[1.3] Squig Herder Patch Preview

[AdamG_EAMythic]

Greetings,
As many of you are aware, WAR's 1.3 patch is rapidly approaching! Before we open up the Public Test Server and release the patch notes, we wanted to sit down with each career's community and give them a rough idea of what to expect from 1.3.

Patch 1.3's major balance changes focus on the balancing of direct damage vs. area-of-effect abilities. All careers should expect to see AoE effectiveness reduced across the board. This reduction can come in a change to damage/healing, AP cost, or effect radius, and will vary from ability to ability.

RDPS careers were initially planned to only have minor adjustments to AoE radius values for 1.3; however, due to feedback from our internal testers, we are moving forward with more significant adjustments to direct damage/AoE abilities. Due to the scope of the changes, they will not arrive with the initial launch of 1.3's public test server. Instead, they will be released in a patch to PTS shortly after testing begins.

Squig Herders will see additional changes based around further improvements to Pet AI and pathing.

• Pets will no longer de-summon when mounted; instead, they will automatically go passive and follow the player until they dismount.

• Pets (as well as all NPCs and monsters) will now "stick" to their target so long as they have the same or greater movement speed. This will resolve many issues of players using pathing exploits to "shake" a pet.

In addition, Squig Herders will see a number of AoE adjustments including, but not limited to, the following:

• Many AoE abilities have had their effective radius reduced, returning their radius to pre-1.2.1 patch values.

Below is a list of changes that are currently pending for version 1.3, but will be updated to PTS after the initial launch of the test server.

• Bonus damage from Ballistic Skill will now have a much greater effect on abilities with high base damage, but a reduced effect on abilities with low base damage.

• A number of AoE abilities have been reduced in effectiveness through reductions in damage, or increase in AP cost/cool down.

• A number of abilities in Path of Big Shooting have increased in effectiveness

• A few abilities in Path of Quick Shooting have increased in effectiveness

• Minor adjustments to "mirror" abilities to bring them more in-line with their Shadow Warrior counterparts.

Finally, we are investigating the following items that will potentially be added into 1.3 during the PTS phase, or in a follow up patch after 1.3

• The Expert Skirmisher Tactic will be reviewed to ensure that its bonus does not brokenly increase the effectiveness of PBAoE and AoE abilities for ranged careers.

Adam Gershowitz
Producer - Character Systems
Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning

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