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EpicDuel PVP Game Design Notes

Behind the scenes information about EpicDuel's development and releases, a real-time PVP MMO that you can play online in your web browser.
Titan

January 31, 2017

Patch Notes - 1.6.71

Bug Fixes

  • Void Essence not showing in inventory
  • Recruitment letter not showing in inventory
  • Daily Code Redeems leaderboard correctly identifies the “Daily Prize Champion” achievement
  • Corrected visual display error with NPC level numbers (LINK)
  • Updated several items to display correctly in the Item Finder (LINK)
  • Mark of Azrael not equippable (fixed)

Tags: Titan


Nightwraith

January 06, 2017

EpicDuel 2017

EpicDuel 2017

I know it’s an overused cliche at this point, but 2016 has been a beast of a year, filled with tragedy and turmoil, but quite a lot of productivity. This year we saw the launch of BioBeasts which was a triumph for our small team. We experienced many highs and lows in the post-launch aftermath as we wrangled with trends and tried our best to improve the game and help it gain traction in a clogged and bloated marketplace. This year was a triumph for Artix Entertainment as AdventureQuest 3D entered Open Beta. There have been some snags along the way, but it’s unbelievable how far the game has come in such a short span of time.


 We entered December with modest expectations for the gifting release. December is typically a strong month in terms of player population and sales, but it’s been challenging to fight the downward trend of browser games. These past few months we re-dedicated ourselves to EpicDuel in an effort to address many longstanding issues. There are some insurmountable challenges concerning balance, but we took in all of your feedback and did what we could with the time we had and the constraints of an engine thrice rebuilt.

 

Overall, the releases have performed surprisingly well, once again leaving us in a state of wide-eyed astonishment at the enthusiasm of our players. You definitely surprised us with your passion when servers came back online after the update on December 1st. You sent a clear message that you still love EpicDuel and wish to see it thrive in the new year. We’re constantly humbled and inspired by the fervor of our little community.


Of course, not everyone was overwhelmingly pleased as some balance issues were not thoroughly addressed. Some major changes, like the NPC fill system, are controversial, but necessary for the challenges EpicDuel will face in 2017.


Some of those challenges we’ve been harping on for ages -- It seemed like Flash was going to die in...2012? 2013? 2014? True, it’s still here and kicking, but it’s utility is constantly eroded as other platforms and web standards consume its market share and browsers discontinue or limit support. Flash will probably still be running in 2075 on whatever hacked-together browser exists in the blasted Wastescapes between the shattered Megacities.


The persistence of Flash in the face of extinction doesn’t mean we’re not still concerned by this threat. We mentioned we were experimenting with executable clients, but that approach has some challenges we’re not sure we can overcome. We even looked into porting to Steam, but the fact is that while EpicDuel on Steam would be a boon to our current players, as an aging PvP MMO it would fail to attract the new players it would need to grow and justify continuous development. The only EpicDuel-related project that could break out on the modern market is perhaps a reimagined or completely new game, but such a project would be a massive undertaking and probably at least years away.


If a direct port is not feasible, could a new or rejuvenated product be born from within EpicDuel? We’ve said many, many times that Omega is the last phase. There will not be an EpicDuel Zeta or EpicDuel Gamma 2. Even if we wanted to, we can’t simply roll back some of the massive engine changes that have been accrued over nearly 10 years of development. The inherent flaws of the engine and platform are also reasons why returning to full-time development is not a viable solution either. We want EpicDuel to succeed, but we’re also facing harsh realities of aging technology, a rapidly changing the marketplace, and the current position of our company.

 

“What about BioBeasts? Wasn’t that supposed to be the great salvation of EpicDuel?” The fate of BioBeasts is covered in a post over at its homepage. The summation is that it didn’t reach the heights we hoped it would, but we’re still proud of it and wouldn’t trade the experience gained from working on that project for anything.


In the face of these challenges, what does the future hold for EpicDuel? In the new year, you can expect the systems of the game to function normally with the continued return of seasonal rares and the reactivated war cycle. In the new iteration, the wars will run with a one week cooldown in between to keep them moving faster so there’s less downtime. Each war region will continue to have unique war prizes. The servers will remain online as long as long as Artix Entertainment can afford to do so, even if the population dwindles to one lone player battling NPCs.


“If you can’t make a new phase or EpicDuel 2 or return to EpicDuel development full time, then WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” For the EpicDuel team 2016 was more trial than triumph, but 2017 will be a year of exploration and expansion -- Exploration of new technologies and expansion of our technical knowledge and skill. This will be done in an effort to look beyond the scope of our limited team with the goal of working to secure the future of Artix Entertainment. Currently, the best way to help AE in the very near term is for us is to bolster the development of modern, interesting projects like AdventureQuest 3D.


Thank you everyone for all you’ve done for EpicDuel, supporting it throughout these many years of development. It hasn’t been easy and we haven’t always made popular decisions concerning the direction of the game, but you’ve stuck with us in spite of everything. Because you believed in EpicDuel. You believed in us and helped the game endure as long as it has. How long can it last? Ultimately, it’s up to you. The lifeblood of EpicDuel has always been it’s players. As long as there are players eager for a duel, Delta V will be open for business.

Tags: Nightwraith


Nightwraith

January 06, 2017

Patch Notes - 1.6.70

Features/Changes

  • Players will now receive a Credit bonus when they level up, roughly equal to the amount of Credits they would have earned before the experience curve changes made in December
  • 3k bonus Varium promotion has ended
  • BioBeasts packages have been removed
  • Increased level of opponents in a Juggernaut match with only NPCs to curb botting attempts
  • Seasonal Rare BioBeasts items will be removed from shops, set to return Sept 18, 2017
  • Weapons/armor will receive credit prices when they return. Cores will remain Varium-only
    • Monkakazi P/E
    • Bio Berserker PE
    • Bio Slayer P/E
    • Bio Blaster P/E
    • Bio Hunter Rifle P/E
    • Hazmat Suit
    • Phase Shift
    • Pacify
    • Tranquility
    • Salvage

Balance 

  • Lower level players now have an increased chance for First Strike
  • Effective level system for Legendary Ranks has changed. This affects First Strike and Underdog calculations
    • Dev Note: This change should better reflect the fact that the higher Legendary Ranks are not as powerful as early Ranks, stopping the Underdog buff from penalizing higher Legendary players.
    • Old System
      • 10 Ranks = 1 Effective Level (Rank 50 Legendary = Effective Level 45)
    • New System
      • Rank 1-7 Legendary = Effective Level 40
      • Rank 8-19 Legendary = Effective Level 41
      • Rank 20-35 Legendary = Effective Level 42
      • Rank 36-55 Legendary = Effective Level 43
      • Rank 56-79 Legendary = Effective Level 44
      • Rank 80+ Legendary = Effective Level 45

Tags: Nightwraith


Nightwraith

January 05, 2017

New Year New Update!

Happy New Year, EpicDuelists! Here's to a new year with new beginnings, new challenges, and new triumphs! I'd like to congratulate our Epic gifters this year who blew away our expectations for generosity, especially ..Cosmic Emperor.. who received my very own Founder Armor! Wear it with pride!

Winter Gifting Winner

Thanks again to everyone who participated in this event, even if you only gave one gift or just did something nice for a fellow player. 

 

Update Time!

For the first update of 2017, which should arrive tomorrow, we'll be making a few changes. First, and most noticeable, we'll be reverting the 15,000 Varium package back to 12,000. As soon as we update, you'll not be able to earn the Ultra-Rare Epic Supporter Achievement again, so if you've been on the fence, now's the time to act!

15000 Varium Offer

We'll also finally be removing the BioBeasts packages from the shop. The promotional items, including their cores, will also be removed from their in-game shops on Galatea and the Monkakazi until September 18, 2017, when they will be available for Credits as well as Varium. 

 

War Online

When we update, we will also reactivate the War, which should resume at Central Station. There will be a brief delay before the War region officially activates on Monday to make sure everyone is aware and prepared for it. Wars have been updated to have a shorter cooldown between, unlike the variable cooldown times of before which could stretch for months.

 

Balance Changes

We'll also be addressing some balance issues with this update, including First Strike, Underdog, and Legendary Ranks!

 

EpicDuel Team 2017

What's on the agenda for 2017? We've been meeting with Artix and other team leads to determine the best direction to proceed for our personal growth and the good of the entire company. We'll post a Design Note concerning the outcome of those meetings tomorrow after the update. 

Tags: Nightwraith

 

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