First off, thank you so much for participating in our final playtest. Initially, we planned for the playtest to last 7-14 days. With the Early Access launch fast approaching and the wealth of constructive feedback and data we've gathered, we've seen promising results in core aspects of the game. We've also taken your valuable feedback to heart, identified areas for improvement, and are already working on addressing them. You can expect to see these changes reflected in the Early Access patch notes. To facilitate this process, the playtest will conclude on July 11 at 17:00 UTC (24 hours from now).
Dev Notes on Class Balance
Throughout the playtest, we've been closely monitoring your feedback and suggestions on class balance. In addition to community feedback, we're using data analysis (such as extraction rates and K/D ratios) to guide our decisions. Balancing classes is a complex task, so we aim to make thoughtful and well-considered adjustments rather than rushing any changes. We recognize that the response to this round of balance changes has been slower, as we have been implementing a multi-skill system (see below). Some known class difficulties will be addressed by adding these new active skills and passives. Our current data also indicates that performance across all classes is relatively balanced in 3v3 matches, which is our primary focus for balance (see the graph below for details). However, we understand the importance of 1v1 balance and are committed to improving it as much as possible while preserving balance in 3v3 gameplay. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
By the Early Access launch, we will be implementing the following changes (among others):
●More Skill Options for Classes
- We plan to introduce new active skills for every class during Early Access. By the Early Access launch, you can expect new active skills to choose from for Fighter, Death Knight, Rogue, Cryomancer, and Priest
- To accommodate the new active skill selection system, we made adjustments to several class passives
●Class Balance Adjustments
- Swordmaster: Increased Psionic Blades' cooldown when only 1 or 2 swords are consumed. Psionic Blades also no longer restore life by default and will require the Healing Scabbard passive to restore life
- Pyromancer: Added a casting interval to Pyroblast Stage 1 prevent rapid spamming. Adjusted a few passive skills, details coming soon
- Rogue: Stealth will be fully invisible when you are far from the enemy
- Druid: Significantly increased Panther form's basic attack damage
●Weapon Balance Adjustments
- Sword and Shield: Increased the charge-up time for charged attacks
●Itemization Adjustments
- Slightly increased the stat values of Magic equipment and further increased the stat values of Epic+ equipment
- Lowered the activation threshold for most Set Affixes and enhanced the effects of Tier 3 Set Affixes
●The Mithril Order
- Removed the respawn mechanic for Mithril Order characters
●PvE Improvements
●Matchmaking Lobby Improvements
●Client/Server Optimization and Bug Fixing
●New Server Region: South America
We believe this playtest has successfully achieved our key objectives: identifying areas that need improvement to ensure a smooth launch, giving you an opportunity to try out the game, and spreading the word. We are incredibly excited about the journey ahead. Stay tuned for our Early Access launch date announcement on July 12th! With your support, we're building Dungeonborne into the best extraction RPG out there. Let's keep this momentum going!
Onward and upward!
-Mithril
