Overall Battle System Adjustments for the Future

[Camate]

Happy Friday everyone!

I have a couple of follow-ups in regards to the various topics discussed in this thread.

Before reading, please note that the below is based on discussions amongst the team as well as information that we confirmed with the lead directly. This information is not finalized.

As this is not a post directly from the developers themselves, there is a possibility that there is information here that is incorrect due to the fact this text has not been checked by them after it was written, meaning edits or additional supplementation may be made after the fact.

With that said… Here's what Matsui mentioned about defense.

Regarding Defense

This is a topic that we have received feedback on asking to increase the boons of defense. Due to the attack/defense ratio, the meaning behind adding defense past a certain value starts to become pointless, and we would like to make it have meaning.

As a merit, for example, the more you increase your defense, the lower the damage taken will be and the boons for Defender would become large.

On the other hand, while under the effects of abilities that decrease defense such as Berserk or Last Resort, the damage you take would become higher than what it is currently.

The development team is currently looking into the below adjustments for the attack/defense ratio.

• Even if defense is lowered, the damage received does not increase
  Currently there is a cap imposed for the attack/defense ratio.
  
  The damage you receive from an enemy's attack will increase up to 50% of your defense; however, if it is less (than 50%) you will still receive the same damage as if you had 50%.
  
  This is the reason why even if you reduce your defense a lot when stacking Berserk and Last Resort, you won't see a large increase in the amount of damage you take.
  

  
  Idea

  1. Increase the cap value for the numbers calculated from the attack/defense ratio.
     Damage received while defense is low will be larger.

• Even if defense is increased, the damage received is not reduced
  This is mainly for higher level enemies where the level difference correction is imposed.
  
  Every level a value is added per level to the value that is calculated from the attack/defense ratio, and defense is lowered and then taken into account.
  

  
  Idea

  1. The monsters created after Seekers of Adoulin will be created without the imposing of a level difference correction, and when higher level monsters are created, modification will be placed on attack, defense, and stats.
     
  2. Remove level difference correction
     By removing the level difference correction, it will be possible to reduce the amount of damage taken by increasing your defense.

Also, with the adjustments to the attack/defense ratio and the level difference correction, weapons that have a modifier of 1.0 will become much stronger than what they are currently.

Regarding Content

To start off, we are looking into adjustments for new Nyzul, Legion, Odin's Chamber II, Voidwatch (up to Provenance Watcher), Salvage, and in the event there is further necessity, new Salvage as well.

Below is what we are looking into for adjustments.

• New Nyzul
  • Adjustments to the warp range of floors
• Legion
  • Adjustments to monster levels
  • Adjustments to attack power and defense
• Odin's Chamber II
  • Adjustments to monster levels
• Voidwatch
  • Expand the usage range of the void clusters to Provenance (Provenance Watcher)
• Salvage
  • Re-examine the drop rate of level 35 equipment
  • Make a change so that monsters other than the NMs that spawn from ramparts in Bhaflau Remnants drop the same equipment
• Walk of Echoes
  • Adjustments to monster levels
  • Remove EX status from each type of coin
  • Add sacks that contain multiple Devious Die and Liminal Residue

Past this, we will continue to make adjustments as necessary, and we will be making it so strategy and play style variations can be developed instead of having to win with a huge amount of fire power in a short amount of time.

Below are some changes to the adjustment plans:

• New Nyzul
  Since the purpose of using Embrava was to increase the pace of defeating all enemies, instead of adjusting the floor warp range, we will be re-examining changes to monster strength.
  
  • Adjustments to defense
    Currently looking into making adjustments so that attacks that focus on enemies' weakness are even more deadly.
  • Adjustments to the enemy's level per floor (*values are being adjusted)
    • Floors 01-20: Lowered by 10 levels
    • Floors 21-40: Lowered by 7 levels
    • Floors 41-60: Lowered by 4 levels
    • Floors 61-80: Lowered by 2 levels
    • Floors 81-100: No change
• Legion
  • Adjustments to HP/attack/defense
    As mentioned above, we are looking into removing the level difference correction.
    Due to the fact that removing the level difference correction and lowering the level of monsters at the same time would cause the monsters to become too weak, we are thinking about making adjustments to attack and defense, as well as HP.
• Odin's Chamber II
  • Adjustments to HP/attack/defense
    Similar to Legion, due to the fact that removing the level difference correction and lowering the level of monsters at the same time would cause the monsters to become too weak, we are thinking about making adjustments to attack and defense, as well as HP.

Also, the development team is aware of everyone’s concerns that monster’s special attacks are a bit on the fierce side.

They are currently discussing making it similar to new Limbus, Odin’s Chamber II, and Meeble Burrows where you can formulate a strategy to evade special attacks, and also with the defense adjustments it will be possible to withstand an enemy’s attack more than now as their attack power is reduced. The goal is to change the conditions where you need to defeat a monster right away because even a single regular hit from them deals too much damage.


Next, on to dark knight…

There are two large principles that the development team is keeping in mind:

• To make job adjustments by comparing aspects collectively to close the gap between dark knight
• To not make adjustments by comparing only fire-power to leave dark knight behind

As mentioned previously, with the adjustments to the attack/defense ratio, a greater emphasis will be placed on defense. In the event that you jump into battles and pay no attention to your defense, you will take damage for nearly two-times the amount that it is now, so the way the job is played will change. With that said, based on these changes to the attack/defense ratio we will be fleshing out specifics for what kind of adjustments are necessary for other jobs and let you know once we have some information.


Finally, elemental magic.

When comparing the amount of damage a character deals, elemental magic possesses a higher potential than that of other front-line jobs. However, there is a wide variety of ways to support front-line jobs and not nearly as many ways to support back-line jobs.

Instead of focusing only on adjusting black mage, in addition to our our recently discussed elemental magic changes, we feel it would be better to address the support difference by enabling other jobs to offer more ways to enhance the capabilities of magic users.

Also, we do not have any plans to reduce the casting time or recast time any further than what was listed due to the fact that the average damage will increase and it will also be possible to deal good damage with tier II and III spells.

We are also planning to make adjustments to “-ga” and “-ja” type spells following these guidelines as well. Similarly, we are planning to make adjustments to ancient magic, slightly deviating from these guidelines.

[Alhanelem]

• New Nyzul
  Since the purpose of using Embrava was to increase the pace of defeating all enemies, instead of adjusting the floor warp range, we will be re-examining changes to monster strength.
  • Adjustments to defense
    Currently looking into making adjustments so that attacks that focus on enemies' weakness are even more deadly.
  • Adjustments to the enemy's level per floor (*values are being adjusted)
    • Floors 01-20: Lowered by 10 levels
    • Floors 21-40: Lowered by 7 levels
    • Floors 41-60: Lowered by 4 levels
    • Floors 61-80: Lowered by 2 levels
    • Floors 81-100: No change

I could be wrong here, but isn't the real thing that slows people down in nyzul the lamp floors? This doesn't really change the biggest roadblocks in the event (assuming I"m not wrong, which I could be- I don't claim to have spent much time in nyzul)

[Infidi]

Wonder if it would be possible to remove lamp floors from Neo Nyzule altogether?

[Fermion]

Finally, elemental magic.

When comparing the amount of damage a character deals, elemental magic possesses a higher potential than that of other front-line jobs. However, there is a wide variety of ways to support front-line jobs and not nearly as many ways to support back-line jobs.

Instead of focusing only on adjusting black mage, in addition to our our recently discussed elemental magic changes, we feel it would be better to address the support difference by enabling other jobs to offer more ways to enhance the capabilities of magic users.

Also, we do not have any plans to reduce the casting time or recast time any further than what was listed due to the fact that the average damage will increase and it will also be possible to deal good damage with tier II and III spells.

We are also planning to make adjustments to “-ga” and “-ja” type spells following these guidelines as well. Similarly, we are planning to make adjustments to ancient magic, slightly deviating from these guidelines.

Will the helix spells receive adjustments to their damage formulas and casting/recast times? With the planned Elemental Magic changes, I can't see how helix spells would be allowed to lag so far behind...unless they plan on surprising us with helix II's .

Either way, the helix line should be carefully looked at. This is SCH's defining set of elemental spells. I'd hate to see them rendered virtually useless by developer over-sites. Please fix Modus Veritas as well.

[saevel]

If they make defense more important while also lowering the monsters damage output, then that could go a long way to balancing the current play style.

[bigdave]

man they cant even bother to fix the biggest spell for black wizard so it worth casting solo

[Xilk]

[*]Even if defense is increased, the damage received is not reduced
This is mainly for higher level enemies where the level difference correction is imposed.

Every level a value is added per level to the value that is calculated from the attack/defense ratio, and defense is lowered and then taken into account.

Idea

1. The monsters created after Seekers of Adoulin will be created without the imposing of a level difference correction, and when higher level monsters are created, modification will be placed on attack, defense, and stats.
   
2. Remove level difference correction
   By removing the level difference correction, it will be possible to reduce the amount of damage taken by increasing your defense.

[/list]
Also, with the adjustments to the attack/defense ratio and the level difference correction, weapons that have a modifier of 1.0 will become much stronger than what they are currently.

This sounds like it effect beastmaster pets as well, making them more effective vs higher level targets than they currently are, and a bit less effective vs lower level targets than they currently are. is this correct?

[Demon6324236]

List of adjustments.

I am happy to see these things, yet I am also sad there is still no word on anything Voidwatch related. Is there any chance at getting some more info about changes to Voidwatch and its reward distribution rate?

[Protey]

Camate wrote:

"As mentioned previously, with the adjustments to the attack/defense ratio, a greater emphasis will be placed on defense. In the event that you jump into battles and pay no attention to your defense, you will take damage for nearly two-times the amount that it is now"

What about counterstance? does the Dev team expect MNKs not to use this most important of JAs anymore?

[Carth]

Remove level difference correction
By removing the level difference correction, it will be possible to reduce the amount of damage taken by increasing your defense.

Screw everything else in that post. This would change the game entirely.