Game Update 36 and Balancing DCUO

Discussion in 'Concluded' started by Spytle, Mar 31, 2014.

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  1. Spytle Executive Creative Director

    Hi all,

    When we undertook the combat changes in Game Update 36, our goals were simple: to better balance the game’s powers by laying a consistent foundation for each power’s potential. This is an important and necessary step so that we can continue to create appropriately challenging content that is equally challenging and compelling for all players, regardless of their power choice or the make up of their group.

    After reviewing feedback, there are several things I would like to clarify and there are several changes we are making in response. This is what we intend going forward.

    [IMG]

    We can look at all twelve powers in DCUO in two distinct groups – launch powers and DLC powers - and we can identify three different levels of potential execution. It is our intent that all powers can be played at each level of execution and be balanced with other powers also being played at that same level.

    Currently and in GU36, all powers can be played at the “good” and "great" levels. This means using powers in a rotation without clipping (good) and using powers in a rotation with clipping (great). Again, it is our goal for every power to be balanced with each other, when played at the same execution level.

    In the future, we also want all powers to be able to be played at the “awesome” level, utilizing specific mechanics within each power to perform at a higher potential than they could otherwise. Currently and in GU36, this will be the case for Light, Celestial, and Rage, when players utilize those powers' combo mechanics. There is increased risk in successfully playing this way (i.e. getting interrupted or failing to perform the combo), and therefore there is modestly increased reward in the form of higher potential results.

    As we go, we intend to add specific power mechanics to all of the other nine powers, so that players will have the opportunity to master their power and execute on that "awesome" level, again taking on increased risk for higher potential results.

    Finally, with Amazon Fury Part I, players will be able to choose to utilize Weapon Mastery with every power, and for players to reach the same "awesome" execution level and potential using Weapon Mastery as they would using a powers' specific mechanics.

    For now, until new mechanics can be added for the other nine powers, this means those powers will have three options – to play at the “good” level, to add clipping and play at the "great" level, or to utilize Weapon Mastery and play at the "awesome" level, with the highest possible potential. For Light, Celestial, and Rage, this means players will have those same three options, and a fourth: to play at the "awesome" level utilizing each power's existing specific mechanic, again for the highest possible potential.

    This does mean when Game Update 36 launches that Light, Celestial, and Rage – performing at the “awesome” level – will be the powers with the most potential, but this is not our long term intent. When Amazon Fury Part I launches with Weapon Mastery, all powers will have the same opportunity to achieve this level of potential, and later all powers will have a second option and way to reach that "awesome" level as well.

    In short, balance is and will be an ongoing goal, but it will not be achieved overnight. DCUO players are amazing at finding the best way to maximize their potential, so adjustments will need to be made over time. Those adjustments will be all the more possible and transparent after the consistency changes being made in GU36. Because it bears repeating, it is our goal that all powers will ultimately be balanced at each level of execution, and that no one power, being utilized at the same level as another, will have an advantage.

    Thank you for your posts, your concerns, and your passion for DCUO. Please continue to watch for the latest changes on the PC Test server, now and in the future, as we implement these plans.

    Jens "Spytle" Andersen
    Sr. Creative Director
    DC Universe Online
    • Like x 57
  2. Spytle Executive Creative Director

  3. Spytle Executive Creative Director

    Reserved for even more responses.
    • Like x 2
  4. Zhouz Well-Known Player

    Currently, Light is far from being able to reach the awesome level. In fact, the only way Kaiser and others have been able to stay afloat with the GU36 changes is to throw in Hand Blaster Solar Flames into the rotation, since the LIGHT ONLY combos are all lacking now (due to FAN being an unclippable CHANNELED power)
  5. Spytle Executive Creative Director

    • Like x 13
  6. Lacedog Loyal Player

    poor ole captain liberty, if he would have just said it this way from the start things would have been fine.
    • Like x 12
  7. TrueGODofMarvel New Player

    2nd Revamp for 9 original powers confirmed
    • Like x 11
  8. FaLeX Dedicated Player

    • Like x 17
  9. Kristyana New Player


    One question about this.

    From what we've seen on the livestreams of weapon mastery, this seems to be independent of the powers, and the flowchart implies this as well.

    I don't see how all powers will have the opportunity to be at the level of the top 3 when weapon mastery seems to have nothing to do with what powerset you pick and is an entirely seperate mechanic.

    Unless the big 3 don't have the same potential as the other 9 when it comes to weapon mastery, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this.
    • Like x 13
  10. Radium Devoted Player

    This right here is amazing.

    I'm legitimately excited for the possibility's you could end up with.
    • Like x 11
  11. Wiiman741 New Player

    I like what I'm reading. I look forward to combining weapon mastery and Mental and seeing if it matches up to my Rage damage out after GU36. If it does, I'll be ecstatic.
    • Like x 2
  12. Zhouz Well-Known Player

    • Like x 2
  13. Radium Devoted Player

    I think it's more to do with the combo mechanic.

    While we don't know how it will work as a finished product, WM is designed to use a combo first, then enter into your Might power which will get the big bonus. If the finished product only has the Might tick achieve that bonus then the precision aspect of the combos become redundant.

    It really comes down to how they finalize it.
  14. 478874 Dedicated Player


    [IMG]
    • Like x 12
  15. JEEBIE Steadfast Player

    Is a damage pass on the docket to be done ASAP? I posted in the other thread, but we're seeing nerfs to almost all of quantum, while buffs to almost all of mental, when they were both pretty well balanced against eachother pre 36. So with mental powers getting better, and quantum getting worse, that's throwing a big wrench in there as far as balance goes.

    Is that something ya'll already have planned? coming before release of this update? after? just seems like something that's a big enough concern to ask about.

    Just to give a rough set of numbers.

    Mass Terror: 70 base damage 1.5s pre 36, (unconfirmed assumption) 1.2s after 36. We know it's 1-1.2s so I'm assuming it's the highest to be safe.
    Gravity Bomb: 35 base damage, .8s pre 36, 1s after 36.

    So the DPS on each pre 36 is 70/1.5 = 46.6 for mass terror. And 35/.8 = 43.75

    Relatively close DPS potential on those powers. And granted there's a lot more to balancing a powerset than individual powers. But, these give a good sampling as other powers will match the same thing with mental's animations for the most part getting faster, and quantum getting slower.

    So post 36 we're looking at 70/1.2 = 58.3, or roughly 11 base dps increase for mass terror

    and, 35/1 = 35, or roughly an 8 base DPS loss for Gravity bomb.

    Are these things going to be addressed? As if not I don't see everything being balanced in any realm of gameplay.
    • Like x 8
  16. Harlequin Devoted Player

    Timeframe, please. How long will we have to deal with "lolnoob, no ice(earth, fire, etc) dps in my pug. lolkick"
    • Like x 11
  17. BumblingB I got better.

    Wait, so you are going to introduce precision combos to existing might based powers? If so, how much longer in the future are we looking at?
    • Like x 6
  18. Spytle Executive Creative Director

    According to all our data and internal testing, it does still fall into that category.
    • Like x 3
  19. Mepps Sr. Community Manager


    The new power mechanics will not necessarily be combo mechanics. This will likely be a long process.
    • Like x 10
  20. JEEBIE Steadfast Player

    Maybe I read it wrong, but he said Power Mechanics, not precision combos right? Just saying, it could be different. Advanced PI system? If the enemy is both burning and has Terror, then a Psychic Shock does double PI damage? stuff like that.

    Just saying I really hope it isn't just combos on everything, they can do better than that I think.
    • Like x 6
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