Now that the first round of Guild Battlegrounds has ended, following the implementation of our new changes, we would like to take a moment to address the feedback we've received from all of you. As always, your thoughts and opinions are incredibly valuable to us, and we appreciate the time you've taken to provide us with your insights. Thank you for being an active part of our community, and let's dive into some of the questions and concerns you've raised.
Attrition Cap
Probably the most debated change we made to Guild Battlegrounds was the introduction of a new attrition cap, set at 80%. This means that achieving the previous 100% attrition reduction is no longer possible.
One reason for this change was to prevent attrition reduction from becoming an overly dominant feature in Guild Battlegrounds and to bring back its original purpose. We believe that allowing unlimited fights without increased difficulty should not be the norm.
Secondly we wished for more balanced participation among guild members, so everyone has the chance to participate. Our data after the first Guild Battlegrounds season after the change already implies, that this goal has been achieved.
We acknowledge that a competitive portion of our player base welcomed the ability to have unlimited fights per day. However, we also recognized that this limited the participation of other players who were unable to engage in province battles. Our goal was to create a more balanced experience where all members of a guild can actively participate in Guild Battlegrounds.
Why did we choose 80% as the cap? During the testing phase, we experimented with a cap of 66% on beta and closely monitored its effects based on your feedback. After careful consideration, we concluded that 66% was too high. To strike a middle ground, we decided on 80%. As mentioned in our announcement about the Guild Battleground changes, the cap is adjustable. We will continue to closely observe its impact on the live environment, taking into account your feedback, and make further adjustments if necessary. However, it's important to note that any changes would require a sufficient observation period.
Attrition Labels
The new attrition labels on the Battlegrounds map also caused some confusion, from what we have seen in the feedback provided by you guys.
Allow us to provide an explanation: In the alternative view mode of Guild Battlegrounds, you will notice the "gain Attrition" displayed above the name label of each province that your guild can attack.
This information is not shown for provinces that your guild currently owns, provinces that are not adjacent to your own, or provinces that have recently been conquered and are still blocked for attacks.
The displayed colors correspond to the chances of regaining attrition:
- Bluish: Greater than 0%
- Orangish: Greater than 40%
- Reddish: Greater than 70%
These colors are designed to help indicate the likelihood of gaining attrition in battles.
Increased amount of advances per province
Another key changes that generated significant discussion was the increase in the number of advances needed to conquer provinces in Guild Battlegrounds. Previously, 150 advances were required, but now it takes 200 advances in the Waterfall Archipelago and even 220 advances in the Volcano Archipelago. This change has presented a challenge, for certain guilds in the Diamond League, combined with the attrition adjustment. One of our main objectives was to provide all players within a guild with the opportunity to contribute and participate in the conquest of provinces, rather than limiting this to only the most active players.
We want to emphasize that Guild Battlegrounds is a competitive PvP feature in Forge of Empires, and the Diamond League is specifically designed for the top guilds of each world to compete with one another. The feature is balanced to provide an enjoyable challenge for these top-tier guilds and our most competitive players.
This design philosophy also extends to the feedback we receive about the matchmaking system. The Diamond League is intended to serve as a place for the best guilds to face true challenges and compete against one another. We believe that overcoming challenges can motivate you and your guild to become stronger over time.
However, we understand that each player's experience may vary, and we will continue to assess the feedback around this change as well over the next months as well.
Why didn't we apply changes to the current matchmaking system?
Though we didn't apply any changes to the matchmaking system this time around, it has been extensively discussed among you as well. So we wanna clarify why we haven't applied any changes to it, this time.
It is important to note that designing a matchmaking system that caters to all types of player groups is a complex challenge. Our goal for Guild Battlegrounds is to provide a platform where the most competitive players and guilds can compete on equal footing. This inevitably means that smaller guilds may face disadvantages.
While we acknowledge that top-tier guilds may desire stronger opponents for a more challenging experience, implementing changes to the matchmaking system at this stage is not something we pursued with the latest update. The significant changes made to Guild Battlegrounds warranted a period of observation to assess how the dynamics of the feature may shift.
We believe it is necessary to closely monitor and evaluate the impact of the recent update over an extended time period before considering any adjustments to the matchmaking system. It is possible that the current system is the most suitable for the current state of the feature.
Rest assured that we will continue to assess the matchmaking system and explore possible improvements if deemed necessary based on the evolving needs and dynamics of Guild Battlegrounds.
Adjustment of Diamond and Forge Point rewards
As part of the overall reward rebalancing in Guild Battlegrounds, we have adjusted the drop chance for Diamond and Forge Point rewards. While the drop chance may have decreased, we have actually increased the amount of diamonds that players can obtain through this feature. The amount of Forge Points remained the same.
This change was made with the intention of creating a more balanced reward system throughout Guild Battlegrounds. We understand that players value these rewards, and we aim to ensure that they remain meaningful and valuable within the gameplay experience.
What happens to previous Guild Battleground Fragments?
We understand that the removal of certain building fragments from Guild Battleground rewards has caused confusion and inconvenience. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience on this matter.
To address this issue, we will be implementing a script in the near future that will automatically convert any remaining fragments of the removed buildings in your inventory.
The conversion will be as follows:
- 2 Fragments of the Selection Kit Stature of Honor will be converted to 1 Fragment of the Guild Battleground Statue Kit
- 2 Fragments of the Road to Victory will be converted to 1 Fragment of the Guild Battleground Statue Kit
- 2 Fragments of the Selection Kit Great Elephant will be converted to 1 Fragment of the Guild Battleground Elephant Kit
- 2 Fragments of the Iridescent Garden will be converted to 1 Fragment of the Guild Battleground Elephant Kit
We are finalizing the details and will notify you of the exact date when this script will be implemented.
Rest assured, this conversion will help streamline your inventory and ensure that the fragments can be used towards the new buildings.
Increased costs for Province buildings and HQ
It is accurate that placing province buildings now requires more resources than before. However, it is important to note that the province buildings themselves have also been strengthened, which justifies the increased costs. Our intention was to achieve a balance between the resource costs and the enhanced power of each building. Therefore, the increase in costs is commensurate with the increased benefits provided by the buildings.
Furthermore, we have received feedback specifically regarding the province building costs for the Head Quarter, particularly from smaller guilds. While we cannot make any promises, we appreciate this feedback and will certainly evaluate the costs associated with the Head Quarter to ensure a fair and balanced experience across all guilds.
New Championship
Under the new system, each Championship will span across 6 battleground seasons. The guilds you will compete against in your Championship will remain the same throughout these 6 seasons. There might be changes though, if a new guild is founded or deleted during your Championship.
However, it is important to note that this does not mean you will directly compete against these guilds in every individual battleground season.
Instead, the overall Championship ranking is determined based on how each participating guild performs during the individual seasons. Your guild's performance during each season will contribute to your overall standing in the Championship.
This change has been implemented to add another layer of competitiveness to Guild Battlegrounds, as guilds strive to achieve the highest rank in their respective Championships.
We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts and questions with us here. We will be sure to provide further answers and insights in the future.
Thank you for being active members of our community, and we look forward to your continued engagement in Guild Battlegrounds.
Your Forge of Empires Team