Class Rebalance: Warriors

It’s time for another Class Rebalance dev blog, and this time we will be looking at a class we have previously teased before, the Warriors. Like with [previous class rebalance dev blogs](https://playselene.com/blog/post/11/), we will start by sharing a short brief about our goals, move onto general analysis and details about the class, and lastly, take a look into each of the three branches: Heroes, Paladins, and Dark Knights. # Short Reminder Since Selene is being built from the ground up, every skill needs to be coded into the game. This could potentially be a tedious task. However, it allows us to redesign classes and code them differently in the first place. This enables us to solve unbalanced classes in pre-big-bang servers better, having more freedom in design. This means each skill across every class is being looked into and changed to create an engaging experience that makes the class unique. # Warriors Overview Warriors can be pretty controversial, in that you either love them or hate them. Their relatively slow-paced playstyle with low mobility, range, and attack speed does not appeal to everyone. However, for those who are into it, playing a warrior can be highly enjoyable. As with other classes, we have taken warriors a step forward in differentiating them from each other. The base approach comes from our intention to make Selene feel more like an MMORPG than a game where every class does pretty much the same. Warriors play an essential role in Selene, more than any other server you might have played before. In terms of their “core” skills, we have kept a lot of them. Besides, we have given two of the three branches of warriors the crucial, game-changing role of a tank. Yes, tanks will play a pivotal role in Selene - a squad composed solely of glass cannons is likely to fail without the presence of a tank. # Stats As mentioned in previous class rebalance dev blogs, each class is redesigned with five parameters in mind: - Single target damage - The amount of damage one can cause to a single target. - Multi-target damage - The amount of damage one can cause to multiple targets within close and long-range. - Tank - The ability to protect yourself and the party members from incoming damage. - Support - The ability to strengthen other party members, weaken enemies, or provide useful tools for the party. - Mobility - The ability to move to a certain location within the same map or on a different map. With those attributes in mind, we have created the following table where each class is given a ranking in the different categories.  **Class Rebalance Table: Warriors** Do note, a class with two stars in one stat does not double in value over a class with one star. It merely indicates that one star is slightly weaker, or the two stars are marginally stronger. Take a moment to go over each of the fields of the classes. It will give you a good idea of what each one of them does. Heroes and Paladins will act as tanks, while Dark Knights are intended to be an extremely offensive class. Dark knights are the highest damage class we have revealed thus far. However, let it be known playing them comes with a catch. Another interesting column to notice is Support, where Heroes shine. If you compare their 4-star ranking with other classes, you will see they are equal to Archers with their precious Sharp Eyes and their excellent mob control capabilities. We will take a more in-depth look into the individual class playstyles later in this blog. ### Merging duplicate skills One notable change consistent among all three classes in every advancement is that we have combined skills that are similar to different weapons. This includes Weapon Mastery, Booster, Final attack, and the unique skills of each advancement. We believe it does not make sense to have a clutter of skills that you do not use most of the time. This also allows us to add more interesting skills and enable players to have the freedom to choose between different, interesting paths of progression. ### Why did we choose to give each warrior its own unique identity? We are aware that in the base game, Warriors are pretty similar to each other. We wanted people who like warriors in other MMORPGs to enjoy having options in Selene. So there is one class that does everything pretty well with a focus on support, one that is extremely tanky, and one that is nowhere nearly as tanky but is capable of destroying everything nearby. This way, players who like the melee, heavy gameplay can experience it in three different ways. # Tanking Time to take a more in-depth look into tanking. This is a mechanism that will be significant in Selene as we intend to make tanks relevant on several occasions, or in some cases, necessary. ### Why have tanks in the game? Roles mean very little in the base game as it is. If anything, the only class that had a different role in the game was the Bishop, being the only real support. Every other class attempts to do the same thing, which is to deal as much damage as possible. They may have their unique way of dealing damage; however, it all comes down to the same role. While dealing as much damage per second should be the highest priority of a group, since that equals more experience, rewards, and whatnot, we believe in creating roles that give classes a better sense of identity. Additionally, having tanks as a role means players get to choose between taking a risk and running a boss without a tank. That can either be risky or impossible, depending on the members of your squad. Some classes are incredibly fragile in exchange for other benefits like great damage or valuable supportive mechanisms. A tank acts as the squad’s anchor; it guarantees everyone stays safe and that the expedition is successful. Tanking also allows us to introduce a meaningful alternative to one of the game’s worst pitfalls - HP Washing. A lot of servers have taken different approaches to solving this issue (or not). Tanking is one of the main measures we have added to the game to replace the need for HP washing. There are other implementations as well, which would be revealed in time to come. ### How exactly would tanking work? Now that we have gone through why tanking is essential, it is time to look into implementation. The first actual tanking ability comes in the third advancement for both classes: Crusader and White Knight. This will also be when players start taking on boss expeditions. The core skill behind tanking is called “Soul Bind.”  **Soul Bind** “Soul Bind” binds the caster to all nearby party members for a set duration. While active, party members take reduced damage, which is instead dealt to the caster. This skill can soak up to 50% of the damage dealt to affected party members in its base form. Clarifications regarding Soul Binding: - A character can only be affected by a single soul bind at a time. This also means crusaders and white knights who party together cannot “double soul bind.” You can either be a target or a source but not both at the same time. - The caster will have the option to set up the minimum HP for Soul Bind to be deactivated (works similarly to pet’s auto HP/MP sliders in settings). - Soul Bind cannot kill the caster. It will only take the caster to 1 HP before it stops soaking damage from party members. - You cannot be soul bound with someone who is not in the same party. - The incoming damage is further reduced by 50% before being dealt to the caster. - Soul Bind is affected by defenses and buffs, so “soaked” damage will be dealt in the form of either attack or magic damage and will be treated regularly. While Soul Bind is the core of tanking, it is not everything. There are further changes and skills that enhance the tank’s ability to survive while being soul bound with party members. One other important part of tanking will be the overhaul we have planned for weapon and magic defense as those stats will become more significant than what you might be used to, along with shields. More on that in a future dev blog instead. ### Where will tanks be recommended/required? Tanks will be most useful against bosses that deal more damage than what players can take. This changes between different classes - some are tankier by nature, and some are incredibly fragile. It also really depends on who you are up against. You might need a very tanky paladin if you want to bring a corsair into an endgame boss, but you could be okay with a Hero if you are only bringing in Dark Knights and F/P Arch-Mages. There will be bosses where a tank is necessary to run it as soon as you are of the required level relevant to the boss, whereas it may not be as necessary for a higher leveled player. ### What about other scenarios outside of bosses? Tanking can also be valuable for higher-level training grounds for party members to grind in an area they would not be comfortably able to otherwise. Again, do note that even though tank classes are highly capable of defense, they also fare well with both single target and multi-target and support, so it is not as if they are not helpful outside of their tanking role. # Swordman (1st advancement) One poorly designed skill we have removed is “Improving Max HP Increase.” This skill forces players into going a very specific path in terms of adding them; otherwise, they lose potential stats forever. Instead, we will implement a new HP formula to suit warriors without involving a skill players have to add points to. Additionally, we have lowered the mastery level of HP Recovery and made it an actual option that lower levels can put points into to save money on potions. We have also added a new, interesting skill that highlights how Strong warriors are, any guesses? # Hero Heroes would likely be known as the “Jack-of-all-trades” in Selene. This class combines great tanking abilities with decent single and multi offensive parameters. On top of that, they also bring a great set of supportive capabilities to the team, living up to their name by leading expeditions being the frontline of a party. In their 2nd advancement, fighters will receive two supportive-offensive skills. One makes their party stronger, while the other makes the enemies around them weaker. Crusaders have been reworked drastically. You will gain access to your tanking skill, Soul Bind. Combo Attack, which remains a core skill of the class, has been reworked and now requires you to combo attacks to enjoy its benefits. Panic and Coma still exist, but now sync with each other and allow players to use them without losing their combo orbs in certain scenarios. Crusaders also get a skill that improves a lot of stats for those who use a shield. Heroes remain mostly the same in terms of skills. Monster Magnet now enables the tank to protect their team from mobs. Advanced Combo Attack enhances the changes we have introduced to Combo Attack. Enrage is now useful as it stacks with other bonuses. Heroes also get a new supportive party buff that would be significant and make them one of the game’s best supportive classes. You’re going to have to wait for the full reveal to find out.  **SYG** # Paladin Paladins are the high-end tanks of Selene. They are based around protecting their team and helping them survive through the most challenging of situations. They have the highest defensive abilities in the game and, as such, would always be wanted in parties that consist of classes that would benefit significantly with the presence of tanks. Paladins also excel in fighting against elemental-weaknesses, which we intend to make relevant in Selene along with the changes made to mages. It is important to note that just because Paladins are extremely tanky, it does not make them weak in any way. They still have decent single and multi-target capabilities that become even better when utilizing their strength against elemental weaknesses. As you would have noticed in the above table, Paladins share the same number of points in the single target attribute as Heroes (3). In situations where the target is weak to an element, Paladins surpass Heroes in single target damage. However, in the average situation, Heroes deal more damage than Paladins to both single targets and multi targets. During their 2nd advancement, Pages will receive one defensive party buff and “Celestial Blessing,” a self-heal that also makes their next attack strike with holy power. This skill makes Pages exceptionally strong against undead mobs while being self-sufficient, just like Clerics, who do not have to spend mesos on health potions. White Knights, just like Crusaders, have been reworked drastically. There is not a single skill that stayed the same as it was before. They get access to Soul Bind and three additional tanking skills: two for self-protection and one that reduces boss’ damage. Charged Blow has been combined with Advanced Charge. Elemental Charges have been combined between Blunt Weapon and Sword. The mastery level of each elemental charge has been reduced to 10, allowing players to utilize them sooner without waiting too long for them to be useful. 4th advancement is where Paladins takes tanking to the next level. “Enhanced Soul Bind” enables them to soak even more damage from team members while also mitigating a more significant portion of it. Blast’s range has been increased. Holy Charge changes are similar to the rest of the elements. Paladins also get a new skill that makes them immortal for a short period, which can be extremely useful during the toughest situations one might encounter.  **Divine Immortality** # Dark Knight Dark Knights have almost no tanking powers but, instead, act as an extremely offensive class. They are focused on dealing massive amounts of damage to single and multiple targets in their area. Looking at their stats, five points in single-target damage makes them among the strongest options against single targets like bosses. Four points in multi-target damage also mean they are very capable of dealing with mobs too. However, playing a Dark Knight in Selene would definitely not be an easy task, as it involves an integrated connection between the player's skill and their damage output. Like other warriors, Spearmen have their spear and polearm skills combined, making it easier for players to switch between the different playstyles the weapons provide smoothly. We have switched Iron Will with an active multi-target skill that enhances their offensive capabilities during the second advancement. Hyper body has been significantly nerfed but still provides a bonus to MaxHP and MaxMP for themselves and their party members. Dragon Knights have their crusher and fury skills combined. Additionally, they get a skill that nullifies mobs defense buffs to help them and their party deal more damage. They also get a new skill that enhances certain effects on them. Sacrifice has been tweaked and now sacrifices a static portion of MaxHP in order to give Dark Knights a reliable way to manage their HP bar for Berserk. Dragon Blood, just like any other buff in the game, now stacks with other buffs, making it always useful. 4th advancement is when Dark Knights finally obtain the source to their five single-target and four multi-target parameters. Beholder has been renamed to “Dark Spirit” and now comes with many useful add-on skills that make it very significant to the Dark Knight’s gameplay. Three buffs enhance Dark Spirit: - **Dark Spirit: Domination** - The dark spirit periodically enhances Dark Knight's next attack. The duration between buffs reduces as the skill level rises. - **Dark Spirit: Concentration** - The dark spirit periodically buffs up the Dark Knight. Depending on the skill level, it shall buff up weapon def., magic def., avoidability, accuracy, and weapon attack. - **Dark Spirit: Intimidation** - The dark spirit helps ignore incoming heals from party members. Can be toggled on/off.  **Dark Spirit: Intimidation** ### Berserk Instead of being triggered when a player's HP drops below a certain threshold, Berserk will now always be activated. It will deal increased damage for each percentage of missing health with an exponential multiplier. The exponential multiplier goes from 1.13 to 2 at max mastery. Below is an example to illustrate: A Dark Knight with maxed Berserk (exponential multiplier = 2), 32,000 max HP, and 4,000 current HP hits a mob with 40,000 damage. We first calculate the portion of missing HP, in this case: (32,000 - 4,000) / 32,000 ~= 0.88 (88%). We now take that number, and apply the exponential multiplier of 2: (1+0.88)² ~= 3.53. That means our actual damage is multiplied by 3.53 - making it 141,200. If that sounds a little extreme, it is. Though remember, the Dark Knight needs to be at 12% HP for that to happen. The following table shows the output damage for each hp percentage to get a feel of how it will look with maxed berserk: | HP Bar | Calculation | Multiplier | Total Damage | |:------:|:-----------------------:|:----------:|:------------:| | 100% | 40000 * (1 + 0/100)² | 1 | 40,000 | | 90% | 40000 * (1 + 10/100)² | 1.21 | 48,400 | | 80% | 40000 * (1 + 20/100)² | 1.44 | 57,600 | | 70% | 40000 * (1 + 30/100)² | 1.69 | 67,600 | | 60% | 40000 * (1 + 40/100)² | 1.96 | 78,400 | | 50% | 40000 * (1 + 50/100)² | 2.25 | 90,000 | | 40% | 40000 * (1 + 60/100)² | 2.56 | 102,400 | | 30% | 40000 * (1 + 70/100)² | 2.89 | 115,600 | | 20% | 40000 * (1 + 80/100)² | 3.24 | 129,600 | | 10% | 40000 * (1 + 90/100)² | 3.61 | 144,400 | | 1% | 40000 * (1 + 99/100)² | 3.96 | 158,400 | As you can see from the table, the buff becomes exponentially stronger if you can maintain lower HP. This mechanic takes the challenge of maintaining Berserk one step forward. A funded, experienced Dark Knight can be significantly stronger than an inexperienced player who may try reaching the lower percentages but risks death. Taking this one step forward, just think of the potential a Dark Knight can achieve when being Soul Bound to a Paladin - enabling the Dark Knight to maintain very low HP can be possible for an incredible damage bonus. # Conclusion Warriors play a very important role in Selene, being tanky, leading the party into battle, dealing large amounts of damage in close range, providing support, and more. The changes we have introduced to each of the classes ensure each branch feels completely different in gameplay and goals. As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, thoughts, or anything else, make sure to join [Selene's Discord](https://discord.playselene.com) and share them with us.