QA 15/12/24

QA with the devs 15/12/24

Q: Do you know when the lag instance problem will be fixed when players hit each other in PvP? Currently the PvP activity between groups, is not playable, we play at 1 FPS

A: We’re aware that optimization still requires significant work and that the player experience, especially in PvP, doesn’t yet match our intended quality. At the moment, we’re dedicating considerable time and effort to optimizing both the server and client-side of the game.

A redesign of the chat is planned because in its current state it is catastrophic. No configuration possible to improve visibility, filter channels and others. Possibility to create chat tabs with different option for displayed this or that channel only in simulated because current we can not see any wisp if you are not on the wisp tab. It would be good to include a language filter also everyone does not read Cyrillic for example and that pollutes the chat even more.

A: Improving the chat system is one of our priorities. We’ve received a lot of feedback on this and plan to significantly expand its functionality and customization options. We’re aware of the current shortcomings with the chat system and will be addressing them in the near future.

Q: Is it planned to change the weapon specialization within the class during Early Access? (And how will this be unlocked?)

A: Closer to release, we will introduce the ability to change weapon specializations within a single character. However, to switch between specializations, players will need to level up the new specialization on the same character. Leveling up a second or third specialization on the same character will take significantly more time compared to leveling a new character’s first specialization. This design decision tries to find a middle ground on the fact that some gamers like to be able to swap classes anytime in a couple of seconds, while others prefer when you have to invest time to be able to swap (like creating a new character). So choice should matter to a certain extent. If you want to invest the time to have as many options in one character as possible, you can, but you still have the option to relog on another character. In the future, we of course will add faster leveling options for those who already have level 20 characters, but we are not going to do it at the start. Our initial logic was that dungeons, battlegrounds, and more classes should come first, and more advanced systems to manage them after. Because said content is the core of the complete game loop, once they are in place, everything else will start to make more sense. And changing classes is a big change, even if a QoL feature. But if we know for sure that this is what the community wants, we will change priorities.

Q: which caster/spell-caster class will be first one to come out?

A: It’s challenging to set exact release dates in the current circumstances, but here’s an estimate: We plan to release the Defender alongside the Extraction Instance, which is currently in its final stages of development. Taking holidays into account, we estimate it will be ready for release by the end of January. Development on the Defender is ongoing to ensure it launches simultaneously. The first magic-oriented specializations will be Warlock and Pyromancer.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit more about the upcoming PvP battlegrounds? Will there be rewards? How long should one round take approximately? Will there be some standardized gear or do you enter it with the gear you have? Is there a risk at participating in it (e.g. drop sth on death)?

A: The first battleground, King’s Battleground, is an instanced PvP arena currently in active development. This battleground will follow a capture-and-hold points system. The map features five points, and two teams of 12 players each (split into three parties) will compete. The first team to reach the score cap by the end of the match wins. Matches will last 15–20 minutes on average. Players will use their own equipment; there will be no standardized gear for the battleground. Death on the battleground incurs no penalty, only a brief respawn delay. Players will earn a reward chest with various items for participating in the match.

Q: Are you considering changing the mid steps (small nodes) between the Weapon Mastery big nodes for something more useful or that makes your character stronger? Like, paths of passives that gives you some of the primary stats, like AP, Armor, HP...?

A: We are going to introduce improvements to weapon talent trees. One of the first updates will allow players to transition between different skill branches using connector nodes. Balancing and improvements will be ongoing for both weapon talents and passive talents.

Q: Are there any plans in the future to add active as well as passive abilities to artifacts as seen in popular MOBAs? Also, to diversify build variety, will there be a system to limit the number of similar artifacts a player can have equipped at the same time?

A: Active abilities for artifacts and weapons have been in development for some time and are now semi-complete. These abilities are queued for assembly alongside other features. Active abilities will be applied to artifacts using runes, but only specific artifacts will support these upgrades. For weapons, active abilities will require advanced chips, which can only be inserted into weapons with a special slot for such abilities. Active abilities will have various usage requirements. For example, some abilities may require specific combinations of passive talent branches, while others will be tied exclusively to weapon specializations or to crafting and gathering professions.

Q: A search function planned for the bank because it is sometimes difficult to find an item whose name we know when we have several tabs?

A: We want to add more functionality to the banking system, and this topic frequently comes up in our discussions. We’ll address this once we’ve launched the highest-priority features. However, we aim to prioritize adding a search function to the bank soon, as this has been a recurring player request.

Q: What is the rationale for such a massive power disparity between tiers of gear (1:4:12)? Does it seem unusual that the most successful games in the genre minimize power disparity (albion online, guildwars 2, etc)? Are you aware of any PvP-focused game that has succeeded with such significant power disparity? From my perspective, it seems like a nightmare to balance and kills content (two people who want to fight will only have competitive fights if very close in progression, a single T3 artifact could make the fight non-competitive, and this doesn't feel good for either side). Ashes of Creation had to do a balancing sweep for the same reason.

A: Regarding intermediate mid-game balance: yes, there are gaps we want to address. However, it’s important to understand that balance can only be properly assessed and adjusted once the majority of players are equipped with Tier 3 gear. Tier 1 and Tier 2 items are transitional in the overall progression system, and comparing them to Tier 3 isn’t always fair. By the endgame, Tier 1 and Tier 2 items will primarily serve as resources for crafting and trading rather than as competitive equipment. We’re aware that we need to smooth out the power gap between tiers, but we must approach this carefully to avoid breaking the sense of progression that comes with acquiring new gear. First, we need to fix the game and evaluate balance at the level cap when most players are equipped with Tier 3 gear. We’ve learned from both successful and failed PvP and PvE games. While we’re inspired by some, we also strive to learn from others’ mistakes. It’s important to remember that even though many games borrow mechanics from one another, every game is a unique product with its own nuances. What works in one game could be a disaster in another, even if they seem similar.

Q: How wil the dungeon system work? A: Dungeons in Corepunk will be accessible at any time without restrictions. Initially, dungeons won’t have daily or weekly rewards, but we plan to add this feature later. The first dungeons will have fixed layouts, but we’re also working on procedurally generated dungeons, which will be introduced after the first set of dungeons is released.

Q: Are there any planned changes to the map interface? A: While improving the map isn’t a priority at the moment, we’re working on interesting visual enhancements for the world zones. Soon, we’ll showcase how this looks. The goal is to give players an intuitive sense of the gameplay tied to each location just by looking at the map. We won’t spoil anything yet, but stay tuned for updates!

Q: What happenned to the tools that were built to handle dupes and other issues? A: We are working on balancing the process of how players gain access to Tier 3 items and monitoring character progression on the servers. Adjustments are being made based on the data we collect. Soon, most players will have Tier 3 artifacts, and the balance will naturally stabilize. At that point, we’ll start making more frequent adjustments, as this will be more effective. Currently, we don’t have automated tools for editing the database. To make changes, we still need to shut down the servers and manually update the database, which takes time. This approach will only be used for serious issues, such as item or gold duplication.

Q: Will you remove the binding or make it bound to account for crafted T3 artifacts? It's a bit harsh if you want to have a secondary character and it can't reuse any crafted 13 artifact from your previous/crafter character.

A: At the moment, we don’t plan to make bound items transferable between characters on the same account. However, we don’t have enough data to make a definitive decision yet. We need players to play for a while to better understand their preferences before deciding. That said, you can already transfer items from one crafting character to another by crafting tradeable items. The same applies to having two fully efficient professions on a single character. We’ll observe the gameplay and see how the economy develops with the auction house before deciding whether this is necessary. Right now, we simply don’t have enough data.

Q: Can we get an understanding of the endgame "vision" A: The game’s endgame is straightforward, as is the overall gameplay loop. You progress your character, fine-tune your gameplay style using all available systems, including itemization, and then move on to farming world bosses, different modes in the game like dungeons, and battlegrounds. Each activity offers unique rewards. Ranking systems have been one of our priorities from the start, and battlegrounds and instances will provide access to exclusive skins and achievements. Soon, we’ll start distributing loot based on activity type. For example, instances will drop recipes that can’t be found in the open world, among other rewards. The open world will always remain a significant part of the endgame. Loot from world bosses will soon be updated to include resources for crafting active abilities for artifacts and chips. We’re prioritizing instances and battlegrounds first because they complete the gameplay loop. Combined with the current content, they will significantly enhance replayability and motivation to play. We haven’t shifted focus to PvP content—it’s simply what was next in our development pipeline, including the extraction instance, battleground, and heroes. Itemization balance and heroes remain a top priority, but for effective itemization balancing, we need players to explore it more thoroughly. Heroes are always a priority, and we’re actively working on them. If we released PvE instances first, the same question would arise about a supposed focus shift—this time toward PvE. PvE instances are coming right after battleground. It’s worth noting that the extraction instance isn’t just a PvP instance; it’s a PvE/PvP-oriented instance where PvP isn’t mandatory. If you’re a player who prefers to avoid PvP, there will be tools and opportunities for farming and exiting without encountering other players. Everyone can play their own way—those who want PvP will find it, and those who don’t can avoid it. But if you die from the environment, you still will lose everything.

Q: Is muultiboxing alowed? A: We don’t prohibit playing on multiple accounts from the same computer. However, we do strictly prohibit the use of third-party software.