Key Bindings Changed!

Please reassign your keys. In the key options click DEFAULT and from there start assigning your wished key bindings again. If you do not reassign your keys, formerly ALT+[KEY] combination will work on [KEY] only!

Faction Warzones

• Club Veronique is now a Faction Warzones.
• The Red Pepper Security guards will shoot runners that are hostile to the faction holding Club Veronique.
• To hack a Faction Warzones requires 3 hackers.
• DoY Sector 10 remains a Faction Warzone.

RPOS/UI fixes and improvements

• Added /local, /buddy, /team, /direct and /custom commands to activate the corresponding chat channels when provided with no further text.
• Added more options for the level designers regarding Wavespawns.
• Added RPOS sorting to the items an NPC is selling. Click on the column titles Description, Sell or Buy to sort by them ascending or descending.
• Added support for MBUTTON 5 to 8 (If supported by the mouse and drivers)
• Item-swapping enabled, except for items in your inventory.
• Item highlighting of recently changed items.
• Double-click an item in armour or implant window moves that item to the inventory.
• Holding SHIFT/CTRL on moving stacked items moves all or one item instead of asking the player in an dialog.
• Added ALT+[KEY] bindings. Players can now decide which action shall be used with a ALT+[KEY] combination.
• Added Loot-Rights. With ALT+0 to ALT+5 you can select who might be able to loot your NPCs. This applies just loot NPCs.
• Increased NPC Dialog blending speed
• Fixed NPC Dialog to not show the old answer options when blending the new dialog text
• Fixed E-Mail count on effects list is now correct.
• Fixed a bug causing rpos.ini to be deleted.
• Fixed the buff timer animations.
• Fixed correct display of armour values in the Armour Interface (F4) Values now match with the values from the item information.
• Fixed furniture placing now correctly increases the free load on the player.

Droning fixes and improvements

• Added new controls to drones. Droners can now control the distance to ground with Duck and Jump keybindings.
• Fixed a problem with the view not correctly updating when dropping drone control.

Gameworld fixes

• Fixed Viper King and Scorpion Queen item drops.
• Fixed respawn for players after deaths in starter MC5 Hacknet sector.
• You can no longer sit in the hack terminal in DoY sector 10.
• Typo fixes in various NPC dialogs.
• - Mr. Jones Preacher Mission
• - MC5 Starter Mission (Tasha)
• - Tangent Epic Mission
• - WoC PSI Savant
• The 2nd level sewer in Plaza 1 (Nearest to Medicare) is re-opened.
• DoY sector 3 is re-opened.

Main menu fixes and improvements

• Did you know? On the main menu you can now read info you may not know yet but might get handy.
• The appearance can be customised with the [HINTOFTHEDAY] section of the RPOS.INI and FONT.INIi files. (See below)
• Added the use of Browser keys Previous/Next in the main menu to go back/next.
• Fixed Main-Menu key option menu: Using the up and down buttons does not require to select the centered action anymore before setting the key binding
• Fixed Main-Menu character selection: The male heads should be now in the same position independent of character class. (Female to follow)
• Fixed Main-Menu all: ESC key changed! It will return to the last menupoint instead of leaving the game. On the login menu the ESC will still prompt you to exit.
• Fixed Main-Menu list boxes: Active list-boxes did scroll on key repeat events, even when Neocron was not in focus.
• ALT+TAB / ALT+F4 fixes while Splash-Screens are active.

Server and client stability fixes

• Fixed "Configure Hardware" button in the Launcher.
• Fixed a problem with syncing which leads to infinite syncing with 0SL and no items.
• Fixed the despawn time of dead Wavespawn NPC's. You have now time to loot them.
• Fixed a possible crash on closing Neocron just before it was completely initialised.
• Fixed some server and client side stability issues on handling resources.
• Fixed possible crash in maps with low bitdepth high resolution textures.
• Fixed NPC synchronisation. You should no longer receive damage without seeing the shot animation/projectiles.
• Fixed CPU high load on some systems or situations (i.e. inactive client at Fullscreen)
• Crashes/players getting stuck in DoY Sector 3 were fixed.
• The number of security layers for Outposts and Faction Warzones can now be configured by the NST.

Hotfix 218

• Fixed slow syncing into worlds.
• "Loot-Rights: Team" is now working as intended.

New RPOS.INI and FONT.INI settings

Below are the new RPOS.INI Settings and their possible values in ranges [min..max] or listed as / separated options

[HINTOFTHEDAY]
R=[0..255]
G=[0..255]
B=[0..255]
A=[0..255]
FixedBox=0/1
Top=[0.0..1.0]
Bottom=[0.0..1.0]
Left=[0.0..1.0]
Right=[0.0..1.0]

The default font values for hint of the day in FONT.INI

[HINTOFTHEDAY]
FILE=.\fonts\arialblk.ttf
NAME=HINTOFTHEDAY
SIZE=14

Discussion

The patch notes can be discussed in the Official Neocron Forums.

Balancing

• Resists given by armor have been reduced;
• Absorber, Deflector and Protector efficiencies have been lowered;
• Overall player damage and NPC healthpools have been reduced;
• Fixed mistakes with some fire and poison APU modules (Instant damage / DOT split was wrong);
• Ray of Last Hope damage decreased

Known Issues

• Wrong numbers will be displayed in your Armor interface (F4) once you equip armor.

Gameworld

• Softupdate 205.1 + 205.2

Bugfixes

• A series of bugfixes to prevent server crashes when NPC are calling for help
• Client stability improved - This is still work in progress, please report if you do have still crashes

Known Issues

• The Configure hardware button from the launcher isn't working. The workaround is to hold down Shift when you click on "Play Neocron 2" button. Keep shift pressed until the hardware configuration screen comes up.

Bugfixes

• Fixed several server side crashes;
• Fixed several client side crashes.

Gameplay

• Soft Update 203.3;
• MC5 Base Commander now correctly calls for help when being attacked.

Content

• Added new rare Automatic Pistol;
• Added new rare Mini Rocket Launcher;
• Adjusted balance of the Automatic Pistol Weapon Family;
• Adjusted balance of the Mini Rocket Launcher Weapon Family;
• This patch contains lots of treats in preparation for S.A.N.T.A-bot coming to town. Stay tuned!

Technical

• Client.exe was renamed to NeocronClient.exe as preparation for some game recognition mechanics. Please make sure your firewall rules are fitting this

Bugfixes

• Client/Server stability increased. Sometimes the worldserver has crashed which resulted in a sync or throwback to the login - this should be fixed now
• The Civil Administrator Mission (Starting Area - MC5) is now working as intended

Gameplay

• Softupdate 202.1
• Return of the floats - Floats are visible on the info page again until we have fixed this with an overhaul of implants and armors
• Ammo + mods of the SECOND LOVE can be found by the right trader now

Bugfixes

• NPC resists are working now - a bug has deny any calculation of the damage reduction
• Drones should now work as intented and they are not using the MC-Subskill for damage calculation anymore
• Server selection should now be able to show a playercount beyond 100+ instead of "FULL"
• Switching your current outfit should not lead into a corrupt character model anymore
• Second Love should now be moddable with the ULTIMA mod
• Mobspawn in AMC5 has been adjusted. More mission related mobs now spawn in the area around the mission NPCs. Increased general mobspawn for this sector.
• The F8 missionwindows now displays the correct amount of missiontargets for the Wesley-mission (AMC5 tutorial)
• Fixed vegetation with wrong textures or invisible LoD's

Gameplay

• Softupdate 201.1 - 201.3
• Buffs do have a new colored glove
• You are now able to customize the damage numbers yourself. There are a bunch of available options you can use by simply combine the values bitwise (OR). You can use the command "/set ctrl_renderdamagemode x" ingame or add/set the "DamageAnimationFlags=" key to your preferred RPOSCOLOR.INI section. The value 0 restores the original behavior

Balancing

• HOLY RESTORATION is now using 30 psi power instead of 15.

Damage render flags

#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_Y_UP					1
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_Y_DOWN					2
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_Y_RND					4
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_X_UP					8
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_X_DOWN					16
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_X_RND					32
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_Z_UP					64
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_Z_DOWN					128
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_Z_RND					256
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_SUM					512
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_REMOVELAST				1024
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_SLIDE_Y_UP				2048
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_SLIDE_Y_DOWN				4096
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_SLIDE_X_UP				8192
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_SLIDE_X_DOWN				16384
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_SLIDE_Z_UP				32768
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_SLIDE_Z_DOWN				65536
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_FADE_TEXT				131072
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_TEXT_SHADOW				262144
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_TEXT_SCALEANIMATION			524288
#define RPOSAUXWINDOW_DAMAGERENDERFLAG_TEXT_ALLOWZERODMG			1048576

Enemy Wave Spawns
This new type of encounter allows areas of the game world to have their own difficulty curve. Initially weak enemies will be present allowing Runners to clear a sector quickly. Instead of this triggering the usual respawn of the exact same foes (or wait for Runners to leave and come back) something exciting happens – enemy reinforcements arrive!

Dependant on the sector, wave after wave of enemies will show up! Each wave will bring its own challenges as enemy types change and wave compositions adjust. Fighting a small number of powerful enemies can make way for a much larger wave of weaker opponents. As Runners progress through the waves they will need to work together to survive as their foes spawn randomly through the sector making each play through that little bit different.

Outzone Sector 7
After over a decade of being sealed behind a fence, Outzone 7 is now open and accessible to players. Thanks to a leap forward in our level editing toolset, we have fixed a significant number of issues with the map file; ladders now work, pits have escape routes and doors function properly.

We want runners to explore this sector and report any issues they find, so we can ensure they’re ironed out. Bringing this piece of the game world back to the players and making further repairs is a great test for our improved toolset.
We’ll be investing time in fixing other map issues going forward, some of the initial fixes are detailed in the rest of the patch notes.

Outzone Sector 7 <3 Wave Spawns
A match made in heaven – previously inaccessible location meets new encounter type.

Everything is not as it seems in the dilapidated power plant within Outzone Sector 7. Mutants continue to roam the sector much like the rest of the Outzone but there is a hum of tension in the air.

Powerful new types of Mutants have been spotted in the sector. Burly Enforcers patrol the corridors along with the upper echelons of the mysterious group of mutated PSI Monks known as the Enlightened.

Take up arms and raid this new location to see how many waves of mutants you and your team can survive. Make sure to provide us feedback on this new encounter so we can improve it over time and bring these new mechanics to other areas of the game world.

All New Weapon Systems
Weapon damage is an essential part of Neocron’s underlying systems and plays a huge part within the game world – obviously! With the release of Neocron Evolution 2.3 we have completely re-implemented the weapon damage system. All code governing the behaviours of Rifles, Pistols, Heavy Weapons, Melee, Passive and Aggressive PSI has been entirely rewritten from the ground up.

Thus, we are now able to finely tune weapons either individually or by our newly created Weapon Families system. Having removed many bugs in weapon performance calculations, weapons are now more reliable and perform accurately in-line with our expectations when compared to our inputs.

For our Droners, stay tuned for a future update which will bring Drones in line too.

Weapon Balance
All weapon types have been adjusted to fall in line with a new weapon balance paradigm. More setups are now viable as many more weapons have feasible use cases. Aiming for the highest Tech Level weapon may no longer be the best approach. Dropping to a lower Tech Level may allow you to generate as much damage more quickly. It also finally opens the doors to setups which are not based on min-max values – more variety awaits.

Players are advised to experiment with their setup to find the perfect balance for their play style. There is a huge amount of change within weapon balance and some of this will be documented by Aegir, our balance boffin, in the coming days and weeks. The very best way of understanding the new balance is to play and get a feel for the different weapon types again. With huge improvements to the viability of melee combat for example, it might be a good time to try that melee tank you always intended to play!

Weapon Families
Weapons which share characteristics are now grouped into Weapon Families behind the scenes. This new concept allows us to control weapons on an individual or family level in a uniform manner. With rapid iteration in mind we can now finely adjust the behaviours and characteristics of all weapons in the game using our custom damage simulation tooling.

Weapon ammunition is now unique to each Weapon Family, allowing precise alterations to be made. More ammo types are available to ensure damage is more refined. Therefore, some of your weapons will need a new type of ammo. 

You can find all new ammo types for your weapons at the same vendors as before. If you cannot find the ammo you require for your weapon at an in-game store, please let us know ASAP.

Wisdom of Ceres, Rare and Epic Weapon Bonuses
To create more variance in weapon setups we have removed the previous bonuses granted to weapons in the Wisdom of Ceres, Rare and Epic weapon categories. These are now properly balanced across the entire weapon range. Regular weapons are now more viable as a result.

With the removal of a specific damage bonus, this removes the reliance on these items in PVP.

Melee Combat
It has been requested for many many years that melee combat get some tender loving care - well today is the day. Melee combat has gotten some serious improvements to damage output and playability in Neocron Evolution 2.3 and the feedback we've had during testing is that melee is now a more viable class in many combat situations.

Hybrid PSI Monks
We have removed the negative effects of PSI Monk specialisation, bringing Hybrid PSI Monks back to the table. Hybrid PSI Monks should now pose a threat in combat but thanks to changes in shield mechanics and weapon balance they should not outstrip specialised PSI Monks in defence or damage output.

Advanced Damage Indicators
Indicators used to display the damage caused by Runners to their enemies have been re-implemented. Rather than a single figure illustrating the amount of HP lost by the target, the new advanced damage indicators are split across colour-coded damage types. At a glance Runners are now able to see exactly how effective their weapons are against their foes.

By default, damage types are represented by the following colours (Red, Green, Blue, Alpha):

• Normal Damage – Red (255 50 35 255)
• Force Damage – Red (255 50 35 255)
• Piercing Damage – Red (255 50 35 255)
• Fire Damage – Orange (255 127 39 255)
• Energy Damage – Blue (0 128 255 255)
• X-ray Damage – Teal (57 200 180 255)
• Poison Damage – Green (0 210 0 255)
• Psi Damage – Purple (160 40 170 255)
• Vehicle Damage – Red (255 50 35 255)
• Heal – Yellow (255 255 35 255)

All elements of the Neocron RPOS can be coloured to match your own personal style and new advanced damage indicators are no exception. The existing rposcolor.ini file has been extended with configurable options for all new indicators.

As we further improve the visual appearance of Neocron, our new advanced damage indicators are also in high definition. You’re now provided with a crisp and clear display of the carnage you’re causing which is a lot easier to read. 

Item Window Improvements
We have implemented several improvements to the Item Window which appears when right clicking an item and selecting 'Show Info'. Weapons now show detailed information about their damage output across damage types. Through percentage indicators you can also gain an accurate understanding of your performance with the chosen weapon thanks to the all new weapon system.

Kill Tracking
New statistic systems have been implemented which collect various information going on in the game world. This includes a log of all Runner deaths in the game world and how they died. We’ll be making this information available via the Public API soon, allowing the production of kill boards and further stat analysis.

New Character Tutorial & Revamped Area MC5
Area MC5, the new player starting area, has been updated with several new missions. The new missions will explain several systems and skills to new players while also providing early XP progression. Both new and returning players are encouraged to play through these missions, this path through the lowest levels of the game aims to reduce the reliance on grinding.

From Area MC5 missions you can progress into Mr Jones’ mission line and in the future, we will be implementing the next post-Jones missions to aid your progression.

Area MC5 has been reworked completely to make the first steps in Neocron easier for new players. A new mission camp has been added. Info popups have been added. Spawns have been altered/adjusted. New decorations and additional traders have been added.

Mission System Improvements
Our new mission system technology has received several updates to improve performance. As well as removing the old maximum number of mission in the old system, the new system allows us to dynamically add missions to the game world without a patch.

Damage Logs Return
In one of our previous patches we moved damage calculation to the server to improve reliability. A casualty of this was the local damage log. We have re-enabled this with the Neocron Evolution 2.3 update. While damage calculation remains server side, we’re relaying some extra data to the client to reenable the damage log. The generated damage logs uses the original code and has not yet been updated, be aware results may vary.

Damage logging should only be used while testing your setup, as when enabled this may impact performance.

Pegasus Engine Updates

• Increased maximum Fog Distance significantly, players can now see further;
• Increased maximum permitted number of objects per sector dramatically;
• Lighting effects have been adjusted for items, NPCs, projectiles and objects which emit light;
• Particle system has been improved;
• A new dynamic light particle has been added;
• Rare weapon ‘swirlies’ now emit light onto surfaces in the game world;
• Weapon projectiles now emit light onto surface in the game world;
• Three new weapon effects have been implemented;
• Particles in gravlifts have been improved;
• Netcode update tickrate has been increased significantly;
• We're now able to customise dynamic lighting for each shot effect individually;
• Added support for 4K texture resolutions;
• Updated texture and light map support from 8/16Bit to 24/32Bit, increasing colour palette and reducing colour banding.

Technical Updates

• Server population is now reported in actual figures instead of percentages on the server selection screen;
• Improved reliability of the ‘/set kill_self 1’ command between server and game clients;
• Improved character gender identification in some programmatic situations;
• Rewritten logic governing item condition impact on weapon performance;
• Added global modifier for the severity of "broken legs";
• Refactored logic governing Damage Over Time (DOT);
• Position update rate for Drones has been increased;
• Improved underlying logic for the performance of Drones;
• Legacy code for Skill Influence for weapon damage has been replaced;
• Reimplemented Hacknet character models for players entering Hacknet;
• NPC's can now pull their dialogue strings from a resource file. In time, we will move NPCs over to this new system as it provides many benefits to be explored in the future;
• Beam weapons should now display their hits correctly;
• Shield system has been re-implemented;
• Automatic Soul Light regeneration has been reactivated;
• New "MISSED" shots have been implemented to better illustrate when individual projectiles do no damage;
• Bugs were fixed in the length of STUN, DAMAGEBOOST and CONTAMINATION effects;
• Improvements to NPC script handling;
• Netcode has been updated to factor in increased data transmission for weapon data;
• Stuns have been fixed + some general handling regarding temp. effects;
• Gatling Cannon sounds have been normalised within the Weapon Family.

Gameplay Updates

• Lowered movement speed malus for "broken legs";
• Restored generic sound and visual impact indicators when being hit;
• Added new sound and visual impact indicator effects for specific Weapon Mods;
• Added fire impact effect to fire modded laser and pulse laser ammunition;
• Adjusted effects for impact effects (explosion effect too big on certain weapons)
• Added a small explosion effect to PSI Attack (it does force damage, after all)
• Reduced impact of Item condition on weapon performance.
• Bug Fixes
• Stealth animation fixed;
• Sniper rifle zoom fixed;
• Fixed a crash in DOT logic;
• Animations for decorative Rats, Seagulls and Crows have been restored;
• Spawning of NPCs should no longer lead to occasional server desynchronization;
• Clan pointers should no longer appear for Runners not in a Clan;
• Fix applied which removes referenced resources on exiting the game, this is now faster;
• Standard Rocket Ammo should now work as intended;
• Several server side crashes were identified and fixed;
• Several client side crashes were identified and fixed;
• Positions of freezer rifles are adjusted;
• Runners now gain experience for secondary main skills while in a team.

Items

• Added 3 new sets of furniture for Runner apartments:
• Added Tech Level inventory labels to all tools without them;
• Added I, II, III inventory label to Stealth Activators;
• Added "R" inventory label to all remote tools;
• Added PE and SPY inventory labels to Stealth Tools awarded from Mr Jones missions;
• New rare Junk Knife BLACKMIST'S REMORSE has been implemented;
• New rare Stiletto SOLINGEN'S FINEST has been implemented;
• New rare line of sight heal module HOLY RESTORATION has been implemented;
• New rare poison beam PSI module CAUSTIC RAIN has been implemented;
• New rare experimental rifle SECOND LOVE has been implemented;
• New Ionic Crossbow Rifle has been implemented.

Text Updates

• Job description for the Rigger profession has been updated;
• In-game welcome mail "Death in Neocron" has been updated to remove all references to backpacks and to provide up to date information;
• Welcome Tip (Skill Advisor) in-game emails have been updated for Inquisitor, Field Medic and Preacher professions;
• Several traders were selling “PSI Spells”, instead of Modules. Renamed 'Spells' to 'Modules' where applicable;
• Info/help popups have been reviewed and their text updated appropriately;
• New info/help popups have been added to help players and guide them through the new Area MC5 tutorial;
• Info/help popups have been activated for all new characters;
• Numerous spelling errors in the English language client have been corrected;
• Numerous spelling errors in the German language client have been corrected;
• Item names referring to NExT have been corrected;
• Incorrect grammar has been corrected for research terminal missions in the German language client;
• Fixed naming of Point Red Storage;
• Naming schemes for ammo and weapon modifications have been amended.

Gameworld

• A new retailer, Neokea, has moved into Viarosso Sector 3. They offer new ranges of luxury furniture available for Runner apartments;
• Added overhauled/new cabinets to NPC trader;
• Runners can now access Outzone Sector 7;
• Fixed several issues with the Outzone Sector 7 map;
• Added new wave spawn mechanic to Outzone Sector 7;
• Fixed lighting issue in the Military Base Entrance map;
• Reset position location of the Fallen Angels Tech Core has been fixed;
• Fixed a map bug sending players to the wrong apartment lift when leaving Verizon Arcade apartments in Viarosso Sector 2;
• Removed Yakarma and "FragZone" VOX adverts;
• Flying and floating objects such as barrels, boxes and trees have been removed/fixed in the following sectors:
  
  • G_09, I_14, J_01, J_02, J_03, J_07, J_14, K_01, K_05.
• Removed tree in Industrial Area Sec. 2;
• Canyon Facility has now a Loss of Memory pill vendor;
• Apartment Broker (Plaza Sector 1) now sells furnished Plaza and Viarosso apartments;
• Minor visual changes to Military Base Sec. 1 and Biotech HQ, including decals, assets, floating objects and removed some obsolete textures;
• Changed both YO's layouts in Military Base Sec. 1 to bring it in line with the Military look, replaced some crates with different textures, removed and added blood and dirt decals, added further Apartment numbering and fixed some floating objects;
• A lighting issue was fixed in Military Base Entrance;
• Removed smugglers without any function in J10 & K15;
• Sign posts in Fortress Undergrounds are no longer chairs;
• Blue Tech Haven furniture has been replaced with the correct grey variant in Fortress Undergrounds;
• Improved spawn chance of Wood for boxes in Area MC5;
• Floating boxes and barrels have been grounded in Fortress Undergrounds.

Graphic Updates

• Overhauled doorbell textures;
• Graphic asset file structure amended for better support of new client/server tooling;
• Added various decal textures;
• Updated versions of some foliage models have been added;
• New PSI Glove models have been added for first person mode;
• Fixed some missing texture references;
• Fixed transparency for willows and reeds;
• First Person effects for being on fire were adjusted;
• Visual effects for Damage over Time status effects have been improved;
• New intro splash screens for Neocron Support Team and Pegasus Engine;
• New extro splash screen for Neocron Evolution social media;
• Revised loading and login screen backgrounds.

Missions & NPCs

• Several fixes across all Mr Jones new character mission scripts for English, French and German languages;
• Mr Jones missions have been updated in the English, German & French versions of the client, moving them to NST mission technology;
• Non-responsive NPCs in Mr Jones missions have been fixed. This includes common issues with NPCs such as the Dog, Construction Machine and Upload Terminal;
• Relocated Mr Jones mission location ‘Biological Research Lab’;
• Fixed names of Canyon Facility X1-3 keys/apartments, now correctly labelled as Montag Barracks;
• Fixed names of Canyon Facility X4-6 keys/apartments, now correctly labelled as Rodriguez Barracks;
• "Fergusson" should now always spawn automatically at the correct position;
• The 'Biological Research Lab’ has now a new home in Plaza Sec 3;
• Regants Faith Mission updated;
• Significantly decreased the amount of credits you need for the Neocare Jailhouse Missions and also doubled the amount of SL you get;
• Non-responsive NPCs in the NExT Epic Mission have been fixed;
• Twilight Guardian trade skill quick job missions no longer send the player Plaza Sector 2;
• The Bright 'n' Clean Coordinator in Area MC5 is now able to give you a mission;
• Fixed a possible exploit in Tsunami Epic mission;
• 'Enlighted' PSI Mutants mobs are now correctly labelled as 'Enlightened';
• Added several new tiers of Enlightened PSI Mutants;
• Several tiers of new Enforcer mutants have been added;
• A new variation of Drom has been added;
• City Merc Epic mission 6 has been altered/fixed. Marcel should not attack you anymore while you are still reading the dialogue;
• A trader for Hacknet items has been added to Area MC5;
• Health increased for very high level enemy NPCs;
• Health adjusted globally for enemy NPCs inline with adjusted damage output of player characters.

Drones

• Implemented initial values for drone speed and damage (as a baseline for testing and further adjustments);
• Reduced overall damage of Drones;
• Tripled range of Gatling Drones;
• Reduced effectiveness of Kamikaze Drones by half;
• Implemented set damage values for Kamikaze Drones;
• MR Drone series now uses single target homing missile again.

PSI

• APU damage reduced overall and further reduced for Halo, Lance, Ball, Bolt and Barrel types (non-rare damage was too high);
• Protector efficiency raised a bit;
• Parashock and Damageboost Sanctum duration increased to 30 seconds;
• Heal Sanctum duration increased from 30 to 90 seconds;
• Heal Group duration increased from 30 to 60 seconds;
• PPU Psi Energy requirements overhaul (for commonly used modules):
  • Crahn Holy DamageBlocker TL 96 : 125 -> 62.5;
  • Crahn Holy AntiParalyse TL 102 : 125 -> 62.5;
  • Crahn Blessed DamageBlocker TL 84 : 100 -> 50;
  • Crahn Holy Absorber Sanctum TL 102 : 93.075 -> 46.54;
  • Crahn Heat Resist Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Supporter Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Spy Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn PSI Combat Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Hazard Resist Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Drone Combat Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Rifle Combat Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Pistol Combat Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Heavy Combat Booster 3 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Melee Combat Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Basic Resist Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Construction Booster 3 TL 95 : 86.688 -> 43.34;
  • Crahn Holy Heal Sanctum TL 91 : 83.038 -> 41.52;
  • Crahn Holy Protector Sanctum TL 84 : 76.65 -> 38.33;
  • Crahn Blessed Absorber Sanctum TL 78 : 71.175 -> 35.59;
  • Crahn Basic Resist Booster 2 TL 75 : 68.438 -> 43.22;
  • Crahn Hazard Resist Booster 2 TL 75 : 68.438 -> 43.22;
  • Crahn Heat Resist Booster 2 TL 75 : 68.438 -> 43.22;
  • Crahn Holy Group Absorber TL 105 : 64.313 -> 32.2;
  • Crahn Holy Deflector Sanctum TL 69 : 62.963 -> 31.99;
  • Crahn Blessed Protector Sanctum TL 67 : 61.138 -> 30.57;
  • Crahn Holy Group Heal TL 98 : 60.025 -> 30;
  • Crahn Blessed Heal Sanctum TL 58 : 52.925 -> 26.46;
  • Crahn Spy Booster 2 TL 55 : 50.188 -> 25.1;
  • Crahn Heavy Combat Booster 2 : 50.188 -> 25.1;
  • Crahn Rifle Combat Booster 2 TL 55 : 50.188 -> 25.1;
  • Crahn Drone Combat Booster 2 TL 55 : 50.188 -> 25.1;
  • Crahn Supporter Booster 2 TL 55 : 50.188 -> 25.1;
  • Crahn Construction Booster 2 TL 55 : 50.188 -> 25.1;
  • Crahn PSI Combat Booster 2 TL 55 : 50.188 -> 25.1;
  • Crahn Pistol Combat Booster 2 TL 55 : 50.188 -> 25.1;
  • Crahn Melee Combat Booster 2 TL 55 : 50.188 -> 25.1;
  • Crahn Holy Group Protector TL 80 : 49 -> 24.5;
  • Crahn Blessed Group Absorber TL 79 : 48.388 -> 24.2;
  • Crahn Holy Absorber TL 95 : 43.938 -> 30;
  • Crahn Holy Heal TL 85 : 39.313 -> 25;
  • Crahn Holy Protector TL 71 : 32.838 -> 30;
  • Crahn Holy Deflector TL 64 : 39.6 -> 30;
  • HOLY ABSORPTION TL 108 : 33.75 -> 25;
  • HOLY PROTECTION TL 104 : 32.5 -> 25;
  • HOLY DEFLECTION TL 100 : 31.25 -> 25.

Patch R#200 & R#201

• Increased shot frequency of Raygun Pistols;
• Increased damage output of Fusion Pistols;
• Fixed a lighting issue in Viarosso Sector 2;
• Fixed further geometry issues in Outzone Sector 7;
• Fixed (removed) synaptic impairment impact of Loss of Memory pills;
• Fixed 0% synaptic impairment requirement on PSI and some INT Loss of Memory pills;
• Fixed distribution of Ionic Crossbow Rifle;
• Fixed some server side crashes;
• Fixed some client side crashes.

Miscellaneous

• Credits updated.

Technical Updates & Bug Fixes

• A bug was fixed which lead to some random desyncs in the past - the world data has been rebuilt to match to the latest format
• A bug was fixed regarding the new mission system  - mission data is now correctly loaded
• This patch lays the foundation for the upcoming *BIGPATCH*, which encompases many of the changes made to Vedeena in the last 12 months.

NPCs

• Tangent Technologies proudly preset it's latest version of S.A.N.T.A. BOT

Technical Updates & Bug Fixes

• Neocron's source code has been updated to make use of a newer runtime version. In order to continue playing Neocron you will need to download the latest verion of vcredist_x86.exe from Microsoft.
  • Regardless of your operating system version, you need the x86 version of the download. Neocron is a 32bit application and as such requires the 32bit version.
• A new version of the Neocron Community Edition installer was made available on Neocron-Game.com for new and returning users.
• A bug was fixed that caused sudden death after synchronising
• A bug was fixed which allowed sanctum spells to 'overcast' better PSI manipulations
• A crash was fixed which could occur during character creation.
• A crash was fixed which could occur when casting PSI modules
• A crash was fixed which could occur when using team invites
• New commands added to our mission scripting language
• New features have been added to the mission system. While these are not visible to you yet, they will enable us to create more and better missions.

New Features

• AFK Flags have been implemented. You can set your afk state via command /set afk 1 (0 to remove AFK). When enabled Runners will have "AFK" next to their name when targeted.
• A new option has been added to the Hardware Configuration window, players can now toggle dynamic lighting on some NPCs. This option is set to off by default.

NPCs

• An early version of a new kind of NPC was added
• WAITER NPCs did not correctly hide/duck to "evade" from players with weapons, this has been fixed. NPCs of this kind will be introduced in future updates.
• PMAN NPCs should now stop when players talk or trade with them, this kind of NPC will flee from players with weapons but not from CopBots. When on patrol this kind of NPC should now correctly greet when encountering players. NPCs of this kind will be introducted in futue updates.
• NPCs can now have much higher health
• Health values of some NPCs have been adjusted
• A bug was fixed to prevent NPC Health from jumping when they move
• Several unique high level kill target NPCs no longer give XP when attacked or killed
• Faction and City Guards no longer give XP when attacked or killed
• The npc dialog mechanic has been revamped but remains a work in progress.

Interface

• A new category "FEEDBACK" has been added to the in game bug tracker
• Color codes to indicating the items quality added but just for Info-Windows at moment.

Balance

• All Rare and WoC weapons have been modified - this is still work in progress your feedback is needed and very welcome

Client-Server Interactions

• Health regeneration has been removed from the client, health calculations are now carried out server-side.
• Synchronisation of health has been reworked. Runner health should now update instantly without 'jumping'
• Damage calculation has been removed from the client, damage causations are now carried out server-side
• Synchronisation of damage has been reworked. Damage should now be applied more smoothly, preventing runner health from 'jumping'
• Beam weapons should now hit their target more often thanks to changes made to damage synchronisation.
• Synchronisation and behaviour of Death-Flags has been reworked. This should eliminate bugs when using resurrection modules ("the rezz-bug").
• Leg damage is no longer realised using the inventory load code. Movement penalties for damaged legs are calculated independently now.
• Handling of leg damage has was reworked. Movement speed updates are more frequent now and you can "fix" legs by healing them directly.

Graphics Update!

• New splash screens have been added for the Neocron Support Team, Reakktor and Pegasus. you can see these when Neocron starts.
• Pegasus is the codename for the newer Neocron Client, our development framework, backend services and all the developments we have made since taking over the Neocron project in 2012.
• A new version of the NPC dialogue window was added. The new NPC dialogue experience is still a work in progress.
• A significant number of graphic assets have been re-created from scratch in a much higher resolution. A smaller number of entirely new assets have also been created and added. You can see these new graphics across the entire game world.
• The list of updates graphic assets includes:
• Most pro-City Administration retailer logos/signs
• All faction logos/signs
• All holographic traffic system signs (inner city)
• Metal traffic system signs (Outzone)
• Holographic frames
• Most advertisements for in-game products and businesses
• Most graffiti spray paint style signs
• Warning and hazard signs
• Most miscellaneous posters and litter decorations
• Blood and other liquid splatters
• Grime, dirt, rust, mould, crack and damaged material textures
• Club Jailhouse specific decorations including logos and graffiti
• Tech Haven information system signs
• Sewer entrance hatch textures
• Rotten box textures, including new varieties with company logos
• MedKit textures
• Terminator Assault Quads have a slightly sharper texture
• ...and many more!

NavRay

• A number of improvements have been made to the NavRay, with the aim of making navigation easier for both new and existing players.
• Several menu and sub menu names have been updated/corrected in NavRay
• NavRay menus have been updated with several additional locations across the game world:
• Job Centre
• Outzone Apartment Complex Apartments
• Neocron & Dome of York Entrances
• Industrial Area Sec-2
• References to Con Center and Job Centre have been updated to unify spelling
• Mr Jones Mission locations are more clearly marked in NavRay
• Faction names have been corrected in the NavRay
• NavRay routing has been improved in Plaza 2. Several routing issues have been resolved.
• NavRay routing has been improved in the Pepper Park District. Several routing issues have been resolved.
• NavRay routing has been added to all subway station platforms
• NavRay routing has been added to subway tracks. Runners will now be advised to use the subway when travelling in Neocron City.
• NavRay now functions in the Outzone Apartment Complex (1, 2 & 3)
• NavRay routing has been added to the Outzone Apartment Complex (1, 2 & 3)
• NavRay routing has been updated in the Twilight Guardian Canyon Facility. Among others, this corrects the issue of finding the Canyon's All Buyer with the NavRay.
• NavRay now functions in Military Base Sec-1
• NavRay routing has been added to Military Base Sec-1

Missions

• The first mission from our mission writing contest, "NPCD has an eye on you", has been implemented. Agent Jones is waiting for you in front of NCPD Headquarters in Viarosso Sector 3.
• Since Neocron's maximum limit for missions (runs with more than 1 mission) had been reached by Reakktor, we had to implement a new system to handle mission implementation. This is the first mission which uses the new system.
• New low/mid-level mission "Canyon Secret Service" has been introduced.
• This missions starts in the Canyon Facility and has (new) Twilight Guardian Runners travel to Neocron City.
• Tech Haven Corporate Contacts missions (missions to gain faction sympathy) have had the number of kill targets reduced. Each mission now also rewards more Faction Sympathy.
• New missions have been added to the Outzone Jailhouse allowing Runners with negative Soul Light to gain Soul Light. More info on these missions is below.
• CityCom delivery missions for City Mercs now correctly display NPC and Sector names in mission dialogue
• Black Dragon CityCom missions no longer direct players to Tsunami Syndicate HQ Recruiters
• Regant PA Run (final mission: old dirty conster) has been updated.

Game World

• A number of signs and other graphics have been tweaked/repositioned in City Administration HQ
• A number of signs and other graphics have been tweaked/repositioned across the Plaza District
• A number of signs and other graphics have been tweaked/repositioned across the Viarosso District
• A number of signs and other graphics have been tweaked/repositioned across the Pepper Park District
• A number of signs and other graphics have been tweaked/repositioned across the Subway and Outzone District
• A number of signs and other graphics have been tweaked/repositioned in Outposts across the Wastelands
• Audio announcements have been added to the Subway when arriving and departing each station. This audio should assist new players when navigating Neocron City.
• Voice announcement added when players enter the ConCenter
• Voice announcement added when players enter City Administration HQ
• Ambient music has been restored to several retailers in Plaza Sec-1

Outzone Sector 8, Club Jailhouse

• This is the first step of our rework of the Jailhouse, Soul Light and Anarchy Breed. Outzone 8 is intended to be a safe haven for negative Soul Light Runners, giving more options to players who choose to play with negative soul light. More changes will arrive in the future.
• Added a medical area, allowing negative Soul Light Runners to obtain medical supplies
• Added a shopping area for consumables, allowing negative Soul Light Runners to obtain ammo, parts and substances.
• Added a Yo's Pawn Shop All Buyer, allowing negative Soul Light Runners to sell off junk and other items
• Added NPCs, decorations and new HD decals and actors
• Changed some NPC Models, NPC Weapons (Guards) and NPC locations.
• New repeatable mission "NeoCare in the Community" has been introduced.
• A low and high level version of this longer mission is available, allowing runners to re-gain a larger amount of Soul Light. These missions start in the new medical area of Outzone 8.
• A new repeatable mission, "Jailhouse Good Guys", has been implemented.
• A low (level 30-44), mid (45-54) and high level (55+) version of this mission is available, allowing Runners to gain Soul Light. These missions start in the bar area of Club Jailhouse within Outzone 8.
• The high level mission currently uses the Anarchy Breed Camps from the Tech Haven Corporate Contact missions (AB-Harrasser and Aggressors). This will be changed / these camps will be reworked and new camps will be added in a future patch.

MILITARY BASE ENTRANCE

• Added permanent CityCom and GoGuardian near zone entrance
• Improved the placement of guards in the sector
• Updated signage to reflect changes in Military Base Sec-1
• Add new decorations

MILITARY BASE SECTOR 1

• Fixed the positions of many static actors and NPCs
• Revamped signage in the zone to improve navigation
• Revamped the Bar/Dancer area to improve seating and usability
• Added extra decoration in the form of new decals
• Added ambient audio to shops to add atmosphere
• Added a bank of CityComs to the middle of the zone
• Fixed the position of many static actors e.g. floating boxes
• Moved several City Merc Contact Person NPCs closer to the Entrance zone line to ease frustrations with trade skill missions.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Dancing is no longer restricted to Neocron 2 era NPCs
• Everyone's favourite dancer in Pepper Park Sector 2 is once again getting her groove on
• Leaning against walls is no longer restricted to Neocron 2 era NPCs
• Black Lily now looks a lot more relaxed for the first time since 2004
• In game welcome mail "Death in Neocron" has been updated to remove references backpacks
• Fixed a typo in NExT's faction description found on the CityCom
• Ammo for Mini Rocket Launchers is now sold by the correct Pistol Ammo vendor
• Moved Hogan Dunfield to a new location again, to reduce exploit possibility
• Added a guard to the lower floor of the Tsunami Syndicate HQ to improve security in the sector
• NPC Inquisitor Kaine has been moved to a new location within the same sector.
• New NPCs have been spotted in the Canyon Facility
• New NPC Massahiro can be found in Tsunami Syndicate HQ selling emergency supplies of Valadium to loyal Tsunami Runners
• New NPC Crazy Ivan can be found in Tsunami Syndicate HQ selling emergency supplies of XOR Chips to loyal Tsunami Runners
• Fixed the inventory image, name and price of furniture item DoY Bed
• Fixed the inventory image, name and price of furniture item DoY Bed with Light
• Plants in Pepper Park apartments no longer function as Gene Replicators
• Belts should no longer drop in sector C07 (Tyron Factory)
• Freezer Rifles now correctly sit on the players back when viewed from 3rd person perspective.
• Fixed the item description of the TL 29 Crahn Blessed DamageBoost
• Fixed the item description of the TL 41 Crahn Blessed DamageBoost Sanctum
• When put on the floor, Greg's Medkits now use the correct medical kit model
• Boobs & Guns now use all four Neocron 2 era dancer models as vendors
• The XP and Money Malus of LE wearing players are now visible in the implants window.
• Outzone Apartment Complex access interfaces have been renamed to follow the standard apartment naming schema.

Hotfix R#193 & R#194

These patches contained small updates to re-enable support for Windows XP. Please note that Neocron's support for Windows XP will be discontinued at some point in the future. Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft, as per their guidance we urge all Windows XP users to upgrade their operating system as soon as possible.

Hotfix R#195 & R#196

Released: 03/01/2015

• Team pointers have been reenabled to display the health of team members in the same sector
• New Feature: Clan pointers have been added to display the health of clan members in the same sector
• Clan pointers can be toggled using ALT+J or with the /set ctrl_showclanarrows command. This toggle is available as we appreciate high quantities of labels may be problematic for larger clans.
• CopBots have been equipped with new rifles which deal increased damage and have a slight stun effect
• A number of high level monsters - including warbots, doom harbringers and other high level encounters - have more health and deal increased damage

Hotfix R#197

Released: 04/01/2015

• Health bars for NPCs with particularly high health now display correctly
• Remote repair tools should now function again as normal

Technical Updates & Bug Fixes

• A reproducible server crash has been fixed.
• Blueprints are now limited to 10 or fewer items.
• A new option has been added to the Hardware Configuration window, players can now select whether Neocron should run in multi-core mode or be assigned to a single processor core. Depending on your machine's specification, changing this option may result in a performance improvement.
• Dynamic lighting options in the Hardware Configuration window have been fixed. Changing them now actually has an effect!
• Restored the original resurrection animation from pre-R#186. Should you like to see it behaving differently, please tell us in the feedback thread!

Balancing Related Changes

• Fixed movement of drones by reverting to pre-R#186 movement values. The automagic balancing tool adjusted additional fields by mistake.
• Damage over Time (DoT) has been limited to a maximum of 10% of the total damage output of any given weapon.
• A bug causing PvE DoT corrections to be applied twice has been fixed.
• A boundary limiting the minimum DoT output for a given weapon has been removed. 
• Damage of NPC AoE weapons has been increased by a factor 2.

Further information on changes to how DoT now functions can be found below:

Removal of the lower boundary for DoT:

DoT was previously restricted by a lower boundary, preventing DoT ticks from causing less than 1.0 damage per tick. [u]This boundary existed as damage of less than 1.0 is not correctly shown to the player during combat[/u]. However, this had an unintended side-effect where some weapons - such as WoC Rifles modded for DoT - were stronger than they should have been. We have removed this lower boundary to prevent this from happening. We will revisit the damage composition of the affected weapons [url=http://forum.neocron-game.com/showthread.php?155785-Blog-Balancing-Phase-1-5-and-2]in Phase 1.5[/url].

As a side effect of this change you may notice weapons which are modified for DoT, do not show tick damage above an enemy's head while the DoT stack is in effect. Correcting issues in DoT's performance is a priority issue for us so we are delivering this change as is. The minor aesthetic glitch introduced with this change will remain present for the time being and will be tackled in one of the next patches which will introduce Balancing Phase 1.5. To confirm your weapons are working correctly, if you look closely (at the damage logs) you will see the damage is actually being applied to your target.

Limiting the maximum percentage of DoT to 10%:

We redistributed the damage dealt with weapons that cause instant damage and DoT together. The total amount of damage remains unchanged as well as the time a DoT stack lasts on the runner, the only thing changed is the damage proportion. This will ease some of the recent confusion about DoT and the Devourer problem: a significant portion of the damage is applied later than the initial hit making subsequent shots with the same weapon feel stronger than they are.

Another point to this is that many people think it is unfair to be able to die by DoT after one killed his/her opponent. However the truth is (keep in mind we tuned everything to have equal DPM on equal TL): if he would have used an instant damage weapon with the same damage-output instead, he still would have killed you! He would have killed you the moment he applied his last hit to you, instead of giving you a chance to kill him while his lethal stack ticked down on you.