I’m doing a base defense and no machine targets the flare. Just ignore it. Then after the mission is successful other machines attack in waves and still the flats are useless. Now I don’t generally use flares but since I have a bunch I decided to use them. I know they weren’t useless months ago
Haven’t played it for a long time, so idk for sure, if the flares have no effect.
I guess it’s the new base defense system.
It gives the machines high priority targets, which obviously are set higher than flares.
And they last longer than the mission takes, that’s why many machines keep on attacking after the mission.
@Cmenz69 While i havent played since April or May.
There were no new updates that changed anything like that.
I remember that since 2023 flares arent that much effective as they were before.
Fireworks works most of the time, but flares not that much, specially the normal ones that are not adhesive.
Wasn’t it even since landfall?
I’m almost sure that the introduction of a new faction confused many systems, including flares.
Also, keep in mind that if you keep on shooting, they have no more effect on the machines. If was different before, it worked not as intended.
From wiki:
The Flare can be used as an effective distraction to divert attention away from the player(s). However, it can be negated by any other form of loud noises (ie: gunshots) and will cause machines to target in the direction of the noise.
I think it was after Landfall.
And no its not about shooting.
But who knows with so many updates since then?
One thing is for sure, the normal flares are mostly worthless now.
I guess they just work as intended.
Their effect gets negated by you and your defensive structures shooting at machines.
Also I do believe that the top priority in base defenses for the machines isn’t the player, but the furnace/drill/chem lab or how they are called.
This effect also lasts longer than the mission does, that’s why so many machines keep on coming an attacking the base.
Try flares in combat on open fields. Throw them and run away. Don’t shoot.
Yeah I’ve noticed the same lately, flares don’t seem to distract machines at all during base defense. I remember them being useful before, so it feels like something changed with a recent update.
The most recent update is a while ago…
But you’re right, base defenses changed with the latest updates.
With the new structures for special ressources to start a base defense these structures got highest priority. Obviously accidently even higher than flares… Or was it maybe even intended to prevent us from making it too easy by throwing flares?
Usually flares just have a higher priority than the players. But it’s also an effect, that can be negated by gunfire.
The problem just is, idk if it also recognizes base defense structures gunfire and enemy machine gunfire as this… Or if just players gunfire counts.
Nevertheless, the special ressources structures still have a higher priority than flares and players, so even if no one else shoots, the machines should still attack these structures instead of the player in first order, while the flares keep on burning.