Guide:Changelog (Meta, no ontology)
From Mazeworld
Latest released Mazeworld update: MazeWorld v3/OP2 - June 5th 2015
Next planned update: MazeWorld v4, aka OP3 - Date unknown (Each of the OP3 components will be gradually implemented)
Upcoming
Opus Perfecta part 3
The third and final part of the Opus Perfecta updates will bring the biggest changes yet to come in MazeWorld!
August 28th 2015
The OP3 Weapons Pack
It's almost a tradition by now: here's even more weapons for your ballistic pleasure. 23 new stock firearms, 2 new calibers, one new underbarrel shotgun, 2 new specs docs-only weapons, associated new accessories, and more.
New calibers:
- .44 Special, the older and shorter variant of .44 Magnum. Compatible in all .44 Magnum revolvers + the Marlin Model 1894 lever-action rifle.
- .475 Wildey Magnum, a high-powered, rimless magnum cartridge.
New stock firearms:
- Beretta Stampede Marshal, Class 3 revolver, .45 Colt
- CETME Ameli, Class 1 machine gun, 5.56x45mm NATO
- Charter Arms Bulldog, Class 3 revolver, .44 Special
- Colt Cobra, Class 3 revolver, .38 Special
- DSA SA58 FAL SPR, Class 1 precision rifle, 7.62x51mm NATO
- FN Herstal M240B, Class 1 machine gun, 7.62x51mm NATO
- IZHMEKH MP-412 REX, Class 3 revolver, .357 Magnum
- KAC Stoner 99 LMG, Class 1 machine gun, 5.56x45mm NATO
- Kel-Tec RFB, Class 1 conventional rifle, 7.62x51mm NATO
- MasterPiece Arms MPA57SST, Class 3 pistol, 5.7x28mm
- Norinco QBZ-03, Class 1 combat rifle, 5.8x42mm
- Rheinmetall MG3, Class 1 machine gun, 7.62x51mm NATO
- Ruger LCR CT, Class 3 revolver, .357 Magnum with integrated laser sight
- Smith & Wesson Model 24, Class 3 revolver, .44 Special
- Smith & Wesson Model 296 Airlite, Class 3 revolver, .44 Special
- Smith & Wesson Model 625-6, Class 3 revolver, .45 Colt
- Steyr AUG HBAR, Class 1 machine gun, 5.56x45mm NATO
- Taurus Model 431, Class 3 revolver, .44 Special
- Taurus Model 444 Ultra-Lite, Class 3 revolver, .44 Magnum
- Taurus Model 450T, Class 3 revolver, .45 Colt
- Valmet KvKK 62, Class 1 machine gun, 7.62x39mm
- Wildey Hunter, Class 3 pistol, .475 Wildey Magnum
- ZiD PKM, Class 1 machine gun, 7.62x54mm R
New specs-docs only weapons + their associated documents:
- DP-12 (affectionately called the Super Shotgun), Class 2 shotgun, 12 gauge
- Specs docs required: #DP008: Prototype hybrid double barrel/pump-action shotgun blueprints
- Has the particularity of being the first pump-action double barreled shotgun, and as such, will benefit from unique rules regarding shooting and reloading.
- LMG11, Class 1 light machine gun, 4.73x33mm Caseless
- Specs docs required: #ON504: Prototype caseless light machine gun blueprints + #KM991: Technical guides for conversion of G11 action into other weapon systems
- The LMG11 has a 300-round capacity, fed from a special ammunition cassette which essentially acts as a very large capacity magazine.
New magazines and accessories:
- C-More M26 MASS, magazine-fed underbarrel shotgun, 12 gauge. The M26 MASS comes standard with a M26 MASS 5-round magazine, and is capable of +1.
- 200-round PK belt, suitable for use in the PKM and PKP Pecheneg
- FN FAL 10-round magazine, suitable for all firearms using FAL mags, and standard on the SA58 FAL SPR.
- The M26 MASS's 5-round magazine.
- New speedloaders: .44 Magnum/Special 5-round and .454 Casull/.45 Colt 5-round.
New Customs services
- .44 Special being naturally compatible with all .44 Magnum revolvers, it is now explicitly listed as compatible in all .44 Magnum cylinders of custom Blackhawk and L-Frame revolvers.
- New minor services: H&K CAWS to CAWS Modernized, H&K G11K2 to G11K2 Modernized, LMG11 to LMG11 Modernized, and LWMMG to LWMMG Enhanced.
- The CAWS Modernized will add a NATO-S optic rail, 2 large Light mounts, a front mount compatible with bipod, foregrip and M203PI, and a threaded barrel.
- The G11K2 Modernized and LMG11 Modernized both add the same modifications: NATO-S optic rail, 2 large Light mounts, and a front mount compatible with bipod, foregrip and M203PI.
- The LWMMG Enhanced simply allows the weapon to fire .338 Lapua Magnum, for greater damage but increased recoil. Everything else about the weapon remains unchanged ; even the ammo belts required are the same!
Related changes:
- The pre-existing ".44 Magnum 6-round speedloader" will be renamed .44 Magnum/Special 6-round speedloader.
- The M203A1 was scrapped, and the M203 is now compatible with all AR-15s in Rifle or Carbine configuration. If such a rifle
And more, coming soon...
Latest
August 26th 2015
Testing Period #2 update 9
- The New Startgame has been tested and implemented. Now styled after a medical exam, players may now have their Contestants answer to questions in a manner that increases pre-game customization, using multiple choice questions and point-spend systems, and thus allowing the players to have more control over their Contestant's starting gear. The Startgame article no longer displays the questions, and now simply formally informs what Startgame is about.
August 22nd 2015
Testing Period #2 update 8
- A new weapon skill and associated combat badge is introduced: Non-gun ranged, for weapons such as the bow or crossbow.
- The bow, crossbow, fukiya, nailgun, Taser X26c, and the ballistic knife's ranged mode become Non-gun ranged skill weapons.
August 10th 2015
Testing Period #2 update 7
- Melee weapons are now subject to weapon maintenance. This applies to bayonets as well.
- Forges now have an used weapons bin, which will sell 6 used melee weapons.
- Weapon shops' used weapons bin now includes melee weapons, and has been increased in size (8 -> 12 weapons).
August 7th 2015
Testing Period #2 update 6
- Removed encounters: All "Aliens" creatures, Enenra, Ghost, Kubikajiri and Poltergeist. Any categories that would be empty as a result have been removed.
- All creatures now have a full limb damage map and may sustain limb damage in the head, body, limbs and extremities just like humans, provided they possess the relevant body parts.
- In turn, this means that all concerned creatures can now receive limb healing, and suffer from the effects of low limb health.
- The meat worth statistic is not removed - meat can still only be harvested if the butchered creature had limb health in the BODY group. If the creature has separate upper body and lower body counters (such as torso/hips), the sum of limb health in both is counter together as the meat worth.
- Hunting: The Butchering skill no longer guarantees exactly (25% * Level) meat worth when butchering creatures. It is now calculated as such:
- Level 1: Can harvest 1d25% meat (between 1% and 25% of the total meat worth - always yields at least 1 meat if the result would be inferior to 1.)
- Level 2: Can harvest 1d46+4% meat (between 5% and 50% meat worth)
- Level 3: Can harvest 1d61+14% meat (between 15% and 75% meat worth)
- Level 4: Can harvest 1d76+24% meat (between 25% and 100% meat worth)
- Combat rules: Encounters with natural attacks may now attack up to 3 times per turn with them. Exceptions remain, which can be performed only once per turn:
- All natural techniques that aren't actually causing damage, such as the Angelic Shield or self-healing techniques.
- Psychic blasts of any type
- Shinigami scythe attacks
- Many unique encounters' special techniques
August 3rd 2015
Testing Period #2 update 5
- The four gender system has been scrapped and fully replaced by a more traditional two gender system. X-females and x-males no longer exist and have been respectively converted into females and males, Contestants included.
August 1st 2015
Testing Period #2 update 4
- Rag crafting has now been implemented.
- Certain clothing and armor have been given a new effect, represented by the CR tag in the clothing lists, which allows them to be cut into rags.
- Rag crafting is explained in detail here.
- Weapon condition now affects the value of weapons. The condition percentage acts as a multiplier to the weapon's value (e.g. 78.56% condition = 0.7856x price modifier).
- Shops selling firearms now offer an used weapons bin, which sells random firearms (but never Class 4 weapons) in a condition ranging from 1% to 99%, priced accordingly, but with 100% Cleanliness. Gun shop used weapon bins carry 6 firearms, while the weapon shop version carry 8 firearms.
- Being asleep, either from voluntary resting or being put to sleep through Lorazepam or Tranq ammo, now causes an extra effect: Hunger suppression. As a result, being asleep provides better healing than simply waiting around.
- DNA changer machines in hospitals have been scrapped.
- Wishes have been scrapped from the game. Events which offered wishes as a reward now offer different rewards.
- Alcoholic beverage behavior has been modified:
- The nutritional value of alcoholic drinks has been overall reduced by 75%.
- Bottles of alcohol now clearly display that they can be consumed in 3 parts rather than whole, allowing the Contestant to moderate their consumption (and resulting impact on Inebriation).
- The inebriation effect of alcoholic drinks is now clearly displayed as being per part, rather than per bottle.
- Additional minor changes:
- Maze Slots may no longer offer Cardinal Amulets - the Amulet symbol was removed.
- The Special Stage has been scrapped.
- The Golden Room has been scrapped.
- The Graveyard room has also been scrapped.
July 25th 2015
Testing Period #2 update 3
- 5.56x45mm NATO damage tables and information have been updated. The round has been slightly nerfed, though it is no longer based on incorrect information. MazeWorld 5.56 NATO is now based on 55 grain ball rather than 62 grain.
- Old damage tables: 74/70/67 59/48/37/18/6 LDV+3. New damage tables now available on the article. The round has lost 6% base Pain, but otherwise maintains its LDV and Recoil.
July 21st 2015
Testing Period #2 update 2
- The hard cotton headband has been scrapped.
- The medieval cuirass has been improved (AC is now A2 instead of A1, and it now has the Half melee damage perk) in order to match the other medieval armor pieces.
- The lab coat has been improved (AC is now C3 instead of C2, and it now has the Fire-retardant perk).
- Three new headgear: Top hat, Bowler hat, and Ushanka.
- One new footwear: Martial arts slippers.
- Modified default encounter clothing:
- Butlers now wear a bowler hat.
- Martial artists no longer wear running shoes, instead they have the martial arts slippers.
- New encounter introduced, part of the Outlaw faction, the Pimp (female variant is known as a Madam.) Serves as an employer and direct superior to Escorts, and makes money by taking a tribute from the work of their employees. Often connected to other criminal groups or themselves paying tributes to a crime family..
- In addition, Escorts now exist in all genders, with the male/x-male variant having its own distinct default clothes to differentiate themselves from their female counterparts.
- The physio code for humans now determines whether the generated human is actually human or halfling ; this is the purpose of an 11th number.
- Previously separated, halfling physio code now rides on the human version by adding a 12th number, which should be ignored if the 11th determines the character is 'human', and checked depending on the species rolled if the 11th number rolls any one of the halfling species.
- In turn, halflings are removed from the event lines, being now part of the physio code. All predetermined physio codes in the game have also been updated.
July 17th 2015
Testing Period #2 update 1
- The 5x damage multiplier to hits on the head has been removed entirely. Attacks to the head cause 1x damage, like attacks to the torso.
- Eyes are now formally classified as belonging to the WEAK POINT body group and can be separately targeted.
- WEAK POINT hits no longer cause 3x Pain; they now cause 2x Pain and Limb Damage, and all limb damage is applied to the closest body part it's attached to.
- Common examples: Eyes and beaks generally transfer damage to the HEAD group. Genitals generally transfer damage to the LOWER BODY group (The hips, for humans), and so on.
- The ability to aim at the face as a separate target from the head is removed and replaced, in spirit and purpose, by the ability to aim at the eyes.
- The ballistic protective secondary effect has been redefined; it now allows relevant clothing to halve incoming Pain and Limb Damage from Bullet-type hits (and by proxy, halved limb damage also means halved clothing damage).
- The face concealment effect has been redefined; it now simply means that the wearer's eyes can not be aimed at as long as the piece of clothing is worn; therefore protecting the user from potentially lethal shots to a weak point.
- New headgear introduced, the Ceradyne helmet.
- Minor changes to other headgear
- Hard Hat is no longer Ballistic Protective nor A1 Armor Class. It is instead C3 and has Half melee damage.
- M1 Helmet and SSh-39 helmet both receive A1 AC instead of C3.
- STSh-81 Titanium helmet is now known as simply STSh-81 helmet.
- Balaclava no longer provides Face concealment since that effect was redefined.
July 16th 2015
The youkai and shrine maidens mini-update
- The inugami has been scrapped.
- The shinigami has been moved from Normal youkai to Wicked youkai.
- Kirin have been deeply modified, from quadruped dragon-like creatures to humanoids with dragon features. Kirin now have the ability to use weapons and equipment, have had their AC increased (C3 -> A2), as well as some of their other stats (meat worth practically doubled, max blood went from 15 to 25, pain sensitivity went from 125% to 80%), and they gained two new natural attacks (Horn ramming and Fireblast). From nearly useless creatures, kirin turned into valuable, powerful fighters.
- Gohei now have a special effect; if it is used to attack a Demonic creature, it will deal double damage in case of a hit.
- Dark maidens no longer carry the gohei, instead carrying a new weapon and distinctive item, the Shaku. The Shaku is a Class 5 Short weapon, weighs 1 unit, costs the same as a gohei, and is used as a striking weapon (Blunt-type damage). Like its Angelic counterpart, the Gohei, it has a special effect. If used against an Angelic creature, it will set the creature on fire in case of a hit.
July 11th 2015
Big mags, big pockets mini-udpate
- Several magazines have been given new size ratings and corresponding weight values; particularly certain large antimateriel rifle magazines such as the Barrett M82A1, CheyTac M200 and M93 Black Arrow magazines; bumped up from V.Large (weight 2 empty) to X.Large (weight 3 empty).
- C-MAGs and pan magazines have been redefined; they now properly count as drums, and cannot be carried by load-bearing gear ammo pouches which say, "No drums".
- The MK64 Marksman tactical vest (which has 6 ammo pouches for X.Large magazines) now no longer accepts drums.
- New magazine introduced, the Thompson 100-round drum, an X.Large drum magazine (weight 3 empty). Designed for the sole purpose of making your "typewriter" even more fun to use.
June 28th 2015
The battlespace mini-update
- The combat battlespace has now been properly defined and explained, complete with movement rules, an explanation of range, and a minor tweaking of the Cover system. Rolling @cover is no longer required from players.
- Redefined the Limping and Crippled secondary effects.
June 12th 2015
Inaccurate Hit hotfix
- The effect of Inaccurate Hits for ranged weapons has been changed ; it no longer causes the hit to land in a random body part, but instead imposes a 50% flat chance to hit modifier. This means that when an inaccurate hit with a ranged weapon is rolled, a 1d2 is rolled to determine whether it hits. 1 is a miss, 2 is a hit. In other words, "inaccurate hit" simply means the hit is not guaranteed and that it may still go either way, and thus affects mean accuracy.
- Inaccurate Hits now also affect explosives.
June 5th 2015
Opus Perfecta part 2
For the second part of the Opus Perfecta updates, we bring more much-needed changes on the table, working towards making MzW perfect!
Please read this newspost for more details on the purpose of this update.
Melee weapon balance
- All melee weapons that previously had two weapon damage types listed (such as "Sharp/Piercing") will now have two modes, similar to firearm fire modes, which dictate in what way and what damage type this weapon is going to cause.
- Example: A KA-BAR knife has both Sharp and Piercing - it will cause Sharp damage when used to slash, and Piercing when used to stab.
- Bludgeoning with items and weapons remains possible as an unlisted, implied possibility - this causes Blunt-type damage.
- All melee weapons damage tables have been balanced. New tendencies included higher Pain but lower Limb Damage for Blunt weapons, and lower Pain/higher Limb Damage for Sharp and Piercing ones (with more dramatic changes for Piercing only weapons, than for Sharp and Sharp/Piercing ones).
- Removed weapons:
- Blunt knife, German keyboard, Spoon, Table, Wooden chopsticks
- Modified weapons:
- Fukiya blowgun is no longer Class 5 Long, it is now Class 5 Short.
- 4 new melee weapons:
- The Stun baton, a Class 5 Short weapon which uses Taser batteries and can be used either as a blunt baton, or to deliver stunning charges.
- The Kukri, a Class 5 Short weapon which is capable of surprisingly vicious damage.
- The Sai, a Class 5 Short weapon capable only of Piercing damage, but which is capable of causing multiple wounds in a single hit (See below)
- The Morning star, a Class 5 Long weapon designed to smash and crush bones easily.
- New secondary effect: Multiple wound weapons.
- Basics: Certain weapons, when they successfully hit an opponent and cause enough damage to cause a wound, may cause multiple wounds instead of just one.
- Concerned weapons: Broken bottle (1d3 wounds/hit), Meat fork (1d2), Ngombe throwing knife (1d3), Scissors (1d2), Shuriken (1d4), Tekko-kagi (2d2), and the new Sai (1d3).
- Protection chart changes
- The Resistant trait now requires weapons to cause 3+ Limb Damage instead of 2+, in order to sustain an injury.
- The PROOF trait now requires weapons to cause 5+ Limb Damage instead of 4+, in order to sustain an injury.
- Other changes
- The concept of "Deadly critical" as an effect no longer exists, and limb loss is no longer a separate condition. Instead, limb loss becomes an effect of excessive limb damage, and as a result limb health can now fall into negative numbers. More info in this section.
The leaderboards update
The leaderboards as we know them will be closed down. Contestants will no longer be ranked directly against one another using a point system.
Instead, various performance categories will each have their own leaderboards, in order to have more of a fair comparison for every category.
Contestants will now be ranked on the following performance:
General statistics
- Total rooms visited
- Total creatures defeated (kills)
- Total wealth
- Missions passed in a single visit
- Runs completed in a single visit
Combat statistics
- Combat leaderboards (total kills in each category - Precision Rifles, Combat Rifles, Shotguns, etc.)
- Special Tactics (total amount of (T) points, aka weak point kills)
- Headshot Gallery (total amount of /H\ points, aka headshot kills)
- Brutal Brothers (total amount of [B] points, aka brutal overkills)
Faction statistics
- Youkai's worst nightmares (total youkai kills)
- Bane of the Military (total military kills)
- Most Wanted Blacklist (total law enforcement kills)
- Holiest Warriors (total demonic kills)
- Honorary Hell Employees (total angelic kills)
Player statistics
Players themselves will be ranked on these statistics.
- Most Contestants with completed visits (total amount of visits which are not either ongoing or ended in death)
- Player-wide stats (total rooms, kills, wealth, missions, runs across all Contestants of a given player, as well as averages)
Death tolls
Though not strictly related to performance, the Death tolls will still be part of the Leaderboards.
- Death tolls: Total amount of dead contestants
- Death tolls: Leading cause of death
- Death tolls: Most Hated Enemy (creature that kills Contestants the most often)
Encounter modifications
- Conducts will no longer be officially tracked and the article will be deleted. Any player wishing to restrain their own Contestant's behavior must do so on their own.
- Deleted creatures: Angel, Archangel, Fighter Angel, all Enlightened creatures, Horned devil, Hostile genie, Tesla trooper
- Changes to Divine Gifts: Now a 2/3 chance to spawn an Angelic creature (new category, see below) which will act as the Contestant's ally (if possible). The remaining 1/3 chance spawns the Divine Items as usual.
- Creatures that change categories:
- Warg, Hellhound, Black Hound and Cerberus become Demons instead of Canines.
- The entire Worms category is merged into Demons.
- While shrine maidens are humans, they are now considered to be Angelics (see below).
- All Undead/Zombies are considered to be Demonics as well, and zombie kills count as demonic kills.
- New creature category, the Angelics, which serve as a counterpart to Demons, and become a new faction to serve as the Demons' antagonists.
- New roomstyle, the Dark sanctum, which serves as a demon equivalent to shrines.
- Dark sanctums contain Demon altars, and can be serviced by Dark maidens (see below).
- Komainu and Komatora no longer spawn to the help of a shrine maiden when attacked or when a Contestant rolls 2. Instead, 2 random Cardinal Beasts (see below) show up.
- It is no longer possible to disguise as a shrine maiden.
- Hitmen and Hitwomen no longer have an unremovable full body suit which gave them non-human AC. They now have new sets of standard equipment, including clothing and armor just like other human encounters. They are now also considered to be outlaws.
New encounters
New angelics
- Angel
- Guardian angel
- Auror
- Archauror
- Holy Turtle
- Holy Dragon
- Holy Tiger
- Holy Phoenix
The Holy prefixed creatures are referred to as the Cardinal Beasts, being animal incarnations of the Gods.
New demons
- Dark maiden (considered as such, but is human)
- Imp
- Daemon
- Fiend
- Archfiend
- Great Daemon
Inaccurate Hit system
The Inaccurate Hit system is a new feature which changes the default Failure Threshold system to account for a new level of accuracy between misses and hits. Inaccurate Hits work on the principle of a hit being successful but not hitting the intended body part, instead hitting a random one using @bodyaim.
An Inaccurate Hit occurs when the dice score is equal to (FT value) +1 or +2 pts. Assuming default FT of 6, Inaccurate Hits occur on 7 and 8.
On the old system, accuracy under default conditions (FT 6) worked as such:
- 12: Critical hit
- 7-11: Hit
- 3-6: Miss
- 2: Critical failure
Using the new system of Inaccurate Hits, it will be as follows.
- 12: Critical hit
- 9-11: Hit
- 7-8: Inaccurate Hit
- 3-6: Miss
- 2: Critical failure
The Inaccurate Hit range depends on FT, thus it moves as FT changes, increasing or reducing the window of accurate hits.
Related changes
- If FT were to raise to 9 or 10, Inaccurate Hits take precedence over Hits, but never over Critical Hits, meaning that 12 always means Critical Hit, but that if FT is sufficiently high, all potential Hits would become Inaccurate.
- Concentration overrides Inaccurate Hits, since it guarantees that all potential Hits into Critical Hits as long as the effect lasts.
- Inaccuracy becomes a Secondary effect, which causes all non-critical hits to become Inaccurate Hits as long as the effect lasts.
- Multi-projectile weapons (Buckshot, Flechette, etc...): Dice score now only indicates hit or miss, just like with other weapons. FT modifiers now affect multiproj weapons the same way other weapons are affected.
- Amount of projectiles that hit is now rolled separately and only in the event of a hit. It becomes a simple 1d9 for shotgun buckshot, and 1d20 for flechette and grenade buckshot.
- Shotgun chokes will be reintroduced as weapon accessories which affect shotguns firing multiprojectile (and do nothing on singleprojectile shells). With a choke equipped, the projectile hit rolls become 1d6+1d3, and 1d14+1d6 respectively.
- Explosive weapons: Dice score now only indicates hit or miss, just like with other weapons. Explosion power is now subject to an independent roll: 0.25+1d3*0.25. This guarantees that any explosive that does hit, hits at least at half of its listed power, with equal chances of rolling for half, 75%, and full power.
- Smoke grenades: Effect to users is modified - instead of causing FT+1 to users, it causes Inaccuracy.
- Flashbangs: Effects to victims is modified - instead of FT+4, it causes Environmental Blindness.
- Weaponlights: All weaponlight effects now only last 1 turn, repeated for as long as the weaponlight is aimed at the target. Soft light now causes Inaccuracy, Normal light now causes FT+1 and Inaccuracy, and Strong light now causes FT+2 and Inaccuracy.
New combat skill system
Contestants may now have variable skills with the various weapon groups of the game. These weapon groups are the same as those defined in the Achievements.
There exist five skill levels, which match the Achievement badges:
- Unskilled (between 0 and 9 kills)
- Effects: FT+1, defaut Inaccuracy Range
- Basic (Bronze, 10-24 kills)
- Effects: Default accuracy, default Inaccuracy Range (FT 6, Inaccurate Hits occur on 7 and 8)
- Skilled (Silver, 25-49 kills)
- Effects: Default accuracy, Inaccuracy Range reduced to FT score +1 (on FT 6, inaccurate hits now only happen on rolls of 7 instead of 7-8)
- Expert (Gold, 50-99 kills)
- Effects: Default accuracy, Inaccuracy Range is deleted (no inaccurate hits ever, unless caused by secondary effects)
- Master (Platinum, 100+ kills)
- Effects: FT-1, Inaccuracy Range is deleted (corresponds to the accuracy in the old pre-v3 MazeWorld eras)
In order to increase one's skill level with weapons, there exist many methods:
- The simplest and most common method is killing enemies. Kills are the meter used to gauge weapon skill.
- Training by going to a shooting range (firearms and explosives), and playing one of the many target shooting minigames.
- Training by going to a dojo (melee and unarmed), and playing one of the many Wooden Man minigames.
- During Startgame, the Contestant will receive Basic skill along with every weapon group he/she received a weapon.
Training skills
Each training minigame works on the principle of Training Points. They serve as a substitute to field experience until a certain point. When completing training minigames, the Contestant may receive Training Points. 10 TPs substitute for 1 kill. A maximum of 250 TPs can be acquired per weapon category, which is just enough to go from totally unskilled to the Skilled (silver) level. Further experience must then be obtained on the field with actual kills.
Ally limits will be reinstated, under the following conditions:
- In normal conditions, 1 creature of any type can be the Contestant's ally.
- In addition to 1 other creature, maximum 1 hired mercenary can follow the Contestant.
- Hiring two mercs is possible if the Contestant wishes to, as long as funds allow.
Armor Class update
- All AC names will be renamed.
- Naked/Unarmored, Light, and Hardskin will be respectively renamed C1, C2 and C3.
- Kevlar-2, Kevlar-3, Kevlar-4 and HEV will be respectively renamed A2, A3, A4 and A5.
- Armor Classes now follow standardized damage reduction models depending on the damage type they face. The damage charts for all relevant weapons, calibers and NPC attacks will also be modified. As a rough guideline:
- C1 symbolizes ultralight clothing, or more accurately the absence of clothing. Offers zero protection and sustains full Pain damage, and as such remains the standard, synonymous with the term "Base damage")
- C2 is for most light clothing. Offers negligible protection (~5% Base damage reduction) and no LDV reduction.
- C3 is for tough clothing. Offers very light protection (~10% Base damage reduction), but no longer offers LDV reduction like it did in the past.
- A2 succeeds to Kevlar-2 as the AC of light armor. Offers moderately light protection (~35% BD reduction, LDV-2) - making it more efficient than old Kevlar-2 used to be, while remaining just as cheap; thus improving its cost-effectiveness.
- A3 succeeds to Kevlar-3 as the AC of medium armor. It remains virtually unchanged: medium protection (~50% BD reduction, LDV-3) and still the perfect compromise of cost and protection.
- A4 succeeds to Kevlar-4 as the AC of heavy armor. Much like A3, not much changes: heavy protection (~75% BD reduction, LDV-4) for a heavy cost.
- Finally, A5 succeeds to HEV as the AC of powered armor. It is slightly more efficient than it used to (~95% BD reduction, LDV-5), but is still rare, extremely expensive and difficult to find.
- New Armor Class: A1, which is more or less equivalent to what would have been between Hardskin and Kevlar-2 (a sort of 'Kevlar-1').
- A1 represents a class of early and ultralight armors which do not quite protect like Type 2 Kevlar vests do, but are still significantly more protection than C3/formerly Hardskin would. A1 armor is usually cheap.
- A1 armor offers light protection ; about ~20% Base damage reduction, as well as a LDV-1 bonus.
- Clothing and armor that will be moved to the new A1 AC:
- Headgear: Full-face helmet, Hard hat, Kabuto-menpo
- Top: Armored dress, Stealth jacket
- Body armor: Dou-sode armor, Medieval cuirass, Flak jacket, Heavy stab vest
- Bottom: Stealth pants
- Arms addons: Armored elbow pads
- Legs addons: Armored knee pads
- Footwear: Shinobi tabi
- Many encounters will be moved to have A1 AC as well.
Other changes
- Trap rooms have been entirely deleted. As such, the Increased alertness secondary effect has been redefined.