🧪 Early Information on Round 3 of "Big Balance Update" [Part of The Beta Beat v58]

[Brergr]

People will angry about nerf still play tho, but many will quit or no spend at all if you take back or change any skills from first you offered d’oh

[L33tVortex12596]

@Ripobin_The_First

Happy with cleanse and aiment reflect coming back - shame about shared damage and defence up both going as well but with attack up and heal it shifts his focus to be even more offensive support.

Well at least that makes one of us,
Nothing personal love, just the first note I saw and guess what? Yeah thats right, it kissed me off!
I didn’t see anything wrong with him to begin with…he had plenty of counters…move the priority cleanse to the back and people will have even more counter options.
And let’s not even talk about what a butcher job Fortuna’s nip tuck is!
Keep standing up for the little guys hun! Appreciate you!

[ahbombim]

I am ok to most balance but need to highlight that Fortuna should be a pity one.

I’m worry about how much the buff stats affect the plays. Hope the SG are not making the plays benefit mostly to the new hero side.

[RandaPanduh]

A simple observation

I mentioned this in beta as well, but I have a theory that this “capping” the devs are doing within this “balance” update - lowering SS numbers all around (direct damage, heal, protection via taunt) - may also extend to the amount of skills (aka bullet points) a hero can have, at any given speed, esp when applied to all heroes / enemies.

Honestly, it’s the only thing that makes sense [to me]. Or, why else would they be removing entire skills from seemingly random, innocuous heroes?! Like Fortuna, for example. Then there’s Furdinand, Rhys, and even trying it with Gazelle (and her costume)

So while I have no confirmation - and this is pure conjecture - it seems to me that fast speed cover / hit alls are allowed up to three skills. Average speed cover / hit alls are allowed up to four. And if I’m right, then that means reducing #'s, or just simply changing / trading things out, won’t be enough [to SG]. And therefore, when it comes to these heroes with one too many skills, something may have to actually go…

& If that’s truly the case… Then the question becomes: what skill should that be?

(Not saying I like this tho )

[Korff67]

Ja, ist einer meiner Lieblings Helden und definitiv nicht OP! Der Attack Up war wirklich eine feine Sache,der sollte auch bleiben
Wenigstens lassen sie ihm das cleanen!

[Cantadult]

@PlayForFun

What is the magic family power boost? I didn’t see it posted in round 1-3; especially considering the new heroes that were launched.

@Petri

You’re making progress, but change Furdinand’s attack up back to defense up. He’s a defensive hero overall especially considering you removed his shared damage… that’s infuriating alone.

I assume Fortuna is keeping her dispel? your damage bump is a damn joke; she should retain all her original special components and you should buff her damage to 200%.

Is Rhys still going to retain his increased / decreased mana boost dependent on tiles? You also need to buff his hp boost to 450ish if you’re taking away his attack.

The fact you are modifying these heroes so drastically when they were pulled so long ago definitely was the nail in the coffin for me; done spending on this ■■■■ game if you don’t make the aforementioned changes in addition to greatly buffing Enigmo and Myztero. Thank god Diablo 4 is out June 1st - at least Blizzard knows wtf they are doing. Really hope this hits your profits hard - you thoroughly pissed your p2p player base off

[Ripobin_The_First]

Thanks!

I agree entirely. He wasn’t an issue on defence (as long as you remembered a debuffer) and was a benefit and fun to play on attack. He absolutely didn’t need to be touched, save for the swapping the order of the cleanse. I’d much prefer him to stay with shared damage and defence up (as I’ve mentioned, Gunnar was one of my favourites for ages - he saved my bacon so many times).

But.

If they are going to make changes - then his current B3 state is at least playable. The cleanse and ailment reflection were of top importance to me ahead of shared damage and def up. (If I really have to prioritise - damn you, SG!)

[Ralsha]

@Skitz

Have you guys even done any Beta testing before considering rolling back some of the changes you made in Round 2?

In under 8days? No way. It kinda feels like with Obamacare and the higher-ups saying let’s just pass it then we can see what’s in it.

[Ralsha]

Ironic? Not in the least. The pity increases are really saying okay you want more here. But we still want you to buy buy buy so while it “looks” like we are making classics useful we are still creating overpowered heroes.
Keep speaking out and letting your thoughts be heard on this. As a community and the reason this game is still here we can help decide what happens next. I don’t believe in coincidence so I fully believe because we have come together and spoken out is why Round 2 came so quickly behind Round 1 being announced, why a good number who have never had good pulls are all of sudden getting 5* and HOTM, why some of the current offers released are priced as they are and why this POV has a war requirement to finish it.
Keep uniting. One voice helps guide the choice.

@PlayForFun tysvm for putting out this info. A lot of work and greatly appreciated.

[Ralsha]

Very well said! I agree with you.

[sleepyhead]

I just got steamrolled in a revenge raid by some newer heroes that murdered me in 2 specials. And I remembered SG’s very nice preamble re the special skill balance.

What I’d like to ask beta testers is, has this tweaking been evident at all in beta recently? Has any info been shared on how exactly the special skill damage caps will be put in place? because I agree with the stated rationale re it is INCREDIBLY frustrating to be wiped out with 2-3 specials.

(I know it would be better to ask SG/Zynga directly, but… not sure if they will answer).

to quote from the thread here:

On the upcoming Big Balance Update & Aether Reset Tokens

Note: Most of what’s below was shared with our beta testers yesterday when Version 58 Beta Round 1 started. For better visibility, we are sharing these notes with the general community as well (with minor edits for clarity/relevance). Here’s some contextual light on the two VERY significant updates being tested in this beta round: The “Big Balance Update” Aether Reset Tokens The Big Balance Update We’re planning to conduct the largest balance update in the history of Empires & Puzzles, and…

The gist of our new direction is that Heroes’ power will now be allocated a bit more to raw stats, and a bit less to Special Skills. In addition, specific hard-cap values and rules have been set for many different types of Special Skills (e.g., “damage-to-all attacks should not go above N%”). As a result, Special Skills do a bit less damage whereas normal attacks (=Troop damage) do a bit more damage.

We believe that placing a reasonable upper limit on the power of Special Skills in this manner will make the game feel more FUN and FAIR, as less battles will be straight-up decided by the very first volley of Special Skills.

How is this becoming evident in all the testing?

edit: I saw @RandaPanduh 's response above, and I guess it’s not very evident how the special skill damage will be tweaked yet?

(as always, thanks for sharing some great insights RandaPanduh!

Early Information on Round 3 of "Big Balance Update" [Part of The Beta Beat v58]

A simple observation I mentioned this in beta as well, but I have a theory that this “capping” the devs are doing within this “balance” update - lowering SS numbers all around (direct damage, heal, protection via taunt) - may also extend to the amount of skills (aka bullet points) a hero can have, at any given speed, esp when applied to all heroes / enemies. Honestly, it’s the only thing that makes sense [to me]. Or, why else would they be removing entire skills from seemingly random, innocuo…

[Ralsha]

Of course but do you go back to those who have purchased and say I need to take off this and that, Im not returning your money and here you have said item back now but it is missing a few things. How long would you stay in business?

[Ralsha]

@ahbombim

Hope the SG are not making the plays benefit mostly to the new hero side.

I believe that is exactly what is being done.

[Chico1224uk]

The poor hippo needs a Buff. He needs a nice 200% Hit All as a start to his special, or a dispel all as a first

[Chico1224uk]

For fun add a springvale edge to him. Last line of special can now say - caster is affected by 50 bleed over 5 turns (un-cleansable & un-dispealable)

[Blessed-I-Am]

@Ralsha

Of course but do you go back to those who have purchased and say I need to take off this and that, Im not returning your money and here you have said item back now but it is missing a few things. How long would you stay in business?

I don’t agree with the nerfs to some hero’s but the updating the old ones so they are just as strong or damn near as strong too the new ones is BAD business

[bababobo20]

For nerf some heroes I agree, but please don’t nerf until I can’t use that hero anymore, can you? I don’t understand why you would do that? Furdinand for beta 2 I think still acceptable but for beta 3 if you’re going to do this. Please return the items to return all the materials in the upgrade as well. If I saw this hero with a stat like this, I would definitely not upgrade it.

from one Furndinand usage

[VietnamBanned]

Rhys is the only 5* I have in those heroes and going to be nerf, wth :|, He is a good hero not an OP hero, taking away his atk up buff is like taking away his soul, jesus christ SG dev. My raid team always has him and many matches can’t beat the teams with aramis, hathor, hippo,… With this change, my raid team even weaker and can’t even beat anyone. Think its like a goodbye to the game, too frustrated with this nonsense adjustment. F

[King_Kyree77]

That’s the problem I am having with the Rhys situation. His attack buff is essential to his design and to remove it would make him a below average hero. If the issue is his mana speed, then make him average like Xnolphod and buff some of his numbers.

[Quinn3]

That would be an interesting ailment/buff due to his conditional damage.
But honestly, I liked the Springvale drawbacks because they were balanced. They were generally fast, hard hitters with some sort of ailment drawback. It was the same thing about the bards when beta mentioned that their effects would affect both defense and offense sides. Instead, now-a-days it’s all good stuff with no balanced bad.