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Trials Report #4 – Release Date!
Entry posted by iamisom ·
18,953 views
Greetings Defenders,
Trials: The Endgame Update comes out February 28th!
It’s been a busy couple of months here at Trendy, and we’re finally putting the finishing touches on the update (gold accents, chandeliers, at least one marble statue of a mostly naked person, you get the idea). This update represents our shared vision of the core Dungeon Defenders II gameplay experience. It’s the culmination of two years of new features, bug fixes, and conversations with you about where the game should go. As a result, this update is MASSIVE. Here’s a preview to tide you over till the end of the month. Keep in mind that these details are subject to change between now and the update release.
New Systems and Changes
Shards: A New Way to Build Your Hero
Goodbye Passives and Skill Spheres; hello Shards!
Shards are upgradeable artifacts that slot into your Defense Relics, Armor and Weapons.
Shards give you extra buffs, bonuses and sometimes even new functionality!
Most Shards can be moved between gear. No more leaving your Passives behind when you find an iPWR upgrade!
Defense Relics can hold up to 3 Shards and can only equip Defense Shards.
Armor and Weapons can hold up to 2 Shards and can only equip Hero Shards.
Shards drop in Victory Chests.
Shards can be upgraded straight from the all-new Inventory to further augment your dominance on the battlefield.
When you first log in, you’ll find yourself ahead of the game with a complementary bundle of Shards we’re giving all Defenders as a thank you for your continuing patience and support while we polish this update to be something truly special. You’ll also find that all the Skill Spheres you’ve previously purchased have been replaced by a bounty of gold! (Trust us, you’ll need it.)
Ascension: Go Beyond Level 50!
How far past 50? Your imagination is your only limit in Ascension. That and the code that comprises the system...
With this update, heroes at the level cap will generate account-wide Ascension XP that accrues towards Ascension Points.
Ascension Points are invested on a per-hero basis in Ascension Powers that bestow additional bonuses and augmentations.
Some Ascension Powers are universal for all heroes; some are unique to each hero.
Harder challenges award greater sums of Ascension XP.
Defense Relics, Plus the Return of Defense Speed & Defense Range Stats!
Now you can build powerful defenses AND be a fearsome combatant at the same time!
All Relics are now Defense Relics and will roll with up to three Defense stats. Armor and Weapons will roll with up to two Hero stats.
Heroes can now customize each of their defenses’ strengths individually by attaching a Defense Relic to them.
Gobus will have nowhere to hide because Defense Range and Speed are returning as stats!
Chaos Difficulty and the Trials
Nightmare is over. Now is the time of CHAOS!!!
This update scratches the surface with five levels of Chaos, but don’t get too comfortable because we have more Chaos levels in store. (queue maniacal laugh track)
As you descend through the levels, new threats will appear and combine to lay waste to your heroes and defenses. Following us on social media may or may not give you some indication of what’s to come. (SHAMELESS CROSS PROMOTION!)
Chaos is unpredictable and can only be thwarted through conquering the Trials.
In the Trials, the Knight Commander assigns you a defense commensurate with your power. Survive enough Trials at a specific difficulty and you will accumulate the experience, gear, and resources needed for the Knight Commander to deploy you on even more dangerous fronts.
If certain Trials prove to be too much initially, you can perfect your strategies by practicing on any map at any difficulty. Remember, though, that the Trials are the only path to glory, gear, and gold (among other valuables).
Five New Enemies
The Siege Roller was just the beginning. Whatever horrors Chaos brings, rest assured that they will push you to experiment, adapt, and overcome. You will need to achieve perfect hero/defense unity to best what awaits you in the Trials.
New Inventory
Everyone (and we mean everyone) is getting a brand-new inventory UI!!
We’ve streamlined the loot management process by: putting more stuff in fewer bags, consolidating item management to a single UI, and bringing hero and item management under one roof.
Additionally, we have expanded the item sorting and management options to empower you to interact with, compare, and save/sell loot more easily, efficiently, and expediently.
Added the ability to lock items on PC and making Locking do what it should have done in the first place on PS4 (oops).
Item Enhancement
Now you can enhance your loot (and Shards) without leaving your Inventory (or putting on pants)!
Also, no more silly “plus 5 pieces of loot in” nonsense. Just upgrade with Gold or Defender Medals!
Siege Roller Updates (Because we listen and care deeply about you)
We’re reducing the maximum number of Siege Roller spawns. This applies to both solo and multiplayer matches.
Siege Roller rockets can no longer damage the core. The Siege Roller must hit the core with the roller to hurt it.
The hitbox on the weak point is being adjusted so that melee heroes and certain defenses can hit it more easily.
Balance Changes
The entire game has been rebalanced. No… really, we didn’t just nerf PDTs and call it a day. Dan and Brett have been doing nothing but re-balancing since New Year’s. Well… that and shards and eating and I think sleeping? Maybe?
Bug Fixes
Check! And the update after this will have even more.
Quick Hits: What’s Happening To…?
The Skill Sphere System
We converted most of our old Skill Spheres into Shards.
Some Skill Spheres were turned into Ascension Powers.
Some Skill Spheres were removed from the game.
Those who’ve purchased Skill Spheres with either Gold or Defender Medals will receive a Gold refund when the update comes out. Our goal is to make sure that your choice to invest in your hero’s power is translated over into this new system -- you’ll need all the Gold you can get to upgrade your Shards and your Loot. We’ll have the exact figures of how much Gold you’ll receive on release day.
The Passives System
Passive have been changed into Shard Slots on gear.
Many of the bonuses previously offered by Passives can now be found in Shards.
Others can be found as Ascension Powers.
A select few item-specific passives have turned into special LOCKED shards that come with the item and cannot be removed.
Some Passive effects were lost along the way (the flu hit really hard this year).
The exact details will be listed in the patch notes on release day.
The Stat Allocation System
The current Stat Allocation System is retiring.
You will be able to find many similar options in the Ascension system and level them to the MAX.
Nightmare Difficulty
It’s gone to make room for new better things.
My Inventory
Bags are being consolidated to fit more items in fewer bags.
Converting to this system has been constructed to ensure that you will receive the same if not more item slots when you log in for the first time.
My Current Gear (In case you missed it in all the previous stuff)
Most Passives are turning into Shard Slots; some weapons will keep their unique passive as a locked Shard.
Relics are now used for Defense stats. Weapons & Armor are now used for Hero stats.
Medallions and Totems will retain their primary stats and gain a random secondary and tertiary stat. Rings will be rerolled with defense stats.
Weapons & Armor with hero stats will remain the same. Weapons & Armor with defense stats will be rerolled into hero stats.
Loot XP boosters are going away, so use them now!
Pets
A handful of balance changes, otherwise the same… for now!
Terraria Weapons and Wayfarer
The weapons are still in the game, but the way you acquire them is something we’re still discussing.
Guaranteed Drops
The only guarantee in Chaos is your doom!!!
Incursions
Will remain in game as a fun way to earn Defender Medals.
For the time being they will only be at Campaign Hard difficulty.
Will these be updated? Only the shadow knows… and Jason because he sets the schedule.
Wyvern Tokens
Wyvern Tokens were disabled last May, but with this update, they’ll be fully removed from the game. Spend them now!
Onslaught
Onslaught is finally taking the rest we’ve been talking about. In the future, we have plans for an Onslaught revamp or a new system to take its place. It shall be reborn!
Grandma
We’re sorry, Billy. Grandma left us yesterday. But don’t worry, she’s having fun in nice big Vegas upstate where she can spend lots of time with other grandmothers and play slot machines all day! No, sorry, we can’t go see her. We’re not allowed back in Vegas. No I can’t explain why honey, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
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