Hey @everyone,
this will be a little longer post than usual hence I try to structure it with a TOC (while you scroll, click on the headline title to come back to top)
Table of Contents
1. Current Season
2. New HWS Config / Effectiveness Weapon System (EWS)
3. Economy 3.0 | Trade commodities
4. 8.X Changes for PvE & PvP
1. Current Season
If you reflect and understand the past, you can improve the presence and future
Let’s recap the current season a bit.
First Alpha 8 hit
Alpha 8 / HWS 8 was probably one of the biggest but also most tricky patch/season ever.
Since the foundation of planets changed completely the work we made the 2 years before could only be taken partially. A lot were basically wasted and must be reworked.
Even though we had a long EXP phase it didn’t help much because changes came in all the time. Time was running out, so crucial things like POI regeneration or overall universe layout suffered.
Most of you know this already.
Second Alpha 8.2 hit
While at this state my own satisfaction got lowered a lot already, Eleon told me at least to not forget about performance and that big playfields have some bottlenecks they want to take care of.
Hence my suggested system of Dynamic Structure Loading (DSL) got implemented, the Core amount of 256 removed and some other improvements came in. Great.
The problem: while bigger planets made the structure of the universe instable, DSL made the gameplay of structures (e.g. POIs) instable for awhile.
If you want to improve a lot, sometimes you must accept some losses
The DSL system got improved and we got even more controls about regeneration and structure loading.
Meanwhile even a new (reworked) planet Arid and Desert got implemented.
All of this is great but created just one thing on HWS: mess and chaos (backend wise). Only a wipe could fix things and let us implement new, working stuff.
But since a wipe is a quite big burden we decided to hold it out until 12th September.
A lot of you know this already too.
Last Alpha 8.3 hit
This will leave us to only one next big patch coming before the new season happens: Alpha 8.3. It will probably come before 12th september and bring tons of new things and fixes in. A great fundament to built on for HWS 8.X. This patch will also bring in our new HWS Config you can read about later.Season Review Poll
So what’s left is the feedback from you. I know the general mood of you and I know some real big issues we had and have.
We had a Poll before everything went live - maybe you can check that again and reflect about the actual outcome we had.
Please focus on certain questions to give me a better picture for the HWS 8.X season.
What is your feedback about the implemented “Elite Builder League”
- It was better - no base spawning out of the pocket anymore
- It was good but we lost a lot of action because of that
- It was boring and should be used only on few planets (write a comment please)
What is your feedback about the new Land Claim Device (LCD) and how was the Anti Grief (AG) gameplay for you?
- The LCD gave me a new reason to attack bases on PvP to be able to capture them
- LCD does not help much with the AG problem (for example in combination with the Filler Drill)
- PvP should not have any AG anymore (in combination with Elite Builder League)
What is your feedback about the new implemented Supergates by HWS?
- It was not good to be attacked by camper
- Nothing should be built / spawned there - allow only parking
- It was good and part of the risk of that feature to get attacked straight away
Last but not least guys, I’m really sorry to not have hold any Event. This topic is a quite big one for me and there are two mindsets about it available.
On the one hand you could say: if everything else is messed up, why not make an event to cheer people up? But on the other hand, for me, it’s like trying to create an artificial mirth. Instead I try to use the time to improve everything in the background for the next season.
I guess it’s not that best way I go about it and in the future I maybe just give players the full opportunity to create such events (as we did already in the past).
And yes, some of you will remember my words about our “automatic Event Manager”. It’s 3+ month ago already and @Jascha tries to finish it as soon as he can. It is a quite big and complex feature. But once it is ready it should really create cool events such “Capture a POI on a planet, hold it and win the whole planet temporary only for you” etc.
Finally, as written in Discord already about the rule changes, about “russians”, about rule breaker in general we will make it more transparent in the future with more harsh consequences.
In PvP prejudices will be always there, trash talk, lies or slander. But if it crosses a certain line this is not something we want here. Real life has tons of it if you like it that much.
2. New HWS Config / Effectiveness Weapon System (EWS)
Sorry about the delay first of all. But I realized fast that Eleon implemented some new goodies only in Alpha 8.3, so the new HWS Config with all the changes below will be active only with the Alpha 8.3 patch going live!
New HWS Config Changelog
We have a dedicated location for our HWS Config changelog so I will just link it here:
Click here: HWS Creative Scenario | Configs & EWS - #243 by RexXxuS
HWS Effectiveness Weapon System (EWS)
For better readability please click here:
Notes / Feedback
While you have to wait for everything to see in action still until Alpha 8.3 will be released, I wanted to give you already the right mindset on the way.One highlight of the new HWS Config:
- Removed Minigun Turrets, Cannon Turrets and Gatling Gun from target system
(Reason: a lot faster and less lag PvP fights because turrets do not “search” for the decoy targets anymore, because player have buried them in their big layers of armor. It also force you to actively kill all remaining Minigun / Gatling weapons manually in case they still do damage)
This will affect some PvP blueprints I have seen on the server but regarding my tests the gameplay should be a lot better with this change. I’m eager to hear your feedback about it.
The other highlight is of course the whole EWS change. It is not a complete game changer I can tell from my tests and I know some don’t like the “rock - scissor - paper” principle but I think it is only logical to respect some logic / physics / overall Sci-Fi elements. Plasma against Alien / Shields for example. Or bullets rather effective against organic objects than blocks. It gives a good blueprint builder just the additional “edge”.
It will also just create a dynamic and smooth gameplay element for you to decide battles faster if you plan before and during the fight. Especially the rework of the handheld weapons took some time and should make you wonder, what weapon is good for what. There were just too many weapons never used or just as good as the others. Let’s give the game the potential it deserves.
(don’t forget the logical consequence that if it works very good on HWS, Eleon might implement it to the Core game - as happened already a lot)
Last but not least Xeno Substrate and Xeno Blocks will be removed from your OCD and the possibility to store them there. We want to encourage you to raid POIs and trade them at good prices.
Before Xeno was just marked as “they are lighter but have only 1500 hitpoints”. They were not really taking into account for ship building.
But since on HWS Aliens are part of the story we want to give you a new reason to enjoy that aspect. Xeno Blocks have as much Hitpoints as Combat Blocks (2000) and have only 1/4 of its weight.
3. Economy 3.0 | Trade commodities
We are coming now to one of my favorite, since 2 years planned new features to HWS!
Inspired by my most favorite game “Freelancer” and recently by the “new” No Man’s Sky: Trade Commodities.
List of Trade Commodities
Bio Trade Commodities
Blue Bush - common
Fire Palm Tree - common (Freelancer)
Tentacle Tree - common
Glow Tube Flower - rare
Lava Plant - epic
Antique Trade Commodities
StoneBarbaria - common
CelticCros - common
GothicFountai - common
AncientStatu - common
Runeston - common
GreekHea - common
DemonicStatueSmal - rare
MayanStatueSnakeSmal - rare
SnakeStatueSmal - rare
TigerStatueSmal - rare
MayanStatueSnak - rare
TigerStatu - rare
DemonHead - epic
DemonicStatu - epic (Freelancer)
StatueSkul - epic
SnakeStatu - epic
Component Trade Commodities
Capacitor (Deco) - common
Auto Mining Device T1 - common
Core (obsolete) - rare
Auto Mining Device T2 - rare
Auto Mining Device T3 - epic (Alliance)
FillerCharge/F&F Charge - ultra epic (Freelancer)
Weapon Trade Commodities
ZiraxLaserWeapon - epic
BombDrone - ultra epic (Lawless)
rocketDrone - ultra epic (Freelancer)
Rarity legend
- common = 50k - 100k credits
- rare = 100k - 250k credits
- epic = 250k - 500k credits
- ultra epic = 500k - 1m credits
OCD & Recycle preparation
The only condition to implement such a big system is that we have to change something existent… our well known OCD. This is a necessary to make this system work.
The biggest change: you can’t craft Auto Miner Devices anymore but only find in POIs, PDA missions or buy them from the Component Commodity trader.
The intention behind removing crafting the Auto Miners are:
- on voxel deposits they generate infinite resource supplys, making the market obsolete or farming on other planets
- with a surface wipe the Auto Miners are wiped too. This caused frustration since the beginning. Now you have the decision to place them in a smart way or sell them for even more credits, buying for that money resources you would have gained passively / infinitely anyways
- pushing trading and POI raids of course. The HWS Daily Loot, fa:supply and Vote reward gives you already a passive good income.
Detailed list of which items will be removed from your OCDs at what conversion rate:
-
Xeno Steel Blocks + Xeno Substrate (See the HWS Config changelog for the reason)
Credit Conversion: 150 per item (both) -
Capacitor CV
CC: 10 per item -
Deco Stone Block
CC: 10 per item -
Alien Blocks
CC: none -
Auto Miner T1, T2, T3
CC: 10000 per item -
All other Trade commodities player could have gathered somehow
CC: none
Impact to the HWS Gameplay
If you don’t know what Trade Commodities mean: these are items which can ONLY be accquired by trading or PDA missions or POI raiding.
Your task is then to find out which trader offers these items at cheap prices and find other traders somewhere else which buys them for expensive prices. Creating a positive trading balance.
There are some guidelines:
- A “Rich” economy can be found mostly in PvP playfields
- An “Average” economy can be found in interesting PvE or PvP areas
- A “Poor” economy can be found in PvE areas
Additionally certain Origins have different attributes towards that economy
- Alliance: 10% better buy and sell price for Auto Miner Devices T3
- Freelancer: 10% better buy and sell price for Fire Palm Tree, Demonic Statue, Filler Charge and rocketDrone
- Lawless: 10% better buy and sell price for BombDrone
Create profitable trade routes, watch out for pirates, create ambushes, find escorts!
(the CCC will help a lot with all of that 
)
4. 8.X Changes for PvE & PvP
Because we learned a lot from the current season and got massive feedback our plan is this time to focus 100% on content. In good content and focus on our HWS features (HWS Origin Skills, OCD rework, Orbital Factory, etc. etc.) later.
Once the content, once the gameplay is so enjoyable that you forgot about our features, we can happily say: success and move on 
HWS Gameplay changes
HWS Police (HWP)
We have reimplemented the HWP since 2 seasons now. @gareth, @JUNIPER as the leader for EU and NA. Help from @andreaHWpolice again for EU.
As a new and great addition for EU: @dQgnflua!
He is incredible helpful and spending so much valuable time for HWS, helping so many lost soulds! Thank you so much! Thank all of you so much!
As a third / fourth addition for EU @squallus.l wants to join the honor to spend his time for helpless players. Thanks a lot!
And again we see NA is lacking on numbers. No matter your feeling or the surveys: NA needs a dedicated admin - more attention! We try our best but the Earth seems to be a sphere with timezones, damn!
My plan is to speak first to some trustful, dedicated players on NA and ask them directly. If it does not help we try a public application process. Not a friend of it and guess everyone will fail, but let’s see.
Being an Admin on HWS, sharing the dedication we have, is a challenge, no lie.
ECC + HWS Garage
-
ECC was rather a test in planet styling in Alpha 8. It will be a way more nicer planet the next season!
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ECC will get a high focus. It will not only be THE trade location but also a kind of “Singleplayer / COOP” location. Bringing all story POIs to ECC like the Alien Worm Caves, Prof. Void POIs, etc. The goal is to make ECC a planet you could spent endless hours on - but still have the tax clock in mind.
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With that in mind we will only allow Class 1 CVs to ECC for only one reason: dock HWS Garage HVs to your CV and leave. CVs will be sold in the ECC Orbit to a new HWS Garage HQ (space) station (wip)
This allows us to implement way more new HWS Garage SVs + HVs on ECC.
-
The almost 2 year EGS HQ got an insane rework by Ju!
My high expectations got beaten! Improving something so old and well used was a very high challenge for Ju. Every flaw in the current one got addressed and tried to improve even more.
You can now for example use the marked zone areas for direct command usage without leaving your ship - a big convenient boost. But if you go inside and discover the EGS HQ, you will find easy routes to your destination. We are excited to hear your feedback in the new season!
Supergates
Taking the poll result above into account my goal is to create a way better gameplay regarding our Supergates. If I check roughly the statistic the Supergates are used more than 100 times per day!
While my plan is to add dummy satellites around the Supergates to extend the Antigrief and building structures there we got now way more control over them.
With 1:n relations we can focus on more detailed travel routes.
I plan for example to spread out planets very far out but let you reach them via “interstellar” travelling with Supergates faster.
This system comes handy especially for the Donator planets.
My plan is to have all 12 Donator planets in one orbit where each donator planet get his own Supergate for fast travelling.
In some PvP orbits you still can’t warp but must reach the Supergate to be able to escape.
Teleport Monolith
There will a new mysterious way for you to travel through the Universe.
But remember: no risk, no fun, no reward!
A new Playfield description will show you the Planet Address
Collect, decrypt them and you will discover new worlds!
PvE focus
Well, if you have read until here you got already a clue of what is going on with PvE. With all the Trading, Missions and removing legacy crap from current playfields we bring back more focus on content and how you can enjoy your game that way.
As a little summary:
- Class 5 planets will be very rare and focus then on biome specific deposit hunts and biome specific POI raids
- Every single space orbit will get a lot of Asteroids to farm - PvE and PvP while the rare resources stay in PvP
- Every POI will be updated to the latest state, giving you the old good POI feeling back
- ECC will be your PvE paradise
PvP focus
PvP my old good friend. It’s suffering a lot. Not only because some flaws in HWS 8 but in general code / game wise. Let’s hope for Alpha 9… !
But for the next season we took at least a lot of your feedback and trying to improve it (together with the poll results above!)
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Golden Globe will get some more hills again for better dodging and only the red gold zone will give you gold as a crust now. We will 100% concentrate on performance this time and drilled terrain is still performance killer #1
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In exchange you get a bunch of Gold Deposits you will make sure to control / mine them!
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Depending on the Poll above still, my feeling is to remove AG completely from GG but keep the “Builders League” there
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I want to encourage more dynamic fights rather than capturing and holding a planet for a whole season. That is why we go with very few Class 1 bases this time from the beginning on hotspot PvP planets. SV fights, HV fights and CV fights will get more attention (combined with EWS)
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However you can (or should) build big PvP fortresses on other PvP planets which give you important strategic control points of some trade routes (see Trade Commodities above)
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Homeworld will get a major rework, making it again properly your Home-planet for good reasons.
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Armageddon will be redesigned as PvPvE rotation planet…
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Combined with Supergates, Trade Commodities and my plan of dedicated arena playfields I hope to give PvP every chance to evolve as good as possible with all options I could come up with.
Excited to see how it turns out! Nevertheless feedback is always welcome!
With all that said, with 4 weeks on the clock before the next season let me finish this with our old but gold ritual
Thank you so much for reading until here (you are awesome! I hope you didn’t spend six hours for that, as I did for writing and making the screenshots), for your patience, for your support and we really hope for a much better next season!
This is a massive and positive step and i for one look forward greatly to the evolving system! 
