Hi everybody,

The 1.03 update focuses on adding new content: perks, equipment, crafting options, diary entries and newspaper articles, along with providing a number of quality of life and balance improvements.

In addition to balancing 16 existing perks, five new ones have been added, bringing the total number of perks to 68. These perks provide new options for melee and ranged fighters, and strengthen Utility and Leadership builds. With "Support Smoke", utility characters can throw a supporting smoke grenade at no AP cost every second round. "Know no Fear" is a leadership perk, which removes the effect of fear and reduces the effects of terror.

Six new pieces of equipment have been added: the bar mace, the upgraded Bellum 9 SMG, sharpened machete, smoke grenade MKII, heavy armour plate, and specialised tools.

Among the quality of life additions in this update is the heavily requested ability to choose which weapon each character starts combat with. Since it was in the same area, I also added the ability to set default attack lethality.

If you would like a complete summary of the changes, please scroll down to the update notes below. As always, your feedback and comments are most welcome!

Have a good weekend!
Daithi


[Content]
+ New Perk: Support Smoke - deploy a smoke grenade at no AP cost every 2 rounds and +10% CTH for throwing smoke.
+ New Perk: Fast Reload - reduces reload AP cost by 2
+ New Perk: Know No Fear - Allies are unaffected by enemies who cause fear. Enemies who inflict terror now inflict fear.
+ New Perk: Don't Crowd Me - Each adjacent enemy, excluding the first, increases close combat damage by 7%, to a maximum of 28%
+ New Perk: Court Martial - 20% damage bonus against enemy squad leader & 10% damage bonus if perk owner incapacitates squad leader
+ New Weapon: Bar Mace
+ New Weapon: Sharpened Machete
+ New Weapon: Bellum 9+
+ New Equipment: Smoke Grenade MK II
+ New Utility Item: Heavy Armour Plate
+ New Utility Item: Specialised Tools
+ New crafting recipes: Sharpened Machete, Bellum 9+, Trauma Kit MK I, Smoke Grenade MK I , Smoke Grenade MK II, Heavy Armour Plate
+ Added 3 diary entries and 3 newspaper articles

[Quality of Life, Interface & Information Improvements]
+ A character's influence area (in which fear and terror are inflicted) is now displayed on mouseover
+ It is now possible choose between starting combat unarmed, or with the item in the first equipped slot
+ It is possible to choose between starting combat in lethal / non lethal
+ Combat team's equipped items can be automatically repaired before combat.
+ The quick repair buttons now repair equipped items and items held in a character's inventory
+ Moved activated perk panel to a more central location to make it more obvious.
+ Added tooltips to armour to explain damage absorb & resistance.

[Balance]
+ The first gang lieutenant is now a danger level 2 encounter
+ Gang leaders now carry increased numbers of weapon parts
+ Improved Perks: Flurry, Heavy Swing, Precise Strike, Concussing Blow, Artery Strike, Investor, Grazed Limbs, Fearsome Presence, Terrifying Presence, Taunt, Tagged, Insult, Regeneration, Eye for Weakness, Close Quarters Rifleman, Close Quarters Sniper.
+ Improved Utility Items: De Inventione, Surveillance Kit, Lockpick Kit
+ Increased number of weapon parts available from defeating gang leaders
+ Investor perk can now be picked by any character, but does not stack
+ Enemy lieutenants now inflict fear, enemy bosses inflict terror
+ Increased number of weapon parts and chemical components stocked by shop
+ Multiple armour plate utility items can no longer be equipped together
+ Utility stat bonuses from Workshop now occur 1 level earlier
+ Increased bladed damage bonus from Instinct and Prowess stats
+ Penalties from fear and terror are now higher
+ Balanced skill allocation for Ray Case & Emilia De Soto


[Bugs & Text]
+ Fixed bug introduced in V1.02 allow melee and ranged attacks to reduce AP below 0 (B.vanhertum)
+ Trading ammo no longer contributes to trade skill or shop level, due to an exploit. (Nomad & Ba$t@rd)
+ Fixed a number of text errors. (Nomad)
+ Fixed delay turn ap cost showing as 1AP when player has tactical delay perk. (Nomad)
+ Fixed issue in which dialogue hotkeys were incorrectly mapped the survivalist rally encounters (B.vanhertum)