Yesterday, DICE teased the upcoming May Update which is set to bring about some interesting changes to the gameplay such as a new ability to repair stationary weapons, several game mode changes, and net code improvements. The live stream was presented to Microsoft and Sony whom will first confirm the changes before bringing the patch live.
Notable changes include, the addition of incendiary ammo for dogfighter planes, domination tickets changed from 100 to 200, double the health of field guns and AAs, removed damage reduction for bayonet charges.
Thanks to pvp.net for aggregating the news into patch notes.
Bayonets
- Activated aiming speed modifier during prepare state as well as charge state.
- This means a player can rotate a maximum of 50 degrees during the prepare state. Also added an input modifier disabling strafe while charging.
- Adding subtle boost to third person footsteps when bayonet charging to increase threat awareness. Boosted volume of Enemy VO for Bayonet Charge when close to player.
- Slightly reduced maximum turn rate while charging.
- Removed damage reduction while in charge. Weapons will now hit charging players for normal damage.
Map and Modes
- Spectator Mode: Fixed a bug where the first person camera could become stuck during the Pigeon Carrier Artillery camera sequence on the Assault Tank.
- Changed ticket count for Domination to 200 from 100.
- Fixed missing game mode description for Breakthrough.
- Tweaked scoring values for capturing flags in Conquest. Capturing gives less score now, however more capture ticks have been added and the team controlling more than 3 flags than the other team will be awarded Conquest Control bonuses.
- Decreased the percentage of contribution to flag capture/neutralize from 50% to 30%.
- Added Join Any Operation button to main operations screen. Will start a matchmaking session to join any available operation at any size (40 or 64).
Netcode
- Tweaked values to reduce number of kill trades within 30m radius.
- Improvements have also potentially fixed issue with not being able to continuously hit somebody even if they are standing still.
- Implemented per region threshold settings for server side hit detection: 130ms for US + Europe, 200ms elsewhere.
- Fixed server side hit registration interpolation.
- Leading shot only necessary by the margin above the threshold, eg. For US @ 150ms ping, you have to lead by 20ms.
- Fixed latency display for server which is also responsible for decision if to perform client or server side hit registration.
- Fixed input offsets for server side hit registration to match client side.
Dogfighter
- Added new secondary weapon, Incendiary Ammo.
- Incendiary Ammo does greatly increased damage to plane parts, allowing the dogfighter to quickly cripple an enemy plane by breaking a wing.
- Changed active ability from emergency repair to speed boost.
Bomber Killer
- Changed active ability from speed boost to emergency repair.
- Increased field gun damage against light vehicles.
- Armored cars will no longer take less damage than light tanks from field gun hits.
Field Gun and AA Changes:
- Doubled the health of Field Gun and Stationary AA.
- Made Field Gun and Stationary AA Indestructible.
- Field Gun and Stationary AA will now enter a disabled state at 50% health where they become unusable.
- To use the weapons again they must be repaired back to 100% with the repair tool.
- Changed how max range for AA is applied.
Gameplay
- Adding a camera shake advanced gameplay option to adjust the amount of camera shake caused by explosions, etc.
- Added missing spotting animation when spotting a downed allied soldier as a medic with the Medical Syringe.
- Automatically show low on ammo icons on friendly soldiers.
- Made all players immortal during EOR.
Controls
- Players using controllers can now do custom buttons/sticks mappings.
- Fixed select Operation button not properly appearing when using the joypad or on console.
Close Support Tank:
- Increased 37mm HE ammo from 4 to 5
- Replaced Secondary Case shell with Coaxial LMG. These changes should help this tank better fulfill its general purpose role.
Flanker Tank:
- Increased reload time on the autocannon from 2.5s to 3.75s
- Increased HE autocannon direct damage from 15-10.5 to 17.5-12.5.
Howitzer Tank:
- Corrected primary weapon to HMG as shown in customization, was actually LMG. The more powerful HMG should help offset its limited firing arc when compared to the Coaxial LMG of the Close Support Variant.
- Changed driver secondary weapon from case shell to flamethrower on the A7V Flame Tank Variant. This change will reinforce this variant’s role as a close range tank.
- Added third person freelook to the FT Howitzer Variant.
- Missed this one with the other tanks because the normal version has a turret that can rotate 360 anyway.
- Added rear firing Tankgewehr as driver secondary weapon for the Tank Hunter Landship Variant.
- Enabled driving and third person camera while using driver rear guns in the Squad Support and Tank Hunter Landships.
- Improved MkV Mortar Landship Variant.
- Changed secondary mortar shell from airburst mortar to heavy mortar. Heavy mortar does much more damage and is effective against both infantry and vehicles, but has a much longer reload.
- Replaced alternate smoke and gas mortar shells with with track repair and vehicle smoke equipment.
- These changes should make the mortar Landship more viable as a combat vehicle, rather than sitting in mortar stance in the backline.
- Fixed a bug with third person aiming on vehicles that caused a bullet to not fire in the correct direction when aiming at a soldier’s head while they are on a horse.
