[Skirmish] Almost a year of EA anniversary

[Silvernj]

Hey fellow BL enjoyers. On this very special occasion, I'd like to have a quick summary of last year. To do this let's go through posts that go by the name "Statement Regarding Plans For MP". I don't care much about Siege or Captain mode so I will just ignore them.

Spoiler: Vol1 May 6

Warriors of Calradia,

We would like to share with you some of the improvements that we are currently working on for Multiplayer.

First and foremost on our list of improvements is stability. We are working very hard to ensure that you have a smooth experience that is free of technical difficulties and server crashes. We have addressed many issues in recent patches and will continue to do so until stability reaches a point that we are satisfied with. ye embrace smooth experience

Next up, we want to inform you that the anti-cheat integration will go live soon and be implemented on all servers.

On top of these technical improvements, we are also planning social improvements to address in-game trolling and similar problems. The new Player Reporting System is close to completion, which will allow players to report team killers and other kinds of behaviours that disturb the game. We will also be keeping a detailed game and chat logs.

Our Analytics System is up and running and we are closely monitoring all facets of all game modes. We are planning to periodically release Balance Patches to adjust the gameplay to make sure that the game is balanced and enjoyable. funny that this was promised in may and only came to somewhat live in january

We also have many new features currently in the development pipeline, such as the ability to find and add Recently Played Players as friends, forming Clans in-game, Ranked Matchmaking, new maps and more.

Our team is working very hard to ensure that we can deliver the quality that you deserve and we are looking forward to releasing all of these features and many more as soon as possible.

Stay tuned!

So basically they promised here: clans, ranked, new maps, history tab, and report system. Fair enough all in the game now!

Spoiler: Vol2 June 17

This is our second Multiplayer Development Update, which we are planning to make regularly to keep you in the loop. We will briefly mention what we are currently working on and what is planned for the immediate future.

Many of the crashes related to Siege mode have been fixed. We are aware that a few crashes are still happening and we are working hard to identify the last remaining issues. Meanwhile we lowered the player requirement to start a Siege server so that players do not have to wait in matchmaking to fill the server. Objective based gold earning for Siege mode will also be going live very soon.

Combat is getting some changes in the form of adjustments to combat parameters. We are closely observing the community feedback and suggestions to derive a formula which will make combat more fun. On top of these combat changes, slight adjustments to Cavalry behavior and Crush Through for heavy weapons are also being finalized. funny to see "observing community feedback" and then we had an eternity with crushtrough

We are testing many combinations of perks and equipment to improve the Troops, expect some adjustments after the Combat changes go live.
We are aiming to have a progression system on par with other popular multiplayer titles. This will not be an overnight change, we will be adding systems one by one. First step will be making use of the Leveling system and adding MANY more badges.

Reporting system is currently working in the Beta branch and will go live with the next patch.The Clan system will be built in parts as we keep adding new features. First part of the Clan system is almost complete. Our primary goal is to allow Clans to be able to play against each other.

More details on all these features will be available as they are being finalized.

So do we have here? Clan system, reports, leveling system, badges.

Spoiler: Vol3 Aug 4

Warriors of Calradia,


We would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the improvements we made and our future plans regarding Multiplayer.

The most important and the most anticipated of the changes are the updated Combat Parameters. We considered all the player feedback, took inspiration from the community suggested settings and play-tested many times to settle on the current parameters. These changes also required the readjustment of all weapons so we are eagerly expecting everyone’s feedback once the changes go live on our Beta servers. ohh yeahh boiii

Troops also had significant changes and these adjustments are just one step of an ongoing process. We are relatively happy with how the Heavy Classes play and we want to set a baseline with them while we do further adjustments in the future. XDDDDDDD dis is golden in 2021

Two new Skirmish maps are joining the map rotation and they will be playable in the new Beta. More maps for other games are also in various stages of production. Solving the stability issues in Siege Mode turned out to be more challenging than anticipated, even though we addressed most of the issues few still remain and fixing them still holds top priority. Additionally, players who are helping their team by completing objectives in Siege Mode will now receive additional gold for their contributions.

The first iteration of the Clan System will go live with the next patch and will be available on the Beta branch. The Clan System will be a place to easily form a community and find friends to party with. It will also allow the organization of scheduled matches for more competitive players. We have many more exciting features planned for the Clan System for both social and competitive clans.

A basic version of the Spectator Mode is being worked on at the moment which will allow for competitive events to broadcasted as soon as possible. There is also a more robust Spectator Mode planned for the future. Finally, Ranked Matchmaking and New Game Modes are other features that are currently in the development pipeline.

Stay tuned!

Combat changes, maps, clans, spectator mode, game modes

Spoiler: Vol4 Sep 29

Warriors of Calradia

Welcome back for a new update on what we have planned for the upcoming weeks.

We are improving the mechanics for Archery and Throwing weapons, which will allow us to achieve weapon specific behaviour when it comes to readying up and aiming. This will allow us to create more unique feelling weapons and be able to adjust them independently rather than all together like in the last patch.

The AI is also getting many improvements to adjust to these new systems. Use of all Ranged Weapons are being improved by the AI, along with the ability to automatically switch weapons when the situation calls for it. We are expecting these improvements to remedy the major problems we have in Captain Mode at the moment, this is our number one priority.

Fixes to Cavalry Rearing behavior, adjustments to Crush Through and a fix to the Crush Through damage spike will be applied with the next patch.

We are also adding 2 New Maps to Captain Mode, along with adjustments and fixes to current maps. New Siege maps are also in various stages of development.

Many new core multiplayer features are getting added to the game such as Voice Chat, which will allow players on the same team to use their microphones to strategize, coordinate and cheer as they win their matches.

Another exciting new feature is the first iteration of the Observer Mode, which should enable players to watch ongoing matches.
Sound Occlusion will also be applied in a future patch to improve the overall experience.

We have had Skill Based Matchmaking active for some time now, and we are planning to take it further with the introduction of Ranked Mode, where players will have visible Matchmaking Ratings and Ranks depending on their performance in Skirmish and Captain Mode matches individually.

For everyone to train and prepare for the Ranked Mode, we will be introducing our new Duel Mode. The Duel Mode will be a casual mode for players to hop in and challenge other players in various uniquely built Duel Arenas with any class of their choice. Players will be able to train and improve their skills in all matchups, collect bounties as they defeat other players and make a name for themselves.

@AVRC

A lot of features dropped here. And only features that require stat tweaking are in the game atm.

Spoiler: Vol5 Feb 12

Warriors of Calradia,
Welcome back for a new update on what we have planned for the upcoming months. First and foremost, we are working on the stability of our game servers. We are aware of the current issues and we already fixed some of the problems. Fixing the server issues is our top priority. We have many new features almost completed and ready to be experienced by you all:

• In-game Voice Chat is in the final testing stage and will be going live very soon.
• Duel Mode is in the final polishing stage and will be going live very soon.
• Observer Mode is in the final testing stage and will be going live very soon.
• Sound Occlusion is nearly done and will be featured on the next beta.
• Many MP HUD and Lobby UI improvements have been finished.
• Improvements on the Reporting Tools have been finished, including Kick Player and Mute All functions.
• First part of the Level Progression system is nearly done, it will, later on, tie in with the Customization System.
• Lots of new badges have been added.
• Work on new Siege maps is almost complete and work is in progress on new Skirmish maps.
• Fixes and Improvements on current maps are being made.
• Improvements to Matchmaking Experience.

We are also working non-stop on improving and balancing the game following player feedback. We have been sending more frequent balance patches straight to live servers as promised and more will follow.
Current issues we are working on that are in various stages of development:

Combat

• Knockdown/Get up and Dismount/Get up animation improvements
• Certain swing related inconsistencies
• Adding recovery delay to missed kicks
• Crossbows being too accurate and too effective in close range.

Skirmish Mode

• Cavalry being too impactful
• Infantry being less impactful

Captain Mode

• Separation of some Perks and some Troop Stats for Captain Mode
• Ranged AI not being effective enough
• Cavalry AI not being effective enough
• AI abuses by player Captains

Siege and TDM

• Increasing the cost of Cavalry units.

Other features that are in progress and are expected to arrive further down the road:

• Customization System which allows the players to unlock new pieces of armor by playing and customize their characters.
• Ranked Mode with Ranked Matches and player skill ranks.
• Battle Mode. A single-life per round game mode.

Don't really want to comment on this one.

So! Let's summarize what has improved over a year for Skirmish and Combat:

1. 2 new maps
2. Clans
3. Recent matches
4. Reports
5. Ranked - devs insist it implemented - haven't noticed in reality tho
6. Some combat tweaks.

What's promised so far:

1. Stability - May 20
2. Making use of Leveling System - June 17
3. Badges - June 17
4. Spectator Mode - Aug 4
5. Sound Occlusion - Sep 29
6. Duel Mode - Sep 29
7. Proper Matchmaking System - Sep 29
8. Voice chat - Sep 29

We can add 3rd perk and separated stats for Skirmish and other modes here, but I don't wanna go through AVRC posts as well.

I wanted to make this post as salty as possible to express my frustration after the latest patch. However, at this point, I feel sad for the game and I think that devs desperately need more resources. I have really high hopes for 1.6 but there's no release date or whatsoever so idk mb after 2 weeks this post will be seen as totally irrelevant.

I guess my expectations are kinda low and I only want that devs would at least consider reverting game-breaking patches rather than fixing them while the game is broken on the live version.

Happy anniversary!

 

[Mabons]

Happy Anniversary babe can’t believe it’s been a year already of this dysfunctional abusive relationship I have with this game

 

[Younes]

I have really high hopes for 1.6

How much times are people going to have hope, for it again to be shattered, then yet again have high hopes and the cycle continues.

I look eagerly for the people telling me that "this patch" is the good one, disregarding the previous failed attempts.

 

[Maroon]

Yep that about checks out. Promises to do the bare minimum, vague hints at some of the better stuff, next to no mentions of the changes that are actually needed, and even then they deliver far below their own bar. This bloody company, man.

 

[soul_jak]

ive just accepted the nature of this game and I've found joy again

 

[Nomad_Knight]

I may be an outlier for most forum users, but I've been happily playing pretty consistently since EA dropped last year. Between Multiplayer and Singleplayer both, this has been my main time sink as far as gaming goes for about a year now. I have had my skill stretched in the crucible of multiplayer, and had a ton of fun in the sandbox of singleplayer. The periodic updates give me enough to be excited about and generate hype for what's around the corner.

I won't pretend there aren't problems or that this game COULDN'T BE so much more (Which is true for any piece of software, or any human endeavor, right?). Dev times feeling slow, bugs popping up repeatedly after being squashed, and imbalanced/unfinished mechanics will drive anyone batty after enough exposure. But I personally am really grateful to be able to play this game, and am optimistic about where it will go, no matter the pace. Your points are valid, just remember to take the good with the bad, lest we fall prey to a bitter existence in a hobby that is meant to make us happy.

 

[EbdanianAdmiral]

I prefer the fanfiction patch notes I wrote over what we have been promised/actually received so far ngl

 

[TheBard]

Third perk is a really great idea in my opinion, but I can't imagine the cluster**** balancing that again.

 

[Terco_Viejo]

It really bothers puzzles me that apart from the EA period, people tends to forget that there was an earlier closed beta period from June 2019 to March 2020. If we look back from today.... man, it gives me goosebumps to think about it ?.

I know devs who are working their asses off on the project and I feel bad for them but it pisses me off that in the eyes of the consumer/fan, no matter how much lube and anti-rust we put on the wheel, does not spin as well as it should.

 

[OurGloriousLeader]

It's a shame that progress is so slow as progress when it does happen is good, the game has improved in the past year, it's just done so in a manner which honestly feels like it could have been condensed into a few weeks, and there have been many setbacks along the way.

The community needs to have more control over the direction of multiplayer, both casual and competitive. The single best change in a year was from a few people tinkering with the files when they could host their own server, then a few weeks of testing that with the community and devs together. If we had that kind of voice for everything we could revamp the game in a few months.

The devs are trying their best but it's clear they either don't have the resources, or the power, to fulfil the promise of multiplayer.

 

[Kunshiro]

The devs are trying their best but it's clear they either don't have the resources, or the power, to fulfil the promise of multiplayer.

I am sure its because a lack of things you above mentioned that server crash occurs or the sound of doom is still here

 

[Hairless]

It's a shame that progress is so slow as progress when it does happen is good, the game has improved in the past year, it's just done so in a manner which honestly feels like it could have been condensed into a few weeks, and there have been many setbacks along the way.

The community needs to have more control over the direction of multiplayer, both casual and competitive. The single best change in a year was from a few people tinkering with the files when they could host their own server, then a few weeks of testing that with the community and devs together. If we had that kind of voice for everything we could revamp the game in a few months.

The devs are trying their best but it's clear they either don't have the resources, or the power, to fulfil the promise of multiplayer.

Literally best solution I see to make multiplayer great again is to let community make adjustments to combat parameters, put them on beta, do some testings, adjust them relying on these testing, let the devs decide if they are fine with them and let them go live. Pretty much it would take maximum of 2 months knowing how dedicated mp community is. Same thing could be done with faction/class balance changes. We have plenty of people who are tryharding the game for over a year.

That's more or less a workaround, considering they won't be giving the server files again untill full release.

 

[Aprikosenmann]

All i want is content and quality of life improvements.

 

[Golodir]

Imagine expecting tw Devs to let the community make changes in combat parameters, while last time someone did it, they shutdown the project cuz they were salty someone was doing "their job" lmao

 

[ParzivaI]

Right now I would be happy with the devs solving "server crash"... for every 10 games I play 6 end in a server crash.

 

[Cyber]

Quit for 9 months, pretty much everything is the same except throwing is OP and we have the clan system plus recent matches which is something you'd expect to take maybe a month. After coming back 9 days ago MP has been literally unplayable for 4, amazing progress.

 

[soul_jak]

Imagine expecting tw Devs to let the community make changes in combat parameters, while last time someone did it, they shutdown the project cuz they were salty someone was doing "their job" lmao

I’m mean tbh I’d do the same thing lmao it’s my game mf get off ??

 

[WMorton]

I wouldn't say I enjoy the game. I would rather compare it to getting a forced heroin injection during Beta and and having to keep returning to get my fix so I avoid withdrawals. My relationship with my parents are ruined and I'm too scared to go to therapy. I've lost all my hair and now prostitute myself to TW who I rely on to get my high. They beat me and tease me, telling me ill get the features that I'm so desperate for then say, "oop you gotta be faster than that", and me just laying there crying naked on the stained hotel floor with papi chulo Callum whipping me and ****. I'd say that is my relationship to this game.

 

[soul_jak]

I wouldn't say I enjoy the game. I would rather compare it to getting a forced heroin injection during Beta and and having to keep returning to get my fix so I avoid withdrawals. My relationship with my parents are ruined and I'm too scared to go to therapy. I've lost all my hair and now prostitute myself to TW who I rely on to get my high. They beat me and tease me, telling me ill get the features that I'm so desperate for then say, "oop you gotta be faster than that", and me just laying there crying naked on the stained hotel floor with papi chulo Callum whipping me and ****. I'd say that is my relationship to this game.

 

[Mr_Shestak]

This game is just trash, even after a year