Patches
Preceded by: Patch 1.39 (December 3, 2010) | Succeeded by: Patch 1.41 (May 11, 2011)
Patch 1.4 (also known as the Free Agent Update) was an update to Global Agenda, which was be released on April 14, 2011. It includes the transition to a free-to-play business model, as well as Ultra Max-difficulty Dome City Defense Raids, a CTF PvP mission, revised skill trees for all four classes, improvements to PvE and PvP maps, and many other changes.
Free to Play[]
On April 7, 2011, it was confirmed by Hi-Rezthat Global Agenda will become free to play upon the release of Patch 1.4 Those who purchase an upgrade, as well as those who already own the game, are granted the title of Elite Agent and earn special benefits.
Also, the pre-existing Boosters will apparently stack with these new "ranks" and will work no differently after the release. 10-day, 30-day, and 90-day boosters are available already.
Free Agent Benefits[]
The following benefits are granted to players who opt to play for free.
- No level restriction
- Ability to earn all of the game's current items without spending real money.
- Access to all of the game's current playable content (including the Sonoran Desert Open Zone, co-operational PvE, 10v10 Mercenary PvP, 4v4 Arena PvP, Double Agent missions, 10-man Defense Raid missions, and Agency vs Agency Gameplay (AvA).
Elite Agent[]
Players who opt to pay the one time fee, as well as anyone who already owns the game, earn the following benefits:
- Earn End-of-Mission XP, Credits, and Tokens at twice the rate of Free Agents.
- Earn End-of-Mission Elite Loot upon winning an instanced PvE or PvP match.
- Ability to choose PvP game types you wish to play when queuing for Mercenary PvP
- Access to the Auction House and in-game Mail.
- Less restrictive chat capabilities and no ads for in-game voice.
- Ability to create Agencies
- Higher Login priority.
Skills[]
Class Reviews[]
All four class skill trees have been reworked for better class balance and to encourage specialization and build diversity. All skill points have also been reset.
Skill Screen[]
Skills can now be automatically allocated using the default key, K. You may change your skills anywhere in Dome City using this hotkey; it is not yet clear if this also applies to the Sonoran Desert. This key binding can be changed in settings.
New Missions[]
Dome City Defense Raids- The Recursive Colony's expansion has become an increasing threat to Dome City and the Sonoran region. There are new reports of robotic hordes attacking the domes on the furthest reaches of the desert, and Bancroft has issued a call to arms to defend Dome City's territory.
- The Dome City Defense Raid queue is now available for agents level 40+. It is an Ultra-Max Raid mission that presents an extreme challenge for groups of highly coordinated agents. In it, Agents defend Dome City from the Recursive Colony alongside Dalton Bancroft. Recommended for highly coordinated groups, requires a full 10-man team to queue.
The Demolition PvP game mode is now Acquisition, with the following rule changes:
- Teams must now pick up their robot from the opposing team's base and bring it back to theirs for the cap
- In the event of a tie, Acquisition goes into sudden death overtime. Next capture wins.
- The Robot has had its weaponry upgraded. It now comes standard with a powerful burst Heat Ray and short sprint burst (useable on a cooldown)
PvP Map Changes[]
- All players and tech inside of spawns on AvA maps are invulnerable to nukes
- AvA Factory3 - change architecture around first point
- Blackwater Loch: 1) changed the top objective point and 2) all warnings should display properly
- Himalayan Point: 1) Lion statues can no longer have turrets placed on their heads and 2) fixed exploit where players could get through set-up barrier before match start.
- Payload - Ravine: Adjusted teleporter boundaries above Attacker spawn.
- Remote Operations Control Center - Added additional architecture to prevent players from bypassing half the map
- Sector 20 Agent Inception Center - Fixed an exploit allowing players to shoot through a small gap into and out of boss room
- Toxicity: 1) moved and/or removed textures which were partly invisible, 2) cleaned up some exploitable areas, and 3) toxic waste now causes poisonous effects in areas that were previously unaffected.
- Trafalgar: 1) made adjustments to leadship for a more varied play area, 2) additional doors have been added to cargo bay for varied access, 3) included adjustments around command room point to allow for more varied gameplay, and 4) widened the objective area and corridors around the central lower hull point.
- Volcano Assault: atmospheric pressure changes in the area have increased to the point where agents will not be able to fly upwards indefinitely.
- Weapon Manufacturing Plant: fixed a door exploitable in Double Agent games
- X1 Osprey Arena: 1) added more cover and height variations to points to provide for more interesting gameplay, and 2) fixed objective points so that activation warnings display properly.
Open Zone Changes:[]
- The Sonoran Desert Zone had a significant art/performance cleanup pass.
- Added a teleporter from New Yuma back to Junk Town
- Commander Rollins has a new mission that sends players to Dome City to acquire repeatable bonus missions for successful Mercenary PvP runs.
Mercenary PvP Loot[]
- Team count restriction has been increased from 2 to 3.
- 30+ Merc matches should now no longer award Uncommons.
- 30+ Merc matches had their Epic drop rates increased significantly.
- 30+ Merc matches now reward Crescent Jetpacks much more often.
- 30+ Merc matches now have a chance to reward new Tier-5 Dyes: Dragonscale, Chameleon, Iguana, Giraffa, and Betta Fish.
- Added Scramble: Tetra Pier and Scramble: Stockpile back into rotation.
4v4 Arena[]
- Added Triumph 9 Missile Launch Platform to the map list.
Special Ops PvE[]
- Checkpoint beacons no longer take damage in PvE
- Sector 20 Agent Inception Center: Commonwealth maintenance has patched an area where ARM agents could shoot through a gap at the boss.
- Remote Operations Control Center: Through the generous donations and dedication to the Commonwealth of double agents, facility additions were added that prevent agents from utilizing unintended routes to bypass portions of the mission.
- Dweller Hideout: Fixed an area where players were getting stuck behind meshes near the dropship
- Due to further budget cuts in the CPSD manufacturing division, Commonwealth Support-class bots are no longer immune to EMP stuns (includes Widow, Guardian, Recluse, among others).
Vendor Updates[]
- Weely token limit and cap were doubled to 100,000
- Weapon vendors selling uncommon (green) and rare (blue) devices for tokens can now be found in class gear shops.
- Level 40 perfect stat armor can now be purchased from the Dome City armor vendor for 12,000 tokens.
- Added new Tier-3 dyes: Teal and Burgundy
- Added new Holo Yellow dye to AvA Rewards Vendor
- Adjusted Profile Slot Prices: they are now 6000, 8000, 10000, and 12000 for each successive profile.
- Combat Jetpacks are now available at Level 30.
- Crescent Jetpacks now available for tokens. The purchasable versions require level 50 and cannot be traded (but there is no effect on Mercenary reward loot versions).
AvA Changes[]
- Every agency's HQ starts by default as a Defense Facility, along with the free tech they currently get for an HQ. NO Additional Defense Facilities can be placed by an Agency so every Agency has at most a single Defense Facility (as their HQ).
- Defense Facilities can no longer be purchased from the AvA vendors.
- A tab for AvA has been added to the M screen for better visibility
Medic class[]
The new Medic tree currently in Beta, as of March 10, 2011
The Medic class skill tree is also being balanced and improved upon.
Weapon Changes[]
- Reduced slowing effect from -50% speed to -30%.
- Added a Disease effect, reducing healing received on target by 5%.
- Removed the healing debuff from the Poison effect
- Now has a Disease effect, which reduces healing received on the target by 20%
- Removed the healing debuff from the Poison effect
- Now has a Disease effect, which reduces healing received on the target by 20%
- Increased the damaged caused by the Bleed effect.
Assault class[]
Weapon Changes Miniguns (iMinigun, Inferno Cannon, Helot Minigun):
- -75% flight speed penalty to right-click fire mode.
- Reduced swing speed
- Added substation bonus Threat on hit
- Reduced charged time from 60s to 45s
Shields (Range Shield, AoE Shield, Perfect Target)
- Changed device class from Overrides to Shields
- Reduced base damage
- Now deals additional damage to Mechanical targets
- Reduced knockback by half
Recon class[]
Weapon Changes[]
- Changed device class from Stims to Escape Systems
- Reduced jump height bonus
- Fall damage immunity was moved from an equip effect to be part of the active ability
- Reduced duration to 20 seconds
- Passive damage increase now only affect Ranged damage
- Recharge time increased to 10 seconds
- Damage decreased
- Recharge time increased to 10 seconds
EMP Bomb/Graviton Bomb/Venom Bomb
- Impact damage increased
- Fire DoT effect damage increased
- Added 20% threat reduction bonus for 10 seconds when used
Robo class[]
Weapon changes[]
- Reduced taunt duration to 5 seconds
- Added more appropriate debuff icon and effect
- Vision/weapon range reduced to 120 ft
- Damage decreased
- Hornets will now follow their owner if they have no target
- Reduced vision/weapon range to 80 ft
- Damage and accuracy decreased
- Reduced vision/weapon range to 40 ft
- Damage decreased
- Slow debuff reduced from -50% groundspeed to -30%; and -40% airspeed to -30%
- Recharge time decreased to 45 seconds
- Reduced damage decrease vs. mechanical targets from -35% to -20%
All other turrets
- Reduced AoE and Range protections
New Missions[]
Dome Defense - The Recursive Colony's expansion has become an increasing threat to Dome City and the Sonoran region. There are new reports of robotic hordes attacking the domes on the furthest reaches of the desert, and Bancroft has issued a call to arms to defend Dome City's territory.
- The Dome Defense Raid queue is now available for agents level 40+. It is an Ultra-Max Raid mission that presents an extreme challenge for groups of highly coordinated agents. In it, Agents defend Dome City from the Recursive Colony alongside Dalton Bancroft. Recommended for highly coordinated premade teams.
Demolition becomes Acquisition with the following Game Rule changes:
- Teams must now pick up their robot from the opposing team's base and bring it back to theirs for the cap
- The Robot has had its weaponry upgraded. It now comes standard with a powerful burst Heat Ray and short sprint burst (useable on a cooldown)
New Merc PvP Payload Map - Haulin' Acid
- A new PvP Payload map in an outdoor Sonoran desert setting.
- NOTE: This map is slated for a release later than Version 1.4, but feedback and bug tracking is needed.
New Merc PvP Control Map - Magmarock
- A new twist on a Volcanic setting.
Mercenary PvP Loot[]
- 30+ Merc matches should now no longer award Uncommons.
- 30+ Merc matches had their Epic drop rates increased significantly.
- 30+ Merc matches now reward Crescent Jetpacks much more often.
- 30+ Merc matches now have a chance to reward new Tier-5 Dyes: Dragonscale, Chameleon, Iguana, Giraffa, and Betta Fish.
Special Ops PvE Changes:[]
- Checkpoint Beacons should no longer take damage in PvE.
- Sector 20 Agent Inception Center: Commonwealth maintenance has patched an area where ARM agents could shoot through a gap at the boss.
- Remote Operations Control Center: Through the generous donations and dedication to the Commonwealth of double agents, facility additions were added that prevent agents from utilizing unintended routes to bypass portions of the mission.
- Dweller Hideout: Fixed an area where players were getting stuck behind meshes near the dropship.
- Due to further budget cuts in the CPSD manufacturing division, Commonwealth Support
bots are no longer immune to EMP stun (Widow, Guardian, Recluse,
etc).
Vendor Updates:[]
- Level 40 perfect stat armor can now be purchased from the Dome City armor vendor for 12,000 tokens.
- Added new Tier 3 dyes to dye vendor - Teal and Burgundy.
- Added new Holo Yellow dye to AvA Rewards Vendor
- Adjusted Profile Slot prices - they are now 6000, 8000, 10000 and 12000 tokens respectively.
AvA Changes:[]
- Every agency's HQ starts by default as a Defense Facility, along with the free tech they currently get for an HQ. NO Additional Defense Facilities can be placed by an Agency so every Agency has at most a single Defense Facility (as their HQ).
- Defense Facilities can no longer be purchased from the AvA vendors.
- A tab for AvA has been added to the M screen for better visibility.
Dome City Changes:[]
- Operative Vanik has arrived in Dome City and has new repeatable bonus missions for successful Mercenary PvP runs. He can be found in the A.R.M. CONTROL room alongside Ava.
- Ava Lockhart has new repeatable bonus missions for successful Special Ops PvE runs of all difficulties.
- Security around the North Door of Dome City is increasing as Recursive Colony activity continues to rise in the desert.
Other:[]
- Video Setting: Particle Detail has been reenabled, allowing higher particle detail levels.
- GMs should now be bolder/different color in City Chat.
- Added a confirmation dialog box when a player removes himself or another player from his Agency