G'day Forts fans!

Here's another big update to brighten your day.

Anti-Air and Weapons Balance

Game balance has been tuned in a few areas. We've taken on the mixed feedback from the last update around the balance of anti-air. Machine guns are now more prone to overheating, but mortars are slightly easier to shoot down. The overall effect is that mortars are more viable and anti-air receives a slight nerf in general. Rockets and Plasma Lasers get a firing cost reduction, while Cannons receive an increase.

Phantom's Transfer Pad

Phantom has a new material: the Transfer Pad. When you build these, your allies can move devices to them during the active. If they move storage devices you will also receive resources in proportion to their resource balance. Devices are also moved faster during active. This will allow some interesting new strategies for well coordinated teams.

Work together with your allies using Phantom's Transfer Pad.

Commander Balance

Other commanders have also been touched. Overdrive's active duration has been reduced by 29%, which should curb his extravagant lifestyle. Pinchfist's metal reclaim when not active has been reduced to 75%, but his 5% better collectors have returned. Warthog's Rockets gain the extra splash damage and radius other projectiles enjoy. Spook is unable to see Phantom's initial charge.

Device Movement Modding

Making a material capable of accepting moveable devices from allies is as simple as setting 'TransferPlatform' to true on a material. For Phantom this is only applied when active.

To coincide with this new movement tech, modders can expand the use of device movement and balance it per device. Each device can have its own movement cost and technology requirement, including separate values for transfers to allies. These can even be based on distance or any other factor by implementing a function in the device script. Generosity when gifting storage devices can also be adjusted.

Powerful Script Functions

This update introduces several eagerly awaited functions for modders. Firstly, GetDeviceListValue can be used to query device configuration from device_list.lua, weapon_list.lua, and ammo_list.lua.

Next, SetScriptValue and GetScriptValue are able to send and receive data to and from other scripts easily. These operate much like the recently added GetDeviceValue and similar functions.

Finally, CallScript better supports inter-mod separation of functionality. It allows you to execute a function in another script, passing a table of parameters, and have the return value assigned to a variable.

A handy function, LogValue, has been added to help you debug the use of these functions. It can write out any Lua values, including tables, formatted as valid Lua script.

Replay Screenshots

When you've got a long list of replays, it can be hard to find one in particular. Now the game can take a screenshot every minute and embed it into the replay. If a replay has these they will show instead of the generic map screenshots when previewing the replay.

You can enable it in the Options -> Game menu (it's off by default). Keep in mind it will increase replay file sizes and may slow down navigation in the replay selection screen.

Quickly find the replay you're looking for.

Spread Indicator

If you're having trouble aiming the Shotgun and Smoke Bomb, this may help. When aiming these there is a new arc shown indicating the extents of the projectiles produced. It also applies to Scattershot's 20mm Cannon during active.

Receive feedback on the projectile spread of some weapons.

Map Balance

Fair environments are important in a competitive game, so we've taken a scalpel to a long list of maps. Of particular note is that in Balls it's now impossible to build on the terrain of the opposite side.

Other Notes

Work continues in the background on ranked arbitration. We hope to have this rolled out, along with some other exciting improvements, in the next update.

We're aware of connectivity issues some players experience since the move to Steam Networking Sockets. It's under investigation.

Change List 1.33.0 r19606

Add: (GetDeviceListValue) Script function to query item values in device_list.lua, weapon_list.lua and ammo_list.lua

Add: Commander language mods can appended strings to the Materials table

Add: Frame limiting system

Add: GetScriptValue, SetScriptValue and CallScript script functions

Add: LogValue and ValueToLua to scripts/core_utility.lua to output tables as valid Lua strings

Add: MoveCostMetal/ToAlly and MoveCostEnergy/ToAlly device config functions to specify move cost, parameters: deviceId, sourcePos, destPos, nodeIdA, nodeIdB, platformT

Add: Projectiles can set AntiAirClaims to adjust their estimated ability to shoot down enemy targets

Add: Record screenshots to replay

Add: Spread indicator to smoke launcher and shotgun aim

Add: Technology can be required to move devices using PrerequisiteMove and PrerequisiteMoveToAlly in *_list.lua

Add: TransferGiftsResourcesFactor rule for Phantom's TransferPad (defaults to 1)

Add: TransformPlatform material property for allies to gift devices

Balance: (Cannon) Increase fire cost from 3000 to 3500 energy (+17%)

Balance: (EMP rocket) Increase AA claims at less than 1.2s from 3 to 4

Balance: (Flak) Makes 2 claims on incoming projectiles to save allocating gunners

Balance: (Hurricane active) Incendiary Mortar and Heavy Mortar reload speed boost reduced from 100% to 50%

Balance: (Hurricane) Machineguns overheat after three bursts

Balance: (Incendiary and Heavy mortar) Increase shootdown radius from 15 to 20 (+33%)

Balance: (Machinegun) Decrease heat period from 1.8 to 1.5 (-17%)

Balance: (Machinegun) Increase overheat cool period from 7.5 to 11s (+47%)

Balance: (Moonshine) Increased GaugeDamageHitpoints from 1500 to 3150 (+110%)

Balance: (Overdrive) Reduce active duration from 14s to 10s (-29%)

Balance: (Phantom active) Time to move a device is reduced from 2 to 1 seconds (-50%)

Balance: (Pinchfist) Reduce metal reclaim during passive from 100% to 75%

Balance: (Pinchfist) Reintroduce 5% eco boost to compensate for reduced metal reclaim during passive

Balance: (Plasma Laser) Decrease fire cost from 5000 to 4500 energy (-10%)

Balance: (Rocket) Reduce energy fire cost from 1200 to 1000 (-17%)

Balance: (Shield) Sniper projectiles reflect off shields perfectly at moderately shallow angles

Balance: (Warthog active) Rockets gain the 25% damage/splash radius bonus

Fix: (Battlegrounds) Block 39, 11 + Left lower expansion has extra terrain in front of it

Fix: (Elephants) Blocks 2, 0 more space for lower AA expansion, left side can swing into cave.

Fix: (Forts Falls) Asymmetrical + add no build zones to water

Fix: (Fracked) Blocks 45, 15 prevents lower turbines, lowers the amount of propellers you can build, couple other blocks slightly block building

Fix: (Hangtime) Slightly asymmetrical

Fix: (Hellmouth 3v3) Every non team owned block

Fix: (Hillboat, Hillfort) Offset on the central block allows for downwards shots to hit more easily on one side vs the other

Fix: (Italian) High Seas campaign translation contains slang profanity

Fix: (No Obstacle) Player is able to build foundations on inappropriate terrain

Fix: (Outstretch) Terrain close to base can block

Fix: (Overdrive) Focussed 2-barrel Deck Gun receives upgrade boost

Fix: (Penguins) Terrain close to base can block

Fix: (Phantom) The effects of the extended Magnabeam are cut short

Fix: (Pillars) Blocks 4, 2 blocks lower AA/mortars

Fix: (Spook) Enemy charge meter is not restored after joining until it changes

Fix: (Stalactites 4v4) Terrain asymmetry behind rear forts

Fix: (Vanilla Large) Lower base blocks are slightly different, not too impactful

Fix: (Vanilla) Blocks 7, 0 right in front of the base, blocks AA, especially with the meta having structure so close this does matter

Fix: (Wingman 4v4) Two blocks in front of the bases are different, slight issue for AA

Fix: (Wingman MS) Blocks 12, 10 top right expansion is easier to build forward on

Fix: (Wingman) Two blocks in front of the bases are different, slight issue for AA

Fix: (Ziggurat) Blocks 11, 6 starting base gets significantly fewer turbines, + all the other blocks are not perfectly symmetrical

Fix: Adding 'team' to profanity filter allows you to see enemy team chat

Fix: Assistant button tool tips appear when panel is not visible

Fix: Changing Vsync in options doesn't always update the actual setting

Fix: Crash in AllocateFortsToPlayers

Fix: Crash when an invalid teamId is passed to script functions

Fix: Device reclaim value and other stats do not respond to commander state

Fix: Heating is reset when moving weapons with Phantom

Fix: Logging functions incorrectly handle strings with new lines

Fix: Parts of the structure are drawn at the previous graphical position, causing a noticeable separation at speed

Fix: Players appear connected when they disconnect while downloading Workshop items

Fix: Quick Battle win music starts then stops when it should duck

Fix: Rich presence keeps attempting sign in if player has no internet connection

Fix: Structure claimed by barrels appear over mines.

Fix: Unable to convert bracing to back bracing at near zero energy in spite of it being no cost

Fix: When an upgraded weapon is moved, its upgrade source is selected to build

Fix: Wide strings cause memory leaks in Lua script states

Improve: (Balls) Prevent occupation of enemy terrain

Improve: (Code of Conduct) Include copyright to line about offensive Workshop material, and specify that a ban will be issued

Improve: (Spook) Don't see Phantom's true commander charge until first activation

Improve: (Vanilla 3v3) Display name is translated

Improve: Assistant button needs to be held to show panel

Improve: Error reporting for GetProjectileValue, GetAmmoValue, GetDeviceValue, and GetMaterialValue

Improve: Game invites from Discord Rich Presence work in submenus and matches

Improve: Lobbies are sorted by ping

Improve: Projectiles can have their FadeDuration customised (defaults to 0.2)

Improve: Rename Vanilla Large MS to Vanilla 2v2 MS

Improve: Rename Vanilla Large to Vanilla 2v2

Improve: Rich presence pop up only appears if player has discord running

Improve: RicochetFade values can be customised per projectile-material collision via Effect.Deflect entries, allowing projectiles to live long after reflections, defaulting to RicochetFade in db/constants.lua

Improve: Russian translation (thanks knestor)

Improve: Show active duration in commander description

Improve: The fort selection button in the lobby has a tooltip

Change List 1.33.1 r19616

Fix: (Phantom) Transfer Pad can't accept large devices such as the Hardpoint

Fix: (Phantom) Transfer Pad takes little damage from Buzzsaw

Fix: (Shockenaugh active) Firebeam fire cost is not reduced to match the regular Plasma Laser

Fix: Crash when upgrading a device as a client

Fix: Vanilla 2v2 MS is missing

Make Sure To Join Our Discord

If you haven't already, join our Forts Official Discord server to connect with other players, share strategies, create maps/mods, and receive advance notice of upcoming events.

Cheers,

EWG