[2022] Monthly Development Update - December 2022

A lil somethin somethin: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Greetings, Ascended!

Last month we shared details on the Chapter IV character conversion process, and how the chapter’s accompanying balancing pass will necessitate a reset. If you have not read it yet, it is well worth your time. This month’s news is going to be numbers-heavy, as we share exact details on what you can expect with the reductions in Experience and City Building costs, showcase some of the skills that are being tweaked with Chapter IV’s balancing pass, and reveal the sheer number of new Unique items that will be coming to the game in the new chapter.

Levelling Cost Reductions
We will be reducing the overall XP requirements per level after level 40 with Chapter IV’s release. The most dramatic reductions will be toward the end of the experience curve: up to 45%! We are doing this partly because of the upcoming character conversion, but also because the XP curve is too demanding in its current iteration and unsuitable for seasonal progression in the future. Note that these numbers are potentially subject to change.


Level Bracket 1-40 41-45 46-48 49-50 51-59 60-70 71-80 81-84 85-90
XP Reduction 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 40% 45%
While the final few levels will still be a challenge to attain, in the traditional Wolcen-style, they will be far more reasonable.


Level Current XP Chapter IV XP 85 1,697,144,000 933,429,200 86 2,121,430,000 1,166,786,500 87 4,242,860,000 2,333,573,000 88 8,485,720,000 4,667,146,000 89 21,214,300,000 11,667,865,000 90 38,185,740,000 21,002,157,000


City Building Cost Reductions
Likewise, we will be dramatically reducing the costs of key City Building projects in Champion of Stormfall mode in terms of gold, primordial affinity (PA), and production. This will reduce endgame grind, promote a more satisfying sense of progression, and allow you to focus on the new endgame gameplay loop accompanying Chapter IV. Generally, the costs of repeatable projects will not change, but the costs of building infrastructure upgrades to increase your production generation towards projects will be significantly reduced. A few examples (potentially subject to change) are shown in the table below:


Gold Cost Change PA Cost Change Productivity Cost Change
Primordial Insitute, West (5th skill slot) 200,000 > 50,000 20,000 > 200 5000 > 1000 “Theatre” Productivity Upgrade 800,000 > 500,000 N/A 30,000 > 25,000
“Energy Crystal Mine” Productivity Upgrade 5,000,000 > 1,000,000 N/A 500,000 > 50,000


Skill Balancing
As part of Chapter IV’s balancing pass, nearly all Active Skills have been changed at a baseline level and/or in terms of their Active Skill Modifiers. Here we want to highlight a few of the skills that will receive much-needed buffs, change identity slightly to give them more of a unique niche, or receive an increased risk/reward proposition. Bear in mind that the balancing pass will also affect the nodes in the Gate of Fates and shake up the meta in general, and as such, the following changes do not exist in a vacuum. As always, these numbers are subject to change and are for demonstrative purposes.



Eclipse We wanted to give Eclipse a stronger identity and a greater sense of impact. To that effect, we are turning it into the magical equivalent of a shotgun. Eclipse will see its base weapon damage multiplier increase from 600% to 1000%. To offset this, the base resource cost will increase from 100 willpower to 250. Additionally:

• The Rushing for Curfew modifier will generate 30 willpower on hit, up from 15.
  
• The Unseelie Gale modifier will have a stun duration of 0.75s, up from 0.6s.

Talon Shot Talon shot will be reworked to make it easier to use and promote a better feel during gameplay. Instead of pressing a separate key to detonate the skill’s projectiles, you will be able to press the skill’s keybind a second time to detonate. This change gives the skill more fluid and mobile feel.

The skill’s costs will be reduced, with the base rage per second cost going from 100 rage per second to 80 rage per second, and the cost to detonate lowering from 80 to 10. The base weapon damage multiplier will increase from 260% to 300%, and higher skill levels will have increased damage scaling. The trade-off will be a reduced range for the skill, in keeping with this more mobile iteration’s philosophy.

• The Coordinated Blitz modifier will have its damage per active projectile multiplier increased by 5% to 25%.
  
• The Impaling Perch modifier will have its damage multiplier increased from 1.5 to 2.
  
• The Ido’s Movement will have its damage multiplier increased from 1.0 to 1.2.

Gunslinger’s Brand Gunslingers, rejoice. The skill will see an increase of 50% to its baseline weapon damage multiplier, increased scaling at higher skill levels, its resource consumption time reduced by 0.5 seconds to 1.5 seconds, and will also receive a piercing strength of 1 (up from 0). Various skill modifiers for Gunslinger’s Brand will also have their damage multipliers increased:

• Flak Handcannon: 1.0 to 1.3.
  
• Order Through Chaos: 1.0 to 1.5.
  
• Scattering Blast: 0.9 to 1.0.
  
• Wild Gunman: 0.8 to 0.85.

”Deathgazer” Railgun The bane of many an expedition boss in Wolcen, the “Deathgazer” Railgun will become even more of a risk/reward skill, with increased damage at the expense of higher costs and longer warm-up time. The base rage cost will increase by 30 to 150. Additionally, the charge time will increase with each stage, up to 1 second, instead of the current flat 0.5 seconds per stage.

In return for this, the damage per stage is being increased: 100% > 100% > 200% > 400% > 700% will change to 100% > 200% > 350% > 500% > 900%.

• Reckless Gunner will have its rage gain tuned down to 250 from 350.
  
• Shrapnel Trail’s delay will increase from .33 to .66 and have its damage multiplier trimmed to 0.1 from 0.3.
  
• Internal Detonation's damage multiplier on targets in stasis or slowed will be reduced by 10% to 30%.

Bladestorm Bladestorm go brrr! Bladestorm will receive some love, with a base weapon damage multiplier increase to 200% (from 180%) and significantly increased damage scaling at higher skill levels.

• Unfettered Determination's damage multiplier will increase to 0.85 (from 0.75)
  
• Echoes of Meadhalls’ life leech will be decreased to 0.01%
  
• Chaining Wrath’s lightning proc chance will be increased by 5% to 25%.
  
• Unrelenting Strikes will have the damage multiplier for its waves increased from 2.5 to 3.0, and the wave duration increased from 0.7s to 1.0s.

This was just a selection of example skills from the balance pass. Nearly all Skills will be adjusted, as well as the nodes in the Gate of Fates.

New Uniques
And, finally, something of a tease.
Last month we showcased a few new unique items, which many of you seemed rather excited about! That selection, however, was not the full selection of unique items that will be coming with Chapter IV. We are excited to reveal that dozens of new unique items will be available for looting and experimenting with in Wolcen’s next chapter! This will include unique items with the new auto-cast affix we highlighted last month, new elemental variants of existing unique items to shake things up, and some other surprises!






That’s all for this month, folks. We hope you have an excellent new year, and we cannot wait for you all to get your hands on what we have been cooking and what 2023 will bring!