We've rolled out a hotfix to address a few issues, and add a few quality-of-life features to Dropzone. This hotfix requires a manual update, so please follow these steps:
In your Steam games library, right-click on Dropzone.
Select "Properties."
On the Local Files tab, click, "Verify Integrity of Game Files."
That should update your client with the hotfix! Here's the list of fixes and additions:
Miscellaneous Updates
Friend Codes shown in the Friends List can now be toggled on or off. You can right-click on your username in the Friends List to toggle displaying your Friend Code. The default is set to ON
A "Report Player" feature has been added to Global Chat, Party Chat, Custom Lobby Chat, and Direct Messages. If you encounter a player breaking the Community Guidelines, right-click on their name and click "Report Player" so we can investigate. Abuse of the report function is also against the Community Guidelines, so please use it wisely.
There is now a Global Chat room for every language supported by Dropzone. Players will be defaulted to the correct Global Chat room for their selected language, but you can switch to the chat room for any language by clicking on the Language cog wheel located on the right side of the Global Chat banner
All Dropzone Developers now have a [Dev] tag by their username in Global, Party, and Custom Lobby chat.
In the Watch Menu, you can now search player usernames to find their replays!
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where Cyrillic characters were not appearing correctly in chat
Fixed an issue where the "My Friends" filter in the Watch Menu was taking a long time to load
Fixed a crash that would occur if a tank used Landfall but died before the ability completed
Fixed a crash that would occur if players set as Observers in Custom Lobby games used pings once the match had started
Please make sure to update your game client, Commanders, and we'll see you on Europa!
Patch Notes Early Access v1955
It's our first patch notes after going Free to Play! If you're new to the community, welcome, Commander! :)
Here at Sparkypants we typically release a game update every week, usually on Wednesdays. Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 19, we will be releasing version 1955, which has a few ability balance changes, some Quality of Life features, and lots of bug fixes!
Gameplay Notes
Gear Changes
Nanite Ray
Collision radius increased from .75 to 1.5
Decal size and actual collision radius are 1:1 now, and should match up much better w/ the FX size
Pilot Changes
Plutus' Special Move: Paradigm Shift
Can now be cast on units that are under pathing-restricted motion: Thrusters, Boosters, Momentum Shifter, and Fury's Stunning Entry
Miscellaneous Notes
Alpha Phage
Now displays AoE on mouseover
There is now a mute button for in-draft and in-game chat
Currently, using the mute option will mute all players on your team (WIP)
Mute options transfer, so if you mute your teammates in draft, they will remain muted once the match starts
There is no longer a full screen Victory / Defeat screen after a match is completed – players are taken directly to the Match Results screen
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where Landfall did not snap to the edge of the navmesh
Fixed an issue where Omnipresence did not snap to the edge of the navmesh
Fixed an issue where Challenges could be issued to Friends that were offline
Fixed an issue where Player Name could display help text in Team Match Modes depending on what the Player’s Name was
Fixed an issue where the Party UI would not update to display a changed username without a client restart
Fixed an issue where Objective hover tooltips could be shown before Objectives were displayed in the Draft Sequence
Fixed an issue where 3v3 match rewards were incorrectly shown as ‘Ranked Multiplayer Bonus’ in the Match Results screen
Fixed an issue where the Restorative Downlink VFX would stack if multiple units with the software were standing on the same tower
Fixed an issue where Healthbars would briefly detach from units that took damage while Stealth Plating was active
Fixed an issue where the quickmatch queue ‘Searching’ bar was overlapping with the 3rd goal in Pilot Contracts on 4k resolution
Fixed an issue where the 3VAI match search setting would get re-enabled in the quickmatch Queue options after a match was completed
Fixed an issue where the gear cards for Summoner’s Husk and Summoner’s Cocoon did not list the rate that stacks were generated
Fixed an issue where the gear card for Resource Redirector did not list the time the unit needed to stand still before the software would activate
Fixed an issue where the gear card for Obscure Vitality did not list its reset cooldown
Fixed an issue where gear cards for summon abilities like Lapse Generator, Replicating Rifle, and Cloning Laser did not list the summons’ AA range
Fixed an issue where Alpha Phage would continue to play its HP Buff FX after reaching maximum stacks
Fixed an issue where a player could run a pilot contract an additional time without finishing the last session of the contract
Fixed an issue where players could receive dropship healing benefits from an area that didn’t have a dropship on the 4th tutorial
More minor localization fixes
Minor SFX fixes
Known Issues
There are known issues with words bleeding outside of their bounding boxes for every language other than English. Fixes are on the way
Locking Observer slots in Custom Matches only works when both slots are empty
The Private Match setting only works when the game is already created, so someone can join in-between
Hive Link does not have a cast ring around hives to show where the ability can be cast
The ‘Easy Pickings’ achievement does not count Hives killed by a teammate towards the goal
Global Chat does not reflect your changed name until you have restarted the game
Party members that did not initiate a seek will see incorrect checkboxes sometimes (WIP)
Look for this update tomorrow, Commanders, and please let us know your feedback in the forums!
Community Events, Week 15, 2017
Dropzone is now FREE TO PLAY, Commanders! For those of you new to the core hunt, welcome! Every week we'll keep you updated on the latest community happenings. Here's what's coming up this week:
Developer Blog
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Have you checked out our Dev Blog? Last week, President of Sparkypants Studios Jason Coleman talked about Early Access, and where we go from here with Dropzone.
If you have a Dropzone-related fansite, or are organizing a Dropzone tournament or other community event, please reach out to us at community[at]sparkypants[dot]com and tell us about it!
Hotfix
Commanders!
We rolled out a hotfix to address the issue that graphic cards that do not support Directx11 could cause the game to crash. Instead players will now see an info telling them that they do not meet the minimum requirements. Furthermore we added another region for matchmaking: South America. Players from South America should now experience much better connectivity!
Enjoy the game and go get those pesky little Kavash!
Play Dropzone now for free!
After years of development, months of testing and weeks of fine-tuning, Dropzone is now available free-to-play on Steam!
Developers Sparkypants and publisher Gameforge have taken the community’s awesome feedback on board to make fine adjustments to the game, and are now proud to present this free gaming experience to the world.
New for the launch is the ‘Team 3vs3’ mode, in which each player takes control of a single rig. It’s an easier way to learn the ropes for your carrier as a core hunter – and it’s seriously good fun to boot!
Battle stations, Commanders!
Patch Notes Early Access v1933
Wednesday, April 12, Dropzone goes Free to Play! We'll be deploying a new patch alongside it, with a new tutorial campaign, new Daily Bounties to earn rewards, and progression system changes for both new and current players.
Spread the word that Dropzone is going Free to Play, and we'll see you on Europa, Commanders!
Gameplay Notes
There is a new Daily Bounty that rewards the player for watching a replay
The AI in 3vAI will no longer pick two of the same pilot
It is still possible for them to pick a pilot and that pilot’s Alter-Ego
Each of the four missions in the Tutorial Campaign reward a one-time 200 Jovian completion bonus
The ‘1 vs 1 Basics’ tutorial has been replaced with a ‘Match Basics’ tutorial. Players now control 1 rig instead of 3 during this guided match
A new campaign with four training missions has been given to players. This will be delivered as a transmission and will always be available in the Train menu. Each training mission will provide one-time Jovian rewards, as well as specific pieces of gear for the associated class
Progression Changes
Jovian rewards for profile level up have been reduced from 1000 Jovians to 750 Jovians
Each profile level up now rewards 2-3 pieces of gear and software
Existing players will receive all pieces of gear and software for each profile level they have earned
Pilot Changes
Widget’s Special Move: Rapid Repairs
The FX for Rapid Repairs has been updated and now includes beams that will travel to allies that are being healed so it is clearer who is receiving the healing benefits while the Special Move is active
Miscellaneous Notes
There is now a Quickmatch button in the top UI
Custom Lobbies now support 3v3 Mode
Custom Lobbies now support Ranked Draft mode
Custom Lobbies now support AI difficulty
Party System now includes a ‘Busy’ state when some of your party are still in a match without you, and the ability to rescind pending invites
The Ready Up phase of the Drafting sequence has been changed – the Ready Up button has been removed and the final countdown has changed from 60 seconds to 20 seconds
1v1 Ranked Leaderboard is now available
There is a new user option in the Graphics tab that allows users to enable or disable resolution scaling
Players can no longer send challenge requests while in a Party
Players that accept a challenge request while in a Party will now leave their Party
Chat System UI and Friends List have new SFX
Match Chat message count has been lowered to 6 to prevent chat messages obscuring the screen
Players that accept a Party invite from a Party that is already seeking will join the party and the seek will be automatically canceled
While in a party, the ‘Start Search’ button will now be locked if any members of the party are busy – this button will unlock when all party members are no longer busy
Bug Fixes
Fixed a Server Error that would occur for Party Members if the Party Leader did not respond to a Match Found check
Fixed an issue where game updated messages were showing ‘null’ for all Pilot Names in matches that had more than 1 human on a team
Fixed an issue where Ground Pounder’s FX trail would appear over chasms
Fixed an issue where player hotkeys were not mapped correctly in 3v3 replays
Fixed some issues with key colors on supported color keyboards
Fixed an issue where the Sideboard Phase of the Ranked Draft sequence was allowing players to add 2 pieces of the same software to a pilot with two of the same software slots
Fixed an issue where players were not warned that they would leave their party if they attempted to play a solo mode before the party had started seeking
Fixed an issue where Shielded Actuators FX was not looping properly
Fixed an issue where Crazed Banshee’s targeting FX did not scale for the Kavash Boss
Fixed an issue where the Watch Mode sometimes would not refresh when re-opened
Fixed an issue where units in stasis could be targeted with teleport abilities, but would not teleport
Fixed an issue where the ‘[Player Name] is picking Pilot’ phase was inconsistent per player during 3VAI matches
Fixed an issue where being pushed off the uplink with a Nanite Wall resulted in the unit being unable to upload again until they moved away from the uplink and back to it
Fixed an issue where playing and finishing a Solo VS AI game while in queue without a match being found resulted in the ‘Start Search’ button appearing red, despite the player still being in queue
Fixed an issue where a member of a 2 or 3 person party was not removed properly if they started a solo-style game or began watching a replay before party match-seeking had begun
Fixed an issue where party members that were still on the Match Results screen after a match were not properly shown as busy
Fixed an issue where a party member could resign from a match and start searching for a new match before other party members had returned from the match
Fixed an issue where the 3v3 Match Results timeline displayed 3 icons for each map objective earned, causing the icon to be obscured
Fixed an issue where other match mode check boxes could not be clicked if the player was already searching for a match
Fixed an issue where the 3rd Tutorial could get into a state where the player could not pan the camera
A large amount of localization has been added for all languages
Known Issues
Community Events, Week 14, 2017
Lots of new community events coming your way, Commanders! Here's what's in store for next week:
Developer Blog
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We've started a dev blog! This week, President of Sparkypants Studios Jason Coleman talks about what we've learned in Early Access and what's next for Dropzone.
April 12, Dropzone is going FREE TO PLAY! We'll have a full lineup of streams starting on Wednesday, with some awesome giveaways. Stay tuned for more details next week!
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TakeTV Battle of the Rigs Playoffs (and giveaway!)
When: Wednesday, April 12, and Thursday, April 13
The finals for the Battle of the Rigs are just around the corner! Tune in to https://www.twitch.com/TakeTV next Wednesday and Thursday to see the end of this weeks-long team competition for part of the $3,000 prize pool!
As a "Thank You!" for tuning in to Battle of the Rigs and participating during the community Friendzone Cup, TakeTV, in cooperation with Paysafecard, is holding a raffle with the following prizes:
Region: Open
When: Saturday, April 15, 8pm CEST (11am PDT / 2pm EDT)
Dropzone Nation is looking to help grow the competitive scene in Dropzone, and they've just announced their first event: The Hive Buster Cup!
The seasonal Hive Buster Cup will feature ranking events where players can qualify for major events each quarter, culminating in a yearly Championship Cup.
The first cup event will be held on April 15, with a total prizepool of 40,00€. Registrations are open until April 14! Signup here:
If you have a Dropzone-related fansite, or are organizing a Dropzone tournament or other community event, please reach out to us at community[at]sparkypants[dot]com and tell us about it!
Team 3v3 mode is LIVE!
Commanders, yesterday we released our first major game update, bringing a ton of new features and content to Dropzone! This update includes two new modes: Team 3v3, and Ranked 1v1. Today, we'll be talking about everything you need to know to start playing Team 3v3 matches!
Team 3v3 Rules
In Team 3v3, your squad is made up of 3 players, each controlling 1 rig. You and your teammates can fight against human opponents, or against the AI. You can also play solo with a team of AI companions against a computer-controlled team.
The rules are the same as a standard Dropzone match: you have 15 minutes to score as many points as possible! Whichever team has the most points at the end of 15 minutes wins the match! If you're brand new to Dropzone, you may want to read our Gameplay Basics guide for more info.
Selecting your Pilot
During the draft phase, each player selects their pilot. You can choose from any of the pilots you currently have unlocked, from any of your saved squads.
Shared XP Gain
Unlike a 1v1 Dropzone match where you must choose which of your 3 rigs to allocate XP to, all players accrue shared experience by killing Kavash units, and level up at the same rate. Use this to your advantage, Commander!
Multi-queue
With this update, we've made it even easier to find a match in Dropzone. You can now queue for multiple game types, including Team 3v3! You can select whether you want to join players in a battle against humans, AI, or queue for both. You can also queue in multiple regions to team up with Dropzone players around the world!
Party System
Find a group of players that you want to keep rolling with? Now you can queue with the same group of players using the new Party System! Use the Party Chat feature to plan your team strategy while you queue for a match. You can add players to your Party from your in-game Friends List, or through Global Chat.
Dropzone going Free to Play April 12! Exclusive bundles now on SALE!
Have some friends who haven't yet joined the core hunt in Dropzone? Now's the perfect time to get them into the game with the release of Team 3v3!
From now until the launch of F2P on April 12, it's your LAST CHANCE to pick up the EXCLUSIVE Squad and Commander Editions on Steam at huge discounts. Don't miss out! (Click the image for bundle details.)
See you (and your teammates!) on Europa, Commanders!
Free-to-Play Ready for Launch!
The strategy hit Dropzone is approaching the free-to-play zone. Starting 12th April all commanders can confront the challenges in the Dropzone for free!
We’ve also listened to the community’s feedback and are introducing a simpler mode for getting to learn the ropes. In the new 3vs3 mode, you only need to control one of the six pilots, so you can quickly learn the controls and dive straight into the fight!
The strategy hit Dropzone is approaching the free-to-play zone. Starting 12th April all commanders can confront the challenges in the Dropzone for free!
We’ve also listened to the community’s feedback and are introducing a simpler mode for getting to learn the ropes. In the new 3vs3 mode, you only need to control one of the six pilots, so you can quickly learn the controls and dive straight into the fight!
