Although we always emphasize that the adjustments on balance “is a long-lasting process, and we need sufficient time to test so as to guarantee that the adjustments are effective and reasonable”, we will still post an announcement before implementing key updates and improvements to let players know in advance. This announcement serves for the same reason.
After the Preseason, players will have no access to 1V1 Ranked. But they can still play 1V1 Quick Play and 1V1 Versus A.I.
Don’t take this the wrong way. We all love 1V1. It is exciting. It is challenging. It is even more fascinating than 3V3 when both sides are pro players.
However, we decide to disable it temporarily because 1V1, as a mode focusing on strategy, has some fundamental flaws:
- Due to insufficient players participating in 1V1 and a limited options of units and Commander Skills for a single match, winning a 1V1 largely depends on fixed strategies and ban. After all, one deck can only accommodate 10 units. There’s not too much optional countermeasures in battle. Once a strategy fails, it will be harder for the player to find another one compared with that in 3V3.
- Let’s put the Immolation aside and talk about something else. Each wave of troops in 1V1 is a duplicate of the last wave, maybe some minor changes. A player can easily predict the opponent’s next move, because for each player, there’s always those 10 units from which s/he can choose.
- Because a player send almost the same troops in each wave, once s/he dominates, s/he can easily stack those powerful units such as the Great Whale, the Bear Vanguard and the Asterion. So the weaker side will be overwhelmed in a much shorter time compared with that in 3V3, turning the last several waves to garbage time.
- Furthermore, 1V1 intensified the unit imbalance, resulting in a lot of players getting defeated easily by some “overpowered” units. They grumble to us every day. Please take a look at some figures: according to the data collected from the recent 1V1 matches, each race has more than 1 unit that grant players 70% chance of winning the match once they send such units while their opponents don’t. However, this figure in 3V3 is only as high as 63% and it is claimed by the HEF Flamethrower.
- As the gold consumed by each Commander Skill will increase per time, both sides in a 1V1 don’t have too much chance and time to change strategies. Using Commander Skills is more like a routine: Players can only use three Commander Skills for a limited number of times, each time consuming a certain amount of gold. The opponents can easily predict their moves and adopt countermeasures in advance.
Anyway, 1V1 mode has various flaws that prevent players from trying different strategies and playing smart (the two are seen as the basics of the Art of War: Red Tides as a strategy game). So far, its performance hasn’t lived up to our expectations.
On the other hand, however, 1V1 mode has its unique features that have attracted so many commanders, including members of our dev team.
We are not going to cut it out. Instead, we are planning to rework it.
The new 1V1 mode is based on the following design goals:
- More optional units/Commander Skills.
- Eased rules and restrictions.
- Larger chance for players to change strategies.
In order to guarantee that the new 1V1 mode can survive the pro players’ scrutiny, we will work hard and try to bring it live again as a featured game mode in the Arena.
BTW, a new Terran trait will replace the Mass Production in the next update. Please stay tuned.
Steam has provided an open platform, which is a strong support for the Art of War: Red Tides’ Early Access. Commanders in the Steam Community are offering us the vital data regarding their game experience every day. Our goal is to make Art of War: Red Tides a multiplayer strategy game that allows all the players around the world can play it on the same server. On this long journey, we will bring you more overturning changes in the future.
Commanders, thanks for your support and enthusiasm. We will work hard to make Art of War: Red Tides better.
See you on the battlefield,
The Art of War: Red Tides Team