Intense Balancing: AoE, Multi-hit, Swordsman/Archer Trees

Greetings, Saviors!

It’s been a while since we shared our latest development plans here at the blog, but today we would like to continue our Intense Balancing series with another round of general combat and also class-specific changes we have in the works, this time geared towards the Archer and Swordsman class trees.

Note that the content we’re discussing here can look different once it actually makes it into the game. Any changes will be duly announced through the patch notes when they’re ready to be applied.
 

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Readjusting the AoE Attack/Defense Ratio

One of the focal points of this patch is going to be the AoE attack/defense ratio. In a nutshell, the AoE attack/defense ratio determines how many targets are hit by an AoE attack. If the maximum AoE attack ratio of a given attack is 15, for example, that attack can hit as much as 5 characters that have an AoE defense ratio of 3.

There are many ways to increase and decrease AoE attack/defense ratios in the game, but we’re mostly looking to address the skills that decrease AoE defense ratios to 0. Using an AoE attack on enemies with an AoE defense ratio of 0 lets you hit an unlimited number of targets within your range, with some single-target skills also allowing this. Attacks like this often become virtually inescapable.

The two skills that can currently decrease the AoE defense ratio to 0 are the Linker’s Circle 1 attribute ‘Hangman's Knot: Splash Defense’ and the Falconer’s Circle 1 skill ‘Circling’ – these skills will be updated to decrease AoE defense ratios to 1 as the minimum value. The Mergen’s Circle 1 skill ‘Homing Arrow’, which despite being designed as a single-target attack can be used to reach multiple enemies, is having its hit range and AoE attack ratio values readjusted in the same context.

Falconer Changes

Let’s look at some class-specific changes now. The Falconer is a class with many unique skills, but more often than not, it’s ‘Circling’ that attracts players to it. Our goal in this patch is to improve on the distinctive aspects of the Falconer, increasing its potential as an attractive class on various angles.
 

		[C1 Skill] Roost - 50% increase to Falconer skills used near the roost. - Duration decreased from 120 to 20 sec. - Cooldown decreased from 60 to 20 sec.
		[C1 Skill] Circling - AoE defense ratio set to 1. - Duration changed from 20 sec to 15 + [skill level x 1] sec. - Hawk follows the casting character for the duration of the skill. - Applied range identical to skill ‘Aiming’.
		[C1 Skill] Hovering - 50% additional damage to Beast type enemies.
		[C2 Attribute] Hovering: Guardian NEW - 'Hovering' deals 100% additional damage to boss monsters.
		[C1 Skill] Pheasant - 50% additional damage to Beast type enemies. - Max. number of targets changed from unlimited to 15. - Cooldown reduced from 40 to 25 sec. - New C2 attribute ‘Pheasant: Lightning Bolt‘. - New C3 attribute ‘Pheasant: Heavy Impact’.
		[C2 Attribute] Pheasant: Lightning Bolt NEW - Increases hawk’s number of attacks when using 'Pheasant'.
		[C2 Attribute] Pheasant: Heavy Impact NEW - Enemies affected by 'Pheasant' gather at the point where the skill was cast.
		[C3 Skill] Pre-Emptive Strike - Changed to ON/OFF function (SP adjusted, cooldown removed). - Triggers ‘Sonic Strike’ and ‘Hovering’ additional damage. - New C3 attribute ‘Pre-Emptive Strike: Sure Victory’.
		[C3 Attribute] Pre-Emptive Strike: Sure Victory NEW - Increases critical chance proportionally to attribute level when an enemy affected by 'Pre-Emptive Strike' has 100% HP.
		[C3 Attribute] Hawk Hunter NEW - The Hawk does not leave when using skills and returns to standby position automatically.

‘Roost’ is becoming more than just a perch for your Hawk companion, adding a 50% attack increase to all Falconer skills performed near it. Also, by reducing its duration from 120 to 20 seconds and cutting the cooldown to 20 seconds, we want to turn ‘Roost’ into a skill useful for not only stationary but moving combat situations as well.



‘Circling’, which reduces enemy AoE defense ratios proportionally to skill level, is now going to reduce them to a fixed value of 1, regardless of skill level. Duration is being set to 15 + (skill level) seconds, with the range matching that of Circle 3 skill ‘Aiming’. Another big change is that, while ‘Casting’ is active, the Hawk will now always follow the casting character without disengaging from the skill.

The unlimited targets of ‘Pheasant’ are being replaced by a maximum of 15 enemies. To compensate, the skill is getting an increased attack value and a shorter cooldown of 25 seconds. The new ‘Pheasant: Lightning Bolt’ Circle 2 attribute is going to increase the number of times the Hawk attacks during the skill’s duration. ‘Pheasant: Heavy Impact’, the new Circle 3 attribute, gathers all enemies affected by ‘Pheasant’ to the central point where the skill was cast.

Also in Circle 2 there’s the new ‘Hovering’ attribute ‘Guardian’, which gives 100% additional damage to ‘Hovering’ attacks on boss monsters. To complement this, ‘Pheasant’ and ‘Hovering’ both get 50% additional damage on Beast type enemies.



‘Pre-Emptive Strike’ is changed into a toggle skill you can switch on and off, meaning cooldown is eliminated and the skill only consumes SP when it is active. Also, ‘Sonic Strike’ and ‘Hovering’ attacks executed under ‘Pre-Emptive Strike’ are getting a 10% damage boost per skill level, while the new Circle 3 ‘Pre-Emptive Strike: Sure Victory’ increases critical chance by 10% per attribute level when the enemy hit by the skill has HP at 100%.

The final new attribute to be added to Falconer Circle 3 is ‘Hawk Hunter’ (requires a minimum of ‘Roost’ and ‘Call’ at level 1). This attribute makes it so that the Hawk companion does not wander away from your character even when using skills, setting it automatically to standby mode when necessary.

Linker Changes
 

[C1 Attribute] Hangman's Knot: Splash Defense - Name changed to ‘Hangman's Knot: Focus Attack’. - AoE defense ratio set to 1. - [Attribute level x 5%] damage increase for 3 seconds (max. level 5).

Similarly to ‘Circling’, ‘Hangman’s Knot’ is another attribute that currently allows you to reduce AoE defense ratios to 0. After changing the attribute's name to ‘Hangman's Knot: Focus Attack’, we’re setting its AoE defense ratio to a fixed value of 1. With a maximum level of 5, it will provide a 5% damage increase per attribute level on enemies affected by ‘Hangman’s Knot’.

Other AoE Attack Ratio Increases

The attack values of the following skills and summons will also be getting an AoE attack ratio increase.
 

Featherfoot - Ngadhundi +3 - Kundela Slash +3

Necromancer - Skeleton Archer +5 - Skeleton Soldier +5 - Shoggoth +5 (all attacks)

Sorcerer - Salamion +5 (all attacks)

Bokor - Zombie +5 - Wheelchair Zombie +5 - Scale Zombie +5 (all attacks)

 

Improving Damage in “Effect” Multi-hit Attacks

There are two kinds of multi-hit attacks in Tree of Savior: one kind is calculated as actual separate hits according to the attack’s formulas (the “true” multi-hit); the other is calculated as the damage of the entire attack, but displayed as multiples (the “effect” multi-hit).

Currently, whenever a proportion-based damage increase is added to an “effect” multi-hit attack, that damage increase is applied only one time, like so:

- 50% damage increase is applied to a 1,000 x 5 multi-hit attack
- Damage increase is applied only to one hit = 1,500 + 1,000 + 1,000 + 1,000 + 1,000 = 5500
- Counting all of the attack’s hits, 5,500 / 5 = 1,100 (it only comes up to a 10% increase per hit)

To improve on this, we want to have damage increases apply to all the hits of these “effect” attacks, the same way it happens with the ”true” multi-hits. In the example above, that would mean 50% applied to each of the 5 hits (1,500 x 5).

When we apply this proportional damage increase to the attacks below, their total damage value will also increase. Keep in mind, however, that we are simply correcting the fact that the proportional damage increase wasn’t being applied to the total value of the attack; we are not giving each hit an additional damage value (+) like what happens with “true” multi-hit attacks.
 

Swordsman	Wizard	Archer	Cleric
Highlander - Cross Guard Peltasta - Umbo Blow Hoplite - Pierce Cataphract - Earth Wave - Doom Spike Doppelsoeldner - Redel - Zucken - Zwerchhau - Sturtzhau - Zornhau Dragoon - Gae Bulg - Dragon Soar	Wizard - Energy Bolt - Earthquake Cryomancer - Ice Bolt Elementalist - Freezing Sphere Alchemist - Alchemistic Missile Featherfoot - Bone Pointing	Archer - Twin Arrow Quarrel Shooter - Running Shot Ranger - Spiral Arrow - Barrage Fletcher - Barbed Arrow Falconer - Sonic Strike Cannoneer - Shootdown - Cannon Shot Musketeer - Volleyfire - Bayonet Thrust - Birdfall - Penetration Shot Hackapell - Skarphuggning - Storm Bolt - Leg Shot Mergen - Triple Arrow	Paladin - Conviction

Besides these skills, we will also be applying proportional damage increases to the total damage value of buffs that temporarily increase damage or the number of hits of an attack.

Quarrel Shooter Changes
 

[C3 Skill] Running Shot - New additional damage calculation formula. - Duration set to 300 sec.

The amplifications and multipliers of the additional damage in ‘Running Shot’ are now being replaced by a simple addition formula. To understand how this works, take the example below.

Ex.) Double Gun Stance (x 150%) x Running Shot level 5 (x 300% >> + 200%)
Current: Double Gun Stance 150% x Running Shot 300% = 450%
New: Double Gun Stance 150% + Running Shot 200% = 350%
※ This will also apply to the attack multiplier formula of the Cannoneer’s ‘Bazooka’.

Other than this, the duration of the ‘Running Shot’ buff is also being set to a fixed value of 300 seconds, instead of the maximum of 23 seconds at level 5.

Hoplite Changes
 

		[C1 Skill] Stabbing - Faster consecutive piercing hits. - Damage increases with the number of consecutive piercing hits.
		[C3 Attribute] Stabbing: Onslaught NEW - Increases the max. number of Stabbing hits according to attribute level (max. 10 hits).
		[C1 Skill] Pierce - Cooldown decreased from 30 to 20 sec. - Overheat increased from 1 to 2. - New C2 attribute ‘Pierce: Repeated Shock’.
		[C2 Attribute] Pierce: Repeated Shock NEW - Applies +2 hits on enemies affected by the Shock debuff.
		[C2 Skill] Long Stride - Increases damage according to the character’s weight. - Increased range. - Number of targets increased from 5 to 10. - Cooldown reduced from 49 to 30 sec. - New C2 attribute ‘Long Stride: Stun’.
		[C2 Attribute] Long Stride: Stun NEW - Inflicts Stun proportionally to attribute level.
		[C2 Skill] Spear Lunge - Cooldown reduced from 24 to 20 sec.

First, the piercing hits of ‘Stabbing’ are getting twice as faster, with more and more damage applied according to the number of consecutive hits. Not only that, the new Circle 3 attribute ‘Stabbing: Onslaught’ is going to increase the number of hits by 1 per attribute level, up to a maximum of 10 hits. These skill changes, combined with the new attribute, are expected to boost the DPS of ‘Stabbing’ by about 3-4 times, helping cement its place as another essential Hoplite skill.

As for ‘Pierce’, which deals more damage on larger enemies, we’re cutting the cooldown from 30 to 20 seconds and increasing the overheat from 1 to 2. The new ‘Pierce: Repeated Shock’ Circle 2 attribute also adds +2 hits to the skill on enemies affected by the Shock debuff.

Circle 2 skill ‘Long Stride’ is going to increase damage by up to +100% according to the weight of your character’s inventory. Meanwhile, the skill’s range is increasing significantly, as well as the number of targets (5 to 10), with cooldown also being reduced from 49 to 30 seconds. Adding to this, the new Circle 2 attribute ‘Long Stride: Stun’ will have a 100% chance of inflicting Stun for a duration proportional to the attribute level.

‘Spear Lunge’, which is used to increase pierce damage, is also seeing its cooldown reduced from 24 to 20 seconds.

Cataphract Changes
 

		[C1 Skill] Impaler - Critical applied to enemies affected by the Shock debuff.
		[C1 Skill] Earth Wave - 50% more damage dealt to knocked down enemies. - Casting time removed. - Overheat increased from 1 to 3. - Cooldown increased from 12 to 15 sec.
		[C1 Skill] Steed Charge - Reduced post-casting delay. - Can be cast 1 more time after the initial casting.
		[C2 Skill] Doom Spike - Reduced post-casting delay. - Reduces critical resistance of affected enemies by 10 per skill level.
		[C2 Skill] Acrobatic Mount NEW - Increases mounting skill damage by 5% and SP consumption by 10% per level. - Duration: 40 sec. - Cooldown: 60 sec.

 

 

With these changes, ‘Impaler’ is going to deliver critical attacks to every enemy affected by the Shock debuff. We’re also getting rid of ‘Earth Wave’’s casting time, while increasing the skill’s damage on knocked down enemies by 50%, the overheat from 1 to 3, and the cooldown from 12 to 15 seconds.

‘Steed Charge’ is another skill with casting-related changes. Not only is the post-casting delay being reduced, right after casting the skill you’ll be able to execute it one more time. ‘Doom Spike’ is receiving the same post-casting delay cut, with an added reduction of critical resistance on enemies affected by it by 10 per skill level (meaning up to -100 at level 10).

And to complete the Cataphract overhaul, for every level of the new Circle 2 skill ‘Acrobatic Mount’, you will also be getting a damage increase of 5% (although with an added SP consumption of 10%) on mounting skills, i.e. those that can only be used when mounted on a Companion. ‘Acrobatic Mount’ comes with a duration of 40 seconds and cooldown of 60, and it is expected to significantly increase the damage of not just Cataphract, but Lancer attack skills as well.

Dragoon Changes
 

		[C1 Skill] Dragon Soar - 30% damage increase on Flying type enemies. - Overheat increased from 1 to 3.
		[C1 Skill] Dragontooth - Casting time set to 1 sec. - Applies double the critical rate value when the enemy is hit. - Increases critical damage by 10% with one-handed spears. - Ignores 50% of enemy defense with two-handed spears.
		[C2 Skill] Dethrone - Reduced pre-casting delay.

‘Dragon Soar’ is getting a much-needed overheat boost, going from 1 to 3, and a 30% damage increase on Flying type enemies that is also applied on targets affected by Raise and other status ailments. ‘Dragontooth’, on the other hand, will always cast in 1 second regardless of skill level, and add a couple of extra effects: double the critical rate when the enemy is hit, 10% critical damage increase if you're equipping a one-handed spear, and 50% of enemy defense ignored when using two-handed spears.

Last but not least, we’re reducing the pre-casting delay on ‘Dethrone’, allowing Dragoons to use their spears continuously with more ease.

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After these changes are applied, we will be preparing another patch of intense balancing, this time with a little more Musketeer. Changes in the Wizard tree will eventually come after that, or so we plan; but again, we’ll make sure to keep releasing more details here on the dev blog, so stay tuned.