Defenders!
In mid-March, we talked in detail about forthcoming changes in the PvP system. We told you about the approaching seasons and updated leagues as well as introduced the new one — Mythic League.
We are genuinely glad that you are so interested in the announcement and have been discussing it a lot. Naturally, you had many questions. We did our best to answer them in the comment section as detailed as possible. There were quite a number of messages on different platforms (VK, Facebook, Steam). Some players might have missed something, so we decided to make up the unified FAQ.
Now, you can find all the needed information in one place :)
There go frequently asked questions about the update and our answers to them!
What will happen to high-level mines after the season starts? When the season starts, all players' ratings will reset and the mines they posses will go to bots. The level of such a mine will be approximately the same as the player's level. You can read more about the PvP rating calculation here.
What will happen to my current leagues after the season starts? Will I have to do everything from scratch? As the seasons begin, only league ratings will reset. The rest of your progress will be saved. If you have already reached high leagues in mines, you'll still be there after the update. At the same time, the maximum possible league in all the mines will be Mythic League. It's important to note that league demotion won't happen anymore. If you reach a certain league in a particular mine, you'll be there — now and in the future seasons :)
Will I be able to participate in league PvP right after the update? League PvP rating will be available only in Mythic League. In other words, before competing in league PvP, you'll have to reach Mythic League first at least in one mine.
If all mines get reset, will everybody suddenly have smaller resource inflow? We will introduce a complex change to the economic balance in the upcoming update, so we cannot consider the economic tweaks only with respect to the mines. Yes, players will have to fight for resources once again. At first, the inflow of essences and silver may indeed decrease. Yet, at the same time, we will improve the league rewards — in both "blue area" (since now such players will get rewards too) and new Mythic League that will let you earn valuable red crystals. Moreover, stars for watching ads will be back ;)
If it becomes more difficult to obtain resources, what will happen to gold helmets? They are already hard to get but if the mine inflow reduces, there'll be a real shortage. Players will be able to receive gold tokens even for reaching the "blue area" so they will become easier to obtain. Blue chests can contain from 1 to 3 gold tokens and green chests, up to 9 (depending on the league).
You mentioned some Hero changes. What are you planning to change? Yes, we are planning to reconsider the Hero system but for now, it's only an internal discussion of possible best options. We understand that many of you are interested in the question but we are not ready to answer right now — we are still searching for optimal decisions. What we know for sure is that everything will be the same in the short term.
Taking into account the new conditions, will the tower power have the decisive role in reaching the PvP top list? That being said, will the players who managed to get cyan runes have a significant advantage? Remember that Defenders 2 is not only a tower defense but a collectible card game too. In CCGs, PvP tests not only your skill — it tests your collection. Players should win games thanks to their efforts (which includes getting an impressive collection), not abusing strategies. Another thing is that season PvP rewards are there to highlight the status in the first place. If a player spent enough effort and time to get a great collection and then managed to enter the top 100 list, that player does deserve a special title in the chat. Moreover, we'll keep an eye on the course of the first season as well as your feedback. If needed, we are ready to adjust the PvP rules accordingly.
Some players will receive their PvP rewards at the beginning of the first season. These rewards will give their towers additional damage. Does it mean they will have an advantage too? As mentioned above, season rewards are mostly a sign of status. Yes, they do give a certain bonus to damage but it's not that huge, so current 100 top players won't get a significant advantage over others.
Why do you think the Ship Crane change will solve the problem with abuse? Doesn't it mean it will still be there but players will have to spend several hours instead of 10–15 minutes to perform it? Shop Crane changes are just the first step towards a complete solution. This change will significantly complicate the mechanics and we do hope there won't be a lot of players ready to spend hours on a single battle. Additionally, we are working on other balance changes to stop this and other abusing strategies once and for all.
Are you going to keep the daily PvP rewards? Yes, daily PvP rewards will remain.
Will the swap mine mechanics change? In this update, we are not planning to change PvP mechanics in resource mines. Your opponents will be selected in the same way.
Is it possible to be on the top of both PvP modes? It is hard but possible in theory. Time will tell ;) We remind that the first season is a test season in many respects and the rules might change in the future.
How many red crystals will be given in Mythic League? Blue chests will contain 15 red crystals. To get them, you'll need to complete just one battle during the competition (that lasts 48 hours). This way, if you reach Mythic League in all eight mines, you can get 120 red crystals once in two days for just eight battles. Green chests will contain 50 red crystals. These chests are granted to three best players in the competition. Thus, it's possible to receive up to 400 red crystals in two days! As mentioned above, the first season is a test season so numbers might change in the future.
Is there any news about the previously announced castle? Late last year we told that we were working on a castle — a separate location, a kind of a base for a player. However, after a while we realized: before turning all efforts to a new feature, we should tweak other more important aspects of the game and improve mechanics that will affect it directly. Even though the developers' focus was shifted in the following months, we continue to work on the castle. Moreover, soon we'll be ready to show you how it looks ;)
You sent quite a few questions after the updated PvP system announcement, and we tried to answer as many of them as possible. But if you still have something to ask, go ahead! Write your questions in the comment section below and we'll make sure to answer!