KickStarter Cyber Knights: Flashpoint - the latest tactical RPG from Trese Brothers - now available on Early Access

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1021210/view/4141695629554073060

Update #65: Gold Loot Zone

Update #65 is a huge pile of improvements including new Gold Key leverage option, new mission tags identify Gold Key Loot Areas, a huge pile of Matrix improvements including letting you use Leverage's directly from inside the Matrix, and a lot more. Let's check it out below!

If you're enjoying the progress, wild pace of updates and on-going improvements please take a moment to leave a review and help us keep going. You can always edit the review later or at full launch.


Gold Key Loot Area
We've heard some natural confusion about the inaccessible Gold Key loot area in the new level, Lockdown Station. To help make this more clear, we've added a new tag to the mission list to give you warning that there is a Gold Key loot area within a level.

So, what is a Gold Key Loot Area?
Gold Key areas are locked areas that always contain high-value loot. They may be heavily guarded from the outside but won't have guards inside them.
If you hover and check the Gold Key Loot Area's rules, you'll see a warning that once you deploy into the job, there is no way to gain access to the Gold Key area.
The hover in the job is also more clear now that you cannot access this area and no matter how many lootboxes you pop open, you will not find the key. The only way to obtain a Gold Key is through Leverage.
Which was missing when we released Lockdown State :facepalm:


So we've fixed that and enabled the Leverage which we had accidentally left in the "dev-only" state. Check with your Contacts who can offer this Leverage for a Favor to see if you can get a Gold Key before hitting the site. If you can, make an extra stop and reap the golden rewards.


List of Matrix Improvements
With Update #65, we've hit a bit list of improvements with the Matrix. One of the first improvements we've completed is to condense the grid by about 20% to help get more on screen at once. The new matrix grid is still separated enough to be easy to read and use but also a bit closer to reduce your need to zoom in and out so much.

We have also improved the timing of opening and closing the matrix screens - when starting a hack, resuming a Hackers turn, or going to look at Security devices or Doors from the Matrix. Everything runs faster, and its nicer for it.

We fixed a bug where the Matrix host's Escalation might try to unload programs that were not loaded. And we fixed an issue with the Hacker's Trunkpatch which was not immediately reducing Q-Sec Tally and updating display as described.


We've improved the hover for Matrix programs to be clear about the AP cost of loading a new program. This was a hidden cost before, but the 5 AP cost is now clearly visible before you load the program. Then, the second AP cost which is highlighted once the program is loaded is the cost to execute the program code.

We've also fixed a bug that was charging you 5 AP to unload a program, which was not intentional and not helping for those players making mistakes with load and unload.


Using Leverage from Matrix
In prep for some upcoming Matrix active Leverage options which you can use to affect a Matrix host or specific node, we've added the ability to call in Leverage directly from the Matrix action bar. For now, this is useful to allow you to use Leverage without having to disconnect from the Matrix, if you have a character who needs to Scramble Protocols or the like.

In a near-term update, we'll be rolling out new Leverage types that are a matrix-specific and make this Leverage-in-Matrix ability even more important.


Contact Sorting
With this update, we've added 2 new sorting options for Contacts - by Contact Type and by Faction. Both of these are A-Z and are really useful to help you find somewhere you're looking for if you can't remember their name. For simplicity, we've only offered A-Z options for both of these, because you can just scroll to the end of the table if you're looking for UltraTek.


Map Codenames
If you're looking to discuss a map with other players or with the dev, it can be a little difficult because the maps use different names during proc-gen and storylines that aren't always the same. To help with this possible point of confusion, we've exposed the map's codename, such as Lockdown Station, in the ESC menu, in the top right.


Better Hovers
We've improved the font colors, sizes and background opacity to make hovers over doors, security devices, interactive panels, lootboxes and hacking terminals easier to read. Thanks to everyone posting up F10s!


Fixing Spawn Piles
Don't worry - we're not quadrupling the reinforcement counts, we were just testing this fix! In Update #65, we've resolved the issue where multiple enemy spawns could end up on top of each other instead of finding some nearby empty space.

v1.4.39 - 3/24/2024
- Added Gold Key leverage offer for all missions going to Lockdown Station - gold keys cannot be gained except via Leverage
- Clarified Gold Key Loot area, highlighted mission tag now appears if one exists in a level
- Added mission level "codename" to the ESC menu so you can always know the level's meta name ("Lockdown Station", "Trucker HQ")
- Added new Contact sort options for A-Z Contact Type and A-Z Contact Faction
- Added option to use Leverage directly from inside Matrix, such as Suppress Reinforcements without disconnecting; opens the way for more Matrix Leverages
- Improved matrix Program hover to show both the AP cost to load the Program and AP cost to use program separately
- Condensed matrix map brings all nodes 20% closer together and reduces need to zoom so much to see everything
- Reduced delay when exiting matrix screen to main map screen to change turn, disconnect or check security devices
- Fixed bug with Hacker's Trunkpatch Talent not immediately reducing Q-Sec Tally and updating display
- Fixed matrix bug where you were charged AP cost of loading a program to unload it
- Fixed matrix bug where host's Escalation response might try to unload programs that were not loaded
- Fixed matrix bug where Q-Sec Level and other HUD stats might not always update on jacking in
- Fixed issue with enemy spawning where enemies could end up stacked - now they will find a nearby available location
- Fixed some matrix host bugs with diagnol connections
- Improved readability of hover for security devices, loot, doors etc on map
- Prevented issue where Wound Traits could appear in Hype Limit Break options
- Fixed bug where Cyber Knight's Rewind Talent was reseting matrix program charges
- Can no longer modify cyberdeck or programs for any hacker who is waiting to be recruited
- Fixed bug in hovering over empty or unavailable item slot in roster showing randomized item

 

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1021210/view/4141695629558855249

Update #66: Street War on F10s
Fixed bugs with inconsistent "out of range" fail, better highlighting for empty lootboxes, new mission tagging for keys

Update #66 take a big swing at some of the most popular F10 bugs and some of the best feature suggestions we've received recently. We're excited to keep moving forward with a constant stream of updates, and especially ironing out the remaining bugs that can slow down a good run.

If you're enjoying the pace of updates and our turning your F10s into fixes and improvements, please take a moment to leave a review!

Empty Lootboxes Go Gray
If a lootbox is empty, its highlight color will now immediately be gray instead of a bright golden yellow. This is a huge help for turning on highlight with "H" (by default) and checking where you may still need to loot. There isn't much more to it, but it's so useful! So thanks to the wise player who dropped in thsi great F10 :D

Details and Hover for Dump Shock and Combat Drugs
Key buffs and debuffs that were missing from the hover over your character's heads as well as the extended status screen you can access by double click on a character's head in the Initiative timeline. Especially for the debilitating Dump Shock, knowing how long it will last and its total effects is a big help to Hackers who have taken a boot to the side of the head in the form of lethal feedback from the matrix IC.

Improved Mission Tagging
The new mission tags for Gold Key Loot Areas got us looking and talking to players about other tag improvements. We've taken quick action to improve the set and give more detail about the different stages of missions that can help you plan the best heist, especially with multi-stage heists like Carnivore and Sibling Breakout.

First, we've combined what was previously two tags "Stealth (optional)" and "Combat (optional)" into a single tag "Mixed Stealth and Combat" that sums it up nicely - any mix of stealth and combat abilities can be used to succeed at this mission stage. In many cases, combat may be required if the plan starts to fall apart. This is nice to get one tag back, as we've also added new tags.

With Update #66, we've added Red Key Door and Blue Key Door tag to all mission stages that include them. This can be extra helpful when the keys are useful across multiple stages (like Sibling Breakout) or only appear in a late stage (like Cube Run). In addition, once Leverages start popping up that offer hacked, counterfeit or stolen keys, these tags will be extra helpful in helping you decide if those Leverages match well with your chosen path through a heist.

Targeting Inconsistencies
We've fixed about 80 F10s about different cases of targeting inconsistencies with this patch. There were multiple issues, but we've completed a deep dive on the code paths to find where there were inconsistencies and figured out some really minor - but highly impactful - issues that could cause enemies right at the edge of your range to come in and out of range based on swapping weapons, firing modes or even just hitting TAB (by default) to page to the next target.

This also has the effect of fixing the small remaining set of cases where a melee weapon indicates it can make an attack in the bottom left but still can't when the time comes to swing.

It's a huge step up in consistency of attacking, so thanks to everyone for helping guide us to these big fixes.

Fixed Lockdown Station Auto-Defeat
In the most recently added proc-gen map, Lockdown Station, some times a Kill 3 objective could result in a map starting without any players on it and an immediate defeat. If you're stuck there or have experienced it, this bug is now fixed.

v1.4.41 - 3/25/2024
- Dump Shock and Combat Drug debuff/buffs show up correctly in merc hover and mid-mission status screen
- Lootboxes that are empty highlight in gray instead of gold to make them easier to ignore on map
- Improved mission tagging - now includes tags for Blue and Red Key Doors where they appear
- Combined "Stealth (optional)" and "Combat (optional)" tags into single "Mixed Stealth and Combat" tag
- Improved stage description for Sibling Breakout South Hover Pad to be more clear about its advantage (ez access to Blue Key)
- Fixed bug in Lockdown Station level with Kill 3 captain objective that could lead to auto-defeat
- Fixed issues with enemy being in range changing when swapping weapons, modes or UI paths of starting attack
- Fixed issue with save slots not always updating when Knight is renamed

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1021210/view/4204746659282098200

Major Milestone: VIBE (new lighting engine)
New and improved lighting engine, post processing and color grading, better photo mode, fixed HUD buttons holding space
In Cyber Knights, the New Boston dome is the ever-present setting. It is more than 10 miles wide in diameter and at its peak stands over 1 mile tall. This massive structure rests on super-foundations and the ceiling arch is supported by the large buildings, the nearly mile-wide "towers". Layer upon layer of metal and concrete make the dome, slice upon slice of street, hab-sector or industrial zones stacked upon each other.

Below ground, out in the Wards, high in the towers, escaping off of rooftops - it is your playground, your heist targets, the home of your enemies, friends and safehouse. It needs to have the right vibe.

And so we're excited to roll out a major milestone off the roadmap with the VIBE update, the all-new lighting engine!

Technically outside of the official Q1 end by a few days, but we're going to notch this one where it stood. And with the lighting engine roadmap items struck down, we can at last finish up Mac support.

Onwards to the truly big beasties of Q2 - safehouse base building and blueprint crafting!

New Lighting Engine & Post Processing
The new lighting engine includes a new post processing color grading system that is helping to push the right vibe for our dark future cyberpunk setting - dark, shadowed, gritty but still vivid.

We hope you'll jump into a heist and check out the new look because every scene, mission and corner of the game has been improved. This is a huge update with innumerable changes, so there are sure to be follow-on fixes that tweak certain areas, lights, objects that stick out as odd or that need roughness or metalness changes. If you do see anything weird just hit F10 to send us a report; we’ll be making ongoing adjustments as always.

Throughout Early Access, we're working on many, many different projects. Visual and animation improvements is a big area for these, so even with the lighting engine improvements we're continuing to push in other areas that will improve the game's visuals.

HUD Bar Spacebar Issue Fixed
With the last update there was an issue where using some of the buttons in the HUD bar - specifically items or advantages - could result in the focus getting stuck up there. Then the next time you tried to move with spacebar, you'd actually be pushing one of those buttons or ending your turn.

Bad! Fixed now.

Photo Mode Improvement
To make photo mode better, we've hidden the last few UI elements that were hanging around on screen when it was enabled. This includes the blue circle around character's feet which was the most annoying.

Camera No Longer Sticking
In some cases if you chose to skip all during a scripted scene, the camera would just jam right where it was when you skipped instead of cutting ahead to the character or enemy who is about to take their turn. This is now fixed and we've made some minor improvements to the camera position before the black curtain rises at the start of a level to make sure the camera is always focusing on the right character with them in an unobstructed view.

v1.5.1 - 4/2/2024
- Upgraded all levels and scenes to new lighting engine (lighting is more diffuse, more indirect contribution, better ambient occlusion)
- Upgraded all levels and scenes with new post processing (ACES color grading for shadowed, grittier, vibrant world)
- Fixed issue with photomode (default "P") where character selection UI stayed visible
- Fixed bug where using items or Leverages could leave selection in button bar and trying to move might end turn or be ignored
- Fixed odd white square appearing in the character hover (now is corrected to be >| icon indicating they are in the next turn)
- Fixed issue with camera getting stuck in odd positions after skipping scripted scene

 

[Litmanen]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1021210/view/4204746659282098200

...

Good think they posted the video because, from the pictures, I would have said the "old" was way better.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1021210/view/4176599795016305409

Update #70: New Heist + Mac OS Support
Added support for Mac OS, added new heist with linked missions, better currency formatting, randomize codename, more

Update #70 hits another major roadmap item by adding Mac OS support, adds a new and exciting heist in the TRUCK JOB, and adds the first mission with other linked missions attached to it. We've got a killer calendar of updates laid out for April, and all roads are now leading toward the next major roadmap milestone - base building.

Thanks to everyone playing, posting and supporting our ongoing efforts by leaving a review

Mac OS Support
With Update #70, we've smashed another major roadmap item by adding Mac OS support to the game. This one has been a long journey but we made a commitment as far back as the Kickstarter to deliver to all 3 platforms on Steam. The lighting engine was the last domino in a long line of dominos to fall that were blocking Mac OS support, so here we are!

The only requirements are a Silicon chip (M1 or higher) and recent version of Mac OS (12 / Monterey or higher). The game runs buttery smooth on the Apple hardware and chips, so enjoy that!

Thanks to everyone on Mac who wishlisted and is now checking out the game - welcome to New Boston. We hope you'll share a review once you've had a chance to play.

New Heist: Start of the Boost
With Update #70, we've added a new heist from a corporate contact who approaches your Face with a plan. We'll skip on the spoilers but the heist leads to a set of linked missions (see below) and foot-race with a transport truck. Your squad needs to be at least Power Level 3 before the TRUCK JOB will proc.

During Early Access, we're working a host of storylines and this is another one that is a good opener with more coming soon. After the TRUCK JOB, the on-going storyline will wait paused on your timeline for the next content release to extend the storyline.

Linked Missions
The TRUCK JOB includes the first example of links missions. It's exciting to roll out the first linked missions as this is a key construct in building multi-part and complicated heists that let you approach them in many different ways.

Linked missions are shown with the chain icon in the mission, with the parent mission always listing first in the list and its children appearing below it with a yellow arrow in their names. Linked missions can have different effects, such as making certain paths through the parent mission available, or in this case, completing the linked mission unlocks an advantageous Leverage in the parent.

In future cases, the linked mission(s) will unlock options that are required to start the parent mission at all, where one or more stages of the parent might be locked until some of the linked missions are completed.

Better Currency Formatter
The successful heisters in New Boston are racking up the cash and the formatter was getting hard to read as you hit multi-million dollar stacks. With the updated formatter, we've kept the same precision ($1.11M) but flipped from $10K to $100K to $1M to $1.11M to $10.25M.

Randomize Codename
We've added a handy Randomize button to the renaming pop-up. In the case that you've earned a codename (getting your first level from a successful mission) you can now randomize to your hearts content and try out the hundreds of codenames the game can make up for you. I've always loved this kind of exploration and taking inspiration from the random ones, so I hope you enjoy it too.

Loophole Heist Extraction Bug
We've fixed a bug at the end of the Loophole Heist where the extraction points would not allow individual extraction and only 1 of the 2 would allow team extraction. This went out as a hotfix yesterday, but we're mentioning it here in case anyone was stuck with that. It was a result of a mistake in merging the big lighting upgrade branch that wasn't caught. Our apologies for any hiccups, extra Damage or dead mercs this may have caused.

Fixed F10s!
We've fixed a big bundle of your F10s with this update, ranging from ensuring that all parts of the movement path and destination appear through geometry to the hover over a corpse not disappearing sometimes when you dissolve it.

We fixed a really popular F10 where the story event for the Gun Runner's E-Rifle didn't immediately disappear when you purchased the weapon. Also, Traits granted by Hype Limit Breaks will display that they are "Expiring Soon" instead of showing a negative number of Turns.

We fixed the tutorial issue with the door right at the start that has a misleading hover that through some players. and generally cleaned up issues with the major new lighting upgrade. There are a few places left with odd textures or bakes (paper on the ground with an all white background) that we're working through.

v1.5.5 - 4/5/2024
- Added support for Mac OS with Silicon chips (M1 and higher)
- All new storyline and Truck Job heist with second pre-heist mission to prepare for the main one
- Updated currency format for the ballers with lots of U-Dahs - $10K, $100K, $1M, $10.52M
- Added Randomize codename button to Rename pop-up for name cycling fun
- Moved destination circle now appears through geometry like the rest of the movement line
- Fixed bug where certain story offers (like Gun Runner's offer for E-Rifle) stick around in timeline incorrectly
- Temporary Traits that are expiring soon now state "Expiring Soon" instead of "-1 day"
- Fixed issue with ESC screen and matrix sometimes causing a lock up
- Fixed issue preventing individual extraction from the second stage of Loophole Heist
- Fixed issue where dead body hover could stay on screen immediately after dissolve
- Fixed misleading hover on door in the tutorial that claims it will open if you approach (it will not)
- Fixed minor lighting and shading bugs

 

[cyborgboy95]

Update #71: Truck Polish

Update #71 follows on a big weekend with the TRUCK JOB heist hitting the streets and so many new Knights joining the New Boston zone. We're excited to return to the regular update schedule this week and smash some fixes, smash your F10s and smash on to the next heist release.

Sorry about the big download size on this one. The build server had a caching issue and the only way to move forward was to flush it and the build size suffered for it.

If you're liking the game, the pace of updates and our style of Early Access, please take a minute to leave a review!

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1021210/view/4176599795022391616
We've also started a new community challenge this week to see your best multi-class builds! This one is a lot of fun to test out new things and new metas that maybe haven't been explored before. You in?

Truck Job Floaters
If you were running the TRUCK JOB and saw the mechanized infantry simply "floating" through stuff, you weren't the only one. Scary, right! Well, now fixed.

Retargeting Annoyances
We've rebuilt how a character steps out around cover to give the character more options (now 8 options instead of just 4) which will help you get the best sight lines to enemy targets or when trying to get a good Overwatch cone setup.

This also has a big impact on any time that the targeting got confused when planning movement (saying that you could hit 1 in the bottom left but when you got there it was 0). This was due to the less step out spots and allowing the step out spots to be influenced by rotation. Technicalities, but big ones!

And finally, this fix fully resolves all of the annoyances around retargeting that were going. Sometimes, when trying to shoot an enemy multiple times in a row, suddenly you'd be stuck with an "No Sight Line" result until you hit ESC or reclicked on them, or you'd just lose the targeting altogether. These issues are now fixed, thankfully.

Biomimic and BioScan Fields
We fixed the issue with the Scourge's Biomimic bug that was not always working in a Bio-Scan Field, depending on the ordering of who entered the field last. Now it always works and a Biomimic'd Scourge is excluded for any and all merc counts.

Enemy Spawning
We've resolved the issues with enemy spawnng in odd positions and rotations, kind of a bad jumble. They are back to being nicely organized and fanned out from the main spawn location. Only if they need to find other locations due to something blocking them will they get more organic.

Enemy Spinning
Sometimes the enemy AI would just start a rotation action and not really try to turn much or at all. This kind of twitchy is now cut out completely and the enemies will only go for a rotation action when it is sensible. It looks nicer and actually cuts down on a good deal of thinking cycles and raycasting required every time a turn was done.

Pathing and Lighting Issues
There are a few types of textures we are fighting in certain levels -- usually paper on the ground -- that can in some cases be painted with a white background. We're working through addressing these as they are new bugs caused by the new lighting engine. We'll get them all fixed soon.

We also fixed a number of odd pathing issues in the Forward Op mission map[.

Typos and Duplicate Journal Entry
We fixed a heap of typos and also a duplicate entry in the journal for Water Desalination. Thanks to the F10 crew for posting these up!

v1.5.7 - 4/84/2024
- New Power Button Eyes option
- Fixed issue with mechanized infantry in Truck Job walking/running through objects
- Fixed issues where sometimes target or sight line would be lost after making attack on a target until canceled / retargeted
- Fixed bug with Scourge's Bio-Mimic not deceiving BioScan Field if Scourge is the last merc to enter
- Improved AI behavior to avoid repeated rotations that sometimes don't go anywhere
- Fixed issue with start enemy positions for reinforcements not being well organized
- Fixed duplicate lore text paragraphs in Water Treatement and Desalination section of journal
- Fixed odd pathing issues in Forward Op mission map

 

[cyborgboy95]

Update #72: Snake-Eyes

Welcome to Update #72, with some new eye designs for your characters, an important meta change for Heat to truly be 100/100, an improvement for the rules about longterm ignoring Wounds, better matrix options in the TRUCK JOB and a bunch of level and lighting engine fixes.

If you are enjoying the pace of constant updates and improvements, or feel like we're just heading the right direction please take a moment to leave a review!

Apologies again for the size of the review, the main contributor is rebaking lights across the game as we keep making tweaks to improve everything / fix a few final bugs.

New Eye Designs - Is that a cat or a snake?
With the lighting engine in the rear view mirror, we're returning to character improvements. We'll be working on improved skin texturing and roughness, small face and eye animations to help bring characters out of their wooden stare and more.

Tonight, we have 3 new eye designs - either contacts or cybernetic. The power button, burning sun and the cat eyes. Or lizard eyes? Something.

Heat is 100/100 Max
For those players running hot squads and cycling proc-gen missions who were turning up the Heat, we've got you. The Heat scale is now correctly clamped between 0 and 100. This will be important meta fix for the upcoming safehouse base building and reduce the possible "run-away" feeling with Heat that once you go so high it just stopped mattering ever.

Remember, base building will also offer options to reduce Heat in large chunks, so if you're a high Heat team, this hard cap at 100 should help and then you'll be getting more tools to use in the future.

Festering Wounds
With this update, we've added a slow-burn system around Wounds. Untreated Wounds will slowly, over time gain a percentage chance of increasing in their level. It is good to see a doctor if you've been permanently injured. If allowed to fester over large period of time, these wounds can become far more debilitating that they are at level 1.

This is purposefully a slow-burn type of system. You will not see sudden upgrades in Wounds popping off left and right. This is more like, "don't ignore a Wound for 50 days".

Truck Job Matrix
You can gain a lot of advantages on the recently added TRUCK JOB through the matrix host. To help push variety in this level and keep the matrix side of the challenge, well, ... challenging, we've added new variations to the matrix hosts that be be proc'd into the TRUCK JOB.

Map & Lighting Cleanup
We're still cleaning up a good number of very minor issues with lighting and maps. The most common seems to be some papers on the floor glowing white in some cases. Hopefully we've eliminated that bug with this update, but it remains to be seen until the release gets out into the wild to be truly sure.

We've also fixed a number of issues where something invisible was blocking pathing and causing odd paths around something that clearly wasn't there. We've resolved this for the next update in levels like the Sewers and Foward Op and also established a better footbridge in Slumroad Junction over an area on the stairs that really looked like you could pass there but you couldn't.

v1.5.9 - 4/10/2024
- Added 3 new eye designs - cat, power button, burning sun
- Adjusted zoom rules for appearance tab, will now zoom in on face or eyes selection
- Fixed rules for Heat so that it never exceeds 100/100
- Merc Wounds will slowly increase level on their own over time without treatment
- Fixed another set of odd invisible things blocking navigation in Sewers and Foward Op maps
- Fixed misleading navigation area around stairs in Slumroad Junction
- Fixing a few mistakes where character names were hardcoded into dialog in Tutorial and didn't respond to changes you made
- Fixed issue with one map and Kill 3 combo that could result in instant victory
- Fixed long diagonal connection in one of the proc-gen SCU matrix host templates
- Increased variations of matrix hosts available in the Truck Job
- Fixed odd horizontal line hovering in safehouse

 

[cyborgboy95]

Update #73: Escalating

Here comes Update #73, another big polish and improvement update with some nice new things to boot. While we motor toward the next set of major roadmap milestones, we're still hard at work improving every aspect of the game with all haste - as any good Early Access project should!

If you're enjoying the pace of updates or think we're just heading in the right direction, please take a moment to leave a review. Every review helps us keep going, go faster and do more.

New Sec AI Escalations
With Update #73, we've pushed some new Sec AI Escalation options that are exciting and dangerous. As we continue to grow the options and deepen the rules for Sec AI Escalations, the differences between the 6 Sec AI (gang, syndicate, Sigma 5, 6, 7 and 9) we have in the game today will become more and more apparent.

We've added a new chain of Escalation options for any map that features a disabled minefield of Prox-Mines. The first time that the Sec AI spends an Escalation turning on Prox-Mines it will turn on 3 (as usual). However, now if it is returns to enable Prox-Mines after that it will jump to enabling 5 at a time. This can help situations where - with larger prox-mine fields - the Sec AI could burn Escalation after Escalation slowly turning them on 3 at a time.

We've also added an all new Escalation type - the Active Bio-Sweep. This Escalation searches for bodies that have active timers and reduces their timer by 1 to 2 Turns each. The older Sigma Sec AI - 5 and 6 - each only reduce the timer by 1 turn while the new, cutting-edge Sigma 7 and 9 each can reduce the timer by 2 each. The Escalation happens after body timers expire for the Turn, so the worst that can result from this Escalation is at the end of the next Turn, more bodies will have been rushed to expiring their timers. Notably, gang and syndicate Sec AI never do Active Bio-Sweep.

We're very excited to keep expanding these catalogs and interlinking them with chains and rules so that the Sec AI becomes more exciting adversary to face.

Added 2 New Eyes
We've added two new types of eye - a Terminator-style eye with a hot glowing center and a glowing eye with only a targeting symbol shown over the pupil without an iris. It's exciting to round out this category with some new options and now that we've hit 8 different eye looks, we'll be moving on to other categories to continue to add new cosmetic options and looks.

We have also fixed an issue with the snake and burning sun eyes that was causing them never to achieve darker hues. They always stayed very light in color. Now you can go deep red or green if you please!

Spoof and Red Dot Talents
With Update #73, we've made some nice improvements to Hacker's Spoof and the Soldier's Red Dot.

Spoof - with is a passive buff that can block Matrix Q-Sec Escalation - has gained a new upgrade node costing 2 points that will add a second token. This allows a single use of Spoof to block up to 2 Escalations over 4 Turns, if you're fully upgraded.

Red Dot - has not been correctly connected to its upgrade nodes since ... the beginning of the Talent? Anyway, we've fixed the bug and now Red Dot has all of its correct upgrades available. We also increased the distance of the Talent and fixed its text formatter to correctly display the debuff that it hits the target with, which you can also upgrade with the "new" upgrade nodes. If you're using your Soldier as an occasional bait for a trap or to pull a security target off course with Red Dot, you'll find these new improvements helpful.

Death Res Simplification
Death Res (previously called Death Save, but that's confusing as we have Stress Res and Wound Res) has been simplified in this update by removing it from all in-game effects. Death Res is set by your Difficulty setting and only by your Difficulty setting. All buffs, Traits and combat drugs that increased Death Res have had it removed.

We've also moved Death Res up into the "Death and Saves" section as this is where it is most relevant and improved the hovers on both Death Mode and Death Save.

We've got a thread going on our Discord[discord.com] about further updates and simplifications coming for Death Res if you want to check out the rules change preview and chime in.

Better Traits: Grit and Below the Level
Grit and Below the Level both lost bonuses to Death Res with this update, so they've been improved in new ways. Grit now adds Wound Res and Below the Level adds XP % bonus.

Utility Programs
We've improved the description for Utility programs and fixed a bug that was preventing their hover from showing in the Matrix Talent bar.

Weapon Mods Improvements
With Update #73, we've fixed a mistake with the Ether Reflex Sight for AR/UAR/E-Rifles, where it was reducing the maximum optimal range of the weapon. Now it correctly reduces the minimal optimal range.

For changes to the arc fire (Overwatch or Full Auto) we now use a + and - sign to correctly denote bonuses and debuffs.

And we've fixed a bug that was preventing certain fields, especially if the value was negative, from highlighting correctly in compare.

v1.5.11 - 4/12/2024
- New Sec AI Escalation option: Active Bio-Sweep all body timers are reduced 1 Turn (Sigma 5 or 6) or 2 Turns (Sigma 7 or 9)
- New Sec AI Escalation option: Minefield Pulse (wakes 3 prox mines), if run again then Minefield Surge (wakes 5 prox mines)
- Added 2 new eye designs - terminator glow and target reticle and improved tinting of snake and burning sun
- Improved Hacker's Spoof passive Talent with a new upgrade node that adds +1 Spoof Token
- Fixed bug which was hiding Soldier's Red Dot's debuff ability and upgrade nodes in the class tree, increased range
- Fixed issue where Trace Vector and other Utility programs did not show description correctly hovering in Matrix Talent bar
- Rebalanced Trace Vector 1 and 2 utility programs
- Removed changes to Death Res from all Traits, Wounds and buffs/debuffs - this is a Difficulty-only value
- Moved Death Res in custom difficulty to be next to Death Mode, vastly improved hovers
- Rebalanced Grit to have +Wound Res and Below the Level to have +XP% bonuses as they lost Death Res
- Fixed bug preventing weapon mods to properly show compare colors on some stats like Noise and negative Dmg
- Fixed Ether Reflex Sight for AR/UAR/E-Rifle to reduce minimum Optimal Range
- Fixed weapon mod display of changing Arc degrees to include +/-
- Fixed issue with using Faked Vitals and Body Bag on the same target causing negative numbers in hover
- Fixed lingering mention of -1 Point to train multi-class in training screen
- Fixed lighting issues in Haven Smokeout mission

 

[cyborgboy95]

Update #74: Cleaning House

Welcome to Update #74 where everyone is just suddenly a lot more stylish and good looking! Today, we've got a big visual upgrade to the material and texture stack for faces, fixes for your Stressed out Hacker and an unwinding of a bug that was reading Contact Power Levels as one big upgrade instead of pinning the upgrades to each individual Contact.

Our next major roadmap milestone is chewing up the majority of the team's time and none of that work can be released until base building is ready. But it is coming closer by the day now! Between now and base building, we'll have a series of additional updates with new heists and new recruits as we prep that colossal release for prime time.

If you like the pace of updates, continual improvements and the direction we are heading with Cyber Knights please take a moment to leave a review and help us continue this frantic and exciting pace of Early Access!

Upgraded Faces!
With Update #74, we've completed a major upgrade to the detail and quality of all character face textures in the game. This upgrade has a number of pieces that come together to form the look, including (1) increasing the texture quality of all faces, (2) adding subsurface detail and roughness to the faces to help them act more like real skin (3) adding small shadows to all faces to help highlight areas and prevent the face from feeling flat (4) adding a new Face Details cosmetic choice that will expand with more types of facial detail options.

The results feel great! The results speak for themselves. Without leaving behind the unique style that we set out to hit for Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, we've still achieved a big upgrade here.

This one follows on the big lighting engine update as one of the other highest priority and most discussed visual upgrades from the game. We've heard so much about the character look from both players who are playing Cyber Knights: Flashpoint and those who are taking a look from a distance.

This upgrade affects characters in all cases which they appear, making improved headshots as well as making them look cooler in dialog and on missions.

To make changing skin color easier, we've moved it be an option of the Face selection and the new Face Details option has 2 choices within it right now - smooth skin and freckled skin, but this category has a lot of cool potential to include scars, burns and more.

New Facial Hair Options
We also added 2 new facial hair options giving you some variations of a lighter, unshaven look. The classic 5'oclock shadow is looking good!

Matrix Stress Reduction
A few updates ago, we punched up the Stress generation capabilities of the matrix, high damage lethal feedback and also Dumpshock. We've heard a lot of feedback that we went overboard and your Hacker's rapidly skyrocketed to the most Stressed out team members. This was related to (1) issues with how Lethal Damage was calculated an passed to the Stress generator before being blunted by your Deck's defenses and (2) Dumpshock just granting 50% too much Stress.

Both are resolved in this update and should be significantly more inline with the Stress that other team are suffering for their job as part of the heist team.

Sorry for the Stressed out Hackers, they will recover in time! Try to use a Hype Limit Break or two to get them back on track.

Ballooning Contact Power Levels
Thanks to great F10s, we found and fixed a bug where any Power Level increase to one Contact was actually a Power Level increase to all Contacts! This was causing the entire Contact list to end up with 10+ Power Level after a little while.

Notably, this is not a form of data corruption or loss, this was just a bad query to the saved game that would read all Power Level increases to any Contact when asking for those of a specific Contact :sweat: so you'll see your games immediately snap back to the right values as Update #74 lands.

This is fixed just in time for the upcoming Exposure and Influence LImit Breaks.

Carnivore Fixes
We've made a few small fixes to Carnivore, including swapping the objectives for the extraction points which were switched. Thanks to everyone putting in F10s!

Enjoy the new update, mercs! We'll see you in a few days with more :D

v1.5.13 - 4/18/2024
- Improved all face textures, detail and roughness to look less plastic and just better
- Added new appearance option "Skin Detail" - current options for smooth and freckled skin with more coming
- Moved skin color option under face for much easier selection when modifying appearance
- Reduced Stress caused by hard disconnect in the Matrix by 50%
- Fixed issue with previewing short beards just disappearing constantly
- Fixed issues where sometimes character or contact eyes would be a dead gray
- Fixed bug where each Contact's Power Level was calculated by summing all bonuses to all Contact Power Levels (oops!)
- Fixed issue where extraction objectives in second stage of Carnivore were switched
- Fixed bug listing the wrong Trait level after Hype Limit Break mutation (1 instead of 2)
- Improved performance in appearance tab

 

[cyborgboy95]

Update #75: Wax On

Welcome to Update #75 in the New Boston Zone, where we smash your F10s and polish the game up some more. Just because we're working around the clock on the next major roadmap update doesn't mean you shouldn't have improvements to the game every other day during Early Access! So here we are - with the most requested F10s fixed.

Thanks to everyone playing, sharing feedback and especially posting F10s! We hope you'll take a minute to share the game and if you like the direction we're headed or the pace in which we are going, please take a moment to leave a review.

Now, let's look at what we've improved for you in Update #75 - but if you missed Update #74's major face textures improvements, don't sleep on that one either :D

Secondary Objectives Automated
If a mission offers a special reward like extra money or XP or anything if you finish within a certain Turn or Sec Level limit, that is now always shown in the secondary objectives. We previously had a system in place that required the author to put them in, but that wasn't going to be easy or reliable enough for all the mission scenarios and especially for proc-gen. Now we detect them and inject them as needed so they are always present.

Thanks to everyone putting in F10s about this!

Spike Reasons
If you are in a CPU or APU and can't spike it, we now show the exact reason inline with text and a warning icon. The causes are because your Scan is not 2/2 yet or there are surviving IC in the node, but sometimes that can be pretty opaque and was tripping up a lot of hackers. Even after the new matrix tutorial arrives, this will still be very helpful to have the reason always shown.

Matrix Files and Account Placement
We've made a major pass of improvement to the routines that selected Files and Accounts to place within matrix systems. This should both make sure that data and financial nodes never end up empty but also ensure that the Files and Accounts you can find there are correctly linked to the right faction, make a lot more sense and are possibly much more exciting and valuable than what you were finding before.

We're always grinding to improve all these aspects of the game, so thanks to everyone submitting F10s here!

+2 Matrix Host Templates
As we prepare for new types of Hacker-only missions, we've dropped in 2 new matrix host templates to keep the possible list of hosts you can encounter in proc-gen hacking missions ever growing.

CPU Spiking Improvements
We've improved the rules for CPU Spiking which specifically reduce the Q-Sec Tally levels. The new rules are clearer and more valuable to the player in all situations. The Q-Sec Tally level is reduced by 200% whatever Tally is required to raise an Escalation. If its 35 Tally per Escalation then you can see a drop of 70 Tally. Unless you were below 70 Tally to start, this will buy you 2 "free" Escalations where the system passes the Escalation point but takes no action. It doesn't wake IC, or cause lethal damage or anything - it just sleeps on it.

So, reaching the CPU and Spiking it can buy you a big gap of time where you are free to run rampage over the system now. There are even helpful log messages that detail the loss of Q-Sec Tally and the number of free Escalations you'll get. The Sec Tally UI doesn't respond intelligently yet, but that is on our list.

We're going to circle back to APU after this and tune up some of its numbers to make sure it is taking the same kind of approach.

Overwatch Targeting
For those players who were struggling with getting their perfect Overwatch angle and distance but finding that OW only targeted if your cursor was over floor tiles ... we've fixed your F10s! Overwatch will now target in whatever direction and distance you point, regardless of what you're pointing at. This gives you freedom to get the best cone and direction no matter the terrain or a crevasse or a wall or anything.

Yield and Delay Preview Fixes
Both Yield and Delay previews were bugged in that they would lie about the final placement of your merc if a merc and an enemy shared the same resulting Initiative after the action. Your mercs always win ties against enemies, so if you both have 7 then the preview now correctly shows - for Yield and Delay - that your merc will take the first action.

Headshot Retakes
With Update #75, we've adjusted the lighting setup for the camera used to capture your character's 2D headshots. With the new skin detail pass, the lighting there as too bright and we've toned it down for its best look. All default portraits and contacts in the game are immediately updated to update your custom squad members, you'll need to grow through the roster, open the Appearance tab and for each character hover over some options. You don't need to set any, and you'll see the portrait change.

Sorry we couldn't automate this one!

Roster Tags and Updates
We've fixed a number of cases where the tags in the roster were not updating fast enough if you took action related to Wound or Injury Treatment. Now they all update on the spot and also they all use abbreviated timestamps ("12d and 4h" instead of longform "12 days and 4 hours") which fit a lot better in the small space.

Thanks to everyone submitting F10s and helping us improve!

v1.5.15 - 4/20/2024
- Secondary objectives tied to rewards for complete in less than X Turns or less than Y Sec Level always displayed in Objectives list
- Added inline explanation with warning icon explaining why you can't spike APU/CPU (not Scan 2/2, not all IC destroyed)
- Improved routines for placing Files and Accounts are placed in data and financial nodes, improves variety and prevents empty nodes
- Added 2 new matrix host templates for Hack Only proc-gen jobs
- Improved rules for CPU Spiking - reduces Q-Sec Tally by 200% Tally required to Escalation, gaining 2 "free" Escalations
- Improved Overwatch targeting mouse input that prevent targeted it toward impassible areas
- Fixed issues with Delay and Yield preview that could show wrong result (player after enemy)
- Injury and Treatment Tags in roster uses shortened date format (11d 4h)
- Treatment Tag in roster correctly updates when status changes
- Fixed issue with Mission timer sometimes reading "Immediately left"
- Improved performance of Talent list and effect list in character hovers

 

[cyborgboy95]

Update #76: Shared Library Debuts

Update #76 is built completely around a new feature set - importing and export appearances or saving those appearance settings to a shared Library that can be accessed from any of your saved games or whenever you are creating a new game.

This is a great convenience feature, especially if you are replaying a lot and have specific looks for their Knight or mercs that you like to rapidly restore. With a few clicks, you can migrate the look of your Team A to a new game team or to Team B in a different saved game altogether.

But, from here this is very exciting launchpad for other types of content that can be saved and then later be shared or restored across saved games. Even as we release the appearance import/export/library feature set, we are already working on import/export/library features for your favorite class build. Got a spec you always want for you Vanguard? Soon you'll be able to save and restore that without having to manually recreate it each new saved game. Or post your best specs to the guide your writing for others to load directly.

If you like the pace of updates, attention to player-focused features and constant improvements - please do take a moment to leave a review for Cyber Knights: Flashpoint!

Shared Library
You can now save and load your character appearances to your Library. Your shared Library is stored in the Steam Cloud, is not affected if you deleted individual saved games and can be accessed in any saved game to save and load appearances. The library is also directly accessible when setting up a new game team.

With a few quick clicks you can now name and save any appearance you like, delete old appearances you aren't using any more or load the one you need for this team member. In addition, if you happen to make a mistake while the Import/Export panel is open, you can always hit "Undo Changes" to rollback to the appearance you had before you opened the panel.

Import / Export with Clipboard
Using the new Import/Export option within Appearance tab in new game or in roster, you can quickly get a text version of your character's appearance. You can save it offline or share it with the community to check out and use for their own characters.

The appearance data has a simple little envelope around it so you can be sure you have everything you need if you share it.

For example, here is a modified version of Dade I like to use in New Games. Just copy the entire block including the BEGIN and END lines to your clipboard and click Paste from Clipboard in the game to check it out.

---BEGIN CYBER KNIGHTS APPEARANCE---
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
---END CYBER KNIGHTS APPEARANCE---

It's a great and simple feature set that paves they way for more complicated data structures in the library.

Starting Warchest
New Games will now start with $25K in the bank instead of $15K, opening up the options for early game Leverages you can purchase.

Common / Rare Equipment
With this update we've fixed a few minor issues with equipment of all kinds - weapons, weapon mods, armor, items, programs and cyberdecks - to ensure that nothing but Common and Rare items are being sold (with it mostly being Common items). These are "Common" on the blackmarket, not common in the open market where all of these wares are highly illegal. Rares can appear ... rarely in the market.

And Epic and Legendary items can never be purchased, they can only be stolen, borrowed "for a time", disappeared, snatched or generally heisted. Rare equipment will be the switch hitters, they can show up in either category - bought or stolen.

As we keep moving forward on loot improvements, this will become more critical as (Rare, Epic and Legendary) weapon, weapon mods and armor start to filter into the loot options alongside items.

v1.5.17 - 4/22/2024
- Added new appearance management features: import, export and save to shared library
- Easy import/export through clipboard to share your appearance setup with others
- Easy save to library to re-use the appearance in other games or when starting a new game
- Increased new game starting bankroll to $25K
- Fixed minor data inconsistencies - anything sold by a Contact is always of Rarity Common or Rare, higher values reserved for stolen things
- Improved hotkeys in dialog to always show ESC (default) to skip instead of hiding it sometimes

 

[Alienman]

I don't have much to add, or anything new for that matter. Anyway, decided to play for an hour to test it out, and the thing that surprised me was how Xcom it felt. I enjoyed the stealth and combat, but then I saw you get a base to build up too, with tons of weapons to manage, and that definitely piqued my interest. Now Cyber Knights become one of my top most anticipated.

Got a couple of questions. Why is listed under RPG and not tactical?

And it said somewhere in-game that Cyber Knights couldn't die, but mercs can. Are mercs everyone outside the main character, or are there more immortal knights?

One more. For you who have played it, does it feel like an Xcom game, or is it structured more like a linear experience with RPG aspects?

 

[mediocrepoet]

I don't have much to add, or anything new for that matter. Anyway, decided to play for an hour to test it out, and the thing that surprised me was how Xcom it felt. I enjoyed the stealth and combat, but then I saw you get a base to build up too, with tons of weapons to manage, and that definitely piqued my interest. Now Cyber Knights become one of my top most anticipated.

Got a couple of questions. Why is listed under RPG and not tactical?

And it said somewhere in-game that Cyber Knights couldn't die, but mercs can. Are mercs everyone outside the main character, or are there more immortal knights?

One more. For you who have played it, does it feel like an Xcom game, or is it structured more like a linear experience with RPG aspects?

I haven't played it since shortly after it first launched, but it definitely felt more like a tactics game than an RPG to me at the time and I think it was basically positioned as such from what I was reading from the Trese Brothers.

Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

And it said somewhere in-game that Cyber Knights couldn't die, but mercs can. Are mercs everyone outside the main character, or are there more immortal knights?

One more. For you who have played it, does it feel like an Xcom game, or is it structured more like a linear experience with RPG aspects?

The dying bit is just a matter of difficulty. You can certainly configure it so that nobody dies.
And it's definitely xcom with factions and power struggles. There may be plotlines that unravel over multiple missions, but no central storyline other than what your crew hath wrought- I expect this from the way Star Traders was handled.

 

[Alienman]

And it said somewhere in-game that Cyber Knights couldn't die, but mercs can. Are mercs everyone outside the main character, or are there more immortal knights?

One more. For you who have played it, does it feel like an Xcom game, or is it structured more like a linear experience with RPG aspects?

The dying bit is just a matter of difficulty. You can certainly configure it so that nobody dies.
And it's definitely xcom with factions and power struggles. There may be plotlines that unravel over multiple missions, but no central storyline other than what your crew hath wrought- I expect this from the way Star Traders was handled.

Sounds cool. Is taking casualties part of the experience, or is it more or less game over if you do?

 

[Abu Antar]

Alienman Why is this in rpg, and not tactical?

Zed Duke of Banville Do your thing.

 

[Lyre Mors]

Yeah. Honestly if Jagged Alliance 3 is in tactical, this probably should be too. Though they both tow the line.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Yeah. Honestly if Jagged Alliance 3 is in tactical, this probably should be too. Though they both tow the line.

I'll argue that this game is more closer to rpg than JA3 since it relies on creating a character who is the centerpiece of the player's interaction with the world.

 

[Abu Antar]

Yeah. Honestly if Jagged Alliance 3 is in tactical, this probably should be too. Though they both tow the line.

I'll argue that this game is more closer to rpg than JA3 since it relies on creating a character who is the centerpiece of the player's interaction with the world.

JA3 is pretty rpgy-y in my book.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Yeah. Honestly if Jagged Alliance 3 is in tactical, this probably should be too. Though they both tow the line.

I'll argue that this game is more closer to rpg than JA3 since it relies on creating a character who is the centerpiece of the player's interaction with the world.

JA3 is pretty rpgy-y in my book.

Idk bro, it loops back to laptop guy has no stats

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Yeah. Honestly if Jagged Alliance 3 is in tactical, this probably should be too. Though they both tow the line.

I'll argue that this game is more closer to rpg than JA3 since it relies on creating a character who is the centerpiece of the player's interaction with the world.

JA3 is pretty rpgy-y in my book.

Idk bro, it loops back to laptop guy has no stats

Neither has the player-captain in Battle Brothers.

 

[Modron]

Neither has the player-captain in Battle Brothers.

Neither does the party manager in Bard's Tale, Wasteland, and a lot of blobbers.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Neither has the player-captain in Battle Brothers.

Neither does the party manager in Bard's Tale, Wasteland, and a lot of blobbers.

This isn't fun unless someone comes here to argue that's different because of ...
...because.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Alienman Why is this in rpg, and not tactical?

Zed Duke of Banville Do your thing.

You're forgetting that Cyber Knights identifies as an RPG, right at the top of its Steam page: "Squad tactics heist RPG!"

And, as we're all aware, RPG Codex has decided that in Current Year any game is an RPG if it identifies as one.

 

[cyborgboy95]

Update #77: Obligation Call

Welcome to Update #77, where we have a new storyline and heist to pull with exciting new set of objectives. The new storylines focuses on an Obligation Call - a short cycle, high difficulty mission to complete the Obligation you've sworn to a Contact. Keep it in mind, if you're making promises, you'll have to pay the piper eventually.

We've also added a nice improvement to weapon display to show their firing modes, fixed a sneaky bug with Overwatch that had crept in and fixed some inconsistent behavior with timeline events around medical and injury time healing. So - let's take a look!

We're excited to be making continual progress toward the next major roadmap item. If you like our pace or the direction we are heading, be sure to leave a review on Cyber Knights!

New Heist: Obligation Call
Obligations are promises you make to Contacts in the underground. They are the reverse of how a Contact can owe you a Favor and will redeem it later for cash or to help you. So, when a Contact who you owe an Obligation calls it in, you've got a tough choice to make. Jump and do whatever they need without payment or burn the relationship to the ground and suffer the consequences.

This new heist is the first Obligation Call storyline, which gives the Casting Director a lot of free rein to find someone who you owe an Obligation and matches a wide profile of Contact. Then things get interesting. With Obligation Calls, you're almost always on a razor sharp timeline. Will you keep your Obligation? Remember that if you don't, the burning of the relationship will flow outward into the network of relationships, so anyone who liked or disliked the Contact in question will follow suit with their own Stress and Hype.

You'll need a squad about Power Level 2 and a Contact to whom you own an Obligation, but you start with a few of those - so most squads should be ready to rock on this one.

Weapon Firing Mode Labeled
We've added the missing firing mode names to the top of the columns in the weapon display - Single Shot, Semi-Auto, Burst Fire and Full Auto weapon modes. While Single Shot, Semi-Auto and Burst Fire all provide the same ability (attack a single target) they offer different special rules (like Rapid Fire lighter weapons and Precision Fire for most Burst Fire) and some Talents only work with different firing modes like Single Shot weapons.

Hope it is helpful for your Talent and weapon planning!

Fixed Overwatch Ignored Bug
There was a hotly reported Overwatch bug introduced 2 updates ago. It could cause mercs and enemies both to be simply ignored by Overwatch even if they were taking action, moving or attacking in full view of the Overwatching character. Sorry for that - we know in some cases your mercs got a good break and in others, you just got screwed over a bit.

This is now resolved!

Timeilne / Roster Bugs
We hit another one of the most reported F10 issues with the medical timelines for wound or injury treatment being inconsistent or sometimes getting stuck. Sometimes the numbers didn't add up correctly or a treatment could just stay on the timeline without ending and drift farther and farther into negative territory.

In addition, we found and a rare bug that could leave mercs in the special Extracted state even when they returned to the safehouse. This would cause mercs to first be on your roster but as soon as any change was made like training them they would disappear until you reloaded the game. They will not just re-appear.

Fixed Carnivore Cop Bug
If you've played through Carnivore, you may have ended up in a state where the cop in charge of the SWAT is not showing in your contact list, and if he or she was, they were missing a critical story tag about the events that transpired in the Underground Datacenter. All that is fixed in all current and future games now, check your Contact ilst.

High-End Missions are ... free?
For the players who have played their squads out to the max and found that there was a sudden drop off in payment (to $0) and XP (to 0 XP) for jobs ... we've fixed it for you! And we love that you're enjoying the game so much :D

v1.5.19 - 4/26/2024
- New Heist: Snitch Snuff Out is an "Obligation Call" - a contact who you owe an Obligation needs your help *right now*
- Weapon firing mode (Single Shot, Semi Auto, Burst First or Full Auto) now shown above each stat column
- Fixed issues with Overwatch ignoring merc's attacks and certain movement situations
- Fixed issue with enemy Overwatch cone sometimes being 1m offset from the enemy's position incorrectly
- Fixed issue with recovery time from Wound Healing being inconsistent, getting stuck or failing to heal the wound
- Fixed rare extraction-related bug that could cause mercs to temporarily disappear off the Safehouse roster
- Fixing bug where proc-gen missions dropped to $0 and 0 XP at high enough Power Level
- Fixed issue with nonsensical Leverage offered for Battle Striker proc-gen missions
- Fixed issue with objective text sometimes duplicated in rewards list for missions
- Fixed issue where second cop in the Carnivore storyline could end up not being known in Contact List