GREETINGS REBELS, 

Okay folks, it’s time to address the Dreadnought-sized elephant in the room. I’ve given it a couple months and tried some various strategies, but there’s a major problem when it comes to Dreadnoughts and it has to be addressed.

It is our view that Dreadnoughts should be the best autoing option available to you. That is largely true, and we have no intention of changing that. What Dreadnoughts should NOT be is also your best and easiest manual flying option. Unfortunately, that has proven to be the case, and it is having a negative impact on the Temporal Fracture event.

Despite various efforts, the Dreadnoughts continue to be a clear best option for tackling the Mysterious Raider χ targets. This goes against the intent of this event and has created a situation where Temporal Fracture has become a Dreadnought-only event. Unfortunately, that can’t continue.

Before explaining what is going to happen with the new Raider targets, I think it is important to explain why this decision is being made.

I think we can all agree that the rewards available in Temporal Fracture (and the Temporal Bazar) have been a major boon to players. They represent a significant increase in the amount of free time tokens available to you, and the choice of how and when you use your shards is also a significant improvement. Generally, I like to think I’m a nice guy and fairly generous, but those improvements have a cost associated with them; an increase in both the time it takes you to acquire the tokens and the associated difficulty.

With that expectation clear, I need to pull the curtain back a little bit when it comes to target design and how that works. Targets in Vega Conflict are not “fair”, they never have been. I feel that’s a subject I have always been forthcoming about when discussing tuning with various players throughout the years. Generally speaking, this works to your advantage.

In a typical target, I have several levers that can be manipulated to balance combat for the intended outcome. Without going into too much detail in that process, it generally involves manipulating player and enemy damage modifiers and fixing special components to enemy hulls in encounters that influence combat in various ways. 

Throughout the entirety of what is referred to as Tier 15, that has not been the case. The enemy ships in your encounters are identical to the ships you have access to; the only thing being manipulated is various damage modifiers. Which again, is almost always in your favor. 

So what does this have to do with Dreadnoughts and the Temporal Fracture targets?

Well, simply put, the Dreadnoughts are just too good and too easy to use. A situation has been created where the easiest hulls to manually fly are far and away also the most effective ones you can use to get low repair. That shouldn’t be the case. Skill and effort are not being rewarded. The χ targets are meant to be TOUGH. Low repairs (not free) should only be possible with expert flying and strategy. Losing a ship or two, possibly even your whole fleet, for making mistakes or underestimating the target IS the expectation. The Dreadnoughts, in their current state, remove that risk and have effectively excluded any creativity, experimentation, excitement, or potential feelings of triumph that should come with combating that target. 

So instead of reducing the rewards of the event to account for Dreadnoughts, or nerfing the Dreadnoughts so they perform in line with the expectations of the event, they will no longer be a viable option against the χ targets.

This isn’t a situation where I can prevent the Dreadnoughts from engaging that target, so instead, they will be tuned heavily against them. It may still be possible to complete the targets using a Dreadnought, but I seriously would not recommend it, the most likely outcome is you’ll have an 8-hour repair bill.

The χ targets have had their in-game description altered to warn players about the change, and I am taking the time to write this to further help spread the word. This wasn’t a decision I came to lightly, but it was necessary to maintain the integrity of the event. I know this will be low consolation, but the same Dreadnought countermeasures will NOT be in place with the 225 level Raider targets. As such, your Dreadnoughts can continue to have use in the event as a highly effective autoing option, in the targets that are intended for auto combat. 

I know that this will be a difficult adjustment, and I hope you understand why this change had to be made, even if you don’t like it. As always, I am open to any respectful dialogue regarding the change and look forward to seeing how you all alter your strategies to tackle this challenge.

KIX Damus, with very small assistance from KIX Hank