Upcoming Balance Changes - The Wolf 1.10

[Rogue]

The Wolf 1.10 expected release date - June 17th, 2020

The Wolf 1.10 update is around the corner and it brings a lot of balance changes to the game. This update will bring some new content - Quick Skill Selection and 5 new skills, but we don't want to give you spoilers about them right now. The main focus of this update is to improve the game experience for late-game players.

We'd like to thank you for all the feedback you provided us in the surveys we've run the past few months. We listen to you and we'll continue to improve the game in all ways possible.
One of the problems we've observed is how the game becomes poorly balanced at level 50. Early level 50 players, or pups , fight with the same animals as 20k+ HP players. The problem is even bigger in PvP mode where the differences in stats make the game really hard to play.

We're also constantly working on improving anti-cheat protection and on fixing all the glitches and exploits some players are using to play unfair.

Maximum XP level increase

Level 50 was the max player level for almost 3 years now. We're going to increase it a bit. We’re planning to bump this max level every now and then, so that you'll have new levels to unlock in the future. You'll get gem rewards for leveling up. You'll all have the opportunity to gather XP again and to reach the new limit. Stronger players will just accomplish it easier

Attributes (Health and Attack) limit increase to 750 and price reduction

We're going to increase the attributes limit and reduce the prices significantly. Currently it takes months and months to earn points for those last few levels of Attack or Health. We're going to decrease the prices of attributes starting from level 50 and the higher your attributes are the bigger the price reduction will be. You'll truly feel the difference if your attributes are in the high 200s. You'll get compensated for this change and your attributes will be increased based on the new pricing. So if you spent years farming those high-level attributes you'll get a significant buff to your strength. This will make the difference between the strongest and weakest players even bigger but we'll introduce a solution to reduce this problem. The animals' strength will be adjusted to those changes. Their level will have a bigger impact on their stats and we'll make sure that even the strongest players will be able to find some challenge.

Combat-Power-based matchmaking

We're introducing a new indicator (CP - Combat Power) that will be displayed next to your character's level. This number will define your overall strength and it will depend on your XP level, attributes and all of your skills.
Combat power will be used to divide high-level players based on their strength. This will be mainly used when you just auto-join games. We want you to play the game well adjusted to your strength so you'll meet closer-matched opponents in PvP mode and better-balanced animals. We want to make sure that you still can play with your friends even if there’s a big difference in strength between you. You’ll be able to do that in a way that won't disturb other players.

Skill bug fixes and balance changes

We're aiming to create an environment where as many skills as possible are playable and can be included in powerful builds. We've always made those balance changes and we'll keep making them to make the game more fair and interesting. New skills will also contribute to the overall balance changes. This time we've decided to give you a heads up of what to expect because some of the changes are major.

Bug fixes and glitches prevention

• Using melee skills from a distance (aka "airbite")
  We've taken your feedback into consideration and decided not to patch this. We’ll treat it more as a feature, not a bug. We’ll take a closer look into it for future updates and we’ll make some changes so it can’t be used in an abusive way.
  
• Freezing Breath and other skills breaking while group hunting
  A bug that caused long lasting skills to stop dealing damage when other players were around will be fixed. There could still be some small disruptions when multiple people are around but we'll improve it a lot. You'll no longer need to avoid other players when using those DPS skills.
• Jump skills not registering damage
  The behaviour of the skills that allow you to jump towards the target will be improved. They should be more reliable to use.
• Infinite Freezing Breath abuse in PvP
  There's an exploit when people could kill you with some DPS skills after they leave the game. It will be prevented with this upcoming update.

Skill balance changes (difference at level 13 is displayed, sometimes the change at lower levels will be less noticeable)

NOTE: If you’ve already purchased a skill before the price goes up you don’t have to re-purchase it. You keep your levels even though you’ve bought it cheaper than it will become.

Speed Boost

• Increased attack speed boost by 10% to match movement speed boost.
• Changed display to show only 1 boost parameter.

Poison Nova

• Price increased by 33%
• Cooldown reduction to 40s (from 45s)
• DPS increased by 18%

Poisonous Cloud

• Damage increased by 6%
• Cooldown reduced to 45s (from 50s)

Damage Boost

• Price increased by 20%

Damage boost has been the aura used by the huge majority of level 50 players. We don't want to nerf it, as it would take away some of its usability. We've decided to increase its price instead and to buff some other skills in the Auras tree. There is a new powerful aura coming as well

Venomous Skin

• Price increased by 75%
• Effect duration decreased by 6%
• DPS decreased 5%
• Duration decreased 7-18%

Well, that was a hard one for us. Many of you reported that this skill is unfair due to the fact that it could stack up the effect and requested that we prevent it. We've decided not to change its behaviour because you've been using it this way for years. We'll give it a little nerf and bump its price significantly as it was just too powerful for its place in the meta. It will still remain a very strong skill if used by a skilled player.
We’ve decided to just increase its price as it was a bargain for its power.

Explosion Trap

• Damage increased by 10-17%

Freezing Area Trap

• Damage increased by 10-17%

Freezing Trap

• Damage increased by 22%

All traps will be buffed. These are fun skills to use and they've gained some playability with removal of the interruption, but they still couldn't compete with the powerful totems.

Life Regeneration

• Heal/s increased to 25% (the biggest gain will be on level 1)

Venom

• DPS increased by 13%

Frost Bite

• Damage increased by 9%
• Effect duration increased by 13%

[MUIEPSD]

Wow!
Don't you think is messed up and unfair that we spend real money to upgrade a skill because we thought that is worth it and now you nerf it?
It's like I paid you money for a product you were promoting and you gave me something else. What's up with that?
You made changes like this and people didn't react nicely, including me, but I continued to play. Now you're doing it again. It's like cheating
Don't mess with the skills people bought already, they bought skills cuz they suited their needs!!
Remember the lawsuits when Apple messed with the iPhone people bought? Many people that payed a lot for gems are playing this game, you gonna take the risk and make them file lawsuits?

[missuscrow]

In my opinion, the changes are good for balance.
Not too happy about vs nerf but I respect it because I agree vs is too powerful, but that doesn't mean it should be ruined.

[Someoneyouknow]

Okay so, I'm pretty sure most of us wolf players have taken the time to read this and see positive but also negative views.

Firstly, I think increasing the attack and HP is interesting. But, from a 300 max which costs 274m (which, is absolutely gob smacking) to changing it from 750 is mind blowing. I am dreading what that 750 attack/hp is going to cost. Would it be the case we would get compensated for all the coins we have earned? Starting attributes back to zero and upgrading what we want? Or is it the case you would balance out our attack/hp with the new attribute price and balancing it out with the new update?

Not only this, what would max HP be? I cannot see skills working on a 60k+ HP wolf. Would further down the line skills become stronger to have an effect on HP?

Upgrading the price of skills, if you have them already maxed out would this effect it? Most skills you have increased people hardly use. I mean, fair enough it might make us use them a bit more, but the skills people use you increase the price? It doesn't make sense? Venom Skin was mostly used due to how cheap the skill was. If this is increased, surely you would need to move the skill from its position in the skill chart? As I'm aware, the further the chart goes the more expensive it becomes. Not only this, but changing the price of skills *again* like what the hell- some players pay their own money to suit skills to their needs. Changing prices once again is like buying a product you didn't even ask for. I think this would make most players angry.

Though I do like the idea from going further than level 50, It would give lasting players a chance to experience the game again on their own account instead of creating a new one.

But what I dont really agree with is banning air bite and so forth. I mean, this is understandable when wolves are in war and air bite to achieve a kill. However, what about wolves who den fight? I think this would be more understandable if people den fighting cannot attack players who are out of den. Further expanding that when in den, the players bite cannot effect the other team, unless they are out from the den or meters away from it.

[Yellowstonepuppy]

Would gem farming put wolves in the hacker server? (champ regenerates itself after rejoining the same room)
Also is TS going to change or is it going to stay the same?

[Unrealisation]

So if players already have maxed damage boost (level 13), do they need to re-purchase them since the price will change?

[rain]

im beyond annoyed.

To begin, the heads up is a good idea. Might reduce the amount if frustration if something goes wrong. Instantly, since its in bold, I see the quick skill selection, which sounds okay to me. I have no idea what people put in the surveys but if this update truly reflects whats there then thank you for listening to those, even if it may not be preferred.

Hackers are still running around despite anti cheat protection claimed last time. If it isn't solid enough, then hackers will easily found their loopholes through these new things being added.

Lvl 50 coop may be tough but lvl 40-50 rooms have both lvl 40s and 50. I hope you have considered this. You mention new levels and you mention that stronger players will just accomplish this easier. These just cancel each other out to nothing of worth. Stronger players and people who spend money have an big advantage and put like that its almost as if nothing really has changed.

I have seen almost none, except one person, get all their attributes maxed out, in three years. 750 is a lot compared to what it sits at now, 300. I understand that compensation will be given for this change of price and levels but at the moment I have a very low level of trust with this game. If compensation is given to the equal of what players had before then what difference would there really be? People are working very hard to get to max only a new 450 levels. The moment of knowing that you are at the max only for it vanish like that. Theres a reoccurring theme with everything just going away with a click throughout this game. Also I'm assuming that people who have their hp at a specific level because they like that number will be thrown unwillingly into a higher hp. If this update includes this, just return the coins and let us chose where to spend them. Give us some freedom, at least.

The idea of CP is good, my only concern is players who focus only on attack and not hp, whether their hp impacts the CP greatly or not.

Removing melee skills from a distance removes any actual skill required in a game that is no skill just money and grinding. Don't remove this. You will make pvp boring and coop frustrating. Strength balancing won't help this. The game becomes too linear, just button spamming, plain and lam. Not some people use this. Pretty much everyone. It's become a part of the game culture so don't ruin this.

Changing skill factors is what brought so much pity and hate last time so why try again? This will only destroy the game. I know so many people who full on quit because of the changes that were decided. Making changes to skills with no compensation. This game is becoming pay to win and even then, people who pay are losing money with these changes. Popular skills will remain popular no matter how much money and time you ask for. You make newer players feel like they can't go anywhere with strength because they have nothing to upgrade worth their time. Making major changes in the past has not changed the community. Why re you trying so hard to destroy everything people have believed im and worked for? It's cruel.

Raising the prices morE when they are already so hard to save and upgrade for is blatantly irritating. A little bumped up price is more torture for the players. Yes, these updates just feel like torture and I'm not the only one who thinks this. I have seen the comments on the Instagram post. Almost everyone is upset. You are provoking more aggression.

Im too tired to think straight and proper. Nothing describes my emotions. I just feel like you've stipped me bare and left me in a cold room until I've gone numb.

I suggest you read comments the instagram post. There are much better formulated responses there.

[Yellowstonepuppy]

So if players already have maxed damage boost (level 13), do they need to re-purchase them since the price will change?

no, because its like making a player who has lvl 4 repurchase lvl 4.

[Unrealisation]

For this new upcoming update, is there going to be a confirmation button when using gems to buy coins? Please don't forget about that xD As Rain and many others have voiced before, this is a problem that makes a lot of people upset because they accidentally click on it and there's no way to undo the action, losing weeks/months of hard-earned gems. This is like the easiest thing to implement out of all the upcoming changes/new features.

Like they say, often it is the smallest things that make the biggest difference.

Also, what about gem sharing? Will there be improvements on that since the prices of some skills are going to increase? Will there be more champs spawning? Will the champs give more equal amounts in group hunting (sometimes you deal lots of damage to the decently large champs and yet the champs give only 1-5 gems)?

I like all the bugs and glitches prevention except for the airbites. I find this useful for those who like to run or LBD. And it's just a cool thing to mess around with friends.

For hackers, I see a lot of 1/1 HP and 200 to 300+ HP wolves. Obviously you guys updated the forum rules saying that players should report them via email; however, many of us find it more convenient to report here with the hackers' IDs. Reporting hackers publically will give players a heads-up and bring more awareness to the issue for the developers. It's how we know we are being heard.

About the CP matchmaking system: Please make sure that players have the option to join WITH this CP matchmaking system (new pvp) or WITHOUT this CP matchmaking system (current pvp), as I have so deeply elaborated in my other suggestion post viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6379. Some players will want to play WITHOUT the CP matchmaking system because it's unpredictable; you don't know what opponents you're going to face. If the whole game changes to a complete CP matchmaking system, it will be INCREDIBLY BORING because everybody is going to be the same or almost the same strength as you. There would be no DIVERSITY in strength and skills.

Another thing: some players do this thing called "spot blocking." Basically, they use their pup accounts and put them in PvP, where the pup account just stays in the enemy team's den, thereby blocking the enemy team's spot(s) and they can't invite people/other people can join. Is there something to be done about this or it's not that big of a problem?

I am glad that you guys informed us about this ahead of time to still receive feedbacks and criticisms before releasing it. You guys still have roughly 3 weeks to consider our reactions and comments (especially on Instagram) and make any final decisions, provided that you will release the update as stated.

[Shadx]

Add more champs! How do we improve skills when there are so few