The Early Access Wipe #1 Update for the game Dark and Darker has been scheduled for August 28, 2023, at 11:00 AM. During the patch deployment, logging into the game will be disabled, and existing in-game players will be barred from entering new matches. For those already in a game at the time, they will have a 30-minute window to complete their ongoing match and safely exit the game. The game servers will resume full operations two to three hours after the initiation of the update.
If you’re eagerly awaiting the wipe to complete, check out our Dark and Darker Wipe Countdown!
In a significant reset, the update will erase all character levels, skills, gold, and items. The development team cited challenges from exploiters as the primary reason for this early wipe, stating that their services and game mechanics have now been strengthened to be more resilient against such activities. While this first wipe has occurred earlier than anticipated, the developers aim to extend the periods between future Early Access wipes and assure more substantial advance notice.
The team also outlined its plans for the Early Access phase. It intends to roll out frequent balance updates in the weeks to come. The goal is to optimize gameplay based on player feedback, thus accommodating multiple styles of gameplay enjoyment.
The reintroduction of Voice over IP (VoIP) also marks a notable addition in this update, aiming to enhance in-dungeon communication among players.
Turning to the patch notes, several gameplay mechanics have been modified. All spells now have an Attribute Bonus Ratio set to 100%, and the random modifiers for All Attributes can now reach up to +3. Potions have seen a standardization in their healing rate, now providing 15 hp, while their required duration will decrease with higher-grade potions. Additionally, the ratio of recoverable health for taken damage has been increased from 0.5 to 0.65. Bandages will now take a flat 5.5 seconds to apply but will vary in healing amounts depending on their grade. Moreover, when using a Surgical Kit or Bandage, the Regular Interaction Speed bonus will only apply at a 50% rate.
Economic adjustments are also part of this patch. The Francisca Axe will now cost 18 instead of 24, and the Hunting Trap price has been raised from 7 to 10. Various character-specific skills, like Bard’s Accelerando and Wizard’s Zap, have undergone nuanced adjustments, and certain movement speed penalties for weapons like the Quarterstaff and Zweihander have been decreased. The entrance fee for the High Roller will remain at 50 gold. Lastly, the update removes the gold hoard from the Ruins map.
Here’s the full list of changes from the Discord along with developer comments:
- All spells Attribute Bonus Ratio returned to 100%.
- The All Attributes random modifiers can now go up to +3.
- All potions now heal for 15 hp. The required duration for the potion decreases as the grade improves.
- Improved the ratio of recoverable health from 0.5 to 0.65 for taken damage.
- All bandages now take a base time of 5.5s to apply but heals varying amounts of recoverable health based on the grade.
- Regular Interaction Speed bonus is applied at only 50% bonus when using a Surgical Kit or Bandage.
- Francisca Axe price reduced from 24 to 18 and Hunting Trap price increased from 7 to 10.
- Bard’s Accelerando 5/8/11 -> 5/7/9
- Bard’s Allegro 3%/5%/7% -> 3%/4.5%/6%
- Bard’s Shriek of Weakness -10/-25/-40 -> -10/-20/-30
- Wizard’s Zap 1s -> 1.25s
- QuaterStaff MoveSpeed Penalty -35 -> -30
- Zweihander MoveSpeed Penalty -50 -> -45
- High Roller entrance fee will be kept at 50 gold for now.
- The gold hoard has been removed from the Ruins map.
We have decided to revert the spell attribute ratio back to 100% after realizing that a universal nerf to all spells in this manner was too broad a change and made it difficult to easily gauge the effectiveness of bonus magic stats on items. We have reverted the change and will attempt to use a more surgical approach to spell balancing in the future. As you can see, this update we have started with a slight debuff to the Wizard’s Zap spell to try testing this approach. We will continue making changes to more spells in the upcoming weeks in a similar manner.
We have also decided to try a new approach to the healing items which we hope makes it a little more palatable for solo and newer player players while still hopefully reducing the need to bring in an excessive amount of consumables. Bandages will still only apply to recoverable health, however we hope they have more application through the increased amount of recoverable health you keep. Potions have been updated so they heal for a set 15 HP and the duration is variable now based on the grade.
Finally, we have started some general balance changes to the Bard and some weapon changes. We believe the Bard is still in a fairly strong position and wanted to reduce the upper end of some of their more powerful songs. We understand that we may have gone overboard with the nerf hammer and we’ll also look into trying to make some of the more underused items a little more viable. We have started with some of the most unpopular weapons and will continue on this path for the foreseeable future. Thanks!
Dark and Darker Discord
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