We're shaking things up on the Experimental Branch!
These changes are currently available for testing on the Experimental Branch, only on PC. After testing these changes and making other modifications, we will roll changes out to all players.
[h2]Introducing a new Field Effect, Quake![/h2]
Quake has been added to replace all splash damage in the game (ie. secondary damage done to allies via moves like Explosion, Bang, and Mindfield, as well as the Echo trait). Splash damage in general has been the cause of many of the game's most unintuitive interactions with respect to how Beasties are wiped, points are scored, etc. It makes it easy to force opponents into unplayabale and unfun situations where both of their fielded Beasties are WIPED. And because splash damage scales with damage dealt to the initial Beastie target, it gave players a way to deal high amount of damage to ally Beasties that otherwise would resist their attacks, invalidating many defensive matchups. It never quite felt right or made sense, and it was time to do something a little more interesting.
Quake provides similar utility to splash damage (it often deals damage to Beasties that are allies of the one you targeted). However, it puts more power in the hands of the team that has had Quake applied to them, giving them the option to avoid damage by taking fewer actions instead. It's another tool that can be used by stall-focused teams to slow down the pace of the game and build up damage through means other than direct offense. It also offers more direct counter-play into teams that heavily rely on frequent passing or increasing their action count, strategies which have emerged as more popular than others over time.
We're eager to see what players can do with Quake and to get their feedback on this experimental new mechanic.
[h2]Info Guide[/h2]
We've added a new menu purely for explaining game mechanics in a simple, readable format. This guide includes detailed reference information on different FEELINGs and Field Effects. It's available from your phone menu as well as during any sport match where no time limit is set, and it replaces some of the more dry and inaccessible NPC dialogue that we previously relied on to convey the details of some game mechanics. In future updates, we intend to add images to some guide sections so it isn't all just text.
[h2]Bigmoon Bash Prizes[/h2]
The game will now account for your past Bash results and award you with in-game rewards based on your performance. You can collect these rewards by opening SportNet.
[h2]Etc[/h2]
[h2]FEELINGs[/h2]
[h2]Plays[/h2]
[h2]Traits[/h2]
[h2]Playbook Changes[/h2]
[h2]Stat Adjustments[/h2]
In general, since our last patch, Mind offense has been dominant in PvP. One of our overall goals with these changes is to bring the game to a more equitable balance where Mind attackers aren’t more effective than others.
New Features
[h2]Introducing a new Field Effect, Quake![/h2]
- Quake: Volleying to your ally deals 25 damage to that ally, and reduces the amount of Quake by 1. Quake also lowers by 1 at the end of your offense.
Quake has been added to replace all splash damage in the game (ie. secondary damage done to allies via moves like Explosion, Bang, and Mindfield, as well as the Echo trait). Splash damage in general has been the cause of many of the game's most unintuitive interactions with respect to how Beasties are wiped, points are scored, etc. It makes it easy to force opponents into unplayabale and unfun situations where both of their fielded Beasties are WIPED. And because splash damage scales with damage dealt to the initial Beastie target, it gave players a way to deal high amount of damage to ally Beasties that otherwise would resist their attacks, invalidating many defensive matchups. It never quite felt right or made sense, and it was time to do something a little more interesting.
Quake provides similar utility to splash damage (it often deals damage to Beasties that are allies of the one you targeted). However, it puts more power in the hands of the team that has had Quake applied to them, giving them the option to avoid damage by taking fewer actions instead. It's another tool that can be used by stall-focused teams to slow down the pace of the game and build up damage through means other than direct offense. It also offers more direct counter-play into teams that heavily rely on frequent passing or increasing their action count, strategies which have emerged as more popular than others over time.
We're eager to see what players can do with Quake and to get their feedback on this experimental new mechanic.
[h2]Info Guide[/h2]
We've added a new menu purely for explaining game mechanics in a simple, readable format. This guide includes detailed reference information on different FEELINGs and Field Effects. It's available from your phone menu as well as during any sport match where no time limit is set, and it replaces some of the more dry and inaccessible NPC dialogue that we previously relied on to convey the details of some game mechanics. In future updates, we intend to add images to some guide sections so it isn't all just text.
[h2]Bigmoon Bash Prizes[/h2]
The game will now account for your past Bash results and award you with in-game rewards based on your performance. You can collect these rewards by opening SportNet.
[h2]Etc[/h2]
- Added a "copy to clipboard" button for Team Codes in the Team Setup > View/Edit Details menu
Balance Changes
Many story encounters have been modified in accordance with below balance changes. In general our intention was to make use of new play and trait changes without affecting the game's overall difficulty balance. Final boss fights in the post-game Expedition mode have had their difficulty notably adjusted with the intention of making each Boss more equally threatning (some were overperforming and some were unerperforming).[h2]FEELINGs[/h2]
- Wiped: Introduced a new RUSHED RECOVERY mechanic. Generally, anytime WIPED is cured by counting down to 0, Beasties fully restore their stamina. This recovery is now reduced by 10 STAMINA for each stack of WIPED above 1 on the Beastie if they recover earlier than they would naturally. So a Beastie recovering with 2 stacks of WIPED will restore to 90 STAMINA; 3 stacks to 80 STAMINA, and so on.
The intention of this change is to reduce the effectiveness of some methods of recovery that circumvent the downsides of being WIPED OUT too easily, such as Team Chant and Torch Pass. WIPED is a special status in the game and any amount of this Feeling applied to a Beastie should be relevant. - Tender: Beasties that are TENDER are now prevented from feeling TOUGH. If a Beastie is already TOUGH, TENDER does NOT remove the feeling.
This small change adds some more usefulness to TENDER, which hasn't seen much use and is outclassed by many other Feelings.
[h2]Plays[/h2]
- (NEW!) Rumble: Support play that applies 2 Quake to opponent’s field. Makes the user 1 angry.
- Explosion: No longer deals damage to the entire field. Instead applies 2 Quake to opponent’s field, and 1 Quake to your field.
- Mindfield: POW reduced to 35 (from 45). No longer deals damage to target’s ally. Instead applies 2 Quake to opponent’s field.
- Bang: No longer deals damage to target’s ally. Instead applies 1 Quake to opponent’s field.
- Updraft: Costs 40 STAMINA to use (from 34).
Players have discovered many uses of Updraft that give a lot of value with very little drawback. This tweak gives opponents greater opportunity to limit how many times the play can be used, introducing more effective counterplay. - Juggle: Now shifts its user sideways.
This change means players need to plan a little more in order to make effective use of Juggle. Previously, the move was too easy to use in too many circumstances, giving players great benefit without any drawback. - Dump: Target now always get an easy receive.
Dump has been a little too easy to use, and difficult to play against. This adds a slight drawback to one of the strongest and most-used attacks in the game. It also better reflects the move as a simulacrum of a setter-dump in real volleyball. - Bounce: POW increased to 80 (from 50). Now auto volleys to the target’s ally.
Bounce was previously too similar to Careful Shot and Slice, without offering any interesting distinction. There also was no solid attacking option for Beasties hitting sideways using Body POW. This adjustment gives Bounce more of a unique niche, and indirectly buffs Goofsder, a Beastie that has been underperforming. - Soulcrusher: POW reduced to 110 (from 120).
- Vigor Beam: POW reduced to 125 (from 135).
[h2]Traits[/h2]
- Echo: No longer deals damage to target’s ally. Instead applies 1 Quake to opponent’s field.
- (NEW!) Welcoming: +40 Stamina to your ally as they Tag In. This is now Bongus’s recessive trait as it no longer gets Crafty.
Crafty was seldom used and not very effective on Bongus, whose POW stats are overall lackluster. This trait better cements their role as a strong pivot and supporting Beastie. - Performer: Boost to DEF increased to x1.5 (from x1.3).
Surgus and Plumask, two Beasties with this trait, have been somewhat underperforming. Our intention is to give these two more of an edge and make them more viable relative to other Beasties. - Tireless: Removed from the game! Seakit now has Hunter, Scrubbub and Grubiron now have…
- (NEW!) Momentum: 1.3x damage just after moving or tagging in.
Tireless was not a very well designed trait. In the vast majority of circumstances, it was entirely useless. And when it was useful, it was overwhelmingly effective to the point where it had no interesting counterplay. Our intention is to offer these Beasties options that are more generally useful and better convey their theme.
[h2]Playbook Changes[/h2]
- Slide: Added to Goofsder
- Rumble: Added to Tortanchor, Boldlur, Shloom, Demolipede, Millimine, and Yamyth
[h2]Stat Adjustments[/h2]
In general, since our last patch, Mind offense has been dominant in PvP. One of our overall goals with these changes is to bring the game to a more equitable balance where Mind attackers aren’t more effective than others.