Update 2.70: Class Balancing Maj - 2023-11-09 19:30

Changes to Class Balancing 

In our last post, in which we discussed the upcoming changes to the Kolossium, we continued to work on improving the gameplay experience. Our main goal is to enhance the balance between classes, whether in the Kolossium or on your PvM adventures in the World of Twelve. 

An essential component of this balancing involves reworking some of the classes. We aim to make each class unique and offer an enriching gameplay experience. 

Please bear in mind that the beta phase is a testing and optimization period; class balancing may require adjustments. We're counting on your active participation to identify any potential problems and help us refine them before the update. 

Harmonized Spell Icons 

One of the first things you'll notice is the different classes' harmonized spell icons. This update is intended to make spell icons more distinct in relation to their functions. This includes adjustments to penalty spells, multi-element spells, healing spells, and shield spells. We are working hard to perfect these aspects and looking forward to sharing them with you. 
 

Eniripsa 

The Eniripsa class – masters of curing and healing – is the one that will see the most technical changes (the revamp is still quite recent), and it is getting an overhauled spell kit for more fluid, coherent, and stimulating gameplay by bolstering the identity of each elemental path, while simplifying mobility and positioning spells: 

Reduce the damage of the Fire path 

We are reducing the power of Fire spells slightly, while improving some casting conditions and unintuitive areas of effect. This helps maintain balance while making the spells more competitive with their variants. 

Improve the Earth path, in terms of both pushback and Paint 

This path has trouble taking full advantage of its pushback and its Paint mechanic at the same time. We are reconfiguring the variant pairs to emphasize Paint and introducing a new pushback spell, War Cry. The spell no longer increases pushback damage but repels Painted enemies, thereby giving this path greater flexibility. 

Improve the Water path in terms of health steal/healing ability and mobility 

We are strengthening the "vampire" aspect of this path while updating some spells. Sobs is getting improved healing, while the way Defensive Word works is changing to better integrate with the Water path. A new Water spell, Bloodless Word, is also being introduced, offering an attack-based healing mechanic. 

Improve the Air path in terms of positioning and eased casting conditions 

We are improving the casting conditions and how effects are applied for the spells of this path. Flowery Word applies its Flowering to its entire area of effect; Enchanted Thicket also extends to Encouraged allies; and Murmur lets an Eniripsa give themself one MP, thus improving their mobility. 

We are simplifying some utility spells such as Frightening Word to make them more accessible. Also, the Coney can now apply Encouragements and Mockeries in an area of effect, making gameplay more flexible. Mobility and positioning spells will also be simplified for smoother use. 

These adjustments are aimed at giving Eniripsas more varied gameplay and encouraging deeper strategic thinking, while simplifying the use of some mobility and positioning spells. 

Masqueraider 

As a result of the latest changes, Masqueraiders became particularly powerful in terms of protection, with excessive stacking of shield spells. In this update, we are reducing this stacking by making Grimace and Diffraction variants of each other again. 

We are also introducing new interactions with the Grimacing Mask through Masks and Masquerade. These changes are intended to make the Mask more tactical and versatile, rather than just an evasive summons. 

In addition, a number of Coward and Coward & Intrepid spells will now have modifiable range, giving Masqueraiders greater flexibility. 

Finally, the way the Parafuso spell works is changing to become an excellent positioning spell for Masqueraiders in general, while becoming particularly relevant to the Water path. 


 

Huppermage 

We have made major changes to the Huppermage class to bolster its multi-element gameplay while maintaining the viability of single-element gameplay. These changes include adjustments to spell variants – enabling a variety of combinations – and simultaneous access to all elemental spells in each path. To balance these improvements, we've increased the cooldown period of Arcane Torrent to avoid any excessive "bursts", while reintroducing the possibility of critical hits for multi-element modes with Criticals. 

For 2-AP elemental spells, the health steal has been removed to avoid excessive regeneration. They now focus on their flexibility in creating elemental combinations without automatic healing. As for 3-AP spells in an area of effect, they offer a powerful source of healing, and their minimum range has been reduced to make them more suitable for short-range or even close combat. Now, all spells from a path can be played simultaneously: 

• 4-AP spells with bonus/penalty/movement 
• 3-AP spells with health steal in AoE 
• 2-AP single-target spells without health steal 

Sacrier 

We are looking to expand Sacriers' roles beyond their primary damage role. The class has the potential to offer more robust tanking and positioning options, which can be beneficial in both PvM and PvP. The changes are intended to enable Sacriers to rival Pandawas as tanks, while retaining their own style of gameplay. Whether in "full tank" or "bruiser" (tank and damage) mode, these adjustments open up new possibilities for Sacriers' equipment and strategy. 

Most Sacrier utility spells have been improved in terms of flexibility and effects, thereby offering a greater variety of choices. Sacrier damage spells aren't undergoing any major changes in terms of raw damage values, but they are gaining the ability to play two "Suffering" spells from each path simultaneously. Transfusion and Punishment have also been changed to inflict damage when the Sacrier's Suffering is low, i.e., when their current HP is high. 

Overall, these adjustments are intended to diversify Sacriers' gameplay options, encourage more strategic thinking, and offer more choice and variety with damage turns and management of Suffering. 

Osamodas 

As masters of summons and symbiosis with the creatures of the World of Twelve, the Osamodas class is undergoing adjustments to reduce the power of some spells, while introducing new gameplay tools. 

Most summoning spells can now only be cast once per target (with the exception of gobballs), in order to reduce the damage inflicted by the Osamodas and make more room for a summons's entire kit. At the same time, summons' health points have been harmonized across all levels. 

The Relay spell no longer grants AP, but rather an MP bonus to enhance the Osamodas's mobility, in line with their position-switching role. This change eliminates giving AP, which we think is no longer appropriate for the Osamodas class. 

Various elemental and utility spells have been overhauled to diversify Odamodas' gameplay choices. This includes adjustments to the casting conditions for summoning spells and their characteristics. Changes have also been made to boost and positioning spells. Healing and damage over long distances on the Fire path have been limited. A new mechanic has been introduced for the Whirlwind spell, while Plucking has been nerfed and Crackler Punch improved. 

These adjustments aim to rebalance the Osamodas class by changing the casting conditions for summoning spells, adjusting their characteristics and improving some of the class's elemental spells. 

Iop 

For the Iop class, adjustments have been made to revitalize the Water path by giving it greater impact and aggressiveness, thereby bringing it up to the same level as the other elemental paths. This includes the addition of the Castigation erosion spell, improved shield application, and an in-depth overhaul of Sword of Judgement, which is now simpler and more effective. 

The other paths and utility spells have also undergone slight changes to make them easier to use and more competitive with their variants. Adjustments have also been made to Duel – with a nerf – and the Precipitation and Determination spell pair to improve them. The casting conditions for elemental spells have been eased, and the Water path has been strengthened to better assert its identity. 

Sadida 

We decided to overhaul the Sadida class after previous changes had made its gameplay less flexible. To this end, we've made adjustments to make some Sadida spells more flexible and strengthen the identity of each elemental path. 

For the Earth path, Earthquake is now a spell that reduces MP rather than attracting. As for the Fire path, Plaguing Bramble is taking the place of Earthquake, but the way it works will remain the same. The healing-oriented Water path has undergone a few improvements, while the infection-oriented Air path has seen Shake acquire the attraction of Earthquake at the expense of increased MP. A new Air spell, Contamination, has also been added to apply the Infected state and an Air poison to enemies. 

When it comes to utility spells, we've tried to make using classic Dolls more flexible, while improving the survival of Trees, which are at the heart of Sadida gameplay. These adjustments are also intended to reduce Sadidas' dependence on their Infected state while increasing its application. Dolls' health points and resistances have also been overhauled to offer better evolution across levels. 

Other Classes

While we've covered some significant changes for some classes in this devblog, other classes will also be adjusted in the December update.

However, it is important to note that more substantial overhauls are planned for three classes in particular – Ecaflip, Feca, and Foggernaut – in future updates (which is why these classes haven't undergone any changes this time around). 

 

Prytekt Overhaul and Item Balancing 

Our consideration of balancing isn't limited to just classes. We've also paid particular attention to items and artifacts, which play a key role in the world of DOFUS. In particular, Prytekts have been the subject of much discussion within the community. You've been eagerly awaiting them, and we're here to give you a new perspective on these items. 
 

Prytekts 

Whether you've been dreading it or eagerly awaiting it, the change to Prytekts is now a reality! 

• The Prytekt has become an essential part of every optimized PvP build. 
• It creates a clear divide between those who have one and those who don't. 
• It takes up a Dofus/Trophy slot in every fight. 
• Its usefulness in PvM isn't universal, but it proves invaluable for some difficult content. 
• In PvP, only one of three Prytekts is actually played, namely the Iridescent Prytekt. 
• It excessively strengthens tank-type modes while offering relatively limited protection for low-HP modes. 
• While it can prevent some frustratingly early deaths, it can also drag out some fights and make early rounds uninteresting and frustrating for all fighters. 

Since their introduction, Prytekts have been the subject of much debate. Our aim is to offer you a balanced compromise while ensuring these items are not must-haves. We are trying to make using them something that is more carefully thought out and suited to each situation. 

We realize that opinions vary widely on this topic, fluctuating between supporters and opponents of Prytekts. For this reason, now is the time for us to put forward a compromise that we feel is appropriate. 

With this in mind, we've decided to transform Prytekts into much more situational items to be equipped only when sensible and necessary. Prytekts are still powerful items, but they need to be put to better use than they are right now. An offensive or defensive Dofus or Trophy may be more relevant in some fights, but not in others. 

First of all, we adjusted how the shield works so that it's now based on level rather than HP. This change is intended to balance the values between the different modes and characters. 

We then redistributed the values by introducing one "strong" and two "weak" turns. Weak turns offer less shield than originally anticipated, while strong turns offer more protection. 

Finally, we introduced a gradual decrease in the shield, where the "strong" turn becomes less rewarding as the fight progresses. This means the Iridescent Prytekt will provide the least shield in total, as its strongest turn is on the third round, when the fight is already well underway. 

As for Dreams – where the Prytekt will unfortunately become difficult to use, as shields based on level do not evolve in this game mode – we'd like to remind you that other solutions exist for taking heavy damage at the start of a fight, such as the Prymune, Pryshield, and Prygenerate. 

Of course, we'll be paying close attention to your feedback on the topic and how they are used after these changes, in the hope that this compromise will satisfy everyone as much as possible! 
 

Prygenerates 

For these Prysmaradites, which heal 15%/30%/100% of damage suffered until the end of the first round, their effects will last for the full round, rather than dissipating at the start of the bearer's turn, when Update 2.70 comes out. 
 

Dorigami 

The Dorigami, which appeared in Update 2.57 in September 2020, gave you new challenges to complete. It offers a bonus of 20 MP Dodge and has unique effects – it applies 100% of level as shield at the start of each turn for the first 5 turns. Also, if the caster kills a summons during each of these 5 turns, the caster gains 100% of their level as shield for 1 turn (max. 4 times), and 300% (max. 2 times) for a monster or player. These shields are only obtained during the caster's turn. 

In Update 2.70, we will also be making an important change to this Dofus – the duration of the shield gained when the bearer kills an entity will now be 2 turns. 
 

Conclusion 

As mentioned in the previous Devblog, our main aim in this update was to improve your gameplay experience. In addition to the Kolossium, we've made major changes to classes and adjustments to enhance the overall gameplay experience. We've listened carefully to your feedback and worked hard to refine the classes, spells, and items as much as possible in preparation for this major end-of-year update. 

We understand that the change may elicit mixed reactions, but we're convinced that these adjustments will help make the classes' gameplay more diverse and strategic. Your feedback remains crucial, and we'll keep reading it and adapting based on your in-game experiences. 
We look forward to seeing how these changes will enrich your adventure in the World of Twelve and to continuing to work with you to make DOFUS even better. 

Also, please note that full details of the changes to each class will be available in the beta changelog when the beta server opens. Keep an eye out of more information on this topic!