When working on the balance the base question is always the same. For whom are we balancing? The player who starts the game for the first time? Players who already clocked in hundred hours? This in itself is a balancing act and so we aimed at making the game more fun to play by addressing core issues rather than tweaking difficulty directly. Underplayed cards got a bit boosted while cards reported as overpowered got slightly nerfed but no single class was targeted to be nerfed or boosted as a whole.
It took us a couple of weeks to get everything ready since the changes affect many cards (you can find the complete list below). We decided to release them all in one larger update. Done in small batches these changes wouldn't make much sense.
Main Changes
Self-propelling infinite draw builds. These were universally thought to be too easy to achieve and fun breaking. The main suspects were Stamina Burst, Camaraderie, and Rogue's cost-lowering cards. The changes introduced in this update don't make infinite draw builds impossible. Instead, they will now require more players/companions' cooperation in order to be reliably repeatable.
- Stamina Burst no longer will grant extra 3 draws. Aside from that it works as it used to.
- Mage's cards that moved enemies now all work in the same manner, moving them clockwise and switching their distance. What changes between them is the number of monsters affected. That way the player can plan better and the game can show on the map where the monsters will be moved.
- Bombs got boosted and now all cost 0 mana (and the space in hand). Instead, Ignite now costs 1 mana, effectively moving the mana spending to the moment of the bomb's detonation. This incentivizes placing bombs in order to slim the deck.
- Chainshirt and Clout both are now Strain cards. Both were powerful and they remain powerful but now can't be played infinitely.
- Wild Strike became a Sword-type card called Side Sword. This means there is a complete upgrade patch for swords from Starter Card to Legendary.
- Based on your feedback some upgrade paths changed to be more logical.
Edit: I forgot to mention it initially, but the cosmetics unlock pace was increased. This change is retroactive. This means that if you have been playing for a while now after finishing the first run since this update you might get a bunch of cosmetics unlocked at once.
Debido a unos inconvenientes , el español esta deshabilitado temporalmente
A call for feedback!
We tested these changes internally as much as we could and we have reached the stage where we need community feedback from you. We are eager to know what you think of the changes and the new balance. We also expect some issues to have slipped through the net so please keep an eye out for bugs and issues!
Card Changes
- Aether Splash cost reduced to 1 (from 2).
- Backflip damage threshold increased to 4 (from 3) and removed turn counter.
- Shadow Stance damage threshold increased to 5 (from 4) and removed turn counter.
- Enchant now not only suppresses getting Status cards from the next played Rune but also plays the next Rune twice.
- Teleport no longer discard a random card.
- Sweep and Botaoshi now move monsters in radius to one section in the next clockwise slice.
- Incantation is now a Rare card.
- Ivy Extract doesn't upgrade to Shockwave Bomb anymore.
- All bombs cost 0. Ignite costs 1.
- Shockwave Bomb's damage increased to 15.
- Buster bomb is now a rare card. Damage increased to 6 (from 3) and it now breaks monsters' block.
- Bouncy bomb is now a common card that deals 6 damage (instead of 3 piercing).
- Precision Bomb damage increased to 12 (from 6).
- Flashbang bomb now deals 8 damage in addition to stunning monsters.
- Switcheroo cost reduced to 1 (from 3).
- Akanbe now moves a selected monster to your near section (not the one with the highest strength).
- Lie In Wait cost was reduced to 1 from 2 and Stamina gain increased to 3 from 2.
- Changed Rogue Tactics upgrade from Trickle Down to Throwing Knives.
- Minesweep's base damage increased to 2 (was 1).
- Changed Swords Akimbo upgrade from All Out Strike to Deatheater Sword.
- Getting Stamina Burst doesn’t draw extra cards anymore.
- Rallying Cry's cost increased to 1 (from 0).
- Overexertion's cost increased to 1 (from 0).
- Eagle Trick's cost increased to 1 (from 0) but it no longer gives Tired.
- Diversify's cost increased to 3 (from 2).
- Finesse's cost increased to 3 (from 2).
- Excession's cost decreased to 1 (from 2). Added Strain.
- Added Strain to Clout and Chainshirt.
- Camaraderie now draws 2 cards but costs 1 instead of 0.
- Arsenal now draws 2 cards but costs 1 instead of 0.
- The Collector now draws 2 cards but costs 1 instead of 0.
- Shatter now targets one specific monster instead of a medium radius.
- Shrapnel and Sharp Rain don't discard Arrows anymore.
- Luck and Adapt cost lowered to 0 from 1.
- Fury doesn't upgrade to Gut Punch anymore.
- Haymaker now updates to Gut Punch.
- Pacifist upgrades to No Pasaran instead of One For All.
- Second Wind now upgrades to Battle Juice.
- Sleeve Trick now adds a Talon arrow for every 3rd drawn card (not every 3rd extra drawn card).
- Brutal Thaw cost decreased to 1 from 2.
- Deatheater Sword now upgrades to Double-Edge sword instead of Diamon Knife.
- Charge now upgrades to Diamon Knife.
- Wild Strike is now a sword card called Side Sword.
- Side Sword now upgrades to Storm of Blades instead of Starlight Strike.
- Iron Will is now a Rare card giving 5 block to all heroes that have 5 or more incoming damage, 2 block otherwise (was Legendary).
- Simulacrum is now a Legendary card (was Rare).
- Trickle Down now deals as much damage in a small radius as the gemstones you have (was twice).
- Stonks doesn’t draw cards for killed monsters anymore.
- Blindsided now deals 5 damage instead of 3.
- Barrage now deals 5 damage instead of 3.
Full Changelog
Version 0.5.230417 - 17 Apr 2023
- Added Brazilian Portuguese language thanks to our awesome community translator!
- Fixed misleading Empty Handed achievement description in the Awards Screen
- Fixed cards being added to hand even if the character is dead
- Fixed Frog artifact healing multiple times
- Fixed some location actions not refreshing when using other location options
- Fixed Feeble torment modifier breaking Untouchable achievement
- Fixed Iron Pan artifact together with Blighted torment modifier not showing proper damage in multiplayer mode
- Fixed problems with character rotation when using some cards (eg. Whirlwind)
- Fixed monster buff radius sometimes not disappearing after death
- Improved Conduit Aura and Grit influences target selection
- Added some new tips
- Balance: Aether Splash cost reduced to 1 (from 2).
- Balance: Backflip damage threshold increased to 4 (from 3) and removed turn counter.
- Balance: Shadow Stance damage threshold increased to 5 (from 4) and removed turn counter.
- Balance: Enchant now not only suppresses getting Status cards from the next played Rune but also plays the next Rune twice.
- Balance: Teleport no longer discards a random card.
- Balance: Sweep and Botaoshi now move monsters in radius to one section in the next clockwise slice.
- Balance: Incantation is now a Rare card.
- Balance: Ivy Extract doesn't upgrade to Shockwave Bomb anymore.
- Balance: All bombs cost 0. Ignite costs 1.
- Balance: Shockwave Bomb's damage increased to 15.
- Balance: Buster bomb is now a rare card. Damage increased to 6 (from 3) and it now breaks monsters' block.
- Balance: Bouncy bomb is now a common card that deals 6 damage (instead of 3 piercing).
- Balance: Precision Bomb damage increased to 12 (from 6).
- Balance: Flashbang bomb now deals 8 damage in addition to stunning monsters.
- Balance: Switcheroo cost reduced to 1 (from 3).
- Balance: Akanbe now moves a selected monster to your near section (not the one with the highest strength).
- Balance: Lie In Wait cost was reduced to 1 from 2 and Stamina gain increased to 3 from 2.
- Balance: Changed Rogue Tactics upgrade from Trickle Down to Throwing Knives.
- Balance: Minesweep's base damage increased to 2 (was 1).
- Balance: Changed Swords Akimbo upgrade from All Out Strike to Deatheater Sword.
- Balance: Getting Stamina Burst doesn’t draw extra cards anymore.
- Balance: Rallying Cry's cost increased to 1 (from 0).
- Balance: Overexertion's cost increased to 1 (from 0).
- Balance: Eagle Trick's cost increased to 1 (from 0) but it no longer gives Tired.
- Balance: Diversify's cost increased to 3 (from 2).
- Balance: Finesse's cost increased to 3 (from 2).
- Balance: Excession's cost decreased to 1 (from 2). Added Strain.
- Balance: Added Strain to Clout and Chainshirt.
- Balance: Camaraderie now draws 2 cards but costs 1 instead of 0.
- Balance: Arsenal now draws 2 cards but costs 1 instead of 0.
- Balance: The Collector now draws 2 cards but costs 1 instead of 0.
- Balance: Shatter now targets one specific monster instead of a medium radius.
- Balance: Shrapnel and Sharp Rain don't discard Arrows anymore.
- Balance: Luck and Adapt cost lowered to 0 from 1.
- Balance: Fury doesn't upgrade to Gut Punch anymore.
- Balance: Haymaker now updates to Gut Punch.
- Balance: Pacifist upgrades to No Pasaran instead of One For All.
- Balance: Second Wind now upgrades to Battle Juice.
- Balance: Sleeve Trick now adds a Talon arrow for every 3rd drawn card (not every 3rd extra drawn card).
- Balance: Brutal Thaw cost decreased to 1 from 2.
- Balance: Deatheater Sword now upgrades to Double-Edge sword instead of Diamon Knife.
- Balance: Charge now upgrades to Diamon Knife.
- Balance: Wild Strike is now a sword card called Side Sword.
- Balance: Side Sword now upgrades to Storm of Blades instead of Starlight Strike.
- Balance: Iron Will is now a Rare card giving 5 block to all heroes that have 5 or more incoming damage, 2 block otherwise (was Legendary).
- Balance: Simulacrum is now a Legendary card (was Rare).
- Balance: Trickle Down now deals as much damage in a small radius as the gemstones you have (was twice).
- Balance: Stonks doesn’t draw cards for killed monsters anymore.
- Balance: Blindsided now deals 5 damage instead of 3.
- Balance: Barrage now deals 5 damage instead of 3.
What's Next
This, of course, doesn't end the balance work. We expect plenty of feedback and fine-tuning. While we wait for more data from you we are getting back to work on
- The Endless Mode,
- a new Final Boss,
- more staring artifacts that will focus starting decks better,
- and the new Class, of course ːarchduckː.
Aside from these major things we are currently working on controller support with Steam Deck support scheduled next. Hellcard already runs on Steam Deck and is playable, but we aim to improve the experience.
As Always,
Stay Safe in Paper Dungeons ːarchduckː
Konstanty
