rifle now updates its firing modes when special ammunition is applied.
• NSO Flail and Orbital Strike kills should now count toward Directives.
• NSO now have access to map smoke, offensive, and defensive indicators.