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Design Patch Scheduled for 7/2/2012
6/29/2012
GPG Design Team

Our servers are scheduled to go offline to implement this patch on July 2nd from 5:00 am PDT/12:00 pm UTC to 5:00 pm PDT/12:00 am UTC. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we work to improve your game play experience.


Difficulty Issues: Quest AI Changes

We know that quite a few specific quests have issues that are not able to be addressed by these broad-level adjustments. These changes will take time as we hand-craft solutions.

However, the following global changes have been implemented:

  • We have shifted some of the AI economy management to be less efficient by default. The enemy will not be as effective at gathering resources, by about 20%. As the game progresses, if players are doing well enough to trigger the AI to escalate, this economic efficiency is restored.
  • We have adjusted the attack intervals to be longer by default. Attack rates will be about 15% slower than before. However, as the game progresses, if the AI detects that the player is doing very well, the faster attack rate will be restored.
  • Enemy usage of siege has been throttled to train less Siege units, especially AOE ranged units like Catapults, Palintonons, and Ballistas. This should help with the dreaded "Siege Blob of Death That Shows Up at My Base and Wrecks It (tm)" issues.

The quest AI will continue to be under review and additional changes are very possible. For more information on the completion rates of our quests check out our “Notes on a Summer Update” here. http://www.ageofempiresonline.com/en/articles/blog-20120628

 

Difficulty Issues: Changes to Enemy Gear

Enemy gear usage was significantly modified for the Summer Update. We allowed enemies to keep pace with player gear levels (up to a point), and we also applied gear in a more consistent manner to our enemy character data. Meaning, we added gear where it had not been before, and we ensured that gear generally applied to core stats like health and DPS. Unfortunately, we now believe the gear we granted enemies was too powerful. The following changes have been implemented:

  • Enemies who are designed to use Uncommon or Rare gear, will now use gear that is generally 5-10 levels lower than player level (before it was 2-5 levels lower)
  • Enemies who are designed to use Epic gear are being reduced slightly as well, although to a lesser degree. (These enemies did not experience much of an adjustment in gear quality with the Summer Update)

 

Balance Changes: PvE and Standard PvP

General

  • Fixed issue where Fishing Boats would stop gathering when attacked

Greek

  • Greek Trireme
    • Removed random attack windup time

Egypt

  • Egyptian Trireme
    • Removed random attack windup time
  • Fixed issue where Priestess of Ra was not healing units in their site

Persia

  • Persian Spearman
    • Decreased cost to 40f/30g from 40f/35g

Celt

  • Sacred Deer
    • Increased movement speed to 6 from 4
    • Decreased LOS to 6 from 8

Balance Changes: Champion PvP

General

  • Scout
    • Decreased damage vs. Storehouse by 50% (x0.5)
  • Siege Workshop
    • Decreased cost to 250w from 300w
  • Age 3 Advancement tech
    • Decreased cost to 300f/300w/300g from 400f/400w/400g for Greeks, Egyptians, Persians
    • Decreased cost to 400f/400g for Celts
    • Decreased house requirement to 6 from 8 for Celts
  • Net Lures tech
    • Added +25% Conservation buff
  • Net Weights tech
    • Added +25% Conservation buff
  • Net Landline tech
    • Added +25% Conservation buff

 

Greek

  • Sarissophoroi
    • Decreased pierce armor to 0.4 from 0.5
  • Priest
    • Decreased conversion range to 22 from 32
  • Greek Battering Ram
    • Decreased cost to 200w/50g from 250w/80g
  • Greek Spearman Champion tech
    • Removed +25% damage buff

 

Egypt

  • Priest of Set
    • Decreased cost to 80g from 100g
  • Siege Tower
    • Decreased cost to 250w/100g from 260w/210g

 

Persia

  • Magus
    • Decreased conversion range to 22 from 32
  • Persian Battering Ram
    • Decreased cost to 200w/50g from 250w/80g

 

Celt

  • Augur
    • Decreased conversion range to 22 from 32
  • Ram
    • Changed cost to 50f/150w from 150w/20g
  • Champion Champion tech           
    • Increased health buff to +50% from +35%

 

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