Star Citizen Alpha Patch 4.3

Alpha Patch 4.3 has been released to Evocati, and is now available to test! Patch should now show: VERSION 4.3.0-PTU.10029568.

Characters in this new environment have been built from Long Term Persistence(LTP) data.
Currently with LTP, certain player states such as personal hangar layout, unstowed vehicles, custom characters, in-progress refinery jobs, and in-game purchased consumables are not saved between releases which will cause some items to be lost in the update.

Audience: Evocati Only (Goal of opening to all waves this weekend tonight or Saturday)
Server Info: PTU Channel - US Only
Long Term Persistence: Enabled
Mesh Configuration: 5:5:600

Note: This patch does not contain all of the intended features, which will be added iteratively to the notes as they become available. Additionally, some features may be implemented in a partial state and as such are not ready for testing and subject to removal. When those features reach a playable state they will be detailed on the notes and added to the "Testing Focus". Please issue council all issues related to those in testing focus and in general gameplay.

Testing/Feedback Focus

Stability & Bugfixes
Onyx Facilities
Mission Distribution Updates
Hangar Spawning
Dynamic Snow
Ladder Improvements
VOLT Laser Sniper "Zenith"

Not Ready for Testing or Feedback

Additional Wikelo Special Ships
Additional Player Hairstyles

Known Issues

PU - Design / Locations / Live Services - Players can spawn in the center of Pyro or Stanton after selecting their Primary Residence
PU - Stanton - Onyx Facility - Locations / AI / Spawn Closet - Combat AI are cowering when they are spawned
PU – Stanton – New Babbage / Lorville / Orison / Area18 – Locations / Transit – Trains are popping in when they arrive
PU - Lorville / Maria Pure of Heart - Locations / Art / Collision - The floor at the lobby of the hospital has no collision
PU - Stanton / Pyro / Multi Location - Ladders v2 - Locations / Actor / Traversal - Various ladders do not allow the player to climb them fully to the top
MultiWeapon - PU - Weapon / Graphics - Inventory / Backpack Reloading - Weapons reload invisible magazine when reloading from backpack (alt+1 to respool until you can store the weapon in a locker and re-equip)
PU - Stanton - Onyx Facility - Mission Content / mobiGlas / UI - The Player cannot Set Route to the Delivery Locations for ASD Missions
PU - Onyx Facilities - Mission Content / UI / Shipping & Delivery Kiosk - There is a chance that Covalex Kiosk screen will be stuck on "Please Standby" after pressing the "Drop Off"
PU - Onyx Facility - Phase2_M1 / Phase2_M2 / Phase2_M3 - Mission Feature / mobiGlas / Markers - Mission objective differs to the location of the NavMarkers in the contract
PU - Stanton - Onyx Facility - Locations / Transit - Elevator Carriages are not present if player spawns at ASD Onyx Facility
PU - Stanton - Onyx Facility - Art / Locations - "ASD" NPCs are spawning with incorrect loadouts
PU - Stanton - Onyx Facility - Feedback / Music - Music in the location is very quiet

Features & Gameplay

Gameplay

Onyx Facilities
Onyx Facilities house a new investigation mission system set in approximately 100 newly added, abandoned research locations spread throughout Stanton. While ASD has abandoned these facilities, players and mercenary NPCs alike will be exploring these derelict Associated Sciences and Development (ASD) installations to recover data, solve puzzles, and uncover the mysteries within these hazardous environments. With the release of Alpha 4.3, the first 2 wings will be available, with the third and concluding chapter to this part of the Regen Crisis arriving the following month in Alpha 4.3.1.

Initial Facility Access

Arken Mallor, a new mission giver from Hockrow Agency, tasks you with venturing into these abandoned ASD Onyx Facilities, recovering whatever research data still exists, and uncovering the true extent of ASD's experiments into the Regen Crisis.

Delving Into the Deep Facility

Upon completion of the Phase 1 missions, four new mission tracks within the facility become available through the two open wings of the Onyx Facilities. These must be first completed in succession before becoming repeatable in any order.
- Retrieve Energy Anomaly Data
- Retrieve Security Data
- Retrieve Seismic Data
- Retrieve Power Usage Data

These new mission tracks will take you through two open wings of the Onyx Facilities

Research Labs

Discover multiple data collection points containing valuable research data and audio logs that reveal the mysterious circumstances behind the facility's abandonment.

Engineering

Navigate hazardous power systems and radiation zones while demonstrating careful environmental awareness and planning.

Mission Distribution Tech Updates
Mission Distribution Tech Updates in 4.3 include an updated way of directing players around locations for missions that are unlimited, such as Hauling, Wikelo, and the new Onyx location missions. This system should greatly improve location spreading when many players are attempting the same missions.

Weapons and Items

VOLT Laser Sniper "Zenith"
Introducing a powerful new weapon that combines the raw punch of a charged sniper shot with the rapid-fire precision of a marksman rifle.

The Zenith rifle's ability to automatically charge when held gives you more flexibility in the battlefield at the cost of being audible to possible hostiles. The Zenith comes with the first optic with a built in charge and a heat tracker, as managing heat is crucial and overheating renders the weapon temporarily inoperable.

Players can test out the Zenith rifle in single weapon elimination so feedback can be easily provided.

Damage: 42.5
Projectile velocity: 700
Aim down sight time: 0.32
Recoil: Low
Optic: 4X - 8X (has charge and heat tracker)
RPM: 492
Mag size: 22

Charge multiplier

Ammo cost 3x
projectile speed multiplier 2x
damage multiplier 2x

VOLT Shotgun

Fixed an issue causing the VOLT shotgun to cause knockdowns unintentionally

Additional Weapon & Item Updates

Ammo type availability in stores has been greatly increased and balanced around all weapon shops

Core Tech

Dynamic Snow
Introducing dynamic snow to select locations where snow already exists, leveraging the same environmental systems that power dynamic rain. This means snowfall will now appear based on weather conditions. Currently snow is enabled on Stanton 4.

Ladder Improvements
Implementation of further ladder systems into Star Citizen. This update includes many new traversal mechanics to all ladders in ships and environments around the persistent universe.
This includes:

Look around while on ladder (180 degree whilst moving, 355 degree whilst stationary)
Mid point enter/exits
Being able to Jump off ladders while looking in a direction
Leaning (used to dodge debris) function
Collision (e.g. other Actor on ladder) prevents traversal up ladder
FPS Camera required enter angle
Ladder exit into crouch/small spaces