Focused Feedback: Enemy Group Revamp - The Warriors

[The Curator]

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Enemy Group Revamp: The Warriors

 Warriors, come out and play! 

All

• New costumes and visuals for all Warrior enemies except Odysseus.
• Standardized melee range to 7ft.
• Base accuracy for weapon attacks increased from 1.0x to 1.05x.
• Base accuracy for Bow/Crossbow attacks increased to 1.2x.
• Warriors with Hand Crossbows levels 20-39 replaced with Aimed Shot at 40+.
• Warriors with Bow levels 20-39 replaced with Blazing Arrow at 40+.
• Warriors with Crossbow levels 20-39 replaced with Crystal Arrow at 40+.
• Warriors with Exploding Bolt levels 20-39 replaced with Explosive Arrow at 40+.
• Updated critter names to follow traditional Warrior naming conventions.
• Added Archery minion/lieutenant/boss critters.
• Created new base Warrior resistance scaling by critter rank.
• Updated descriptions and help text for all new Warriors powers.
• Updated legacy missions and spawndefs with Warriors to use New Warriors.
• Created new custom spawndefs for Warriors.

 

Crushers

• Bash animation reduced from 1.37s to 1.33s, disorient increased from 5% chance to 10%.
• Pulverize animation reduced from 1.83s to 1.5s.
• Clobber animation reduced from 1.83s to 1.23s, damage scale increased from 0.25 to 2.92, recharge decreased from 20s to 16s, disorient decreased from scale 10 duration to scale 5.0.
• Shatter damage scale increased from 1.96 to 2.28, increased arc from 10 to 45 degrees.
• Crowd Control added to bosses levels 40+.
• Custom Willpower auto power added to minions/lieutenants/bosses levels 40+, custom Willpower toggle for lieutenants/bosses levels 40+.

 

Hewers

• Gash animation reduced from 1.83s to 1s, damage scale decreased from 1.16 to 1.0, recharge decreased from 5s to 4s.
• Chop animation reduced from 1.83s to 1.2s, damage scale decreased from 1.96 to 1.64, recharge decreased from 10s to 8s.
• Beheader animation reduced from 1.37s to 1.27s, damage scale decreased from 2.28 to 1.96, recharge decreased from 12s to 10s.
• Pendulum converted from 5ft radius/180 degree cone to 7ft radius melee TAoE, animation reduced from 2.27s to 2s, damage scale decreased from 1.9 to 1.35.
• Swoop added to bosses levels 40+.
• Custom Willpower auto power added to minions/lieutenants/bosses levels 40+, custom Willpower toggle for lieutenants/bosses levels 40+.

 

Slashers

• Hack animation reduced from 1.83s to 1.33s, damage scale increased from 0.84 to 1.64, recharge increased from 3s to 8s, defense debuff duration increased from 6s to 10s.
• Slash animation reduced from 2.27s to 1.33s, damage scale decreased from 1.32 to 1.0, recharge decreased from 6s to 4s, defense debuff duration decreased from 10s to 6s.
• Parry animation reduced from 2s to 1.33s, added lethal defense to self defense buff.
• Whirling Sword animation reduced from 2.87s to 2.67s.
• Minion Hack replaced with Slash.
• Head Splitter added to bosses levels 40+.
• Custom Willpower auto power added to minions/lieutenants/bosses levels 40+, custom Willpower toggle for lieutenants/bosses levels 40+.

 

Brawlers

• Added 10% chance for recharge and tohit debuff to Brawl.
• Boxing damage scale increased from 0.76 to 0.874, disorient increased from 5% chance mag 2 to 35% chance mag 3.
• Kick damage scale increased from 0.84 to 0.966, knockdown chance increased from 20% to 40%.
• Added Lieutenant and Boss critters with Street Justice attacks.
• Minions levels 40+ have Fighting suite replaced with Street Justice.
• Bosses levels 40+ gain Crushing Uppercut.
• Custom Super Reflexes auto power added to minions/lieutenants/bosses levels 40+, custom Super Reflexes toggle for lieutenants/bosses levels 40+.

 

Staff Fighting

• Created new class for Staff Fighting users with Pilum ranged attacks; use Super Reflexes at high levels.

[Glacier Peak]

On 7/5/2024 at 5:15 PM, The Curator said:

Clobber animation reduced from 1.83s to 1.23s, damage scale increased from 0.25 to 2.92

Is that 2.92 a typo? That's a large jump from 0.25...

 

Current damage scale of 0.25:

• Boss Crushers swings for 96 points of Smashing Damage
• Lieutenant Crushers swings for 45 points of Smashing Damage. 

 

New damage scale of 2.92:

• Boss Crushers swings for 1,125 points of Smashing Damage
• Lieutenant Crushers swings for 527 points of Smashing Damage. 

 

Edit: Might wanna also look at Shatter on Crushers. Shatter damage scale increased from 1.96 to 2.28. That was already their hardest hitting attack. It gets a substantially expanded arc and a bigger damage scale increase?

Edited July 7 by Glacier Peak

[TheMoncrief]

These changes appear to bring Crusher War Mace attacks into line with player War Mace attacks. I'm not super clear on how damage scales translate to in game numbers, but the animation times and arc change for Shatter are also present on my War Mace Scrapper. Even Clobber is probably intended - it used to be an stun which did almost no damage, and has become the most powerful single target attack War Mace gets. Shatter also hits very hard.

 

The actual damage numbers might not match up, not too clear on how much damage a 2.92 damage scale attack compares to what I actually get and about to leave for work, so no time to check City of Data, but comparatively, yes, Clobber and Shatter should be hard hitting attacks if they're intended to mirror their player versions.

[ViridianDev]

5 hours ago, TheMoncrief said:

These changes appear to bring Crusher War Mace attacks into line with player War Mace attacks.

 

This is the intention; old Warrior Clobber was based on the ancient version of the power that did almost no damage, but with a long duration guaranteed disorient. Bringing it in line with the modern player version served dual purposes; 1) It keeps numbers consistent, so players generally know what to expect from a War Mace power named Clobber, and 2) slashing the disorient duration in half generally allows players without mez protection more follow-up counterplay.

[Ukase]

It's no secret I type too many words. This will be a bit incomplete due to my own time constraints. 

I went about this a few different ways. 

With a 50, exemplared, doing Crown of Glory, on my fire/fire brute at 0/8, because if I were exemped, that's how I'd likely run it. 

First - no real surprises here challenge wise. A level 50 exemplared (and a fire brute at that) will never have much trouble with warriors - but they did floor my defenses by more than 50%! 
I am capped at 90% s/l, (even at level 25), so I can type this with burn on auto. 

I did enjoy the different look. It's nice to see the npcs dressed in something different, where they don't all look like they shop at the Salvation Army Thrift Store. Not that there's anything wrong with vintage clothing, but they are different people. They wouldn't likely all be wearing the same thread-worn pants. So, the new look is nice. 

Next, to try and be efficient, I'm going to take a level 26 ice/marina (also through ouro) and run it the way I think a "beginner" or inexperienced player might if they were to do it solo. I didn't use sets. Just basic IOs. 

Level 26 (so I could use Ouro instead of doing the first arc of Mercedes)
I think my primary was more to blame than the secondary. Having blizzard at level 26 is a bit nuts. I like it - but since I'm not using any special IOs, I am gasping for breath. To be expected, I suppose. I will know more with some more slots. 

Frankly, I noticed from combat stats that my defense gets floored a lot more quickly. (referenced above - probably noticed it more because of running at 0/8 instead of +1/2 ) But, if I'm not monitoring that, I really don't notice much. It's hard to tell if it's because I'm playing with just basic IOs, or any changes in the mobs. Still, it's easy enough to get through without much risk. 

It's worth mentioning at level 26 - there's like a smidge of defense from Combat Jumping...but other than that, there's nothing. No resists either. Kind of like being in a 4*lgtf. Reliant on buffs...but there are no buffs, lol. 

This is really hardly worth posting, but it's worth seeing how the set runs at lower levels instead of just 50. 
Still, while it would take some getting used to - I like the set. I will make one when it hits. I don't know what the primary will be, or even the AT, but I will be making one. 

One note - may be worth mentioning. A lot of ambushes with this arc I'm doing. I do think a newer player would struggle with some of what seem to be harder hitting lieutenants and bosses. If I had done fire, I'd have done a lot worse. The mitigation ice brings to the table is useful and something I'm comfortable with. I would anticipate some newer players expressing some dismay if they're accustomed to easy mode. Not a lot of players, mind you, just a few. As for me, I'm probably too obtuse to see anything change. 

[ZamuelNow]

Didn't have time to fully test fighting them so I jumped on to view them with a higher level character.  Ran around Talos and they look good with ties to their prior look.  I'm assuming that target priority will be based on name and weapon as opposed to outfit and color scheme.  Due to Striga, there villain access and street sweeping access at slightly higher levels but I don't know if you want any 30+ or 40+ enemies present in other zones.

 

Going into AE, I was able to read some of the bios.  Most seem good with expanded lore.  Heracles, despite getting a new outfit, is still using the old "stole a wedding ring" bio instead of something more befitting a unique named boss.  Also, I see they're already available in AE so you might want to mention that in the patch notes.

[HelBlaiz]

I just zipped around Talos Island a bit to just examine some of the new Warriors in their natural habitat and more or less confirmed to myself that there were no female Warriors added with the update, and am a bit disappointed. I have no other notes at this time, other than the new models look good.

[Shin Magmus]

Has there been any word on if the reward scale (xp/inf) of Warriors is going up in tandem with these buffs?  I know this was retroactively applied to NuCouncil, so I'm just asking.

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

I don't know the answer, but have you compared live warriors to beta warriors to see if it's already been changed?

 

Your post may imply that you did, but not sure.

[Shin Magmus]

7 minutes ago, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

I don't know the answer, but have you compared live warriors to beta warriors to see if it's already been changed?

 

Your post may imply that you did, but not sure.

I genuinely don't know where lv50 (reward-granting) Warriors spawn in-game.

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

Me either.  But running an Ouro to lock me at level 24, the warriors in Talos give the same XP on Open Beta and live.