Greetings, Operatives! Join us this Thursday as we kick off our Open Beta with a special Q&A livestream with your very own dev team, Team Waffle! Be sure to leave your questions in this thread, we'll pick out some of the most frequently asked questions and take questions live from the chat.

Community Manager – Lumos
Team Waffle

Be sure to tune in with us as we kick off our Open Beta! Team Waffle will be joining us on stream to answer some of your burning questions.

We will be giving away some amazing prizes, so don’t miss out!
- 1x Motoko: 2nd GIG Signature Skin
- 1x Togusa Signature Skin
- 1x Ishikawa Signature Skin
- 1x Team Waffle developer hoodie (Medium or Large sizes available)

Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 2PM PDT/ 5PM EDT/ 11PM CEST

http://www.twitch.tv/firstassault
Be sure to follow our Twitch channel to be notified of when we go live!

Greetings, Operatives. Welcome to the sixth episode of content updates from the First Assault team! We are incredibly excited to kick off Open Beta with this new update, which welcomes a new member to Section 9 – Kuro! We’re also introducing a new game mode unlike anything in the game thus far called Ghost Assault.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We’re also adding two new maps, introducing four highly anticipated SEBURO weapons, a new melee weapon, Signature character skins, new systems, and so much more!

Before you dive into these patch notes, we want to thank our operatives for all of your support throughout Early Access. We couldn’t have done it without you, and we are grateful to continue this journey with you through Open Beta!

Ghost Assault Mode (ALPHA VERSION)



Section 9 is being put to the test with Ghost Assault mode. Pulled into one of two locations (Headquarters and Geofront), the team must survive a timed assault against Cyborg enemies whose only function is to terminate the Section 9 operatives.

Stay in Camo mode and out of the Cyborg’s sights until the timer runs out. Luckily for you, the Chief feels generous today and will be dropping in ONE weapon crate to help your odds against the Cyborgs. Beat the clock and survive to win!
*Ghost Assault mode is unlocked at level 7.

Kuro – New Operative



Hailing from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, Kuro quickly racked up commendations for his combat skills. His career was nearly cut short by catastrophic injury, but he elected to undergo full-body prosthesis in order to remain combat-ready. A specialist in electronic warfare to rival even Ishikawa, Kuro can shut his enemies down with focused EMP devices. It was for this talent that Chief Aramaki, also a JSDF veteran, brought him into Public Security Section 9.

Kuro’s cyberskill is the EMP Shockwave, which places an EMP Generator that disables skills and electronics of nearby enemies.
- Tier 2 of this skill will increase the duration of the effect and the health of the generator.
- EMP Generators can be destroyed by enemies.

Headquarters (ALPHA VERSION) – Ghost Assault
With a new game mode comes a new map, Headquarters! This map, much like Ghost Assault, is in its Alpha stages, so be sure to test it out and leave us your feedback on the forums!

Underground Base – Terminal Conquest
Thanks to your help and feedback from the prototype testing phase, we are happy to introduce Underground Base in its final form. This is the first map from prototype testing to be officially released, and we hope that you enjoy the map in all of its glory.





We are now introducing the iconic Seburo weapons from the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex universe. These specialized weapons are used by members of Section 9 to go beyond normal combat capabilities. In this patch, we are adding the four variants below in addition to the new melee weapon.

SEBURO C-26A – A personal defense bullpup weapon chambered for a 5.45x45mm rounds. The standard for Section 9 combat ops.



SEBURO C-30 – A sturdy bullpup rifle with an extended barrel, reserved for Section 9’s heavy assaults.



SEBURO SR – A lighter, personal version of Seburo’s anti-tank rifle. Designed with cyberized targets in mind.



SEBURO MG – This bullpup machine gun is rarely seen in Section 9 operations, being more suited for front line work.



DOUBLE KATAR – Requiring extensive training to master, this weapon is brutally effective in large melees.



An overall weapon adjustment was made, giving the weapons an even better feel for the novice and experienced operative.
- Weapon stat values have been updated
- Increased maneuverability and control of shooting
- Recoil response is now faster (30% faster)
- Response firing is faster
- Added 3 "cyberbrain connector" attachments to the AIM ASSIST section, which syncs to the user’s cyberbrain to estimate range to target and land precise shots at set ranges
Cyberbrain Connector: Displays a weapon's valid range upon aiming / Applies additional damage at certain distances
- The following weapons’ stability have been changed:
USS 12: 26 → 31
KSG-G1: 22 → 27
KRIS-SV: 64 → 62
MP5K-S3: 62 → 61
SC-AR 45: 44 → 45
ACR1-G2: 50 → 49
S25-R: 49 → 48
SA50: 18 → 21

Introducing the first set of Signature Skins! These new skins were inspired by the original series with a First Assault twist, to show off some of the more classic looks of Motoko, Batou, Ishikawa, and Togusa. Some of these are available in the market for NX while others are only available in DLCs.











Permanent Chipsets
You asked and we listened – identical chipsets (physical and cyberbrain) are now stackable, and we’re introducing permanent chipsets! Permanent chipsets can be purchased in the Market with GP and have positive and negative attributes. IMPORTANT: This also means that existing timed chipsets in your inventory will be converted to this new iteration of chipsets. Permanent and timed chipsets can also be sold back to the market for GP. Please view our blog for an in depth explanation of chipset changes: http://playfirstassault.tumblr.com/post/147853920676/

Daily Missions
Players are now given three daily missions. Each daily mission has three tiers of completion, and each tier of completion will reward the player with additional GP. Daily missions reset on a daily basis regardless of how many or few you have completed.

Event Missions
All ongoing in-game events can now easily be tracked with our new event mission system! All events will now be rewarded automatically once completed.

Achievements
We have added a new achievement system, which can be accessed through your profile screen. This includes an initial 34 achievements, which can unlock name cards and emblems. You can now use name cards and emblems to customize your username placard located at the bottom right of your screen. Head over to the MY INFO / ACHIEVEMENTS section of your profile to check them out!

Tachikoma (ALPHA VERSION)
In Terminal Conquest, players can now summon their own Tachikoma! Rather than a Tachikoma automatically summoning when a terminal is captured, players will collect Tachikoma points by completing various objectives. Once a player collects 100 Tachikoma points, players will be able to summon their Tachikoma. Tachikomas can also be customized in the Tachikoma menu. The various different parts can be changed to fit your personal wants and needs. Please note that this Tachikoma customization system is in Alpha and has been made free for testing purposes.

Spawn Invulnerability
Now lasts a total of 6 seconds, however, only the first 3 seconds are guaranteed. If a weapon or ability is used during the last 3 seconds, Spawn Invulnerability will be immediately dropped.

Voice Chat
Back end system has been implemented and is currently being tested. We will look to enable voice chat shortly after Open Beta.

- Changed the Maven, Ishikawa skin manufacturer from AT to CSA
- Multi-language string fixes
- Fixed the silent sprinting bug

- Steam users can now access DLC from inside the game
There is a new DLC tab in the market that shows the DLC available for purchase, and should you choose to buy one, you will be taken to the Steam DLC page in the Steam overlay.
- Revamped various UI icon design & graphic effects
- Level rewards can now be accessed from your profile name card at the bottom right corner of your screen

- Section 9 Pass - These long term +100% GP boosters can be purchased for 15 or 30 days with NX
- Join Friend – You can now join a friend in a game room by clicking the Join Friend button
- Changed dive options to Quick Dive and Ghost Assault
After experimenting with multiple dive search strategies, analyzing data, and considering our goals for the future of competitive play, we have concluded a single Quick Dive mode to search for multiplayer matches is the best option for creating the highest quality matchmaking. We will be constantly monitoring the matchmaking process and iteratively improving on the system to create enjoyable experiences for everyone.
- Removed “walk” section from the movement tutorial
- Adjusted in-game default FOV value to 90
- Released the game on Steam to be available in Latin America

We have revamped login and level up rewards. There is now a leveling tier and the rewards have been adjusted to accompany that. The leveling curve has decreased and players will be able to level up much faster. Due to this, as well as the new level up rewards, we have reduced the 50,000 GP you receive per level to 20,000 GP. The login rewards have also been changed to offer a chance at higher tiered rewards. Please view our blog for an in depth explanation of these changes: http://playfirstassault.tumblr.com/post/148058661996/

Earn the new melee weapon, Double Katar! Simply log in on the day of Open Beta to receive this weapon for free!

EVENT DATES
STARTS: July 28th 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST
ENDS: July 29th 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST
*This event will be rewarded the following week during maintenance.

Play 3 Dive Matches of the new game mode, Ghost Assault, and earn GP! Reward can be achieved daily.

Mission: Ghost Assault: Seek and Destroy
Objective: Play Ghost Assault
Count: 3 Dive Matches
Reward: 2,000 GP
Type: Daily

EVENT DATES
STARTS: July 27th 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST
ENDS: August 10th 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST
*Player must join a Dive Match from the lobby and complete the match until the end to count.
*Play count is based on a full Dive Match.
*Play count resets at 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST daily.
*Max reward that can be given for the event is 28,000 GP.

Calling all operatives! Your next mission has arrived. Complete your recruit training below and earn GP!

Objective: Skill Sync of Love
Count: 150
Description: Skill sync share with other operatives
Reward: 5,000 GP

Objective: Brain Hunter
Count: 100
Description: Instantly kill enemies with a headshot
Reward: 5,000 GP

Objective: Two Birds With One Stone
Count: 25
Description: Eliminate an enemy with a grenade
Reward: 5,000 GP

ObjectiveGoddess of Victory
Count: 20
Description: Win a Match
Reward: 5,000 GP

Objective
Demolitionist
Count: 3
Description: Plant and defuse a bomb in a Demolition match
Reward: 5,000 GP

Objective: Mission Complete
Complete the above missions for the max reward: 25,000 GP

EVENT DATES
STARTS: July 27th 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST
ENDS: August 17th 10AM PST/ 1PM EST/ 7PM CEST
*Max reward that can be given for the event is 25,000 GP.

Enjoy 20% off all NX items during the event!

EVENT DATES
STARTS: July 27th 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST
ENDS: August 3rd 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST

Earn 50% bonus GP and XP at the end of every match during the event!

EVENT DATES
STARTS: July 27th 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST
ENDS: August 3rd 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST

We will be performing a scheduled maintenance on July 27, 2016 at 5:00 AM Pacific (8:00 AM Eastern, 2:00 PM CEST). We anticipate the maintenance to last approximately 5 hours, concluding around 10:00 AM Pacific (1:00 PM Eastern, 7:00 PM CEST).

Please note that the estimated length of time for each maintenance is subject to change without notification.

TIME:
Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Pacific: 5:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Eastern: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
CEST: 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Thank you for your patience during the update.

-The First Assault Team

Greetings, Operatives! I am Sang Hwa Kim, and I am a Systems Game Designer at Team Waffle. I focus on First Assault’s systems that are outside of the core gameplay, such as permanent chipsets, monetization, player progression, and more.

In this blog, we will be going over the permanent chipset system that will be implemented with Open Beta!

The biggest changes that will be coming to the chipset system are:
- Addition of permanent chipsets that can be purchased through the market
- Similar chipsets can be equipped to stack attributes

The reason why we are shifting to these changes is to focus on customization. By having permanent chipsets that are stackable, you can now customize your operatives to empower the way you play. The stacking of chipsets will create diverse builds and allow users to experiment with a multitude of chipset combinations.

With the inclusion of permanent chipsets, a resell functionality has been implemented to let users sell chipsets that are in their chipset inventory for GP. This includes all permanent and timed chipsets.

We recommend using timed chipsets to experiment with various builds to help you decide which chipsets you would like to permanently purchase.

Chipsets will have a positive attribute AND a negative attribute. You will have to take these attributes into consideration when creating your chipset build.

If you’re just now starting out in First Assault in Open Beta, you can purchase chipsets of your liking from the Market and acquire timed chipsets while progressing through the game.

The permanent chipsets were designed with different play styles and combinations in mind. We wanted our players to be able to mix and match chipsets to customize your operative to your desired play style. We also wanted our players to be able to keep those chipset combinations if they enjoyed it.

We started out testing the permanent chipsets by having everyone on the team equip a single chipset. While testing, we thought of attributes that we felt could help increase its usability, while keeping in mind that increasing an attribute too much would make it overpowered. That is where balancing and negative attributes come in.

We wanted these chipsets to become more specialized than ever. Suppose you wanted to increase the movement speed of your operative. Previously, you were only allowed to increase your movement speed to a maximum of 10%. Now, you can equip five AGILE STEP chipsets, thus increasing your maximum movement speed to 20% (which is a 100% increase over the previous maximum movement speed).

Here is an overview of what the permanent chipsets will look like in the Market!

(Please view photos on our Tumblr blog here: http://playfirstassault.tumblr.com/post/147853920676)

You can find the chipsets by going to the Market > Operative > Chipsets.

Here, we’ll go in depth of the RAPID RELOAD chipset:
- Increases reload speed by 7%
- Decreases weapon switching by 5%

If you wanted to specialize in reload speed, you could equip 5 RAPID RELOAD chipsets, thus increasing your reload speed by up to 35%. However, the weapon switch speed will decrease by just as much, so you will have to take this into consideration.

I personally enjoy playing as Ishikawa. I usually install my Cyber Sentry and hide behind it, engaging in suppressive fire. For Ishikawa, I like to equip the QUICK SKILL (TIER 2) chipset so that I can use the Tier 2 skill more often, while equipping 3 AGILE STRAFE chipsets, thus increasing my left and right movement speed by up to 30%. Lastly, I equip a RAPID RELOAD chipset, to increase my reload speed. An attribute that slows my weapon switching speed also comes with it, but I usually only use my primary weapon so this does not really have an impact on my gameplay.

Since chipset combinations will become much more diverse, try finding an optimized chipset combination that fits your own play style and your most used operative.

Please note that this new permanent chipset system is in Alpha, we will continuously be balancing the functionality and attributes of the chipsets. This is where we need your help!
Please share your feedback and thoughts with us on the forums. We will be keeping a close eye on your feedback and suggestions, and we hope to continue to improve upon chipsets and their usability.

We are excited for everyone to try out this new system! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and we look forward to hearing all of your thoughts!

Community Manager – Lumos
Production Coordinator – Disrespect

UPCOMING CONTENT TEASE STREAM! What more can we say? Don't miss out on this week's community livestream, as we'll be starting to tease some upcoming content from the next patch!

Prizes will include:
- 2x weapon of your choice
- 2x weapon skin of your choice
- 2x character skin of your choice

Friday, July 22, 2016 at 2PM PDT/ 5PM EDT/ 11PM CEST

http://www.twitch.tv/firstassault
Be sure to follow our Twitch channel to be notified of when we go live!

Thanks to all of the operatives who joined us in Early Access and our free trial period, we’re ready to launch First Assault into Open Beta next week, on Thursday, July 28.

At Open Beta, we’ll be introducing new content, including an original operative created for the game, an innovative stealth mode with hacking elements, new systems and optimizations based on player feedback from Early Access, and more!

Remember, we have extended the free access period through the launch of our Open Beta so download First Assault today on Steam or the Nexon Global Platform and dive in to join our exciting in-game events! Details: http://steamcommunity.com/app/369200/discussions/0/359543951714086493/

This week is also your last chance to buy the Elite Content Crate, which includes exclusive Early Access items that will be retired at Open Beta. Get your limited-edition pack today! Details here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/369200/discussions/0/359543951710403395/

We are excited to announce that we are extending free access of First Assault! To celebrate, we are introducing Phase II of the Major Reflection event! Download First Assault today on Steam or the Nexon Global Platform to join this event and earn the iconic Seburo MG weapon to your arsenal as well as an opportunity to earn the upcoming Motoko 2nd GIG Signature Skin. Review your mission below!

This week is also your last chance to buy the Elite Content Crate, which includes exclusive Early Access items that will be retired at Open Beta. Get your limited-edition pack today! Details here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/369200/discussions/0/359543951710403395/

You still have a chance to earn the highly anticipated Seburo MG! Welcome to Phase II of Major Reflection.

An effective commander gets results – destroy the enemy and triumph in battle as Motoko!



The Major would not let this event go by without rewarding the hardest working Section 9 members in the field. Introducing the Motoko 2nd GIG Signature Skin!



The top 5 players who have the most matches played during this event will win this coveted skin.

Individual Objective: Play with Motoko: Win Match
Count: 3
Reward: 2,000 GP
Type: Daily

Top 5 Objective: Most Kills in a Single Dive Match
Count: Top 5 Players of the week
Reward: Seburo MG
Type: Week

Most Matches Played: Top 5 Players Who Have the Most Matches Played
Reward: Motoko 2nd GIG Signature Skin
Type: Whole Event

EVENT DATES
STARTS: July 21st 10AM PST/ 1PM EST/ 7PM CEST
ENDS: July 27th 10AM PST/ 1PM EST/ 7PM CEST

*Player must join a Dive Match from the lobby and complete the match until the end to count.
*Rewards can be achieved daily.
*Individual objective count resets daily at 10AM PST/ 1PM EST/ 7PM CEST.
*Max reward that can be given for the event is 21,000 GP and Seburo MG.

Play 50 Dive Matches with a SINGLE Operative throughout the event and earn an Operative License.

Mission: Play 50 Dive Matches with a SINGLE Operative
Reward: Operative License

EVENT DATES
STARTS: July 21st 10AM PST/ 1PM EST/ 7PM CEST
ENDS: July 27th 10AM PST/ 1PM EST/ 7PM CEST

*Player must join a Dive Match from the lobby and complete the match until the end to count.
*Play count is per Operative.
*Max reward that can be given for the event is 1 Operative License.

Earn 50% bonus GP and XP at the end of every match during the event!

EVENT DATES
STARTS: July 21st 10AM PST/ 1PM EST/ 7PM CEST
ENDS: July 27th 10AM PST/ 1PM EST/ 7PM CEST