Warhammer 40,000: Darktide News

Dev Blog: Free Update - Battle For Tertium

Hello Everyone,

[p][/p][p]Alongside the release of the Arbites Class on June 23, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide will also receive a free update, dubbed Battle for Tertium.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]New Player Journey[/h2][p]The core player experience has been reworked to provide a new clearer narrative focus, following the conflict of the Battle for Tertium. Players will now experience a linear campaign with new mission debriefs and embedded cinematics. This new progression path is designed to ease in new players and gradually unlock features that were previously gated by character level. [/p][p][/p][p]While previously each new player’s experience was completely random, the Battle for Tertium narrative presents maps, enemies and characters in a specific order, allowing players to discover all aspects of the game at a much better pace.[/p][p][/p][p]The story missions play the same as regular missions, except that these missions have a more tight control over which enemies spawn. You might also hear some new VO lines during missions, and some brand new mission debrief cinematics when completing each mission.
[/p][p]Existing players with characters at level 10 or higher can choose to skip the story or play it from the beginning. Players who change their minds about playing the campaign can opt out by using the Personality Scourge at the Chirurgeon. [/p][p][/p][h2]Mission Board Rework[/h2][p]A new mission board system will be bringing several changes to how you engage with missions and difficulties. Missions are no longer tied to a specific difficulty, allowing you to select a mission and then choose the difficulty you want. This will effectively increase the amount of mission options available for players of all difficulty levels. While most circumstances remain consistent across difficulty levels, some are disabled on lower difficulties. Notably, Maelstrom missions are exclusive to the Heresy and Auric difficulties.
[/p][p]Additionally, the difficulty system has also been overhauled. You now unlock new difficulties by completing missions rather than leveling up your characters. You must prove your skills at your current maximum difficulty to unlock access to the next one. We intend to create a motivation for new players to master the game step by step, and for veteran players to feel assured that their teammates have earned the right to be there.
[/p][p]You will make progress by playing missions at your current maximum difficulty. Completing missions advances your progress. Failure reduces progress but very slightly. Additionally, you will never be demoted to a lower difficulty tier, regardless of how many missions you fail. Higher difficulties will require you to complete more missions to unlock them.[/p][p][/p][p]For existing characters, your difficulty progression will be migrated based on their character level and completed missions.
[/p][p]Auric is now a standalone difficulty tier, placed above Damnation. We felt that Auric Heresy fell in an awkward spot compared to Damnation, with the increased mission options per difficulty, we decided it was best to turn Auric into its own difficulty level. Additionally, we have removed Sedition difficulty and made a few minor changes to Uprising to take its place, as we felt there was too much downtime with too few enemies between hordes. These changes aim to keep you in the action more often.[/p][p][/p][h2]Mortis Trials[/h2][p]The Secrets of the Shipmistress[/p][p]Sefoni’s indiscretions are getting worse! During Mortis Trials, keen-eared Rejects now have the opportunity to sift pieces of Shipmistress Brahms’ past from the psychic chatter. How did she inherit the Mourningstar? What is she hiding? Is she really on the same side as Grendyl, let alone his irksome busybodies? Delve deeper into all these and more across dozens of new memory echoes, unlockable by claiming victory in the Mortis Trials!
[/p][p]Dev Note: If you've ever wanted to relisten to the memory echoes you've unlocked in the Mortis Trials, you should take a look behind the pillars in the meat grinder.
[/p][p]New difficulty for Mortis Trials[/p][p]Since the release of Mortis Trials we have noticed people requesting a higher challenge in Mortis Trials! So, we are adding a new difficulty, Auric, as well as some other small changes.[/p]

[p]There will now be a shorter time in between waves.[/p]
[p]Waves will now have more enemies and enemy types increasing variety.[/p]
[p]We are changing the base difficulty to match an Auric difficulty mission.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Weapon Balancing[/h2][p]This initial set of balance adjustments focuses on improving underperforming weapons so they can better compete with top-tier options. Some of these changes also pave the way for new weapons, such as the powerful signature shotgun coming with the Arbites class. Adjustments to existing shotguns were made to ensure the Arbites weapons feel satisfying without completely overshadowing their existing counterparts.[/p][p][/p][p]This first round is not exhaustive but represents a step toward better overall balance. While we are aware of some currently powerful weapons that need addressing, we chose to first elevate the lower-performing options rather than immediately nerfing the top ones.
[/p][p]Key Changes in Update 1.8.0:[/p]

[p]"Devil's Claw" Swords[/p]
[p]Tactical Axes[/p]
[p]Shock Mauls[/p]
[p]Heavy Eviscerators[/p]
[p]Helbore Lasguns[/p]
[p]Combat Shotguns[/p]
[p]Double-barreled Shotgun[/p]

[p]
Detailed notes of all changes can be found HERE[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]– The Darktide Team[/p]

Grimy, industrial FPS Warhammer 40k Darktide is unleashing sweeping weapon buffs

The arrival of the Adeptus Arbites in Warhammer 40k Darktide is certain to swing the balance of power in favor of the forces of Tertium. But developer Fatshark wants to make sure that players across the board are having fun, whether they're using the ultra-professional new Darktide class or one of its existing roster of rejects. As such, the studio has revealed a big balance patch arriving with the FPS game's June update, and there are sweeping weapon buffs to bring many of the weaker options up to the new standard.

Read the rest of the story...

June Update: Early Balance Look

[h2]Hey Everyone![/h2][p][/p][p]Welcome to a new series of balancing blogs for Darktide! Going forward we will be doing regular balance changes to the game alongside big updates. As part of this journey we want to include you, the community, by sharing our intended changes early on to gather feedback and ensure our intention matches your expectations. Let's begin by discussing our approach to balancing Darktide. We strive to create a balanced game environment, recognizing that perfect balance in a PvE-focused game may be unattainable and perhaps unnecessary. However, a reasonable level of balance among weapons is essential. This ensures players feel empowered to experiment with various setups and choose options that are both enjoyable and engaging for their playstyle.[/p][p][/p][p]This initial set of balance adjustments focuses on improving underperforming weapons so they can better compete with top-tier options. Some of these changes also pave the way for new weapons, such as the powerful signature shotgun coming with the Arbites class. Adjustments to existing shotguns were made to ensure the Arbites weapons feel satisfying without completely overshadowing their existing counterparts.[/p][p][/p][p]While we are aware of some currently powerful weapons that need addressing, we chose to first elevate the lower-performing options rather than immediately nerfing the top ones.[/p][p][/p][p]Detailed explanations of the specific changes to each weapon are provided below. Going forward, we plan to implement more frequent balance updates to keep the game fresh, address outliers, and introduce new and interesting playstyles. [/p][p]List:[/p]

[p]Coming changes in 1.8.0[/p]
- [p]"Devil's Claw" Swords[/p]
- [p]Tactical Axes[/p]
- [p]Shock Mauls[/p]
- [p]Heavy Eviscerators[/p]
- [p]Helbore Lasguns[/p]
- [p]Combat Shotguns[/p]
- [p]Double-barreled Shotgun[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h2]Catachan "Devil's Claw" Swords[/h2][p]This batch of changes for the Devil’s Claw swords aims at further reinforcing the crowd control and reliability of the family.[/p][p][/p][p]We increased the offensive properties of the Light attack profiles, while also significantly increasing the armour damage modifiers of the Heavy Strikedown and Special Riposte profiles against specific armour types.[/p][p][/p][p]We improved the base Stamina statistic, reduced the minimum Block time (the amount of time that the Block stance must be maintained after performing the input) and allowed for most attacks and attack starts to be performed while sprinting.[/p][p]This will make the weapon snappier and more responsive in different situations.[/p][p][/p][p]Finally, we took a pass on all attacks to tweak active windows, ranges and hitboxes to be better aligned with their animations.[/p][p][/p][p]For the Mk I, we added a new Heavy Strikedown attack, only reached from Light 3. In turn, the Light 3 attack is now reachable also from the Push action, and has an increased baseline power multiplier. [/p][p]These additions will grant additional options to a mark which was lacking in single target attacks.[/p][p][/p][p]For the Mk IV, we raised the power level multiplier of the Light 4 attack as it was very far into the attack chain and not particularly enticing.[/p][p][/p][p]For the Mk VII, we increased the power level multiplier of the Pushfollow and Light 3 attacks while also changing the possible combos after a Riposte attack.[/p][p]Now after a successful Special Parry, the combo will chain into the Pushfollow attack instead of Light 3; as the Pushfollow attack still chains into Light 3, this will give the mark a new unique chain.[/p][p][/p][h3]Detailed Changes - Catachan "Devil's Claw" Swords[/h3][p]Damage profiles[/p]

[p]Light Vanguard[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {40, 80} to {60, 100}[/p]

[p]Dev Note: The change will also affect the Turtolsky Heavy Swords Special followup Light attacks[/p]

[p]Light Strikedown / Light Strikedown Stab[/p]
- [p]1st target adm vs Maniac from 1 to 1.25[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {100, 200} to {115, 230}[/p]
- [p]2nd target damage from {25,60} to {40,80}[/p]

[p]Dev Note: The changes will also affect the Turtolsky Heavy Swords Pushfollow attacks and the Maccabian Mk V Duelling Sword Light 3 attack[/p]

[p]Heavy Strikedown[/p]
- [p]1st target adm vs Unarmoured from 1 to 1.1[/p]
- [p]1st target adm vs Unyielding from 0.75 to 1.25[/p]
[p]Riposte[/p]
- [p]1st target adm vs Unarmoured from 1 to 1.25[/p]
- [p]1st target adm vs Unyielding from 1 to 1.25[/p]
- [p]1st target adm vs Carapace armour from 0.25 to 0.5[/p]

[p]All marks[/p]

[p]Added Allowed during sprint to most attacks and attack starts[/p]
[p]Block minimum time from 0.3 to 0.225[/p]
[p]Stamina template update:[/p]
- [p]Base Stamina from 4 to 4.5[/p]
[p]Tweaked damage windows, hitboxes and ranges for several attacks[/p]
[p]Updated Inspect screen to correct some attack gestalt icons (visual only change)[/p]

[p]Mk I[/p]

[p]Added a new Heavy Strikedown attack with 540 power level multiplier [/p]
- [p]This attack will chain only from Light 3[/p]
[p]Light 3 chains now to Light 2 / new Heavy Strikedown instead of Light 1 / Heavy 1[/p]
[p]Push chains now to Light 3 / Heavy 1 instead of Light 1 / Heavy 1[/p]
[p]Heavy 2 chain time to Start attack from 0.55 to 0.5[/p]
[p]Push chain time to Start attack from 0.35 to 0.3[/p]
[p]Added 545 power level multiplier to Light 3[/p]
[p]Added 535 power level multiplier to Pushfollow attack[/p]

[p]Mk IV[/p]

[p]Heavy 1 windup from secondary start from 0.56 to 0.46[/p]
[p]Added 550 power level multiplier to Light 4[/p]

[p]Mk VII[/p]

[p]Pushfollow damage profile from Light Strikedown to Light Strikedown Stab[/p]
[p]Riposte chains now to Pushfollow / Heavy 1 instead of Light 3 / Heavy 1[/p]
[p]Added 535 power level multiplier to Light 3[/p]
[p]Added 525 power level multiplier to Pushfollow attack[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Atrox Tactical Axes[/h2][p]While sporting overall good mobility, the Tactical Axes had only average Sprint values.[/p][p][/p][p]We significantly improved their Sprint profile, while also allowing for most attacks and attack starts to be performed while sprinting. [/p][p]We also significantly raised the damage of the Special attacks and added a new profile for the Heavy Strikedowns with a vertical or uppercut direction, with increased damage and Carapace armour modifier. [/p][p]Finally, we took a pass on all attacks to tweak active windows, ranges and hitboxes to be better aligned with their animations. [/p][p]For the Mk II, we added a power level boost to the Light 3 attack, as it is further into the attack chain, and to both Special attacks, as they are slower compared to the other two marks. [/p][p]For the Mk IV, we upgraded the damage profile for both Heavy attacks and slightly lowered their chain timings, as they are both performed in a vertical or uppercut direction. [/p][p]For the Mk VII, we added a power level boost to all Light attacks, as they inflict a higher movement speed penalty compared to the Lights of the other marks, and changed the Heavy 2 profile to the new Heavy Strikedown. [/p][h3]Detailed Changes - Atrox Tactical Axes[/h3][p]Damage profiles[/p]

[p]Light Assassin[/p]
- [p]Added 3rd target[/p]
[p]Heavy Strikedown (diagonal)[/p]
- [p]Adm vs Carapace armour from 0.25 to 0.3[/p]
[p]Added a new Heavy Strikedown profile for vertical and uppercut attacks, with the same properties as Heavy Strikedown (diagonal) aside from:[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {100,200} to {115,230}[/p]
- [p]1st target adm vs Carapace armour from 0.3 to 0.5[/p]
[p]Special Stab[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {25,50} to {70,140}[/p]
- [p]Removed Crit Chance bonus[/p]
[p]Special Strikedown[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {25,50} to {60,120}[/p]
- [p]1st target impact from {8,16} to {10,20}[/p]
- [p]Removed Crit Chance bonus[/p]

[p]All marks[/p]

[p]Sprint template from “default” to “assault”[/p]
- [p]Forward acceleration from {0.15, 0.4} to {0.4, 0.8}[/p]
- [p]Forward deceleration from 1.25 to 2.1[/p]
- [p]Sprint speed modifier from {-0.5, 0.5} to {-0.25, 0.85}[/p]
[p]Increased action total time for most Heavy attacks[/p]
- [p]This will make continuing the combo chain after the attacks more forgiving[/p]
[p]Added Allowed during sprint to most attacks and attack starts[/p]
[p]Tweaked damage windows, hitboxes and ranges for most attacks[/p]
[p]Buffer time for the Special input from 0.2 to 0.4[/p]

[p]Mk II[/p]

[p]Added power level multiplier 515 to Light 3[/p]
[p]Added power level multiplier 550 to Special 1 and Special 2[/p]

[p]Mk IV[/p]

[p]Changed damage profile of Heavy 1 and Heavy 2 from Heavy Strikedown (diagonal) to the new Heavy Strikedown (vertical/uppercut)[/p]
[p]Lowered chain times to Start Attack and Special Attack from Heavy 1 and Heavy 2 from 0.5 to 0.4[/p]
[p]Added power level multiplier 515 to Heavy 2[/p]

[p]Mk VII[/p]

[p]Changed damage profile of Heavy 2 from Heavy Strikedown (diagonal) to the new Heavy Strikedown (vertical/uppercut)[/p]
[p]Added power level multiplier 550 to Light 1, Light 2, Light 3 [/p]

[h2]Shock Mauls[/h2][p]The Shock Mauls, while being dependable in inflicting stagger, were also below average in damage output and overall not very exciting. [/p][p]We increased the damage against the 1st target on most profiles, with a particularly large bonus to the Heavy Strikedown and Special attacks.[/p][p][/p][p]We also enhanced the base Stamina template, and tweaked hitboxes and active windows of some attacks to better align with their animations. [/p][p]For the attacks with an uppercut direction (Light 3 on the Mk Ia / Light 4 on the Mk III) we slightly delayed the start of the attack active window to make it easier to connect with weakspots. [/p][p]Finally, for the Mk Ia, we added power level multipliers to the Light 3 and Light 4 attacks, to make them a more enticing combo alternative to just returning to Heavy 1. [/p][h3]Detailed Changes - Shock Mauls[/h3][p]Damage profiles[/p]

[p]Light Strikedown[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {100,200} to {115,210}[/p]
[p]Light Vanguard[/p]
- [p]Cleave from “light” to “medium”[/p]
  - [p]From {3.0,6.0} to {4.0,9.0}[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {100,150} to {110,165}[/p]
[p]Heavy Relentless[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {110,260} to {120,270}[/p]
[p]Heavy Strikedown[/p]
- [p]Cleave from “big” to “light”[/p]
  - [p]From {8.5,12.5} to {3.0,6.0}[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {140,350} to {160,390}[/p]
- [p]4th target damage override removed (from 0 to {30,50})[/p]
[p]Light Relentless[/p]
- [p]adm vs Maniac from 0.8 to 0.75[/p]
- [p]adm vs Carapace armour from 0.75 to 0.4[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {80,150} to {90,165}[/p]
[p]Special attack[/p]
- [p]Sticky damage tick from {10,70} to {30,80}[/p]
- [p]Stun damage tick from {40,50} to {50,65}[/p]

[p]All marks[/p]

[p]Stamina template update:[/p]
- [p]Base Stamina from 4 to 4.5[/p]
- [p]Sprint cost per second from {1.5, 0.5} to {1.25, 0.75}[/p]
- [p]Inner angle Block cost from {1.5, 0.5} to {1.0, 0.5} [/p]

[p]Mk Ia[/p]

[p]Light 1 damage profile from Light Relentless to Light Vanguard[/p]
[p]Added power level multiplier 530 to Light 3[/p]
[p]Added power level multiplier 550 to Light 4[/p]
[p]Tweaked hitboxes for Light 3 and Light 4[/p]
[p]Tweaked damage windows for Light 4 to make it easier to connect with weakspots[/p]

[p]Mk III[/p]

[p]Tweaked hitboxes and damage windows for Light 1 and Light 2[/p]
[p]Tweaked damage windows for Light 3 to make it easier to connect with weakspots[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Tigrus Heavy Eviscerators[/h2][p]The Eviscerators thunder was in part stolen by the Relic Blades, which have overall better cleave properties while also being no slouch in the single target department. [/p][p]To give these iconic Zealot weapons a deserved bump, we tweaked most of the attack profiles: we removed the damage caps on secondary targets for the sweeping Vanguard/Relentless attacks, but also increased several armour modifier values, significantly improved the damage on the Heavy profiles and normalised most of the Special active profiles. [/p][p]For the Mk III, we changed the chain times to key actions after the Heavy 1 attack to make it more responsive but less spammable with swap cancelling, slightly increased the speed of the Light 2 attack and added a power level multiplier to the Light 3 and Heavy 2 attacks. [/p][h3]Detailed Changes - Tigrus Heavy Eviscerators[/h3][p]Damage profiles[/p]

[p]Light Strikedown[/p]
- [p]adm vs Maniac from 0.5 to 0.9[/p]
- [p]adm vs Infested from 0.75 to 1[/p]
- [p]Removed adm reduction on 1st target vs Carapace armour; from 0.1 to 0.25[/p]
[p]Light Vanguard/Relentless[/p]
- [p]Upped damage on secondary targets[/p]
- [p]Removed damage cap after 4th target[/p]
[p]Heavy Vanguard[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {150,300} to {165,345}[/p]
- [p]1st target finesse multiplier from 0.5 to {0.4,1.0}[/p]
- [p]Upped damage on secondary targets[/p]
[p]Heavy Strikedown[/p]
- [p]1st target damage from {150,300} to {175,350}[/p]
- [p]1st target adm vs Carapace armour from 0.25 to 0.5[/p]
- [p]1st target finesse multiplier from 0.5 to {0.5, 1.0}[/p]
[p]Light Strikedown (Special active)[/p]
- [p]Removed damage overrides[/p]
- [p]Removed finesse multiplier override[/p]
[p]Light Vanguard/Heavy Strikedown/Pushfollow (Special active)[/p]
- [p]Removed damage overrides[/p]

[p]All marks[/p]

[p]Added 0.4s buffer time to the Unwield input[/p]

[p] Mk III[/p]

[p]Heavy 1 chain to Unwield from 0 to 0.45[/p]
[p]Heavy 1 chain to Start attack from 0.6 to 0.45[/p]
[p]Heavy 1 chain to Block from 0.7 to 0.6[/p]
[p]Light 2 time scale from 0.85 to 0.9 (sped up)[/p]
[p]Added power level multiplier 525 to Heavy 2 and Light 3[/p]
[p]Updated Heavy 2 and Pushfollow attack damage profiles on Special abort [/p]

[p]Mk XV[/p]

[p]Updated Pushfollow attack damage profiles on Special active and Special abort [/p]

[h2]Lucius Helbore Lasguns[/h2][p]The Helbore Lasguns suffered from a very long Wield action duration, making it hard to quickly swap to them to shoot at priority targets (especially accounting also for the shot charging).[/p][p]While this behaviour was intended, it also became increasingly punishing as the enemy numbers grew in higher difficulties. [/p][p]In this balancing pass we sped up the Wield action, walking the line of maintaining the cumbersome feeling while also allowing for the weapons to be easier to swap into. [/p][p]Alongside this change, we improved some of the armour and Finesse modifiers for ranged shots, and extended the hitscan radius of the las projectiles*, to make it easier for the weapon to shine as a marksman tool. [/p][p]* This will make the hitscan detection more generous and allow for shots that would have slightly missed the target to still be considered a hit. [/p][p]For the Mk V, we slightly increased the camera zoom in ADS mode. [/p][p]For the Mk IV, we increased the camera zoom in ADS mode to be equivalent as the Mk IIIa. [/p][p]We also improved the speed and offensive properties of the Special Slash attack, to be more in line with the Special Stab used in the other marks. [/p][h3]Detailed Changes - Lucius Helbore Lasguns[/h3][p]Damage profiles[/p]

[p]Near charged shot [/p]
- [p]adm vs Unarmoured from 1 to 1.1[/p]
- [p]adm vs Maniac from 1 to 1.25[/p]
- [p]adm vs Infested from 1 to 1.1[/p]
[p]Far charged shot[/p]
- [p]adm vs Unarmoured from 1 to 1.25[/p]
- [p]adm vs Infested from 1 to 1.25[/p]
[p]All shots Finesse Boost[/p]
- [p]vs Carapace armour from 0.1 to 0.2[/p]
- [p]vs Maniac from 0.25 to 0.35[/p]
- [p]vs Unyielding from 0.25 to 0.3[/p]
[p]Special Slash[/p]
- [p]Added Ignore stagger reduction[/p]
- [p]1st target finesse multiplier from 0.75 to 1[/p]

[p]All Marks[/p]

[p]Added time scale 1.5 to Wield action (sped up)[/p]
[p]Added 0.05 radius to hitscan templates[/p]
[p]Buffer time for the Special input from 0.2 to 0.4[/p]

[p]Mk V[/p]

[p]ADS Vertical Field of View from 65 to 55[/p]

[p]Mk IV[/p]

[p]Chain from Special start to Special attack from 0.3 to 0.25[/p]
[p]Chain from Special attack to Special start from 0.7 to 0.645[/p]
[p]Tweaked Special attack hitbox and damage window[/p]
[p]ADS Vertical Field of View from 65 to 45[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Combat Shotguns[/h2][p]The Combat Shotguns have been in a spot where they are mostly used for their Special shells, while the normal shots felt underwhelming in most circumstances. They also suffered from long reload times relative to other weapons.[/p][p]With this update we are trying to improve the overall usability without relying solely on the Special mechanic. Along with increased base damage and reload speed, the Combat Shotgun family gets updated Sprint and Stamina templates, to enable a more mobile, close-range playstyle and not rely only on precision weak-spot shots.[/p][p]We also significantly increased the ammo reserves for all marks.[/p][p][/p][p]Finally, we slightly increased the Cleave and Impact values to allow it to punch through lesser enemies. [/p][p]For the Mk VII, we aligned the Finesse boost curve between hipfire and ADS modes. [/p][p]For the Mk IX, we slightly extended the Near and Far effective ranges. [/p][h3]Detailed Changes - Combat Shotguns[/h3][p]All Marks[/p]

[p]Sprint template from “killshot” to “assault”[/p]
- [p]Sprint forward acceleration from {0.15, 0.4} to {0.4, 0.8}[/p]
- [p]Sprint forward deceleration from 1.25 to 2.1[/p]
- [p]Sprint sideway acceleration/deceleration from 5 to 7[/p]
- [p]Sprint speed modifier from {0.5, 0.5} to {0.25, 0.85}[/p]
[p]Updated Stamina template [/p]
- [p]Stamina modifier from 2 to 4[/p]
- [p]Sprint cost per second from {2, 1.5} to {1.5, 0.5}[/p]
[p]Increased Reload speed by around 10%[/p]
- [p]Affecting both regular and special shells[/p]

[p]Damage profiles[/p]

[p]Zarona MK VI[/p]
- [p]Damage from {250, 500} to {300, 600}[/p]
- [p]Cleave[/p]
  - [p]Cleave attack From 0.01 to {2, 4}[/p]
  - [p]Cleave impact from 0.01 to {2, 4}[/p]
- [p]Ammo reserve from {60, 80} to {70, 95}[/p]
[p]Agripinaa Mk VII[/p]
- [p]Damage from {200, 400} to {250, 480}[/p]
- [p]Cleave[/p]
  - [p]Cleave attack From 1.3 to 2.5[/p]
  - [p]Cleave impact from 1.3 to 2.5[/p]
- [p]Ammo reserve from {75, 95} to {80, 105}[/p]
- [p]Finesse boost curve shooting from HipFire increased to match ADS.[/p]
  - [p]{0.6,1.2} to {1.25,2.5}[/p]
[p]Accatran Mk IX[/p]
- [p]Damage from {450, 700} to {550, 740}[/p]
- [p]Cleave[/p]
  - [p]Cleave attack From 2 to 3.5[/p]
  - [p]Cleave impact from 1 to 3[/p]
- [p]Ranges[/p]
  - [p]Close range from {6, 8} to {6, 11}[/p]
  - [p]Long range from {12, 16} to {12, 17}[/p]
- [p]Ammo reserve from {45, 65} to {55, 85}[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Double-barreled Shotgun[/h2][p]To increase the reliability of the weapon against bigger targets, we increased the armour damage modifier against the Unyielding type at both Near and Far ranges.[/p][p]Additionally, we slightly raised the ammo reserves to allow for more aggressive approaches.[/p][p][/p][h3]Detailed Changes - Double-barreled Shotgun[/h3][p]Damage profiles[/p]

[p]adm vs Unyielding[/p]
- [p]Near from 1.0 to 1.1[/p]
- [p]Far from 0.5 to 0.65[/p]

[p]Ammo reserve increased from {40, 80} to {50, 90}[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Future Balancing Pass[/h2][p]While not included in this round of changes (and not the only tweaks considered) these are on our radar for a future balancing pass.[/p][h3]Duelling Swords [/h3][p]We are currently undertaking a comprehensive rework of the weapon, examining every aspect. While a damage reduction is probable, and will likely contribute to the solution, our aim is to bring its power level in line with other weapons while reinforcing its player fantasy and raising its skill ceiling.[/p][h3]Plasma Gun[/h3][p]We recognise that the Plasma Gun's primary attack presents an issue. This often leads to gameplay revolving around quick attacks, bypassing the intended trade-offs associated with the potent, yet volatile, secondary charged attacks.[/p][p][/p][p]Give this a read and let us know your thoughts in the comments below! We’ll be reading the comments and feedback to our plans. [/p][p]See you on the Mourningstar.[/p][p][/p][p]– The Darktide Team[/p][p] [/p]

Dev Blog: Arbites Talent Tree

Hello everyone!

[p][/p][p]This is one of several developer blogs centered around different aspects of the recently announced upcoming class, the Arbites! This dev blog will focus on the class’ talent tree![/p][p][/p][p]We’ve interviewed Design Director Victor and Game Designer Gunnar to get their insight into its design, and the three distinct styles that can be found in it.[/p][p][/p][p]“I’m Victor, I’m the Design Director at Darktide. I’ve been at Fatshark for 16 years, working as a designer in different ways.” - Victor[/p][p][/p][p]“My name is Gunnar and I am currently a Game Designer, but I started at Fatshark in 2018 as a Gameplay Coder on Vermintide, and a few years ago I switched to become a Designer instead.” - Gunnar[/p][p]
[/p][h2]What was the process for making the Arbites’ talent tree?[/h2][p]The class rework from Patch #13 was our first dive into the style of talent tree that we now have, with plenty of choices and flexibility but also a defined design goal behind it. We’ve learned a lot since then, and we hope that reflects on the Arbites’ tree.[/p][p][/p][p]We looked at the existing talent trees and we considered what worked and what was necessary to build the core skeleton of the tree. Once that was done, we built from that foundation into the various talents and choices you’ll have available. We purposely aimed to not overextend with the amount of nodes available and tried to focus on making each node meaningful and impactful.
[/p][p]“As you’re going through the tree you’re not just looking at stat bonuses, you’re looking at ‘what would your Arbites in the Warhammer: 40,000 universe do or be good at.” - Gunnar
[/p][p]A key aspect that guided the design of the tree is enabling different Player Fantasies, the cool thing that each individual player is seeking to do while playing Arbites. This is what resulted in the three distinct gameplay styles mentioned earlier, but it also made us focus on enabling anything in between. The system is meant to be flexible and players are encouraged to come up with their own variation of a build, and that goes for all of the existing talent trees.[/p][p][/p][p]“It’s up to the players to figure out and come up with their own sort of playstyle of fantasy of how THEY think their dream Arbites (in this case) functions.” - Victor[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]
The Three Paths[/h2][p][/p][p]Due to the nature of the talent trees, players are free to mix and match whatever talents they wish, provided they have the points and can path their way down the tree. However, as with our existing classes, there are three distinct gameplay & combat styles that the main branches of the tree embody, and players can focus on these paths to specialize in these styles.[/p][p][/p][p]While they don’t have an official name, for this dev blog we can refer to them as Subjugator, Exterminator, and Investigator.[/p][p][/p][h3]Subjugator[/h3][p]Following the right side of the talent tree you will find talents that will allow you to dive into the thick of combat to break apart the formations of the criminal scum, tapping into an identity akin to riot police. These talents focus heavily on melee, staggering enemies and tanking.[/p][p][/p][p]Sneak peak at some of the talents:[/p]

[p]Hammer of Judgement: Increased Attack Speed when hitting multiple enemies with a single Melee Attack.[/p]
[p]Suppression Protocols: Hitting multiple enemies with a single Melee Attack grants Toughness Damage reduction.[/p]
[p]Target the Weak: Enemies staggered by your Melee Attacks take more damage from Melee.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Exterminator[/h3][p]“Then we’ve also always been keen on fulfilling the shotgun fantasy of being this unstoppable force… walking down a corridor… just blasting everything that gets within range.” - Gunnar[/p][p][/p][p]Relevant talents for shotgun gunplay can be found all over the talent tree, but it is the middle branch that has the most focus on it. This gameplay style focuses on high firepower at close range, blasting enemies of the Law with unflinching and implacable impunity.[/p][p][/p][p]Sneak peak at some of the talents:[/p]

[p]Withering Fire: Improved Ranged Damage after Reloading.[/p]
[p]Up Close: Replenish toughness on Close Kill.[/p]
[p]March: Increased Movement Speed on Ranged Hit.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Investigator[/h3][p]Found on the left side of the tree, this playstyle focuses on eliminating high priority targets. Elites, Specials, even Monsters. It’s about being ‘on the chase’, relentlessly hunting down a perp and bringing them the Emperor’s Justice.
[/p][p]The talents here are quite varied and flexible. There’s a mix of melee and ranged talents, as well as some support nodes. This is also where most (but not all!) of the talents related to the Cyber Mastiff are (although you can easily build into the Investigator branch without picking them!)[/p][p][/p][p]Sneak peak at some of the talents:[/p]

[p]No Escape: Improved Damage and Movement Speed after killing a Special or Elite.[/p]
[p]Canine Morale: Killing enemies Pounced by your Cyber Mastiff grants Toughness and Toughness Damage Reduction to Allies in Coherency.[/p]
[p]Serrated Maw: Your Cyber Mastiff applies Brittleness on attack.[/p]

[p][/p][p]“That was also an important point \[...] We wanted to make sure that no matter if you went left, right or middle, you could always create a build that interacted with your Mastiff - So that you didn’t lock yourself out of playing with your Mastiff just because you also wanted to be melee focused, or because you wanted to do well with the shotgun.” - Gunnar[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]
While there’s three distinct identities to be found for the Arbites if you focus on a particular talent tree path, it’s important for us that the tree itself remains flexible and allows players to combine talents as they wish and develop the playstyle that best suits them.
[/p][p]For that reason, we took great care in making sure that any of the three options for your Combat Ability, your Blitz and your Coherency aura are easily accessible regardless of what path you’re going down, and easily connect to any of the three paths. You can then think of them as independent of those three playstyles, even if there’s a niche that they fit best into.[/p][p]
[/p][h2]Coherency Aura[/h2][p][/p][h3]Base Coherency Aura: Ruthless Efficiency[/h3][p]Simple, but effective: this is the initial Aura for the Arbites and it gives you and your Allies in Coherency a bonus to reload speed.[/p][p][/p][h3]Part of the Squad[/h3][p]For those focusing on the Cyber Mastiff, this option makes your loyal companion count as an Ally for the purposes of Coherency. Additionally, this talent also gives every Ally in Coherency a small bonus to Toughness Damage Reduction.[/p][p][/p][h3]Breaking Dissent[/h3][p]This Coherency Aura increases the damage dealt by you and Allies in Coherency against enemies that are currently Staggered.[/p][p][/p][h2]Blitz[/h2][p][/p][h3]Base Blitz: Arbites Grenade[/h3][p]The default Blitz that all Arbites players start with is a standard issue Arbites Grenade. Compared to the Veteran’s frag grenades, it packs a stronger punch but has a smaller radius and explodes on impact rather than after a delay.[/p][p][/p][h3]Remote Detonation[/h3][p]The Remote Detonation Blitz requires some coordination with your loyal companion! Upon activating it, an electric discharge will burst from your Cyber Mastiff’s position, dealing damage and heavy stagger impact.[/p][p][/p][p]“It has quite a powerful stagger as well, so if your Mastiff is in the middle of attacking a Monster, like on the Plague Ogryn’s back, and you use it, the Plague Ogryn will stagger forward, disrupting its attacks. So it’s a lot about timing and keeping track of where your Mastiff is to get the most benefit out of it.” - Gunnar[/p][p][/p][p]This Blitz also recharges on a cooldown, rather than by picking up a Grenade Box.[/p][p][/p][h3]Voltaic Shock Mine[/h3][p]Choosing Voltaic Shock Mines as your Blitz will allow you to set up proximity mines on the ground at spots of your choosing. As enemies draw close to it, it will activate and shock anything that comes near it for a sustained duration. Compared to the Zealot’s Shock Grenade, it has a smaller radius but lasts a lot longer.
[/p][p]“It’s one of the first Blitzes that we have that allow you to actually prepare for what’s to come. So if you come into an event area and you know that they’re gonna come from that door, or that direction, you can set up before engaging with the event.” - Victor[/p][p]
[/p][h2]Combat Abilities[/h2][p][/p][h3]Base Combat Ability: Nuncio-Aquila[/h3][p]The default Combat Ability for the Arbites is Nuncio-Aquila, which brings forth a booming loudspeaker on a specific point you aim it at. It will blast the word of the Imperial Law at full blast, empowering nearby allies and debilitating nearby enemies.[/p][p][/p][p]“It’s like that scene in a movie, where the bad guys are hiding in a house and the police turn on the speakers and start telling them ‘You better give up, you’re surrounded.’, so they start freaking out.” ~ Victor[/p][p][/p][h3]Castigator’s Stance[/h3][p]This Ability turns you into an unstoppable juggernaut, unleashing the Emperor’s Judgement on the enemy as you walk menacingly forward, unflinching and unphased. Entering the stance removes your ability to sprint, but increases your base movement speed and massively reduces your damage taken for a time.[/p][p][/p][h3]Break the Line[/h3][p]This Ability makes your Arbites perform a short lunge forwards and then bash every enemy in front of you with your equipped Melee weapon, staggering enemies in a wide area in front of you but without dealing any damage.[/p][p][/p][p]This Ability is on a very short cooldown (the shortest in the game!) so make sure to use it often to clear the way and subjugate the criminal mob![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Design and Development[/h2][p][/p][h3]Were there any noteworthy changes in design that happened during development?[/h3][p]Originally, the base Combat Ability was going to be the Castigator’s Stance! However, during playtesting we found that it was very unintuitive for players just starting out, as visually it doesn’t really convey all of the effects that it has and it’s hard to tell how it’s meant to be used or what it’s doing for you. Nuncio-Aquila is far more straightforward and easier to understand without having to read its description, while still being sufficiently iconic for the Arbites, so we ended up changing the default Ability to that one.[/p][p][/p][p]Another thing is that at one point, a chunk of the tree was dedicated to talents about picking your Arbites’ armour, based on various options from the lore or tabletop. So you’d pick things like what kind of visor your Arbites wore, or from what areas was the gear made, and so on. In the end we weren’t happy with how that was turning out in practice, but it was an interesting aspect that we explored.
[/p][p]At the time of writing, the talent tree was on version #16, so it’s definitely been through its fair share of iteration and polishing! Granted, as we approach the end development, the later versions involved less drastic changes and more fine-tuning and adjustments.[/p][p][/p][h3]What was the most fun part of designing the talent tree for you?[/h3][p]“It’s just very fun to path down a talent tree. \[...] I think it’s even more fun to build it yourself; it’s a creative process of mixing and matching nodes or creating these crazy structures \[…] I just think it’s a lot of fun to create a tree, in itself.” - Gunnar
[/p][p]“This goes for pretty much all of them: the first time most of the nodes are working and you can for the first time actually start theory-crafting in the game. Like actually making your first build, not just in theory. \[...] That’s the most fun I think, ‘cause that’s very exciting.” - Victor.[/p][p][/p][h3]Of all the talents, what’s your personal favorite?[/h3][p]“I really like the shock mine. It allows you to sort of pre-emptively strike, which I think is really cool. I also really like the Nuncio-Aquila; it allows you to ‘place’ a buff and then you can move in and out of it and you can be tactical about where you place it. - Victor
[/p][p]“One that is quite interesting is the Coherency - the aura - that is related to the Cyber Mastiff \[...]. As one of its effects it will make your Mastiff count as one in the coherency pool, so it more easily chains and you get the increased regeneration… and, if you have four Arbites with that aura, you can up to a total eight in your Coherency pool.” - Gunnar[/p][p][/p][p]That’s all we have for today! Stay tuned for the next Dev Blog on the Arbites! [/p][p]This is the Will of the Lex.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ll see you on the Mourningstar.[/p][p][/p][p]Wishlist the Arbites Class today on Steam.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]– The Darktide Team[/p]

The Darktide Arbites class adds a new dynamic to the Warhammer 40k co-op shooter

The launch of the new Warhammer 40k Darktide class, the Arbites, is about to transform the dynamic of the grimdark co-op FPS. Fatshark's brutal, chaotic horde shooter is the futuristic, heavy-metal sibling to Vermintide 2, and despite some early teething problems it feels like it's now in a good spot. Steam reviews are positive, a big update is set to improve both progression and new-player onboarding, and now the first Darktide DLC is ready to unleash a fresh presence upon proceedings. I took an early look at the Arbites in action, and I can't wait for the full release.

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