We’re currently updating/fixing the underlying effect system, a change that’s been long overdue. This is also part of our preparation for the upcoming season-long rewards that players can earn by winning a Conquest Zone (we will make a separate patch note when this change is ready).
The old effect system was overly complicated and didn’t work as expected. For example, the “Skill” bonus was only meant to apply to primary skills (the ones shown in the sidebar/skills menu). However, it also unintentionally affected some (not all) secondary skills like Bartering. This caused confusion, as players expected the Skill EXP bonus to apply to all skills, which it did not.
Over the next 48 hours, as the update spreads across the server, you might notice some small changes to how effects work. Most importantly, we’re updating the naming system to be more clear and consistent. This change will also fix several bugs related to skill classification. For instance, some non-primary skills that were incorrectly affected by the “Skill” effect will now be excluded, as only Primary Skills will be eligible for these effects.
Once the changes are fully live and stable, we’ll review everything again and make any additional changes if needed.
The maximum usage limit for mythic alchemy recipes has been increased from 10 to 30. This only applies to recipes consumed after this update; previously consumed recipes will remain unchanged in your alchemy list.
All guilds with the above components have been refunded the difference.
Guilds are still a work in progress and not yet where we want them to be. Improving them will take time, as we make small changes and adjustments based on the data we gather and as our overall approach becomes more refined. We're also balancing this with ongoing improvements to other parts of the game (for instance, we are now working on improving the dungeon mechanic which can be seen on our public road map).
In update v0.38.2, we said that if guild requirements change, any difference would be refunded. However, this does not include repair costs - which are determined by the base costs. The main reason is that we don’t keep detailed records of every repair, and it would take too much time to calculate fair refunds for each case.
Guild Conquest Bonuses We’re still working on the seasonal location buffs feature, but due to some technical issues, we can’t add it just yet.
Our goal is to have it ready before Season 4 begins. If that happens, the winners of each zone from Season 3 will enjoy the full benefit of buffs throughout Season 4.
However, if the feature isn’t ready in time for the start of Season 3, we’ll release it during the season. In that case, the Season 2 winners will start getting the buffs from the moment the update goes live, and those buffs will last until the end of Season 3.
In short:
We are aware that there are some that would like to know the rewards for winning a zone, before investing resources in the conquest mechanic.
Following on our balancing philosophy, which we have discussed, in detail, many times, we are following this exact same process with the buffs. Simply put, the buffs will likely, at the start, be low. And then, as time goes on, we will make adjustments to ensure that they're both rewarding and balanced. We’ve chosen a cautious approach to avoid causing long-term balance issues. The downside is that the buffs might feel a bit underwhelming at first.
With that in mind, these are the minimum buff values that a guild will receive for controlling a location. These buffs are meant to be supplemental only - they’re not game-changing. Their value is in the fact that they last for an entire season (2 months).
+5% Primary Skill EXP +3% Primary Skill Efficiency +2% Dungeon Magic Find +2% World Boss Magic Find +4% Dungeon EXP +5% World Boss EXP +5% Hunting EXP
There are a few things to keep in mind with this:
More Changes
This update aims to introduce various much needed adjustments across the game.
#### Guild Hall Components As we mentioned in our last update, we have slightly shifted our approach on guild all components. As the repair time has been shortened from 90 days to 60 days, this means you will need more materials over time to keep them maintained. This change will reduce the cost of the components, making them cheaper to build.
All guilds will have the difference refunded in the stockpile.
Guild Mastery EXP is also exponential, meaning it takes much more effort to level up at higher levels. Right now, level 92 is considered the “halfway point” in terms of total EXP needed to reach level 100. But before this change, players at that level were already receiving nearly the maximum bonus (14%), which didn’t feel right.
For example, if you defeat an enemy that gives 50 EXP, the Forsaken class will now earn 2 guild EXP (5% of 50 is 2.5, rounded down to 2).
Before this update, the same calculation would first give 2 EXP (from 5% of 50), then reduce it by 50%, resulting in 1.25, which would be rounded down to 1. Simply put, this change makes sure your guild EXP won't drop below the enemy’s base EXP, even with negative effects.
We’re making further reductions to the guild hall component requirements.
Any guild that has already purchased the upgrade will be refunded the difference directly to their stockpile.
We've reduced the component decay time from 90 days to 60 days
We’re slightly adjusting our approach by gradually lowering the requirements until we find the sweet spot. However, components will need more maintenance from the guild over time. (This is why we are also reducing the requirements and repair times.) Slots will not affected by this approach, as they do not require any repairs.
As always, we will keep a close eye on things and make adjustments carefully and thoughtfully to maintain good balance.