[Investigating] GAP Gnomes in PvP

[awryan]

@Jeto

A bug was fixed in the last update, which was opponents in PvP were not having bonuses (like Blood Frenzy) being applied to them.

It’s interesting what bugs are chosen to be fixed and what are not. Anything that makes the game more fun is “a bug” that has priority fix applied to it. Which then results in less folks playing. But silly things like notifications that would alert players of pet rescues earned in GAP’s will take at the very least a year “to fix”.
Can I make a feature request and ask that any change made to the game be presented with the important question: “Will this addition, or change make more players play or keep current players playing more long term?”

I think there may be some confusion making matches last longer will not result in players playing longer. The opposite in fact.

[Jeto]

There are literally just 3 guys juggling so many things right now, the only one who is locked into doing one thing right now is the dev trying to sort out why the SONY offers are broken.

The other two devs are juggling bug fixes, investigating issues, answering my questions for single player issues from tickets, responding to QA, implementing builds for 8.9 for QA and the beta, answering THOSE questions while also getting started on potential prep work for 8.10.

Just because there is no mention of other things going on in the background, I wouldn’t assume that this bug specifically isn’t being looked at.

I’m sharing what I have, when I have it.

[TheIdleOne]

If you mind me asking, who handles the troop balancing during the creation process of new troops?

[Snarko]

@Jeto

So, we are investigating that bug and then also discussing if these boosts should also apply to GAP Gnomes in PvP, like all other battle crashers do, or if they will be excluded.

Previously no battle crashers got bonuses. Now they all do. GaP is just the case that affect players the most.

[Jeto]

@TheIdleOne

, who handles the troop balancing during the creation process of new troops?

It would likely be the Production/Game design team - which is Sirrian and Nim.

Again, tiny team, everyone is wearing a million hats, doing a heap of various roles.

Also, unrelated to this whole thread.

[Raistlin]

What is the status of this issue?

[Santandrix]

Still buffed gnomes in pvp paloozas so no changes have been made.

[Namour]

Hi Jeto….it’s been a month and am wondering whether you’ve had a response as to whether:

a) It was a deliberate decision by devs to buff all battle crashers (including gnomes) and was just not announced; or

b) It was not intentional but the devs have decided to leave it as is; or

c) It is a bug, and a change will be made in 8.9; or

d) Some other response?

[Jeto]

I have had no response from the team yet, given the studio closers and addressing other critical issues.

[Jeto]

The last note I have is that there is a fix in the process of being tested for the following

@Jeto

where the Gnomes are appearing at a very low level (level one) with some stats being at a much higher level than they should have, with the boosted bonuses. Which is why they are appearing extra difficult, as opposed to just a normal level of difficulty for when opponents are in encountered in those scenarios where they are boosted (Blood Frenzy).

As for whether the GAP gnomes would be excluded from the buffs applied in these battles, I don’t have an answer yet

Just got an answer, the GAP Gnomes will be boosted, like all other troops, in Blood Frenzy battles. But once the fix for the bug is released, they should no longer appear so insanely difficult. They will be at the intended difficulty level, like any other opponent is, when they are boosted in Blood Frenzy battles.

I am not 100% sure if that fix has made it into 8.9 which releases next week, as I am also still awaiting updated patch notes.

[Darkborne]

So another vault weekend ruined…lovely.

[awryan]

@Jeto

Just got an answer, the GAP Gnomes will be boosted, like all other troops, in Blood Frenzy battles. But once the fix for the bug is released, they should no longer appear so insanely difficult. They will be at the intended difficulty level, like any other opponent is, when they are boosted in Blood Frenzy battles.

Why? For the small contingent of players still playing this game. Is their enjoyment of a 15 minute event doing that much harm to the bottom line? That gnome levels can’t be the same as they were prior to meddling? It’s extremely frustrating that there are so many issues with the game but things like making GAP events less fun are a priority “fix”. But when the “fix” causes over kill “the team” is very slow to rebalance again.
No one likes paying for broken things. So if more money needs to be made. Fix the things that are broken… for years! Please and thank you.

[Fourdottwoone]

@awryan

Why? For the small contingent of players still playing this game. Is their enjoyment of a 15 minute event doing that much harm to the bottom line? That gnome levels can’t be the same as they were prior to meddling?

I suspect it might not be that easy. There was some other issue with blood frenzy, summoning troops caused start-of-battle buffs to get reapplied each time, for some really crazy stats. What we are seeing now with palooza gnomes is likely just a side effect of the fix, reverting everything won’t be a good option.