Commanders,
Arriving with Update 85, we’re introducing a targeted adjustment to The Hierarch’s Captain Maneuver, Twisted Blade, based on player feedback to improve its overall usability in combat.
Previous Functionality
- “The Hierarch increases Shots by 120% (200% at max synergy) for 2 rounds on round start against players, if the opponent has any state.”
Under the old design, the Captain Maneuver only activated when the opposing player ship had at least one state applied (Burning, Hull Breach, or Assimilate.)
New Functionality
- The Hierarch increases Shots by 120% (200% at max synergy) for 2 rounds on round start against players.
This update removes the conditional requirement entirely, ensuring that The Hierarch’s shot increase will activate in round one of PvP combat.
Why This Change Was Necessary: Understanding Activation Order
How the Game Engine Processes Abilities
Every combat round follows a strict sequence:
- Captain Maneuvers evaluate their conditions first.
- Officer Abilities activate immediately afterward.
For The Hierarch, this created a delay in synergy:
- At the start of round 1, the CM checks whether the enemy has any state. It finds none.
- After that check, the OA has a chance to apply Hull Breach, Burning or Assimilate to the enemy.
- But because the CM already finished evaluating its conditions, it does not activate until round 2.
The Fix
By removing the conditional requirement from the Captain Maneuver:
- The CM will activate regardless of the enemy’s state.
- The officer’s combat impact in round 1 matches expectations.
LLAP
The STFC Team
