As a result, this latest update redesigns the destiny interface you see when you’re about to start a game, revamps the game’s difficulty settings, improves the economy, adds a number of new enemy units and even a new enemy faction, and rebalances some of the game’s weapons and skills.
Attention mercenaries!
Community Update #6 is here! You might be a little confused about this surprise update, but fear not, as it brings some much needed balancing to the game, alongside some other smaller changes.
As usual, the changes are based on community feedback/sentiments, read on to find out more…
Choose your destiny
We have redesigned the interface at the beginning of the game!
We wanted to rework it and make it more aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, we have revamped the layout so that the choices at the beginning of the game are clearer and more obvious. For example, few players knew that it was possible to play without scaling. In fact, the exploration mode now has its own interface. Between adaptive exploration (scaling) and zoned exploration (similar to more classic RPGs), the choice is yours!
- The destiny choices have been rebalanced.
- Each setting option now has more information
Revamped Difficulty
Wartales is a demanding game. From the very first minute, your mercenary troop is dropped into a wild and violent world where wolves and bandits are out to get you.
Your feedback tends to show that the difficulty decreases over time. Indeed, mercenaries gain power quickly by accumulating powerful skills and ways to generate Valour points, thus allowing for new possibilities to defeat your enemies. In doing so, the fragile assassin who had to be cleverly placed could, after certain levels, wander through the enemy ranks and annihilate everything.
We are convinced that the notion of challenge is part of the Wartales DNA.
Therefore this patch seeks to:
- Make the easy mode less punishing and the hard mode more challenging
- Not alter the beginning of the game/new game experience
- Reinvigorate the late game with some added challenge
In order to achieve this, we’ve made a lot of changes.
First off, you can now change difficulty (survival and/or combat) during a save! You may have to be more careful in battle and perhaps rethink your team composition. From now on, your sense of tactics and strategy will have an even more decisive impact. If the battle seems too difficult, don’t hesitate to retreat and reduce the difficulty until you find your feet.
For all modes, we wanted to keep the enemy stats curve unchanged: there’s nothing more unpleasant than facing invincible monsters.
New units and passive skills have been given to your enemies, seasoned soldiers join their ranks, as well as an improved deployment system and the timeline aims to offer more interesting combat starts. The number of animals in a fight has been reduced to avoid waiting several turns for everyone to play: meaning there are fewer but more powerful animals. Overall, we have reduced the difference in the number of units between your units and the enemy units. If too many units were to be generated, they would be dispersed in the form of reinforcements. We believe these changes are in line with what you want and what we want to do: exploit the finesse of the combat system mechanics as a whole to solve situations and have an unforgettable turn-based experience!
- Willpower has also been rebalanced so that galvanisation can occur earlier in long fights.
- The majority of the content (Elites, Arenas, Tombs, …) has been rebalanced to be in line with our new system!
- The differences between the difficulties have been accentuated
- The Path challenges have also been rebalanced
- Stats given by Legendary items were too high: they have been rebalanced
- Inquisition and Trackers are now eligible to trigger an Assassination contract
- Gosenberg should now have Inquisition contracts
- The Elites’ skills pattern now evolves according to your number of units in scaled mode
Economy
A lot of feedback echoed the following issue: players felt they were spending too much of their time paying their troop’s wages without any real benefit.
We still firmly believe that the core idea of balance and paying your troops is part of the game’s identity and we want to keep this feature, however, we also want players to enjoy doing it and not see it as a hindrance or nuisance.
- We realized that the rhythm did not allow the player to organize themselves properly. The payment rhythm has therefore been rethought: instead of having to pay your troop every 72 hours, you must now pay it every 3 Rests. In addition to allowing more time to organise your troop, it becomes easier to plan an expedition and to know when your troop will expect to get their wages.
- Paying your troop on time gives a new bonus to Happiness and to experience gained in combat!
- The cost of wages has been slightly reduced.
- You now begin the game with more resources.
- You can earn more Krowns from Contracts.
- Contracts’ difficulties have been rebalanced.
- Some items’ prices have been rebalanced.
- The influence cost for certain actions have been rebalanced. Plus, the rewards have also been increased.
- The starting resources have been rebalanced to offer a slightly easier start.
- Earning profession experience has been rebalanced for all professions so it is now faster to level up.
Note that these changes are adapted to your difficulty settings.
Units
As mentioned above, enemy units have undergone some changes.
- The leaders’ abilities have been revised to be managed throughout a fight: they now only stop when the leader dies and their impact will adapt accordingly.
- Seasoned soldiers have been introduced: veteran enemy units in the ranks that are more resistant and more dangerous (a must-have!)
- Each enemy faction also welcomes a new unit into its ranks.
- Each enemy faction has a new common passive skill that will intensify the fighting!
- Enemies’ shield will have new skills after they reach a certain level and some enemies will be equipped with throwing weapons.
- Some animals will also have a common passive skill and a brand new skill!
We didn’t want to release an update where we just increased the difficulty. So new units have been created and new items have been added to them, which means that we are also expanding your build options. New shields, new weapons, new armor: new ways to set up your team! Therefore:
New units have been added for each faction:
- Outlaws New unit -> Criminal
- Deserters New unit -> Looter
- Guards New unit -> Defender
- Legion New unit -> Hothead
- Companions New unit -> Peacekeeper
- Inquisition New unit -> Messenger
- Trackers New unit -> Pursuer
A brand new faction, Alazar soldiers, has been added: new units, new skills, new items to loot…
Former weekly bounties with special weapons are now offered in the various regions!
Balancing
Weapons
- Arena Great Falchion Damage [80%-100%] -> [60%-80%]
- Mehyt’s Kopis Damage [80%-100%] -> [70%-90%]
- Arena Bow Damage [80%] -> [70%]
- Narses’ Bow Damage [60%-100%] -> [50%-90%]
- Arena Dagger Damage [60%-80%] -> [40%-60%]
- Arena Spear Damage [40%] -> [30%]
- Horoun’s Partisan Damage [80%-100%] -> [70%-90%]
- Arena Axe Damage [50%-70%] -> [40%-60%]
- Arena Spiked Mace Damage [30%-50%] -> [20%-40%]
- Erkeshet’s Mace Damage [60%-80%] -> [50%-60%]
- Arena Heater Shield Damage [40%-50%] -> [30%-40%]
- Paladin’s Roundel Damage [40%-50%] -> [30%-40%]
- Throwing Hatchet Damage [40%-60%] -> [25%-50%]
- Ghost Throwing Hatchet Damage [45%-65%] -> [30%-55%]
- Rimesteel Throwing Hatchet Damage [50%-70%] -> [35%-60%]
- Throwing Knife Damage [20%-60%] -> [25%-50%]
- Ghost Throwing Knife Damage [25%-65%] -> [30%-55%]
- Rimesteel Throwing Knife Damage [30%-70%] -> [35%-60%]
- Throwing Sickle Damage [20%-60%] -> [20%-50%]
- Ghost Throwing Sickle Damage [25%-65%] -> [25%-55%]
- Rimesteel Throwing Sickle Damage [30%-70%] -> [30%-60%]
- Ringleader’s Dagger Damage [70%] -> [60%]
- Rancher’s Pitchfork Damage [50%-80%] -> [30%-50%]
- Shiv Damage [80%-100%] -> [30%-50%]
- Brotherhood Two-handed Axe Damage [70%-90%] -> [80%-110%]
- Herald of the Eye Damage [70%-110%] -> [35%-50%]
- Lucilla Damage [150%] -> [135%]
- Viper Damage [60%] -> [50%]
- The Indomitable One Damage [50%] -> [40%]
- Devotion Damage [80%-100%] -> [70%-90%]
- Liberator Damage [120%] -> [80%]
- Prosperity Damage [80%] -> [70%]
- Glory Damage [80%-100%] -> [70%-90%]
- Victorious Damage [80%] -> [65%-75%]
- Dagan’s Hammer Damage [60%] -> [40%]
- Behedite’s Kris Damage [60%-80%] -> [55%-75%]
Skills
- Bite Damage [80%-100%] -> [65%-85%]
- Ferocious Bite Damage [80%-100%] -> [65%-100%]
- Nibbling Damage [80%-100%] -> [50%-70%]
- Deep Bite Damage [80%-100%] -> [65%-85%]
- Wrath Damage [50%-80%] -> [45%-65%]
- Destabilising Strike Damage [90%-110%] -> [70%-90%]
- Laceration Damage [75%] -> [65%]
- Recoil Shot Damage [70%-110%] -> [60%-100%]
- Petrifying Sickle Throw Damage [20%-60%] -> [20%-50%]
- Poisoned Knife Throw Damage [20%-60%] -> [20%-50%]
- Poisoned Impact Damage [70%] -> [55%]
- Weakening Blow Damage [80%-100%] -> [70%-90%]
- Relentless Charge Damage [65%] -> [55%]
- Cutting Maelstrom Damage [35%] -> [30%]
- Rampage Damage [30%-45%] -> [30%-40%]
- Piercing Throw Damage [50%] -> [40%]
- Instinctive Throw Damage [25%] -> [20%]
- Frenzy Damage [35%-45%] -> [30%-40%]
Thank you all for your feedback and suggestions, we can’t wait to hear your thoughts and feedback on this update.
Next up… 1.0 release on April 12th!
– Shiro Games
