Work In Progress What's Next For DCUO: New Plans For Future Episodes.

Hello DCUO Community!

We have big news, and you’re going to love it. Over the last four years, we have made many changes to the game, as we add new content, as we add new systems, as we incorporate your feedback. Sometimes change happens in trickles, and other times it happens in surges. This is one of those other times – we’re about to surge forward together in an exciting new direction.

Beginning with Game Update 47 and continuing after Halls of Power Part II, we are seizing the opportunity as a new company, as Daybreak Games, to do things differently, to do things better. Here’s what’s happening at a very high level.

• After Halls of Power Part II:

o We will launch new content Episodes roughly monthly instead of quarterly.

o We will launch new gear and rewards roughly monthly instead of quarterly.

• With Game Update 47:

o Marks of Victory will replace both Marks of Fury and Marks of Triumph, for a single Mark for currency across the game.

o Marks of Victory will only be awarded when content is relevant to a player, based on Combat Rating.

Please give this a thorough read and try to digest it as much as possible before jumping to any conclusions. We’ll answer as many of your questions as possible once you’ve had a chance to take it all in.

We will launch new content Episodes monthly instead of quarterly.

Previously, we would release one large Episode every quarter. This amounted to roughly six pieces of content every three months. We delivered them all in one big chunk expecting that the content would last players until the next big chunk came out. We still plan to deliver the same amount of content per quarter, just differently.

After Halls of Power Part II, we will release two pieces of content monthly, in a three-month cycle. Members will still automatically have access to all Episodes. Non-members will be able to purchase the Episodes that interest them in the Marketplace. Over two cycles that will look like this:

Green is cycle one. Blue is cycle two. Each set of two is one month of content.

We will launch new gear and rewards monthly instead of quarterly.

Previously, each quarterly Episode would include new sets of gear to unlock. This will look similar over a 3-month cycle going forward, but instead of having all the gear sets available right away, the gear will release in partial sets with each month’s content.

New content will bring new dropped gear, plus more gear will be added to the vendor for Marks with each new content release. The idea is that an entire cycle represents all of the rewards a traditional large Episode would have offered, but spaced out to match the monthly release of content.

Here is what the gear additions will look like over a cycle:

Each column is one month’s release of content and gear. Normal gear drops commonly in all content.

You are likely already familiar with Normal Drops, Vendor Gear, and Rare Gear, but what is Set Gear? Set Gear replaces the rare gear that was previously found in Elite raids. Instead of that Elite gear having higher item level and stats, it will now have the same item level and stats (so it will not affect Combat Rating), plus a highly desirable new type of game mechanic called a Set Bonus.

A Set Bonus grants special qualities once a prerequisite amount of pieces from the gear set are equipped by a character. In short, when you complete each set of four, good things will happen. Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to drop where:

Marks of Victory will replace both Marks of Fury and Marks of Triumph

With Game Update 47, Marks of Fury and Marks of Triumph will be converted to Marks of Victory, and this new Mark will be used in all content across the game, both going backward and forward. This means several things:

• All content will award Marks of Victory in standard amounts. Solo content awards 1. Two player content awards 2. Four player content awards 5. Eight player content awards 10.

• All gear vendors will require Marks of Victory and costs have been normalized from tier to tier.

• Mainframes, Utility Belts, and other forms of upkeep will require Marks of Victory, and these costs have been normalized as well.

• Mainframe boost levels will be consolidated into one scaling boost that will last for 60 days, to make Mainframes easier to maintain.

• Symbols will be removed from the game.

Marks will only be awarded when content is relevant to a player, based on Combat Rating.

To implement Marks of Victory, we must also change where characters are eligible to receive Marks. By relevant, we mean challenging to a character based on Combat Rating. How that works looking backward is outlined below. These changes do not impact other rewards or drops, only the receipt of Marks. You must be within the Combat Rating range for the content you are in to receive Marks of Victory.

• Tier 1 - Eligible to receive Marks between Combat Rating 0 – 42

• Tier 2 - Eligible to receive Marks between Combat Rating 43 – 52

• Tier 3 - Eligible to receive Marks between Combat Rating 53 – 69

• Tier 4 - Eligible to receive Marks between Combat Rating 70 – 83

• Tier 5 - Eligible to receive Marks between Combat Rating 84 – 99

• Tier 6A - Eligible to receive Marks between Combat Rating 100 – 108

• Tier 6B - Eligible to receive Marks between Combat Rating 106 – 116

Going forward after Halls of Power Part II, what content is relevant to you will change more frequently as you progress through the new monthly Episodes, because each month’s content will have increasing Combat Rating requirements. At any given time, twelve pieces of content (or six months of content) will be relevant to you.

Let me make a diagram that shows a full year’s worth of content. This amounts to four cycles. The diagram shows 3 players that each have different Combat Ratings. This means they all have different content relevant to them, but the same amount overall.

Each piece of content has a minimum Combat Rating required, as it has for some time. This prevents players from jumping into content that is too high for them. Now, each piece of content will also have a maximum Combat Rating required. If a player has over the maximum, the content is no longer relevant and will not award Marks of Victory.

As you gain Combat Rating, the bracket showing relevancy shifts to the right, and content to the right of the diagram will become available to you, while content to the left will no longer be relevant. You can still queue for non-relevant content and earn other rewards like Feats, Renown, and Drops, but not Marks.

Let’s update the diagram and assume Player 3 took a break and that Player 1 worked really hard over the next few weeks. Player 2 was off and on, and interested in doing something other than gear progression during that time. It might look like this.

We are seizing the opportunity.

I bet many of you are asking “Why?” The answers are numerous.

• Fresh content more often.

o Monthly content releases mean there will always be something new just arriving or about to arrive.

• All content matters.

o Unlike with large Episodes, every piece of content will for a month be the hardest content, awarding the best rewards.

• More content variety.

o With monthly Episodes, we won’t necessarily have to build a full six pieces of content that fit together thematically. We can now build one-off storylines and smaller series.

• More choice.

o Members still have the same incredible value in full Episode access, and non-members can more specifically choose to purchase content that interests them.

• Simplified progression.

o New and existing players will be less intimidated by skyrocketing Marks of Triumph numbers, and better able to utilize features that require upkeep.

• More gear and more interesting gear.

o Combined with our already-in-progress improvements to the loot system, this content cadence and Set Gear means players will have more gear and more interesting gear to chase.

• More collaboration with DC/WB.

o As we are not locked in to a large Episode, we will be better able to jump onto opportunities DC Comics and Warner Bros. present to us, to tie in with what’s going on in the greater DC Comics world out there.

o In fact, when this new plan launches one of the first pieces of content will be one of these opportunities. We’re so happy our partners at DC are working with us on this new direction. We know you’re going to love it!

In conclusion, I want just want to say that we are very excited about this new direction, for the game and for the company. We are now Daybreak Games, and that’s a good thing. It means good change. The company has gone through a huge metamorphosis, a reinvention of our brand and our identity as developers. It was the perfect catalyst for us to make changes in the game that go hand in hand with our rebirth as an organization. We think it is going to lead to a lot of great opportunities with DC/WB, to fresh content on a more regular basis, to smoother progression, to a better game and more fun for you playing it.

We are here to answer your questions and consider your feedback, and please check the Frequently Asked Questions post below this one!

Jens Andersen
Sr. Creative Director
DC Universe Online

I believe this coupled with the new loot system will be good for the long term of the game. I am most excited about the simplicity of a singular Mark. Of course, new things to do every month is a huge bonus too!

Awesome.... just awesome! :-O

I like the content and mark change based on reading, but how is this going to impact older tier gear costs? Like will a T6 chest still have the same cost as a T1 chest? And if so, are there going to be any steps made to try and finish older styles easier at a higher level?

I am very interested in set gear. It will be interesting to see what the set bonuses will be.

Interesting..

When you say that you will be adding content monthly, what kind of content we talking about? Are you saying episodes like WOTL III and AF III etc. are gonna be released monthly for now on? Or are you bringing new stuff that have no correlation to the episodes? Im confused

Ps. Forgive me if the answer is in the OP I haven't had my coffee yet.

Will promethium boxes continue to drop marks?

very interesting, if implemented correctly this could be awesome.

the answer is up top, if you read the whole thing most of the questions we have are already answered.

Liking how things are becoming slightly more simple .. but as these new episodes drop how many power sets can we expect ? Hoping for some good things , i believe we are all are

So no more marks if you play out of the CR range?

I got a question! I got a question!

What is happening with the Kryptonian Trilogy that was slightly announced? Will it be shrinked down into a monthly piece of content?

I really think the amount of marks should go up to at least 200 given that we're going to have on mark for everthing.

I can only imagine how hard it was for spytle to hold this in for so long! LOL

Ahh, I didn't see that part, thanks.

I personally am really excited, although my head hurts a little trying to grasp and assimilate all the information.
Having Marks of Victory as the only mark is a great way of simplifying things.

No more symbols!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!! I never liked those.