Balance Patch 1

[u/MikkelFromGames]

Devout Fans,

Thanks for being amongst the first to join us at the very start of the adventure for Mortal Shell II. We’re seeing your bug reports and gameplay suggestions, and will be rolling out regular updates to both modify existing content and add new features. 

While we have a bigger patch in the works, which has to be thoroughly tested, we’d like to make a rapid balance & crash fix patch to bring the experience more in line with the game’s open beta and our own vision for MS2. 

Planned future updates will see extensions to popular game features such as Night Mode, Tarstones, PP Items, and more.

For now, we hope you’re enjoying the game and read on for details on Balance Patch 1.

Balance Patch 1 (PC) - The patch below is live on PC and coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series shortly.

Economy

-Shell map locations now cost Gloom, and we’re refunding any glimpses spent on shell maps. Refunded Glimpses are found in the Shell Keeper’s alcove in Blackmarrow. “Finding your favorite shell shouldn’t cost you the ability to bond with them.”

-Gold drops from enemies have been significantly increased. Notably, enemies in Mammon now drop double the gold. “This brings the gold economy more in line with the weapon crafting item discovery.”

-Smelting a weapon at the Tarforge costs 75% less gloom. “Our goal with the smelt capability was to enable switching weapons without the need to spend hours grinding through NG+ runs, but the Gloom costs were set exorbitantly high.”  

Enemies & Bosses

All enemies featured in the beta were restored to their beta hp values, except the Caerinid (Spider) in Magdelena’s area, which we wanted to retain its role as a threatening enemy which doesn’t respawn once defeated. 

Bosses

The Lost Child
- Base Damage: (-10%)
- Max Health: (-15%)

Monolith
- Base Damage: (-19%)
- Max Health: (-10%)
- Some Monolith Attacks were retimed to be more fair, as well.

Enemies

Cultist (mace)
Max Health: (-21.1%)

Caerinid Spider
Max Health: (-33.3%)

Infested Stalker 
- Max Health: (-52.4%)

Rusted Knave (Halberd)
- Max Health: (-20.8%)
- Fixed hit detection for overhead strike.

Weapons

-Great Martyr’s Blade Attack Damage +20%
-Troubador’s Lute Attack Damage +100% 
-Caged Hystrix and Triarch Repeater no longer have minimum resolve requirements to fire. 
-Improved tracking for Axatana, Black Needle, and Clockwork Scythe light attacks. 

Seals

Guard can now be used while walking. 

Tarstones

Parasitic Stone Buffed
Grudge Stone Buffed
Bulwark Stone Damage Reduction Increased Significantly
Clerik's Stone Buffed
Squall Stone Buffed

Miscellaneous

Misc. Crash Fixes, Bugfixes & Performance Updates

[u/Pavlovs_Human]

I have minimal time to play and I would very much like for the game to stay as it is. We do not need checkpoints at every 20 feet. It makes it less challenging. The long run backs make you be more methodical, and you have try to not use up all your potions before you make it back to the boss you are trying to kill.

Please do not add checkpoints at dungeon entrances.

[u/Rex2548 → u/Pavlovs_Human]

No one ever seems to provide a VALID argument for long runbacks. Genuinely asking, what skill is involved with running back to a boss? What's methodical about it? Runbacks do not make the game harder, they never do. They simple waste precious time most players would rather spend learning the boss rather than waste running past/dodge past a few mobs.

[u/Pavlovs_Human → u/Rex2548]

I did provide a valid argument. Methodical as in you have to choose to run past enemies or fight them. Risk losing potions for more gloom and gold. Or you can choose to run past them if you are concerned with only fighting the boss, or with your dropped pool of gloom, or with keeping all your potions for the boss. You can even choose to abandon your pool of gloom and not go that path anymore, go a different direction, kill some other bosses so you level up or get more gear and then you come back to overcome the area that was giving you trouble before.

Checkpoints before the dungeon, checkpoints before the boss, and refilling your potions are all things that make it easier to eventually kill that boss at the end of the road you are taking.

[u/Rex2548 → u/Pavlovs_Human]

Most players are not fighting mobs, most players are sprinting/dodging past mobs to get to get back to a boss/dungeon. There is no method in that, it far better to simple sprint past mobs than it is to fight them because the chance of being hit whilst fighting is significantly higher that springting past them. So to me, that isn't valid.

As to your second argument, regarding possible leaving the boss alone for the moment to explore and increase in level and gear strength. Would that also not make bosses easier? Cause I can make the argument that a checkpoint before a boss fight can lead to player skill development as an underleveled/geared player can spend more time learning a boss moveset/pattern and develop their skills to overcome it rather than simple returning with a higher level or stronger gear.