New update: Marine law, SOP, marine ranks, alert levels, nailguns, sticky and fast resins

Marine Law and Standard Operating Procedure

By Whisper

Marine law and SOP have been rewritten and added to the guidebook by Whisper! You won't need to have it open on your second monitor anymore.

The MP Update is ready and releasing!

it includes:

• Marine Law.

• Standard Operating Procedure.

• Fixed equipment for MP roles, including the pistol cases they were meant to be supplied with.

• The release of the RSH-9 Assault Revolver for the CMP.

• Role ranks, based on per role and some that increase with playtime. (Code by Dutch-VanDerLinde)

• Increased playtime requirement for important roles, guiding newer players into easier to understand roles.

Marine Law and SOP should have a noticeable impact on the strategy of the Marines, as they more clearly define the conditions and regulations regarding where personnel need to be and should be. Additionally, they allow for the creation of secure areas and field hospitals where certain shipside crew can be deployed to work.

Another key feature will be the allowance for MP personnel (with permission) to patrol these secure areas and protect non-combative shipside personnel while maintaining law and order in the area of operations.

SLs will have the authority and means to detain and transfer insubordinate squad members, civilians, and any third-party personnel to these secure areas, where MPs will take over and process them shipside, allowing the SL to continue operations without the need to return to the FOB.

This also reworks the entire ruleset, removing redundant rules and reorganizing them, as all command-level roles and MP personnel must follow marine law and SOP.

A quick one to notice, the note that only COs may approve executions has been removed and replaced with a procedure Commanders and CMPs must follow to approve them. (COs still retain the ability to battlefield execute and approve executions.)

I highly recommend reading both rules and law sections of the remade guidebook to ensure you don't miss anything new, as there are many changes. (You can also collapse guidebook sections to make it easier to navigate.)

The applications for whitelists will not be opening at this time, but they are now my primary focus and should not remain closed for much longer as I work on remaking the application process to fit with this update.

As a reminder, the Commanding Officer is a heavy roleplay position with many responsibilities, not simply a higher ranking executive officer role with perks. I would not recommend this position if you do not enjoy MP gameplay, roleplaying, or have not made an effort to learn marine law.

Commanding Officers are the highest authority on the ship in terms of law, even overriding the CMP, so a strong knowledge of law is expected. Additionally, the general expectations for a CO player, both in and out of the game, are very high.

Alert Levels

Alert levels are now in! It can be changed to Red in CIC by setting both keycard authentication devices east of the CIC bubble to red alert, then quickly swiping an ID with command access on both of them simultaneously. The Almayer control console allows you to change it back to green or blue alert. Read the guidebook to know when to set each one. There is also a sound and message associated with each one, which is sent to all ship marines and ghosts. Armory shutters now also automatically open and close when Red alert is enabled or disabled. Red alert gun cabinets will also automatically unlock and lock, no longer requiring you to break them or an MP to unlock them. Red alert gun cabinets are now also invincible to all damage but can still be destroyed by xenonid corrosive acid. There are many status displays around the Almayer that will also display the current alert level.

Marine ranks

By Dutch-VanDerLinde Marine ranks are now correctly gained with playtime and displayed in chat messages and announcements. You can also examine a marine to see their rank. This rank depends on their role and their playtime in that specific role, changing similarly to how xeno ranks do with playtime. This affects who you need to follow lawful orders from; check marine law and SOP in the guidebook for more information. This includes ranks for all marines, the liaison, and provost.

Compact and tactical nailguns

By CyberTropic Nailguns are now in! These allow you to quickly repair a barricade by using materials on it. They are also required to repair a heavily damaged barricade instead of a blowtorch. Combat technicians and some other roles get one in their kit through their vendor.

Sticky and fast resin

By Verm This update adds sticky and fast resins that builder castes can secrete. These are built faster than walls and doors and are quite cheap. Sticky resin slows non-hive members on it more than hive weeds, while fast resin speeds up hive member xenos on it. This also fixes how much weeds slow marines down. Generally, the slow on normal weeds for armored marines is slightly less now, but the penalty is heavier while unarmored. Hardy and hive weeds now also have stronger slows compared to normal weeds.

Directional armor lights

Armor lights are now directional, letting you see more in front of you, but less behind. They will automatically rotate towards where you are facing.

Burst fire changes

We are now using the same system as upstream for burst fire, which means that it should be a lot stronger for most guns.

Most notably, the MK80 and AR10 are now a lot more useful in burst-fire.

(The black square on my cursor is a recording bug, not in-game)

Other Changes

General Changes

• Lizards can now tail thump and Dionas can now chirp, by Verm.

• The autolathe can now make flashlights, drinking glasses, light tubes, light bulbs, and hand labelers, by SG6732.

• Added a lighter with an USA flag, by Hyenh.

• Added new MOU53 sounds, by Dutch-VanDerLinde.

• Added the electronics pouch to the combat technician equipment rack, by Dutch-VanDerLinde.

• Added the machete scabbard to the dropship crew equipment rack, by Dutch-VanDerLinde.

• Command, MP and some squad roles roles now require more experience to play, by Whisper.

Map Updates

• Added UNMC logo decal to the Almayer's briefing room and CIC room, by SG6732.

• Fixed Kutjevo Colony and Hydro Dam buildings not being mortarable, by Tunguso4ka.

• Fixed LV vines not having interaction outlines, making it difficult to know if you are targeting them with a melee weapon.

Fixes

• Fixed some cases where more special roles could be assigned to a single squad than intended.

• Fixed M5-ATL crosshair not being the square explosive crosshair.

• Fixed being able to move while crafting molotovs.

• Fixed some red glass security doors not allowing roles with only command but not brig access through.

• Fixed the M54C Mk1 and the tactical shotgun not being in the executive officer's weapon vendor, by Dutch-VanDerLinde.

• Fixed the SEA equipment rack not having shoulder holsters and having duplicated M3-VL vests, by PursuitInAshes.

• Fixed Sentinel Neurospit draining fewer units of chemicals than intended, it now drains 0.25 more units on hit (1.75u -> 2u), by Verm.

• Fixed sniper and scout cloaks not turning off when the user is the last marine left alive, by Dutch-VanDerLinde.

• Fixed M4SPR A19 incendiary rounds having 95 accuracy instead of 105, by DummeHytteOst.

• Fixed incendiary slugs having 20 AP instead of 5, and regular buckshot having 0 AP instead of 5, by DummeHytteOst.

• Fixed Boiler abilities Acid Shroud and Bombard being able to be used at the same time, by blueDev2.

• Fixed lighters not fitting into cigarette packs and some other storage items, by Hyenh.

• Fixed the evacuation pod door opened sprite, by Tunguso4ka.

• Fixed table to table part deconstruction being too short (1 > 5 seconds), by Tunguso4ka.

• Fixed table part to metal deconstruction being too long (1 > 0 seconds), by Tunguso4ka.

• Fixed rack deconstruction being too long (1 > 0 seconds), by Tunguso4ka.

• Fixed not being able to unwrench and pull medical vendors, food vendors, booze-o-mats, chess-o-mats, and rec-vends, by Tunguso4ka.

• Fixed some uniforms having incorrect camo sprites, by Tunguso4ka.

• Fixed the dropship incoming and crash sounds being too quiet compared to the explosion sound, by Dutch-VanDerLinde.

• Fixed Resin Whisperer nodes not costing plasma. Placing a node now also has an animation, by Verm.

• Fixed Hive Core spawning hiveless hive weeds, by Verm.

• Fixed riot armor being classified as light armor instead of heavy for movement speed, by Djvarik.

• Fixed crafted M1984 AP magazine boxes not fitting any mags.