Greetings, Captain! We are once again breaking radio silence with a reboot of our Developer's Diary series, in anticipation of yet another Big Update. This was meant to be smaller mid-version update, but we noticed that the changelog was getting big enough that it warrants its own version. By now, many of you are accustomed to the way our experimental cycles work, but for those of you who are newcomers or would simply like a reminder, we will be releasing a build on the Experimental Branch tomorrow, which will be updated regularly with new additions and fixes, based both on our existing plans and on your feedback. Up until stable release, we will also be having weekly Developer's Diaries talking about what's already been added and what is coming soon. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40896017/5e718f92c0fc30972fb56be13503172ef5f8d563.png[/img] As we like to say, experimental cycles are always a period of intense development, and are also the best time to give feedback and engage in the process of creating Boat Crew. If that sounds appealing to you, feel free to hop on the Experimental Branch starting tomorrow, and don't be shy to share your feedback and thoughts, either on the Steam Community forums or our [url=https://discord.gg/X6whdW7mFc]Discord channel[/url]. Now let's move on to what you can expect to see in the very first Experimental Update. Be warned that we decided to start the experimental cycle with a bang, and so this will be a longer diary than you are used to. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40896017/49ad640474869914be1ac3ccfc0cc19d6587d54e.png[/img] Joining the fight on the allied side is the John C. Butler-Class Escort Destroyer, a class of lighter destroyers perhaps best known for their heroic stand at the historical Battle off Samar. Admittedly not fitting snugly within our timeline, like some of the other ships and aircraft featured in the game, this class is nevertheless arguably the one with the most historical significance and so was chosen to fill the gap between the Fletcher and the PC-461 chaser. Armament wise, she's nothing particularly special. You can think of her as the Fletcher but less so. Still, we hope she will be a welcome addition to the gallery of allies that will be joining you in the war over the Solomons. In addition, Beach Barrage Rockets are being added as an off-map fire support, as a variant of the Artillery call-in you are probably accustomed to by now. Firing a swarm of rockets instead of shells, they are less directly damaging, making them best used against coastal targets instead of ships. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40896017/aadbcc76f4170edaa960e31e0a11d1413655f5f4.png[/img] Opposite the JCB is the Mutsuki-Class Destroyer, joining the fight on the enemy side. Similar to her friendlier counterpart, the Mutsuki is here to fill the gap between Subchasers/Minesweepers and the destroyers, offering a medium range challenge. Compared to the Fubuki, she has fewer, if just as capable, guns, but still boasts an impressive AAA complement that can stop enterprising PT boats dead in their tracks should they venture too near. Those of you who have met more than their fair share of Fubukis on the battlefield should find this new enemy to be quite familiar, as they pretty much are Fubukis, just, you guessed it, a little less so. Still, they are just as capable of sinking you with one (un)lucky hit so be mindful of them as they appear. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40896017/69fefb100a31624084d43c6c0e1fc0baff53dccb.gif[/img] A rather significant change to AI behavior also warrants a mention today, with the addition of the evasive action system. In a sentence, enemy ships will now actively try to dodge torpedoes they see coming. We are making this change to make ship behavior feel more natural, and to curb the effectiveness of long range sniping shots that the enemy seemingly makes no effort to avoid. This isn't to say that these shots will be impossible; large ships such as carriers are often too slow to turn to be able to dodge even torpedoes that they see coming, but they will still try. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40896017/b6ba6968df019c8cdb4ac1e59e6ac3b96e4f3ff6.gif[/img] Although the enemy will now actually detect torpedoes and do something about them, there are some levers you can pull to stack the deck in your favor. Torpedo wake visibility itself will be a stat based on the torpedo itself, and also be affected by enemy alert status and night/day time. Even the nimblest ships will be very unlikely to successfully dodge a torpedo launched at them at night time when they aren't currently engaged in combat. We hope this system helps both with making enemy ships feel smarter and more interesting, and also with making torpedo attacks more immersive. The system isn't without its advantages for you either; your squadron mates will now also try to dodge incoming shells so no more blindly and blissfully sailing into gunfire! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40896017/552ce84a225c4e2aa6cd36ea7b401f99e65b8c80.gif[/img] To further help soothe the pain of enemy ships now getting a self preservation instinct, we are updating the torpedo sights, complete with a rangefinder. The sights should now be both more accurate, more informative, and easier to use. We read some of your requests about more realistic torpedo sights, and after much deliberation, came to the conclusion that realistic sights might be a bit too much for the more arcade-like disposition of the game. Launching torpedoes is an integral part of the PT Boat experience, and we wanted it to be accessible to everyone. Overall torpedo launch behavior improvements and the further refined targeting system mean you can expect to feel a noticeable increase in hit rate. We hope that these changes will be a satisfying compromise for everyone who asked for better torpedo sights. Currently, both the offset angle and enemy ranges are displayed with perfect accuracy, which might change to scale with your crew's progression in a future update. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40896017/7f044f7e41106ce9c4beb3029a15365f8be5291c.gif[/img] Utility weapon sights are also getting a much needed makeover, making them easier to read and easier to target with. Better sights should improve your hit rate against specific points on ships, allowing you to methodically dismantle larger ships from a distance. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40896017/91008a70f6692dcd8c1d5c8a37b65480e6b03a5b.gif[/img] Last and most certainly not the least, we are adding another playable boat to the game, for the first time since the beginning of Early Access! As the highlight of the update, this really probably should have been mentioned first, but hey, we wanted to leave something rewarding for those of you who stuck with us to the end of this unusually long diary. The 78' Huckins is a relatively less produced PT Boat variant, looking like an appealing middle ground between the 80' Elco and the 78' Higgins boats. Historically, it's not very prominent, but what it is is a high performance boat that is sure not to disappoint in a variety of combat situations. Stats wise, it will inherit the stats of the 78' Higgins, which itself will later be turned into a "premium" PT Boat that costs additional RPs to use while having better performance. For a long time now, we have intended the 78' Higgins to be a cut above the others, and it arguably already is, and so we will be making that official by making it cost resources to use. The 78' Huckins will take up the mantle as the less durable but more maneuverable counterpart to the 80' Elco. As with every boat in the game, it will have its distinct weapon placements and loadout options, the particulars of which should become apparent the more you take her into action. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40896017/4bcdb07d3ee6110cdbf0b24c69aa6c706ca3ff98.gif[/img] Despite dragging on for longer than usual, this is still not an exhaustive list of what's coming in the experimental branch [b]update tomorrow[/b], so be sure to check the changelog out once it is released. We'll be back with another diary next week. Good luck out there, Captain, T.T.