Update 56 Released - Frigates, Submarines, & Facilities Overhaul

Named for the unpainted look of an early prototype, the Blacksteele-Class Frigate is a highly manoeuvrable, albeit small-statured vessel. Deployment of “Trident” Submarines by the Republic Coastal Legion saw the Caoivish Naval Command respond in kind with the Blacksteele.



Designed as a sub-hunter escort, the Blacksteele excels at thwarting submersible assaults against larger, ungainly ships. The head shipwright on the project was none other than Conor O’Brien’s top protégé, Rory Boyd, who, in his later years became known as a master shipwright, and largely recognised as the man behind the Caoivish Naval Command’s world-class reputation.



Primary armaments include two 120mm turrets and 68mm turrets. Secondary armaments include a Quad Depth Charge Launcher and two Heavy Machine Guns. The Blacksteele supports a large crew complement.





The AC-b or “Trident”-class submersible brings much-needed versatility to the Republic Coastal Legion. Featuring a quick-loading ammo bay, the “Trident” is capable of quickly re-arming and returning to the hunt.



Combat Magister Curia commissioned the skilled engineers out of Dimiourg to develop a submersible to help counter the rapidly progressing naval technology deployed by the Wardens and Nevish Alliance. Much of the senate criticised Curia for this decision, as they believe it more prudent to invest resources into airborne warfare innovations. After witnessing the return and redeployment of several successful trial AC-b operations, it wasn’t hard to convince the Senate.



Primary armaments include two Torpedo Tubes and a 120mm Deck Turret that can be used against surface targets. The AC-b “Trident” features a unique Ammo Bay Hatch that allows for rearming without returning to Dry Dock. This vessel supports a medium crew complement.





[h2]OCEAN TRAVEL[/h2]
The naval game has been expanded with many key updates. First, is the addition of Ocean Border Travel, which allows ships to travel from an East or West Ocean border to the other side of the world. This allows for many more opportunities for naval engagements in all wars, especially those with East-West oriented starting conditions.



[h2]TORPEDO REVAMP[/h2]
Torpedo gameplay has been completely revamped to give Submarines a more unique hit-and-run role out at seas. Direct Torpedo hits to enemy vessels now causes the target to roll from the force of the impact, kills crew near to the impact, and creates a Large Leak, which requires a Dry Dock for repair.



[h2]DRY DOCK UPGRADES[/h2]
The Dry Dock has also been upgraded both visually and gameplay wise. The model has been updated to include more details, new animations for ship building has been added, and water now visually drains and fills up when a ship is being constructed or repaired. In addition to cosmetic improvements, Material Pallet and Shipping Container contents can now be directly transferred from the Dry Dock Loading Area to a specific stockpile on a docked vessel.





[h2]PRODUCTION PARALLELIZATION[/h2]
Facilities have been overhauled to make the more approachable to new players and to encourage collaboration in the spirit of Foxhole. Production Facilities can now produce items in parallel, allowing them to be shared with public players who can queue up their own private orders.



[h2]POWER SCALING[/h2]
Power mechanics have been improved to make Facilities easier to manage. Power Plants and Power Stations consume fewer resources when less Power is being consumed on the grid than is being generated. Production Facilities no longer turn off when insufficient Power is being supplied. Finally, in low Power situations, production speed is scaled down proportional to demand.





This update contains dozens of other improvements, including more voice chat settings, colour customization on more Container structures, interface improvements, and much more.




There many other features and bug fixes in this update. Read the full release notes for the details.


For a more comprehensive walkthrough of all the new features in Update 53, check out community veteran I Saw A Bear's video below.

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