Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about Phase II and Phase III testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about Phase II and Phase III testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
TRUTHFUL feedback about TTK changes
4444
Member, Alpha Two
I always thought PTR was meant to balance such changes before they hit alpha. I assumed it was a buffer zone designed to prevent a complete collapse on the main servers. Maybe that’s still the case, but it was clear even back then that this patch wasn’t ready.
First of all, why are we being equipped with gear on PTR that people don’t actually use on live servers? Players weren’t complaining about TTK while using level 20 blue gear — they were complaining about it when using high-rare and well-enchanted level 10 gear. That raises the question: are we really testing the changes that are supposed to address the current issues?
Also, I'd like to point out that some level 10 magical items somehow became physical after the update. Now imagine the faces of those who spent months grinding to complete their mage set.
Secondly, the new patch increased the raw numbers we get from stats, but also reduced the contribution of each stat to the character's overall power. For example, the old 350 power rating is now roughly equal to 6000+(dk acuratly, but sense of it is understandable). But for some reason, this system doesn’t apply to basic stats like max HP and mana. That’s a problem — for example, a level 20 blue iron sword gives a +1000 HP bonus.
From the gear I was offered to test on PTR, I could build a set focused either on max damage or max HP. The issue is, the damage difference between those sets was around 15%, but the HP difference was over 60%. I consider that broken.
Thirdly, the issue with the previous TTK wasn't that players could stack a lot of damage, but that other stats simply weren’t as useful or effective as those that increased damage. This was especially problematic for magic classes, where survivability skills (like heals or magic shields) were scaling off damage stats instead of survival stats.
Solution: Rework how abilities scale from stats. For example, make it so that a mage’s shield scales from max mana or spent mana instead of magical power — or come up with your own system.
It would also be helpful to adjust the effectiveness of primary stats like Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution — and do the same for magical attributes as well. Some of these might need to be buffed or nerfed to create a healthier balance across builds and classes
And yes, I saw that part of this was implemented in the update, I just haven’t had time to properly test and evaluate it yet — but I felt it was important to mention.
Fourthly, after the new patch, the gap between a gear item's main stat and its secondary stats (those added via rarity upgrades) has become way too large. This will likely reduce gear variety even further, since players will just continue stacking the main stat — same as before — only now with fewer viable item combinations.
Fifth and final point: please don’t push the patch to alpha while there’s still room for improvement and polish on PTR.
In conclusion, most of the old issues haven’t been solved, and several new ones have been introduced. The only real positive thing I noticed is that stat scaling from enchantment levels has finally become more balanced.
First of all, why are we being equipped with gear on PTR that people don’t actually use on live servers? Players weren’t complaining about TTK while using level 20 blue gear — they were complaining about it when using high-rare and well-enchanted level 10 gear. That raises the question: are we really testing the changes that are supposed to address the current issues?
Also, I'd like to point out that some level 10 magical items somehow became physical after the update. Now imagine the faces of those who spent months grinding to complete their mage set.
Secondly, the new patch increased the raw numbers we get from stats, but also reduced the contribution of each stat to the character's overall power. For example, the old 350 power rating is now roughly equal to 6000+(dk acuratly, but sense of it is understandable). But for some reason, this system doesn’t apply to basic stats like max HP and mana. That’s a problem — for example, a level 20 blue iron sword gives a +1000 HP bonus.
From the gear I was offered to test on PTR, I could build a set focused either on max damage or max HP. The issue is, the damage difference between those sets was around 15%, but the HP difference was over 60%. I consider that broken.
Thirdly, the issue with the previous TTK wasn't that players could stack a lot of damage, but that other stats simply weren’t as useful or effective as those that increased damage. This was especially problematic for magic classes, where survivability skills (like heals or magic shields) were scaling off damage stats instead of survival stats.
Solution: Rework how abilities scale from stats. For example, make it so that a mage’s shield scales from max mana or spent mana instead of magical power — or come up with your own system.
It would also be helpful to adjust the effectiveness of primary stats like Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution — and do the same for magical attributes as well. Some of these might need to be buffed or nerfed to create a healthier balance across builds and classes
And yes, I saw that part of this was implemented in the update, I just haven’t had time to properly test and evaluate it yet — but I felt it was important to mention.
Fourthly, after the new patch, the gap between a gear item's main stat and its secondary stats (those added via rarity upgrades) has become way too large. This will likely reduce gear variety even further, since players will just continue stacking the main stat — same as before — only now with fewer viable item combinations.
Fifth and final point: please don’t push the patch to alpha while there’s still room for improvement and polish on PTR.
In conclusion, most of the old issues haven’t been solved, and several new ones have been introduced. The only real positive thing I noticed is that stat scaling from enchantment levels has finally become more balanced.
9
Comments
This isn't the case.
I feel the same way. I’ve been frustrated all morning seeing what we were given—and wondering why such major changes only stayed two days on the PTR.
Changes like this need to be handled carefully, with proper planning and objective analysis.
Right now, it just feels like a temporary patch. Nothing about it seems coherent or built to last.
If that's not the case, and the developers really don’t mind outright shocking players in a negative way—like with the recent change—then they must not care whether players get disappointed in the alpha and stop playing. But I think that deep inside they do care, and they wouldn't want that to happen. That’s why the PTR really should serve as a buffer zone where changes are tested in advance—if it isn’t already(in your opinion it isnt)
This is also incorrect.
There are no players currently, only testers.
You are not currently playing Ashes of Creation, you are testing it.