*** Vendetta 1.8.367
- Linux version no longer attempts to rescan for joysticks whenever certain keyboard keys are pressed.
- Radar blip coloring can be modified by plugins again. When a plugin wants to change the status of a player by overriding the GetFriendlyStatus function, it must call the UpdateRadarFriendlyStatus(<node_id>) or UpdateAllRadarFriendlyStatus() function to update the radar with the new status.
- The Advanced Combat Training and Border Patrol group missions are now available.
- For multi-theaded rendering with dynamic lights and shadows, shadows are now processed in their own thread.
- Raptor UDV armor increased from 10,500 to 12000

*** Vendetta 1.8.367.1
- Fixed issue with license levels showing up as -/-/-/-/-.

*** Vendetta 1.8.367.2
- Fixed crash when using the OpenGL Reference driver with multi-threaded rendering enabled.

*** Vendetta 1.8.367.3
- Fixed crash/lockup when entering sectors with multi-threaded rendering enabled for DirecX 11 and OpenGL 4 drivers.

Newspost

Raptor UDV Buffed Newspost

Wheeee! Makefriends is working again. Yay!

Border Patrol Missions are back??? Weren't they taken away years ago or did I simply not spend enough time on Deneb alts to see them?

I remember that BP mission always worked individually and in group.
In this update BP mission becomes visible only if you are in a group.

BP dissappeared back when they expanded the Deneb conflict to more than just one sector in Deneb, IIRC. I think many of us assumed that the expanded conflict in Deneb was a replacement for BP, but I don't think there was any official statement regarding this...

I submitted a support ticket way back in 2012 (Ticket #1250) questioning the missing of the BP mission and all I got was Raybondo asking what "BP" meant... nothing further happened.

I thought Border Patrol was removed because it was such an easy way to rapidly develop alts or new players without them even having to do anything? I had alts that were 10/10/10 with millions of credits who had never left a station.

So is this a nerfed version or does it have the same exploits?

It disappeared when the category mission system came out

Bunch of whiners when we get content back.

This is a good update.

I had alts that were 10/10/10 with millions of credits who had never left a station.

This.

Thanks for the update function, Ray. I'll try to patch MakeFriends to use that. Since you're fiddling around with the Radar code, why not take a look at making the friend/foe status of conquerable station guards work right?

Border Patrol is exploitable as hell... :(

"Border Patrol is exploitable as hell... :("

Reducing grind for combat related XP is probably the most effective player-retention measure that has happenend in a long time. I've seen more combat action in the last week than I have in a LONG time, and part of that is due to BP. I'd suggest not nerfing the mission until we've seen a demonstrated negative affect to gameplay. Whiners about magical XP rewards need to remember that this game as empty and needs more people.

I think the real issue is that other things are too restrictive in their xp. We should raise the xp and levels required for things, but BP is probably fine as it is.

the only nerf id like to see on bp is that to get the xp you have to actually be in the bp sector or have kills/assist kills in the current reward block

So that players can't be ghosted to high levels.

+1 CS.

+1 CS, just having to be in sector should be enough.

the only nerf id like to see on bp is that to get the xp you have to actually be in the bp sector or have kills/assist kills in the current reward block

Having to be in sector is pointless because newbs can fly out of range and just sit there.

Having a kill or assist per mission to claim rewards would disincentivize involvement. From a levelling perspective it's only the cumulative rewards for larger groups that make BP worth people's time. Otherwise it makes more sense for groups to do ion storm hive missions with a trident, where the rewards are higher per kill and the bots are easier to destroy.

Having to be in sector is pointless because newbs can fly out of range and just sit there.

No, it isn't pointless, because it makes it more participatory than them simply sitting in a station somewhere. Mitigation is still improvement, even if it isn't perfect.

BP as it is now is akin to the US Federal Reserve keeping interest rates for banks at 0%. Long term it's obviously not a good thing for BP to remain this way, but I'm simply arguing that it should be left as is for the short term to see if it actually helps bring in new people that might be put off by the grind.

What's the worse that could happen? People getting access to ships and weapons they haven't "earned"? Existing players making more alts which provie them greater access to the game?

You're suggesting that we intentionally enable a method of character improvement that allows people to basically not-play and yet advance their characters. Not unlike buying a character on Ebay, or paying someone else to play their character for them. Hey, it's always a possibility, but it isn't something we're seeking to specifically support here.

If the "grind" is too hard, and we think that should be changed, then that's a separate discussion point that should be handled elsewhere. But, I'm not in favor of creating some specialty channel for character-building that subverts the presented path to advancement. This would also inherently favor the informed veteran player, as the average, silent mobile-newbie will have no idea it exists.

This is a terrible idea for something to "help bring in new people", whether they dislike the grind or not. It's undocumented, obfuscated, and requires resources (multiple accounts, or other people) to utilize.

As of right now, we have changed BP so it will give rewards only to people who are currently in the BP sector, OR who may be elsewhere but have previously made a kill in the BP sector during the course of the mission.

Awesome, can we nerf the hound now so all the bored vets can't pad their ever so important PK counts swarming the noobs in the sector.