Highlights
Public Test Server
Drakwald, our Public Test Server is online again to provide testing ground for the RDPS Patch and New Scenario Mechanic, which will be arriving on the Live server in the near future!
You can join our Public Test Server through the launcher:
As with any new system, it's normal to have some bugs to iron out – one of the best ways to help us reduce and squash bugs before this arrives on the live server is by joining the PTS, either alone or with friends, and queueing for some Scenarios!
On the PTS, you can select Templates for new characters to help you start fully geared and level 40, ready for testing!
THIS IS A PTS PATCH
These changes are live on the PTS (Public Test Server) only and are not yet on the live server. We need your help testing before this goes live.
Priority Testing Needed:
- Ranged DPS Career Balance Changes (Sorcerer, Bright Wizard, Magus, Engineer, Squig Herder, Shadow Warrior) – please get into RvR and Scenarios on these classes and report back on how the changes feel.
- Talabec Dam – this scenario has been completely reworked from a bomb-carry into an escort scenario with a brand new mechanic. We need groups to run this and report any bugs, exploits, or balance issues.
Please post feedback and bug reports in the appropriate PTS forum threads. Thank you for helping us test!
Combat and Careers
Introduction
Today we are happy to announce the final major installment in the line of archetype-focused balance phases that have been rolled out over the last couple of years.
Following our previous patches aimed at Tanks, Healers and Melee DPS our sights have now been set on the Ranged DPS careers. For each class we first give you some of the highlights, followed by the full list of changes. Under some abilities you will find more detailed comments from the Balance Team.
Damage Formula In the patch notes you will often see damage being displayed in the form of (150 + 1.0*DB + 0.75*WDPS).
The first number, in this case 150, is the base damage of the ability. This base damage scales with the ability level, which is assumed to be ability level 40.
The second number is the Damage Bonus (DB) multiplier, in this case 1.0. If your character has 175 damage bonus, then 175 * 1.0 = 175 damage will be added to the ability.
The third number is the Weapon DPS (WDPS) multiplier, in this case 0.75. The damage added to your ability is your Weapon DPS multiplied by this number. If the DPS of your weapon is 80, then 80 * 0.75 = 60 will be added to the ability.
In this example, the total damage would be 150 +175 + 60 = 385 damage.
General Balance Changes
- Sleight of Hand: Reworked to: Reduce all your cooldowns by 2 seconds.
- Close Quarters: Now additionally reduces your chance to be set back while casting by 50% and now affects abilities that do not have a target requirement.
- Siphon Power: Reworked to: 100 ft range. Instant. You drain power from your target, dealing 1800 damage over 15 seconds and reducing their Willpower by 150, while increasing your Intelligence by 150 over 15 seconds.
- Expert Skirmisher: Now additionally reduces your chance to be set back while casting by 50% and now affects abilities that do not have a target requirement.
- Crippling Barrage: New Morale 2 ability for Engineer, Shadow Warrior and Squig Herder: 65ft range. Instant. – Targeted area-effect attack that deals 900 over 3 seconds to all enemies within 20 feet, and snares the targets by 60%.
Balance Changes
Summary
- The balance team has decided to not make significant changes to the core mechanic of the Sorcerer. Sorcerer is already the most squishy class on Destruction and we felt that if we would add a more complex mechanic to the class, it would become too niche. Additionally, unlike the old Choppa Rage mechanic, the Dark Magic mechanic does not discourage you from using a full set of abilities. At last, the class abilities are balanced around the strong Dark Magic mechanic, hence the mechanic would require a lot more sweeping changes to keep the class overall balanced.
- The single target specialization using Path of Agony and Path of Calamity sees a handful of changes. Most notably a rework to Shades of Death, now granting better synergy with Melee in the Sorcerer's group and improvements to Obsessive Focus.
- For the AoE Sorcerer Black Horror has been changed to a shorter cast and lower damage ability to set it apart from Shattered Shadows. You will also find some additional tactic options in Cruel Reprisal or Frozen by Fear.
- Darkstar Cloak has been reworked into a strong defensive and potentially offensive tool, depending on the situation you want to use it.
Tactics
- Recover Energy: Reworked into Cruel Reprisal; Anytime an attack you make is defended, you will automatically deal (187 + 1.0*DB) Corporeal damage to that target. Cannot occur more than once every two seconds per target.
- Empowered Dhar: Reworked to: Dhar Wind will now heal you for 100% of the damage dealt to the target.
- Manic Obsession: Now additionally increases the damage bonus from Obsessive Focus by 5%.
- Hastened Fear: Replaced by Frozen By Fear: Grip of Fear now deals (187 + 1.0*DB) Spirit damage and hits up to 6 players. The root no longer breaks when the enemy takes damage, but has its duration reduced by 2 seconds.
A new utility focused AoE tactic for the Sorcerer which gives them another interesting tactic option that doesn't translate to "more damage".
Abilities
- Shades of Death: Reworked to: Curse. 30 AP. 100 ft range. Instant. 10s CD. Your target is haunted by spectres of death and doom for up to 10 seconds, causing an additional 199 Spirit damage each time that they are hit by any group member. Cannot occur more than once every half second
- Absorb Vitality: Damage increased from 5 * (161 + 0.3*DB) to (191 + 0.9*DB) Corporeal Damage.
- Hand of Ruin: Damage per interval changed from (448 + 1.0*DB) to (262 + 2.0*DB).
- Gloom of Night: Cast time reduced from 2.0 to 1.5 seconds.
- Shadow Knives: Damage increased from (299 + 0.75*DB) to (299 + 1.0*DB)
- Disastrous Cascade: Damage changed from (225 + 0.67*DB) to (187 + 1.0*DB)
- Black Horror: Reworked to: Curse. 35 AP. 80 ft range. 1.0s cast. 10s CD. Builds 10 Dark Magic. Has a chance to cause a Backlash! – You create a maelstrom of evil power which deals (225 + 1.0*DB) Corporeal damage to your target and all other enemies within 20 feet of them, and reduces their Initiative by 100 for 10 seconds.
- Daemonic Chill: Reworked to: Enchantment. 30 AP. Self. Instant. 30s CD. – Everyone in your group that is within 100 feet of you is surrounded by a demonic chill for 1 hour, giving them a 25% chance to reduce the auto attack damage of the attacker by 10% for 3 seconds when they are struck by a melee attack.
- Dhar Wind: Damage with 91-100 Dark Magic increased from 750 to 900.
- Shroud of Darkness: Now additionally increases your chance to disrupt attacks by 10%.
- Obsessive Focus: Duration reduced to 15 seconds. No longer reduces damage to other targets. Damage increase reduced from 10% to 5%, but Obsessive Focus now additionally reduces your chance to be disrupted by the target by 10%.
Morale
- Shatter: Removed
The Balance Team has moved away from certain classes having too many Morale Abilities. Hence we remove Shatter from the Sorcerer. Of course, you can still use Focused Mind as an offensive morale option for AoE bombing.
- Darkstar Cloak: Reworked to: Self. Instant. – For the next 10 seconds, all damage you take is reduced by 50% and the cooldown of your abilities are reduced by 10 seconds.
- Crippling Terror: Radius increased from 15 to 20 feet.
Bug Fixes
- Stricken Voices: No longer cleansable.
Balance Changes
Summary
- The balance team has decided to not make significant changes to the core mechanic of the Bright Wizard. Bright Wizard is already the most squishy class on Order side and we felt that if we would add a more complex mechanic to the class, it would become too niche. Additionally, unlike the old Slayer Rage mechanic, the Combustion mechanic does not discourage you from using a full set of abilities. At last, the class abilities are balanced around the strong Combustion mechanic, hence the mechanic would require a lot more sweeping changes to keep the class overall balanced.
- Path of Incineration has 2 major changes in a buff to Burning Iron and its attached tactic Draining Burn, as well as a brand new tactic with Burning Focus which improves the burst potential of the Bright Wizard.
- The most significant changes in Path of Immolation is a buff to Playing With Fire and a rework on Detonate.
- The area of effect damage