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HiRezStudios: RT @gamebreakrlive: Coming up! Global Agenda Co-op w Monty from Vivox & the @hirezstudios dev team! http://bit.ly/8rukP #gdc #breakr

HiRezStudios: RT @No_Elves: This year alone, one in five gamers will be accosted by an elf! If you're tired of it, go to www.tiredofelves.com #NoElves

HiRezStudios: Global Agenda patch 1.2 is live on the test server! Notes: http://bit.ly/bNR29s

Tags: 1.2, patch, pts, testing

Hi-Rez has updated the Public Test Server to the next patch, version 1.2. You can read the current notes for the patch here. Some quick highlights: new Conquest mission types, defense facilities for Conquest, and 4v4 arena mode!

 

Roughly a week after the live release of Global Agenda Patch 1.1, Hi-Rez Studios has made Patch 1.2 available on the Global Agenda Public Test Server, in anticipation of release to the Live servers soon.

VERSION 1.2 DETAILS

Version 1.2 introduces a variety of enhancements and improvements to the Alliance vs Alliance gameplay, including Theft missions, Defense Facilities, a No-Facility Mission Type, and a variety of map adjustments and rule modifications. In addition, the patch brings a 4v4 Arena Queue, in which pre-made teams of four battle each other for supremacy and reward.

 

Alliance vs Alliance (AvA) Changes and Additions:

Patch 1.2 is the first major AvA content update; featuring new rules, missions, and maps that attempt to address some of the key issues we’ve heard from the community. These changes are just a first phase of improvement, and additional AvA enhancements are planned for future releases.

Theft Missions

One of the major new features in AvA is the ability to launch theft missions against production facilities. Theft missions are launched just like capture missions, through a new option available on the bid window. Winning a theft mission grants an immediate reward to the attacking strike force, and shuts down operation of the facility for 15min (during which time the facility is also in lockdown).

• Alternative to Expansion: Theft missions provide an alternative to capturing more territory. When you feel like you have as much territory as you can defend, and don’t wish to expand, you can start stealing from others and hurting enemy production rates.
• Something for Non-Territory Holders: Theft missions provide a great option for groups that do not hold territory in a given Zone, but still wish to run missions to help their Agency.
• Lower Consequence: Political ramifications aside, a theft mission does not carry the same consequence or weight that a capture mission does.
• New AvA Game Types and Maps: The initial theft missions are of the Payload type, offering something different than the normal Breech found in AvA. In future updates we will be introducing additional unique game types to Theft.

What you steal is dependent upon the tech level and type of the facility you are raiding. Higher tech facility’s offer better rewards. On average, owning and operating a facility offers more value than theft missions; so owning territory is still greatly preferable to raiding, assuming you can defend that territory. It’s also worth noting that there are some items that cannot be stolen, and can only be produced by owning territory.

Tech I Defense Facilities

Defense facilities represent the first phase of a larger lattice system being introduced into AvA. New facility types will be released in future patches that build upon this.

How they Work:

A Tech I Defense Facility allows you to SHIELD any two adjacent territories of your choice. These shields operate just like those made available from a base - they prevent all attacks on the shielded territory unless tactical missiles are used to break through the shield (from a Missile Complex in range). Unlike base shields, however, the shields provided by Defense Facilities can be removed by attacking the defense facility directly.

• Defense Facilities may shield any two adjacent territories.
• A defense facility itself may never be shielded (it’s power output creates to much electrical interference to be shielded).
• A successful theft mission will shut down the shields projected by a Defense Facility for 15min.
• A successful capture mission will, of course, shut down the shields of a Defense Facility, as well as grant ownership to the attackers.
• Tech 1 Defense Facilities are available at credit cost from the Facility Vendor in dome city.
• Improved Strike Force Coverage: With a defense facility, a single strike force can protect up to three territories. Two strike forces can safely protect up to six territories.
• Multi-Stage Defense: Defense Facilities help to provide important territories more protection, by forcing attackers to successfully complete multiple missions before they can threaten key assets. If you have a territory or facility you really want defended, having multiple defense facilities around it gives you more chances to hold on to it.
• Bottleneck "Zergs": Defense facilities help to funnel major offensives into a smaller number of initial strikes.
• Trade off for production: Deploying a defense facility is a trade off for having production in a territory, as the defense facility produces nothing on it’s own.
• Unique Mission & Map: A defense facility plays a "defensive control" mission and not the standard Breech mission type currently in AvA.

Defense facilities offer a 3 to 1 ratio of "safe" territory ownership to the number of strike forces you can field. It’s worth noting that most current large territory owners in Global Agenda are far exceeding 3 to 1. As such, this is seen as more of a benefit to current small and medium sized territory owners.

In future patches, we’re looking to add additional defensive features that are "in mission" as opposed to at the higher strategic level. We’ll also be expanding and improving the lattice options available from facilities, encouraging networks to be built and maintained.

Additional AvA features in 1.2 include:

• TRADING AND ABANDONING TERRITORIES: Agencies will be able to trade or abandon territories! Both options are handled from the Agency Screen. For trading territory, you must offer the territory to a player who is currently online, and has permission to manage Agency Facilities for the Agency they are in. No more ghosting needed.
• LOCKDOWN TIMERS INCREASED: All lockdown timers for defending a territory will be increased to 15min.
• TERRITORY TAX CHANGE: Territory not connected to your Agency HQ will count as double towards calculating territory tax in a zone. This means crossing a river, or owning territory in an additional zone, is going to become increasingly more expensive. If you are expanding around your HQ, you will not be affected by this tax change. (Note for large Alliances: We suggest making use of the new trading territories feature also in the content patch to better group your agency holdings).
• BIDDING CHANGE - PERSONAL CURRENCY: All bidding for attacks now comes from PERSONAL INVENTORY rather than AGENCY INVENTORY. This will allow more players to lead strike forces, and it also helps fight some of the griefing we’ve seen in allowing a large number of players access to Agency funds. Agency members with the correct permissions can still withdraw any Agency funds they need prior to bidding.
• MAXIMUM PLAYER TAX CAP: The maximum tax rate an Agency can set for it’s members is now capped at 50%. Agencies needing to get more funds from their players can always ask for donations (anyone can donate to the Agency bank!)
• REQUIREMENT TO FORM A STRIKE FORCE: Agencies with fewer than ten members can no longer form strike forces.
• MAP ADJUSTMENTS: Bases now only shield the six hexes immediately around them. We recognise this change will affect a number of groups, but felt it was necessary with the implementation of Defense Facilities. Bases still offer better defense - as they require missiles to break - and we’ll be adding on to what bases provide in the near future. We’ve also made some ADDITIONS to resource bonus areas. No resources have been removed.
• NEW NO-FACILITY: Battles in a territory where the facility is destroyed now play in a new map, with a new mission type (Pictured Below).

The next major focus for AvA is on improving the rewards for participating, as well as create near-term and long term goals for Agencies to achieve. We recognize the current "win" conditions and rewards for AvA need improvement.

  4v4 Arena Queue

The 4v4 Arena Queue is for pre-made teams of four players only, and offers two new maps built specifically for 4v4 combat. Aside from offering a gametype that allows you to compete solely in pre-made groups, the 4v4 Arena features combat that has a more intimate feel than a standard 10v10 match.

For this initial release, the 4v4 queue is not ranked and is intended to allow players to enjoy something different while running PvP missions. Players earn xp and credits just like any other queue. In the future, a ranking and ladder system will be added to the queue, offering unique incentives for competing in 4v4 over regular match made. We’ll also be adding new arenas.

  City Chat Channel

Version 1.2 introduces a City Chat channel, which spans all public instances (Dome City and VR Arena). This is useful for looking for group communications. By default, the City Channel appears only under your "ALL" tab, but remember that you can configure your tabs using SETTINGS | CHAT.

 

PvE Improvements

Version 1.2 does not introduce any new PvE content, but it does include a variety of improvements and bug fixes to improve the PvE experience (animation and AI improvements, etc).

 

PATCH 1.3 – MORE IS ON THE WAY…

While Patch 1.2 concentrates primarily on enhancing the existing Global Agenda Conquest gameplay, we are actively working on a Patch 1.3 to be released soon that introduces Mission-based PvE and PvP zones, in addition to even more AvA enhancements.

• With the introduction of Open Zones you will be able to step outside of Dome City into the Desert as a solo player or in teams as large as 10 people
• While in the Open Zone you will see and interact with many other teams; each team pursuing an assigned mission goal within that same, very large environment area.
• Our first themed Open Zone is set in the Sonoran Desert.  You will interact with the brutish Desert Dweller element of the Commonwealth; and encounter robotic enemies manufactured by the nearby Recursive Colony.
• Update 1.3 will include both a safe PvE zone and an entirely different PvP oriented zone.  We are pretty excited about both!

 

ACCESSING THE PUBLIC TEST SERVER

All players of Global Agenda are able to download the Public Test Client and login to the test server using the Tools menu on Steam (see article on How to Use the Public Test Server).

Additional patches are being worked on for release in the upcoming weeks that will continue to introduce significant additional content to the game (including a new Open Zone game mode that takes you outside the doors of Dome City).

The Public Test Server should be on and available for login at most times during the day but may be subject to occasional downtime. Follow GATestSvrStatus on Twitter for latest status of the Public Test Server.  Provide test feedback in the Public Test Forums.

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HiRezStudios: Congrats to the Global Agenda Gamers! See you @ FIRST Robotics Championships!! RT @Team1771: We won it all!!

Tags: 1.2, 1.3, dev blog, hi-rez, patch

Hi-Rez Studios have posted a roadmap for the next two patches, 1.2 and 1.3, over on their dev blog at MMORPG.com. You can find it here.

Global Agenda Dev Chat - March 3, 2010

On Wednesday, March 3, 2010, Hi-Rez Studios held a Developer Chat using Vivox Voice on Facebook. The chat was just over an hour and covered questions submitted by members of the Global Agenda community. It features Todd Harris, Executive Producer; Stew Chisam, VP of Game Operations; and Michal Adam, Public Relations Specialist.

Topics covered include: Reflections on the launch, the recently released Patch 1.1, and upcoming features coming into the game soon.

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HiRezStudios: This weekend, FILL YOUR FRIENDS LIST!! Reduced prices on Global Agenda! http://bit.ly/bnRaKM Team up and get in the game now!

HiRezStudios: Our Robotics Team, The #GlobalAgenda Gamers are rockin it again!! RT @Team1771: Won 4-0, we scored all, now in 21st at 3-2

HiRezStudios: @Itzkoopa 's first impression of Global Agenda http://bit.ly/b4gTHt #MMOCrunch

This weekend, March 5-8, fill your friends list! Global Agenda is available at a reduced price on the Global Agenda webstore with additional discounts for multi-pack purchases. Tell your friends, team up and get in the game now!

Limit: 4 keys total per purchase.

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GAServerStatus: Servers **UP**

GAServerStatus: Servers **DOWN** for routine restart. Back up in about 5 minutes.

HiRezStudios: Thanks everyone who joined our #GlobalAgenda #FB dev chat via @vivox_inc.! Join us on Facebook http://tiny.cc/pgk74

HiRezStudios: RT @ToddAlanHarris: About to hop on Global Agenda Dev Chat. Join us on facebook global agenda group now!

HiRezStudios: Live #GlobalAgenda Dev Chat starting now! Join us here http://bit.ly/9z7WK8

HiRezStudios: Live #GlobalAgenda Dev Chat tonight 9pm EST! Submit your questions http://bit.ly/crl31o and join in http://tinyurl.com/yzgbw3c

HiRezStudios: RT @edgeonline: Jetpacks, eh? // Oh yes! http://bit.ly/dwEec2

GAServerStatus: Servers **UP**. Running Version 1.1. Restart Steam to get latest req'd game version. Notes at: http://tinyurl.com/yku35ag