Balance and Battleplan on Artix Entertainment

Balance and bug fixes are on the menu for today's update, but a much more savory, sumptuous feast awaits in the new year! Check out the brief list of upcoming features EpicDuel is preparing in the game dev kitchen for a festive and flavorful 2023!

Balance

We've been hitting balance hard these last few months, and the results have generally been positive in terms of build diversity and class performance. It can be frustrating to experience so many changes so quickly, but we thank you for your patience as we finally break through some of the stagnant balance trends of 2022.

Tactical Mercenary
- Barbed Grenade: Lowered Strength requirement by 8.
- Toxic Grenade: Improves every 2 Support → 1.5; requires 16 Strength, +3 per level (43 max).
- Force Field: Added Support scaling; improves 1 point every 10 Support.

Blood Mage
- Blood Shield: Add supp scaling; improves 1 point every 8 supp.

Cyber Hunter
- Plasma Grenade: 25% lifesteal → 20%.

Bounty Hunter
- Cheapshot - 25% heal reduction → 20%; new NPC version without a passive swapped on all NPCs with Cheap Shot.
- Multi-Shot: Improves every 0.32 Dexterity → 0.3; base values 205, +25 per level (430 max); 3 turn cooldown → 2; gain 15% damage to energy (only applies to 1 target).
- Reflex Boost: Improves every 2.5 Support → 3.5 Dexterity; converts 15% damage received to energy.
- Stun Grenade: Improves with Dexterity → Support; increased energy cost by 60 (255 max); requires 24 Dexterity +2 per level (42 max).
- Static Grenade: Improves every 0.6 Support → 0.8; buffed base values by 10.

Bug Fixes and Changes

Darkeater Promotional Package:
- The cores Darkeater's Overcharge and Darkeater's Defiance were flipped in their database definitions which was causing Overcharge to switch to Defiance when replaced on an armor. It was also causing Overcharge to freeze battle when it was attempted to be used.
- Armor cores should be correct on future purchases, and existing armors after the change should have the appropriate working core.
Battlebot
- Battlebot E - Correctly does energy damage.
- Battlebot Barrage P/E: 1 use limit.
Double Strike: Added Deflection reduction effect to debuff; different version created for NPCs without a debuff.
Necrotek Executioner P/E, Necrotek Scythe P/E: Can be sold.
Repaired missing assets from skill icons.

2023 Battleplan

The following are a few major updates planned for the near and mid-term of 2023. This list is not all-inclusive, but meant to highlight topics that have not been mentioned before. As game development is unpredictable, these items are subject to change as priorities shift over time.

Azrael's Scorn Battlepass

With the current Battlepass set to end at the end of the day January 31, we're already looking forward to the next collection: Azrael's Scorn. This Battlepass will be loaded with new weapons and rewards with (hopefully) easier methods for earning EXP. Expect this new Battlepass to launch in February.

Optimization

This area is probably the least exciting for players, but it's desperately needed. The Flash files the game relies on to function have become bloated and unwieldy after years of accumulated technical debt. The main focus in the near-term will be ongoing improvements to the character timeline, which was creating all sorts of errors and crashes around when the first Battlepass launched. We were able to cut many animations to recover functionality, but there's still work to be done.

Fortunately, this in an ongoing process that can be tackled gradually without diverting too much attention from regular release content. Optimization is also essential to allow us to deliver the next feature on this list.

EpicDuel Widescreen

A massive undertaking, we are in the process of expanding existing maps and interfaces to accommodate a larger game resolution (1280 x 720). In addition to adding more screen real-estate for crowded UI, this change will make the game easier to port to other platforms. It's nowhere near 4K, but the updated aspect ratio will be essential for modernizing EpicDuel. I think 4K Flash assets might be a fire hazard for mortal CPUs anyway.

Limited Shop

A proposal from Spider, we're developing a new shop in EpicDuel to allow players to acquire promotional gear piecemeal from an in-game shop. This is similar to the Night Market feature in popular online games like Valorant. Every day, a new list of seasonal and promotional gear would appear in the shop, allowing anyone to have a chance to acquire out-of-season gear or shop-exclusive promotional items. Of course, the best value would be to purchase the complete package from the Varium shop, but this option would be beneficial to someone who only wishes to own a single piece of a set like an armor or core, rather than the entire set. This would only impact promotional items released after this feature appears in-game.

Chronos' Cataclysm and The Challenger

Numerous new bosses and storylines are in development to provide a feast for those who have been craving more PvE content.

EpicDuel's Anniversary

In a few months EpicDuel will celebrate 14 years of operation! Hopefully, we'll have some epic surprises for those who have been loyal duelists after all this time!