March 08, 2024 EpicDuel Heavy HealthEpicDuel is back with the addition of a new balance feature resurrected from the game's past: Agility.
What Is Agility?High HP builds have been troublesome to balance throughout EpicDuel's history. Sometime in the game's early days, we attempted to combat these builds with a new stat tied to HP called Agility that would inflict a defense penalty if health exceeded certain thresholds. This stat ultimately failed to address the initial problem since high HP builds already suffered from low defense so the penalty wasn't much of a deterrent. Now, utilizing EpicDuel's modern core system, we've brought Agility back. This time, the stat is split into two different core types: Agility for HP below a certain threshold, and Encumbrance for HP above a certain threshold. The tiers and buffs/debuffs, also visible in the HP rollover on the character stats page, are listed below:
This new system gives us much better control over the tiers so we can add a robust range of debuffs and buffs to better control extreme HP builds. We went with a percentage debuff because a flat debuff felt too restrictive, but this can be changed if the current Encumbrance debuffs are ineffective. These buffs and debuffs will only be visible in battle. NPCs are unaffected by this change.
Azrael Cavalier BattlepassThe tentative release date for the new, long-awaited Battlepass is Friday March 15th TBA, barring any technical complications. We're sorry the Olympus Battlepass has lingered as long as it has, but we will plan our Battlepass releases more strategically after gifting next time so we won't be stuck with the same showcase for too long.
Scheduled MaintenanceEpicDuel will be down for scheduled maintenance at around 11:00 AM on Tuesday March 12th. We will be finishing the process we started earlier this year with database migration and copying the entire EpicDuel database to it's new home. This transfer is expected to take at least 2 hours, but could take more, especially if we run into any unexpected problems. Hopefully, we'll turn the servers back on and all will be well! Tags: Nightwraith | |
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February 29, 2024 EpicDuel Cores Reforged 2024Core ReBalance 2024Finally, the long awaited core rebalance of 2024 is here! There are a lot of changes here so bear with us as we make additional tweaks over time. The goal of these changes was to perform a bit of a "reset" on the power levels of the cores and robots to stop some extreme builds and encourage more build versatility. If you're mad that your favorite core was nerfed, take this as an opportunity to change up your build and experiment. No core or robot or build was meant to stay on top forever. With all these changes, some bugs and unintended interactions are inevitable so we'll do our best to stay on top of any issues as they emerge!
Other Changes
Tags: Nightwraith | |
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February 23, 2024 Balance Progress and Azrael Battlepass PreviewBalance ProgressProgress has been steady but slower than I'd like for the massive core and robot balance update. Nearly every core in-game received some changes. Many were small tweaks like Energy cost or damage adjustments, but many others received much larger overhauls. The goal of this update will be to combat the power creep that has been building for cores and robots as more have been added over the years. These changes should encourage more experimentation and build variety. It's likely that we will need additional balance updates for the balance updates as new overpowered or underpowered cores emerge from battle data, but this is a major step towards better balance for EpicDuel. If all goes well, this update will be ready for next Thursday.
Battlepass PreviewWhile I've been occupied with updating nearly every core in the game, Acatriel and Bido have been building items for a new Battlepass that should release soon. Because we've been so occupied with updating existing cores, this Battlepass will not feature new cores. The slots formerly occupied by cores will be filled by additional rewards of currency.
Pre-Spring CleanupNext Thursday, we will be doing a bit of cleanup to update of all the seasonal rares to be set to stock at their appropriate time. We will also be removing some Rare items from Azrael that were added in June of 2023. Also, the Fourteen Year Alpha weapons and Achievement will go Rare and leave the shops. As another part of the cleanup process, we're going to be purging orphaned factions. Since faction founder step down was introduced, whenever a faction was deleted after the founder changed down at any point, the faction would fail to delete properly and remain, despite having 0 characters in it. Currently, there are over 1,000 factions in this state so purging them should free up some coveted names for new factions. This will not affect any faction that currently has at least one member, but factions that are on the leaderboards will 0 members will fall off. The bug that caused this problem in the first place will also be fixed. As one additional change, on Thursday we will also be updating the evolving Epic Supporter and Legendary Epic Supporter Achievements to 2024. Do to it's overwhelming popularity, the 50,000 Varium package will remain in-game for the foreseeable future. Tags: Nightwraith | |
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February 09, 2024 EpicDuel Rare RefreshGifting ProgressAs of this update, only one set of top Gifter prizes remains. I hate making anyone wait for their prizes, but progress is progress and I can think of a Gifting season when we were this far along this early. Thank you Gifters for your patience and I hope you're thrilled with your prizes so far.
New Rarity TypeLast week some noticed fluctuations in their rarity scores. This was due to Battlepass items being recategorized as seasonal rares when they were added to the Challenger's shop. This felt bad, especially if you went through the trouble of collecting the rares in the original seasons. To correct this, we added a new, more descriptive rarity type: Battlepass. This should adjust the rarity scores back to what they were before the recategorization. If you've collect all the Battlepass items so and don't know what to collect next, the next Battlepass will be here soon enough. Soon enough doesn't mean next week, but hopefully by the end of the month.
Jack Frost ArrivesJack Frost bots have awarded to those with Gifting scores higher than 50,000.
Corrupted Core CorrectionSome were able to purchase a core that was literally corrupted. It appeared as Consecrated Ground for primary weapons, but it was unable to be equipped to anything. To correct this, we've updated the these cores to the correct auxiliary version of Consecrated Ground.
Server Migration Part OneThis Wednesday we experience some downtime to start the move to a shiny new server box. It's similar enough to the old one, but just different enough that it still throws me off when navigating it. This was only the first step, but so far so good. The next step will be a full data transfer to EpicDuel's new home. This will occur later this month and take several hours. Tags: Nightwraith | |
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February 02, 2024 EpicDuel Battlepass RestockThis week we say, "Goodbye!" to the Darkeater package and say, "Hello again!" to returning Battlepass items and cores. If you took 2023 off of EpicDuel, or just didn't feel like completing the Battlepass seasons, this will be a massive update for you!
Darkeater RetiredAvailable since 2022, the Darkeater promotional package has officially been retired. You will still be able to purchase the cores and bots from Acatriel. To allow players who don't have Varium a chance to use the cores, we've brought back new versions of select Darkeater items (tagged 2024). We did this to preserve the rarity of the promo items for those who already purchased the promotional package.
Epic Battlepass RestockOriginally, our intention was to bring back the Battlepass items from previous seasons gradually, but because of a major upcoming core rebalance, we brought back Azrael's Scorn, Botanical Knight, Cathedral Knight, and Draconic Warlord all at once. We wanted as many people to have access to as many cores as possible to test the efficacy of any balance update. Even if you don't have Varium to purchase the cores outright, you can still get many of the cores by purchasing the Battlepass items from The Challenger who resides in the Time Fortress zone of the Afterlife. Since cores are crucial to balance and the health of PvP, we plan to offer cores in a shop alongside Battlepasses in the future, starting with the next Azrael Battlepass. This may provide less incentive to grind out the Battlepass for some, but wide availability of the cores will be useful for determining any imbalances more quickly.
New CoresA permanent version of the Thrown Shot core as well as sidearm and auxiliary versions of the permanent War Commander core are available at Vendbots across Delta V.
Minor Cores RetiredBecause they don't adequately serve the purpose they were meant to fulfill; the minor cores have been retired. It is still possible to equip and use them, but they are no longer for sale.
Widescreen ExpansionLast year one of our major goals was to expand EpicDuel to a widescreen resolution. Acatriel managed to expand all the current screens in game, and I planned to implement them over the Summer, but my surgery shattered those plans. I will resume the expansion process after Gifting obligations are wrapped. The widescreen expansion also includes adjusting every interface in game so it's not quite a simple matter of just replacing the old map screens with new ones. This change will require a lot of testing and make the game difficult to update while all the screens and interfaces are expanded so we want to be sure we have plenty to occupy players while the work is underway.
Server MigrationNext week we will be migrating EpicDuel's database to a new physical server. This will result in several hours of downtime while all the data is transferred. We will update you when we've determined the exact time we plan to do the migration so you can plan accordingly. I've been told the new server won't offer much of a performance boost aside from using SSDs instead of HDDs. Hopefully there are no hiccups and EpicDuel arrives at its new digital home safe and sound.
In the coming weeks, we will wrap up the last of our Gifter items and undertake a massive core rebalance. While this is happening, we will also be working to complete the Gifting Bonus Tier items as well as the 2024 Azrael Battlepass. Thank you for your patience! We usually have a lull in substantial updates after Gifting as we work to complete all the post-Gifting tasks, but we're moving at a much faster pace this year than ever before! Tags: Nightwraith | |
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January 26, 2024 EpicDuel Gifting 2023 AftermathGifting is over, but the progress continues on the prizes for the top Gifters. Our progress this year has been swift, but we still have a few outstanding prizes to complete. Thank you for bearing with us as we work to wrap up Gifting prizes and fulfill all of our final obligations for Gifting. In the past, this process could extend into months and sometimes over a year, but it looks like we could be finished or very nearly finished with the top Gifters prizes by February! With this update, several new top 15 Gifter prizes were added. I hope the Gifters enjoy wielding these amazing items as much as we enjoyed creating them (if not more). To keep you all up to speed with our current plans for the near to mid-term, here's a summary of pending or in-progress topics to tackle for EpicDuel.
War ResumesWith this update, the regional faction war will resume as scheduled as the main Gifting leaderboard is retired for another year. This is the step of resetting Gifting that feels the most like putting the holiday decorations into storage for the next season.
Quality of LifeThis year we will strive to implement frequently requested quality of life features to EpicDuel. The most requested feature right now is the ability to sell multiple items at once. You can already do this with mission items and cores, but so far we haven't been able to find a way to stack them. Other items are more complicated to stack because of all the variables since they can be upgraded. You wouldn't want to sell your fully-upgraded, coveted rare item along with a pile of duplicates, so we need to cover as many scenarios as possible. Spider has some solutions he's working on that will hopefully enable bulk selling for regular items as well as home items. These steps will be crucial for clearing out massive amounts of inventory space, especially after Gifting when some are stuck with over 10,000 items in their inventories! Obviously, this is not ideal, since you can't even buy anything with a full inventory, making the game frustrating to play and collecting new rares impossible. These features are challenging, but necessary, and we'll do everything we can to get them to you ASAP.
Cyber WolfThe Cyber Wolf collection is still pending, but I haven't forgotten about it!
BalanceIt's been awhile (too long) since our last comprehensive balance update so we're planning a major one with a focus on cores. These changes will probably roll out in phases since the list of cores has expanded over the years and dominate builds have shifted around them. We hope these changes, many player recommended, will revitalize duels and shake up a stagnating meta.
Azrael's ScornIn early February, the Azrael's Scorn Battlepass items will be equipped to The Challenger. If you missed that Battlepass completely or couldn't grab the last few items, this will be a great opportunity to complete your collection.
Darkeater LeavingThe Darkeater package that has been available since 2022 will finally leave the shop next Friday February 2nd. If you missed our for some reason, this will be your last chance to collect these items all in one package. After the pack leaves, a few select items will be equipped to an in-game shop, allowing purchases of the cores, bots, and select items.
New BattlepassOur next Battlepass is planned to drop sometime in February. In hindsight, it would have been a better idea to hold the Olympus' Wrath package until immediately after Gifting, but it's a lesson we'll take to heart next time.
That's a lot. Is there anything we forgot? Probably. This list wasn't all-inclusive but includes some of the biggest topics that came to mind as I was writing this post. I really should get some more sleep. Tags: Nightwraith | |