Hi everyone! This is Ryota, the Battle Director for GUNDAM EVOLUTION.
The game can now be downloaded, so why not install it while you wait for the launch?
In this blog, I'd like to go over some general improvements we've implemented after receiving feedback from the closed beta test and network tests to make this a better game for everyone.
Improving the Communications Feature
GUNDAM EVOLUTION is a 6v6 team-based shooter, so it stands to reason that team communication is a vital tool for achieving victory. However, we wanted to make it inviting for players who wish to play solo, so we've improved the pin function to allow for information to be easily shared within a team.
Auto-Pin Feature
The pin system is a way to inform teammates where enemy units and objectives are, and we've implemented auto-pins that trigger under certain conditions.
- When an enemy unit's HP drops below a certain threshold, their location will be pinned and shared with your allies.
- When an enemy unit's shield is broken, their location will be pinned with a unique marker and shared with your allies.
- When your mobile suit is destroyed, the location of the enemy unit that destroyed you will be pinned for your allies to see.
All of the above are automatically generated on the system side to give your team useful information that can make team communication smoother without you lifting a finger.
Implementing Reaction Pins
Reaction pins are a way for you to respond appropriately to specific pins or actions from a teammate with a single button.
Previously, whenever your mobile suit was being repaired or when the "Attack"/"Group Up" pins were dropped, you had to search for the right response or enter it in chat in the midst of hectic combat. This feature will allow you to respond with the push of a single button instead.
Although it is a small aspect of the game, we believe this will play a big part in improving team communication during matches, even it's used to simply thank a teammate for repairs.
To make the pin system more user-friendly, we've also implemented minor tweaks to the distance at which pins can be dropped and improved pin visibility.
Balancing Units
This has been featured in a previous blog post, and we have made quite a few balance changes to each unit since the tests were conducted.
If I were to include every single change we made to each unit's stats, weapons, and abilities, this blog post would go on forever. So I will not include those details this time, but rest assured that any balance changes made after launch and the reasons behind them will be shared in detail.
The changes touched on in the previous blog post have already been implemented. For example, the horizontal hitbox of Gundam Barbatos's Mace (Smash) has been reduced, and the stun effect of its Long Sword remains intact, but the shock wave radius is smaller. No major overhauls were made to units and their strengths, but minor tweaks have been made to balance them.
There is one balance change I'd like you to be aware of that is noted below.
Change to the Critical Hitbox for All Units
This has also been covered in a previous blog post, but we've changed the critical hitbox to 75% of what it was during the tests ahead of the official launch.
When analyzing the data from the network tests, the critical hit rate was higher (easier to hit) than expected. The devoloper team's intention was to make critical hits something that came with player skill, and we concluded that it was necessary to reduce hitbox sizes.
With this change, we expect critical hit rates to drop slightly, and it will be more difficult to use hitscan characters such as the GM Sniper II compared to during the network tests. However, other balance changes have been made to hitscan weapons and the aforementioned unit with this change in mind.
Changes to the Matchmaking System
We received many requests for this from the network tests.
We cannot share the fine details about our matchmaking logic, but we've made the following changes.
- Improvements to matchmaking logic accuracy for parties with the same skill level and number of players.
- Adjusted the amount of Rating Points gained/lost from one match in the ranked system for the official release.
- The introduction of placement matches for players getting into ranked matches in order to measure their ability.
The following changes have been made for ongoing match disconnects and penalties:
- Improvements in how we address the issue of being disconnected from a match
- Changes to penalties for players who leave a match early (mainly increasing the penalty for quitting an ongoing match).
Along with these changes, we will be closely monitoring behavior after the official launch and continually making adjustments with regards to matchmaking and rating to create an environment that everyone can enjoy.
Looking forward to seeing you again in the next Developer Blog!
Ryota Hogaki, GUNDAM EVOLUTION Battle Director
