Update 43: Opening The Armory
[p]I'm very excited about the sheer number of new options for you to customize your units in this build! This one has 3 new augments for androids, 2 augments for vehicles, the first 5 armors for vehicles, 6 new augments for mechs, and 5 new armors for mechs (each in two variants for small and large mechs). Overall, 26 new pieces of equipment.
There are also a number of units that have additional equipment slots, and various other balance items and bugfixes. The names of the equipment won't be localized to non-English languages until next week, but since that winds up mostly being cosmetic (since all the stats are in your respective languages), I decided to go ahead and bring this out now.
In other news, I've been working hard on Civil Spycraft and some other late-game content. Part of that just went to the localization teams, and that same part is now out on the beta branch here. If you want to check that out, you can use the password previewterminator to opt into the beta. All of those bits are only in English until the official launch, though.
If you’ve spent time with Heart of the Machine and want to leave a review, that’d be appreciated. No need to say more than you mean, but if you’ve been meaning to write one, I’d be grateful. Steam reviews carry weight. For a project like this — developed by a single person over many years, every review makes a difference.[/p][p]Honest thoughts are what matter. Whatever your experience has been, sharing it helps. It’s a powerful way to have your voice heard and contributes to how future patches are prioritized and addressed.[/p][p]Thanks for reading and for playing.
[/p]
[expand]
[h2]Update 43 Changelog[/h2]
[h3]Clarity[/h3]
[/expand][p]Full notes here.
[/p][h3]Connect with the Machine[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Want to stay in the loop or share your thoughts? Join the conversation across these platforms:
💬 Discord – Best place to share feedback, get direct responses, and to talk about Heart of the Machine.
📜 Reddit – Discuss strategies, share ideas, and exchange tips with the community.[/p]
There are also a number of units that have additional equipment slots, and various other balance items and bugfixes. The names of the equipment won't be localized to non-English languages until next week, but since that winds up mostly being cosmetic (since all the stats are in your respective languages), I decided to go ahead and bring this out now.
In other news, I've been working hard on Civil Spycraft and some other late-game content. Part of that just went to the localization teams, and that same part is now out on the beta branch here. If you want to check that out, you can use the password previewterminator to opt into the beta. All of those bits are only in English until the official launch, though.
If you’ve spent time with Heart of the Machine and want to leave a review, that’d be appreciated. No need to say more than you mean, but if you’ve been meaning to write one, I’d be grateful. Steam reviews carry weight. For a project like this — developed by a single person over many years, every review makes a difference.[/p][p]Honest thoughts are what matter. Whatever your experience has been, sharing it helps. It’s a powerful way to have your voice heard and contributes to how future patches are prioritized and addressed.[/p][p]Thanks for reading and for playing.
[/p]
[expand]
[h2]Update 43 Changelog[/h2]
[h3]Clarity[/h3]
- "Obscured By Clothing" Removed: This perk is now gone, instead with all of its versions just being Blending In. This is simpler for players, and less clutter visually.
- Final Doom Wording Clarity: The in-game text now makes it clearer that you'll be dealing with a "post-apocalyptic aftermath" rather than not specifying a noun.
- Investigation Clarity: When you're doing one investigation that requires work over time, it no longer blocks other investigations that just require site visits.
- Investigation Snapping: Improved the snapping of the cursor to nearby investigation targets.
- Meaningful Social Change: Rather than failing this project when you start doing For The Sake Of Those Bound, it instead shifts so that the percentage goes up some based on what you've done in that other project, and then is completed as a success when you complete that other project. There's a nontrivial amount of strategic resources this grants you, as well as being clearer.
- Buff To Nuclear Power Skimmers: These now generate 100k more power each.
- Sledge Equipment Slots: They now have two armor slots rather than one (it layers them on top of each other), and also an augment slot (they previously did not have this at all). This is a HUGE buff, so they can be a real walking tank.
- Predator Augment Slot: They now have an augment slot for the first time. Less dramatic than the Sledge boosts, but it's still an interesting buff.
- Unwaveringly Aggressive: The Oath Of Pacifism now can't be used by Predators, Harbingers, or Carvers. This is mostly thematic.
- Unchangeable Cognition: Sledge, Predator, Keanu, and Carver are now barred from using Additional CPU, Smart Pistol, Book Of Rhetoric, Spooky Nonsense Generator, and Propaganda Circuit. This is mostly thematic.
- Infallibly Kind: Sledges cannot use Rage Circuit or Saw Arms, which they otherwise would now be getting. This is mostly thematic.
- Debate Seeds Shift Over Time: Every turn, the set of what comes up in a given debate scenario now changes, rather than being locked to whatever you initially find. This makes it so that if you run into an insane scenario (the third writ is notorious for this), then you're able to try something different.
- Armor Slot For Bastion: That lets it join the foundry, troopship, mindport, and mech carrier in having armor, which is new for vehicles this build.
- Doubled Mech Carrier Armor: This ultimate vehicle now has 2 armor slots, rather than 1, making them kind of like Sledges in terms of how beefy they are from a vehicle standpoint.
- Buffed Vehicle CPUs: The Additional CPU equipment for vehicles now has a base of 60 engineering rather than 40, to match the android version.
- Loudspeakers Removed From Shoulders: Infrasonic Loudspeakers on androids can now be used by any android with augment slots, not just those that can handle shoulder mounts.
- Hydraulic Musculature: Available at intelligence class 6. Augment that increases intimidation by 24, strength by 60, and gives recoil suppression.
- Saw Arms: Available at intelligence class 6. Augment that increases attack power by only 10, fear attack power by 70, and intimidation by 140.
- Quantum CPU: Available for Souldroids when at intelligence class 4. Augment that increases cognition by the same amount as the regular "Additional CPU" (including any after-market upgrades), and then increases both hacking and net control by 60 each. VERY useful.
- Ultralight Components: Available at intelligence class 3. Augment that increases attack range by 16, move range by 30, and reduces health by 180. And yes, this stacks. Super useful on units like Iris.
- Drone Dock: Available at intelligence class 3. Augment that increases attack range by 20 and drone quality by 100, but reduces attack power by 100. Incredibly useful for Mindports, among others.
- Chromium Plating: Good health. New armor gained when you get Ultralight Plating for androids.
- Depleted Uranium: Beefy but slowing. New armor gained when you get 35mm Halfplate for androids.
- Heptagonal Tungsten: More action points! New armor gained when you get Tungsten Plate for androids.
- Active Graphene Mesh: Some health, but a lot more movement. New armor gained when you get the android version of this.
- Technologist Hardpoints: Not much health, but a ton of drone quality, scavenging skill, and engineering skill. New armor gained when you get Diamond Nanothread Weave for androids.
- Basic Augments: From the start of the game, there is now an Additional CPU and Optical Processing Priority augments available for mechs, matching those that are available on androids (unlike the vehicular variants, there is cognition added for the CPUs).
- Drone Dock: Available at intelligence class 3. Augment that increases attack range by 20 and drone quality by 150, but reduces attack power by 100. This is a more extreme counterpart of the new vehicular augment by the same name.
- Shoulder-Mounted Rockets: Available at intelligence class 3. Augment gives attack power, range, and intimidation. Everything but the range is doubled from its android counterpart with the same name.
- Shoulder-Mounted Lasers: Available when its android counterpart is unlocked. Augment gives huge attack power, lowered range, and huge armor piercing. Everything but the range is doubled from its android counterpart.
- Infrasonic Loudspeaker: Available when its android counterpart is unlocked. Augment gives a bit of argument attack power, notable attack range, and huge fear attack power. Everything but the range is doubled from its android counterpart.
- Chromium Plating: Really good health. Large and small mech armor variants gained when you get Ultralight Plating for androids.
- Incandescent Uranium: Good health, great intimidation. Large and small mech armor variants gained when you get 35mm Halfplate for androids.
- Heptagonal Tungsten: More action points! Large and small mech armor variants gained when you get Tungsten Plate for androids.
- Active Graphene Mesh: Some health, but a lot more movement. Large and small mech armor variants gained when you get the android version of this.
- Cubic Boron Rails: Tiny health, but solid drone quality, and extremely high attack range increase. Large and small mech armor variants gained when you get Diamond Nanothread Weave for androids.
- But You Promised You Wouldn't Complain: Fixed an issue where the tungsten methylator was complaining on your HUD in the TPS Report category when it should not have been.
- Armored Executive Was Lonely: Fixed an issue where if you were in the setup phase in a fresh timeline and had chosen a start with the shell company involved, then the Senior Technician and Economic Transport would not be unlocked until you ended the first turn. They are now available right away.
[/expand][p]Full notes here.
[/p][h3]Connect with the Machine[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Want to stay in the loop or share your thoughts? Join the conversation across these platforms:
💬 Discord – Best place to share feedback, get direct responses, and to talk about Heart of the Machine.
📜 Reddit – Discuss strategies, share ideas, and exchange tips with the community.[/p]