Its been over 1.5 years since Sins was first released and this is Ironclad's 22nd update to Sins/Entrenchment (ignoring all the beta updates). 

It really hit us how the gameplay and strategies have evolved since then when we started tracking the source control changes for the siege frigate data which, as many of you may remember, went through a drastic nerfing early in 2008.

Well, now the situation is quite different due to a number of factors, not the least of which is player capability and the defensive measures added in Entrenchment. It was therefore neccessary to bring them back into the roster. 

But we didn't stop at siege frigates. One of our primary objectives in this update is to make sure every unit is brought back into the pool of viable tools. In some cases this was as simple as modifying some data but in some cases we completely redesigned elements of them.

Naturally, trying to figure exactly what those changes needed to be was not an easy problem but one of the best ways was to play the game against as many players as possible so we once again took to playing regularly on Ironclad Online. 

Unfortunately, we couldn't use our real names because when we did in the past we were the targets of unreasonable unholy alliances. Such circumstances aren't great for collecting data and analyzing strategies. Sorry for the smurfing but it was for a good cause

In addition to playing online we've spent a lot of time analyzing feedback on the forums, in particular the great thread by Deceiver_0.

In this thread he collected votes from everyone on a wide variety of issues and presented a consolidated place for ideas and potential fixes. 

While we didn't agree with all the suggestions, we did attempt to address what we determined to be the underlying problems but in some cases we implemented the suggestions nearly verbatim.   

Special thanks to everyone who contributed to that thread! Also, special thanks to everyone who wrote constructive posts or emails, we couldn't do this without you!

Enjoy!

-Ironclad

WARNING: This update will invalidate existing save games.

Gameplay / Balance: 

• All Factions -
  • Fixed bug where purchasing capital ship levels would give you a refund.
  • AntiMedium damage type's modifier vs. Medium armor reduced from 150% to 133%.
  • AntiVeryLight DamageType's modifier vs VeryLight armor reduced from 150% to 133%
  • Cruiser carrier strikecraft build rate penalty when enemies are in the gravity well reduced from 15% to 10% (Entrenchment Only).
  • Reworked the tactical targeting AI to make smarter range targeting decisions (this is particularly prominent when putting short-range ships against long-range ships, such as Heavies vs. LRMs). (Entrenchment Only)
  • Starbases now account for their deployment cost when determining their refund value. (Entrenchment Only)
• TEC Faction -
  • Kol Battleship:
    • Gauss Railgun range increased from 5,000 to 6,500. (Entrenchment Only)
    • Gauss Railgun damage increased from 300/550/800 to 325/650/975. (Entrenchment Only)
    • Gauss Railgun now also debuffs the target, reducing its max movement speed by 50% for 10 seconds. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Akkan Battlecruiser:
    • Colonize is now guaranteed to spawn its listed number of resource extractors, subject to that many unoccupied resource asteroids being available.
    • Colonize now grants 1/2/3 free resource extractors instead of 0/1/2.
    • Colonize now also increases resource extraction rate of that player's extractors at that planet by 33%/66%/100% for 360 seconds. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Sova Carrier:
    • Fixed bug with Embargo that caused it to not block cargo ship jumps at levels 2 and 3.
    • Rapid Manufacturing duration increased from 45 to 90 seconds.
    • Rapid Manufacturing cooldown increased from 120 to 180 seconds.
    • Rapid Manufacturing orbit body's ship and structure build rate bonus increased from 30% to 300%.
    • Now starts with three squadrons and tops out at eight at max level.
    • Heavy Strike Craft armor bonus increased from 1/2/3 to 2/3.5/5.
    • Heavy Strike Craft damage bonus increased from 10/20/30 to 12/24/36.
    • Missile Batteries antimatter cost reduced from 125 to 70.
    • Missile Batteries cooldown reduced from 50 to 35.
  • Dunov Battlecruiser:
    • Magnetize now interrupts abilities that are being channeled.
    • Shield Restore description amended to remove implied secondary effect.
    • EMP Charge now no longer requires the ship to be facing its target before it can be fired.
  • Cobalt Light Frigate:
    • Max hull points increased from 600 to 635.
    • Max shield points increased from 350 to 370.
    • Max speed increased from 800 to 825.
    • Turn rate increased from 3.3 to 3.7.
    • Sabotage Reactor range increased from 5,000 to 6,000.
  • Krosov Siege Frigate:
    • Fleet supply cost reduced from 14 to 12.
    • Hit points increased from 450 to 510.
    • Shield points increased from 225 to 255.
    • Planet bombing damage increased from 21 to 25. (Original Sins Only)
    • Planet bombing damage increased from 21 to 31. (Entrenchment Only)
    • Heavy Fallout is now an activatable ability with autocast that can now be toggled on or off, and has a cooldown of 15 seconds. (Entrenchment Only)
    • Heavy Fallout population growth reduced from -30% to -8%. (Entrenchment Only)
    • Heavy Fallout now stacks up to 10 times. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Kodiak Heavy Cruiser:
    • Weapon range increased from 2,750 to 3,150.
  • Proximity Mines (Entrenchment Only):
    • Build cost reduced from 640/160/65 to 510/130/55.
    • Fixed bug that caused Proximity Mines to erroneously affect the end of game stats.
  • Javelis LRM
    • Fixed bug with Cluster Warheads which severely impacted its utility.
• Advent Faction -
  • Halcyon Carrier:
    • Adept Drone Anima reworked - now grants 1/2/3 extra squadrons instead of 1/2/3 extra strikecraft per squadron.
    • Now starts with three squadrons and tops out at eight max level.
    • Anima Tempest reworked - now spawns 60 strikecraft (increased from 30) and all its strikecraft gain a 25% increased chance to dodge for 75 seconds. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Rapture Battlecruiser:
    • Fixed Domination so that ship counts in stats are properly changed when this ability is used.
  • Revelation Battlecruiser:
    • It is now possible to attack targets affected by Reverie.
    • Clairvoyance cooldown changed from 20/15/10 to 15/15/15.
    • Clairvoyance duration increased from 50/100/150 to 90/120/150.
    • Clairvoyance antimatter cost reduced from 80/70/60 to 70/60/50.
    • Guidance can now only be cast on ships with abilities that have cooldowns. (Entrenchment Only)
    • Guidance autocast now only selects targets with abilities that are presently cooling down. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Disciple Vessel:
    • Max hull points increased from 400 to 425.
    • Max shield points increaesd from 425 to 450.
    • Max speed increased from 800 to 825.
    • Turn rate increased from 3.3 to 3.7.
    • Steal Antimatter range increased from 3,000 to 6,000.
  • Purge Vessel:
    • Build cost reduced from 730/100/80 to 630/90/75.
    • Fleet supply cost reduced from 14 to 12.
    • Max hull points increased from 385 to 435.
    • Max shield points increased from 300 to 340.
    • Planet bombing damage increased from 21 to 25. (Original Sins)
    • Planet bombing damage increased from 21 to 31. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Iconus Guardian:
    • Repulsion cooldown increased from 8 to 20 seconds.
    • Repulsion activation cost increased from 20 to 90 antimatter.
    • Repulsion antimatter usage rate reduced from 6 to 4 per second.
  • Domina Subjugator:
    • Turn rate increased from 1.65 to 2.25.
  • Destra Crusader:
    • Weapon range increased from 2,750 to 3,150.
  • Solanus Adjudicator (Entrenchment Only):
    • Damage increased from 55 to 60.
    • Hull points increased from 860 to 980.
    • Shield points increased from 490 to 560.
    • Build cost reduced from 1,210/235/160 to 1,050/175/140.
  • Homing Mines (Entrenchment Only):
    • Deployment cost reduced from 660/150/80 to 530/120/65.
  • Advent Deliverance Engine:
    • Reworked buff to avoid very bad slowdowns when multiple shots were fired at one planet.
• Vasari Faction -
  • Kortul Devastator:
    • Power Surge reworked - now restores 25/35/45 shield points per second instead of boosting shield regeneration rates 75%/150%/225%. Attack rate bonus is unchanged.
    • Disruptive Strikes may now be triggered by its pulse beam weapons.
    • Disruptive Strikes chance to be applied per attack reduced from 35% to 25%.
    • Disruptive Strikes antimatter removed increased from 10/20/30 to 12/24/36.
    • Disruptive Strikes ability cooldown rate penalty increased from 15%/30%/45% to 16.7%/33.3%/50%.
    • Disruptive Strikes now acts as an interrupt.
    • Jam Weapons reworked - enemy fighters that move within range of the Devastator while Jam Weapons is active will have their weapons disabled. Previously only those fighters that were within range at the moment Jam Weapons was triggered would have their weapons disabled for 30 seconds. (Entrenchment Only)
    • Jam Weapons range changed from 3,500/5,000/7,000 to 4,500/5,500/6,500. (Entrenchment Only)
    • Jam Weapons cooldown changed from 15/15/15 to 40/35/30 seconds. (Entrenchment Only)
    • Jam Weapons duration reduced from 30 seconds to 20 seconds. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Skirantra Carrier:
    • Now starts with three squadrons and tops out at eight at max level.
    • Scramble Bombers antimatter cost reduced from 80/65/50 to 50/40/30.
    • Scramble Bombers cooldown reduced from 60/50/40 to 40/30/20.
  • Jarrasul Transport:
    • Nano-Disassembler armor modifier reduced from -2/-4/-6 to -1.5/-3/-4.5.
    • Nano-Disassembler damage rate reduced from 30 to 25 hull points per second.
    • Nano-Disassembler duration increased from 20/30/40 to 25/35/45.
  • Antorak Marauder:
    • Distort Gravity now grants an increase to turn rate of 25%/50%/75% in addition to its other effects.
    • Phase Out Hull reworked - in addition to its existing effect, it now deals 200 shield damage to enemy targets or restore 200 shield points to friendly targets upon their return from phase space. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Vulkoras Desolator:
    • Deploy Siege Platform cooldown reduced from 55 to 20.
    • Deploy Siege Platform antimatter cost reduced from 100 to 35.
    • Deploy Siege Platform spawned platform duration reduced from 180 to 65.
    • Disintegration reworked to harm the hull, shields and antimatter of the target while restoring the Desolator - (Entrenchment Only)
      • Deals 150 damage per second to hull only. (Entrenchment Only)
      • Deals 150 damage per second to shields only. (Entrenchment Only)
      • Depletes 20 antimatter per second on the target. (Entrenchment Only)
      • Restores 120 hull points per second. (Entrenchment Only)
      • Restores 120 shield points per second. (Entrenchment Only)
      • Restores 15 antimatter per second. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Ravastra Skirmisher:
    • Max hull points increased from 700 to 740.
    • Max shield points increaesd from 440 to 465.
    • Max speed increased from 800 to 825.
    • Turn rate increased from 3.3 to 3.7.
    • Interference range increased from 5,000 to 6,000.
    • Reintegration duration reduced from 40 to 20 seconds.
    • Reintegration repair rate increased from 8/12 to 16/24 hull points per second.
    • Reintegration cooldown reduced from 75 to 60 seconds.
  • Karrastras Destructor:
    • Fleet supply cost reduced from 14 to 12.
    • Max hull points increased from 420 to 475.
    • Max shield points increased from 255 to 285.
    • Planet bombing damage increased from 23 to 27. (Original Sins)
    • Planet bombing damage increased from 23 to 33. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Serevun Overseer:
    • Turn rate increased from 1.65 to 2.25.
  • Stilakus Subverter:
    • Distortion Field range increased from 6,000 to 8,000.
    • Distortion Field antimatter cost reduced from 150 to 130.
    • Turn rate increased from 1.65 to 2.25.
    • Disrupt Shields can now target structures and starbases. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Skarovas Enforcer:
    • Weapon range increased from 2,750 to 3,150.
    • Reintegration duration reduced from 40 to 20 seconds.
    • Reintegration repair rate increased from 12/18 to 24/36 hull points per second.
    • Reintegration cooldown reduced from 75 to 60 seconds.
  • Vasari Hangar Platform:
    • Phasic Trap now works and has increased range and duration after further research upgrades. (Entrenchment Only)
  • Sivuskras Ruiner (Entrenchment Only):
    • Mine deployment costs reduced from 710/170/85 to 570/135/70.
  • Lasurak Transporter
    • Adjusted linear velocity to 450 (mistake from previous patch).
  • Kanrak Assailant
     -Fixed bug with Charged Missiles which severely impacted its utility.

 Graphics and Effects:

•  New skybox! Blair's favorite!!! (Actually, it isn't new, but up until this point it was only used in screenshots. There was a bug in the data referencing that kept it from being selected in-game until now.)