Changelog/2021/March 27

Hello,
We are planning on releasing a few balancing changes in the coming days, and wanted to give players a heads up, as well as collect some feedback.
 Removing Soul Whip changes, we recognize that the item is fun to use against Ghosts. However we will be looking into other solutions, such as nerfing the damage after 3 mobs pierced on each subsequent mob (for example).
 Considering 2 other options regarding Wither Impact.
Option 1: Reduce the range to 8 (instead of 6)
Option 2: Keep the range at 10 but reduce damage based on distance. (100% to 30% for example)
=== Gear Changes ===
*Bonemerang: Nerf base damage to 270 (from 320)
** This weapon is too powerful for a drop from the fourth floor of the catacombs, but archers still deserve powerful tools, therefore the following items will receive buffs:
*Last Breath: Buff base damage to 200 (from 180), and add 50 critical damage
*Last Breath Ability changed to removes 10% of defense per hit, up to 50% reduction max.
*Mosquito Bow: Buff base strength to 151 (from 101) and base crit damage to 39 (from 9)
*Valkyrie: Buff base strength to 140 (from 120)
*Astraea: Buff base damage to 270 (from 260), base defense to 250 (from 210), add 20 true defense, and add 1 extra defense per catacombs level
*Scylla: Buff base damage to 270 (from 260)
*Hyperion: Nerf intelligence to 350 (from 400)
*Hyperion changed to gain 1 damage per catacombs level (currently bugged to two)
* Wither Impact/Implosion: Nerf radius to 6 blocks (from 10)
*Midas Staff: Nerf Base damage at 0 coins from 16000 to 6000. However maxed Midas Staff still scales to 32000.
*Dark Goggles/Shadow Goggles/Wither Goggles: The Ability damage will now be additive instead of multiplicative, this is a nerf.
*Reaper Mask/Wither Relic/Silk Edge/Frozen Blaze: upgrade from epic to legendary
*Tarantula Helmet: Cap radioactive at 1000 strength (100 crit damage)
**As a tool for fighting tarantula bosses, the tarantula helmet worked well but it was used outside of its purpose to a devastating extent in dungeons and by endgame players. This change will mostly keep tarantula helmet as it currently is but greatly reduce its effectiveness in unintended situations.
*Skeleton Pet: Skeletal Defense (third perk) changed to a 5-second cooldown and deals half the original damage
** Skeleton pet is currently under-used and this perk, in particular, stood out. By reducing the cooldown to 1/3 of the original time and only reducing the damage by 1/2, the overall damage gained from it is increased but more importantly, it makes the skeleton better at protecting its master and will more frequently fire at enemies.
*Tiger Pet's base ferocity buffed to 25 (from 10, now the pet will gain 0.25 per level), Merciless Swipe nerfed to 50% more ferocity (from 100% at legendary-epic, will be nerfed to 15% for a common and 33% for an uncommon/rare)
** Tiger Pet was in an overpowered position where, because it acted as an additional buff, on top of already strong ferocity items, it became better than other pets like the ender dragon or golem for damage. We want to keep it as a useful pet for early players but reduce the impact it has on endgame sets so that tiger can fulfill its purpose as a relatively affordable pet without displacing the more expensive ones.
*Lion Pet: Add 5 ferocity as a base stat
*Lion Pet: Change first pounce to: Increases the effectiveness of first strike/triple strike and combo by 100% (75% for a rare pet)
*Lion Pet: Change King of the Jungle: Gain 15% more damage to mobs who have attacked you
**Lion pet was disappointing as a damage pet and was only used for its first hit bonus.
=== Boss Changes ===
Currently most bosses in the game have a "damage soft cap", meaning that after X damage, players only deal 10% of the remaining damage. We are changing this mechanic on a few Bosses:
*Arachne
*The Magma Boss
*The Ender Dragons
*The Endstone Protector
*The Headless Horseman
On all of these bosses, the soft cap will be changed to multiple soft caps, ending with a hard damage cap based on their Max Health.
*Any damage below 0.4% of their total health remains the same.
*Damage between 0.4% and 0.6% is reduced by 90%,
*Damage between 0.6% and 0.8% is reduced by 99%
*Damage between 0.8% and 1% is reduced by 99,9%.
*Damage above 1% of their health is reduced by 100%.
Let's take the example of the Superior Dragon, which has 12,000,000 health. For the sake of the example, let's pretend dragons don't have any defense.
0.4% of the health of the Superior Dragon is equal to 48000. Any player who deals 48000 damage or less will deal the exact same damage to the dragon and any damage above 48000 will be reduced by 90%. To reach the next soft cap (at 0.6%), players need to deal an extra 240,000 damage. To reach the next soft cap (at 0.8%), players need to deal an extra 2,400,000 damage. To reach the hard cap, (at 1%) players need to deal an extra 24,000,000 damage, so even if a player somehow managed to deal 27 million damage per hits, the dragon would only take up to 120,000 damage, which is 1% of their health.
It is a pretty drastic change but when it comes to public fights, where newer players and veterans are fighting together, we believe boss fights will be more exciting when the damage of everyone is more reasonable. This change should still allow for skill expression and maintain veterans at the top of the damage charts, while being more fun globally.
=== Catacombs Changes ===
All the floors will now have their own requirements for entering based on catacombs level. On top of that, mobs loot from each floor will require the respective catacombs levels (boss loot requirements unchanged).
* The Entrance will require Combat 15
* Floor 1 will require Catacombs level 1
* Floor 2 will require Catacombs level 3
* Floor 3 will require Catacombs level 5
* Floor 4 will require Catacombs level 9
* Floor 5 will require Catacombs level 16
* Floor 6 will require Catacombs level 21
* Floor 7 will require Catacombs level 26
On top of that many changes are made to gear requirements and essence upgrade costs
*Young Dragon Armor: Catacombs requirements lowered to 15
*Old Dragon Armor: Catacombs requirements lowered to 15
*Strong Dragon Armor: Catacombs requirements lowered to 16
*Protector Dragon Armor: Catacombs requirements lowered to 18
*Wise Dragon Armor: Catacombs requirements lowered to 18
*Unstable Dragon Armor: Catacombs requirements lowered to 15
*Holy Dragon Armor: Catacombs requirements lowered to 15
*Superior Dragon Armor: Catacombs requirements lowered to 19
*Regular Dragon Armor essence costs reduced to
** Helmet: Upgrade 40 and 20/30/50/100/150 Dragon Essence per star.
** Chestplate: Upgrade 70 and 30/50/80/120/180 Dragon Essence per star.
** Leggings: Upgrade 60 and 25/40/65/110/160 Dragon Essence per star.
** Boots: Upgrade 35 and 20/30/40/90/140 Dragon Essence per star.
*Superior Dragon costs also reduces proportionally.
*Aspect of the Dragons Catacombs requirements lowered to 17, essence cost upgrade reduced to 150 and 50/100/200/300/400 Dragon Essence per star.
*Midas Sword Catacombs requirements lowered to 17, essence cost upgrade reduced to 100 and 25/50/75/125/200 Gold Essence per star.
*Midas Staff essence cost upgrade reduced to 100 and 50/100/150/200/250 Gold Essence per star.
*Rogue Sword Catacombs requirements lowered to 1, essence cost upgrade reduced to 5 and 5/10/15/20/25 Gold Essence per star.
*Hardened Diamond Armor Catacombs requirements lowered to 1, essence cost upgrade reduced to 10 and 5/10/15/20/25 Diamond Essence per star.
*Perfect Armor Catacombs requirements lowered to 7/8/9/10/11/12/14/15/17/18/19/21 respectively, essence cost upgrade reduced proportionally.
*Frozen Blaze Armor Catacombs requirements lowered to 20, essence cost upgrade reduced proportionally.
*Yeti Sword Catacombs requirements lowered to 22, essence cost upgrade reduced to 100 and 100/150/200/250/300 Ice Essence per star.
*Leaping Sword Catacombs requirements lowered to 8, essence cost upgrade reduced to 20 and 5/10/15/20/25 Spider Essence per star.
*Silk-Edge Sword Catacombs requirements lowered to 13, essence cost upgrade reduced to 20 and 5/10/15/20/25 Spider Essence per star.
*Spider Boots Catacombs requirements lowered to 9, essence cost upgrade reduced to 20 and 10/15/20/25/30 Spider Essence per star.
*Tarantula Armor Catacombs requirements lowered to 16, essence cost upgrade reduced proportionally.
*Runaan’s Bow Catacombs requirements lowered to 8, essence cost upgrade reduced to 20 and 5/10/15/20/25 Spider Essence per star.
*Scorpion Bow Catacombs requirements lowered to 10, essence cost upgrade reduced to 20 and 10/15/20/25/30 Spider Essence per star.
*Mosquito Bow Catacombs requirements lowered to 13, essence cost upgrade reduced to 30 and 15/25/35/45/60 Spider Essence per star.
*Revenant Falchion Catacombs requirements lowered to 15, essence cost upgrade reduced to 500 and 200/400/600/800/1000 Undead Essence per star.
*Reaper Falchion Catacombs requirements lowered to 22, essence cost upgrade reduced to 500 and 200/400/600/800/1000 Undead Essence per star.
*Axe of the Shredded Catacombs requirements lowered to 25, essence cost upgrade reduced to 500 and 200/400/600/800/1000 Undead Essence per star.
*Pigman Sword Catacombs requirements lowered to 18, essence cost upgrade reduced to 200 and 100/200/300/400/500 Undead Essence per star.
*Crystallized Heart Catacombs requirements lowered to 8, essence cost upgrade reduced to 100 and 30/45/60/75/90 Undead Essence per star.
*Revived Heart Catacombs requirements lowered to 15, essence cost upgrade reduced to 100 and 30/45/60/75/90 Undead Essence per star.
*Reaper Mask Catacombs requirements lowered to 24, essence cost upgrade reduced to 500 and 200/400/600/850/1200 Undead Essence per star.
*Reaper Scythe Catacombs requirements lowered to 20, essence cost upgrade reduced to 200 and 100/300/500/700/900 Undead Essence per star.
*Soul Whip Catacombs requirements lowered to 23, essence cost upgrade reduced to 300 and 200/300/400/500/600 Wither Essence per star.
=== General Changes and Bug Fixes ===
* Lifesteal will now heal 0.5% of maximum health per hit per level
* Syphon: Syphon will now heal 0.2% of your maximum health per hit per 100 critical damage and an additional 0.1% per tier. As an example, if I have syphon 3 and 500 crit damage, I will heal 0.4% per 100 so 2% of my maximum health per hit. It caps at 1000 critical damage.
*Ferocity hits will no longer trigger lifesteal/syphon
** Those changes will very significantly nerf healing in the game. We had a few testing sessions in high dungeon floors to see the impact and players were still able to clear the floors with relative ease, but we will monitor the impact of those changes after release.
*** Making healing scale based on the damage of the players was a design mistake, and this change should have a positive impact.
*Mana above maximum mana will be removed
*Wither Cloak sword will be disabled when switching armor sets
*Wither Cloak sword ability will no longer deal damage
*Withermancer Skulls now only have a 10s lifespan
*Rabbit Hat jump boost on f7 will no longer work
*Lesser Orb of Healing will now work in dungeons
* Removing some afk methods (only on public islands)
* Fixing powder gain from Mithril Golem, Sky Mall, and Mining Pumpkins
*Spirit Mask ability will now work in dungeons
*Fel Sword will be fixed
* Class milestones will be removed from the catacombs entrance
*Spirit Pet will work even when the pet isn't selected
That's all for the first round! Please give us your feedback!