Sarthin
Administrator
Legend
Posts: 1040
Common sense is not so common
|
 |
« on: January 09, 2025, 09:47:28 am » |
|
Kael revisited
It’s been about a year since Kael Drakkel, Tier 11, launched. This tier was a bit of a turning point compared to the ones before it. We wanted to create an experience where players needed to think more strategically and take precautions. The feedback we’d received was that some of the previous content felt too mindless, so we aimed to shake things up. Kael was designed with fewer mobs per encounter, but each NPC posed a bigger threat and took longer to kill.
While we think Kael in many ways as a tier is solid, balancing it for the diverse playstyles and box setups on EZ has proven to be a real challenge. Even with the adjustments we’ve made so far, we’re still hearing that some players avoid the zone due to its difficulty and the time commitment required to complete it. With such a wide variety of player preferences, finding a balance that works for everyone in a single iteration just isn’t realistic. That’s why we believe introducing a Normal/Hard mode system in future tiers makes much more sense than trying to create one-size-fits-all content.
Kael will, in many ways, mark the end of our old approach to zone design. The plan is to scale Kael down—both in difficulty and in the time it takes to progress through it—while keeping it slightly harder than the tiers that came before. Future tiers will feature the Normal/Hard mode system, giving players the freedom to choose their preferred challenge level and more control over how they engage with the content. Balancing tiers has always been one of the toughest challenges for us devs, given the variety of box setups and playstyles on EZ. We’re confident that the Normal/Hard mode approach will make the game more enjoyable for everyone.
Planned Adjustments to Kael
- NPC health pools
- NPC damage output
- Spawn and drop rates
- Time required to complete quests and attunements
- Script adjustments-- to make certain mechanics more forgiving
There could be other tweaks as well. A complete changelog will be posted once the update is finalized.
Why Not Add Normal/Hard Mode to Kael?
You might wonder why we’re not adding a Normal/Hard mode to Kael itself. The truth is, while we did discuss it, retrofitting that kind of system into a zone that wasn’t originally designed for it would be a massive undertaking. We believe our time is better spent on other improvements and future content.
So, Kael will remain a transitional tier, a stepping stone that marks the end of our old approach to balancing content for everyone in one go. We’ve come to realize that it’s impossible to meet the needs of all playstyles with a single design, and the Normal/Hard mode system will help us move forward and giving you all a more flexible way of playing on EZ with a player-driven approach that Normal/Hard mode gives you.
We understand that there will be mixed feelings about this change for Kael, but we're also sure that the direction forward will provide a more meaningful experience for everyone, regardless of how you want to meet the content.
Thanks again for sticking around and making EZ the great place it is!
For Akkadius & Draca,
-Sarthin
EZ Admin Team
|
