Planned balance changes from the “steel championship” update

Discussion
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Hello!

As always, we continue to share the balance changes planned for the upcoming update.

Please note that all the balance changes specified in this news are relevant at the time of publication and may not be final or not get into the game at all. Certain additional changes, if necessary, can be made after the announcement.

Rare parts

Borer

Durability reduced from 231 to 195 pts.

Comment: currently, “Borer” is an over effective melee weapon for 4000 - 6000 PS levels, for which this part is intended. The changes are aimed at making it easier to counter this part by destroying it.

Special parts

Median

  • Damage increased by 12.5%.
  • Durability increased from 189 to 228 pts.
  • Minimum spread in motion reduced by 33%.
  • Maximum spread in motion reduced by 25% (both adjustments to spread increase the weapon’s accuracy).

Comment: because of the weapon’s insufficient effectiveness, we increase its accuracy and the damage it inflicts. These changes will help the players in using the weapon in the way it was originally designed for — precise destruction of enemy parts. And its durability increase will slightly improve the weapon’s survivability in battle.

KA-1 Discharger

Now the module boosts reloading by 15% (instead of 10% earlier).

Comment: in comparison with “Flywheel”, “KA-1 Discharger” is used far less often. Increasing the reloading boost bonus should increase its appeal to players.

Epic parts

Goliath

Maximum speed increased from 45 to 55 km/h.

Tank track

Maximum speed increased from 55 to 60 km/h.

Armoured track

Maximum speed increased from 60 to 65 km/h.

Comment: as for the tracks, despite their relatively high durability, their slowness was too noticeable and was not sufficiently compensated for by other parameters.

KA-2 Flywheel

  • Mass reduced from 384 to 306 kg.
  • PS increased from 275 to 400.

Comment: With this change, we want to separate “Discharger” and “Flywheel” further apart in terms of PS, and in return we improve the durability to mass ratio of the epic module.

Astraeus

  • The weapon now deals 40 damage to mounted parts when firing with overload (instead of 50 earlier).
  • Overload shot now deals 60% more damage (instead of 50% earlier).

Comment: now using the weapon’s perk allow the owners of “Astraeus” to deal more damage to enemies and less damage to their own armoured car.

Varun

  • Damage increased by 23%.
  • Damage bonus from the perk is now 10% (instead of 20% earlier).
  • Projectile speed increased by 43%.
  • The flight speed bonus from the perk is now 15% (instead of 35% earlier).
  • Projectile impact impulse increased by 60%.
  • Impulse bonus from the perk is now 20% (up from 50% earlier).
  • The time required to fire a shot after a charge to receive a perk bonus is now 1 sec. (instead of 0.75 sec. earlier).

Comment: rebalancing the base stats and the perk makes the crossbow less dependent on its perk and makes it easier to use. The effectiveness of the crossbow is currently sufficient, but the weapon remains not very popular just because of the complexity of its perk. The following edits haven’t changed the maximum effectiveness of the weapon because its damage, projectile speed, and impulse, combined with three bonuses from the perk, remained the same. And a small bonus to the time required to make an enhanced shot will make it easier to use the weapon’s perk.

Buggy wheel (regular and ST)

  • PS reduced from 250 to 150.
  • Mass reduced from 116 to 80 kg.

Comment: The changes are aimed at increasing the efficiency and popularity of the wheels compared to other epic movement parts.

Trombone

  • Heating from a single rocket reduced from 45% to 30%.
  • Explosion radius reduced by 25%.

Comment: the effectiveness of “Trombone” is too high, which makes the rocket launcher an ultimate choice as a weapon for heating up parts. The changes will adjust its effectiveness relative to other similar weapons.

Miller

  • Damage dealt by an explosive projectile increased by 29%.
  • Standard projectile damage reduced by 15%.

Comment: the power of “Miller” is becoming more and more apparent in battles. With these changes, we would like to make this weapon more dependent on precise shooting and using its perk.

Prometheus V

Damage increased by 15%.

Phoenix

  • Durability increased from 418 to 488 pts.
  • Explosive bolt durability increased from 10 to 35 pts.
  • The bolt now explodes after 3 sec. (instead of 4 sec. earlier).

Comment: the effectiveness of “Prometheus”, similar to “Phoenix”, is currently too low and does not correspond to the rarity of these weapons. For each of those weapons, we tried to implement exactly those changes that can bring them back into the game.

Legendary parts

Mandrake

  • The minimum spread of shells has been significantly reduced.
  • The spread now increases from minimum to maximum with each subsequent projectile in the burst.
  • Fire puddles radius increased by 10%.
  • The time before the fire puddle disappears is increased by 2 sec.

Comment: previously, each projectile in the queue had the same spread value, so they spread far apart from each other. Now the first projectile has a high accuracy rate, which decreases with each subsequent projectile in the burst. The change should help “Mandrake” control a large area of the location more effectively. And improving the fire puddles will allow you to better separate the roles of “Mandrake” and “Heather”: “Heather” is designed for high precise damage while “Mandrake” is designed for controlling the area on the map.

Waltz

  • Rocket speed increased by 16%.
  • Rocket speed upgrade now grants a 15% bonus (instead of 25% earlier).

Comment: without the rocket speed upgrade, “Waltz” effectiveness was not sufficient for a weapon of legendary rarity. Please note that although the bonus from the upgrade was decreased, the upgraded version still has a higher projectile speed than before.

Kami

  • Tonnage increased from 4600 to 4700 kg.
  • Mass limit increased from 8700 to 8850 kg.
  • Power increased by 3%.

Comment: initially, we decided not to amplify the cabin additionally, but to wait for the first statistics on the use of the cabin in battles. Based on the results of the gathered data, we slightly improve the cabin’s parameters so that it matches the other legendary cabs and their performance. We assume that in the future the parameters of the cabin can be further improved when more data is collected.

Master

It is planned to change the location of the power nodes on the cabin. Part of the nodes located on the sides will be moved to the front and rear of the cabin, as well as on its roof.

Comment: in many respects, the insufficient effectiveness of the cabin, which was designed for the use of power nodes, was due to the improper placement of these nodes on the model. Changing their position will add more options when assembling the vehicle and allow you to place the parts used in conjunction with the cabin more conveniently.

The “Steel championship” update is scheduled for next week. Ready your harpoons and assemble your dream team!

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Miller

  • Damage dealt by an explosive projectile increased by 29%.
  • Standard projectile damage reduced by 15%.

Comment: the power of “Miller” is becoming more and more apparent in battles. With these changes, we would like to make this weapon more dependent on precise shooting and using its perk.

Translation: we want to force people to spend money to get the Torero cab, which was already almost mandatory to use with the Miller. Honestly, fuck you, big time, the Miller needed the exact opposite, less dependency on its perk, not more. It’s DPS with its normal shot was already lackluster, given how hopelessly inaccurate the weapon is at range and how rarely the perk activates, it’s a huge and undeserved nerf. But I guess, too many free to play players got their hands on a somewhat good weapon, we can’t have that, can we?

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The top speed of the tracks is only half the problem.

The real problem is they are too heavy compared to the Triangle Tracks.

Armored Tracks:
1440 KG
1300 HP
4000 Tonnage
65 KPH

Hardened Track
400 KG
600 HP
1850 Tonnage
75 KPH

For 1 Armored track, I can use 3 Hardened tracks. I get more durability, more tonnage, more speed, and less mass.

If I try and use Armored tracks on my current builds, they are over mass by 2000KG.

The other problem with the 3 tracks getting buffed is their shape. They are “rounded”. So if you try and do a quick stop to shoot a cannon, you rock forward, dipping your gun into the dirt.

It’s a no brainer to still use triangle tracks.

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Prometheus increases damage by 15%? This is not a decision made by a sane person.

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Why you pick up mega cheap epics when they’re underpowered

oop

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I’m happy about most of these changes, but especially the changes to buggy wheels and to Master.

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Borer: Good

Median: … yeah lets buff it for hovers mostly. it’s not like the weapon is already garbage on other movement parts /s

Discharger: LMAO it still won’t be played, just make it 0 energy already ffs.

Goliath and Armoured track: I don’t see the point in making tracks faster. Can’t you make them… tanky enough to do the job they’re supposed to do?

Flywheel: Poiiiiintless af :roll_eyes: just make Discharger 0 energy.

Astraeus: Whatever, just don’t make it good, there’s enough hover-exclusive weapons around already.

Varun: Targem bruhs, Varun is viable in CW already. Stop smoking and play your game @_@. -an unfused Varun user

Buggy wheels: FINALLY :partying_face: Here in France we say “better late than never”. Well, that’s really, really f*cking late, but you finally didi it! All the people who own the fused BP ones (not me, that BP was crap) will probably agree it was long overdue.

Trombone: obvious, but make sure you don’t overnerf it. It’s been a great counter to the pathetic Bigram MG “let’s sit on the cap and do nothing” “strategy”

Miller: I have legit no idea why you’d unbalance it even more towards its perk. Do you intend to make it do 0 damage but shoot charged mammoth shells every 15 0 dmg hits? I don’t get it.

Prometheus V: … what? (^%

Phoenix: Good.

Mandrake: Might be a bit too much, but I think buffing the fire puddles is the way to go with this one. GJ.

Waltz: … okay?

Kami: Light cabs are trash anyway, outside of Growl and Harpy, and a properly used Griffon (so rare it’s not worth mentioning, most people are crap with Griffon)

Master: Why not? Keep trying, it might get out of F tier at some point.

…
Overall, some good changes, but as usual from Targem, a few other changes reek of “we never play our own game”

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You forgot the blight, the king of hold trigger and ram something

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True, true. I’ll be honest, I’m not a Blight hater unlike others. Yes, it’s great on firedogs. But I don’t really want Firedogs switching to Beholder or some other thing that will make them near unkillable lol. I’m fine with 1k cab dura flamers with an exposed Blight. I sometimes wonder if it’s not actually keeping flamers down rather than being the best choice for them.

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Yeah a free cloak (from energy i mean) and ability to still go 96kmh or so is quite good, I wish it was a light cabs perk, woe is me, but that would be OP imo

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Most changes are fairly reasonable. But trombone - It’s useful, but it’s not bias that much. That nerfing is kind of too much. Make it 35% heating per rocket and 10-15% less radius. Don’t make it weak and useless like so many weapons and tools already are in the game

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I’m happy for the buff to Tracks and Buggy wheels.

For Tracks, the speed buff is a good start. They should also recieve a tonnage buff because they have poor tonnage/Weight ratios.

Armored, Goliath, and Tank tracks are all outclassed by Hardened Tracks in Speed, Tonnage/Weight, and Durability/Weight ratios.

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GOOD: Tracks got at least something, even if wrong type of buff.
BAD: Tracks got buffed with a wrong buff and now they won’t pay attention to them for a while, instead of giving them the right buff.

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For the most part it seems like a good patch. I’m not sure Miller or trombone needed the changes however. But hey, I rarely play those weapons. They might want to also lower the explosives shots damage and Double its occurrence of fire I think, if they are making these changes to Miller.

I kind of wish they would make the waltze twice as durable and twice as heavy. Being a tanky gun would better suit its awkward firing mechanic/where projectiles fire from on the gun.

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Miller changes suck, exact opposite of what the changes should be imho. The Trombone really needs that nerf, but come to think of it, I’d rather have the Trombone stay as it is instead of all the S+M1 warriors switching back to cuckpkans.

As for my favourite, the Waltz, I’m against any help in its ease of use to be quite honest. Although it would be nice if they changed the rockets so they would always fly out from the barrel at the top, so you could have them 1 block under the armor more easily, I want them to stay as my secret niche weapon for blowing up player’s backsides. If they got popular and started to see a lot of use, I’d fear that a nerf would be quick to follow.

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Y’all need to add the arothron to the balance changes. Im ok with the damage it does at pellets range and close range but y’all need to increase the impulse from hit. Peoples build are big and heavy it barely even nudges them when hit at close range. If close up damage is gonna be that low then the impulse needs to be increased.

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I’m 100% convinced that the Miller changes are not motivated by a genuine effort to make the game more balanced, but by the urge to profiteer by tying it to a pay to win pack item (Torero). This is a reoccurring theme in the game, when otherwise underpowered and borderline unusable weapons and equipment are tied to a pay to win item which makes them OP, or at the very least viable. Think Blight cabin and flamethrowers, Favourite cab and shotguns, homing missiles and whatever that cabin is that buffs them, ML-200 and Steppe Spider before Bigrams were a thing… I should have listened to people who said that it’s best not to fuse the Millers because they will be nerfed, now I’m stuck with not two, but three fused ones that I crafted, and are already mediocre, and will be turned completely worthless unless I grind for two months to get a Torero or fork over the Euros. Bravo Gayin, you have proven yourselves to be lowlife cockroaches yet again.

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Funnily, Astraeus is so garbage, its price barely moved xD

Varun wasn’t underpowered tho, XO players are :pensive: I like the fact that they’re both reducing the reasons to macro with it AND give more incentive to aim/conserve ammo, but I wonder if a straight buff of this amplitude is such a great idea. This thing hurts like hell when full charged, and the only thing keeping it in its place is how clunky it is rn.

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Yeah it’s dps was tasty, just not a dps type of player… so looking forward to trying it, we shall see

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We do not have pay to win items in XO.

All weapons/cabins/modules in packs are freely traded on the market.

To make it pay to win they would need to remove the ability to get it from the in-game market.

We have a pay to advance system. Money is only a time saver in this game and not needed to play.

3 Likes