Sparkypants Studios has released a new update for its strategy MOBA RTS Dropzone today. The new update brings a few new changes and plenty of bug fixes. A new, quicker tutorial has been implemented which should help new players out as it focuses on controlling 1 Rig over the original tutorial which had you controlling 3 Rigs. Another welcomed addition in the new update is the redesigned ping system. Players will now be able to quickly swipe their mouse in the direction of the ping they want to use similar to other MOBAs.

If this is your first time hearing about Dropzone, worry not, we got your back. Dropzone recently went free-to-play and is a strategy MOBA RTS hybrid. Since its launch on Steam the game has been able to maintain a 'Mostly Positive' rating. The game features relatively short matches which end in 15 minutes, tons of unlocklable gear, and customization options to deck out your Pilot to your liking.

Here are the full patch notes for today's update, courtesy of Sparkypants Studios:

Gameplay Notes
  • A quicker tutorial experience has been added for new players
    • Three quick missions starring Recon, focusing on 1-rig control
  • Pings
    • The ping radial (default key: V) has been redesigned, and now allows players to quickly swipe their mouse in the direction of the ping they want to issue
    • Positive and negative pings can still be issued using Alt-click and Ctrl-Alt-click, respectively
  • Various AI improvements have been implemented (WIP)
    • The player can issue positive pings to guide AI towards certain areas of the map
    • The AI currently only responds to positive pings
    • The AI will respond to player pings directly on Vision Towers, the Uplink, Hives, Kavash, Rigs, and the Dropship

Gear Changes

  • Plasma Rifle (Gunner Weapon)
    • Amplified Ammo Speed increased from 55 to 75m/s for consistency with the base Plasma Rifle ammo
  • Assault Plasma (Gunner Weapon)
    • Increased base ammo speed to 65 for consistency with the amplified Assault Plasma ammo
  • Rocket Cluster (Gunner Weapon) [Base and Daredevil Recon versions]
    • Ammo time to impact reduced from 1.5 to 1.35s
  • Atomic Welder (Mechanic Weapon)
    • Ammo speed increased from 33 to 40 m/s
  • Lapse Generator (Summoner Weapon)
    • Attack Range increased from 17.5 to 20m
    • Minion Attack Range decreased from 17 to 14m
    • Minions will now spread out around the summoner while idle or moving. Clumping is still possible but should occur less often
    • Minions will now move to engage nearby targets
  • Capacity Overload (Mechanic Body)
    • Ammo speed increased from 25 to 27.5 m/s
  • Surge Amplifier (Mechanic Body)
    • Ammo speed increased from 25 to 27.5 m/s
  • Napalm Canisters (Mechanic Utility)
    • Ammo time to impact reduced from .5 to .45s
  • Skylance (Summoner Utility) [Base and Steam-Powered Pandora versions]
    • Ammo time to impact reduced 2.5 to 2.3s
Miscellaneous Notes
  • Play Menu flow has been updated
    • The new, shorter tutorial is now located in the ‘Learn’ Menu
    • Pilot Training Missions are now located in the ‘Play’ Menu
  • Quickmatch Window
    • The Quickmatch Window has been updated
    • Queues have been separated into ‘Team Up’ modes (Team 3v3) and ‘Duel’ modes (1v1)
    • There is now a mouseover window for each queue option that describes the mode and any unlock requirements for the mode
    • There is now a checkbox option to auto-minimize the Quickmatch Window once the player has started searching
  • Gear crates in the shop are now based off Corporations instead of seasons. The gear available in these crates will be specific to that Corporation. (Such as Wallace Grumlin, Song, etc.) Due to this, various gear pieces will also have a change in manufacturerComments: Labeling gear crates based on the corporation that manufactured them makes it easier for players to understand what types of gear they can expect to receive in those crates. It also gives us some creative freedom to explore and flesh out the corporations that hold power throughout the solar system.
  • Some transmissions have received text and icon updates
  • Hive Link’s destination FX has been updated
Bug Fixes
  • Fixed an issue where Hive idle animations would freeze after aggroing the hive and then walking away
  • Fixed an issue where the dormant Hive idle animation would pause a bit before looping
  • Fixed an issue with the timing of one of the Boss abilities so the animations and FX no longer cut off early
  • Fixed an issue where custom lobby options’ hover text would not appear correctly due to inconsistent hitbox areas – this issue is fixed now but there is a 500ms delay before help text appears
  • Fixed an issue where killing the Boss while it was performing its stun attack resulted in the animation persisting beyond the Boss’ death
  • Fixed an issue where the Blueprints menu was misaligned
  • Fixed an issue where transmissions borders were appearing incorrectly
  • Fixed some text alignment issues with transmissions
  • Fixed an issue where rigs would rubber-band onto elevators within the tutorial missions
  • Fixed an issue where Ranked matches displayed ‘Unranked’ in the Watch Menu
  • Fixed an issue where Graphene Matrix’s shield FX would stay in place briefly after blocking an attack
  • Fixed an issue that prevented players from searching for 1v1 modes after a party invitee left the party
  • Minor localization fixes
  • Minor SFX fixes

Dropzone is currently available as a free-to-play title on PC via Steam.