Lords of the Fallen got a new update from developer Hexworks not too long ago, one that took aim at several problematic weapons and spells in the Soulslike game. Those changes for boss weapons in general and spells like "Blessed Reflections" and "Infernal Hounds" were immediately criticized by players with the changes regarding boss weapons attracting the bulk of attention. Hexworks has since responded to those frustrations from players with some good and bad news: these changes are sticking around and won't be reverted which probably isn't what naysayers want to hear, but the upside is that these conversations have convinced Hexworks to start balancing PvE and PvP separately from one another.

The changes in question were released on November 2nd in an update that went live across all platforms, and the quick response from Hexworks came just a day later.

Lords of the Fallen Balance Changes
If you missed out on the patch notes for the latest Lords of the Fallen update, the problems people had with the boss weapons specifically involved the upgrade paths for those weapons being expanded on significantly. Instead of being capped at +5, those weapons now go up to +10 with the weapons' upgrade curves adjusted accordingly.

"Boss weapons will now have 10 levels instead of 5, and we've modified their upgrade curves," the patch notes said. "While they remain potent, they are no longer overpowered in PVP."

To accommodate players who might've been using boss weapons and now have double the upgrade path ahead of them, the patch notes said that Hexworks "temporarily reduced the cost of Deralium Chunks at the shrine," though it's now been confirmed that the change will be permanent.

As for the spells, both Blessed Reflections and Infernal Hounds have had their mana costs "significantly increased."

Hexworks Responds to Backlash
The frustrated responses came quickly and resulted in a statement from Hexworks shared on Friday to add context to the changes.

"It's important to emphasize that these are necessary changes to establish a fairer experience for all players," Hexworks said. "For context, we noticed players were frustrated when being one-shotted during PVP by invaders using particularly overpowered spells and boss weapons. These weapons and the two spells needed a revision."

PVE & PVP Balancing - Developer Update
Balancing split for better experience

Greetings Lampbearers,

As always, thank you for your feedback regarding the recent balancing changes, particularly those impacting boss weapons and the two overpowered spells.

We understand how this…

— LORDS OF THE FALLEN (@lotfgame) November 3, 2023

Reassuringly, those who've said from the beginning that PvE and PvP should be split in terms of balance changes similar to what we see in Elden Ring will get their wish.

"Please know that we hear you, and as some of you suggested, we are already in the process of separating the balancing for PVE and PVP to ensure that both aspects of the game can coexist and are optimized for the best possible experience in both modes," the devs said.

A more detailed roadmap is coming soon to explain further.



Posted: Nov 07, 2023 10:21 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/lords-of-the-fallen-devs-balance-frustration-response/