Analyzing schematics . . .

Welcome back, General! Our latest update brings a variety of community-requested quality-of-life improvements, balance changes, and bug fixes.

To address a question we have seen from many players, we can confirm that we are continuing to work on the Veti Faction, along with other future content for the game. Our update pace has slowed lately, but rest assured, we are putting the extra time to good use.

While we aren't quite ready to share details yet, we are very excited about what we are working on! Stay tuned, and thank you for the continued support.

For now, let's dive into the newest updates and improvements to Tempest Rising.

New Features

Start Campaign with all Doctrines/Equipment Unlocked

Added the option to start a new Campaign with all Doctrines and Equipment unlocked from the first mission

• Note: this will disable Achievements for this Campaign profile

“Select All Support Units” Hotkey

• Added Hotkeys that allow for easier management/selection of Support units:

  • Ctrl+Alt+Q - Select all Support units on the map

  • Ctrl+Alt+W - Select all Support units on the screen

These Hotkeys will allow players to select only Support units, like Engineers and Technicians, separately from other units.

Random Faction Selection in Matchmaking

• Added a Random select option when choosing a Faction in Matchmaking games (Ranked and Quick Play game modes)

Additional Quality of Life Updates

• Changed Rating calculation for Ranked matchmaking games:

  • The maximum amount of Rank Points won/lost will now be capped at +/- 50

  • The minimum amount of Rank Points won/lost will now be capped at +/- 8

• Added the ability to switch between grouped and ungrouped unit composition in the unit selection widget. Players can select their preferred default behavior in the Game Settings:

  • Collapsed

  • Expanded

  • Manual (Ctrl+LMB click on unit icon to collapse/expand)

Queller air unit will no longer use Laser Weapon ammo on regular enemy Infantry units, instead attacking them with Machine Gun ammo

• The Queller will only use its Laser Weapon against enemy Vehicles, Buildings, and heavy Infantry

• Added Faction icons to Player List in multiplayer matches

  • Shows the Faction selected by each player in the match

• Added Rank Medal icons to Player List in Ranked multiplayer matches

  • Shows the player rank for the current Faction

• Reorganized Player List elements for better visual clarity

  • Team and color icons are now positioned in front, and players are ordered by team rather than by player slot

• Added the post-match Rank increase/decrease to the Ranked Score screen.

• All Power-providing Structures will now show their Power Supply in the production Tooltip

• Added sorting buttons to the Global Production Queue panel for easier management:

  • Added a button to enable/disable sorting by production progress (disabled sorting will lock all added buildings/units in the queue in the order they were added and grouped by unit/building from the same build tab)

  • Added a button to pin any unit/structure so it will remain on top of the queue

• Added an “Out of Focus Audio” setting when the game window is not active

• This setting will allow players to change the behavior of game audio when the game window is not active (either muted or always played)

• Added Doctrine and Armory Codex pages for both the GDF and DYN Factions

• Improved text chat profanity filtering

  • Now the word will be censored by * symbols instead of being completely removed from the text

  • Profanity list strictness was reduced to avoid blocking harmless words containing combinations of restricted words

• Added the ability to send a Friend request to another player through their Player Profile

• Reduced the match Reconnection Timer from 120 seconds to 90 seconds for Quick Play and Ranked matchmaking modes

Balance Updates

In this patch, we aim to increase the effectiveness of underutilized units and Doctrines, such as the Hammerhand and Tempest Sphere for the Dynasty, and the current iteration of the DCU for the GDF. Additionally, we are shifting around the GDF’s Intel economy and adjusting timing windows for both factions.

Our goal is to enable new viable strategies for both factions and a greater variety of Doctrine builds in Skirmish and Multiplayer.

Global

• Structure Capture Time for ‘critical buildings’ increased to 14 seconds (from 7 seconds)
• Refineries and Tech buildings now count as ‘critical buildings’

Global Defense Force (GDF)

We are making a number of changes to the GDF in this patch, with the goal of increasing gameplay options across all game stages for the Faction.

Removing Marking from the Drone Mauler should alleviate issues with excessive Intel income in the late game. We are also changing some Tier 3 unit costs to re-weight Intel expenditure decisions in the mid and late game. The Comms Tree and Mobility Tree are both getting boosts, including Comms Rig Antenna and Ambush Protocols, impacting the effects of the Comms buff.

Tier 3 is generally getting attention with the addition of Marking on both the Scrambler and Haywire Turret weapons. These are not intended to be primary sources of Intel, but allow us to change how these units interact with Doctrines, particularly in the Comms Tree.

Doctrines

The Comms and Mobility Doctrine Trees have had key Doctrines improved, pushing Comms toward greater overall attack power via additional movement and Attack Speed boosts in Ambush Protocols, and economic and air boosts in the Mobility Doctrines.

We’re looking forward to seeing experimentation with strategies incorporating these improved Doctrines.

Logistics Networks

• Effect added: Credit‑based units now have their Cost reduced by 15%

Triangulation

• Build Site Placement reduced to 10 credits (from 50)

Ambush Protocols

• Now increases the effects of the Comms Aura by 20% in addition to other effects
• Stealth ability Cost reduced 50% (from 30%)

Comms Rig Antenna

• Comms now provides Air units 15% resistance to Cannon and Rocket damage, in addition to other effects

Field Scout

The GDF often relies on Infantry offensively and defensively in the early game, and this slight change to build time should shift timings slightly for high MMR players. We aim to foster additional use of Marking Mines as an early warning system or a tool in combat via a shorter cooldown on the ability.

• Build time increased to 10 seconds (from 9 seconds)
• Marking Mine Cooldown reduced to 20 seconds (from 35 seconds)

Riot Trooper

With the buffs to the Dynasty early game, we are also increasing the range of the Riot Trooper’s EMP so that it can continue to serve as a tool to limit the effectiveness of early Dynasty vehicle pushes and harassment

• EMP grenade range increased to 1600 (from 1550)

Hunter Tank

In an effort to encourage more Hunter Tank use offensively and defensively in all stages of the game, we are increasing its Networked damage slightly while decreasing its build time.

• Build time reduced to 18 seconds (from 19 seconds)
• Networked bonus damage vs. Marked targets increased to 120 (from 110)

Riot Van

Riot Vans are in a somewhat delicate place competitively at the moment. Pushing with them can be absolutely overwhelming, but their use falls off in the mid- to late-game. This change aims to make current dominant strategies with the Riot Van somewhat riskier.

• Health reduced to 860 (from 880)

Queller

Despite being strong on paper, the Queller has a relatively low usage and success rate competitively. With these changes, we aim to make them easier to use and more cost-effective to justify building them.

• Attack Range increased to 2100 (from 2000)
• Gatling Attack Range increased to 2100 (from 2000)
• Laser weapon will no longer be used against Infantry
• Cost reduced to 1200 Credits (from 1300 Credits)
• Build time reduced to 19 seconds (from 22 seconds)
• Ammo increased to 8 (from 6)

Gatling Turret

We aim to improve the risk/reward balance of Stealth and Detection by increasing the Detection Range of some units and structures.

• Detection Range increased to 2000 (from 1500)

Engineer

We are seeking to better balance the risk/reward of stealth and detection by increasing the Detection Range of some units and structures.

• Detection Range increased to 2000 (from 1500)

DCU

The DCU has not been considered cost-effective in its current role as a Tier 3 vehicle-suppression support craft, so we are making some larger tweaks to improve its value.

• Comms Jammer AOE increased to 250 (from 150)
• Spy Drone Summon Range increased to 3700 (from 3100)
• Spy Drone Cost increased to 20 Intel (from 10 Intel)
• Cost reduced to 40 Intel (from 60 Intel)
• Population reduced to 5 (from 6)
• Intel storage reduced to 10 (from 15)

Drone Mauler

Drone Maulers becoming Marking units had a larger impact on gameplay than intended. They are being reverted to their role as anti-tank ‘ambush predator’ and frontline skirmisher.

• Brigand Drone Attack Range increased to 2200 (from 2100)
• Health increased to 470 (from 400)
• Removed Marking effect on Brigand Drone attack

Tempest Artillery

Given the relative performance and pick rate of the Tempest Artillery and Haywire Turret, we are changing their cost profiles: the Tempest Artillery now costs Intel instead of Credits, which should make its presence somewhat more rare in the midgame.

• Cost changed to 25 Intel (from 1600 Credits)

Haywire Turret

As a part of the overall Haywire weapons overhaul, we are making the Haywire Turret Mark enemies on attack and switching its cost from Intel to Credits.

• Cost changed to 1200 Credits (from 20 Intel)
• Health increased to 800 (from 700)
• Attack Range reduced to 3600 (from 4500)
• Added Marking effect to weapon

Refinery

While the cost of the Storage Pod should still make this upgrade rare in the early game, we are removing the Storage Pod tech requirement to increase the variety of GDF build options.

• Storage Pod requirement removed

Scrambler

Scramblers are most often used as a delivery system for Tempest Chaff - this change provides them with incidental Marking as additional utility, as well as enabling additional Doctrines such as Boosted Comms to impact their performance. This should provide the Scrambler with greater tactical flexibility and utility.

• Attack Range reduced to 3000 (from 3700)
• Attack Speed increased to 2.8-second intervals (from 3.2)
• Health increased to 410 (from 380)
• Added Marking effect to weapon

Trebuchet

The Trebuchet was performing worse than intended, relative to its cost.

• Cost reduced to 2400 (from 2500)

Tempest Dynasty (DYN)

As with the GDF, we aim to improve the Dynasty’s strategic and tactical choices in every stage of the game. Notably, improvements to the Pillager, Missile Trooper, Hammerhand, and Salvage effect should help achieve this goal.

Doctrines

The primary Doctrine change in this patch is a new effect on Frontline Construction, which we feel should increase its pick rate and provide more opportunities for each Dynasty Doctrine tree to shine.

Manpower

• Now generates Missile Troopers (previously Dynasty Guards)

Frontline Construction

• Added a new effect: All turrets now have Salvage (with the exception of the Sensor Array)

Salvage Effect

We aim to improve late-game Dynasty economic staying power in low-Tempest conditions.

• Credit-Damage conversion increased to 18% (from 15%)

Missile Trooper

We are improving Dynasty’s situational awareness and scouting capabilities overall by increasing Sight Range for units like the Missile Trooper and Hammerhand.

• Sight increased to 4500 (from 4000)

Pillager

Pillagers slightly underperform for many players in the midgame, and this change aims to increase their staying power.

• Health increased to 650 (from 600)

Technician

As with the GDF Engineer, we are slightly increasing the Technician's Detection Range.

• Detection Range increased to 2000 (from 1500)

Matchstick

We aim to improve Matchstick performance after the last balance patch hit them a little harder than intended.

• Attack Speed increased to 1.45-second intervals (from 1.55)
• Range increased to 1900 (from 1800)

Hammerhand

Hammerhand usage and pick rates remain low aside from Demolitionist synergies. The aim of these changes is for the Hammerhand to get more use as part of a well-rounded Dynasty attack force.

• Now detects stealth in a range of 1500
• Cannon weapon now has Salvage
• Sight Range increased to 5000 (from 3500)
• Weapon damage increased to 70 (from 50)

ConYard Bastion

We are slightly reducing the Bastion research time to better align with GDF tech timings.

• Research time reduced to 32 seconds (from 37 seconds)

Radar Station

We feel that Radar Stations are slightly too vulnerable to harassment, so we are increasing their health.

• Health increased to 1600 (from 1300)

Specialist Bureau

We are increasing the build time on the Specialist Bureau in order to slightly delay some Dynasty push builds.

• Build time increased to 46 seconds (from 40 seconds)

Porcupine MLRS

We are decreasing the movement speed of the Porcupine slightly to increase the skill of using them and make them more vulnerable to counterplay.

• Movement Speed reduced to 625 (from 640)

Tempest Sphere

While very powerful in certain situations, we feel the Tempest Sphere needed more consistent utility. It now spawns a Demolitionist on death and inflicts Vulnerability (30% bonus damage) on attack targets it cannot crush. Due to these new functionalities, we have also increased its cost.

• Now drops a Demolitionist on death
• Weapon now applies Vulnerability
• Cost increased to 3000 (from 2500)

Demolitionist

Demolitionists have a fairly narrow use case. We feel that a lower cost and broader utility will lead to more experimentation with this unit.

• Melee attack now applies Vulnerability to all targets (previously only to buildings)
• Cost reduced to 1100 (from 1300)

Excavator Platform

We want to ensure that Excavator Platform attacks are appropriately devastating as a Superweapon.

• Damage per wave increased to 1100 (from 900)

Bug Fixes

General Gameplay

• Fixed an issue where the Tempest Charge effect didn’t decrease Attack Speed (now decreases Attack Speed by 5% per stack)
• Fixed an issue where the Tempest Instability Missile was not applying Tempest Charge along with Tempest Overflow
• Fixed an issue where the Sniper’s attack from Stealth was not applying Tempest Charge along with Tempest Overflow
• Fixed an issue where Comms Officers weren’t receiving the damage increase when the Pinpoint Weaknesses Doctrine was active
• Fixed an issue where players couldn’t set a Rally Point on neutral and enemy structures
• Fixed an issue where the default “B” button for Unit Command Slot 5 sometimes couldn’t activate unit abilities
• Fixed an issue where players sometimes couldn’t produce Air Units that require an Air Pad from a captured air production building
• Fixed an issue where enemy Porcupine MLRS projectiles sometimes weren’t visible when they were attacking from the Fog of War
• Fixed an issue where Engineers/Technicians could get stuck inside the GDF Refinery while trying to repair a damaged Harvester docked to it
• Fixed an issue where the Dynasty Power Plant had an incorrect default rotation
• Fixed an issue where GDF Harvesters performed unnecessary movements back and forth before docking at a Refinery

Campaign

• Fixed an issue where the main objective “Destroy infantry outpost” couldn’t be completed if the Barracks required for it was destroyed before the objective appeared in the 5th GDF mission
• Fixed an issue where the Machine Shop and Air Factory buildings appeared on top of the player’s buildings when related side objectives appeared in the 5th GDF mission
• Fixed an issue where the Secondary objective “Investigate distress calls” couldn’t be completed by Riot Van units in the 9th GDF mission
• Fixed an issue where selected units were deselected after a cutscene finishes in campaign missions
• Fixed an issue where the build grid became unavailable for re-deploying a ConYard in a place where it was previously located in some campaign missions

MP and Spectator

• Fixed an issue where destroyed units remained on the map in multiplayer matches for players experiencing network stability issues
• Fixed an issue where neutral capturable structures sometimes were not displayed in multiplayer matches for players experiencing network stability issues
• Fixed an issue where players could build more than one Superweapon with the Superweapon limit enabled in Skirmish/Multiplayer matches
• Fixed an issue where an enemy player’s Scrambler Tempest Chaff ability VFX sometimes were not displayed if the Scrambler was attacking from stealth in multiplayer matches
• Fixed an issue where audio volume was lowered when zooming out in Spectator mode
• Fixed an issue where a Spectator sometimes couldn’t see players’ Fog of War when switching to the player camera view
• Fixed an issue where Superweapon charging SFX sometimes would not play properly in multiplayer matches
• Fixed an issue where the DCU weapon and description mentioned the Marking effect, but no longer provided the Marking effect in Skirmish/Multiplayer matches

UI

• Improved the readability of the Codex
• Fixed an issue where the Trebuchet unit and Artillery turret visually displayed a higher Attack Range than the actual range while under the effect of the Comms buff
• Fixed an issue where the DCU’s Comms Field displayed a radius that didn’t match the actual radius of effect
• Fixed an issue where the timer continued to count for the client player/spectator when reconnecting in multiplayer matches with “Pause and Continue” reconnect behavior selected
• Fixed an issue where keybinds for groups in the HUD weren’t updating properly if the player changed them from the default keybinds
• Fixed an issue where the “Disconnected” icon for players was not changing to “Active” in the Spectator’s player list after a player successfully reconnected to the match
• Fixed an issue where the “Chat” button tooltip would sometimes be displayed behind the score screen

Text Missing Localization

The following new text strings have not yet been translated for this patch and will be localized in a future patch:

• Under “Audio Settings” in the Settings Menu:

  • "Out Of Focus Audio"

  • "Mute audio when the game window is out of focus"

• Under “Controls” in the Settings Menu:

  • “Select All Support Units On Screen”

  • “Select All Support Units On The Map”

• When pressing “+” under Campaign Menu to create a new campaign:

  • "Start with all Doctrines and Equipment"

  • "Starting with all Doctrines and Equipment enabled will disable all achievements for this Campaign"

• When playing GDF:

  • The description of the Doctrine “Comms Rig Antenna”

  • The description of the Doctrine “Ambush Protocols”