Update 1.2.10 - details
here
and below:
Starhawk Public BETA Update 1.2.10
Date, Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:11PM
The 1.2.10 update for the Starhawk Public BETA was deployed during the server maintenance today, February 15 at 2pm Central time and included the following changes:
Significantly increased Swarm Missile damage vs. Hawks.
Reduced Shotgun max ammo capacity.
Rocket Launcher now must reload after firing 1 rocket.
Increased Hawk MG firing time before it begins to overheat.
Reduced OTS snap assist on Kinetic Rifle.
Increased minimum Rift Energy granted upon respawn to 3.
Swarm Missile Damage Increased:
This update increases the damage that Swarm Lasers deal to Hawks by more than 100%. As you can imagine this greatly increases the threat of this weapon during a dogfight and also helps to reduce the issue players were experiencing where dogfights felt too long and protracted due to the enormous number of Swarm Laser strikes being required for effective combat.
Shotgun Ammo Changes:
When used properly the Shotgun can be a formidable weapon however we were not seeing the ammo limits really coming into play at all. Players would have the shotgun and just "spam" away until they were dead. To help address this we have lowered the Shotgun max ammo capacity by almost 50% as well as reducing the number of Shotgun shells you get from an ammo box. Previously it was 15 shells and now its 4 shells.
This should help stem the brutal sustainability of the Vulture JetPack and Shotgun tactic.
Rocket Launcher Missile Capacity:
We have been tracking the game data like a ninja ever since we made the changes to the Rocket Launcher targeting in the 1.2.8 Update.
Based on the data we are seeing -- and the feedback from the community -- we feel the Rocket Launcher is currently overpowered. To help address this we are making the Rocket Launcher fire only 1 rocket before a reload is required. This helps space out the cadence of Rocket Launcher attacks which benefits troops and pilots alike.
Hawk MG Overheat:
Simply put, we needed to make the Hawk MG more effective. To this end, we have lengthened the amount of time the MG can fired in continuous full-auto before the gun overheats by almost 50%!
Furthermore, we have adjusted the MG so that it will cool-down from a full overheat nearly 33% faster than previously. However, we've added a 1 second pause after you release before the MG will begin cooling down and if you fully overheat your MG, you will have to wait 2 seconds before the cool-down process will begin.
Kinetic Rifle OTS Snap Assist:
Having observed and played count-less ground engagements, and having reviewed the gameplay analytics *AND* having read feedback from our community, we've decided to reduce the amount of snap assist on the Kinetic Rifle.
Snap assist is the targeting aid that kicks in when you press while in character mode. If your target was somewhat nearby your reticle at the time your pressed , the game would help center-up your target to aid you in combat. The 1.2.10 Update makes this a bit tighter and hopefully not as exploitable.
Now Respawn with 3 Rift Energy Minimum:
Previously in the Starhawk BETA, you would initially spawn into the game with 3 Rift Energy and every subsequent respawn would alway start you with a minimum of 1 Rift Energy. Today's 1.2.10 Update changes this so on initial spawn *AND* subsequent respawn, you will always start with a minimum of 3 Rift Energy.