Re: 12 / 21 / 11 Update Changelog (Lost Universe 5.2.0)

[Universe Overwatch]

The following changes were released with Lost Universe 5.2 on Tuesday January 10, 2012:

- The alliance report interface has been overhauled to better suit the needs of a growing playerbase and, thus, scalable influence. The new notification system will greatly truncate reports to remove superfluous text, as well as sort reports based on topic and significance rather than chronology. It also makes my life a lot easier when big players try to do a lot at once.

[Universe Overwatch]

The following changes are expected to be released with Lost Universe 5.3 on Saturday January 21, 2012:

- Electronic warfare is the hallmark of this release; ECM will be overhauled and become a much more versatile means of combat superiority. Such changes will include an increase in ECM attack methods as well as a wide range of electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM), which will be implemented in full for the first time.

- Stealth takes second priority in this release; activating a ship's digital mask will no longer require energy cells. However, and unfortunately for some, only black-operations-class ships will be capable of facilitating stealth mobility. This means that any ship may equip a digital mask as before, but only true reconnaissance ships may navigate while under the veil of cloak.

- Adaptive Camouflage Plating will become an armor substitute that may be mounted to any ship which, at the expense of combat resilience, will greatly reduce the ship's radar signature in space. While this passive mask will be mildly effective when used on conventional spacecraft, black-operations-class ships will find that the use of this technology to be a near-perfect method of concealment even into visual range. Of course, this technology does not mask the ship's mass from station gravity scanners, nor will it function effectively when damaged. This technology may be used in tandem with the digital mask generator for near-perfect tactical invisibility.

- Warp and warp locus will be getting some more love as well. Changes will include a new Covert Warp Locus Beacon, a piece of equipment similar to the existing Warp Locus Beacon but will not be detected on the local grid by anyone when cast. The only drawbacks of this technology are that it will be restricted to use and transit by black-operations-class ships only, and cannot be used to reference ships in distant sectors.

- False flagging will become a viable means of guerrilla warfare. Ships operating in space will be able to identify themselves as owned by another alliance, faction, or participant at will in attempt to deceive potential predators and prey. The effects of false flag will diminish immediately as soon as the ship engages in combat of any kind -- either offensively or defensively -- and will only be possible when fleet morale is a positive figure.