SEASON 03: PLAGUE FALL
Hello Miners,
The Rivals have been pushed back for the moment, but only just in time for a brand new threat to rear its ugly head. An insidious lithophage, a sickness of the very rock beneath our feet, has struck Hoxxes.
Nicknamed the ROCKPOX, this planetary pathogen is spreading through the caves, infecting the rock and even directly affecting the local fauna. Even the hardy Dwarves can feel its insidious grasp.
Prepare for PLAGUEFALL!
With Love,
The Ghost Ship Crew
--- PATCH NOTES —
NEW EVENT: METEOR IMPACT
A rogue comet is passing through the system, shedding hundreds of infected meteoroids as the gravitational forces tear it apart. So far, every single one has carried with it a dormant form of Rockpox, and each one represents a clear and present danger to the Hoxxian ecosystem.
Be on the alert for meteor strikes during your normal missions. If one happens during your mission, clear out the impact zone immediately, and get ready to get cracking. Powerful Rock Cracker modules will be sent in from the Space Rig to assist you. These must be hooked up to the meteorite and maintained while they crack it open so you can get at the Plague Hearts inside. But beware the noise is sure to attract the locals!
The hearts themselves are highly prized by the R&D department with a Scrip awarded at the Season Terminal for every 6 Plague Hearts you bring back.
NEW WARNING: LITHOPHAGE OUTBREAK
When you play a mission with a LITHOPHAGE OUTBREAK Warning you will encounter an area in which the Plague Hearts have grown into full Contagion Spikes, rapidly spreading across the cave.
All missions with this warning come with two main objectives:
LITHOPHAGE OUTBREAK OBJECTIVE
First, you will need to destroy the Rockpox Contagion Spikes and the spreading corruption with R&D’s brand-new anti-contaminant tools. Be extra mindful of the creeping tide of Plague Larvae erupting from the infected area as you work, and be prepared for swarms of Glyphids that have already been struck by the Rockpox and seek to disrupt your endeavours.
NORMAL MAIN OBJECTIVE
Second, you will still need to complete the normal mining objective. Fighting the Rockpox is critical, but it does not pay the bills! The order in which you tackle these tasks is entirely up to you.
ROCKPOX INFECTION
As if it’s not bad enough that the Lithophage is devouring the very rock beneath your feet, once a Contagion Spike matures it begins to grow pulsating pods, filled with Rockpox Larvae!
ROCKPOX LARVAE
These squirmy little devils seek out victims en masse in an attempt to take them over. Shoot on sight and watch your backs. So far both Grunts and Praetorians having been sighted stumbling around covered in Rockpox growths.
ROCKPOX INFECTED GRUNTS AND PRAETORIANS
If you happen to come across a Rockpox Glyphid do not bother attacking it directly as the affected creatures can take a tremendous amount of damage and still keep going, we are not even sure if they are still really alive. However, if you aim for the glowing Rockpox boils covering their bodies, you can even take a Praetorian down in just a few shots.
CLEANSING TOOLS
To help you deal with the Rockpox infection and neutralise the Contagion Spikes, R&D have whipped up some tools: the LithoFoamer and the LithoVac. Both will be needed to neutralise and cleanse an area affected by the Rockpox.
The process is quite simple:
Step 1: Apply a generous coating of LithoFoam to Rockpox Blisters surrounding a Contagion Spike. The foam begins working on contact chemically bonding to the Rockpox while loosening the grip it has on the rock.
Step 2: Use the LithoVac to suckup both the LithoFoam and any Rockpox it has bonded to.
Once enough of the surrounding Rockpox is cleared the Contagion Spike will collapse, taking any Rockpox remaining in the area with it.