Armor Up - Developer Diary #2

[Severlin]

Sev, why did you listen to a couple of cry babies?

You just made blitz the MOST OVERPOWERED ABILITY IN THE GAME!

Nobody is going to use the other destines after this nonsense of a change. Also, cry babies are the ones that always ruins games when a positive change was coming to said game.

Master's Blitz should be unimportant to any player. I have few ideas on how Blitz could be rebalanced so that LD doesn't make every other destiny look worthless and uninteresting.

1. Change everything back to the original proposal, get it in-game on Lamaland, ignore the cry babies, and let US, the Players, test this before making any changes, don't change stuff at the drop of a hat.

2. Nerf Blitz down to like 25 or 50 MP, 75 MP vs. 175 MP is too much of a difference. 75 MP to like 100 MP or 125MP might be okay, just don't make it stay at 175.

3. delete Blitz and replace it with a different epic moment, I can clearly see that trying to rebalance Epic Gameplay around this ability is a living nightmare.

We will definitely be looking for good feedback from Lamania with regards to Master's Blitz and whether it is too good with these changes.

Sev~

[Severlin]

Small tweak to the original post; due to tech limitations level 20 (and only level 20) won't add 5 Melee Power. The overall bonus for leveling and rounding out the Epic Destiny will be 70. If testing shows we need an extra 5 we will probably roll it back into level 28.

Sev~

[Grailhawk]

To clarify the updated OP, Blitz is an additional 100 Melee Power for a total of 175. That said, it is easier to maintain and works on long boss fights.

We are in the process of examining Master's Blitz with ranged attacks. For the time being we will likely add Ranged Power to the Master's Blitz buff as well as Melee Power.

Sev~

So 70 MP Innate from levels and Destiny cores, 100 MP From Masters Blitz for a total of 175 MP when running a full stack of blitz at Level 28 in a capped destiny. That sounds close enough probably keeps LD + Blitz ahead of other destinies, but doesn't make the others worthless.

Good to see a flat 75% nerf off the top too.

[Seikojin]

We will definitely be looking for good feedback from Lamania with regards to Master's Blitz and whether it is too good with these changes.

Sev~

So Lam update today? To really get down to it: we have tons of feedback here without any in game metrics to back it up. Please post a lam update so we can offer value-based feedback instead of theorycrafting.

[bbqzor]

To clarify the updated OP, Blitz is an additional 100 Melee Power for a total of 175.

So, its nerfed. By a significant margin. Why?

That said, it is easier to maintain and works on long boss fights.

Look, the focus should in no way be on "long boss fights". How many of those are there now, maybe 3-4? Who cares. Its useful in such a high percentage of content, seeing it go DOWN in the mass area for a small increase in a minor area, its a waste. Why is this even on the radar.

As for being easier to maintain... not necessarily a good thing. This is an epic MOMENT. Not an epic PERMANENT. Yes, right now on live, in some/many quests it can be kept up all the time. Thats really part of the problem. More so than how much damage bonus it gives.

Are you going to redo the other Destinies to have "always on" epic moments? Because that is what you are doing here. Directly what you are doing here. So much so in fact you are taking pains to be sure everyone can use it (on hits vs kills), all of the time (making it easier to maintain), in all situations (even long boss fights). Thats the exact opposite of the design theory behind every other "epic moment" situation.

We are in the process of examining Master's Blitz with ranged attacks. For the time being we will likely add Ranged Power to the Master's Blitz buff as well as Melee Power.

The only part of your post which has any logical basis. Ranged needs more than 1-2 pony tricks, and while this is still a bit of one at least it gives them another destiny to potentially use. I like to see more broad appeal to more builds in each of the trees. Its nice when many are useful instead of just one.

[Krell]

To clarify the updated OP, Blitz is an additional 100 Melee Power for a total of 175. That said, it is easier to maintain and works on long boss fights.

We are in the process of examining Master's Blitz with ranged attacks. For the time being we will likely add Ranged Power to the Master's Blitz buff as well as Melee Power.

Sev~

Thanks for the update.

[Mryal]

To clarify the updated OP, Blitz is an additional 100 Melee Power for a total of 175. That said, it is easier to maintain and works on long boss fights.

We are in the process of examining Master's Blitz with ranged attacks. For the time being we will likely add Ranged Power to the Master's Blitz buff as well as Melee Power.

Sev~

Interesting, the drop down in melee power for blitz seems great.But, how will blitz be charged.
If you guys are keeping blitz, drop the defensive bonuses from it, they make no sense.If blitz is losing its on-kill drawback to be something that keeps on charging whenever, it should give defensive debuffs, not buffs.There has to be some sort of drawback, some sort of choice to be made by the player that would make it so not all melee (and now ranged) want to use blitz.

But ask yourselves is it really correct to have one epic moment that keeps on going for a whole quest while all other last a minute or less? Isnt it better to just scrap it entirely and come up with something more reasonable?

[knifefighter]

Reduced. Sorry. I said dropping meaning "dropping the overall melee power bonus" but what I wrote isn't clear.

Each epic level gives 5, each innate gives 5 for a total of 75 Melee Power.

Sev~

If you're dropping melee power from levels and destinies in half, you should also drop it in blitz from 100 to 50 so that blitz at lvl 28 with everything factored in is 125 melee power.

[bennyson]

If you're dropping melee power from levels and destinies in half, you should also drop it in blitz from 100 to 50 so that blitz at lvl 28 with everything factored in is 125 melee power.

This^

[Qhualor]

I find it interesting yet disturbing that melee power (not as in the proposed melee power) is being improved around Blitz. If that isn't any indication of just how powerful Blitz really is, I don't know what else is. Sounds like an awful lot of work to avoid a direct nerf. Already have had one or two changes to make Blitzers happy in less than a week before hitting Lama.

[Coldin]

If you're dropping melee power from levels and destinies in half, you should also drop it in blitz from 100 to 50 so that blitz at lvl 28 with everything factored in is 125 melee power.

I agree with this honestly.

It makes no sense to me to reduce the potency of all the ED and Epic levels, but keep Blitz at the same levels. With Blitz adding 100 MP, it means Blitz still makes a bigger difference on melee DPS than all the epic levels and cores combined. That just goes against the stated reason for the change of spreading out Blitz's power into leveling.

I say boost the Destiny Core buffs back to 10 per level, and reduce Blitz down to 50-75 melee boost. Then the epic levels and cores will mean more than one destiny ability.

I'm also against Blitz adding anything to Ranged Damage. LD is a melee tree through and through. None of the other abilities work with Ranged at all. Even Blitz itself states that it only works with Melee. If people really wanted Ranged Power added somewhere, they should be asking for it added to destinies that really support ranged, such as Shiradi Champion, Shadowdancer, Fatesinger, or even Fury of the Wild.

[mikarddo]

Small tweak to the original post; due to tech limitations level 20 (and only level 20) won't add 5 Melee Power. The overall bonus for leveling and rounding out the Epic Destiny will be 70. If testing shows we need an extra 5 we will probably roll it back into level 28.

Sev~

The OP still says that the max melee power goes to 250 - it should read 170 or maybe 175 to reflect the changes.

[bennyson]

If people really wanted Ranged Power added somewhere, they should be asking for it added to destinies that really support ranged, such as Shiradi Champion, Shadowdancer, Fatesinger, or even Fury of the Wild.

It actually makes sense for Range Power to only be added to destines that actually have range combat abilities.

Legendary Dreadnought has zero relation to Range toons, non-whatsoever, Range Power will look weird in that destiny.

[maddong]

It sounds like we are making steps in the right direction.

I don't really play any ranged builds but will anyone still play a ranged build after these changes?

[CaptainSpacePony]

Interesting, the drop down in melee power for blitz seems great.But, how will blitz be charged.
If you guys are keeping blitz, drop the defensive bonuses from it, they make no sense.If blitz is losing its on-kill drawback to be something that keeps on charging whenever, it should give defensive debuffs, not buffs.There has to be some sort of drawback, some sort of choice to be made by the player that would make it so not all melee (and now ranged) want to use blitz.

But ask yourselves is it really correct to have one epic moment that keeps on going for a whole quest while all other last a minute or less? Isnt it better to just scrap it entirely and come up with something more reasonable?

I think this is a very important point moving forward. Perhaps blitz charges at 1 MP/hit, but degrades at 1 or 2/second? Is that tapering off fast enough through inactivity? Is there any reason or way that a capped LD isn't always blitzing? Discussion seems to indicate it will no longer pretend to be an epic moment.

[Varinon]

To clarify the updated OP, Blitz is an additional 100 Melee Power for a total of 175. That said, it is easier to maintain and works on long boss fights.

We are in the process of examining Master's Blitz with ranged attacks. For the time being we will likely add Ranged Power to the Master's Blitz buff as well as Melee Power.

Sev~

This was very important clarification. It changes a lot of things to know that blitz will be 170 MP, (+100) instead of 250 MP (+180). I am back to being on-board with these changes (like I was before the revision). Try to keep it like this, people are sure to cry that it's a nerf.

But you know, sometimes nerfs are necessary, and Turbine is too afraid to nerf things (most of the time). Good work.

inb4 "omg nerfing blitz i quit"

[PermaBanned]

Small tweak to the original post; due to tech limitations level 20 (and only level 20) won't add 5 Melee Power. The overall bonus for leveling and rounding out the Epic Destiny will be 70. If testing shows we need an extra 5 we will probably roll it back into level 28.

Sev~

How is giving 5 MP at level 20 hitting a "technical limitaion" that giving 10 MP at level 20 did not?

Rolling the extra 5 MP into level 28 sounds like a short sighted idea that could become problematic when the cap raises to 30. All y'all are keeping our impending level cap raise in mind while considering/developing these changes, right?

Honestly, your initial proposal of 10 MP per Epic Destiny/Character level + 100 MP from Blitz was still the best distribution of power that you should've been sending to Lamania.

The fact that some player feedback <- which was largely based on misconceptions and "Even though I'll be just as powerful as I am now, but not as much more powerful compared to other people" epeen issues - plus the testing you did over a couple of days indicated that cutting the MP contribution from Destiny & Character levels in half while while boosting Blitz to 175 MP (to still maintain the 250 total) was a better idea sounded dubious at best. Telling us now that there's a "technical issue" preventing the giving of MP at level 20 casts further doubt on the "testing" all y'all have been doing.

All of the above has taken me (and I suspect several others) from "excited about what's to come" to a sinking feeling of "ah carp, here we go again..."

[Severlin]

How is giving 5 MP at level 20 hitting a "technical limitaion" that giving 10 MP at level 20 did not?

Behind the scenes there exists only class levels (which can total up to twenty) and epic levels (21-28). Since a level 20 character can have any number of combinations of normal levels (rogue 5/fighter 10/wizard 5) there is no unified place to add the bonus.

This is a case where something seems to a player like it must be really easy to add, but the way the code is set up it actually be a large task that would take tech and threaten the schedule.

Sev~

[ThomasHunter]

Behind the scenes there exists only class levels (which can total up to twenty) and epic levels (21-28). Since a level 20 character can have any number of combinations of normal levels (rogue 5/fighter 10/wizard 5) there is no unified place to add the bonus.

This is a case where something seems to a player like it must be really easy to add, but the way the code is set up it actually be a large task that would take tech and threaten the schedule.

Sev~

Yup, I get that for sure! Plus not having the power added until 21 makes sense to me. You already received your "goodies" at level 20 by completing your classes. You now get to do something new (and "epic") at 21.

[PermaBanned]

Behind the scenes there exists only class levels (which can total up to twenty) and epic levels (21-28). Since a level 20 character can have any number of combinations of normal levels (rogue 5/fighter 10/wizard 5) there is no unified place to add the bonus.

This is a case where something seems to a player like it must be really easy to add, but the way the code is set up it actually be a large task that would take tech and threaten the schedule.

Sev~

My point was that until you disclosed the existance of this tech limitation, you gave the definite impression that you've been testing these proposed Melee Power changes and the revisions to them while Melee Power was accruing starting at level 20. To now come back after doing that testing to say there's a tech limitation preventing you from assigning MP at level 20 makes me wonder how you were previously testing with that in place?

In short, what I've come to understand is that you were somehow successfully testing with a component in place that could not be there, and I find that worrisome.