Weekly update 258 – New Glory Season and Sieges balance changes!
Hello Warriors!
Welcome to the new Glory Season! As always at the turn of seasons, we are introducing many significant and interesting changes improving the gameplay based on players’ feedback! Today you are receiving the second iteration of the siege battles overhaul, including new siege engines, changes in siege meta, and many quality of life improvements and bugfixes. We hope you’ll like the new opportunities and tactics this update introduces to the game and we hope this season will result in even more epic sieges and battles on the global map.
The top players of the just-ended season have earned their rewards and titles, so it’s time to compete against the others and fight your way to the top of the ladder! See you in battle!
A little explanation for the new players: Glory is a season–based ranking which rewards you for activity in the faction v faction v faction PVP. The seasons last around 2 months (depending on the current updates schedule) and the top players are rewarded with unique titles and gold. Also, every Thursday night you’ll get Contribution Points – an in–game currency used to purchase special items from the Glory Quartermasters. The amount of earned CP depends on your position in the leaderboard, so climb up!
We are also honored to announce publicly that Veland and SanHolo – our longtime players – have officially become members of our team.
Both of them are well known to our Community, and they were helping us as great community members for a long time. Veland's first and main task will be to try to help us improve the newcomers' experience. She is the first member of our team from outside of Europe, which will surely give us a wider perception of the needs and differences of our players. And SanHolo, already having a lot of experience in tracking, reporting, and reproducing many critical issues so we could fix them, has joined our QA team.
It is the best possible situation that happened since the Steam release as it made our team way stronger, way more experienced, and secured the future of both games. We’re hoping you will give our new team members a warm welcome!
And without further ado, let's jump to the list of changes!
The screenshot’s authors have been awarded. Siegbert, THE PURIFIER and Zillex15 – check your Ambers!
[h2]Changes in siege mechanics[/h2]
Introduction
After introducing the long-awaited freebuilding overhaul, we focused on your feedback regarding siege mechanics and engines. Investigating your reports and discussing your opinions, we found out ways to improve the system for both – defenders and attackers, and to balance better those many factors that make up the siege system. The system had some issues, that is a fact. The meta tactic was boring and could be explained in three words: Bow versus ballista. There were even some hidden bugs and design loopholes that needed our attention. We gathered all the issues and decided to fix them at once, which can definitely be a little shocking experience because of the amount and size of the changes, but we hope you will understand all the aspects and give yourself some time to get used to them.
And here are the solutions:
Movable Mantlets
In the beginning, It is important to notice that HP pools of every siege engine and their damage output has been rebalanced and both sides, defenders and attackers received unique tools to improve their tactics. Our goal is to break the boring meta where attackers are shooting ballistas with bows through the whole SoW, so we are giving them another option to push to the walls and gates.
Mantlets – the new siege engines – are movable barricades that cost siege points and deliver wide and durable cover for troops and machines. You can use them to cover an attack on the gate, roll the battering ram under the walls, or cover catapults positions from ballistas fire. Both versions – there is one that is covering the front and the other one is better to cover the side – can be moved by up to 2 players, so you may need some training to coordinate your moves well. We will add spawners of those machines onto the arena, so you will have an opportunity to drill.
Shielded Ballistas
To limit the “Shot ballistas by bows” tactic, ballistas are receiving a physical shield. The shield is active and visible until ballista hit points reach 50%, and need to be destroyed with the use of catapults or trebuchet. The shield is deflecting all damage from bows and protects the front of the ballista, covering the 220 degrees angle. It is still possible to deliver damage to a shielded ballista with a bow from behind, and from any angle when it does not have its shield anymore. Ballista is not receiving any additional hit points or damage reductions.
This change will improve the usability of attackers' siege engines and encourage the use of new mantlets. Since siege engines received hit points boost and ballistas received their shields and we fixed the damage output of trebuchets and catapults, the machines will be much more balanced and usable on the battlefield.
Ballistas of stone keeps were and remain placed high to limit the possibility to destroy them. Those are the last resort defense to delay the inevitable destruction of the main building by siege engines that can be placed out of their range and deliver damage to the keep without any interruption.
We are encouraging melee combat instead of allowing safe options for huge war parties. The new shielded ballistas on the main keep have the effect of limiting options for catapults to be aimed right on the keep doors with no repercussions and constantly hit the shield wall of defenders on the chokepoint, which removed any tactics on the defender’s side and forced them to just watch enemies destroying their keep without any chance to react. Now they will be able to use their ballistas against these catapults.
Destroying the main keep is still possible, especially now when siege engines are more durable. It may take more time, but for example, a single large battering ram needs to be hit 15 times to be destroyed, which means 3.5minutes of constant ballista fire, and attackers can spawn a new one every three minutes and accumulate additional siege engines.
From now on, defenders will be able to delay the destruction of the main building, instead of being helpless in delaying and interrupting the final push under the main building walls.
If the fact of stone keep ballistas having shields will generate any gameplay issues, we will react and consider changes or tweaks on the matters related to it.
Rebalance of siege engines hitpoints
Taking into consideration all the above, the hitpoints and damage output of siege engines have been rebalanced. I believe it will be easier to explain the changes in examples and comparison, so as an example catapult could be destroyed in three ballista shots before, or with one trebuchet hit, and now it will need seven ballistas shots or two to four trebuchet ones. Please have in mind that catapults, battering rams, Warwolf, and new movable mantlets can still be damaged by bows.
Limited arrows
So, we are reducing the bow damage output and usability on the attackers' side, but what about defenders, who can send arrows from the safe positions on walls and harass and nuke everyone in their sight? Melee attackers cannot reach them, so the easiest idea was to pull out a bow and return fire, instead of trying to reach walls with ram or man short and long artillery positions. Melee defenders were also forced to sit on the wall and deliver poor damage with their bows.
From now on, the amount of arrows is limited, and will work similarly to shield resistance: By shooting, you will burn the “arrows bar” and arrows will regain over time. Archers who are specialized and have true archers character build should not feel the change, because the number of arrows and their regeneration is related to passive skills and bow type. For the future, we are taking into consideration new item type – quivers, that also may have an impact on arrows capacity and regeneration.
This change is better than the idea of the craftable arrow, cos nothing would be better if we would allow players to bring 5 full bags of arrows stacks into the battle. Tanks and bruisers' continuous damage output with arrows will be limited since they will not have the right passive skills to have high quiver capacity and arrows regeneration. Still, this mechanic allows for short bursts of damage from both – attackers and defenders sides.
Because of changes in abilities, you are receiving a one-time possibility to reset your abilities by clicking the right button in Notification Center. This option will be available for two weeks.
We are counting on your feedback and will for sure tweak the capacity and regen of arrows to find the perfect spot if needed.
Shields on back
Till today, shields on the back were not destroyable and we're not losing any durability when hit. Tanking arrows facing your back to the enemy became viable, but the unjustified option, especially with medics backup, so we changed that mechanic.
From now on, we are giving the possibility to destroy shields on players' backs. Shield hit with an arrow will now lose durability and show information on the combat log of how much durability has been removed. Destruction of the shield will be followed with audio indication and proper information on the combat log.
[h2]Quality of Life[/h2]
Improved questline
Our quest and level designers have been working on changes and improvements of introductory quests for some time now, and as Ismirs and Midnalders received their renewed questlines already, today we are happy to introduce the reworked second line of Sangmar quests.
As previous changes on that matter related to all ingame nations, those improvements are aimed to make learning the ropes of the game easier for newcomers, gradual introduction of ingame features to new players, and ensure better first impressions and player retention.
The Emperor takes risky steps, trying to reach other, feuding nations to end the continuous war carried out on two fronts. Sangmarians are hoping that having a common enemy will give them some space and peace, but does Oliver the Shortleg - Midland Kingdom emissary - share their hope? Find out by yourselves!
Capturing Warwolf
From now on, players from attackers nations will be able to claim the Warwolf siege trebuchet, which will allow them to remove and replace the engine in situations where it was misplaced and left by another player. Since there only one per nation can be spawned at the time during a siege, we have to cover such a possibility. Capturing the Warwolf requires owning a siege camp, and takes some time. Other nation's players and players with traitor status cannot capture the Warwolf.
Other
– Improved the user experience in crafting quests, changing the NPC and animal enemies spawns and types
– Removed the Christmas festive decorations
[h2]Fixes[/h2]
– Fixed an issue causing catapults and trebuchets to deal double damage to other siege engines
– Fixed colliders of all movable siege machines and small trebuchet
– Fixed an issue causing objects and characters to temporarily disappear from time to time, in particular places or situations
– Fixed an issue related to Brandon event gates related to server start trigger
– Fixed an issue related to Pride Long Forgotten event gate closing timer
– Fixed the issue causing players were able to look over and interact with objects through the textures
– Fixed the issue causing server-side errors when a player left the party in 0.5s after placing a party marker on the map
– Fixed an issue causing blocking the character on ground spikes in some locations
– Fixed an issue causing the entrance to the dungeon events (Secrets of Serai/Dundrum/Ystad) were not visible on the map when they should have been
– Fixed an issue causing player could be damaged with an arrow hitting shield on the back if he did not reequpied any item after logging into the game
– Fixed the camera position on ballista and emperors fire
[h2]Hotfix 2021-01-05[/h2]
In response to the feedback/reports received from players:
Arrows regeneration:
- Fixed an issue causing wrong behavior of quiver and arrows regeneration user interface
- Increased the ammo limit and reduced the gap between long and reflex bows:
Now we have (base-max, depending on character passive skills) 12-50 arrows on reflex bows, 11-45 on simple bows, and 8-35 arrows capacity on longbows.
- Regeneration of arrows is globally increased. Base regeneration was 5% of quiver per tick, and 15% per tick with all passive abilities, now it is 10% base and 15% max.
- Fixed an issue causing missing descriptions on huntsman and rapid-fire skills
- To help new players who are doing starter quests and prefer to use ranged combat, we are added a system of full arrows restoration on level up. This change will help them to gain few first levels if they want to use archery, and add passive abilities to ensure better arrows regeneration
Other fixes:
- Fixed the issue causing quest NPC named Curtis was not spawned properly
Welcome to the new Glory Season! As always at the turn of seasons, we are introducing many significant and interesting changes improving the gameplay based on players’ feedback! Today you are receiving the second iteration of the siege battles overhaul, including new siege engines, changes in siege meta, and many quality of life improvements and bugfixes. We hope you’ll like the new opportunities and tactics this update introduces to the game and we hope this season will result in even more epic sieges and battles on the global map.
The top players of the just-ended season have earned their rewards and titles, so it’s time to compete against the others and fight your way to the top of the ladder! See you in battle!
A little explanation for the new players: Glory is a season–based ranking which rewards you for activity in the faction v faction v faction PVP. The seasons last around 2 months (depending on the current updates schedule) and the top players are rewarded with unique titles and gold. Also, every Thursday night you’ll get Contribution Points – an in–game currency used to purchase special items from the Glory Quartermasters. The amount of earned CP depends on your position in the leaderboard, so climb up!
We are also honored to announce publicly that Veland and SanHolo – our longtime players – have officially become members of our team.
Both of them are well known to our Community, and they were helping us as great community members for a long time. Veland's first and main task will be to try to help us improve the newcomers' experience. She is the first member of our team from outside of Europe, which will surely give us a wider perception of the needs and differences of our players. And SanHolo, already having a lot of experience in tracking, reporting, and reproducing many critical issues so we could fix them, has joined our QA team.
It is the best possible situation that happened since the Steam release as it made our team way stronger, way more experienced, and secured the future of both games. We’re hoping you will give our new team members a warm welcome!
And without further ado, let's jump to the list of changes!
The screenshot’s authors have been awarded. Siegbert, THE PURIFIER and Zillex15 – check your Ambers!
Changelog v.0.9.6 Beta
[h2]Changes in siege mechanics[/h2]
Introduction
After introducing the long-awaited freebuilding overhaul, we focused on your feedback regarding siege mechanics and engines. Investigating your reports and discussing your opinions, we found out ways to improve the system for both – defenders and attackers, and to balance better those many factors that make up the siege system. The system had some issues, that is a fact. The meta tactic was boring and could be explained in three words: Bow versus ballista. There were even some hidden bugs and design loopholes that needed our attention. We gathered all the issues and decided to fix them at once, which can definitely be a little shocking experience because of the amount and size of the changes, but we hope you will understand all the aspects and give yourself some time to get used to them.
And here are the solutions:
Movable Mantlets
In the beginning, It is important to notice that HP pools of every siege engine and their damage output has been rebalanced and both sides, defenders and attackers received unique tools to improve their tactics. Our goal is to break the boring meta where attackers are shooting ballistas with bows through the whole SoW, so we are giving them another option to push to the walls and gates.
Mantlets – the new siege engines – are movable barricades that cost siege points and deliver wide and durable cover for troops and machines. You can use them to cover an attack on the gate, roll the battering ram under the walls, or cover catapults positions from ballistas fire. Both versions – there is one that is covering the front and the other one is better to cover the side – can be moved by up to 2 players, so you may need some training to coordinate your moves well. We will add spawners of those machines onto the arena, so you will have an opportunity to drill.
Shielded Ballistas
To limit the “Shot ballistas by bows” tactic, ballistas are receiving a physical shield. The shield is active and visible until ballista hit points reach 50%, and need to be destroyed with the use of catapults or trebuchet. The shield is deflecting all damage from bows and protects the front of the ballista, covering the 220 degrees angle. It is still possible to deliver damage to a shielded ballista with a bow from behind, and from any angle when it does not have its shield anymore. Ballista is not receiving any additional hit points or damage reductions.
This change will improve the usability of attackers' siege engines and encourage the use of new mantlets. Since siege engines received hit points boost and ballistas received their shields and we fixed the damage output of trebuchets and catapults, the machines will be much more balanced and usable on the battlefield.
Ballistas of stone keeps were and remain placed high to limit the possibility to destroy them. Those are the last resort defense to delay the inevitable destruction of the main building by siege engines that can be placed out of their range and deliver damage to the keep without any interruption.
We are encouraging melee combat instead of allowing safe options for huge war parties. The new shielded ballistas on the main keep have the effect of limiting options for catapults to be aimed right on the keep doors with no repercussions and constantly hit the shield wall of defenders on the chokepoint, which removed any tactics on the defender’s side and forced them to just watch enemies destroying their keep without any chance to react. Now they will be able to use their ballistas against these catapults.
Destroying the main keep is still possible, especially now when siege engines are more durable. It may take more time, but for example, a single large battering ram needs to be hit 15 times to be destroyed, which means 3.5minutes of constant ballista fire, and attackers can spawn a new one every three minutes and accumulate additional siege engines.
From now on, defenders will be able to delay the destruction of the main building, instead of being helpless in delaying and interrupting the final push under the main building walls.
If the fact of stone keep ballistas having shields will generate any gameplay issues, we will react and consider changes or tweaks on the matters related to it.
Rebalance of siege engines hitpoints
Taking into consideration all the above, the hitpoints and damage output of siege engines have been rebalanced. I believe it will be easier to explain the changes in examples and comparison, so as an example catapult could be destroyed in three ballista shots before, or with one trebuchet hit, and now it will need seven ballistas shots or two to four trebuchet ones. Please have in mind that catapults, battering rams, Warwolf, and new movable mantlets can still be damaged by bows.
Limited arrows
So, we are reducing the bow damage output and usability on the attackers' side, but what about defenders, who can send arrows from the safe positions on walls and harass and nuke everyone in their sight? Melee attackers cannot reach them, so the easiest idea was to pull out a bow and return fire, instead of trying to reach walls with ram or man short and long artillery positions. Melee defenders were also forced to sit on the wall and deliver poor damage with their bows.
From now on, the amount of arrows is limited, and will work similarly to shield resistance: By shooting, you will burn the “arrows bar” and arrows will regain over time. Archers who are specialized and have true archers character build should not feel the change, because the number of arrows and their regeneration is related to passive skills and bow type. For the future, we are taking into consideration new item type – quivers, that also may have an impact on arrows capacity and regeneration.
This change is better than the idea of the craftable arrow, cos nothing would be better if we would allow players to bring 5 full bags of arrows stacks into the battle. Tanks and bruisers' continuous damage output with arrows will be limited since they will not have the right passive skills to have high quiver capacity and arrows regeneration. Still, this mechanic allows for short bursts of damage from both – attackers and defenders sides.
Because of changes in abilities, you are receiving a one-time possibility to reset your abilities by clicking the right button in Notification Center. This option will be available for two weeks.
We are counting on your feedback and will for sure tweak the capacity and regen of arrows to find the perfect spot if needed.
Shields on back
Till today, shields on the back were not destroyable and we're not losing any durability when hit. Tanking arrows facing your back to the enemy became viable, but the unjustified option, especially with medics backup, so we changed that mechanic.
From now on, we are giving the possibility to destroy shields on players' backs. Shield hit with an arrow will now lose durability and show information on the combat log of how much durability has been removed. Destruction of the shield will be followed with audio indication and proper information on the combat log.
[h2]Quality of Life[/h2]
Improved questline
Our quest and level designers have been working on changes and improvements of introductory quests for some time now, and as Ismirs and Midnalders received their renewed questlines already, today we are happy to introduce the reworked second line of Sangmar quests.
As previous changes on that matter related to all ingame nations, those improvements are aimed to make learning the ropes of the game easier for newcomers, gradual introduction of ingame features to new players, and ensure better first impressions and player retention.
The Emperor takes risky steps, trying to reach other, feuding nations to end the continuous war carried out on two fronts. Sangmarians are hoping that having a common enemy will give them some space and peace, but does Oliver the Shortleg - Midland Kingdom emissary - share their hope? Find out by yourselves!
Capturing Warwolf
From now on, players from attackers nations will be able to claim the Warwolf siege trebuchet, which will allow them to remove and replace the engine in situations where it was misplaced and left by another player. Since there only one per nation can be spawned at the time during a siege, we have to cover such a possibility. Capturing the Warwolf requires owning a siege camp, and takes some time. Other nation's players and players with traitor status cannot capture the Warwolf.
Other
– Improved the user experience in crafting quests, changing the NPC and animal enemies spawns and types
– Removed the Christmas festive decorations
[h2]Fixes[/h2]
– Fixed an issue causing catapults and trebuchets to deal double damage to other siege engines
– Fixed colliders of all movable siege machines and small trebuchet
– Fixed an issue causing objects and characters to temporarily disappear from time to time, in particular places or situations
– Fixed an issue related to Brandon event gates related to server start trigger
– Fixed an issue related to Pride Long Forgotten event gate closing timer
– Fixed the issue causing players were able to look over and interact with objects through the textures
– Fixed the issue causing server-side errors when a player left the party in 0.5s after placing a party marker on the map
– Fixed an issue causing blocking the character on ground spikes in some locations
– Fixed an issue causing the entrance to the dungeon events (Secrets of Serai/Dundrum/Ystad) were not visible on the map when they should have been
– Fixed an issue causing player could be damaged with an arrow hitting shield on the back if he did not reequpied any item after logging into the game
– Fixed the camera position on ballista and emperors fire
[h2]Hotfix 2021-01-05[/h2]
In response to the feedback/reports received from players:
Arrows regeneration:
- Fixed an issue causing wrong behavior of quiver and arrows regeneration user interface
- Increased the ammo limit and reduced the gap between long and reflex bows:
Now we have (base-max, depending on character passive skills) 12-50 arrows on reflex bows, 11-45 on simple bows, and 8-35 arrows capacity on longbows.
- Regeneration of arrows is globally increased. Base regeneration was 5% of quiver per tick, and 15% per tick with all passive abilities, now it is 10% base and 15% max.
- Fixed an issue causing missing descriptions on huntsman and rapid-fire skills
- To help new players who are doing starter quests and prefer to use ranged combat, we are added a system of full arrows restoration on level up. This change will help them to gain few first levels if they want to use archery, and add passive abilities to ensure better arrows regeneration
Other fixes:
- Fixed the issue causing quest NPC named Curtis was not spawned properly