THRONE AND LIBERTY: Tico Talks (November 2024)

Summary

In the latest *Tio Talks*, TI, Design Manager at Amazon, provides key updates for *Throne and Liberty*, focusing on community feedback and upcoming improvements. Highlights include fixes for Castle Sieges, such as bug resolutions and updates to PvP immunity timers. New features like War Games for custom PvP lobbies and changes to Conquest battle times reflect the team’s commitment to player-driven evolution. Updates to dungeon matchmaking, new PvE content, and combat enhancements are also on the horizon, alongside quality-of-life improvements. TI encourages ongoing community feedback, especially for upcoming holiday events, and previews new surveys for December.

Takeaways

• 😀 The dev team at Amazon Games is committed to maintaining open communication with players and values constructive feedback to improve 'Throne and Liberty'.
• 🛡️ Castle sieges are a standout feature in the game, with massive player participation, but improvements are needed to address technical issues and balance, such as PVP immunity timers and unintended strategies like rooftop access for attackers.
• ⚔️ PVP will remain a core focus, with upcoming changes to crowd control mechanics, including faster CC immunity buildup and enhancements to the purification stone, all expected in December.
• 🤝 Mega alliances are being reworked, starting with the removal of hostile Guild relationships in December, to address imbalance and the unintended advantages they create.
• 🎮 War Games is a new feature launching on December 5th, allowing players to create custom lobbies for PVP battles, promoting accessibility and practice without the pressure of rewards initially.
• ⏰ Conquest battle start times will be adjusted in response to player feedback, with a later start time coming on December 5th.
• 🔮 Dungeon matchmaking is improving, with the introduction of up to four-player groups in random dungeons to allow friends to play together, and penalties for players who leave dungeons early or don’t accept random matchmaking.
• 🛠️ The fight against bots and RMT (Real Money Trading) continues, with improved measures to punish bad actors, including negative balance penalties and restricting auction house access for those involved in RMT.
• 🌍 The devs are focused on improving large-scale events like Arc Boss Peace Mode to optimize performance and improve player experience, with changes like increasing portal counts for these events.
• 🆕 New content updates include the release of two-star co-op dungeons and Dimensional Trials on December 5th, offering increased difficulty, leaderboards, and rewards.
• 📝 The dev team is committed to making improvements to combat and movement based on player feedback, with impactful updates expected in early 2025 to make gameplay feel more fluid and intuitive.

Q & A

What are the main goals of the Castle Siege improvements?

The main goals are to ensure technical stability, evaluate the challenge and fun factor of sieges, and continuously evolve sieges to meet player needs while maintaining freshness and excitement.

What steps are being taken to address the exploit involving attackers accessing the inner courtyards early?

The issue will be resolved before the next Castle Siege on December 1st. The decision was made to raise awareness among defenders rather than delay or release an untested build, which could cause additional issues.

What is being done to improve the PVP experience in 'Throne and Liberty'?

Several changes are planned, including increasing the rate at which CC immunity builds up, adjustments to the purification stone, and the removal of hostile guild relationships to address Mega Alliances. War Games (custom PVP lobbies) are also being introduced to enhance accessibility and player-driven content.

How is 'Throne and Liberty' addressing issues with Mega Alliances?

The removal of hostile guild relationships is the first step in addressing the problem. This is intended to balance Mega Alliances while still supporting guilds' intended gameplay.

What changes are being made to improve the random dungeon matchmaking system?

Up to four players can now queue together for random dungeons, which helps both friends play together and keeps the queue times manageable. A penalty will also be added for players who don't accept random dungeon queues or leave the dungeon early.

What is being done to combat bots and real money trading (RMT) in the game?

The team is actively fighting against bots and has implemented measures like restricting auction house access for RMT players, as well as preventing them from receiving guild distribution when in negative balance. These actions are part of an ongoing effort to maintain fair play.

What improvements are being made to the Arc Boss Peace Mode events?

To enhance performance and player enjoyment, the number of portals in the Arc Boss Peace Mode events will be increased, similar to previous changes made for field bosses. This should help alleviate performance issues and give players more opportunities to earn loot.

When will the new War Games feature be available, and what can players expect?

War Games will be available on December 5th. This feature allows players to create custom lobbies for PVP battles, offering flexibility in the number of teams, team sizes, and the types of stones players want to fight over. There will be both private and public match options.

What future updates are planned to improve combat and movement?

In early 2025, significant improvements to combat and movement are expected to make these systems feel more fluid and natural, based on player feedback regarding frustrations with the current mechanics.

What kinds of holiday events are being considered for 'Throne and Liberty'?

The development team is seeking community feedback on what types of holiday events players would like to see. They encourage players to share their ideas to make the holiday season in the game special.