Starship Troopers: Extermination News

[h2]Why Are We Moving to a New Mission Selection System?[/h2]

With the release of 0.7.0, upon entering the game, players will be introduced to a new UI and Mission Selection Screen. The goal with the new system is to funnel active players into fewer, fuller matches at times when the player population count is low. Starship Troopers: Extermination is best played with a full server of 16 players and this system will take a lot of the guesswork out of matchmaking and also really help low player count parties find each other.


The new selection process gives players the ability to pick their game modes and difficulty, but critically it also allows for the player to choose their destination planet.

We always want to promote an increasing amount of choices to the player, but as we do so (and as we add even more content in the future), the danger will be in dividing the community more and more, making it harder to find active, full matches. This curated system is a tradeoff between player choice and funneling the active players into matches together.

Generally (but this is subject to change with player feedback and game telemetry), available missions will include:

• AAS missions with difficulties Easy, Medium and Hard
• ARC missions with difficulties Medium or Hard
• Horde missions with difficulties Medium or Hard
• Hive Hunt missions with difficulties Easy or Medium. Hard will make a return soon.

We also have removed the terminology of Recruit, Trooper and Veteran from how we named difficulty Tiers. We did this to improve the accessibility and understanding of our difficulty tiers for the average player; no more guessing what Trooper meant for difficulty. Once we add difficulties past Hard we will introduce more in-universe names for our difficulties.



Now that we have a more controlled and predictable mission curation system, we have improved, simplified and re-introduced the Quick Play feature.


In our previous system of Players selecting any mission type, it was entirely possible for the player base to spin up very low population matches. Quickplay and matchmaking services in general are very complex, and we had a lot of reports of Quickplay not being able to find optimal matches for players.

Now that the Mission combinations are more limited, we are re-introducing the feature and we hope that the Player experience will be improved.



Those with a keen eye might have also noticed that mutators are back for now mutators will return in the Normal difficulty mode. We are experimenting with different combinations now that we have the Reinforcement feature and more frequent high-player count matches.

As mentioned above, this mission configuration can change depending on telemetry and feedback and we’ll be closely monitoring how the feature plays out and seek to adjust it accordingly.

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That is all for this dev blog we hope you liked seeing the new Mission Select and are eager to deploy as part of the Federation in exterminating those pesky bugs!

We'd love to hear your thoughts on it all and we may be looking for some loyal troopers to aid in trying out all these new features coming to ST:E so if that interests you, please come join the ST:E Community Discord!

“Great news, Brimstone. Terran Command has given the greenlight for our trial weapon modification program. The objective is to turn each soldier into a true Archie-killing machine on the battlefield! There has been some troubling but unconfirmed intelligence of the Bugs evolving thicker armor to deal with our weapons and we want to stay ahead of the curve”



Weapon Mastery is our new secondary progression system for weapons. All weapons will be able to gain XP and rank up. As they rank up, they can unlock weapon attachments and will be able to shift the way weapons perform out on the field. You can also unlock weapon skins, allowing you to customize your weapons, and lastly, you can achieve weapon mastery upon reaching rank 10 with any weapon. Achieving weapon mastery on a weapon that is locked to a specific class will allow you to use that weapon with any class.


[h2]Gaining XP[/h2]

Weapons will gain XP when you kill an Arachnid with that weapon. To keep things simple, weapons gain the same XP as the player receives for the kill.

[h2]Ranking Up[/h2]

After reaching a certain amount of XP, your weapons will rank up. When a weapon ranks up, any unlocks tied to that rank will become available for you to equip.


[h2]Weapon Modifications[/h2]

Weapon modifications come in 4 types: Ammo, Magazine, Internals and Sights.

• Each of these types can have ONE modification at a time.
  
• These modifications can have a variety of positive and negative effects on the weapons.

Example: Extended Mags, which are now part of weapon mastery, offer 50% increased Mag capacity for the weapon. So the advantage would be a minor overall increase in ammo and less time spent reloading, but you may have to rearm at base more often, as the downside to this mastery is you have fewer mags available.

With the release of the next update, troopers should keep in mind that weapons will not come out of the gate with their full-fledged mastery tracks and we will be looking to fill the progression track more as we develop Starship Troopers: Extermination. That said, every weapon will have a mastery track enabled, and any modifications added in the future will be retroactively unlocked as long as you’ve reached the appropriate rank with your weapon.


[h2]Weapon Mastery[/h2]

• Once you master a weapon by reaching rank 10 with it, you will unlock the Mastery for that weapon. Mastery will allow you to now use that weapon on ANY class as long as you are at the right level within the class.

Example: If the Hawkeye unlocks at Level 4 on the Sniper, and you master it, you have to be at least Level 4 in the class you would like to use it on as well.

Weapon mastery will carry over between classes meaning that once you master it, it’s mastered on all classes, and you will not have to redo the progression track to acquire modifications again.



This feature has quite a few areas we hope to impact when it is released with 0.7.0, and we want to share our reasoning behind the changes and what we expect to come from the Mastery System.

[h2]Add New Unlocks for Players to Chase.[/h2]

Leveling up is fun and so is having goals to work towards. A system like weapon mastery provides more goals while giving interesting rewards

[h2]Learn the Basics, Then Break the Rules.[/h2]

Mastery is inherently a bit of a rule breaker when talking about classes. It takes previously exclusive things and suddenly says “But what if…?”. That in itself is a pretty cool idea and one of the things we’d love to see is what the community is going to do with the different possibilities. Maybe we see Rangers with the FU17 Flamethrower running around, or Medics and Engineers will take up the mantle of Hawkeye once more. The most experienced troopers of the Deep Space Vanguard have earned the Federation’s confidence that they will choose whatever loadout gets the job done.

[h2]Try out New Things.[/h2]

Troopers, we hear you loud and clear that a lot of people tend to gravitate towards a favorite class, but variety is the spice of life. We think weapon mastery is a great incentive to move to another class but keep some familiarity and progress. Mastered everything on your Sniper and want to try out the Demolisher? Well, once you progress through the initial few basic levels, your weapons will be there ready and waiting for you to kill some Bugs.

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We hope you've been enjoying these developer blogs on what is to come with the next update. We still have plenty we want to share before the update arrives so stay alert troopers!

If you want to share your thoughts on these dev blogs to us the devs or just chat with fellow troopers, come join ST:E Community Discord!

Troopers! This transmission comes directly from Sky Marshal Ramsey! Listen closely and take notes if you have to, as this will only be sent out once!

Please Note: What you’re about to hear is Work-In-Progress and Subject to Change.

[h2]Reinforcements[/h2]

“Troopers, these mounting battlefield losses have been unacceptable! I will not have the security of the Federation jeopardized by sloppy fieldwork. Effective immediately, I am coordinating with the rest of Terran Command to mitigate the loss of materiel in the Deep Space Vanguard… as well as to reduce casualties. We will expect better of you down on the field in the future.”

- Sky Marshal Catherine Ramsey

[h2]Introducing Reinforcements[/h2]

With the next update we are introducing the reinforcements mechanic. Vanguard Teams will now have a limited number of respawns available during each mission. This means each death carries more weight with it, and it will be up to each trooper, especially those valiant medics, to keep other troopers alive. Remember teamwork is essential when you’re fighting Archie!


[h2]How Does the Reinforcement System Work?[/h2]

Troopers will be deployed to each mission with a predetermined amount of reinforcement respawns for their team. The quantity of respawns available varies based on the mission's designated mode and its corresponding difficulty level. Generally, missions categorized as less challenging will afford a greater number of reinforcements compared to higher-difficulty missions. During a mission, when a trooper dies and is not just incapacitated, the team's total reinforcements will go down by 1 and then the deceased trooper can respawn. When reinforcements hit 0, the mission is called off and immediate extraction will be called in.


Troopers will be able to gain extra reinforcements from activities in the field. This can be done by successfully completing designated side objectives or by achieving significant progress within the ongoing mission.


[h2]The Design Intent:[/h2]

The implementation of the Reinforcement feature has a few goals that we’d like to share.

[h3]Make Death Meaningful.[/h3]
The Reinforcement system should make reviving incapacitated troopers much more important and it should make the updated medic a much more active player in the field.

Want to stay standing? Protect your medics!

[h3]Make the Game Harder![/h3]
Reinforcements make it so you have another thing to manage out in the field. It should make side objectives more meaningful as well, as they can help earn more reinforcements.

• For Recruit difficulty, it should exist as a way to introduce players to the system but shouldn’t affect the win rate too aggressively.
  
• On Trooper difficulty we should see some more mission failures but it shouldn’t feel like you are fighting against all odds all the time!
  
• On Veteran difficulty though, that’s where we hope to push our Troopers to the limit. Also, this is just one of the areas we are looking at to spice up difficulty.

Get ready to arm up, Troopers. Archie can smell weakness, so make sure it doesn’t smell like you.

[h3]Future Plans[/h3]

• Having the Reinforcement system gives us the ability to run weekend events in the future in which we can change the amount of respawns in a mode or even disable them entirely. It also opens the door for some mutators in the future. (“...M.I. does the dying”)

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You heard the Sky Marshall, Troopers! We can’t afford unnecessary losses in these upcoming fights so make sure you have each other's back out there! That's all for this transmission! We expect more to come, so stay on your feet.

If you want to find fellow troopers to chat with to be part of your team to ensure the future of the Federation or provide feedback to us, the devs come join the ST:E Community Discord!

Our next update will not only feature the new Class Revamp but also will include the addition of new World Events and Missions that you may encounter in your fight against the Bug Menace! We'd like to get this dossier in your hands so you can know what to expect as you join the New Vanguard!

Please Note: What you see within this Dossier is currently Work-In-Progress and subject to change!

[h2]New Side Missions[/h2]

Four new side missions are joining the ARC Slam game mode.

[h3]Mission: Reinforce Overwhelmed Troopers[/h3]
Brave troopers operating in the area may ask for the Vanguard's help. These squads will call for assistance in defending themselves against the Bug menace. Reaching these troopers and keeping them alive against ongoing waves of Arachnids will leave any survivors under your command for the remainder of the mission. Pull them out of the fire!

[h3]Mission: Escort Specialist[/h3]
Specialist troopers with knowledge of the area will call for the Vanguard during our operations. These specialists can lead us to lost caches of equipment and weapons. The Arachnids won't make it easy; they'll throw everything they can against our noble Vanguard. Keep the specialist alive on the way to their destination to recover crates of equipment for use during our operations. Move out and get gear up!

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[h3]Mission: Rescue Pinned Squad[/h3]
Even the ever-capable Vanguard cannot reach every Trooper squad in time. Bugs have been spotted closing in on our brave troopers. Pick up these pinned troopers then keep them safe from the Arachnid retaliation to add these troopers to your unit. Make sure no one is left behind, troopers!

[h3]Mission: Tear Down Structures[/h3]
Wasted resources are resources given to the Bugs! Command will authorize deconstructing old field fortifications during this operation, allowing the Vanguard to reclaim the ore and reuse it in our fight against the Bugs. Those bugs won't let us have it easily though, as they will swarm towards these abandoned structures and try to destroy them before they can be reused. Get there fast and tear those fortifications down before the Bugs do!


[h2]New World Event[/h2]

Our first world event troopers will experience can appear in both ARC Slam and AAS game modes.

[h3]World Event: Plasma Bombardment[/h3]
The Bugs don't appreciate our efforts in the field and will fight back at every turn. Plasma Grenadier bugs will launch coordinated fire on sections of the map from outside the area, making those spaces far more dangerous than ever before. Skilled troopers can find success by dodging the rain of plasma fire while completing their objectives. Any slip-up in this heavy bombardment won't end well for our brave troopers, though. On the bounce!



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We hope this Federation Dossier provided valuable intelligence to you trooper and that you will be more equipped to bring the fight to those pesky Bugs. We'll be releasing more Dossiers as time comes so keep your communication channels clear and ready to receive transmissions! If you wish to see the intel in better detail check out the Starship Troopers: Extermination Website!

If you loyal trooper would like to provide feedback, chat with our devs or discuss the game with other citizens, please join our ST:E Community Discord!

[h2]Full Speed Ahead[/h2]

Today, we're thrilled to unveil the final addition to the New Vanguard that will be coming with the Class Revamp update: The Ranger! In the relentless war against the Bug Menace, every moment counts and the Ranger is here to ensure that time will always be on our side. They are a force to be reckoned with, excelling in close-quarters combat and nimble enough for quick expeditionary actions.

Rangers are the definition of agility. Sporting a powerful Boost Jet on their back, they’re able to rapidly deploy wherever they are needed most. But the Ranger isn't only about speed, they're master survivalists well equipped with Combat Perks to keep themselves alive even in the most perilous of firefights. In the heat of battle, one well-placed bullet can make all the difference between life and death, and with the help of Federation R&D, the Ranger’s Submachine Gun will be bringing plenty of bullets.

[h2]Blink and You’ll Miss It[/h2]

Remember what was taught in boot camp, Troopers! Fire and maneuver! Embrace these tactics, as with the Ranger, you will find yourself equipped with a new ability, the Boost Jet. This specialized jet pack will grant your trooper enhanced mobility, invaluable for the fight against the pesky Arachnids!


As our final addition to the New Vanguard, the Ranger holds true to the foundational principles of its Hunter predecessors. By emphasizing fast, horizontal movement, the Ranger swiftly navigates the battlefield, outmaneuvering adversaries across diverse terrains.

The Ranger will excel as the premier boots-on-the-ground combatant, flexible and capable enough for any avenue of combat. Whether executing flanking maneuvers or strategic repositioning for respite, the Ranger's mobility and lethal arsenal grants a decisive edge when time is of the essence.

[h2]Arsenal: Search and Destroy[/h2]

The Ranger will come well-equipped for any Bug it faces, as we aim to match its equipment to its strengths. Federation Research will be arming all Rangers with a new TDW-99 Morita Tactical SMG. Unlike the Morita Carbine this Tactical SMG is purpose-built to unleash lead on its enemies to deliver a swift kill. Built with the Ranger in mind, it boasts a terrifying rate of fire but troopers will still find ease in controlling it in close-quarter engagements. Keep in mind you may find yourself out of your depth in any long-range engagements and that we suggest you leave those to your fellow Sniper Vanguards.


To emphasize the reconnaissance capabilities of Rangers, they will be provided with the Scan Pulse. Unlike other scan utilities, the Scan Pulse will be as mobile as whoever deploys it, as it will be attached to the trooper. The mobile playstyle of the Ranger means that you’ll be able to provide frontline intel to your fellow troopers to follow up on. But ensure you make use of it properly, as it won't last as long as other Scanning alternatives.

As part of their suite of survival tools, Rangers will have access to the Trauma Auto-Injector! This Federation-approved emergency measure will detect critical injuries and activate a last-second stimulant injection to prevent an untimely trooper death. While the exact chemical stimulant is a closely guarded secret, its effects cannot be understated! The mystery compound grants temporary invulnerability to all damage and a boost of speed. Make sure you get to the safety of your fellow troopers as the stimulant will not last long and will go on a cooldown immediately after being administered.

Please Note: The Federation has not recorded and is not responsible for any side effects brought on by troopers' repeated use of the Trauma Auto-Injector system.

Lastly, the Bloodlust perk has been reconfigured. Troopers will no longer need to get their hands and knives dirty to trigger their Arachnid bloodlust. Now whenever any bug is killed in close proximity to the trooper, you’ll be able to fight through the pain. Keep your kill feed populated and bring the fight to those disgusting Bugs!

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That is all troopers! We hope you enjoyed seeing the New Vanguard that will be coming in the next update for Starship Troopers: Extermination we hope you enjoyed all that you’ve seen. If you are just tuning in, catch up on the 5 other classes that will be taking over for the Hunter, Bastion, and Operator as they earned their well-deserved break below!

• The Sniper
• The Demolisher
  
• The Guardian
  
• The Engineer
• The Medic

If you’re looking for a space to chat with fellow troopers! Or give your feedback on the upcoming class changes you can find us in the ST:E Community Discord!