Game Update 6 Today

WhiteLantern

First the patch notes:

Combat Rating / Item Level! These are two statistics that have existed under the hood that we are now making public! Each item has an “Item Level” that roughly indicates the power of the item. When worn together, your “Combat Rating” is a measure of your total effectiveness in combat and is based on the weighted average of the best equipment you own per slot. This means your Combat Rating improves as you earn better gear. Players can find their Combat Rating under the Stats section in their Inventory. The tougher Hard Mode Alerts will now have a minimum Combat Rating that must be met before you can queue for them.

New Raid! Defeat Zod to regain control of the Sunstone Crystal Matrix! Queue for the Fortress of Solitude: Sunstone Matrix under the Raids section in your On Duty menu. Combat Rating: 53

 

General:

• 
  The Society has managed to steal the plans for the new stations being installed in the JLA Watchtower. They've begun assembling them in each wing of the Hall of Doom but its function remains classified. Both organizations have begun installing additional stations in some of the city safehouses, but remain tightlipped about their objectives.
• 
  Attacks made by Tier 3 enemies, such as those found in the Fortress of Solitude, now ignore 25% of base defense.
• 
  Defense values for Tier 3 armor have been raised.
• 
  Removed the erroneous stats from the Gray quality item, Advanced Telescoping Baton
• 
   Minor Matchmaking Updates:

o        Players are now notified of their assigned group role.

o        A new category section has been added for Tier 2 Duos.

• 
  The player will now be messaged when trying to phase into the phase they are currently in.
• 
   Ignore now works properly with shout, say, trade, versus, league, tell and group chat.
• 
  Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause NPC’s to not drop loot when they were dealt massive amounts of damage and/or knocked out with one hit. 
• 
   Mail sent by the Broker to inform you of an item’s sale will no longer have Cash attached. The funds should now be automatically placed into your Cash instead.
• 
  Mail with attachments can no longer be deleted if you have a full inventory.
• 
  Running the game in windowed mode should no longer cause the cursor to travel outside of the window incorrectly.

 

 

Movement Modes:

Acrobat:

• 
  Launching Roll should now play effects more consistently.
• 
  Updated UI descriptions for Grapple Line and Glide Line to better describe how to perform the ability.

 

Flight:

• 
  Fliers should be able to turn correctly after using the Phase Shifter.
• 
  Fliers should no longer slide while animating for the Air Burst and Low Pressure abilities.

Super Speed:

• 
      Speedsters should no longer slide while animating for the Speed Drain ability.

 

 

Powers:

Fire:

• 
   Abilities no longer apply an additional 25% bonus health buff. This affects: Absorb Heat, Backdraft, Burning Determination, Wild Fire, Consume Objects, and Stoke Flames.
• 
   In addition to increasing their maximum Health by 60% when using super powers, Fire Tanks now gain additional Health based on their Dominance score. The increase is slightly more than 2 additional Health for every point of Dominance.
• 
  Healing caused by Fire abilities now scale with Dominance combined with Restoration. This affects: Absorb Heat, Backdraft, Burning Determination, Wildfire, Burnout, Consume Objects, Fiery Weapon, Stoke Flames, Eternal Flame and Reignition.

 

Gadgets:

• 
  Turrets that use cryogenic rounds will play effects more consistently.
• 
  The damage prevention effect of Hide now scales and prevents damage equal to about 50% of your Restoration score and 100% of your Dominance combined. The cooldown has been decreased to 20 seconds. Non-stealth game effects can now persist after the stealth effects have ended.
• 
  The damage prevention effect of Neural Neutralizer now scales and prevents damage equal to about 50% of your Restoration score and 100% of your Dominance combined. The shield now persists for five seconds.
• 
  The healing caused by Anesthetic now scales with Dominance combined with Restoration. The cost has been decreased to 35% supercharge.

 

 

Ice:

• 
  ·Winter Ward no longer applies an additional Defense buff.
• 
  Winter ward, Bitter Winds and Shatter Restraints again provide a damage prevention effect regardless of role. The damage prevention scales and prevents additional damage roughly equal to 13.5% of your Restoration score combined with 100% of your Dominance.
• 
   In the DPS role, the maximum damage Reflection prevents is equal to 50% of your Restoration and 100% of your Dominance combined.
• 
  The amount healed by Hibernation now scales with your Dominance combined with Restoration.
• 
  Ice Elemental healing now scales with Dominance combined with Restoration. It now prevents additional damage equal to your Dominance combined with Restoration.

 

Iconic:

• 
  Sonic Cry will now properly apply a stun to an enemy when used.
• 
  The damage prevention effect of Hard Light Shield now scales and prevents damage equal to your Restoration and Dominance score combined.

 

Light:

• 
   Healing caused by Restore and Triage now scales with Dominance combined with Restoration. The cooldown on Triage has been reduced to 60 seconds.
• 
   The damage prevention effect of Light Barrier now scales and prevents damage equal to 50% of your Restoration and 100% Dominance score combined.
• 
  The damage prevention effect of Group Shielding now scales and prevents additional damage equal to your Restoration and Dominance score combined.
• 
   Using a combination from a tray power no longer turns off hard lock on the target.

 

Mental:

• 
  The damage prevention effect of Grandeur and Reflect Pain now scales and prevents damage equal to 13.5% of your Restoration score and 100% of your Dominance combined.
• 
  The damage prevention effect of Telekinetic Shield now scales and prevents damage equal to 50% of your Restoration score and 100% of your Dominance combined.
• 
  The damage prevention effect of Bastion now scales and prevents additional damage equal to your Restoration and Dominance scores combined.
• 
  The damage prevention effect of Psychic Shield now scales and prevents damage equal to 125% of both your Dominance and Restoration combined.

 

Nature:

• 
   Nature: Primal Wolf Form: The Slam attack is now vulnerable to block as intended.
• 
   Nature: Swarm Shield now scales the maximum damage it may prevent based upon your Restoration score. It prevents damage equal to 60% of your Restoration while in the Damage role and 125% of your Restoration in the Healer role.

 

Sorcery:

• 
  Sorcery: Boon of Souls now scales the maximum damage it may prevent based upon your Restoration score. It prevents damage equal to 60% of your Restoration while in the Damage role and 125% of your Restoration in the Healer role.

Missions:

 

• 
  Players at level 30 will no longer receive quests for which they are unable to Queue, instead these quests will be granted once the player has reached the required Combat Rating to enter.
• 
  Smallville, Arkham Island, and Stryker’s Island will be granted at a combat rating of 34.
• 
  The Batcaves, League of Assassin Stronghold, Kahndaq, and the “Fight for the Light” DLC will be granted at a combat rating of 43. The Fortress of Solitude Raids will be granted at a combat rating of 53.
• 
  Riddler: The First Clue: players no longer need to have the quest active in order to interact with the Riddler box.
• 
  Party Foul (Hero): Joker Bombs should no longer double-spawn in the Hotel.

Weapons:

Dual Wield:

Equalized the stun range and damage range of Stunning Swipe to that of equivalent powers.

Increased the duration of vulnerability to interrupt effects after using a Range Tap Block Breaker to bring these in line with other Block Breaker attacks.



Two Handed:

Increased the duration of vulnerability to interrupt effects after using a Range Tap Block Breaker to bring these in line with other Block Breaker attacks.



Alerts:

HIVE:

• 
  Fixed an issue where Queen Bee would become mute.

Duos:

Ferris Aircraft

Ambush Bug has stumbled his way into the Ferris Aircraft Duo in Coast City.



Raids:

Fortress of Solitude: Power Core

• 
  Avatar of Meta: Brainiac's Tentacles will now interrupt anyone who attempts to overload the power cores while Brainiac is draining the Fortress of its power.
• 
  Jor-El Fight: Jor-El will no longer succumb to the rigors of battle and stand idly by as his opponents beat him to a pulp.
• 
  Prime Assassin's Affliction bonus is now accurate. Failing to destroy all Affliction Shards in time will cause him to gain this bonus.
• 
  Prime Assassin's Restoration bonus is now accurate. Failing to destroy all Restoration Shards in time will cause him to gain this bonus.

Audio:

• 
  Dual Pistols: Attacks should now play appropriate audio hit effects.

Feats:

• 
  The Explore Little Bohemia Feat now correctly lists MPD's 3rd Precinct as a location to visit.
• 
  The Speed Run feats for League of Assassin's Stronghold and Oolong Island (Hard) have been moved to the proper Category in the Feats UI.
• 
  The speed feat for the Smallville Alert will no longer update on zone in.

UI:

• 
  The Blades of the Dragon should now show on your character and in the primary weapon style tab.
• 
  Item level will now be displayed in the UI.
• 
  Combat Rating will now display on the Character Stats UI.
• 
  The Broker inventory now scrolls when needed.
• 
  Fixed case sensitivity issues with /friend of mixed case.
• 
  Fixed case sensitivity issues with /ignore of mixed case.
• 
  Fixed a functionality issue with the Radial Menu while using a controller.
• 
  New Chat Tab edit settings dialog now scrolls properly.
• 
  Group Info panel now displays your assigned role in instances.  If you are assigned a wildcard role, the icon will now display.  This is shown directly below the icon indicating your current stance.
• 
  Fixed an issue with the group invite window not closing properly if a player received the invite while in a quick menu.
• 
  You are no longer able to attempt to create a League if you are not in a group.
• 
  Removed less-than-necessary page dots at the bottom of the Marketplace item list.
• 
  Fixed a crash specific to the UI (frequent on PC).
• 
  Feats with required counts now display progress when expanded.

Marketplace:

• 
  Marketplace performance improvements.
• 
  The preview screen now displays the same purchase availability as the category screen.
• 
  Fixed a minor clipping issue with the Cosmic Angelic Chest for the Brute Male body character type.
• 
  Fixed a minor visual issue with the Sequined Urban & Sequined Biker Gloves on Male characters.

Visual:

• 
  Gadgets: Asphyxiation Gas will now play effects when used.
• 
  Improved the Watchtower Magic wing cool cam event.
• 
  Claws, Boxing, Telekinesis, and Psychic Blades will now play the appropriate color effects.
• 
  The Booster Gold Exploration kiosk in Shen Li Po gardens is no longer floating.
• 
  Little Bohemia Metrodome: Players should no longer find any floating Exobyte canisters.
• 
  Fixed various environmental visual bugs in Metropolis and Gotham City.
• 
  Mail received while the Mail UI is open should no longer appear incorrectly.
• 
  Fixed a minor visual issue with the Angelic shirt for small female body character types.
• 
  Toned down the emissive intensity of all glowing gear items so it would not visually distort in some environments.

PVP:

General:

• 
  Players should no longer show as flagged PVE when in a PVP arena. This bug was causing players to turn “purple” to their enemies and it would make them untargetable and seem invulnerable in PVP Arenas.
• 
  PvP trinkets should now remove Healer and Tank counter-role de-buffs.
• 
  Adjusted the budgets for Tank and Controller PvP armor to include Dominance.
• 
  Tanks who use super powers against Mental, Gadgets and Light players will cancel personal damage prevention and power over time effects.
• 
  Psychic Empowerment, Defibrillator and Recharge when used while in the Control role will now remove Healer role anti-Tank de-buffs.
• 
  The Healer role anti-Tank de-buffs should now also prevent Fire self healing as well as removing Tank buffs and Ice damage absorbing effects. A red de-buff icon is now applied when this effect is active.
• 
  ier 1 PvP weapons now add 192 Precision when used against players bringing their DPS to 97.1 in PvP. They now also ignore 12% of a player's Toughness.
• 
  Tier 2 PvP weapons now ignore 25% of a player's Toughness.
• 
  Victories in the Batcave and Fortress of Solitude PvP Arena Maps will now count towards the feat "Winning Streak X".

 

Now my take: Nothing to see here. A final step in the Fortress raid and a bug-squashing/balancingpass. O yeah, and gearscore. I can see now what the future "free game updates" will look like.  I'm one step away from walking away from this game forever, and it makes me sad to think that way because I truly do love this game.

 

I know, I know, "it's f2p, what do you expect". I expect them to keep the game worthwhile for all types of players, not just the few raiders out there. If they can't get me to play, they can't get me to pay.