xREL.v3

Update v2.80:
Gameplay
We’re scaling up the size of many units and buildings to help distinguish and communicate the unit's functionality to those who are new to the title. We’ve also slightly adjusted the camera angle so it’s less top-down and more titled. It’s minor, but helps distinguish unit silhouettes by making things look more 3D.
Unit and building sizes increased

To compensate for size increases:
Units are created with more distance between them.
Unit spacing increased
Updated Collision boxes and collision avoidance behavior.

Visuals
We’ve slightly adjusted the camera angle so it’s less top-down and more titled. It’s minor, but helps distinguish unit silhouettes by making things look more 3D.
Modified camera angle at medium to close zoom levels.
Increased size of explosions.
Unit hover pods are no longer affected by player color.
Improved Terran morning lighting.
Improved deformable terrain around buildings.
Improved the colors on buildings.
Reduced emissives intensity

Balance
This update has many balance changes, in particular aimed at making dreadnaughts more viable and better equalizing the power of each faction's orbital abilities. Balance is overall in a good spot so these are mostly small changes.

Atlas
Damage increased from 15 to 16

Archer
Health reduced from 90 to 80

Tormentor
The Tormentor was too lacking in a role and will now be an excellent way of dealing with Archer spam. Previously Substrate could have issues dealing with mass frigates.
Damage increased from 75 to 80

Reaper
This should see Reaper blobs clump up less to dive after a cruiser and make it less vulnerable to splash damage.
Targeting priorities changed to engage all targets equally

Drone Hive
Drones will no longer get one-shot by the Atlas frigate as it was too easy to shut down.
Radioactives cost reduced from 90 to 80
Drone health increased from 15 to 20

Apollo
Metal cost from 310 to 350
Radioactives cost from 46 to 66

Destructor
Plasma Rain Launcher damage increased from 13 to 14

Caregiver
The Caregiver and Regenerator are receiving a small performance boost to give Substrate more of a chance to withstand Artillery Post bombardment as well as mitigate Plasma Storm and EMP Pulse.
Regeneration increased from 40 to 45

Avatar
PHC have two engineer spawn abilities, so they naturally will ramp up less by mixing it between both of them. Also a QoL change for the Avatar as it would often engage enemies and move out of build range as a result.
Leash removed - It will no longer move to engage
Quanta cost ramp up reduced from 0.25 to 0.20

Dreadnoughts
Typically players cruiser spam into air and juggernauts while skipping dreads. We want to make dreads tougher to have them see more use.
Retributor, Cronus, Hyperion and Overmind health increased from 14,000 to 15,000
Savager and Prometheus health increased from 16,000 to 17,500

Eye of Darkness
This change was supposed to be in 2.76 but was accidentally not included. This will make turtling up and rushing the Eye while skipping dreadnought production much riskier.
Metal cost increased from 22,000 to 24,000
Radioactives cost increased from 22,000 to 23,000
Quanta cost increased from 12,000 to 13,000
Logistics cost increased from 300 to 325
Build time cost increased from 900 to 1000

Instigator
The Instigator was underperforming and will now be able to clear creeps with its weapon.
Now has a weak laser
Acceleration increased from 600 to 800
Cost reduced from 350/80 to 250/60
Logistics reduced from 10 to 6
Build time reduced from 40 to 35

Hades
The Hades Bomber was the only non-fighter that came in a squadron of 3. This created balance problems where Hades flocks would shrug off Air Eliminators but then get deleted by splash such as the Falcon. We are reducing the squadron size to 1 and tweaking it to compensate so that it is more consistent against other anti-air types. Reducing the squadron size will also fix the targeting issue of the Hades sometimes not dropping its bombs.
Squad size reduced from 3 to 1
Hades will no longer pass without dropping bombs
Damage increased from 60 to 75
Health increased from 625 to 1200
Metal cost reduced from 270 to 220
Radioactives cost reduced from 190 to 150
Logistics cost reduced from 9 to 7
Build time reduced from 45 to 40

Artillery Post
The Artillery Post was too spammable in certain maps, especially team games.
Minimum range increased from 200 to 500
Maximum range reduced from 3000 to 2800

Regenerator
Regeneration increased from 30 to 35

Carving Turret
PHC had too many Orbital Abilities that could influence cruiser engagements while Substrate only had Drone Swarm. Carving Turret is now only able to engage Dreadnaughts and Juggernauts to even out PHC’s orbital advantage.
Can no longer target frigates, cruisers and buildings

Drone Swarm
Drone Swarm was shut down too easily by armies that had modest amounts of anti-air.
Drone health increased from 15 to 30
Health per second increased from -0.5 to -1 (To retains its 30 second life)

Nanite Assassination
While expensive and limited to only a single target, players may wish to use this ability to snipe a Hera, Engineer or other crucial units like a sieging Artemis.
Can now target cruisers
Damage type changed to direct for instant killing.

Plasma Storm
Plasma Storm was too impactful so we have reduced its damage per second and slightly increased its duration so players have more opportunity to escape from it or sustain through with Caregivers and Regenerators.
Damage reduced from 15 to 10
Duration increased from 30 to 35

Tooltips
Updated Carving Turret & Nanite Assassination tooltips to reflect changes
Removed obsolete “Armor piercing” and “Area Damage” tooltips from Artemis and Destructor main weapon.
Removed obsolete “Targets radar contacts” from 8 weapons. (Everything can now target radar contacts)

Bugs
Fixed Shader corruption bugFixed a hang when starting the Benchmark
Fixed Saboteur targeting issue causing it to stop firing
Fixed a bug where Nanite Assassination would sometimes miss moving dreadnoughts.