We're slowly moving out of our dev-cation and are making some progress on various QoL and big changes. Thanks to everyone who was patient and understanding with us taking a break.

General

  • The game loads faster (spinning zeke screen!)
  • The server starts up faster
  • Talisman and Crest expansions are permanent
  • Pets no longer say random shit all the damn time (we may bring back messages for events in the usual Duck sass in the future but no more idle messages)
  • [Baby Polar Bear Nana] no longer screeches in everyone's ear
  • A bunch more costume weapons are now able to be used regardless of your equipment weapon (hopefully should have finally gotten all of them!)

Party FX

Reduced party-visible FX for the following classes, which should improve visual clarity in raids and improve performance:

  • Inquisitor
  • Saint
  • Crusader
  • Guardian
  • Soul Eater
  • Dark Summoner

We'll be sweeping through more of the offender classes with the next few patches!

Visual Effects

Ice Stack

Ice stacks have traditionally been the bane of everyone's raid FPS. Most players probably are using my High Performance Ice Removal (HPIR) mod, which 100% removes the effect and associated performance drop – however, this isn't usable for PvP as there's zero visual indication, and it isn't a great experience for players needing to install a mod to make the game playable with an IW or Adept.

The new ice effect has nearly imperceptible performance difference from the HPIR but has a visual, making it suitable for both PvE and PvP use.

Tornadoes

Tornado VFX have been reworked for Lunar Knight and Ice Witch to not be so opaque (similar to the Lunar Knight Tornado Removal mod). Minor bump in performance too. Does not affect PvP (only affects Awakened skills).

Heals and Cures

The following heal and cure skills now have party-visible indicators that fire when they take effect (like the ones that LB got):

  • Physician [Antidote]
  • Physician [Good Vibrations EX]
  • Physician [Salve Slimer]
  • Saint [Awakened Great Heal]
  • Saint [Awakened Heal]

Maps

Garden of Solace

  • Improved FPS by 2-3x (depending on computer) at the expense of some prettiness
  • Floating rocks removed because they were a hazard and OSHA yelled at us

Cutscenes

Cutscenes are off by default now for the following nests:

  • Typhoon Krag Nest
  • Daidalos Nest

More cutscene axing coming soon!

Gear Master and Shooting Star Reworks

How the heck do I write patch notes..? -Roy

The reworks that came to NA/SEA for Gear Master and Shooting Star are finally here! (Only 4-5 months later than intended.) Not quite everything is the same as NA/SEA has it...

Ok so – first off, I'm not gonna list every little change that was made because y'all can just look in the heckin' game for what's what. For a rough idea on the small stuff:

  • Skill cooldowns have been changed to match NA/SEA.
  • Most skill effects were changed to match NA/SEA unless specified otherwise.
  • Skill damage on most skills were taken from NA/SEA, then some were adjusted to either even out DPS spread or adjust overall DPS. ([Mech Cannon] was severely lowered from NA for example :zekebeat:)
  • Any skill that had its max level changed had its max level changed to whatever had the highest max level (except Alfredo's skills, because who cares about those?) For example, [Rocket Crash]'s max level on NA is 8, but on Duck it was 19 so the max level was kept at 19.
  • [AP Launcher] is now in PvE instead of [Reload]. [Summon Towers] skill replaces [Mech Mode]. Each individual summon tower skill was replaced with the mech mode version.

Now, some specifics:

  • [AP Launcher] still has the old [Reload] skill icon. This was done to work as a middle ground since PvP wanted to keep [Reload] in PvP. In PvE, this skill works exactly like [AP Launcher] should.
  • [Demolition] was kept as Shooting Star's Ultimate. [Summon Buster] is the Awakened active skill. Maxing [Demolition] on Duck has the same aspects as NA's Awakened active version – similarly, our Awakened active [Summon Buster] has the same aspects as NA's maxed [Summon Buster] Ultimate. This was done to consistently keep awakenings out of PvP since PvP still wanted [Demolition] as the ultimate for Shooting Star.
  • [Alfredo Beam] and [Damage Transition] did not switch places in the skill trees. [Damage Transition] is a unique buff that PvP wanted to keep in the Engineer tree which meant compromising on this. (SS mains don't worry, you still get your new healing benefit from [Damage Transition] from your [Class Mastery I].)
  • [Rocket Jump]'s max level was left at 19 as previously stated. The cooldown decreasing per level continues past level 8 but at a much slower rate at that point. Also, the use of [Rocket Jump] at any given time by pressing the skill key is not in. This could not be done as there would be no way to keep it out of PvP. In PvE, you can still passively use [Rocket Jump] during any skill by right clicking while holding a direction (which I believe should be fine).
  • [Gravity Grenade] being used by tumble + left clicking isn't a thing. PvP did not want it and [Gravity Grenade] isn't too important in PvE now. (Do note that leveling it to 11 in PvE still gives the increased AoE effect.)
  • Upon learning [Extreme Tower], Summon Towers now instantly gives 50 Mechanic Gauge instead of having the towers gain Mechanic Gauge per tower attack landing. (If you're curious as to why this was done this way, you're not allowed to ask the devs about it.)
  • Shooting Star's [Class Mastery I (Overheat)] mechanic was adjusted slightly. Instead of having the third [AP Launcher] have the overheat benefit, using [AP Launcher] twice enhances [AP Launcher] to [Overheated AP Launcher] (the cooldown isn't shared with regular [AP Launcher]).
  • [Kami-quackum EX] gives 15 Mechanic Gauge instantly instead of having the quackums gain Mechanic Gauge per hit of [Kami-quackum] landing. (If you're also curious as to why this was done this way, you are not allowed to ask the devs about it either.)
  • Gear Master's [Class Mastery II] has instant use on the first use of [Quackum Crash] instead of the fourth. (The instant stays useable long enough to still comfortably shoot 4 Quackums out then use the instant if you so desire.)
  • [Auto Pump] had its skill animation enhanced. You may only proclaim love for this skill. Any questions and all complaints will be taken as acts of violence towards the devs.

I think that covers any significant difference from NA/SEA.

[PvP] Class Balancing

/\c84\Mara

[Ripping] damage increased to 1% per level
[Void Coil] damage -20%
[Smoke Storm] damage +20%

/\c85\Black Mara

[Class Mastery I] INT increase nerfed to 5%
[Void Coil] instant damage -20%
[Trans Void Coil] damage -20%
[Trans Void Coil] instant damage -20%

/\c22\Priest

[Protection Shell] defense buff 12% --> 10%
[Blessing of Light] defense buff 24% --> 5%

/\c42\Crusader

[Class Mastery I (Struck by Lightning)]

  • Final Damage increase 100% --> 10%
  • STR increase 10% --> 5%
  • INT increase 0% --> 5%

/\c46\Engineer

[Mine Thrower] max level increased to 15
[Chemical Warfare] max level increased from 8 --> 13

[Alfredo Stomp] changed to a passive skill instead of a toggle skill

  • Alfredo passives' max levels reduced

[Gravity Grenade] max level increased to 14
[Gatling], [Cannon], [Ice], and [Chainsaw Towers] have been changed to their Mech Mode version attacks
[Mecha Duck] cooldown 13s --> 18s
[Mech Mode] replaced with [Summon Towers]: summons 3-4 towers briefly with a 60s cooldown
[The Quackums] now requires all towers to be out to use the Ultimate

/\c47\Shooting Star

[Splash] projectile output changed to a CTC of 5

/\c48\Gear Master

[Quackum Crash EX] allows a 2nd Quackum to be summoned through left click (max of 2 Quackums out)
[Class Mastery I] changed to increase ATK by 10% for 5 sec when [The Quackums] is used
New skill [Mechanic Mode] only in the Gear Master tree – [Mechanic Mode] enhances each MM Attack.

/\c58\Blade Dancer

[Class Mastery I] STR increase 15% --> 10%

/\c89\Oracle Elder

[Class Mastery I] STR increase 15% --> 10%
[Protection Evolution (A)] damage received effect 10% --> 5%

/\c74\Valkyrie

[Lingering Swing EX] hits grounded targets now

Misc

  • [Salad Mode] no longer has stats
  • New [Duckling] title added to Kylie's shop (intended to be the new starter title)
  • [Duckling] title added to [Duckling's Starter Bag]
  • [Golden Goose VIP (7 days)] added to [Duckling's Starter Bag]
  • Unified Skills no longer require mass character creation to use (all require Unified Level 70 now)
  • You can now hold S while using Black Mara's [Black Strike] to stay in place and do the same damage
  • Black Mara no longer does her YEET voiceline when she does her Ripping Combo

Bug Fixes

  • Black Mara's enhanced [Turbulence B] had its internal effect adjusted to avoid a damage transfer problem
  • Guardian's [Justice Crash] damage in PvP was put back to normal after it was accidentally reduced by our great and almighty lead devlipor
  • Titanite and Titanite I upgrade crafting costs fixed (nerfed)
  • Daidalos Nest drops fix AGAIN?