Intro
Subdivisions have been neglected for quite some time, and we have long made plans to gradually upgrade them.
We have now decided to focus on updating Subdivision Battles and its modes, as this is the main activity for subdivisions currently.
In this article, we'll go into more detail about the changes awaiting players, and also try to explain why certain decisions were made.
After the update of Subdivision Battles, we will undertake a redesign of the entire subdivision system.
Disclaimer
All materials represented do not reflect final results and may be changed!
Some of the described mechanics may be changed by the time the update is released or removed from the update entirely.
Brawls
Let's begin with the most popular Subdivision Battles mode — Brawls.
What challenges we faced:
Subdivision Battles is content with a fairly high entry threshold, as it requires numerous participants and most importantly, the experience of playing participants;
Many people are lacking massive clan content, but some don't want to accept a need to get involved in politics;
Long wait for the game — losing the first fight — no awards — sleep.
So what solutions have we come to:
Subdivisions of 15 participants or more will be allowed to enter Brawls;
Bracket is formed with 16 subdivisions, which are split into groups of 4;
There are no losers. Each subdivision will play 3 matches;
During the match, subdivisions earn capture points, from which they will share in a percentage of the stage's prize pot;
From stage to stage, subdivisions will be re-grouped on the basis of top of earned Crimson Casings within the current bracket.
We expect these changes to help advance those subdivisions with few participants and little understanding of internal politics.
At the same time, the changes should also satisfy those who consider themselves experienced and strong enough to enlist someone else's support.
Now you can play 1vs3 and still get your piece of the pie! After the first defeat, forget about the word “sleep”. No more losses — only matches.
Brawls reworked bracket view
Tournaments
Moving on to content for esports players — Tournaments.
What challenges we faced:
A matchup of opponents of too different power within the bracket;
There is no redistribution of rankings between closely matched subdivisions because they do not intentionally face each other;
Rewards levels do not correlate with the opponents' power level or their labour input in battle, but remain at the same level for everyone;
Trying so hard doesn't pay off when you lose;
Long wait for the game — losing the first fight — no awards — sleep.
So what solutions have we come to:
Bracket participants are matched as closely as possible by their ranking level;
According to the rank of the strongest subdivision, the reward level for all stages of the bracket is set;
An effort reward appears, which is obtained if a subdivision scores the minimum required capture points and loses;
All subdivisions play three rounds. The results of the match will determine which group the subdivisions will qualify for in the next stage;
The draw as the outcome of the match was removed.
We'll talk about ranks a little later, but for now, one thing is important:
- The higher the ranking of opponents in the bracket — the higher the rewards for stages in this bracket.
What are the groups, and how will everyone play the three stages anyway?
- It's simple. Initially, 8 subdivisions close to each other by ranking are selected for the bracket, starting with the strongest ones.
Then they are randomly paired with each other and play matches in the 0-0 group (win-loss score).
At the end of the match, the subdivisions are divided into 1-0 and 0-1 groups, where they are again randomly paired with each other, they play again and get into the next 2-0, 1-1 and 0-2 groups.
Thus, the bracket results are as follows:
3-0 | Subdivision won all matches in the bracket. Good job!
2-1 and 1-2 | Subdivisions performing well in the bracket.
0-3 | Subdivision lost all matches in the bracket. Looks like it was their bad day.
Even if you lose all matches in the bracket, but show results, you will still get Crimson Casings, treasury and other rewards.
And losing in higher ranked brackets can be just as valuable as winning in lower ranked brackets. So there will always be motivation to strive for a level of play with more challenging opponents.
Top players may justifiably point out that high-level brackets will have the most sweat and exhausting battles, and they would be completely right.
We do fear that this could happen, and the top subdivisions will exhaust themselves, but that's why the S ranked brackets will be the most valuable, and the season rewards even more valuable.
Tournaments reworked bracket view
Rating seasons and ranking system
Before we move on to the rewards, it's worth discussing how the approach to rating seasons will change, and what changes will happen to the rating itself.
There will be a lot of nuances and complex information here, but it is important for understanding the whole idea.
Ranking and season issues
Seasons start with a zero rating, causing large rating swings in the first few weeks;
There is no save of rankings between seasons so that when a new one starts, everyone isn't thrown into total battles;
Ranking seasons have to be held in a few months to allow the rankings to become representative;
Simultaneous holding of several rating events. For example, when the subdivision ranking season and the event ranking are going on at the same time.
Appearance of ranks
There will be a total of 6 subdivision ranks:
S | Best 8 subdivisions of 2000 rating;
A | > 2000 rating;
B | 1750 - 1999 rating;
C | 1500 - 1749 rating;
D | 1250 - 1499 rating;
E | 0 - 1249 rating.
A subdivision is initially assigned a 1000 rating (E) the first time it participates in the Tournament.
During the ranking season, a subdivision gains/losses ranking when participating in Tournament matches.
Ranks affect the reward levels in the Tournament bracket stages, and the rewards at the end of the ranking season.
Start of the rating season
With the start of the rating season, the rating is reset as follows:
All A and S level subdivisions are reset to 2000 rating;
Lower level subdivisions are reset to the lower threshold of their level if they have not participated in at least 3 game days during the season;
If a subdivision is at the lower threshold of its level and has not played 3 game days, it drops to the lower boundary of the previous level;
D subdivisions are reset to 1000 rating;
Tier E subdivisions are not subject to any rating changes from season to season.
Requirements for season rewards and game day scoring
The subdivision must meet the requirements to receive the season reward:
50% of rating days must be counted as game days;
A minimum of 40% of the subdivision stages have been attended.
A day is counted as a game day for a subdivision when at least one stage for that day was counted as something other than a runaway.
A stage counts for a particular subdivision as a runaway if one of the following conditions has been met:
Less than 30 players were killed on the stage in total. In this case, runaway counts for the team with the most points scored below;
A team scores less than 10% of the total capture score;
No tent was purchased;
A tent was bought but not placed/not taken out by an enemy player;
Fewer players entered the stage than the minimum required for registration.
Off-season
Off-season is a period of time outside the active ranking season during which Tournaments do not change rankings, rewards are set at the same level, and opponent selection is once again randomised.
It's necessary so that players and subdivisions can take a break from the intense wars, make player substitutions, accumulate resources before the new season, and distract to the season event.
Rewards
Well, now the most delicious part! What's the point of all this fuss, and when are the guarantees coming?!
We will not disclose absolutely all the rewards that await you, but we will tell you about some of them.
Dividing rewards by recipient
As before, rewards remain to be given to the subdivision and its members, but we also plan to give rewards to leaders as well.
We are currently planning to issue some amounts of game currency, which the leader can spend at their discretion: to strengthen the equipment of their fighters, save money for the production of consumables or spend it on themselves for their labours.
We will be actively monitoring money flows and how the leaders decide to manage it. Remember that big brother is…
It's a foundation that will help us issue more rewards and resources for you in the future.
Rank rewards
As you may have noticed, we've dropped the faction top rewards. Subdivisions now participate in the overall scoring among all factions.
Each rank will have its own level of rewards, and the S rank even has numbered positions that will earn distinguished numbered rewards. When released, these should be the Season Cups for your Hideout.
The most important and valuable reward at the end of the seasons will be crimson tokens (the current crimson tokens are not the tokens that will be on release. You'll need to spend them by 21.08.2025, or they'll burn up!).
The higher your rank, the more tokens you get. You'll be able to spend them for a guaranteed weapon and attachment if you're missing part of the blueprint or if you don't have any at all.
In addition to the above-mentioned cups, we've got one new weapon in the case for Crimson Casings, cool charms, and something special: styles for Albatross Heavy Assault Armored Exoskeleton and Gauss Rifle!
Styles will be the most expensive items in the subdivision shop, which are purchased with crimson tokens.
We will be adding new customisation items to the subdivision shop in the future.
Base captures
What challenges we faced:
Take too long and exhaust the participants;
Hardly doing a good job of confronting the top subdivisions and redistributing the rankings between them;
The subdivisions involved in the ranking race are additionally loaded.
So what solutions have we come to:
There is no rating change on Base captures;
Participation in Base captures is not obligatory. Removed the 160 rating penalty for not attending the mode;
All subdivisions that have at least a unit of rating are eligible to participate in Base captures;
All four bases are being captured at the same time;
The maximum number of participants of each base is four;
Changed the format of the bracket. A “second chance bracket” has appeared.
Let's start by explaining how registration to the mode works now:
Any subdivision with a rating can prioritise the bases they qualify for in the registration window and then submit a request for participation.
When registration closes, the system will start assigning subdivisions to bases according to their ranking and priority.
In other words, if you are the highest ranked subdivision among all, you are guaranteed to participate in the base capture that you put as the first priority.
The TOP-16 ranked subdivisions will be selected from all those who have applied and will be distributed to the bases.
Subdivisions that did not make it to the Base captures will be refunded their registration costs.
For the off-season, the rating obtained in the previous season will be relevant. Registration to the mode will be based on it.
View of the redesigned Base сaptures registration screen
It's pretty simple with the bracket. We rejected the “Losers are out” format in favour of “Losers move on to the second chance bracket” to reduce the overall time of the mode, but to preserve the opportunity to win back for those who came in with “their monitors off” in the first stage.
However, there is an unpleasant moment with the fact that the winners of the upper bracket will have to wait for the “losers” in the third stage to decide who is worthy to go to the finals. We hope this does not create much discomfort.
Base captures reworked bracket view
Other updates
In addition, an updated subdivision leaderboard awaits you, where you can see the history of the tops over the past seasons.
View of subdivisions leaderboard in the overall ranking
A history of your matches and your subdivision's matches will be added. In your match history, you will be able to track the subdivisions where you have achieved combat feats.
Match history window view
There are also plans to add a match centre where you can see all active and past brackets in all Subdivision Battles modes.
You'll be able to expand each bracket and see the participants and the outcome of the battle. No more screenshots will be necessary.
When is the release!?
You know that we don't like to make promises about release dates, as unforeseen circumstances can occur during development that shift the release dates of updates.
We realise the importance of this update and want to release it with as few problems as possible. So there can be postponements.
For now, we believe in September of this year.
Afterword
That's it! Share your thoughts and ideas. Tell us what you liked and what causes you concern.
We hope you enjoyed it all and look forward to some good feedback! And remember, this is just the beginning…