[Dev. Blog #9] | The Transformed Hack and Slash skills
Refining hero skills has always been an important part of our game development, we kept optimizing during the first Closed Beta Test. Recently, we adjusted the skill categories and reworked to make the labels more definitive, aiming for richer build variety, and to support our players with clearer build style goal！
In this dev blog, we will share "Hack and Slash" skills as an example on how the skills are optimizing for newer versions.
Tunings on Hack and Slash
Hack and Slash skills currently are the Focused Slash, Berserking Blade, Whirlwind, Flame Slash, and Ice Blade. From our observation, these skills were not particularly prominent in the first Closed Beta Test, so we reinforced their labels with strengthened features.
The updated Hack and Slash skills with different animations:
• the conventional Slash action, a fan-shaped or circular area attack for melee damage;
• the Hack, a vertical strike, later refer as the Strike in this article, activates once in a while. Slash attacks stack up to an enhanced vertical strike, then reset the slash count.
Therefore, Slash and Strike output different skill effects and animation.
For example, skill Icy Blade summons a block of ice forward, and it can be linked with the new ailment status icy Bond. On the other hand, Flame Slash sets off traveling flames, the number of traveling flames will increase from increased skill range.
Hence, here are some plausible next steps for builds:
• stack up the strike frequency from slashes;
• make slashes stack up buffs to strengthen strike effects;
• amplify the strike's damage, you can even change the attack form with affixes;
—— note that these build strategies coexist.
Dev's insight on adjusting these Hack and Slash skills
Based on the mentioned updates, we optimized all existing skills within this category.
In addition to Icy Blade and Flame Slash, Focused Slash is equipped with an enhanced Hash, the vertical strike. The Focus: Enhances some skills buff remains effective, extra damage will be calculated according to the number of Focus stacks.
The Berserking Blade's strike rate when accumulating buffs is higher now when a rare or legendary enemy is hit. The vertical strike can also gains area of damage (AoE) bonus according to the skill radius affix.
Whirlwind is somewhat different from the others because it is also a channelling skill, its slashes do not accumulate to a vertical strike. The Whirlwind strike, a wider attack radius, releases an enlarged Whirlwind only when the max stack of energy is reached.
Besides the updated hack and slash active skills, we are also adding correlating support skills:
• Rage Strike(temporary name) - increases the chance of a support skill to reach 1 strike plus extra strike damage.
• Duel strike(temporary name) - chance of reaching a strike from support skills is reduced. However, when a strike is reached, there is a chance to get an additional strike, hence maximum strike +1.
• Ideally, attack rhythm is 2 strikes per 1 slash stack, instead of the
original 1 strike per 1 slash stack.
The Hack and Slash skills strengthen and expand build possibilities with a clearer differentiation between the Slash and the (in most cases) vertical Strike that happens once in a while. We certainly hope they will enhance gameplay experience in the next Closed Beta Test. We are always open to suggestions and feedback, please let us know through the official game SNS platforms. This dev blog content is subject to change.
Follow us and get all the development news on the game SNS👇👇 👇
Mentioned games
:strip_exif():background_color(white):format(jpeg):quality(40))
