I was pretty happy with where the game's balance had been sitting prior to this week's major changes; it wasn't where I eventually want it to be, but then, the game hasn't quite evolved to a state that would support what I'd like just yet.
The big matching/item/pause changes greatly affected the game's overall balance, even more so than I was anticipating; I knew scores would escalate due to both the multiplier as well as the increased survivability that comes with infinitely re-usable items and more readily available resources, but I wasn't quite prepared for just how much easier the game would end up being. So now you can all expect slight adjustments here and there until I am once again satisfied with where the balance stands.
Thank you to everyone who discussed how they felt about the new mechanics and balance, and those who posted screenshots and scores which I could use as references for these tweaks. I look forward to seeing how everyone feels about these and future changes =).
There were actually three updates today, thus the "c" in the version number; here's what's been changed or fixed.
Changelog
Changes:
- Adjusted hero spawn strength per wave (will likely require additional adjustment)
- Players can't replace a floor item with another of the same type if the floor item is out of cooldown (this is to prevent you from accidentally wasting items)
- Punji cooldown now begins after the trap has been triggered, so you don't get a second immediate usage out of it
- Slightly reduced item drop rate
- Increased number of elevators
- Minor UI adjustments [2015.04.27b]
- Slightly toned down the "spread" effect of some items[2015.04.27b]
- Punji trap is removed when item is replaced on a floor[2015.04.27]
Fixes:
- Fetish passive effect wasn't being applied retroactively
- Clicking items while item bar was over Hoard could target the Hoard instead[2015.04.27b]
- Fixed potential but rare crash involving items and particles[2015.04.27b]
- Bomb Codex description was inaccurate[2015.04.27]