Dev Log #56: Experimental Branch with Version 1.0.3.13

[CrazyMode]

Awesome!
Energy SMGs when?

[destroyor]

Infused rathound leather boots still have a pitiful critical chance bonus of ... 2%. 

[MirddinEmris]

Too far? Sorry man, I think this nerf hit its target rather well. But you make a good point about infused leather being lower quality than other very high-end materials, especially after the expansion's increased content level.

Yeah, that was my point. Not that nerf happened at all, with ludicrous level that infused leather could reach before i was expecting a nerf, but that this one maybe took it tad too far, with top quality even lower than that for other components.

[sin]

A lot of changes, seems that really good and well considered ones. Many thanks and I just can't wait for the expansion to be out. :-)

[destroyor]

Let's take a look at some numbers for infused leathers.

Component quality:
super steel fiber = 160
Ancient Rathound Leather = 114
Cave Hopper Leather = 39
Mutated Dog Leather = 64
Pig Leather = 64
Rathound Leather = 74
Siphoner Leather = 64

Infused leather quality/ver. 1.02/ver. 1.03
Infused Ancient Rathound Leather/196/139
Infused Cave Hopper Leather/151/126
Infused Mutated Dog Leather/166/132
Infused Pig Leather/166/132
Infused Rathound Leather/172/134
Infused Siphoner Leather/166/132
____


Crafted item comparsion (only changes are listed)
ver. 1.02 = ver. 1.03

Infused Ancient Rathound leather armor
Mech resist: 53%/26 = 42%/19
Cold resist: 38%/15 = 32%/12
All heat + cold damage reduced by: 24% = 17%

Infused Ancient Rathound tabi boots
Heat resist: 2% = 2%
Cold resist: 24%/2 = 17%/2
Movement points: 52 = 38
Dodge+Evasion: 72 = 54
====

Infused Cave Hopper leather armor
Mech resist: 28%/11 = 25%/10
Movement speed increase: 23% = 20
Movement point increase: 41 = 35

Infused Cave Hopper tabi boots
Movement points increase: 41 = 35
Movement speed increase: 34% = 29
Dodge+Evasion: 72 = 59 = 50
====

Infused Mutated Dog leather armor
Mech resist: 35%/14 = 30%/11
Acid resist: 56%/18 = 49%/15
All heating effects increase: 53% = 46%

Infused Mutated Dog tabi boots
Acid resist: 33% = 26%
Movement points: 38 = 31
Movement speed increase: 31% = 26%
Dodge+Evasion: 54 = 44
====

Infused Pig leather armor
Mech resist: 49%/13 = 42%/11
Health increase: 124 = 104

Infused Pig Leather tabi boots
Movement points increase: 44 = 36
Movement speed increase: 36% = 30%
Dodge+Evasion: 64 = 52
Fortitude: 39 = 35
====

Infused Rathound Leather armor
Mech resist: 43%/17 = 36%/14
Cold resist: 20%/2 = 17%/2
Critical chance increase: 16% = 13%

Infused Rathound Leather tabi boots
Cold resist: 15% = 12%
Movement points increase: 46 = 37
Movement speed increase: 37% = 31%
Dodge+Evasion: 66 = 53
====

Infused Siphoner leather armor
Mech resist: 37%/11 = 32%/9
Heat resist: 35%/14 = 31%/12
Acid resist: 35%/14 = 31%/12
Dodge+Evasion: 81 = 67

Infused Siphoner Leather tabi boots
Heat resist: 20% = 16%
Acid resist: 20% = 16%
Movement points increase: 44 = 36
Movement speed increase: 36% = 30%
Dodge+Evasion: 79 = 67
Fortitude: 39 = 35
____

So what does it all mean exactly? We can see all resistances and thresholds are reduced so you'll take a bit more damage from everything. Dodge + Evasion got nerf pretty hard and if you consider the NPC skill increase of 30% (translation: hit harder and MUCH MORE ACCURATE) in dominating difficulty I'm honestly not sure if dodge+evasion centric builds are viable in mid ~ late game now (in that difficulty).

Personal opinion: the special effect nerf I can deal with but the decrease in dodge + evasion bonus from both sources (armor + tabi/boot) seems too far. In the situation of infused ancient rathound leather armor we see a decrease of mech threshold from 26 to 19 - so previously 0 damage melee attack now turn into taking 58% of melee damage. Ouch!

TL:DR = Infused leathers got nerf pretty hard, the effects are especially apparent in dodge and/or evasion centric builds. I think the devs need to look closely at the mid ~ late game situation at higher difficulty.

[TheAverageGortsby]

Dodge + Evasion got nerf pretty hard and if you consider the NPC skill increase of 30% (translation: hit harder and MUCH MORE ACCURATE) in dominating difficulty I'm honestly not sure if dodge+evasion centric builds are viable in mid ~ late game now (in that difficulty).

TL:DR = Infused leathers got nerf pretty hard, the effects are especially apparent in dodge and/or evasion centric builds. I think the devs need to look closely at the mid ~ late game situation at higher difficulty.

I don't have any special insight into the dev cycle obviously, but remember how Styg was saying that he wanted to push a patch right with or shortly before the expansion?  I suppose this is the balancing patch - tested internally for overall balance - released into the wild to do bugfix checking.  Remember that veteran levels are changed - we're going to get more dodge and evasion, for example,  and the endgame content isn't going to be changed so much because the expansion is a horizontal growth content addition.  So maybe - just maybe - this is correctly balanced toward endgame with the extra five levels.  And I'll wager we don't have terribly long to wait now for it, either, based on stuff that Styg said in his previous DevLogs.

I think it might just be fair to balance the late game on DOMINATING for the new content.  Don't sweat what you can do at level 25.  Think about what you can do at level 30.

[ciox]

Yeah.. wearing Infused Ancient Rathound armor on Hard was already underwhelming before this nerf, its resistances were strong but not very strong and the bonuses (+heat and +cold resists) were kinda underwhelming. I wished I had made a Regenerative Vest as usual.

This was the armor I had after looking at lots of leathers and super steel fibers.



It wasn't all that amazing in DC on Hard, especially in long fights, damage would get through easily and I would miss having something else going on like the healing effect of a Regenerative Vest quite a bit.

One solution to this contention would be to allow the unnerfed higher qualities on Hard and above, would that be reasonable?

[destroyor]

On Dominating difficulty:
I'm starting a new energy weapon char - and thought ok, so far so good. I laugh when I see rogue plasma walker, ok that's a curve ball and I can deal. Exploring - saw Burrower Warrior - ok I'm outclass here Quickload.

And then I reach Silent Isle - holy shit.

This is a brick wall - I don't think my char can clear this before finishing Depot A - so alternative entry is right out.

God know when, but when I finished this char it'll be interesting to see how my top char DEX based psi monk handle Dominating difficulty.

[mattu]

And then I reach Silent Isle - holy shit.

Yup, holy shit might have been my exact words as well. I suspect it is doable before Depot A by someone, but probably not by me.

DOMINATING is awful and it is awesome. I don't think I want to play like this all the time--but it may be hard to go back, too.

[Fenix]

Interesting things you saying...

[Wildan]

• Junkyard surprise can no longer increase perception, will or intelligence

As much as I hate this, it was really necessary. No more INT 3 DIY crafting wizards. :P

DOMINATING terrifies me already. I'm pretty much sure I will not be able to complete the game on it, at least not with permadeath rules.
Haven't played Underrail for something like a year, can't wait to get my ass kicked. :D

[Hazard]

As much as I hate this, it was really necessary. No more INT 3 DIY crafting wizards.

Probably depends on how difficult it will be to acquire the new hypercerebrix drug. If it's only available in the Black Sea region, then yeah, gonna be a while before you can craft anything worthwhile with INT 3.

Very nice changes and new additions overall, though. Hopefully it won't be too many months before Expedition drops.

[Tygrende]

Probably depends on how difficult it will be to acquire the new hypercerebrix drug. If it's only available in the Black Sea region, then yeah, gonna be a while before you can craft anything worthwhile with INT 3.

I won't be surprised if it will be craft/mercantile only or an extremaly rare drop like focus stim, jumping bean, irongut, etc.

[Bruno]

Funny comment from the guard at Mushroom Cove, about the distance from SGS

Wonder what to do with the lump of coal I just found...

[MirddinEmris]

Wonder what to do with the lump of coal I just found...

That's your christmas present