Development Insight: The original Trials ran off of a system of unique activity goals and loot tables that relied heavily on weekly work in a scheduler. It essentially turns things on and off and sets prices, which is how we controlled the rewards and timers of old Trials. Each schedule had to be entered manually, and anytime something is entered manually there's a chance for human error. The number of schedules Trials required was so intense, it was septuple the amount we did for the rest of a given update combined. This is partially why we’ve shifted to a chest format for Trials rewards, to allow for a more flexible system for us but also you all. Now, you can decide which challenges to do and still have a chance at the cosmetic you want without being forced into a specific challenge set.
Due to the return of Trials, we want to ensure that you're always able to complete your challenges while still offering a variety of modes to our players. All Trials that progress for certain non-Siege modes will be in pairs of Onslaught & King of the Hill or Payload & Team Deathmatch. This means we have to always keep 2 of these modes in at a time, so for this update we'll be bringing back Payload and TDM will sit out. Our goal is to rotate monthly, so in February Onslaught will leave for King of The Hill, then in March TDM will return and Payload will leave. We'll stay tuned to community feedback as we continue to rotate modes more frequently and ensure there's always something fresh to play!
One of the driving philosophies for this update has been to give players more choice in their itemization during a match. Specific Champions, certain maps, team compositions, and even game modes influence what you should purchase with every match being unique. With every category getting a fifth item, and almost all items getting updated, you’ll have more choice than ever before to impact your game. Are you greedy and seek out the most damage output possible, more reserved and focused on holding down the choke, or sneaky and vicious - striking from the shadows before quickly retreating back to the darkness? Items have a massive impact on your play style, activating certain Champion rotations and strengths or letting you shutdown an oppressive enemy. With new items though and more choices comes more consequences, as Credits aren’t the only cost to Items. Space in your loadout is just as if not more costly. Purchasing your comfort Items may lead to disaster if an enemy itemizes for optimizing their Shields and none one on your team bought Wrecker. Counter items are just as important as items, and figuring out who on your team should buy what is just another step in making sure your team is working efficiently and optimizing into each Champion's specific role. There is a lot to cover about these items, more than we have space for in this dev comment block, but we wanted to share some thoughts on it to showcase our thought process. With these changes you’ll be able to really showcase and focus on how you like to play. What you buy can greatly impact a match, and the choice is yours on how you want to shake up the game. Look at what the enemy is purchasing and respond appropriately - become what they fear and look for around corners near the point. You have control over how you play and that matters to us at Evil Mojo. Talents and Cards are just one part of that equation - Items are making a more impactful splash than ever with this update and will influence every match you have. Go and experiment, but most importantly have fun! Itemize and terrorize!
We’ve removed Illuminate and, as compensation, increased the base Stealth detection range. This is the equivalent of slightly above Illuminate level 1 across the board - making detecting Stealth champions easier, but not a full counter like with level 3 Illuminate. There were a few reasons for this, but some of the main one was the difficulty of keeping Stealth Champions in a healthy state due to the independent variable Illuminate was. With the removal of Illuminate we’re normalizing Stealth detection, and from this new baseline we can balance Stealth more efficiently and without an extreme number of edge cases throwing wrenches into the plan.
Starting off strong I see. When I look at the Magistrate versus my own House, I see an institution that has both evolved and regressed with the times. In the days of many, it made sense for such a democratizing structure. However, time hasn't been kind to other Houses and we can't let their end lead to our own. House Aico serves to both honor that history, but move us forward into a new age of action.
Arturos still is as accepted as ever. In fact, I recently ran into... Cassie. She and I do not often see eye to eye, but if she ever wished to return to her seat at the table, I'd welcome it with open arms.
We don't currently see a path for House Bomba to amend for their crimes. There's always a chance, however we don't believe in Kings and Queens, so until change occurs...
When I first became Grand Magister there were issues that took precedence. We had just come back from Yagorath, so reconstruction and defense were priorities. The Abyss wasn't going to wait for us to rebuild strength.
Our history with Jenos and the monks of the Tau-Kor Monastery is complicated, but I'm saddened to see them displaced. I'll be candid; we rushed to them in an attempt to assist but we couldn't invest many resources to foreign affairs. That's why we have the Paladins, after all.
The Paladins, under Inara, are a welcome presence in the Realm and a departure from Valera's Resistance. We still consider all those working with the remnants of the Resistance, as well as the Thousand Hands Guild, active insurgents.
I'm glad you asked. There's been a lot of stress and concern over the past few years, and we want to show that the Magistrate still stands to protect and server her people. That's why our archmage Rei has arranged for a parade, roaming throughout all our territory that ends in of our beloved Aico Tundra. We invite all citizens to join us somewhere along the route and celebrate!