Throne and freedom has maintained its early momentum quite well, remaining steadfast in its place among Steam’s most played games despite the launch of a new FF14 patch and the start of Ashes of Creation alpha two. Now that the first large-scale Castle Siege event is behind us, Throne and Liberty’s globalization design manager Tico sits down in a new ‘Tico talks’ video to share community feedback and the team’s plans for the remainder of 2024 discuss.
Tico opens by thanking the Throne and freedom community for his kind and thoughtful feedback. “While we may not always make decisions that suit everyone’s individual needs, please know that I am committed to maintaining this open communication with you, and that every choice we make is focused on creating the best possible game for our community as a whole.”
He then starts talking about Castle Sieges, which he says “really sets Throne and Freedom apart.” With his largest battle featuring over 3,900 participants, it’s easy to see why this large-scale mode helps him stand out next to the best MMORPGs. About 45% of the castles changed hands during this first event, Tico notes, and the team is now reviewing all battles individually to help improve the mode in the future.
Tico specifically explains that this is a tactic that attackers used to infiltrate the courtyards earlier than they should have been able to. This was caught too close to the event to change anything, so instead the team decided to simply alert the defenders to the problem. He also notes two server battles where plunder zones did not properly distribute their rewards. Both issues will be resolved before the next castle siege, Tico reassures, and those affected by the missing rewards will be identified and paid out properly.
Tico also talks about the 30 second PvP immunity timer that applies after resurrection and teleportation. He explains that while this is “excessive for certain siege scenarios,” it will take some time for this to change as it is currently tied to other modes where the existing timer does make sense. It will therefore not be changed before the upcoming round of Castle Sieges, but it will be reduced further down the line.
Speaking to PvP in general, Tico notes, “We believe crowd control is having a greater impact on combat than intended, without sufficient methods to prevent it.” To combat this, two new measures are being implemented. In a December update, the CC immunity bar will fill much faster than before, especially if you have multiple checking instances. The cleansing Purification Stone item can also apply an additional buff to players when used, and this should also take effect in December.
Next on the table are the so-called ‘mega alliances’, where one faction becomes too dominant in size. To counter this, hostile guild relations will be completely removed from Throne and Liberty in December. Tico also addresses “the human element” and what drives the creation of such guilds, saying that the team is currently investigating how rewards for bosses in conflict mode are managed in a way that “provides a fair balance between all participants while ensuring that the strongest performers see the right benefit.”
Amazon Games is exploring more ways to lower the barriers for players to enter PvP, starting with the arrival of WarGames on Thursday, December 5. This feature allows you to create fully custom lobbies, defining the goals and number of teams involved. and then kick things off in private or public matches according to your specified specifications. Tico says the tool will continue to improve based on how players use it.
Another point of contention is the Conquest battle times. “It’s clear that the vast majority of our community feels they’re starting too early,” Tico said. While the exact time change has not yet been determined, they will be moved to a later time starting December 5 in an effort to allow more players to participate.
Tico then acknowledges that players have found ways to take advantage of the new random dungeon queue feature in a way that essentially bypasses the randomness. Others, meanwhile, feel limited by the inability to play with friends in the mode and say they are pressured to choose between playing with friends or the more efficient option.
On Thursday, November 21, Amazon Games introduced the ability to queue up for random dungeons with up to four players. In December, penalties will be imposed on players who queue for a random dungeon for not accepting it when it appears, or who leave it before it is ready.
Archboss battles that spawn in ‘peace mode’ (where multiple instances of the boss ensure players all get their chance at rewards without fear of PvP interference) will now appear with more portals, giving players a better chance to all beat the boss drops to take . This will be followed on December 5 by Dimensional Trials, repeatable PvE instances packed with rewards.
To conclude the video, Tico discusses additional quality of life improvements. In December, you can look forward to additional skill and equipment presets. An option is coming to automatically decline group invites from people outside your guild and friendly guilds. Tico also says that players can expect “several impactful updates in early 2025 that we believe will make combat and movement feel more fluid, intuitive and natural.”
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