Hello Rebels! With T14 coming to a close, that means it’s time for any dev diary with me, Lore_Master! I really do want to get these out more often than I currently do, but unfortunately, time is not a resource I have an abundance of.
As, what I like to call the “Replicator Saga” comes to a close, we can begin to share with you what the next tier of Vega Conflict has in store for you. Though our timeline currently faces the threat of extinction, a new adventure lies on the horizon! Before we get to that, we can take a look back at the Nightfall Coalition tier, the lessons we learned from it, and what we’re excited about in the future. We have cool plans that will take Vega Conflict in a new direction, and include some updated visuals as we move forward.
T14, compared to T13, was obviously not a massive change when it came to new mechanics. Our goal with T13 was to put in a foundation that allowed us to slowly build on top of it, trying to keep power creep and progression in check. We were successful in some ways and, on the other hand, found balance problems that stemmed from what I’m going to call “Legacy Tech”. Legacy tech is anything developed early on for Vega Conflict, before a tier system was really put into place. This tech was not designed to be future proof, and couldn’t really be updated now due to the effect it might have on the hulls it was originally designed for or the hulls in between then and now. This happened with Fleet Commanders as well. As designers, we looked for a clean, and balanced, way to try and limit these items but, unfortunately, couldn’t find a way that wasn’t absolutely time consuming. It puts us in a tough spot trying to design new components, when legacy ones fill the role we want already. The Upgrade slot that was featured for T14 was intended to try and counteract that, at least, a little. Taking the idea that the Experimental Salvage presented in 11 and 12, and expanding upon it, allowed us to try and create more unique builds for each hull that was released. This is an idea that will be expanded upon further in T15, on top of us addressing the use of legacy tech.
A common concern we receive is that nothing has really changed with Vega Conflict in quite some time. However, people also fear change. We have strived to maintain a balance between “new” and “old” but, with T15, we’re looking to break the mold somewhat. We’ve been told frequently that T7 was the last time the game felt exciting and fresh. We’ve taken that feedback to heart. T15 will feature not one, not two, but 3 different factions, each with their own weapons, abilities, and defensive tech. Two of the factions have already been teased to you, and now it’s time to tease the third:
These three factions will make up the bulk of T15. There is no new NPC faction to speak of for this tier. T15 targets will feature some assignment of hulls from the three factions as we find ourselves caught in a brand new war. This new tier will find joining a conflict already in progress, between a new, yet oddly familiar faction, the Saprophyte, and the Guardians. I don’t want to reveal everything just yet, but expect to see a lot of new faces. More will be revealed as we lead up to their arrival. With these factions comes new damage types, new defenses, and brand new “Modifications”. Much like in T7, the three factions will work in a rock-paper-scissors style of combat, with one faction usually having an advantage over one of the others, while not being as strong as the third. That’s not to say that flying against a specific faction will automatically win, as a skilled pilot can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
By now, you’re probably asking, “ok, so, it’s T7, what’s new about that?”. Much like in T7, these factions will have access to their own tech, such as defenses. Unlike T7, each of the factions in T15 will also have access to their own unique weapons, as well as damage type. Which means that a Saprophyte weapon will not be able to be equipped on a Guardian hull and vice versa. This will allow us to properly build each faction in a unique way and control balance as the tier progresses. New weapons will be released as the tier goes on, giving access to a larger toolbox as we move forward. The Modification slot, which is available on hulls from all three factions, will grant you access to a number of Modifications that are (usually) unique to that hull. However, only two Modification slots will be available, so you will need to decide which two Mods fit each scenario and encounter best for you. These Modifications are broken up into Offensive and Defensive categories, to help you choose which ones are best for you. They don’t take up any mass on the hull, the only restriction is that you can’t have two of the exact same one equipped.
Speaking of slots, to meet the challenge presented by legacy tech, new slots have been created for each hull, meaning that legacy tech will not be available for these hulls. This includes weapon slots, although they will still appear the same in the loadout menus. We are going to be adding new and exciting firing arcs to hulls that will allow for some dynamic and thrilling combat! That, combined with a new era of weapon types, will lead to things never before seen (we think) in Vega Conflict!
Now, you might be wondering how we intend to release all of these things, and that is probably something for Damus to discuss further when he is ready to do so. Won’t be long now. I can assure you that we have taken the current grind into account, and want to add as much as we can without putting further burden on you when it comes to grinding for it. The team is cooking up something good, and we think you’ll like it.
As for PvP, especially the Marauders, that is something that will also see an overhaul. Current Marauders will be put on the shelf temporarily while we plan out what we intend to do with them. We have some excellent ideas, but the launch of T15 is our top priority at the moment. In the meantime, we are balancing the T15 hulls to be able to do both PvE and PvP combat.
The team is working hard to bring you some exciting new content for Vega Conflict. There isn’t time to discuss it all but here are some highlights of upcoming content:
Base Module Upgrades
New Base Modules
Base Combat Rebalance
PvP Upgrades
Summer Solstice
Vega Conflict Anniversary
There’s more to come as well, so strap into your flight suit, and prepare for launch, because 2025 is going to be exciting for Vega Conflict. Until next time, Rebels!
KIX_Lore_Master