This update is mainly about minor QOL improvement, building adjustments, and other balance adjustments. At the same time, we hope to take this opportunity to answer some questions about Casual Mode.
Interface and QoL
Now the game will remember the mode last selected by the player
Battle Victory and Defeat music no longer loops
Buildings
Added two new building layouts (different from the old layout in the position of defensive walls)
Anti-armor Cannon and rapid-fire Cannon will be affected by the paralysis effect caused by the core building (the 2 towers) destruction
Anti-Armor Cannon: Range 140 → 135, Health Point 3734 → 4334 (+16%)
Rapid-Fire Cannon: Range 130 → 125, Health Point 3055 → 3146 (+3%)
Developer's Note: These adjustments will reduce the area covered by a single defensive building, which will make the three-lane (the left, middle, and right) structures of the map more clear and also make the wall & cannon combo easier to deal with. Now, Marksman, as the early long-range unit, can shoot Anti-Armor Cannons from outside their range. To compensate for the reduction in range, we have also slightly increased the HP of both types of cannons.
Other Balance Adjustments
EXP
Slightly increased the EXP required for units to rank up to levels 4 - 9.
Developer's Note: This adjustment has little impact on the early rounds. It will mainly affect the timing of high-level units in later rounds.
Phantom Ray
[Stealth Cloak] Price 250 → 200
Developer's Note: After the adjustment to the stealth mechanism in previous updates, the cost of the [Stealth Clock] appears to be too high.
Fire Badger
[Field Maintenance] Price 250 → 200
[Counter-Fire] Price 200 → 150
[Scorching Fire] Price 300 → 250
Developer's Note: We had given the new Fire Badger relatively conservative stats because of caution, and we are now in the process of slowly making minor buffs to the Fire Badger based on the statistical data.
Void Eye
ATK 1008 → 968 (-4%)
HP 1509 → 1569 (+4%)
Developer's Note: We hope to slightly encourage the usage of the survival-related Tech of the Void Eye with this adjustment.
Raiden
HP 18349 → 17432 (-5%)
Developer's Note: After more means of chaff clear options were introduced, Raiden has become the most popular giant unit. We decided to slightly reduce Raiden's HP so that anti-air units can more effectively counter it.
Mustang
EXP required to rank-up 1100 → 1200 (+9%)
Developer's Note: Mustang has always been among the top 5 most popular units and has always been well-liked by many people. However, recently, its usage rate has become a bit too high, so we have decided to slightly slow down the rank-up speed of Mustang.
Equipments
[Laser Sight], [Improved Fire Control System], and [Heavy Armor] will no longer appear in the second round
Battlefield Power
[Sticky Oil Bomb]: ignited oil's ground fire duration time 50s → 35s
[Incendiary Bomb]: ground fire duration time 50s → 35s
Developer's Note: After the Fire Badger became a core unit, players can now more easily ignite oil, so we have decided to reduce the duration of the ground fire to balance this.
Bugfixes
Fixed the issue where the scrollbar in the Season Store defaulted to the bottom, causing many players to be unable to find Season Store items.
Fixed multiple data errors caused by the undo button.
Fixed multiple issues related to [Scorching Charge].
Fixed multiple target searching issues.
Fixed many other UI issues.
Answers to questions about Casual Mode
Q: Will Casual Mode and Ranked Mode use the same matchmaking queue? Will the addition of Casual Mode lead to longer matchmaking times?
A: Casual Mode and Ranked Mode use the same matchmaking queue, so matchmaking time has not increased. In fact, after the addition of Casual Mode, we have observed that more players have started to play matchmaking games, so the average matchmaking time has actually decreased. However, it's worth noting that if you cancel a game that has already been successfully matched, you will be unable to find a new game for 3 minutes. If you notice a significant increase in your matching time, this may be the reason.
Q: Can I obtain Combat Power and season rewards by playing Casual Mode?
Answer: Yes, you can still earn Combat Power and Season Rewards by playing Casual Mode.
Q: Does Casual Mode have MMR?
A: Each player has a hidden Casual Mode MMR that is hidden from themselves. This hidden casual MMR uses the same rules as the ranked MMR. The only difference is that players cannot see their own and their opponents' MMR( both casual and ranked MMR) when playing Casual Mode, but players playing Ranked Mode can see the MMR of both sides.
Q: I only play Ranked Mode, but I encounter opponents who were playing Casual Mode. In this case, my opponent won't lose anything when they lose the game. Isn't this a bit unfair?
A: As we mentioned earlier, players in casual mode actually still lose casual MMR after losing a game; it's just that players playing Casual Mode cannot see their own casual MMR. If you think about it, the fact that other players cannot see their own MMR actually has no impact on your gaming experience.
Q: As a player who participates in Ranked Mode, should I receive some extra rewards?
A: First, if you choose Ranked Mode, you already have an information advantage, because only players playing Ranked Mode can see the MMR of both sides, while players playing Casual Mode cannot. Secondly, in the upcoming October update, we will award players who win in Ranked Mode with a little more Combat Power to recognize their spirit of facing challenges!
Q: Are there any other adjustments to Casual Mode in this update?
A: Although, as we explained earlier, players in Casual Mode simply cannot see their own and their opponents' MMR, while players in Ranked Mode actually have a slight information advantage because they can see both sides' MMR, we also understand that many players may not read our explanation. Therefore, we have decided to remove the Casual Mode tag from player avatars in this update to avoid further misunderstandings.
Q: Whether in Ranked mode or Casual mode, I want to gain more Combat Power. Will there be any improvement in this regard in the future?
A: Yes, after the 1.8.1 update in October, players will be able to earn Combat Power in PVE games and custom lobby games. Additionally, players will still earn a small amount of Combat Power even after losing a match. Moreover, players who play in Ranked Mode will also earn a bit more Combat Power.