New: Irredian Shelter, Hangout Raids and More!

Greetings, Saviors! Today we would like to introduce the new content and rewards that were added during our scheduled maintenance on March 12, 2019. We hope you enjoy reading this post as much as we did preparing it!         NEW CONTENT     1. Guild Hangout Raid     1-1. Overview   The Guild Hangout Raid is, just as the name suggests, a new raid content that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own Guild Hangout. Players can now summon bosses in their Guild Hangout and join forces to defeat them.     1-2. Background   The refugees of the Kingdom have been suffering greatly at the hands of the monsters that entered our world through the many dimensional cracks that appeared following Medzio Diena. Sage Envoys have been deployed all across the Kingdom in order to seal the cracks but they are in need of help. The Kingdom has decided that the Sage Envoys devise a way to relocate the dimensional cracks to various Guild Hangouts present within the Kingdom to have the guilds help in dealing with the invasion of monsters. Guilds can now participate in private boss raids through the Sage Envoys located in their Hangout to defeat the invading monsters for bounty.     1-3. How to Play   Talk to the Sage Envoy NPC in your Guild Hangout to start the raid.     1-4. Rewards   Rewards can be obtained from the Sage Envoy NPC after the raid time is reset every Monday at 6:00 AM server time. Rewards are issued as Silver, which is determined by the player’s contribution in defeating the raid boss.     2. New Hunting Grounds: Irredian Shelter         2-1. Overview   Irredian Shelter is a new high level Hunting Grounds populated by level 390 monsters and two level 400 boss monsters.     2-2. Background   The three rulers of old Nicopolis ran the city with an iron fist as their influence grew. Archmage Irredian had created a shelter for the citizens of Nicopolis to take refuge in. Preparations for siege and various experiments to create a magical barricade that blocks off Nicopolis from the rest of the Kingdom took place at the shelter.     2-3. How to Play   The new Hunting Grounds is populated by powerful level 390 monsters. Hunting down these monsters unlocks a portal to new areas that are more densely populated by powerful monsters or even a solo raid with a special boss monster.     2-4. Rewards   New necklace items have been added as reward. New seals are also introduced as a part of an obtainable reward.       Rewards and Convenience Updates     Along with the two new features introduced this week, we will also be providing revisions for rewards and introducing convenience updates with the game’s next major update. Read on below for details!     1. Guild Quest   - The rewards obtained from Guild Foundation quests will be increased by fivefold. Players will be able to earn up to 5,000 attribute points by partaking in a Guild Quest. - Guild Foundation quests do not require special initiation processes and will begin as soon as a Guild Quest is started.     2. Gemstone Feud   - New NPCs will be added to each of the major cities (Klaipeda, Orsha and Fedimian) that will let players enter Gemstone Feud sessions. - The number of Goddess’ Blessed Gems that can be traded will be increased from 1 to 2 per day and the number of badges required will be reduced by half. - The following are the new badge requirements for rewards obtainable in the Gemstone Feud.   Reward Required Number of Badges Before After Goddess’ Blessed Gem 2000 1000 Attribute Point 100 200 140 Silver Ichor Extraction Kit 5500 3850 Looting Chance Potion 100 70 Hero’s Retribution Potion: Devil (Feud) 850 595 Hero’s Retribution Potion: Mutant (Feud) 850 595 Hero’s Retribution Potion: Insect (Feud) 850 595 Hero’s Retribution Potion: Plant (Feud) 850 595 Hero’s Retribution Potion: Beast (Feud) 850 595 Hero’s Aegis Potion: Devil (Feud) 450 315 Hero’s Aegis Potion: Mutant (Feud) 450 315 Hero’s Aegis Potion: Insect (Feud) 450 315 Hero’s Aegis Potion: Plant (Feud) 450 315 Hero’s Aegis Potion: Beast (Feud) 450 315     3. Collections   - Players will be able to register new collections without having to visit the Magic Association NPC.     4. Instance Dungeon: Level Dungeons   - Some lower level dungeons will be integrated for better matchmaking. The level difference penalty will be alleviated for lower level dungeons.     5. Uphill Defense   - The weekly entry count will be reduced and the rewards will be improved instead.     6. Remnants of Bernice   - Rewards will be overhauled. The current ranking data will be reset with the coming update. - Attendance reward will be given as attribute points to promote players’ continued participation. - Attendance rewards can be obtained by clearing the first stage. - Stage rewards will consist of more useful items. They will be issued once per Team depending on the highest stage that the player has reached. - Rank rewards will also be improved to include useful items and not honor rewards. - Rank rewards will be given out for each of the class trees and there will be no rewards for overall ranking.     6. Earth Tower   - The difficulty will be adjusted to fit the changes that were implemented in the Re:Build update. - The progression of the Earth Tower will be adjusted to provide faster pacing. - Earth Tower will be divided into units of 5 floors each, and players will be free to choose which floors they wish to challenge.  

Official GTW Guide 1 – How to Play

Click the links below to read the other GTW guides. 1. How to Play 2. Rewards 3. Strategies and Tips   Concept Guild Territory Wars (GTW) are a guild-oriented PvP game mode where guilds can battle each other to seize one of the game’s Spot Area maps. Winning at GTW comes with special perks and benefits which cement your guild’s influence and prestige. Schedule GTW sessions happen every Sunday on the following schedule.   Server Region Start End [NA] Klaipeda EST 20:00 EST 21:00 [SA] Silute EST 17:00 BRST 20:00 EST 18:00 BRST 21:00 [EU] Fedimian EST 14:00 CET 20:00 EST 15:00 CET 21:00 [SEA] Telsiai EST 07:00 SGT 20:00 EST 08:00 SGT 21:00   Participation If your guild wants to participate in GTW, the guild master can change your participation options under the combat tab of the Guild window. Note: - Participation options can be changed by the guild master only. - If participation is set to ON, the guild master cannot transfer their position to another member. - Participation options cannot be changed from 5 minutes before a GTW session starts to 1 minute after it ends. - If your guild is participating in GTW, joining, abandoning and disbanding the guild will not be possible during the session. - Members who abandoned their previous guild less than 14 days in the past cannot participate in GTW sessions. Spot Areas Spot Areas are the game maps your guild can try and seize during a GTW session. There are three Spot Areas available in the World Map.   Spot Areas Connected Maps Genar Field Altar Way Manahas Pilgrim Path Aqueduct Bridge Area Tenants' Farm Myrkiti Farm Demon Prison District 1 Greene Manor Baron Allerno Tenants' Farm Gytis Settlement Area Myrkiti Farm   To enter a Spot Area during a GTW session, use the green arrows in connected maps and select the ‘Territory Wars Location’ option. GTW Rules 1) Start Once the session starts, all members of the participating guilds are allowed to enter the Spot Areas. Inside these maps, PvP combat is always available among competing guilds. Note: - Some items and skills are restricted inside the Spot Areas. - Save for a few select classes, summoning and mounting Companions is not available inside the Spot Areas. 2) Seizing a Spot Inside each Spot Area there is a Territory Tower, around which guild members can either gain points or make the attacking guilds lose points. You can also gain points by destroying the Amplifiers that spawn around the map. 2.1) Gaining Points Members of attacking guilds (those trying to seize the Spot) can stand within the Tower perimeter to gain points for their guild. The number of points gained per second depends on the number of guild members around the Tower.   No. of guild members 1 member 2 members 3 members 4+ members Points gained per sec 3 5 7 9   When your guild reaches 1,000 points, you seize the Spot! If more than one guild reaches 1,000 points at the same time, the points will no longer accumulate until only one guild remains. 2.2) Reducing Points Members of the defending guild (the one currently holding the Spot) can stand within the Tower perimeter to reduce the points of the attacking guilds. The number of points reduced per second depends on the number of guild members around the Tower.   No. of guild members 1 2 … 9 10+ Points reduced per sec 1 2 9 10   3) Spot Seized Once a guild succeeds in seizing a Spot, members of the other guilds are automatically sent to a nearby city after 5 seconds. The guild that holds the Spot by the end of the session can enjoy beneficial buffs within the Spot Area, with buff effects stacking according to the total amount of time that the Spot is held.   Buff name Effects Duration Note Guardian -20% damage received (additional -5% per stack) For as long as the same guild holds the Spot Max. 3 stacks   Territory Amplifiers Territory Amplifiers are devices that spawn around a Spot Area. When an Amplifier is destroyed, the guild that dealt the last blow can receive +200 points and a beneficial buff effect. Amplifiers can be destroyed by both defending and attacking guilds, with the latter receiving both the points and the following effects.   Buff name Effects Duration Note Damage and Movement Speed Increased Damage +30% Movement speed +5 5 min Does not stack Note: - Each Spot Area map produces a maximum of 5 Amplifiers. - The effects apply only inside the Spot Area map, and they disappear if a new guild seizes the Spot. - Amplifiers appear 8-10 minutes after the beginning of the session. If one is destroyed, it respawns after 8-10 minutes. - An alert message appears in the Spot Area 30 seconds before an Amplifier is generated. - Amplifiers will no longer be generated starting 10 minutes before the end of the session. Tree Root Crystals Different types of Tree Root Crystals are randomly generated within the Spot Area. Each type gives you a different beneficial effect, according to its function.   Type of Crystal Effects Duration Speed (Blue) Greatly increases movement speed 5 sec Regeneration (Pink) Instantly restores 30% HP and SP, then 500 more per sec 30 sec Attack (Red) Increases damage dealt and taken by 50% 30 sec Defense (Purple) Reduces damage taken and dealt by 50% 30 sec   Note: - If you are already under the effect of one Crystal, other Crystal effects will not apply (the effects do not stack). - Buff effects disappear if your character becomes incapable of combat. Boss Monsters At certain times during the session, a boss monster will appear in the Spot Area map. The guild that deals the last blow to it gets a special buff within the map.   Buff name Effects Duration Note Thick Skin -30% damage received Knockback/knockdown immunity 5 min Does not stack   The first boss monster appears 10 minutes after the start of the session, then it reappears 10 minutes after it is defeated. GTW Items The Expedition Merchant NPC in your Guild Hangout sells GTW-exclusive items you can use strategically during the session (these can be used only inside Spot Areas, except for the Warp Scroll).   Item Icon Description Wooden Barricade - Keeps attacking guilds from trespassing for 600 seconds. - Used only by the defending guild. - Durability +20% when used by a Squire, Alchemist or Pardoner. Ballista - Shoots one or multiple damaging arrows at enemy guild members within range for 600 seconds. - Single arrows include penetration, knockback and stunning effects. - Used only by the defending guild. - Durability and attack +20% when used by a Squire, Alchemist or Pardoner. Siege Tower - Structure you can ride while attacking enemy guild members and objects for 600 seconds. - Up to 5 members can ride the tower to drive it and attack. - Used only by attacking guilds. - Durability and attack +20% when used by a Squire, Alchemist or Pardoner. Divine Flag - Lets you teleport to the location where the flag is planted for 180 seconds. - Used only by members of attacking guilds that have a Warp Scroll – GTW item. - Cooldown shared with all guild members. Mysterious Crystal - Revives you when you become incapable of combat inside the Spot Area. - Crafted using the recipe sold by the Expedition Merchant (requires Soul Crystals as materials). Wide Regeneration Scroll - Revives all guild members currently incapable of combat within the Spot Area with 50% of their HP and SP restored. - Cooldown shared with all guild members. - Crafted using the recipe sold by the Expedition Merchant (requires Soul Crystals as materials). Warp Scroll - GTW - Transports you to a Spot Area. - Defending guild members are sent to the Territory Tower. - Attacking guild members are sent to their Divine Flag. - Used only outside of Spot Areas. Recon Map - Reveals the location of all members of the defending guild within the current map for 5 seconds. - Used only by attacking guilds.   Note: - Squires, Alchemists and Pardoners can repair installed items. - These items cannot be installed near the Territory Tower or Amplifiers. - Mysterious Crystals and Wide Regeneration Scrolls cannot be used near the Territory Tower. Final Moments At the end of the session, the last guild to have seized the Spot is declared the winner, and the Spot Area closes after 1 minute. The winning guild will appear on the World Map as the owner of the Spot Area until the beginning of the next GTW session.    

Official GTW Guide 2 – Rewards

Click the links below to read the other GTW guides. 1. How to Play 2. Rewards 3. Strategies and Tips   Honor Rewards Five minutes after the end of the session, members of the winning guild can retrieve the following honor rewards at the Expedition Merchant NPC in the Guild Hangout, according to the Spot Area seized.   Spot Area Rewards Genar Field Black Champion Costume Conqueror Armband Aqueduct Bridge Area Black Champion Costume Baron Allerno Black Champion Costume   Note: - These rewards can be collected until the start of the next GTW session. - The items will include a time limit according to how much time is left until the next session. Tariff Collection After the end of each GTW session, the winning guilds can accumulate and collect tariff funds from cities and the Market, according to the Spot Area seized. 1) City Tariffs Each Spot Area corresponds to a city where local tariffs can be adjusted by the owning guild. The higher the tariff rate, the larger the amount collected. Here is the list of cities and the Spot Areas they correspond to.   Genar Field Baron Allerno Aqueduct Bridge Area Klaipeda Orsha Fedimian   Each guild can adjust their city’s tariff rates under the GTW benefits section of the Guild window (combat tab). The automatic default rate is 10%, and you can adjust it to any number between 0% and 20%. Note: - City tariff rates can be adjusted only by the guild master or members with the corresponding authority. - After adjusting a rate, it can only be adjusted again after 1 hour. - Rates cannot be adjusted from 1 hour before the start of a GTW session until 5 minutes after it ends. - If a Spot Area’s owning guild changes after the end of the session, the corresponding city’s tariff rate resets to the default (10%). - No tariff rates (0%) apply to members of the owning guild within the corresponding city. When the standard rate of 10% is applied to a city, regular players see no change to their Silver spending, compared to how much they would spend before this system was introduced. The change happens when the rate is set below or above 10%, which in turn reduces or increases Silver prices (and the amount accumulated for the owning guild) accordingly. Since the standard is 10%, if a guild applies a tariff rate of 0% (minimum rate) to their city, a transaction that would normally cost 10,000 Silver will now cost 10% less (9,000 Silver) to any regular player, and the amount accumulated for the owning guild from that transaction will be 0. At a tariff rate of 10% (default rate), a transaction that would normally cost 10,000 Silver will continue to cost 10,000 Silver for a regular player, with 10% of that amount (1,000 Silver) accumulated as part of the tariff for the owning guild. If the guild has set a tariff rate of 20% (maximum rate), a transaction that would normally cost 10,000 Silver will now cost 10% more (11,000 Silver) for a regular player, with 20% of that amount (2,000 Silver) accumulated as tariff funds for the owning guild. Tariff funds are accumulated starting 5 minutes after the end of the GTW session, until the end of the next session. These tariffs apply to Silver spent by players who are not members of the owning guild within the corresponding city in the following transactions. Item Merchant: item purchases Equipment Merchant: weapon and armor purchases Accessory Merchant: accessory purchases Companion Trader: companion adoption, companion food purchases, companion training Blacksmith: repairs, recipe purchases, socket addition, gem extraction, identification, item dismantling, weapon appearance changes (if the potential loss prevention option is ON) Storage: Team Storage expansions Geraldas Family: gem purchases Magic Association: item purchases Fishing Manager: item purchases Teliavelis: item purchases, seal enhancement Appraiser Master: identification Tariff rates do not apply to Silver spent in the following transactions: - Warps - Class-specific supply purchases - Guild foundation - Etchings - Personal Storage transactions 2) Market Tariffs Guilds who own a Spot Area can also receive a set percentage of the Silver spent on Market fees (both registration and sale fees). Funds accumulated through these tariffs are calculated on a weekly basis.     Genar Field Baron Allerno Aqueduct Bridge Area Market tariff 4% 3% 3%   Market tariffs apply starting 5 minutes after the end of a GTW session, until the end of the next session. 3) Tariff Fund Distribution Accumulated tariff funds can be viewed under the GTW benefits UI (Guild window), and distributed to your guild members for one week after they are received. E.g. if the GTW session takes place on the 10th, tariff funds will accumulate for 1 week until the 17th, and they can only be distributed during the week after that (until the 24th).   Note: - The amount designated as tariff funds includes both city and Market tariffs. - The list will update 1 hour after the end of the GTW session. - Only the guild master or members with the corresponding authority can distribute funds. - Funds left undistributed one week after they are received will be automatically deleted and cannot be recovered. - If the guild is disbanded, any funds left undistributed will be automatically deleted and cannot be recovered. - All logs related to funds received and distributed are kept in the ‘Records’ tab. 4) Retrieving Distributed Funds Guild members who receive part of the funds when they are distributed will see an alert message appear on the screen that allows them to retrieve their allocated amount. Note: - The alert will appear to all of your characters for as long as you have funds left to retrieve. - After the funds are distributed, you have 14 days to retrieve them (if not retrieved, the funds are automatically deleted and cannot be recovered). - Retrieved funds are sent to the inventory of the character that receives them. - If you abandon your guild, any funds left to be retrieved will be automatically deleted and cannot be recovered.

Official GTW Guide 3 – Strategies and Tips

Click the links below to read the other GTW guides. 1. How to Play 2. Rewards 3. Strategies and Tips   Paths to the Spot Area There are only three Spot Areas in total, but each of them is connected to multiple maps, which allows for different approaches to the battle. Guilds can split and divert the attention of the enemy while the main forces carry on, or enter together for a combined attack. Invincibility Buff Upon entering a Spot Area, your character gains a temporary invincibility buff that lasts for 5 seconds unless you move, jump, or use a skill or basic attack. This protects players when they are entering the Spot Area and allows guilds to move more systematically. Expanded View Your view is expanded within all Spot Area maps, meaning you can zoom out further than you would in regular maps. This gives you a better perception of the full scale of the battle and lets you catch your enemy’s movements earlier. Respawning in GTW After becoming incapable of combat inside a Spot Area, you have multiple options for how and where you can respawn.   Requirements Respawn Location Options (default) Goddess Statue in a nearby city (automatic after 30 seconds) Having a Guild Tower Guild Tower Having a Base Camp installed by a Squire in your party Squire Base Camp Receiving the effects of Resurrection On the spot Using a Mysterious Crystal Receiving the effects of a Wide Resurrection Scroll   Using different respawn options makes combat generally more unpredictable, but it provides a good chance to turn the flow of the battle in your favor. Seizing Strategies Attacking guilds need to collect points in order to seize the Spot, and there are two ways of doing so. You can stay within the parameter of the Territory Tower and gain points per second according to your number of guild members on the Spot, or you can destroy one of the Amplifiers spread throughout the map to instantly gain 200 points. The defending guild, on the other hand, can reduce the points of the attacking guilds every second by staying near the Tower. Ultimately, the advantage goes to the guild with the most organized reactions to both the combat by the Tower and the Amplifier situation. Kicking Enemies to the City When the Spot is seized during a GTW session, all members not of the seizing guild are kicked to a nearby city. The new defending guild can use this time to place themselves inside the Spot Area according to their strategy, and attacking guilds can also prepare a new approach from the outside. Tactical Elements in the Spot Area There is a variety of tactical elements you can use inside the Spot Area.   Element Requirements Effects Territory Amplifiers Dealing the last blow (attacking guilds only) +200 points Damage and movement speed buff Boss Monsters Dealing the last blow (attacking guilds only) Damage taken reduced and immunity to knockback/knockdown GTW Items Using the item Installing combat objects and other beneficial effects Tree Root Crystals Dealing the last blow Different buffs according to the type of crystal   Class Strategies Every class has strong points that can give them an advantage in GTW combat. Here are some examples. 1) Templar Templars are not just strong support characters in GTW, they are the best battle leaders. Templar skills reach not just party members but guild members as well, so they are a valuable piece in keeping the guild strong and united. 2) Squire Squires are a crucial part of team if your guild wants to target multiple Spot Areas at once. When a Squire in your party installs a Base Camp, you can choose to respawn there if you become incapable of combat inside the GTW map. This allows you to quickly return to the battlefield or join the attack on a different Spot Area. 3) Scout All Scout-tree classes can learn the Cloaking skill, which is extremely useful for assessing your enemy’s strategy. Knowing in advance what your rivals are planning and how they are moving gives you a major advantage in battle. 4) Mounted Classes Only some classes can summon and mount Companions inside Spot Areas. One of the most decisive factors in the battlefield is mobility, so your guild’s mounted forces will always be an important part of the combat. GTW Restrictions The following is a list of restrictions that apply within all Spot Area maps. 1) Classes that can summon and mount Companions - Cataphract - Falconer - Hackapell - Hunter - Lancer - Schwarzer Reiter - Templar 2) Restricted skills (cannot be used) - Base Camp - Briquetting - Enchant Armor - Equipment Maintenance - Forgery - Gem Roasting - Identify - Item Awakening - Magnum Opus - Oblation - Portal - Portal Shop - Repair - Spell Shop - Switch Gender 3) Restricted consumables (cannot be used) - Anvil (all kinds) - Basic Warp Scroll - Blue Orb (all kinds) - Challenge Portal Scroll - EXP Card (all kinds) - Guild Tower - Monster Card Album (all kinds) - Popup Book (all kinds) - Red Orb (all kinds) - Skill Scroll (Barrier): restricted only within the Tower perimeter - Soul Crystal - Warp Scroll Note: - Elixir cooldown applies as 60 seconds. - Dispeller and Omamori cooldown applies as 30 seconds. 4) Restricted buffs (can be used, but characters under these buffs will not count towards gaining/reducing points) - Annihilation - Burrow - Cloaking - Mijin no Jutsu - Shadow Pool - Stop

Borutos Kapas - Future Plans

  Greetings Saviors! Today we would like to address some of the issues faced by players while participating in the new Borutos Kapas content and go over some of the improvements that are currently under preparation to resolve certain issues.     Invincibility upon Entry   We are planning to introduce a brief invincibility period for players who enter Sulivinas Lair to combat against Boruta. This invincibility buff will be removed when a player moves or uses a skill in order to give players some time to prepare for the battle ahead. This feature is currently undergoing internal testing and we are working as hard as we can to have in implemented into the game as soon as possible.   Expansion of Rank Rewards   We are planning to increase the number of players that are eligible to receive Rank rewards in Borutos Kapas, which will be applied to both Guild Individual Ranks. As an example, Individual Rank rewards will be expanded to be awarded to up to a 1,000 players who have participated in the raid.     Boruta’s HP Regeneration   The dev team is well aware that the HP regeneration mechanic in place for Boruta is one of the largest factors causing players to feel fatigued while participating in the Borutos Kapas raid. We are planning to remove HP regeneration for Boruta from Monday to Friday during weekdays.     Mark: Borutos Kapas   The effects of Mark: Borutos Kapas debuff will be increased considerably. The debuff is both a mark of honor and also a means to deter the top ranking guild from ranking 1st place again in the following week. However, we have recently become aware of players’ feedback that the Mark debuff was not as effective as we had intended it to be. We are currently looking into making adjustments to the effects of the Mark: Borutos Kapas debuff in order to provide a more balanced experience for our players.     Borutos Kapas Contribution Points   The following is the current methods for earning contribution points while in Sulivinas Lair for the Borutos Kapas raid.   ※ The content below is subject to updates and modifications.   Category Contribution Dealing damage to Boruta Yes Surviving in Sulivinas Lair Yes Being under certain gimmick effects in the area Yes Defeating other players in PvP No Having dealt the last blow to Boruta No Having equipped or used a specific item No Additional earnings proportionate to the number of Guild members in the area No     That will be all for today’s dev post on the issues and resolutions for Borutos Kapas. We want our players to know that we will do our best to keep monitoring and communicating with the player base to improve the quality of the provided contents for you to enjoy.   Thank you.     ※ The contents above are works that are currently in progress may be changed in the process of development.  

The Re:Build Survival Guide

Re:Build - FAQ 3

Table of Contents   1. Rank System Changes Pt. 1 (Click here) 2. Rank System Changes Pt. 2 (Click here) 3. New Content: Borutos Kapas & Astral Tower Closed Quarters (Click here) 4. FAQ (Click here) 5. Compatibility Issues & Solutions (Click here) 6. FAQ 2 (Click here) 7. FAQ3     Greetings, Saviors.   Today we would like to go over some of the class features that a lot of the players may feel are nerfed and the explain to you the reasons behind those changes, as well as the general direction that the Re:Build update will be heading in the future.     The Removal of Skills The removal of class skills is the cornerstone on which Re:Build’s balance adjustments are based on. With Re:Build, each class is made to be given 6 to 8 skills that players can choose from, as we came to the decision that some skills had to removed due to one of the following reasons:   - The skill is rather useless and can easily be replaced by other better skills - The skill hurts the class’ characteristics - The skill overlaps with roles played by other classes - The skill has a negative impact on the overall balance of classes     1. Swordsman Tree   Class Removed Skill Changes Reasons & Future Plans Swordsman Pommel Beat Restrain Double Slash Concentrate 　 We believe that the base class in a tree must provide players with the foundations on which they can plan their build. [Pommel Beat] was removed because it was heavily underused and [Double Slash] was removed for the reason that it is merely an inferior version of the [Skyliner] skill. While skills like [Gung Ho] increased character ATK value by a percentage, [Concentrate] was removed because it was a skill that raised ATK value by a fixed amount, which inevitably ends up “better” or “worse” when compared to similar skills. Highlander Skull Swing Vertical Slash 　 The central mechanic behind the Highlander class is the chaining of its skill sets. This meant that the class required excessive amounts of skill points to be fully effective, so we have removed two of the less efficient skills. Despite the removal of the two skills, the ATK values of the remaining skills have been increased to compensate for the removal. Peltasta Umbo Thrust Langort Threat level 50x → 10x We aim to make Peltasta the main tanker class in TOS. Re:Build’s Peltasta skills are defense-oriented and have been carefully selected to increase synergy with other shield-wielding classes. Other skills that did not fit in with the class’ tanker roles were removed during the process, leaving the class with 7 core skills. Due to the balancing changes in Re:Build, Peltasta’s threat level could not remain 50x, as that would mean that the class would continuously maintain threat from monsters. The threat level is reduced to 10x and is now more dependent on how the player utilizes the array of skills available. We are planning to add more features that let players manage threat level in our future updates. Hoplite Long Stride 　 Hoplite’s [Long Stride] was removed as it basically serves the same purpose as [Dragon Fall], only weaker. To compensate for the removal of [Long Stride] the overall skill factors of all Hoplite skills have been increased. Barbarian Helm Chopper Giant Swing 　 The Barbarian class skill set was in need of cleaning up as the class had too many skills. [Giant Swing] was removed because it was an underused skill and the strike-type skill [Helm Chopper] has been moved to the Hackapell class. Skills like [Embowel], [Stomping Kick] and [Pouncing] could have been removed instead but they seemed to fit in better with the Barbarian class’ concepts. While they may be considered just as underwhelming in terms of effectiveness, we plan to provide improvements for those skills following further inspection. Cataphract 　 Skill duration and cooldown time for [Trot] Having greater mobility in a PvP environment is a huge advantage. Until Re:Build, the Cataphract’s skills had been limited by its low rank, but now that the class has increased skill factors we felt that its mobility had to be limited instead. The effects of [Trot] can be sustained with reuse but now with the downtime and also with having to reuse the skill makes the class more vulnerable in PvP situations. Doppelsoeldner Mordschlag 　 Doppelsoeldner was a class that had too many skills, which in turn required selective skill point investment on the part of the player. In order to diffuse this, skill acquisition levels are adjusted and Zornhau, Zucken and Redel can officially be chained one after another. [Mordschlag] was removed because it was deemed unfitting for the Doppelsoeldner class that wield two-handed swords in wide arcs. Rodelero High Kick 　 Like the Doppelsoeldner class, Rodelero was a class that required many skill points. Also, to keep the class concept of ‘DPS with a shield’, we have removed the [High Kick] skill. With the removal of High Kick, the ‘increased strike-type attack’ buff has been moved to [Shield Shoving] to maintain the chaining of skills that were available before Re:Build. Fencer Lunge Attaque Coquille Attaque Au Fer 　 [Lunge] was removed because it lacked compatibility with other skills that used the rapier, and [Attaque Coquille] was removed because it was deemed harmful to the balance of the game due to its ‘ignore defense’ property that applies to critical attacks. [Attaque Au Fer] was removed because it was difficult to implement skills that make the target drop their weapon. As compensation, the cooldown of [Epee Garde] has been reduced so that the skill’s effect can be maintained continuously. Also, the damage of some skills has been enhanced to reinforce the class characteristics that make use of amplified damage through critical attacks. Templar Summon Guild Member Warp to Guild Member Build Guild Tower Reduce Craft Time Buff Share 　 Templars were a class designed for guild functions. Because of this, the class has had many systematic difficulties such as players not being able to use rank reset. The same problems persisted after Re:Build, so all previous skills relating to guild system functions have been removed and the Templar has been altered to specialize in GvG content. We are hoping that the Templar class will be an influential part in TOS’ GvG content and are currently investigating to see if there’s room for further improvement. Retiarius Vital Protection Standardization of skill factors: Dagger Finish, Trident Finish The Retiarius’ [Finish] skills have been nerfed somewhat due to the standardization of skill factors with Re:Build. Skill factors share a common formula and it is impossible for us to increase the efficacy of Retiarius skills alone. We are looking to make adjustments to restore the impact of one-handed spear attacks that go hand in hand with the class’ Rete skills. Hackapell Leg Shot 　 Hackapell has lost the use of pistols since having been moved to the Swordsman tree and hence the skill [Leg Shot] is removed. This was a heavily underused skill because most would choose swords over pistols in the subweapon slot when playing the Hackapell class. To improve overall class function over class concept accuracy, [Helm Chopper] has been added to the list of Hackapell skills in the place of [Leg shot].       2. Wizard Tree   Class Removed Skill Changes Reasons & Future Plans Wizard Surespell   Quick Cast Sleep 　 The Wizard class has been given basic attack and defense magic as well as debuffs that can increase the efficacy of party members’ attacks.   [Quick Cast] was transferred to the Chronomancer class as it seemed redundant in the Wizard class with the removal of the circle system. However, the cooldown of Wizard skills has been reduced and we changed the Rod Mastery attribute to make up for the loss of Quick Cast. Pyromancer Flare 　 Pyromancer has become a DPS class following the implementation of Re:Build. In order to make the Pyromancer a more simple damage centered class, we have removed [Flare], a skill which required delicate controls, and added [Prominence] in its place. Psychokino Telekinesis 　 While [Telekinesis] had been a critical skill in PvP, it was next to useless in the game’s PvE content. We felt that the Psychokino had enough viability in both PvP and PvE with its remaining skillset, which includes great skills like [Heavy Gravity]. Alchemist 　 　 The Alchemist’s role as a support class has been reinforced with the addition of [Sprinkle HP Potion] and [Sprinkle SP Potion] skills.   The crafting of various potions and the [Homunculus] skill still requires work, and we will make this one of our top priorities for early 2019. Sorcerer Attack Ground Hold 　 [Attack Ground] and [Hold] were removed as they overlapped with [Summon: Force Attack] and [Summon: Cancel Attack], which are skills that are available for all summoning classes. Another reason for their removal was because they were skills that should have been available without the need to invest points into.   If there is enough feedback from players who feel that it is now more difficult to control their summons, we will work towards improving this particular aspect of the summoning classes. Chronomancer Haste Quicken 　 [Quicken] and [Haste] were given to another class as we felt that the two skills were more physical in nature rather than magical, which is what the Chronomancer class should be concerned with.   Following the Re:Build update, the role of party support has been moved to classes in the Cleric and Scout trees while the Chronomancer class will now focus on providing synergy between the different classes within the Wizard tree.   But being a support class first and foremost, it will have skills like [Reincarnate], [Stop] and [Pass] all provide the player and the party members the upper hand in combat. Necromancer Dirty Pole Flesh Strike The number of skeleton summons reduced from 10 to 5 As the number of summons grew, it was more difficult for each of the summons to be balanced in terms of power. Therefore, we reduced the total number of summons for the Necromancer class and instead increased each of their powers, while also adding the Skull Wizard to give them more variety.   In the case of [Flesh Strike], we gave the skill for the Skull Mage to use instead as we wanted to make the Necromancer a class that specializes in summons above all else. Elementalist Prominence Freezing Sphere 　 As the Elementalist had a variety of skills of different properties, it could not be helped that its skills overlapped with many of the other classes within the Wizard tree. Because of this, [Prominence] was given to the Pyromancer class and [Freezing Sphere] was given to the Rune Caster class as [Rune of Ice].   The overall number of elemental skills has been reduced but the Elementalist’s efficacy was kept intact with the addition of the [Elemental Essence] skill which boosts the efficacy of the class’ skillset. Warlock Dark property damage increase for curse (hex) spells Drain 　 Dark property damage increase removed Classes in the Wizard tree that were above rank 7 had been somewhat nerfed for the overall balance of the new class system. We’ve planned to overcome this by enhancing the synergy between dark property damage and curses and giving more utility to other skills.   For example, players can now use [Demon Scratch] to pull enemies in, and also use the skill as the opener for chaining different skills.   [Drain] removed With the rebalance of skills, it was difficult to balance the increase in magic damage that the skill provided previously, or give players a replacement skill which had a similar function.   With the removal of [Drain], we’ve come to question the combat methods employed by the Warlock class and what skills a Warlock would require. We are currently working to make Warlocks a class that fights using evil spirits and we’re thinking of enhancing synergies with the Featherfoot class to create a Wizard class utilizing Dark property attacks. Featherfoot Blood Curse 　 [Blood Curse] had to be removed as the Featherfoot class’ maximum HP value was adjusted with the rebalancing of the game.   Currently, AoE damage skills that can be used while in [Levitation] are in the works and also greater synergies with the Warlock class is planned as mentioned above. Rune Caster 　 Rune of Protection Rune of Ice Rune Caster had been a class with a vague role so we have adjusted the Rune Caster class to a more DPS-centered class. In the process, the [Rune of Protection] and [Rune of Ice] skills have been altered. [Rune of Ice] is now an attack skill.   Also, [Rune of Protection] has been made to provide damage reduction while casting and give a knockdown resistance attribute to provide the class with stable casting abilities. The [Skilled Casting] attribute will now reduce Rune Caster skills’ cooldown with each casting to a minimum of 0.5 seconds to give the class more free time to deal with the different perils it faces while in combat. Shadowmancer 　 Overall damage decrease The Shadowmancer class had high damage skills that went beyond the rules set for balance in order to deal with the problem of having a huge delay after skill use.   The reduction of skill damage in Re:Build was necessary with the reduction of the aforementioned delay.   As for the class role, seeing how the Shadowmancer class had great survival skills in PvP, we’ve decided to focus and enhance this aspect for the class in the future. Onmyoji 　 Overall overheat decrease The goal of Re:Build is to emphasize the different class characteristics. In other words, each class’ shortcomings must also be apparent as much as their advantages are.   The core concept behind the Wizard tree is AoE damage over a given time duration. The overheat for the Onmyoji class has been adjusted to reflect this and the playstyle will also be changed.   However, the cooldown for [Howling White Tiger] and [Water Shikigami] has been reduced to provide continued damage. Taoist Dark Sight 　 While [Dark Sight] was extremely overpowered for content such as Earth Tower, it did not have any uses outside of this particular feature.   The Taoist has become a DPS class, having been transferred to the Wizard tree, while [Lightning Charm] has replaced [Dark Sight] in enhancing the class’ dealing capabilities. Bokor Ogouveve 　 As all summoning classes are now in the Wizard tree with the introduction of Bokor in the Wizard tree. We felt that a class that deals with the management and enhancing of summons was required.   Opposed to classes like the Sorcerer, a class that summons a single Demon Lord, or the Necromancer, a class that summons an army of undead, the Bokor will use zombies as consumables in combat.   [Oguveve], being a skill that enhances the STR of zombies, was removed in order to reinforce the new class concept we had planned for the Bokor. Any future improvements made to the Bokor class will introduce more skills akin to [Damballa].       3. Archer Tree   Class Removed Skill Changed Skill Reasons & Future Plans Archer Full Draw   Heavy Shot   Kneeling Shot 　 The Archer is a class that can remain mobile while attacking so [Swift Step] has taken the place of the [Running Shot] skill in providing the Archer with attacking while speedily moving about.   [Kneeling Shot] was moved to the Quarrel Shooter class to provide focused attacks that the class needed. Hunter Snatching   Pointing 　 The Hunter class is limited in the skills they can use in that they must fight alongside their companion.   [Snatching] and [Pointing] were removed because they were the two skills that were the most underused. The remaining skills were enhanced for synergies with other classes in the tree and stability of gameplay style. Quarrel Shooter Running Shot 　 [Running Shot] was a skill that did not conflict with the class concept of the Quarrel Shooter as a defense-oriented class but it was a skill that ruined the balance of the Archer tree builds. We added skills such as [Block and Shoot], [Shield Guard] and knockback defense in order to reinforce class roles.   [Running Shot] was instead replaced by [Swift Step], made available for the Archer base class so that all Archer tree builds can make use of the skill. Falconer Hovering   Call Damage decrease due to the addition of Pre-Emptive Strike The Falconer’s [Call] skill was rather unfair because it was necessary for players to invest in the skill in order to gain full control of the Hawk. We felt that it was redundant to have the Hawk leave after every skill so we removed [Call] in the process of making this improvement.   [Hovering] was removed because it did not fit in with other Falconer skills so it was replaced with [Tomahawk], which is another attack skill. Cannoneer Shoot Down Removed the increased damage effect of Bazooka Up to this point, we have envisaged the Cannoneer as a class that provided powerful ranged attacks while remaining stationary. But since Cannoneers were the only class that made use of cannons, there wasn’t much else for players to do when using the [Bazooka] stance.   With the absence of other classes that use cannons, the devs felt that it was necessary for the Cannoneer class to take a step into a different conceptual direction. As a result, [Bazooka] has been toned down and the remaining skills have been enhanced instead.   [Shoot Down] was removed and it has been merged with the [Cannon Shot] skill to provide a more focused skillset. Musketeer Attribute: Armor Break   Birdfall 　 The Musketeer was a class that relied heavily on the attribute [Sniper’s Serenity: Armor Break]. It was intended that Musketeers have the upper hand in facing enemies with high DEF but, since the debuff was in effect for all party members and not just the Musketeer alone, it affected the balance negatively overall. It turned the Musketeer into a supporter and not a DPS class.   The Armor Break attribute was removed to consolidate this problem and [Grooving Muzzle] was enhanced to maintain the Musketeer’s advantage over opponents with high DEF, making it so that damage could be dealt even during skill cooldown time. Mergen 　 Triple Arrow’s explosion is now activated by chance Mergen is a powerful two-handed bow class both before and after Re:Build. Triple Arrow’s explosion was much too overpowered: as the character’s AoE attack ratio increased, the explosion chance had to be lowered to 50%.   To counter this, Mergen’s [Spread Shot] was changed so that it is affected by AoE attack ratio to keep the damage output changed as least as possible overall.     4. Cleric Tree   Class Removed Skill Changes Reasons & Future Plans Cleric Safety Zone   Deprotected Zone   Divine Might Heal mechanic changed [Heal] in the past was too powerful in that it hindered variety in the Cleric tree builds as a support class. Now [Heal] targets a single player and will be a specialization that needs to be invested in to yield maximum effect.   Skills like [Safety Zone] that annul the incoming damage were the most powerful defensive skills available in the game. This made the Cleric tree builds even more restrictive and made the gameplay even more repetitive overall. For this reason, most of the support skills that grant invincibility to the whole party have been removed. Priest Exorcize   Stone Skin SPR factor adjusted for Blessing and Sacrament Priests are not an offense-focused class, so skills such as [Exorcise] were removed and replaced with [Turn Undead], while [Stone Skin] was moved to the Paladin class in order to reinforce the class’ role.   The skill factor for Blessing and Sacrament has been altered. We are aware that the currently implemented skill factor is in need of further review and we will continue to balance the class along with the Pardoner class. Krivis 　 Melstis changed so that only the caster is affected [Melstis], a skill that increased the duration of all beneficial buffs, was a very powerful skill. The problem was that the Krivis class is a DPS class and not a support class.   For reinforcing class roles and balancing issues, [Melstis] had been a staple skill of many Cleric builds so it was changed so that it only affects the caster rather than remove it altogether. Druid Telepath Sterea Trofh skill change   Carnivory skill change The class design goal for Druid is to create a physical/magic hybrid class. In order to achieve this, we increased the damage of [Chortasmata] and changed [Carnivory] into a buff that increases physical and magic critical damage. Despite the removal of one offensive skill, this buff allows the Druid class to have greater synergy with the other classes in the tree.   The change made to [Strea Trofh] was for the same reason as [Safety Zone]. [Strea Trofh] was changed into an evasion skill to increase the viability of melee fighting while using [Lycanthropy].   [Telepath] was removed as it was useless in most of the game’s content and prone to cause balance issues in PvP settings. Dievdirbys 　 Statue of Goddess Ausrine effect change [Statue of Goddess Ausrine] was a skill that granted invincibility to the whole party and hence one of the skills that hindered variety for builds and play styles in TOS’ late-game content. We removed the skill’s invincibility and made it so that players can now be more mobile without having to lose the buffs gained from other Dievdirbys statues to reinforce mobility, which was one of Dievdirbys’ biggest shortcomings.   The class will provide increased DPS capabilities with [Carve Owl]’s improved damage increase and [Statue of Goddess Ausrine]’s increased mobility. Oracle Forecast   Change Arcane Energy changed [Forecast] was removed as it was a skill that won’t be of any use with the new content that is to be added into the game and [Change] was removed because the change in monster stats made it inapplicable in Re:Build.   The Oracle class was restructured to supplement these changes. [Arcane Energy] is changed so that it can be used repeatedly without concern for SP consumption and [Prophecy] was changed so that it could negate incoming crowd control skills. Players can also make use of the [Death Sentence: Reset] attribute to increase party damage by up to 50% and use [Foretell] to support allies to victory. Monk 　 Double Punch affects basic attack   Iron Skin, Golden Bell Shield effect change [Double Punch] was the game’s only skill without a cooldown. It was governed under a unique skill factor. It also caused problems as the efficacy of the skill could be affected by many different factors including those outside the game.   In order to combat this, [Double Punch] was changed into a buff that altered the character’s basic attack instead of being a skill in itself.   Because of the Monk’s melee tendencies, [Iron Skin] was changed into a buff that reduces received damage which can be continuously used, and [Golden Bell Shield] was changed to provide players with reduced cooldown and increased damage when using Monk skills. Paladin Smite   Turn Undead Sanctuary Phys DEF, Mag DEF increase adjusted The increased defense and additional damage gained through [Sanctuary] decreased by half overall. But since the DEF values on shields and armor have been increased and the HP of monsters has been lowered, the skill will not feel as nerfed as it does on paper.   [Turn Undead] was moved to the Priest class in order to reinforce the Paladin’s role as a defensive support/DPS class. [Smite] has been removed but since it is available to use in the Cleric class, players will still be able to make use of the skill. Chaplain Magnus Exorcismus 　 The Chaplain class now is free from being bound to the Priest class and can stand on its own with its new skills, which can boost the class’ offensive capabilities. [Magnus Exorcismus] was removed as it did not fit in with the rest of the Chaplain skillset which focused on enhancing attacks. Plague Doctor Bloodletting   Pandemic: Increased Range attribute   Disenchant 　 Plague Doctor is a class that specializes in buffs and debuffs. The biggest problem with the Plague Doctor class was that there was little in the way of interactivity as its skills had long cooldowns and duration.   [Bloodletting] and [Disenchant] were removed to prevent players from removing enemy buffs easily but [Fumigate] was kept so that ally debuffs can be removed. Also, [Modafinil] has been added to the Plague Doctor’s arsenal to increase party mobility.   The [Pandemic: Increased Range] attribute was removed as we deemed it to be the culprit behind making the Plague Doctor class much too overpowered. Kabbalist Double Chance Ein Sof nerfed Players relied too much on [Ein Sof] as it was a skill that increased characters’ HP drastically and it hindered players from investment in newer gear, so we’ve decreased the maximum HP gain for [Ein Sof] out of necessity. Nonetheless, combat and player stats have been rebalanced through the update so [Ein Sof] is still an essential part of the Kabbalist skillset.   [Double Chance] was a skill that overlapped with [Gevura]. [Double Chance] was removed because of this and [Gevura], which increases maximum damage as well, was kept instead.Despite the nerf, [Ein Sof: Stacked Healing] remains and Kabbalist is still one of the key healer classes in the game. Zealot 　 The effect of maximum SP capacity adjusted It became more difficult to increase the damage dealt by [Blind Faith] since SPR no longer affects the amount of SP a character has. But players can still use item effects to increase their SP and as monster HP has been lowered overall the skill is still just as valid as it was before Re:Build. Exorcist 　 Reduction of chained skills from the removal of Magnus Exorcismus The [Exorcise] - [Magnus Exorcismus] - [Entity] chain is now impossible but we will soon be introducing new skill chains that can be utilized by the exorcist class.       5. Scout Tree   Class Removed Skill Changes Reasons & Future Plans Scout Flu Flu   Flare Shot   Perspective Distortion   Camouflage   Scan 　 The skills that were underused have been removed and buffs related to critical rate and evasion have been added. Attack skills that make use of the dagger and pistols have been added, replacing the bow. Squire Penalty Reduction Base Camp nerfed   - Players can warp only when in the same zone   - buff duration x2 bonus removed Squires are one of TOS’s main crafting classes. While they lack combat abilities, they affect the game as much as the other classes. But in their current state, they lack in their role as a support class and [Base Camp] is also rather underused. This is why we want to add new functions and improve existing skills for the Squire class to fit into its new role.   The basis of this change will be the [Base Camp] skill. We want to make the [Base Camp] skill something more than a convenient warping point.   For this to be possible, we made it so that [Base Camps] can now be installed in a wider range of areas (except for instanced dungeons). But also in order to balance the efficacy of the skill, we made it so that players can only warp to a [Base Camp] when in the same zone as the installed [Base Camp]. The twofold increase in buff duration was removed as it was open to player exploit. Shinobi 　 Reduced shadow clones for Bunshin no Jutsu, and shadow clones only mimic Shinobi skills Before, the validity of the builds that included Shinobi was whether Bunshin no Jutsu was able to mimic the skill or not. This went against the philosophy behind Re:Build.   The damage of other Shinobi skills have been increased and the new [Raiton no Jutsu] skill has been added to reduce the player’s reliance on the [Bunshin no Jutsu] skill. However, the charging time for [Bunshin no Jutsu] was removed to make it possible for the class to deal sudden bursts of damage. Thaumaturge Transpose Swell left/right arm merged The efficacy of [Swell Left/Right Arm] was dependant on the target characters’ equipment. Also, having two different skills that serve a similar purpose was rather inconvenient. The two skills have therefore been combined as [Swell Hands] and the increase in attack damage was reduced slightly for balancing.   [Transpose] was removed as it did not fit in with the new rank system where character stat is automatically distributed. Thaumaturge will undergo further adjustments in the future as it is a key support class in the Scout tree. Enchanter Empowering 　 After Re:Build, SP has become one of the most important stats. Skills that increased the maximum SP have been either altered or removed and [Empowering] was removed because of this same reason.   While Enchanters needed to invest in DEX in the Wizard class tree, there is no need for players to needlessly invest in DEX stats now that the class belongs to the Scout tree. Due to this stat synergy, skills like [Enchant Lightning] and [Lightning Hands] can be improved naturally with the Scout tree’s stat progression.   In case of [Lightning Hands], we must admit that it is yet not as effective as we intended it to be. But since the DEX focused stat progression is now introduced, we will further review the skill to see if any more adjustments are required. Linker Spiritual Chain Lifeline nerfed Linker’s [Lifeline] was a great skill in that it allowed party members to share each of their strengths. But since most players had min-maxed stats prior to Re:Build, everyone became overpowered while under its effects.   On top of this, using [Spiritual Chain] to share buffs made the party next to invincible.[Lifeline] was changed so that only the caster’s highest stat is shared among the party, and [Spiritual Chain] was removed altogether.   Now that the Linker class is in the Scout tree, skills like [Electric Shock] and [Joint Penalty] will see more use, but there still are further plans for adjustments after seeing how the change in [Lifeline] pans out in the future. Rogue Vendetta   Capture 　 [Vendetta] and [Capture] have been removed as they were underused skills in the Rogue class. [Capture] was a fun skill but it was difficult to utilize and always had been a source of problems for many players.   Rogue’s overall DPS has been increased as it is an offensive class specializing in daggers. The [Knife Throwing] skill has been added to increase the critical rate and enhance the class’ offensive concept. Schwarzer Reiter Wild Shot 　 The Schwarzer Reiter has come to wield one-handed swords as its main weapon after moving to the Scout tree. [Wild Shot] has been removed because of this change, but since Schwarzer Reiter has always maintained continuous ranged attack using the [Limacon] skill, [Wild Shot] won’t be missed as much as other skills. Bullet Marker 　 　 As explained before, many classes have their number of skills reduced after Re:Build, but Bullet Marker is an exception.   This is because the Bullet Marker is a hybrid class that has both mounted and unmounted skills. The Bullet Marker was designed to be compatible with all mounted and unmounted classes and hence it has 1.5 times the number of skills when compared to other classes.       Tree of Savior is a game with a myriad of class combinations and play styles available. There is always the risk of implemented mechanics not playing out as the devs had first intended. We promise that we will do our best to keep our eyes out for any serious concerns that hinder the game’s balance in the future and also keep our ears open to the feedback from our players.     Thank you for reading.

TOS Optimization Process

Greetings Saviors! Today, we would like to go over the issues the game has been facing with regards to optimization and the results of the various tests we have been conducting in order to solve the aforementioned issues in client stability.   Optimization of Performance       1. Server Optimization   Most of the critical calculations pertinent to the game are taken care of on the game’s server. Of the many calculations that take place, we have been specifically focusing on streamlining the combat calculations by processing combat calculations at source code layer instead of the script layer. As a result, we have managed to speed up the combat calculations by 10 times when tested offline, and by 3 times when tested on our internal test servers.  This optimization process is currently in a near-ready state for application and we are currently undergoing further tests in order to ensure that it does not cause any complications when implemented on our live servers.     2. Client Optimization   Background Multi-threaded Loading As you can see in the “before” section of the video above, players are faced with a large number of objects when entering a large city in-game. The current client is made so that all objects must be drawn before a new area is displayed. The advantage of this method is that all objects present in an area can be shown at once but at the same time it stops the game momentarily until all objects have been drawn, hence the stuttering. What we are trying to apply to the game to resolve this issue is the drawing of objects in ‘real time’. This could mean that certain in-game objects, such as the Gender Switch player shop that appears around 8 seconds into the video, may take a longer time to load but it will bring about noticeable improvements in reducing the frequent stuttering that plagues our players while visiting the more populated areas of the game.   Distributed Packet Processing Packets are units of information that are transferred between the server and the client. Distributed packet processing is when the client divides the many packets sent from the server for more efficient processing rather than processing them all at once for smoother gameplay. The dev team has been testing this feature with custom clients in the current live settings. Although we have reached some progress in this aspect and have not found issues with the feature in its current state, we want to take the time to make sure that we have left no stone unturned as this would change a big part of how the game works internally.     That’s all for today but we will return again with more optimization news, which will include our attempts to enhance the PvP experience for our players by better syncing character positions between players in-game. Thank you for reading!    

Re:Build - FAQ 2

Table of Contents   1. Rank System Changes Pt. 1 (Click here) 2. Rank System Changes Pt. 2 (Click here) 3. New Content: Borutos Kapas & Astral Tower Closed Quarters (Click here) 4. FAQ (Click here) 5. Compatibility Issues & Solutions (Click here) 6. FAQ 2   Greetings, Saviors! Today we’re following up on the previous [Re:Build] FAQ post with a few more questions received from players after the release of the first announcements. We will also include a few comments on feedback from test-server kTOS players, to give you a better idea of the current concerns surrounding this update and the direction in which it continues to be developed.   Q. What principles have framed your balance decisions so far? We’re taking class balance into a different direction now, compared to when we first started developing [Re:Build]. Here’s how. Our initial ideas for balance: We wanted to ensure that every class maintained its own unique value and distinctive characteristics, no matter what build you chose. In our idea, this meant leveling out all skills to the same “height”. The standard we used for that was the current Rank 6, not simply because it’s between Ranks 1 and 10, but because we wanted to avoid having skill-based classes overperform basic attack ones, and skill factors in Rank 6 correspond to that middle ground we were looking for. More specifically, skills higher than Rank 6 were dialed down, while those below it were boosted to Rank 6 standards. We then deleted a few skills that ended up too powerful even after the numeric adjustments, like Armor Break, a support skill in the damage-oriented Musketeer class. On the other hand, we added new skills to classes where we considered the current skill set insufficient to its role in the game. Paraclitus Time, for instance, was introduced to the Chaplain repertoire to reinforce its identity as a close-range basic attack class. The problem: Once the update was brought over to the kTOS test server, the main issue was that all skills in general felt like they had been excessively scaled down: an overall nerf. This was because of multiple reasons. First, high-rank classes – once the main damage dealers – felt significantly weaker after the factors were leveled out, which in turn amplified how the surge in low-rank class factors was perceived. On the other hand, low-rank dealer classes, who due to Rank limitations were making more use of their buffs and debuffs, suddenly saw a decrease in buff/debuff utility when their skill factors increased. Finally, our excessive focus on making each individual class reach maximum performance took a severe toll on the overall tempo of combat. We largely failed to consider practical aspects like skill cooldown, overheat, buff/debuff duration, and skill range, which made combat situations feel that much more frustrating. Our current direction: We’ve now turned our balancing plans around. Instead of basing balance around a uniform standard of performance, we want to focus on individual value. What we’re aiming for is a balancing system that allows classes to manifest their unique identity without threatening raw performance. Skill factors will of course be adapted to exhibit similar degrees of performance, but instead of trying to make up for the shortcomings of their effects, we want to emphasize their advantages. If, in this process, we’re unable to provide players with skills that are more satisfying than the ones they have now, we’ll have no choice but to bring back skills from the “delete” pile. A specific example: Running Shot, for instance, is a skill that players like for how it allows them to shoot while running (as the name implies). This skill was set to be deleted since it didn’t fit in with the concept of the Quarrel Shooter class, but because it is such a unique and beloved feature of the Archer tree, we decided to instead transfer it to the skill set of the Archer class by merging it with Swift Step. We won’t be integrating Running Shot in its entirety, of course, since the performance would still be out of proportion, but we are carrying over its basic function. This is only one example of how we can keep skill factors in check with the overall balance but still make use of a skill’s best traits. Q. Skills feel so impractical in this update. Is this Tree of Basic Attacks now? The fact that skill-based classes felt a decrease in skill usability after the test server update is not related to us having based the new balance changes around the results of basic attack Rank 6 classes. It was never our intention to slow down the overall combat tempo for skill-heavy fighters. We did perform several adjustments to skill cooltime and overheat since then, but the full process is not yet complete. With TOS being not just an MO but an MMO, however, we do expect the system where players need to go back to town for potions in order to maintain a good level of field efficacy to remain valid. Q. How come only some classes have skills that connect with other classes? It feels as if you’re forcing certain builds onto players. We do have a lot more skill combinations prepared for follow-up patches. We want to keep introducing them as quickly as possible. Q. The monsters don’t seem any weaker, so it feels like you dialed down everyone’s combat abilities. As mentioned earlier, our plans are not to lower, but to raise overall performance equally. We did intend for monsters to feel a little tougher, but we've been adjusting their difficulty to more reasonable levels. We initially increased monster abilities because, after [Re:Build], you will be able to change your class build much more freely according to your intentions (growth, farming, hunting, etc.), which means there is less of a need to balance out fields in a way that allows support-heavy classes to clear quests solo. We felt that having monsters blow up at the slightest contact with a skill was diluting the meaning of character growth and putting a damper on the challenge aspect of the game. With [Re:Build], we wanted to make sure that players were required to invest in their build, equipment and attributes to a certain degree to achieve a smoother field experience. That doesn’t mean, however, that we’re pushing players into party play at all times. There are features you can enjoy solo and others where you need a party: those two are meant to be somewhat separate categories. We’ve already strengthened this distinction in features like instanced dungeons and the Challenge Mode, but we want to continue doing that for these and other elements of the game as well. Q. Historically, Hackapells used a one-handed sword and a pistol. That seems more in tune with the Scout tree, doesn’t it? Why were they put under Swordsman? Historic accuracy is of course important but, when it comes to allocating class trees, fitting our existing resources into the new system successfully comes first, from the viewpoint of utility. We hope you understand. For now, our priority is to stabilize things from the perspective of playability, and only then will we consider polishing up the game lore. As for equipment preferences, Scout classes use mostly pistols and daggers; one-handed swords are a Swordsman trait. If we were to move Hackapells to the Scout tree for historical accuracy, they would probably gain a few pistol skills, but they would be forced to enhance and transcend two different weapons. Not only that, a class majoring in one-handed swords within the Scout tree would see very few new equipment items catered to their particular strengths, putting Hackapells in a position similar to the one they have now in the Archer tree. Q. You said you were going to reallocate the classes based on equipment compatibility, but no class in the Swordsman tree is properly compatible with mounted combat using a one-handed sword and a shield. We realize that there are a few gaps left in terms of compatibility. To be frank, this is mostly due to problems in the processing of animation data that we failed to solve completely. We are in the process of making all one-handed sword skills and classes compatible with mounted combat. Creating all the resources necessary for one-handed sword skill and class compatibility is going to take some time, so for Hackapells, for example, we expect to balance out these gaps with other improvements (overheat, skill factors, etc.) until the problem is solved. Then, as we work out the remaining compatibility issues, we will continue to gradually adjust the balance to common rules. Q. Weren’t Squires a type of knight apprentice? Why are they in the Scout tree? Squires may have been known as knight apprentices in the past, but that wasn’t always the case. Our Squire class is based on the traditional supportive role of historical squires, which is why we allocated them to the Scout tree. All skills in the class – apart from Deadly Combo, which focuses on self-protection – are geared towards that concept. We do feel that our Squire still falls a little short of what we intended, however, so we want to continue tweaking it to better fit our ideas. We want the Squire to offer on-site equipment maintenance, while also providing a decent amount of field/hunting support. Q. Having a fixed number of advancements means that, even when you expand the maximum level, we won’t be able to learn new skills. What are your plans? We introduced attribute level limitations according to character level precisely because of this. Once the maximum level is expanded, slowly we’ll start to add new attributes, and rather than creating new skills from the feedback we receive, we’re going to strengthen existing skills instead. That is, basically, our plan. These new attributes and level restrictions will also allow us to introduce more radical skill modifications. For instance, we could have an attribute that makes Meteor drop weaker but multiple meteors on the enemy. In a previous dev blog post we also toyed with the idea of a Master Circle, a system which was slightly revised to fit the [Re:Build] plans but is still valid. If in the future we consider that simply adding new attributes doesn’t inject enough novelty into the game, we may adapt the concept of a Master Circle. Q. Having jumps consume Stamina is too inconvenient. We’ve talked about this in the Rank System Changes Pt. 2 post. Basically, within the category of “resources to manage during combat”, we want skill use to consume SP while movement consumes Stamina. We won’t limit movement itself, but we did increase the consumption of Stamina on jumps, which in combat situations give you the advantage of evading certain attacks, canceling skills, etc. Q. What about the Homunculus, have you forgotten about it? We are currently focused on developing the first stage of improvements for the [Re:Build] update. We do want to get to the Homunculus eventually, but because of its complicated structure we may have to adjust very basic aspects of it to fit with our current vision for TOS, which will take time. We haven’t forgotten about it, however. We expect to have clearer details for an improved Homunculus early next year, at which point we will release more information about it through the dev blog (we want to get rid of the one-week lifespan, for example). Q. Trot is such an important skill for the Cataphract as a mounted class. Why did you limit its duration? While we do want to respect the identity of each class, we can’t do so at the expense of balance. Letting players expand their maximum speed indefinitely has unintended consequences in PvP that we cannot control. On the other hand, we realize that limiting the skill’s duration feels like a drastic change to existing Cataphracts. In line with this, we now expect to alter the skill again, either by removing duration limits but cutting some of the performance, or by applying some other kind of penalty. Q. When monsters use Barrier, the knockback is too harsh on close-range characters. Just like other monster skills, Barrier was introduced as an obstacle to specific types of classes (in this case, close-range fighters) and a way to diversify otherwise boring field combat. That said, we recognize that this variety can be overshadowed by inconvenience when too many monsters use the skill at once, so we’ve committed to making the following alterations: 1. Multiple monsters will not use the Barrier simultaneously. 2. Each monster will use Barrier only once. 3. Distance between monsters will be increased. Q. Corsairs still need to enhance and transcend two different weapons, all because of one skill that requires a pistol. Isn’t this a little unfair? Classes like the Scout, Corsair and Outlaw were all envisioned as hybrid dagger/pistol characters. They weren’t designed to use both weapons interchangeably, though. We see the Corsair not as a class that is forced to process both weapons, but one that can choose to specialize in either of them, becoming either a dagger-wielding Corsair or a pistol-wielding one. The same can be said about skills that are compatible with both weapons. These skills feel and act differently depending on whether you are a dagger- or pistol-specialized Scout, for example, which allows you the freedom of choosing between two distinct roles – or styles – from within the same class. In other words, we don’t intend to burden these classes with mandatory dagger + pistol setups, we want them to distinguish themselves as either dagger or pistol majors. Q. So classes in the Scout tree use one-handed sword + pistol/dagger setups, but the only skills in the entire tree that require a one-handed sword are the Corsair’s Double Weapon Assault and Hexen Dropper. Why not just turn pistols and daggers into main weapons? As we mentioned before, Scout-tree classes are intended for pistols and daggers. Apart from a few cases where the concept of the class/skill requires it, they aren’t really meant to use one-handed swords. Similarly, as a group of classes that specializes in subweapons, they cannot equip shields. Instead, they have the most attack-heavy attributes (critical rate, attack speed) and rely on evasion to keep themselves safe. Turning pistols and daggers into main weapons is a different issue altogether. We have to say, though: we do agree that using a one-handed sword does not suit these classes well. It would be hard to make them not equip a main weapon at all due to technical factors, but we will think of alternatives to make it work better in this context. Q. If players have no control over their basic stats, won’t they feel forced into certain classes to match their desired stat build? When we say we want classes to manifest their unique roles and identities, we aren’t just talking about their strong points; we want their weaknesses to show as well. From this point of view, when we give players 390+n stat points to customize at will, two problems occur. 1. You can invest stats to compensate for your classes’ disadvantages instead of amplifying its strengths, creating characters that pretty much have it all. This isn’t what we’re trying to do in TOS: we want people to play the classes, not the stats. 2. Players with vast knowledge on the games’ systems can take advantage of the stats to correct their character’s most crucial weaknesses. For those without the same knowledge, 390+ choices are too many, to the point where stat investments lose meaning. In order to avoid these two problems while still protecting the role of character customization in TOS, in the future we want to gradually allow players to invest more stat points at will, besides those obtained through Statues of Goddess Zemyna and quests. Q. The new UI is too inconvenient. You can’t tell a skill’s overheat unless you get at least one level of it, and the tooltips don’t tell you about mounting compatibility either. Those are problems we are aware of and already working to improve.   As a final note, would just like to say that, as you can imagine, going over all the skills and features we’ve been receiving feedback on and reworking them into something satisfactory is going to take a good while, more than what we initially expected when we began developing [Re:Build]. We wish we had seen the need for this rework sooner, but we will take this as process to improve Tree of Savior in a way that is meaningful to all of us, and we are eager to continue applying your feedback and ideas into our development plans. Thank you to all the players who have been discussing the [Re:Build] news and communicating with us; we really appreciate your attention and enthusiasm.