Jul 17, 2023

Rite of Titans - Sasha_JP

Brace for some titanic changes to gameplay in this first major update of Rite of Titans.

Among the many, major changes, we are updating the ball pick-up mechanics: to pick up the ball you now need to click and hold LMB.

Please note that due to ping/server behavior, you may miss ball pick-up with an instant or very short LMB. We are looking to improve on this in future hotfixes.

Check out the latest major update to our core gameplay as explained by our very own Alex, the team's narrative designer. Don't miss out on his weekly streams where he answers your questions and takes you up on team-up challenges.

SMOOTHING OUT THE GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE

In a nutshell, we heard your feedback about the hero movement and some of its clunkiness; with this update, we made a series of improvements that should result in more fluidity of gameplay. Notably, we have synchronized the dynamics and speed of movement for different events so that they are correlated to each other. To be specific, we are bringing the mechanics of walking, running, and using your abilities while moving closer together in logic so they no longer feel significantly different both in speed and dynamics. This should create a more fluid experience. We haven’t completed this rework yet, but we will continue to refine it in future patches.

MAPS, BALL PHYSICS, AND A NEW STAMINA SYSTEM

As part of this major rework, we are adapting our existing maps. Our Omni map has been updated to remove elements that caused heroes to get caught and stumble, hindering their progression. We have also added new elements to show clearly different paths, or lanes, from gate to gate.
Finally, we are unveiling a brand new map, Star Striders, created with our new gameplay logic in mind.

By popular demand, and with a clear understanding of the benefits thanks to your extensive feedback, we're expanding ball gameplay, including by rolling out new ball physics that will make the relic more alive than ever before.

We also took note of your comments on speed and with this update, we are introducing a sprint system linked to hero stamina, to use carefully to boost yourself through the battlefield.

As part of these changes, we are also updating all hero abilities to support this new gameplay logic, as well as to reinforce their respective roles in the Arena with coherent and consistent powers that reflect their respective gameplay. Your titan form will now be a major trump card, as it not only triggers with your ultimate but also makes your original abilities way more powerful.

Read the full notes below to find out about all the changes.

PATCH NOTES

GAMEPLAY

Core Gameplay Update

Ball properties have been updated! The relic now bounces, has weight, and can become Charged (and can knock back opponents by hitting them). In Titan form, the Ball instantly becomes Charged.
Ball Throwing mechanic - throwing is more intuitive and has a more tactical approach, the camera is unlocked, and the throwing distance has been increased; throwing also has a cumulative effect, on maximum throwing range the Ball becomes Charged.
Ball interactions have also been updated - auto-grabbing is now disabled, to grab the ball players must hold the Grab button in range of the ball, otherwise, the ball will bounce off of your hero.
Hero Movement mechanic - movement speed has been increased, Sprint has been added (which drains Stamina), and all heroes run and sprint at equal speed, but their Stamina drains at different rates.
Hero Jump mechanic - jump behavior is now affected by stamina: jumping while sprinting gives hero jumps a lower arch but launches them further.
Hero Tackle mechanic - we now use auto-tackle, so your hero will automatically tackle the targeted opponent if they are in range of the ability
Stamina has been added as a resource - stamina can be used for Movement (Sprint, Tackle), drains while used, and recovers over time.

ABILITIES

All Heroes' abilities were changed or reworked to match our updated core gameplay. Our Heroes' Abilities scheme changed from “3 + ultimate” to “2 + ultimate + 2”
Heroes now have two abilities, which become even more powerful while in Titan form.

Optima abilities Update

Sunflower (Ability #1)
Optima charges the plant seed in her hands and throws it like a ball. The Planted seed is a collectible speed buff for teammates and a speed debuff trap for opponents. If Optima hits an opponent with a seed, she roots them.
In her Titan form, the planted seed has a radius area buff.

Solar Embrace (Ability #2)
A Ray is placed on the map. The Ray applies a stamina buff and stamina debuff for opponents in titan form. It can also be used to detonate a planted seed, rooting the enemies caught in its radius.

Brilliant Ikon (Ultimate)
Optima charges a big sphere of light in her hands and launches it parallel above the ground. The sphere flies horizontally and even bounces from walls. Within a certain radius around the sphere, all teammates gain stamina while opponents lose stamina and are slowed.
While the Sphere is activated, Optima can teleport to it and finish off the ability.

Lil-Chi abilities Update

Walls of Escribis (Ability #1)
LilChi aims and creates Prayer Wheels which form a wall that blocks opponents and the ball within a medium distance. Players can switch wall orientation by pressing the ability button.
The ball can not be carried through walls, even in teammates' hands.
In his Titan form, the Wall knocks back opponents upon contact. [In future updates, Lil Chi will be able to push some of the wall segments by hitting them with his club).

LilBig-Bang (Ability #2)
Triggering the ability spawns a club in LilChi's hands. With this cudgel, players hit and kick opponents and the ball back. While he holds the club in his hands, LilChi can’t use Ball Grab.
At any moment, players can interrupt the ability before it runs its course by hitting the ability key a second time.

Hold the Gate! (Ultimate)
Lilchi summons a hardlight barrier to defensively block his gate. This ability also overrides the gate buttons on the map. [In future updates, it will be possible to destroy these walls with disruptions].
In his Titan form, he can also move the gates with the power of his mind: looking to the left will move the gates left, and looking to the right, will move them to the right.

Niya abilities Update

Wraith Rush (Ability #1)
Niya dashes forward, ignoring the players in her path. [In future updates, this will also apply to obstacles.] She is almost invisible and should be invulnerable (?) during the dash and automatically grabs the ball if it's in her path.
In her Titan form, this also drains stamina from enemies.

Cosmic Gateways (Ability #2)
Upon activation, Niya opens a teleportation portal at her current location. When the ability ends; Niya opens a second teleport in her hand and activates it temporarily.
Any player can use this portal. [In future updates, the ball will be able to go through this portal!]
In Titan form, both teleports will spawn small Temporal Wraps.

Temporal Warp (Ultimate)
Niya spawns a circular area where all opponents and the ball if thrown by opponents are slowed down.

Hero Zeno abilities Update

Thunderclap (Ability #1)
Zeno shoots lightning forward, disrupting the Ball, including by forcing enemies to drop it if they had possession of it when they got it.

Crushing Thunderfall (Ability #2)
Zeno launches into the air, transforming into a storm cloud and lands causing disruption. His chosen landing location causes knockback and grants him the ball if in range.
[In future updates, while in Titan form, this ability will also stun enemies].

Ion Grasp (Ultimate)
After charging, Zeno creates an electric link to the ball and instantly transports it into his hands. He can use this ability any time without cooldown while he is in Titan form.
[In future updates, hooking a relic will make it "intangible", i.e. impossible for enemies to grab].

MAPS

New map! The “Star Striders” faction has been added and so has their new Arena.
This map was specifically designed to fit within the framework of the updated core gameplay. The map has switchable obstacles (these obstacles state switching between rounds).

Updated map - “Omni“ faction
The original map was updated to match the updated core gameplay.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In Match
- Abilities icons for the Hero form are duplicated on the Titan form (must be different icons by design)
- Lil-Chi’s LilBig-Bang (club kick) ability has no swing animation on non-local players
- Lil-Chi’s updated abilities don't support Team Colors'
- Bots Niya, Lil-Chi, and Zeno do not use new abilities, except for those that are modified versions of the previous ones (Niya’s 1ts ability, Lil-Chi 1st ability, Zeno 1st ability)
- Zeno 2nd ability can be used in the air more than one time
- Zenoin Hero form can by default charge the Ball by simple click (unstable)
- Lil-Chi Ability 2 in Titan Form icon in HUD not shown cooldown and ability state (unstable)
- Buttons for moving Gates shows incorrect team colors
- Sometimes the match does not stop after 5 mins and players continue to fight after the win/loss screen.
- Sometimes the running animation can stuck in one frame for a while (unstable).
- Sometimes bots can stand still on round start (unstable).

Lobby Screen - The Friend list opens every time you click on it (stack of friend list overlays appears)

Hero Unlock screen - Optima - The spelling error in the word "Congratulation", must be "Congratulations".

Heroes Tab
- Heroes abilities description can be stretched vertically
- Skins - Optima - Default Skin is not equipped by default and has a Get Skin button.
- Skins - Zeno Legendary Titan skin smaller than other Zeno Titan skins

Career Tab - Customisation
- When this screen is open - Hero in the background disappears after a few seconds.