If you’re looking to test The Repopulation this morning, well, it’s going to be down for four to eight hours. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the extensive break is allowing the devs to apply the 15.1.1 patch, which features “massive changes to the combat system.”
Every skill in the game has been examined with an eye toward balance and improvement, with melee skills receiving the most upgrades. New stats have been introduced, while buffs and debuffs have been tweaked to be more reliable and “reduce the amount of chance in an encounter.”
Combat is also getting a visual upgrade, chiefly in regard to ranged weapon animations. Above & Beyond says that a melee animation pass is planned. 15.1.1 includes texture upgrades, too, as well as a healthy portion of other stuff that you’ll find in the official build notes.
[Source: 15.1.1. notes; thanks Crow and Grimjakk!]
