On the 19th of September, in preparation for TwitchCon in San Diego, Battlestate Games has released a new patch for Arena. There are several interesting improvements and a few new things introduced that are quite promising. Let's discuss the patch notes together.
Reading the patch notes, the first and most important thing to note is the Technical improvements section, which promises better performance in the network component of EFT: Arena.
Since the start of the new wipe, many players (me included) have experienced worse-than-ever performance problems in Arena, including bad hit registration, desync, and general performance issues.
This patch seems to address these problems with: increased server tick rate, improved interaction between the game server and client, reduced frame time on servers (which reduces latency before network packets are processed), and fewer situations where hits were not registered.
Quality Of Life Improvements
Another interesting change is related to region selection. This is now available in-game instead of in the launcher only, and should make it much easier for players to select regions with better ping without having to exit the game.
More QoL improvements should also be achieved through the Task Widget, that will allow easier tracking of tasks. It's also important to note that now all operational tasks will be accepted automatically.
BSG also introduced the ability to re-select the equipment preset at the start of the match and when switching sides in BlastGang mode. This allows players to double-check their selected preset, make adjustments as needed depending on their teammates' choices, and even adapt to enemy strategies by changing presets when switching sides.
Balancing
The other changes introduced in Patch 0.2.1.0 are related to balancing the damage done by certain bullets and how armors absorb blunt damage from projectiles, specifically reducing the soft armor blunt throughput damage reduction from 40% to 20% when present under ballistic plates.
Let's practice!
Lastly, Patch 0.2.1.0 introduces a new and useful feature: the Shooting Range, which allows players to test their presets, practice aiming, and warm up before matches. This is a great addition because while players with both EFT and Arena could previously use the Shooting Range in EFT or the Practice Mode, those who only bought Arena didn’t have any means to test weapons without participating in a match.
Moreover, the shooting range is a great mean to improve your aiming and shooting skills, making you more prepared to fight enemies in battle. It may sound trivial, but half an hour of daily target practice can significantly elevate your abilities and reaction time. If you don’t believe me, try it, and you’ll see for yourself.
Isn't something missing?
Something I was expecting in this patch but was not even mentioned is a fix for the issues some players are experiencing with reputation in EFT after playing Arena. If you don’t know about this, you can read our article "Protect your reputation! Stop playing Arena (for now)". Check the link below.
I hope they’ve fixed the problem without mentioning it in the patch notes because I enjoy having some matches of Arena, but I stopped, fearing consequences for my traders' reputation in EFT.
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