Enutrof Revamp: The Treasure Hunters Are Shining Up Like New Kamas
2017-10-17 16:00 - [Flatops]
Back to list
Coming second place in the class survey, Enutrofs were also shown to be one of the emblematic classes affected by our MP reduction changes. That's why we've decided to tackle their revamp, in order to place their class at the heart of these new mechanics and teach our old dogs some new tricks!
The New Global Mechanic
Enutrofs are, first and foremost, formidable treasure hunters, with an incredible ability to control the battlefield. We've decided to revisit this aspect of the class to create original and innovative gameplay. Enutrofs start their fights with 0 WP, and must accumulate riches during fights to increase in power and effectiveness.
We've reworked the elemental branches, linking them to a new Mine mechanic. This means you'll no longer need to be standing on top of them! From now on, you can trigger their effects using the appropriate spells. When a Mine is activated, its effect will simply be played on the target standing on top of it and the Enutrof will get a WP. These effects depend on the type of Mine.
The Water Branch
Focused on single targets, this branch primarily uses long-distance damage. In other words, it's a sure thing for the Enutrofs who like to play offense. To help them out, Sapphire Mines remove resistance from their targets.
The Fire Branch
The Fire branch does AOE damage, and severely punishes enemies who are standing too close together. What's more, it can disorient its opponents, since the Enutrof can use a Ruby Mine to steal its target's range.
The Earth Branch
The Earth element specializes in hindering its opponents. We wanted to give the Enutrof a way to slow down their opponents' progress, and the Emerald Mine is best suited for this as it removes MP from its target.
And the synergies?
Mines need to be activated and produce different effects depending on their type. It is, therefore, absolutely possible to remove MP with a Water spell, even though the Earth branch increases control of the Emerald Mines. In other words, regardless of your character's elemental branch, it's up to you to play around with the different possible combinations!
New Enutrof Abilities in More Detail
MP Reduction
This is the Enutrof's primary skill, which was designed alongside the new Willpower mechanic that will be discussed in detail in another devblog. The Enutrof has a vast kit, which is improved even further by the selected passives.
These powerful reductions compensate largely for the Enutrof's lack of movement skills. What's more, he no longer needs to run from Mine to Mine to inflict them on his targets: the Enutrof automatically moves to the Mines of the desired type closest to his target with his Movement spell, which is free. He can therefore either accumulate the same type of losses, or vary them.
Damage
This was one of the Enutrof's weak points before the revamp. Their damage was stable, but lacked burst mechanics. Most importantly, the Enutrof inflicted damage that was too dependent on purses and the Broke state, which could only appear once per battle. Especially as some specific fights outright prevented them from generating purses… As such, the Enutrof was severely impaired and was sometimes even considered a dead weight by the rest of their team.
We've reworked the mechanics to make them as universal as possible. The synergy between purses and Enutrof damage no longer exists. This mechanic was too specific, even before taking into account the fact that purses could only be used once.
Damage must come from repeatable and healthy damage gameplay, and drop mechanics are not part of this gameplay. For example, the new Seismic Wealth active increases their inflicted Damage score for the next 3 turns, which is very advantageous in long fights. In this respect, the Enutrof should be much more competitive than in the past, and may even shine as one of the most powerful adventurers!
Drhellzerker
The Drhellzerker was one of the big focuses of this revamp. It was immediately apparent that we had to extend the concept to all elemental branches. Now, all spells can be cast as a Drhellzerker. We've decided that it isn't necessarily a more powerful form than the normal Enutrof. It's much more mobile, to the detriment of its Range, which still rewards finding the best position from which to inflict damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will we be able to do more damage with this new Enutrof?
There's a very good chance of that! The Enutrof is better equipped than ever before to inflict damage on their enemies. They are particularly gifted at "burst" actions, and their battlefield control skills help them to better prepare their large damage spells. As they have reliable direct spells, and stronger spells that require a certain amount of set-up, they are now well-equipped to respond to any situation.
Are the debuffs stronger than before?
They are stronger, and are perfect for use alongside the new Willpower system! They are much more flexible and create better synergies. Clumsiness can be used for a quick and easy retreat. It's just as simple to use Clumsiness on an Emerald Mine, and you'll get even better results! Last but not least, with Firedamp Explosion, you can trigger the effects of the same Mine over a much larger area. This spell is excellent value for penalizing a whole area of enemies, and it works even better when it's cast on an allied tank in the middle of the melee. And there are even more possibilities for you to discover…
Why have you modified the purses?
Enutrofs are treasure hunters. It didn't seem fair that the other players in the team weren't being rewarded when teamwork is needed to win a fight. Purses now drop whenever a Broke target dies, so the collective effort can be rewarded. We didn't want the mechanic to be free anymore. It should be noted that it is also possible for purses to drop earlier, but once again, this requires a certain amount of effort, which is what we intended. In the end, it doesn't matter who picks up the purses because the loot will be allocated at random! Enutrofs will find places in groups more easily and will no longer go it alone to get their loot.
Will it be more difficult to master the mechanics after the revamp?
The mechanics were complex before the revamp. Having a number of simple yet different mechanics does not make a class easier to play or learn. Using simple spells becomes complicated, because:
- the descriptions are long and consulting the class effects becomes tedious;
- learning a class is based more on a list of effects to be applied than on the various ways of using a same given mechanic;
- we lose strategy and choice because spells meet more requirements.
An effect must be clear and the player must be able to quickly figure out when to use it.
From now on, there is only one global mechanic: Mine management. The class's learning curve is now based on knowing how to position one's Mines in the right places, using them at the right time, and in the right order, in order to optimally create the effects produced. And we've given the class all the tools they need to handle any situation.
The "third spell bar" has unlocked new possibilities for us. It gives us more control over the management of recharge turns, and we can perform more complete spells, or even "two-part" spells, rather than a single one-size-fits-all spell. This is a good sign for all upcoming revamps!
