June Update: Early Balance Look

Hey Everyone!

Welcome to a new series of balancing blogs for Darktide! Going forward we will be doing regular balance changes to the game alongside big updates. As part of this journey we want to include you, the community, by sharing our intended changes early on to gather feedback and ensure our intention matches your expectations. Let's begin by discussing our approach to balancing Darktide. We strive to create a balanced game environment, recognizing that perfect balance in a PvE-focused game may be unattainable and perhaps unnecessary. However, a reasonable level of balance among weapons is essential. This ensures players feel empowered to experiment with various setups and choose options that are both enjoyable and engaging for their playstyle.

This initial set of balance adjustments focuses on improving underperforming weapons so they can better compete with top-tier options. Some of these changes also pave the way for new weapons, such as the powerful signature shotgun coming with the Arbites class. Adjustments to existing shotguns were made to ensure the Arbites weapons feel satisfying without completely overshadowing their existing counterparts.

While we are aware of some currently powerful weapons that need addressing, we chose to first elevate the lower-performing options rather than immediately nerfing the top ones.

Detailed explanations of the specific changes to each weapon are provided below. Going forward, we plan to implement more frequent balance updates to keep the game fresh, address outliers, and introduce new and interesting playstyles.

List:

• Coming changes in 1.8.0

  • "Devil's Claw" Swords

  • Tactical Axes

  • Shock Mauls

  • Heavy Eviscerators

  • Helbore Lasguns

  • Combat Shotguns

  • Double-barreled Shotgun

Catachan "Devil's Claw" Swords

This batch of changes for the Devil’s Claw swords aims at further reinforcing the crowd control and reliability of the family.

We increased the offensive properties of the Light attack profiles, while also significantly increasing the armour damage modifiers of the Heavy Strikedown and Special Riposte profiles against specific armour types.

We improved the base Stamina statistic, reduced the minimum Block time (the amount of time that the Block stance must be maintained after performing the input) and allowed for most attacks and attack starts to be performed while sprinting.

This will make the weapon snappier and more responsive in different situations.

Finally, we took a pass on all attacks to tweak active windows, ranges and hitboxes to be better aligned with their animations.

For the Mk I, we added a new Heavy Strikedown attack, only reached from Light 3. In turn, the Light 3 attack is now reachable also from the Push action, and has an increased baseline power multiplier. 

These additions will grant additional options to a mark which was lacking in single target attacks.

For the Mk IV, we raised the power level multiplier of the Light 4 attack as it was very far into the attack chain and not particularly enticing.

For the Mk VII, we increased the power level multiplier of the Pushfollow and Light 3 attacks while also changing the possible combos after a Riposte attack.

Now after a successful Special Parry, the combo will chain into the Pushfollow attack instead of Light 3; as the Pushfollow attack still chains into Light 3, this will give the mark a new unique chain.

Detailed Changes - Catachan "Devil's Claw" Swords

Damage profiles

• Light Vanguard

  • 1st target damage from {40, 80} to {60, 100}

Dev Note: The change will also affect the Turtolsky Heavy Swords Special followup Light attacks

• Light Strikedown / Light Strikedown Stab

  • 1st target adm vs Maniac from 1 to 1.25

  • 1st target damage from {100, 200} to {115, 230}

  • 2nd target damage from {25,60} to {40,80}

Dev Note: The changes will also affect the Turtolsky Heavy Swords Pushfollow attacks and the Maccabian Mk V Duelling Sword Light 3 attack

• Heavy Strikedown

  • 1st target adm vs Unarmoured from 1 to 1.1

  • 1st target adm vs Unyielding from 0.75 to 1.25

• Riposte

  • 1st target adm vs Unarmoured from 1 to 1.25

  • 1st target adm vs Unyielding from 1 to 1.25

  • 1st target adm vs Carapace armour from 0.25 to 0.5

All marks

• Added Allowed during sprint to most attacks and attack starts

• Block minimum time from 0.3 to 0.225

• Stamina template update:

  • Base Stamina from 4 to 4.5

• Tweaked damage windows, hitboxes and ranges for several attacks

• Updated Inspect screen to correct some attack gestalt icons (visual only change)

Mk I

• Added a new Heavy Strikedown attack with 540 power level multiplier 

  • This attack will chain only from Light 3

• Light 3 chains now to Light 2 / new Heavy Strikedown instead of Light 1 / Heavy 1

• Push chains now to Light 3 / Heavy 1 instead of Light 1 / Heavy 1

• Heavy 2 chain time to Start attack from 0.55 to 0.5

• Push chain time to Start attack from 0.35 to 0.3

• Added 545 power level multiplier to Light 3

• Added 535 power level multiplier to Pushfollow attack

Mk IV

• Heavy 1 windup from secondary start from 0.56 to 0.46

• Added 550 power level multiplier to Light 4

Mk VII

• Pushfollow damage profile from Light Strikedown to Light Strikedown Stab

• Riposte chains now to Pushfollow / Heavy 1 instead of Light 3 / Heavy 1

• Added 535 power level multiplier to Light 3

• Added 525 power level multiplier to Pushfollow attack

Atrox Tactical Axes

While sporting overall good mobility, the Tactical Axes had only average Sprint values.

We significantly improved their Sprint profile, while also allowing for most attacks and attack starts to be performed while sprinting.

We also significantly raised the damage of the Special attacks and added a new profile for the Heavy Strikedowns with a vertical or uppercut direction, with increased damage and Carapace armour modifier.

Finally, we took a pass on all attacks to tweak active windows, ranges and hitboxes to be better aligned with their animations.

For the Mk II, we added a power level boost to the Light 3 attack, as it is further into the attack chain, and to both Special attacks, as they are slower compared to the other two marks.

For the Mk IV, we upgraded the damage profile for both Heavy attacks and slightly lowered their chain timings, as they are both performed in a vertical or uppercut direction.

For the Mk VII, we added a power level boost to all Light attacks, as they inflict a higher movement speed penalty compared to the Lights of the other marks, and changed the Heavy 2 profile to the new Heavy Strikedown.

Detailed Changes - Atrox Tactical Axes

Damage profiles

• Light Assassin

  • Added 3rd target

• Heavy Strikedown (diagonal)

  • Adm vs Carapace armour from 0.25 to 0.3

• Added a new Heavy Strikedown profile for vertical and uppercut attacks, with the same properties as Heavy Strikedown (diagonal) aside from:

  • 1st target damage from {100,200} to {115,230}

  • 1st target adm vs Carapace armour from 0.3 to 0.5

• Special Stab

  • 1st target damage from {25,50} to {70,140}

  • Removed Crit Chance bonus

• Special Strikedown

  • 1st target damage from {25,50} to {60,120}

  • 1st target impact from {8,16} to {10,20}

  • Removed Crit Chance bonus

All marks

• Sprint template from “default” to “assault”

  • Forward acceleration from {0.15, 0.4} to {0.4, 0.8}

  • Forward deceleration from 1.25 to 2.1

  • Sprint speed modifier from {-0.5, 0.5} to {-0.25, 0.85}

• Increased action total time for most Heavy attacks

  • This will make continuing the combo chain after the attacks more forgiving

• Added Allowed during sprint to most attacks and attack starts

• Tweaked damage windows, hitboxes and ranges for most attacks

• Buffer time for the Special input from 0.2 to 0.4

Mk II

• Added power level multiplier 515 to Light 3

• Added power level multiplier 550 to Special 1 and Special 2

Mk IV

• Changed damage profile of Heavy 1 and Heavy 2 from Heavy Strikedown (diagonal) to the new Heavy Strikedown (vertical/uppercut)

• Lowered chain times to Start Attack and Special Attack from Heavy 1 and Heavy 2 from 0.5 to 0.4

• Added power level multiplier 515 to Heavy 2

Mk VII

• Changed damage profile of Heavy 2 from Heavy Strikedown (diagonal) to the new Heavy Strikedown (vertical/uppercut)

• Added power level multiplier 550 to Light 1,  Light 2,  Light 3

Shock Mauls

The Shock Mauls, while being dependable in inflicting stagger, were also below average in damage output and overall not very exciting.

We increased the damage against the 1st target on most profiles, with a particularly large bonus to the Heavy Strikedown and Special attacks.

We also enhanced the base Stamina template, and tweaked hitboxes and active windows of some attacks to better align with their animations.

For the attacks with an uppercut direction (Light 3 on the Mk Ia / Light 4 on the Mk III) we slightly delayed the start of the attack active window to make it easier to connect with weakspots.

Finally, for the Mk Ia, we added power level multipliers to the Light 3 and Light 4 attacks, to make them a more enticing combo alternative to just returning to Heavy 1.

Detailed Changes - Shock Mauls

Damage profiles

• Light Strikedown

  • 1st target damage from {100,200} to {115,210}

• Light Vanguard

  • Cleave from “light” to “medium”

    • From {3.0,6.0} to {4.0,9.0}

  • 1st target damage from {100,150} to {110,165}

• Heavy Relentless

  • 1st target damage from {110,260} to {120,270}

• Heavy Strikedown

  • Cleave from “big” to “light”

    • From {8.5,12.5} to {3.0,6.0}

  • 1st target damage from {140,350} to {160,390}

  • 4th target damage override removed (from 0 to {30,50})

• Light Relentless

  • adm vs Maniac from 0.8 to 0.75

  • adm vs Carapace armour from 0.75 to 0.4

  • 1st target damage from {80,150} to {90,165}

• Special attack

  • Sticky damage tick from {10,70} to {30,80}

  • Stun damage tick from {40,50} to {50,65}

All marks

• Stamina template update:

  • Base Stamina from 4 to 4.5

  • Sprint cost per second from {1.5, 0.5} to {1.25, 0.75}

  • Inner angle Block cost from {1.5, 0.5} to {1.0, 0.5}

Mk Ia

• Light 1 damage profile from Light Relentless to Light Vanguard

• Added power level multiplier 530 to Light 3

• Added power level multiplier 550 to Light 4

• Tweaked hitboxes for Light 3 and Light 4

• Tweaked damage windows for Light 4 to make it easier to connect with weakspots

Mk III

• Tweaked hitboxes and damage windows for Light 1 and Light 2

• Tweaked damage windows for Light 3 to make it easier to connect with weakspots

Tigrus Heavy Eviscerators

The Eviscerators thunder was in part stolen by the Relic Blades, which have overall better cleave properties while also being no slouch in the single target department.

To give these iconic Zealot weapons a deserved bump, we tweaked most of the attack profiles: we removed the damage caps on secondary targets for the sweeping Vanguard/Relentless attacks, but also increased several armour modifier values, significantly improved the damage on the Heavy profiles and normalised most of the Special active profiles.

For the Mk III, we changed the chain times to key actions after the Heavy 1 attack to make it more responsive but less spammable with swap cancelling, slightly increased the speed of the Light 2 attack and added a power level multiplier to the Light 3 and Heavy 2 attacks.

Detailed Changes - Tigrus Heavy Eviscerators

Damage profiles

• Light Strikedown

  • adm vs Maniac from 0.5 to 0.9

  • adm vs Infested from 0.75 to 1

  • Removed adm reduction on 1st target vs Carapace armour; from 0.1 to 0.25

• Light Vanguard/Relentless

  • Upped damage on secondary targets

  • Removed damage cap after 4th target

• Heavy Vanguard

  • 1st target damage from {150,300} to {165,345}

  • 1st target finesse multiplier from 0.5 to {0.4,1.0}

  • Upped damage on secondary targets

• Heavy Strikedown

  • 1st target damage from {150,300} to {175,350}

  • 1st target adm vs Carapace armour from 0.25 to 0.5

  • 1st target finesse multiplier from 0.5 to {0.5, 1.0}

• Light Strikedown (Special active)

  • Removed damage overrides

  • Removed finesse multiplier override

• Light Vanguard/Heavy Strikedown/Pushfollow (Special active)

  • Removed damage overrides

All marks

• Added 0.4s buffer time to the Unwield input

 Mk III

• Heavy 1 chain to Unwield from 0 to 0.45

• Heavy 1 chain to Start attack from 0.6 to 0.45

• Heavy 1 chain to Block from 0.7 to 0.6

• Light 2 time scale from 0.85 to 0.9 (sped up)

• Added power level multiplier 525 to Heavy 2 and Light 3

• Updated Heavy 2 and Pushfollow attack damage profiles on Special abort

Mk XV

• Updated Pushfollow attack damage profiles on Special active and Special abort

Lucius Helbore Lasguns

The Helbore Lasguns suffered from a very long Wield action duration, making it hard to quickly swap to them to shoot at priority targets (especially accounting also for the shot charging).

While this behaviour was intended, it also became increasingly punishing as the enemy numbers grew in higher difficulties.

In this balancing pass we sped up the Wield action, walking the line of maintaining the cumbersome feeling while also allowing for the weapons to be easier to swap into.

Alongside this change, we improved some of the armour and Finesse modifiers for ranged shots, and extended the hitscan radius of the las projectiles*, to make it easier for the weapon to shine as a marksman tool.

* This will make the hitscan detection more generous and allow for shots that would have slightly missed the target to still be considered a hit.

For the Mk V, we slightly increased the camera zoom in ADS mode.

For the Mk IV, we increased the camera zoom in ADS mode to be equivalent as the Mk IIIa. 

We also improved the speed and offensive properties of the Special Slash attack, to be more in line with the Special Stab used in the other marks.

Detailed Changes - Lucius Helbore Lasguns

Damage profiles

• Near charged shot 

  • adm vs Unarmoured from 1 to 1.1

  • adm vs Maniac from 1 to 1.25

  • adm vs Infested from 1 to 1.1

• Far charged shot

  • adm vs Unarmoured from 1 to 1.25

  • adm vs Infested from 1 to 1.25

• All shots Finesse Boost

  • vs Carapace armour from 0.1 to 0.2

  • vs Maniac from 0.25 to 0.35

  • vs Unyielding from 0.25 to 0.3

• Special Slash

  • Added Ignore stagger reduction

  • 1st target finesse multiplier from 0.75 to 1

All Marks

• Added time scale 1.5 to Wield action (sped up)

• Added 0.05 radius to hitscan templates

• Buffer time for the Special input from 0.2 to 0.4

Mk V

• ADS Vertical Field of View from 65 to 55

Mk IV

• Chain from Special start to Special attack from 0.3 to 0.25

• Chain from Special attack to Special start from 0.7 to 0.645

• Tweaked Special attack hitbox and damage window

• ADS Vertical Field of View from 65 to 45

Combat Shotguns

The Combat Shotguns have been in a spot where they are mostly used for their Special shells, while the normal shots felt underwhelming in most circumstances. They also suffered from long reload times relative to other weapons.

With this update we are trying to improve the overall usability without relying solely on the Special mechanic. Along with increased base damage and reload speed, the Combat Shotgun family gets updated Sprint and Stamina templates, to enable a more mobile, close-range playstyle and not rely only on precision weak-spot shots.

We also significantly increased the ammo reserves for all marks.

Finally, we slightly increased the Cleave and Impact values to allow it to punch through lesser enemies.

For the Mk VII, we aligned the Finesse boost curve between hipfire and ADS modes.

For the Mk IX, we slightly extended the Near and Far effective ranges.

Detailed Changes - Combat Shotguns

All Marks

• Sprint template from “killshot” to “assault”

  • Sprint forward acceleration from {0.15, 0.4} to {0.4, 0.8}

  • Sprint forward deceleration from 1.25 to 2.1

  • Sprint sideway acceleration/deceleration from 5 to 7

  • Sprint speed modifier from {0.5, 0.5} to {0.25, 0.85}

• Updated Stamina template 

  • Stamina modifier from 2 to 4

  • Sprint cost per second from {2, 1.5} to {1.5, 0.5}

• Increased Reload speed by around 10%

  • Affecting both regular and special shells

Damage profiles

• Zarona MK VI

  • Damage from {250, 500} to {300, 600}

  • Cleave

    • Cleave attack From 0.01 to {2, 4}

    • Cleave impact from 0.01 to {2, 4}

  • Ammo reserve from {60, 80} to {70, 95}

• Agripinaa Mk VII

  • Damage from {200, 400} to {250, 480}

  • Cleave

    • Cleave attack From 1.3 to 2.5

    • Cleave impact from 1.3 to 2.5

  • Ammo reserve from {75, 95} to {80, 105}

  • Finesse boost curve shooting from HipFire increased to match ADS.

    • {0.6,1.2} to {1.25,2.5}

• Accatran Mk IX

  • Damage from {450, 700} to {550, 740}

  • Cleave

    • Cleave attack From 2 to 3.5

    • Cleave impact from 1 to 3

  • Ranges

    • Close range from {6, 8} to {6, 11}

    • Long range from {12, 16}  to {12, 17}

  • Ammo reserve from {45, 65} to {55, 85}

Double-barreled Shotgun

To increase the reliability of the weapon against bigger targets, we increased the armour damage modifier against the Unyielding type at both Near and Far ranges.

Additionally, we slightly raised the ammo reserves to allow for more aggressive approaches.

Detailed Changes - Double-barreled Shotgun

Damage profiles

• adm vs Unyielding

  • Near from 1.0 to 1.1

  • Far from 0.5 to 0.65

• Ammo reserve increased from {40, 80} to {50, 90}

Future Balancing Pass

While not included in this round of changes (and not the only tweaks considered) these are on our radar for a future balancing pass.

Duelling Swords 

We are currently undertaking a comprehensive rework of the weapon, examining every aspect. While a damage reduction is probable, and will likely contribute to the solution, our aim is to bring its power level in line with other weapons while reinforcing its player fantasy and raising its skill ceiling.

Plasma Gun

We recognise that the Plasma Gun's primary attack presents an issue. This often leads to gameplay revolving around quick attacks, bypassing the intended trade-offs associated with the potent, yet volatile, secondary charged attacks.

Give this a read and let us know your thoughts in the comments below! We’ll be reading the comments and feedback to our plans.

See you on the Mourningstar.

– The Darktide Team