Topic: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

The new distress beacon mechanic is now out on the test server.

  • Distress beacons are now called Teleport Attractor Ports (TAP), and can only be deployed near the new Teleport anomalies. (within 50 meters to be exact)

  • A TAP will close the anomaly, meaning 1 anomaly=1 TAP.

  • The server tries to keep 20 anomalies at all times on all islands, meaning if something happens to one, a new one will almost immediately spawn at a random location. Teleport anomalies normally have a 3 hour lifespan.

  • Teleport anomalies have 3 levels: Alpha=level 1, Beta=level 2, Gamma=level 3

  • TAPs have also 3 levels, this equals to the icon stripes that we had so far too, but this is now also indicated in their names.

  • A teleport anomaly has to be equal or higher level to the TAP you want to deploy. In practice this means Alpha=L1 TAPs, Beta=L1-2 TAPs, Gamma=L1-3 TAPs.

  • All TAPs can be activated solo and there is no activation time anymore.

  • Teleport anomalies can also be used (doubleclick or interact). They will teleport you to the nearest other teleport anomaly within the island. This is sometimes useful, sometimes not so much. (Before you ask, unfortunately it's not possible to do this between islands.)

  • They are also shown on the world map, but only when you're on the terrain and only for the island you're on.

  • When you finish all NPC waves coming from a TAP, a "Teleport anomaly echo" will spawn. These differ from normal teleport anomalies: they have only a 5 minute lifespan, and can be used by anyone to teleport to another random (NOT nearest!) teleport anomaly. They are useful if you want to keep doing TAP after TAP and don't want to walk around much. Again, they take you to a random anomaly so this can be potentially dangerous on beta/gamma. You cannot use TAPs on anomaly echoes.

  • Both types of anomalies can be destroyed.

  • General teleport usage rules and limitations apply to anomalies.

  • TAP volumes have been reduced from 1U to 0.1U.

  • Note: not all graphics/descriptions are final yet.

Anomaly fluff wrote:

Some Nians are apparently capable of teleporting without the use of fixed infrastructure. However, doing so seems to have the side effect of generating unstable teleport anomalies all over the islands.

Teleport Attractor Ports (TAPs) can be used to interface with these anomalies and basically hijack whatever is being teleported, and force it to exit the channel at the TAP's location. Of course you can't know the exact number and firepower of the incoming forces, so make sure you're ready to "welcome" them.

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

how long is TAP activation time, and whats the anomalies masking?

i kida don't want to have someone killing the anomaly right before the tap activates... not that ANYONE would ever do that wink

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Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

ohhh.. are they killable on alpha????

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Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Zoom please upsate the GC MOTD in the the test server, and where is my terraformable island?

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Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Annihilator wrote:

how long is TAP activation time, and whats the anomalies masking?

i kida don't want to have someone killing the anomaly right before the tap activates... not that ANYONE would ever do that wink


and there is no activation time anymore.

Meaning if you deploy the TAP it activates instantly, but yes it's possible to destroy the anomaly in those few seconds where it builds up itself, which will break the spawn. This can be solved with a higher HP/resistance if needed though.

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

DEV Zoom wrote:

The new distress beacon mechanic is now out on the test server.

  1. A teleport anomaly has to be equal or higher level to the TAP you want to deploy. In practice this means Alpha=L1 TAPs, Beta=L1-2 TAPs, Gamma=L1-3 TAPs.

  2. They are also shown on the world map, but only when you're on the terrain and only for the island you're on.

  3. When you finish all NPC waves coming from a TAP, a "Teleport anomaly echo" will spawn. These differ from normal teleport anomalies: they have only a 5 minute lifespan, and can be used by anyone to teleport to another random (NOT nearest!) teleport anomaly. They are useful if you want to keep doing TAP after TAP and don't want to walk around much. Again, they take you to a random anomaly so this can be potentially dangerous on beta/gamma. You cannot use TAPs on anomaly echoes.

  4. Both types of anomalies can be destroyed.

  1. Why equal or higher? Would it not be better to just have equal. I'm thinking particularly of trade implications on all sorts of items (not just TAPS) between Beta/Gamma dwellers and Alpha dwellers

  2. I thought we were going to have to scan for these things? Is that not the plan now?

  3. Do these echos work like interzone teleports in that once the first jump is made the destination is fixed? Could be a massive PITA to end up with a squad randomly distributed across a zone.

  4. Am I right to assume that by "both types" mean anomolies and echos? How do you you destroy them, is it lock and shoot

Sorry for the Qs. I'm sure I could answer them by actually testing but I've got to work for a few days sad

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Ludlow Bursar wrote:
  1. Why equal or higher? Would it not be better to just have equal. I'm thinking particularly of trade implications on all sorts of items (not just TAPS) between Beta/Gamma dwellers and Alpha dwellers

  2. I thought we were going to have to scan for these things? Is that not the plan now?

  3. Do these echos work like interzone teleports in that once the first jump is made the destination is fixed? Could be a massive PITA to end up with a squad randomly distributed across a zone.

  4. Am I right to assume that by "both types" mean anomolies and echos? How do you you destroy them, is it lock and shoot

1. I didn't want to limit beta/gamma like that but if you really think this would encourage trade then we can do that.
2. I don't think that was implied anywhere(?). Scanning for them would make "beaconing" unnecessarily difficult.
3. Yes that's a good point, we have to think about that.
4. Yes and yes. (and explosion damage works too)

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

DEV Zoom wrote:
Ludlow Bursar wrote:
  1. Why equal or higher? Would it not be better to just have equal. I'm thinking particularly of trade implications on all sorts of items (not just TAPS) between Beta/Gamma dwellers and Alpha dwellers

1. I didn't want to limit beta/gamma like that but if you really think this would encourage trade then we can do that.

Maybe it wouldn't but it does seem to go against the whole principle which under-pinned the kernal drops from different NPC ranks.

Also, given that there are actually 48 types of beacons currently* and that "Teleport Attractor Ports (TAPs) ... basically hijack whatever is being teleported" as you put it, then it doesn't make sense that  ANY level 1 TAP can be activated at a level 1 anomaly. It should be TAP specific for race, level,light/medium,ordinary/officer. Given how easy you have made it to jump from anomaly to anomaly I don't think this would be an issue.

* I say currently because the existence of TAPs classified as "medium" implies that that type is in the middle of something - where are the large/heavy. Mind you, weapons have been like that since 2010 - still waiting for heavy ones wink

9 (edited by Ville 2015-10-01 14:34:22)

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

1.  TAPs should be immune to explosion damage.  Or spawning NPCs will kill the TAP.  But it should scale per zone.
  A.  Stay the same for alpha
  B.  Beta should have it tripled.
  C.  Gamma should have high resists.  ( So these gamma bases that use a peninsula or a corner and have a teleport pop up behind them [The ones that carry players] aren't instantly killed by the base owner.
2.  When you shoot a TAP it should flag you.  On ANY zone, and you should get the pop up warning tell you that it will flag you.

And remember the ones carrying players should be fixed destination, it is an mmo.  smile

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Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Ville: TAPs are directly deployed and activated now and don't exist on the terrain anymore (only a short animation).

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Teleport anomalies*

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Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

So we could use the Teleport anomalies to teleport behind an enemies defenses on Gamma. roll  I see a lot of base construction happening soon.

Imagine the fun if you can tele behind someone's defenses and drop a TAP.. the explosion damage of your bot can chain react kill a wave of NPCs.. could do some serious damage to a base.

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Ville wrote:

Teleport anomalies*

Makes no difference, the anomaly is closed when the TAP activates.

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Altera wrote:

So we could use the Teleport anomalies to teleport behind an enemies defenses on Gamma. roll  I see a lot of base construction happening soon.

Imagine the fun if you can tele behind someone's defenses and drop a TAP.. the explosion damage of your bot can chain react kill a wave of NPCs.. could do some serious damage to a base.

The Anomalies are currently randomly spawning, you can spawn one yourself.  If you do a beacon on an enemy island and one pops up behind a base you could theoretically jump to one behind an enemy base, but your talking about doing a beacons on an enemy island and confirming there is actually a anomaly there.  (Very Low chance)

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Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

DEV Zoom wrote:

The new distress beacon mechanic is now out on the test server.

  • General teleport usage rules and limitations apply to anomalies.

Instability and protection timers don't have any effect while using the anomalies.. I can cont to jump immediately

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

When having the map open, you can see all TP anomlies. When I TP through one anomalie, I see no more the anomalies on map, closing map and reopen helps, but is very annoying

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Really disappointed with this feature.

What drives it home is the risk/reward scenario.  There is no way I am risking 500 Million+ of gear/bots to do something only to net worth 30 million.  For something that takes 15 to 30 minutes to do.  It's not worth it and it's quite pointless.  For Gamma and Beta we will be dealing with PVP scenarios AND roaming Red mobs.  There is too much risk in there.  Then there is the risk of being over ran by NPCs and losing your beacons.  Big thumbs down on this mechanic.

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18 (edited by Naismith 2015-10-26 12:15:44)

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Imagine if the reward was 60 mil guaranteed in plasma, with potential of dropping T4+ mods like escalations in EVE.

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

That's the point it's only half a fix.  The npc boss at the end should be revised to drop worth while loot.

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Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

You don't fit t4+ mods, if you are not prepared to lose it. Use t4 instead.

RIP PERPETUUM

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

+1 to reward increase to balance this feature
The Loot-Rework hopefully will be the opportunity to fix this among all PVE drops across the game.

22 (edited by Ville 2015-10-26 18:38:26)

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Celebro.  It takes 4 people to do 3 stripe beacons.  With follow bots in mk2 robots.  That's 8 bots at 80 million a pop so..  640 million that's just the chassis.  The fittings typically cost 25% of the robot so. Another 160? So.. We are at 800 million.  For 30 million.  The suicidal npcs are frustrating on beta/gamma that pop from beacons.

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Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Ville wrote:

Celebro.  It takes 4 people to do 3 stripe beacons.  With follow bots in mk2 robots.  That's 8 bots at 80 million a pop so..  640 million that's just the chassis.  The fittings typically cost 25% of the robot so. Another 160? So.. We are at 800 million.  For 30 million.  The suicidal npcs are frustrating on beta/gamma that pop from beacons.

i didn't know you have to pay so much nic to syndic to get your bots out of your corp storage.
your numbers are faulty because you are basing them on market prices for minerals that noone has to pay.

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Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

Annihilator wrote:
Ville wrote:

Celebro.  It takes 4 people to do 3 stripe beacons.  With follow bots in mk2 robots.  That's 8 bots at 80 million a pop so..  640 million that's just the chassis.  The fittings typically cost 25% of the robot so. Another 160? So.. We are at 800 million.  For 30 million.  The suicidal npcs are frustrating on beta/gamma that pop from beacons.

i didn't know you have to pay so much nic to syndic to get your bots out of your corp storage.
your numbers are faulty because you are basing them on market prices for minerals that noone has to pay.

I tend to talk about the other 99% then the 1% of PoE.  Because truth be told beacons are worthless to people who already own the world map, have race drones in their Corp and have thousands of bots and hundreds of thousands modules.  I would like to see other players catch up.

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25 (edited by Naismith 2015-10-26 19:40:20)

Re: New distress beacon mechanic / teleport anomalies

TL;DR

The new system is good but it won't work without a significant rework (and increase) of the reward aspect.