FEATURES
Need for Speed
* The inventory service, which keeps track of the ownership and location of everything in the game, has been changed to use the new database service backend to connect and communicate with the Tranquility database. This will yield noticably less network I/O and memory usage than the previous system. The performance of most inventory related operations will improve, but there may be cases where performance will degrade. We fully expect a good performance gain on the whole though. The in-memory inventory storage has had a new index added which will address "The Jita Problem" where performance has been degrading over time as more items are primed in local storage. Maintaining an extra index induces some overhead, but frees the server from having to search through very large sets in highly populated systems. Degredation of searches over time is now a function of the player population at a given location and not a function of the number of items in a location as before.
CHANGES
Tech 3
* Several changes have been made to fix the cost of Tech 3 production: the volume of some gases required will be halved; the drop rate of the Neurovisual Input Matrix salvage item has been increased; and the material requirement for the power conduits has been switched from carbon-86 to Scandium Metallofullerene.
* Reverse Engineering will see several improvements. We are increasing the drop rate of Tech 3 datacores, increasing the runs on the blueprints from reverse engineering jobs and increasing the presence of radar sites in wormhole space.
Modules
* The Omnidirectional Tracking Link I has had its description changed and will now correctly state that it "Improves optimal range and tracking on all drones."
* Strip miners, ice harvesters, doomsdays, triage module, siege modules and other modules which previously used a CPU bonus on the ship to allow you to fit a special module now use a new "Can be Fitted To" attribute and no longer need the high base CPU to restrict the fitting of the module. The CPU on each of these types of modules has been adjusted to no longer require a 10,000 CPU base as a result of employing this new method.
Weapons & Ammunition
* The siege module explosion velocity penalty for Citadel Torpedoes has been changed from -92.5% to -60%.
Drones
* The drop rates for faction drone blueprints have been increased substantially. In addition, we have increased the material quantities needed in many containers for the parts required to make meta drones. The materials required to make faction drones and rogue drone component material volume have both been decreased.
Skills
* The pre-requisite skills for Capital Shield Operation have been changed. The new requirements for the training of this skill will be Shield Management V, Shield Operation V and Engineering V.
Starbases, Outposts and Stations
* Multiple changes have been made to the anchoring and onlining of starbase modules and structures. All offensive starbase structure anchoring times have been reduced by 50% and all offensive starbase structure online times have also been reduced by 50%. Defensive starbase structures such as hardeners will have their anchoring, online and un-anchor times reduced by 50%. Finally, all starbase tower un-anchoring times have been reduced by 50%.
Miscellaneous
* The Basic Drone Control certificate will now require the skill Drones to be trained to Level 4.