Tribes: Ascend update adds Twinfusors, new maps, voice packs, skins, party system

The Twinfusor update for Tribes: Ascend is due to deploy today, adding new weapons, maps, balance tweaks, voice packs, skins and more. The patch is named after the new weapon which is, as you might expect, a Spinfusor that fires two slightly weaker shots in quick succession. There are light, medium and heavy versions to suit the signature style of each class.
We’ll be able to test those out on two new maps. Permafrost is an icy stage full of green crystals and bases that hide their flags indoors. Blowing up a base’s generator will cause the flag to rise majestically into the wide open air, where passing pathfinders can snatch it with ease. Dangerous Crossing links both bases with a massive bridge surrounded by rolling hills and a thick layer of fog that’ll suit players who prefer a stealthy approach. Take a look at all the new additions in the Twinfusor trailer below.
It’s a big ol’ update. You can find the full changelog just underneath the video. It’s especially good to see a proper party system in place, it should really speed up those minutes wasted doing the “what server are you on? I’m on my way in. Which team are you on? It’s loading. There’s no room on your team I’ll switch over in a minute” dance.
Tribes: Ascend is free to play. You can download it from the Tribes: Ascend site to get started, or grab it through Steam, if you prefer. We love a bit of Tribes. Find out why in our Tribes: Ascend review.
Major Highlights

• Three new weapons have been added: The Pathfinder’s Light Twinfusor, the Soldier’s Twinfusor and Juggernaut’s Heavy Twinfusor.
• Stonehenge has been added to the standard CTF map rotation.
• A new CTF Map, Permafrost, has been added to custom servers.
• A new CTF Map, Dangerous Crossing, has been added to custom servers.
• New Players joining the queue (under rank 6) will now play a smaller subset of maps more friendly to learning the game. All maps will rotate for players rank 6 and over.
• Players are more likely to be grouped in matches with other players of their same level/rank.
• Players may now create a party of their friends before joining the Quick Match queues.
• Access through the popout tab on the Play Now option.
• The Leader may send invites to friends and others by name.
• Members can chat together in and out of game, and are notified when the Leader joins or leaves a queue.
• Members are removed from the party automatically if they leave the queue or game.
• Three new skins have been added: Pathfinder Freerunner, Brute Crusher and Sentinel Spectre
• Voicepacks are now available to purchase. Four are available, two female and two male.
• Players may now add a Clan Tag in front of their player name. Tags may be purchased under the Store menu.
• Additional loadout slots have been added.
• News Items now display in the main game lobby as a ticker at the bottom of the screen.

Weapon/Balance Items

• Three new weapons have been added: The Pathfinder’s Light Twinfusor, the Soldier’s Twinfusor and Juggernaut’s Heavy Twinfusor.
• Increased self-knockback (“disk-jumping” or “rocket-jumping”) on all explosive projectile weapons by 20%.
• Increased projectile collision size on all Spinfusors, Bolt Launchers, and Thumpers to 10 (as a reference, Plasma Guns are 35). This will make mid-airs and direct hits more forgiving.
• Decreased the extra delay between bursts on Pathfinder’s LAR from 0.16s to 0.072s.
• Increased damage by 8% on Doombringer’s Titan Launcher.
• Increased radius on each explosion sequence of Brute’s Gladiator.
• Increased damage 33% on final explosion sequence of Brute’s Gladiator.
• Decreased starting AOE range on Brute’s Fractal Grenade and Extended Fractal by 10%.
• Decreased damage on Brute’s Fractal Grenade and Extended Fractal by 10%.
• Reduced duration of Brute’s Fractal Grenade and Extended Fractal by 1s.
• Reduced damage on Infiltrator’s Jackal so it can no longer 1 shot an upgraded medium from stealth. This is a 16% reduction.
• Reduced knockback on Infiltrator’s Jackal by half for each explosion.
• Increased starting ammo counts on Infiltrator’s Smoke Grenade and Prism Mine from 1 to 2. Infiltrator now starts with all belt options having an ammo count of 2.
• Reduced knockback from Pathfinder’s Impact Nitron and Compact Nitron’s by 23% to be more in line with the amount of damage being done, and to favor using the increased values on spinfusors and other projectile weapons.
• Reduced knockback from Raider’s White Out grenade, Grenade Launcher, Arx Buster and Dust Devil to be more appropriate for the number of shots and amount of damage being done.
• Reduced reload time on Doombringer’s Titan Launcher from 1.8 to 1.7.
• Reduced reload time on Doombringer’s Heavy Bolt Launcher from 1.8 to 1.7.
• Increased damage on Soldier’s Proximity Grenade by 16%.
• Reduced damage 4% on Doombringer’s Chain Cannon.
• Reduced damage 5% on Doombringer’s Chaingun.
• Reduced starting ammo from 280 to 200 and upgrades from 50 to 25 ammo (each) on Doombringer’s Chaingun and Chain Cannon.
• Reduced damage 5% on Technician’s Rockwind SMG.
• Increased damage 14% on Doombringer’s Defective Frag Grenade.
• Increased damage 13% on Doombringer’s Frag Grenade.
• The Close Combat perk’s backstab bonus has been increased to double damage, and is now the first unlock for the perk.
• The Looter Perk has been increased to provide a base 50% ammo bonus, and upgrades to 100%.
• The Sonic Punch Perk has had its shockwave distance increased by 23%.
• The Stealthy Perk now reduces base sensor detection by 50%, upgraded to 90%, and the upgrade for turret targeting delay has been increased to 30%.
• The Safefall perk now starts at 50% falling and splat damage reduction, and is upgraded to immunity from all falling and splat damage. In addition, its final unlock has been increased from 80% vehicle run over damage reduction to immunity from vehicle run over damage.

Additional Items

• Added an option under “HUD” to disable screen cracking when taking damage.
• Base XP is now earned on Custom Servers at all times. “Performance XP” is earned once 6 people join the server.
• Fixed an issue where mines could be indestructible by AOE blasts if placed in certain places in various maps.
• Flag model no longer shows in first-person spectate mode.
• Spectators can now zoom in and out when viewing a vehicle.
• Fixed an issue where the camera could look strange if spectating in first-person mode and the view target entered a vehicle.
• Fixed an exploit where the Pathfinder’s Thrust Pack could have unlimited thrust energy.
• Fixed an issue where shotguns would only reload one ammo when performing an inactive reload.
• Fixed an issue where the sound on the Pathfinder’s Light Assault Rifle would cut out when firing repeatedly.
• Fixed an issue where guns that deal multiple damage per shot, such as shotguns, properly display damage numbers when shooting objectives and vehicles. Before the fix, the numbers would
• draw on top of each other making it seem like there was only a single instance of damage.
• In the VGS menu, the labels for “Turrets” and “Sensors” were swapped under the upgrade commands.
• Fixed an issue where the detection radius of a Base Radar Sensor was not increasing as it upgrades.
• Fixed not being able to log in after being disconnected from the server.
• Fixed a problem with deployable and pack ammo not showing correctly on the HUD.
• Variety of map cleanups.