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Wiseman -> RE: =ED= New Balance Update (4/9/2011 23:56:11)
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I have a few things involving balance I wish to mention, this includes diminishing returns, luck factors, rage, and agility.
Diminishing Returns: I think that the diminishing returns aren't doing their job, the goal was to make 1 stat only extreme builds less effective, however since EVERYONE is effected equally hardly anything has changed. I can still make a high strength Stun-Zerk build at 133-138 strength and lower health to bout 107-109 and still two turn most people, and 3-4 turn the NPCs. If you truly want to reduce the effectiveness of having stats higher, then you will have to have more then one level of diminishing returns, I'm thinking +1 stat point needed in multiple areas. Each increment for the diminishing stat level should go up by 10 points each time, to make up for the extra stat points needed for each level.
This should explain it better.
50 is the first level
80 would be the second
120 would be third
170 would be fourth
As you can see I added 10 stat points extra to each level which is a net for the extra 1 stat needed per level. This means that the next level after 170 would be 230...then 300
At each level the stats needed to reach one more Dmg/Def/Res should require 1 more stat point.
So basically.
Strength/Dexterity/Technology/Support
Level 0 (49- Stats) 4/3/2.7/4
Level 1 (50+ Stats) 5/4/3.7/5
Level 2 (80+ Stats) 6/5/4.7/6
Level 3 (120+ Stats) 7/6/5.7/7
Level 4 (170+ Stats) 8/7/6.7/8
Level 5 (230+ Stats) 9/8/7.7/9
Level 6 (300+ Stats) 10/9/8.7/10
There's no need to ever take it above level 6, because even if the level cap was 100 it would be near impossible to reach over 300 stats for one stat without sacrificing too much.
That is what I would consider diminishing, and I think that would work much better in lowering the effectiveness of builds that only have a lot of points in one stat.
If its decided that 60 should be the base level then just increase all of the above stat levels by 10 points (60/90/130/180/240/310).
Luck Factors: "Luck" or rather RNG in this game plays much to large of a role, in a flash based game RNG tends to stick to you like glue, meaning if you get unlucky you will REMAIN unlucky for a long period (in most cases), same applies to getting lucky. In a system that is that unpredictable I would suggest that luck factors (Critical,Deflections,Blocks,Stuns) shouldn't play as big of a role. For that reason I feel that ALL of the luck based effects in this game should be changed in a way that makes them less of a deciding factor of battles.
Critical Hits: Critical hits are extremely game breaking in ED if someone crits you in a battle you are almost guaranteed to lose, and no matter how much support you get, if the RNG decides to give you a negative roll you will suffer from crits and they will stick to you for a long time. To fix this issue I suggest that crits only ignore 15% of the receiving players def/res, lowering the % chance to get a Critical Hit wont change much because of the RNG but lowering how much defense critical hits ignore will make them far less of a deciding factor. They will still be helpful in battle just not as much as now, 15% seems kinda low, but they are meant to help you win not automatically give you the victory.
Deflections: Out of all the luck factors, I'd say deflections is the least prominent, they don't seem to happen as often as the others and when they do its not as noticeable or game breaking. However when someone deflects multiple times in one fight that's when things become a problem, this happens often when RNG decides to give you deflection issues. To fix deflections only a small adjustment is needed, they should only stop 25% of the damage from guns and auxiliary weapons instead of 50%. This small adjustment will make deflections less of a deciding factor in battles while keeping them useful enough to turn a battle in a players favor.
Stuns: Stuns are by FAR the most overpowered luck factor in Epic Duel, when someone is stunned not only do you ignore a % of their defense when you hit them, they also cannot block or deflect and lose an entire turn. So its a free hit a turn skip and you do MORE damage, hmmm that sounds a tad bit overpowered, and it is...it really is. My suggestion for stuns is to remove the defense ignoring factor completely, also ALL percents to stun should be lowered by 10% that includes base stun chance and the maul skill. Even these changes might not lower its power enough, however it will help some, if you stun someone...they will lose most of the time. Someone suggested that stuns shouldn't skip a players turn completely, instead it should block them from using any offensive moves only, so they can only use shields and heal when stunned, that might be a better system if it can be implemented.
Blocks: Everyone hates blocks...and for good reason they stop ALL damage from any strike or skill that can be blocked, which is basically a complete waste of a turn (though you do get some rage from it). Block calculations seem fine to me as they don't happen too often (unless someone has high dex and shadow arts but that's to be expected) and you can get around them and still win sometimes. However the fact that they stop all damage from a skill is the issue here, I think any skill that hits multiple times should have a chance to connect PER HIT. So a skill that hits 2 times would have 2 chances to connect instead of just 1, so if a bounty uses cheap shot and the first hit is blocked the second hit might connect.
Three important things to note bout the block change.
1. Each class has different type of regular strikes, bounties sometimes hit twice when doing strike, and the mage rage attack only hits once. If this gets implemented the class strikes and rage strikes would need to be re-adjusted to hit the same number of times.
2. Mercs and Bounties are the only classes that have skills that hit multiple times, however Tech Mages have the MOST unblock-able skills, that being said while Mercs and Bounties benefit from this change Tech Mages would NOT be harmed by the change in any way.
3. Massacre at this time is considered by the majority to be the strongest super move in the game, because it goes by weapon damage and strength, and is unblock-able. With this change Massacre could be made block-able since each of the hits would have a chance to connect, that would essentially bring it down to the same level as the other two classes super moves. (I'm sure bounties will argue this fact, however this is something that even the developers are aware of)
In summery.
Critical Hits: Should only ignore 15% defense or resistance. (They are crits not automatic win buttons)
Deflections: Should only stop 25% dmg not 50% (How do you stop half a bullet anyway?)
Stuns: Should have two changes, and perhaps a possible 3rd.
1: Remove the defense ignore factor from all stuns.
2. Lower ALL percents to stun by 10%
3. Make it where a stunned player can use defensive moves (like heal and shields), but not offensive moves?
Blocks: Should go by hit by hit basis instead of skill by skill. So if you use a skill that hits 3 times ALL three hits should have a chance to connect.
Rage: Okay now that we got the longest portion of this post out of the way, lets move on to rage. Tanks are becoming more powerful with the new diminishing returns for three reasons.
1. Lower damage from attacks cause rage to charge slower.
2. Removing focus means you will only hit 3s on them (most of the time).
3. Skills like Bunker Buster and Surgical Strike are unaffected, while skills like Blood Shield are more powerful (because everyone is doing lower damage and getting rage slower).
If my above suggestion for diminishing returns was to be added, tanks would become EVEN MORE overpowered then they are now. Rage rate would be slower and damage/defense/resistance would be lower. This means that they would be able to do more damage on you with skills like Bunker and Surgical, Heal most of the little damage done to them easily with Field Medic, and lower effectiveness even more with skills like Hybrid and Blood Shield. (I'm using Mercs as an example because its the class I'm most familiar with, I'm sure other class tanks are effected in a similar fashion).
The best way to fix this is to buff the amount of defense rage ignores to about 50% and return the rage rate to how it was before it was lowered. Most responses would be (but then players would rage too fast) however with the diminishing returns getting higher as stats raise, the rage rate lowers, meaning that in the end it will even out.
In summery.
Rage: Should ignore 50% defense, and it should also be returned to its faster charge rate.
Agility: Illuminator has provided a new formula for agility which scales based on level.
Level 1: 100 agility 61 health or lower, lose 10 agility for every 15 health after that
All agility amounts increase based on this: PLevel+60+(PLevel/4)
I do not take credit for this, nor do I understand it fully, he would have to post to explain it, but from what I gather the main purpose of this is so as the level cap raises players wont be too limited when it comes to health.
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