5.3 - Hotfix 4

[Antonio]

Discovery Freelancer 5.3 "Singularity" - Hotfix 4 Patch Notes
September 1st - September 3rd 2025

USEFUL LINKS

1. Discovery 5.3 Dev Diary #3 - Announcement Trailer, Systems, Story, and More - Systems, Story, and More
   
2. Discovery Freelancer 20th Anniversary Celebration - Special event celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the DIscovery mod
   
3. 5.3 main release patch notes
   
4. 5.3 hotfix 1 patch notes
   
5. 5.3 hotfix 2 patch notes
   
6. 5.3 hotfix 3 patch notes

ART / MODELS
- Changed: Better performance for fuse explosions.

BALANCE

ECONOMY / POBs
- Removed: restock module recipe (this is a core POB functionality, no module required).

ENCOUNTERS / NPCS
- Changed: Consul encounter in Omega-43 balance changed.
- Changed: Balance of Deep Omega Anomalies.
- Changed: Pelican added to Freelancer faction spawn pool.
- Changed: Pirate Transport updated to spawn in Armored Trade encounter types.

FLHOOK / CODING
- Changed: DSLauncherV2: Will allow the player to launch the game/switch accounts when patch server is unreachable.
- Removed: borderless checkbox in FLUF settings, the main suspect in the 'Black Screen' era.
- Removed: shield color customization in FLUF until shield on/off toggle is moved into FLUF itself.

INFOCARDS
- Added: Infocards to Planet Veracruz's two moons.
- Fixed: GCSW HQ typo.

SERVER ADMINISTRATION / CONFIGS

SYSTEMS
- Added: Patrol paths leading to the Deep Omega entrances.
- Added: Narrow exclusion zones around the patrol paths leading to the Deep Omega entrances.
- Added: Exclusion zones around the Deep Omega entrances in normal Omegas.
- Added: Mining zone markers to the Deep Omega spots that should have them.
- Added: Copernicus battle music.
- Added: Deep Omega Encounters' infocards.
- Changed: Farmable wrecks' timers increased.
- Changed: Removed all tradelane disruptions for the time being. Some of them will be re-added in the future in specific places such as the border worlds once the concept is more polished.
- Changed: Fischer starsphere background stars.

- Changed: Omicron Delta:

- Changed: Durban Station model updated.
- Changed: Yaren Base fully converted into Orbital Terminal / mooring fixture for Nauru.
- Changed: Nauru local area NPC spawn composition adjusted.
- Changed: Dabadoru Base model updated.
- Changed: Kiribati Field density increased, fog added.
- Changed: Delta Battlezone adjusted to improve NPC spawn composition, and allow endless spawns.

- Fixed: Planet Timbuktu jumphole too close to the planet, sometimes unintentionally killing players.
- Fixed: Restored gravity to intended zones in Omega-97 and Timbuktu, which were accidentally removed in the previous hotfix.
- Fixed: Deep Omega NPCs' density reduced by half. Wild IFF spawn ratio increased compared to other valid spawns.
- Fixed: Intrepid Maiden spawning hostile cruisers on top of players.
- Fixed: Missing Tau-23 ambient radiation zone.
- Fixed: Incorrectly referenced station piece on Arranmore.
- Removed: King Charles dancing entry screen.
- Removed: Jammi.

Developers:
@Aingar - Coding
@Alex. - Keeping It All Running
@Antonio - Art, Systems, NPCs, Infocards
@Grumblesaur - Infocards
@Haste - Art, Balance, Economy
@jammi - Infocards, Systems, NPCs
@Laz - Coding
@Kauket - Art
@pillow - Balance
@Sombs - Systems
@Titan* - Art, NPCs
@Treewyrm - Art

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