Development Journal: Unit Mastery05/15/2023
Development Journal: Unit Mastery
Before you read: the content only journals the thoughts during the developing stage. Please refer to the live version for specific details.
Hey everyone!
Now we have over 100 units in the game. It brings more strategies in the game, but also makes some units not on-trend those days. A possible reason for this is that the skills of those are no longer unique and we can make better plans without those. Also, the iterating patches make those just behind the meta.
We've rolled out plenty of balance changes in the past year, and this has brought the underused Halberdier Sergeants and Dagger-Axe Lancers into an overall more comfortable place. Naturally, this is but a drop in the ocean as there are still plenty of underused units that gather dust.
We've therefore been looking for a new way to resolve this. Hopefully, this new way will help resolve this issue and give you all something new to work toward as well.
Unit Mastery
We'll be releasing our latest Unit Mastery system in a June update.
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Now, let's delve deeper into what mastery brings, how to unlock it and how it becomes available. |
What is Mastery?
Unit mastery is a brand-new unit growth system available alongside what's already there. A unit's mastery gradually unlocks as you level it up, enabling you to increase its attributes and alter its skills or mechanics. This system will bring new possibilities for all units, and who knows, Silver Era units with high mastery might even be able to stand their own against units of the Heroic Era.
Unlocking Mastery
First, if you select a unit you've unlocked for which mastery is available, you'll be met with a menu like this.
A unit's mastery unlocks in stages based on its level. The items you need to unlock mastery can be found daily in specific PVE content and the Honor Shop (we'll describe this feature in greater detail at a later time). There are daily and monthly caps in place for each of the two acquisition methods. By completing the specific PVE content daily, you'll be able to unlock mastery for 1-3 units a month based on the level of that unit. Choose to train your favorite units further, and empower them so that currently underperforming units can stand their own in battle.
How Mastery Becomes Available
Initially, mastery will be available for tiers 2-4 units, and we'll be adding mastery for around 5 units each month. We'll most likely spread mastery evenly among the three unit tiers. We'll be announcing which units will be the first to get mastery in a few days!
What's more, to reduce the attribute difference between older units and newer and seasonal units, we'll be raising the level cap of tier 2 and 3 units in the Unit Tree and Season Challenges to level 18, and that of tier 4 units to level 24.
Promotions
With promotions we enabled some units to be promoted into new units. However, based on feedback from the Legacy of Fire and Snowstorm seasons, as well as our own observations, the promotion system is difficult to understand and just doesn't feel very great overall. And so, we'll discontinue adding new promotions.
We've kept an eye on promotions throughout the seasons, and have come to the conclusion that they don't fit Conqueror's Blade. We'll therefore be removing promotions with the June update, and simultaneously changing how promoted units are acquired.
Units affected by this:
￮ Symmachean Stalwarts
￮ Symmachean Paladins
￮ Alp Halberdiers
￮ Armiger Lancers
￮ Liao's Rangers
We'll be making the following changes to the affected units:
￮ You will now be able to create these units directly without relying on the base unit.
￮ As for their season challenges, the first Unlock Order reward to create the base unit remains unchanged. Later rewards to promote said unit will however be replaced with rewards that enable you to unlock the other unit too. So, by completing the quests you won't have to promote the unit but get it directly.
￮ Promoted units and their original version can be used together.
Note: With the removal of unit promotions, these units must now be created individually and will therefore not gain any of the original unit's levels. If you're planning on promoting a max-level base unit to get a high-level promoted unit, we advise you to do that before the update launches.
We'll continue to explore further possibilities for units. If you have any feedback whatsoever regarding units or mastery, feel free to get in contact or post in our communities.
Thank you all for your continued support of Conqueror's Blade!