[Feedback] Upcoming Balance Change MEGATHREAD

May I suggest 2 things to help with testing:

1) A new post on how to access and use the test server, (what the url is, that a separate account is necessary, how to quickly access MP, and how to gain every item or specific items with the console). This information is currently spread out through different threads and not easily found. I've only used the test server a couple times (and very much struggled with using the cheat codes) so I'm not sure I even know everything that should be identified to help as many people test the new balance changes as possible.

I think there is a fair amount of interest in testing the new material, but not much experience/confidence in using the test server. The more experience based feedback the better and I think this would help!

2) A little more time than there normally is to test the new content before it goes live. These are some major changes (and minor ones) and if people test it more than a game or two they may start to see synergies between cards that either have serious exploitation ability, or it may be discovered that what appeared from the armchair to be problematic is easily countered by X. But both of these things take a little time. I'm not suggesting some massive delay, I just know many builds go live after just a few days, I think just a little extra time over the norm could be beneficial.

 

So does this create the "balanced MP environment"? All I see is a thread with a new list of complaints...

 

I don't think we'll know until we get some real time in the test environment. The complaints are varying levels of speculation at this point.

 

Complaints are what is thread is for, no? In addition to informing people.
And it is definitely going to create a lot more "balanced MP environment."

Half of the complaints are about SP 1hp quests and many think some nerfs were too strong. Well, SPR is pointless now, agreed, but then again we have tons of pointless cards anyway. And the old SPR was (still is actually) too f*ing good.

 

Very positive change!

I don't see the all important change to NS and WWE. (I personally prefer a very very slight nerf to them only). Back to the topic:

Acrobatic Flip: The new buff is not enough for it to be a Gold card. I also agree with Stage that I want remains melee only. Moving a far off mage with it is too drastic (strategic wise). I suggest to instead add "Keep Unless 4" to make it somewhat reusable.

Harness: I like the change, except it frustrate people too much will a more harness oriented meta. Acid/Punishing/Electric is the answer to it, but Priests are made almost useless against such build including the intended buff to Vampire. Priests do not have an answer to that except a few punishing weapon avail. My suggestion is a new mechanics that harness should not block Unholy damage.

(Advanced)Battlefield Training: Yes BOTH card should transfers two cards instead of one. The Advanced version is a gold card & it is not enough, it should be further booast by 'target ally move 1'. It offer an element of surprise in positioning if played right, but also allows opponent to reacts to that.

Hard to Pin: Should keep the move on block mechanics. To make both cards Silver quality, nerf it to Move 2 on blocking instead.

Acrane Shell should be renamed to Acrane harness if it behaves like a harness

Barge: It needs a buff for it is a Silver card.

 

that feel when your opponents SPR discards your 2 SPR's :'(

 

Maybe FS farming with dwarves will be replaced with heavily armored elves or humans who can get in position to FS the bad guys quicker. As heavily armored as a wizard can be. Whatever the case may be, it is can easily be speculated that FS farming is going to be slower now. Part of me is okay with that since it felt like a trivialization of the gameplay in the first place. Unfortunately, part of the game is also buying items for your collection which will become harder with these changes.

 

Practical testing on the test server confirms that the revised Firestorm sucks colon-blow.
What, exactly, is the purpose of this change? Was it needed for PVP?
As stated above, it really screws up 1hp and minus-level quests in SP. As well as farming.

 

This could be tough as Sundering/Shredding strike are only on Epic or Legendary items (although 1 is the highly available Blackhammer).
But the buffs to the drain attacks and global blocks (Defender's Block and Cause Fumble) will help and Touch of Death becomes a must have.

 

So I'm messing around on the test server to check out the changes, and one thing I noticed was Randimar's! Wow! I have exactly 10 of each rarity (so 30 items total). This is an awesome change! I'm guessing it will be the same every week.

Thanks BM!

 

No, it will be replaced with no farming at all, at least not the ones where fs was useful.

Really? If you belong to the players who replay SP adventures a lot you know the best solutions even without a fs build. So it stays trivial. The thing is that you want it to go fast after you played the adventures 100+ times.

 

Worst thing is that it's still usable in PvP as Impenetrable Nimbus hasn't been changed at all. Nimbus the wizz, send him to enemy side and FS only them.

edit: was gonna talk about Randis in another thread but since Vakaz started here I'll give my data. Way less items but a much better quality. Same numbers: 10 L, E and R.

 

All Shredding Strikes seem to have been replaced with Sundering Strikes, by the by.

 

Hmmm, so more to buy, but way harder to get the gold for the buying... I don't know what I think.

 

That you should farm mines only before it's too late.

 

Simple. Buy Pizza for the gold.

 

Seems also that all Violent Overswings have been replaced by controled ones.

 

I've been playing around with a couple Helm of Reinforcements already, so I can attest that it's fun when they stack (if only for a turn or two in the current state), but probably not broken.
It's just one more new element in the mix, and helps make up for the change to Step moves.

 

So a few things:

First, holy crap. A lot of these new balance changes are AWESOME. They seem to be very well thought-out, and there is a lot of synergy between changes across the board. Thank you Jon!

In particular, Firestorm would probably be the best change. Whirlwind reduced to 2 squares movement? Might have been overdone, but I'm not complaining!

A lot of the item changes make sense. They tend to replace weaker armor cards with new ones, or somewhat ordinary move cards with newer cards.

Unsure:
Encumber - seems like a very interesting new mechanic. It becomes like a "hot potato" where you have to get rid of your Frost Jolts when they are in your hand so that you can move. This directly hurts Dwarf wizards the most.

Randimar - Seems like a good idea, but maybe too extreme. For some new players it can take FOREVER for that desired Rare item to show up in the shop, and that was with ~30 rares at a time. Having guaranteed 10 legendaries seems like an awful tease when you will be cashpoor in a week and can't make gold efficiently anymore.

I also concur that Acrobatic Flip doesn't do enough to justify the cost, but it's still sort of improved. Should be tweaked to only move the attacker on melee.

Flash of Agony seems to have replaced Flash of Pain entirely. ~ Not a problem.

Needs fix:
Quests- Most of the 1HP quests need to disappear and we need new quests to replace them! Many of them were insanely hard (read; not fun) and required the same, very specific cards to have a chance of winning.

Barge, barge, BARGE. Nothing has been done to Barge. It still seems like an unviable card that needs some love.

The changes that have been made to Block cards are fantastic as a start.
All of the Gold valued blocks are still pathetic though (Defender's Block, Absorbing Block, Shield Block, and Acrobatic Flip)

Nothing has been done to Toughness or Resistant Hide. Seeing as both are going to ignore our lovely new Deadly/Potent Spark attacks that's pretty disappointing.

Wall of Illusion is still vastly inferior to Illusory Barrier.

Also, it seems as though Holy Presence and Healing Spirit have still been left in the dust. Admittedly, they may become more useful in the new meta but it still feels like they are unloved.

*EDIT* Violent and Controlled overswings have swapped. Makes sense.
*Also, I concur on Charge VS Brutal charge, BUT Charge is not a rare card, so changing it won't be as simple as Shredding/Sundering or Flash of Agony/Flash of Pain.

 

because items like the double charge tokenless dwarf skill would be op for no tokens. it would be 2 10 damage attacks for free ;D