March Balance Patch Details [ Edited ]

[Motive_Mario]

While you are waiting for the servers to kick back up tomorrow, feel free to read through all the juicy details below. Get ready for Ranked Battle Arena. I'll try to respond to questions throughout the week but myself and the team are busy working on new stuff for the game.

 

Common

• Overhealth
• Add decay delay 10 sec
• Add decay rate -2.0 health/sec
• Sprinting
• Remove camera control reduction
• Improve blending of sprinting movement speed to regular movement speed
• Target Lock UI
  • Includes Thorn Apart, Spell Disaster, Can’t Miss-ile, Blue Blazes
• Abilities that home towards enemies now display lock on UI to targeted victim

Peashooter

• Chili Bean Bomb
• Decrease refresh time 18->14.85 sec
• Refresh timer doesn’t start until explosion
• Upgrade Bean Party
• Increase refresh reduction 1->4.5 sec

Chomper

• Spikeweed
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Burrow
• Increase chomp distance 3.0->3.75 m
• Increase chomp height distance 1.0->4.25 m
• Grody Goop
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned

Kernel Corn

• Butter Beacon
• Increase active spotting 4->6 sec
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Legendary Upgrade Shogun Guard
• Fix issue with Rapid Recob Upgrade not working
• Upgrade Rapid Recob
• Increase reload time multiplier 0.5714->0.5x

Night Cap

• Casting Shadows
• Fix issue with aiming not being allowed when inside Casting Shadows area of effect
• Decrease push force applied 2.0->1.5
• Decrease aim modifier 0.7->0.8x
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Upgrade Parkour
• Decrease strafe speed multiplier 1.8->1.4x
• Decrease backpedal speed multiplier 1.8->1.2x
• Shadow Sling
• Decrease speed multiplier 1.8->1.4x
• Decrease active duration 2->1.5 sec
• Increase outro duration 1->1.5 sec

Cactus

• Upgrade Popcorn
• Triggers on any vanquish randomly, not just critical vanquishes

Snapdragon

• Flame Blower
• Decrease range 30->25 m
• Increase initial velocity 62->75 m/s
• Add drag start distance 12 m
• Add drag end distance 19 m
• Add final velocity post drag 32 m/s
• Blue Blazes
• Decrease direct damage 75->65
• Decrease splash damage 50->35
• Decrease refresh time 17->14.25 sec
• Blazing Trail
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned

Citron

• E.M. Peach
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Fix character challenge stun enemies

Acorn & Oak

• Treetop Turret
• Add 1.5 damage modifier to shields
• Treeject
• Decrease inactive time 1->0.75 sec
• Lumber Support
• Decrease healing 157.5->100 health
• Decrease refresh time 15->12 sec
• Passenger Passive
• Remove armor
• Invoke Oak
• Decrease summon time 4->3 sec
• Super Sap Trap
• Increase arming time 0.35->0.85 sec
• Decrease refresh time 24->19 sec
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Roll for Damage
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Fix character challenge multi-hit
• Upgrade Hardened
• Decrease Acorn health gain 50->25 health
• Increase Oak health gain 50->75 health

Sunflower

• Sunny Side Up
• Increase refresh time 16->22.25 sec
• Increase heal amount per sundrop 2.25->2.4 health
• Decrease number of sundrops spawned 28->21
• Fix camera priorities so sprint camera still activates
• Fix missing camera bob on sundrop spawn
• Heal Beam
• Decrease heal rate 25->20.85 health/sec
• Upgrade Vampire Flower
• Increase heal rate 6.25-> 8.35 health/sec
• Upgrade Pocket Protection
• Increase heal rate 10->12.5 health/sec
• Upgrade Sunslinger
• Decrease equip cost 4->3
• Increase heal rate 6.25-> 8.32 health/sec
• Upgrade Blossom
• Sunflower who is healing can no longer be target of additional Heal Beam

Rose

• Arcane Enigma
• Increase refresh time 20->60 sec
• Refresh timer starts on ability activate
• Increase allies speed boost application rate 0.5->0.25 sec
• Add refresh rate increase for buffing allies 6.4x
• Decrease speed when receiving damage, speed modifier decreased 0.85->0.4x
• Fix issue with speed decrease not being cleared when Enigma ends
• Goatify
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Fix issue with Captain Deadbeard controls being bugged if Goatified while in barrel

Foot Soldier

• Super Stink Cloud
• Decrease refresh time 29->20 sec
• Decrease active time 15->10 sec
• Refresh timer doesn't start until gas dissipates
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• ZPG
• Refresh decrease 24->23.75 sec

Imp

• Gravity Grenade
• Should no longer work through shields
• Increase throw distance
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned

Super Brainz

• Bone Collision
• Decrease head, arm, spine, and fist collision sizes
• Increase max health 150->175
• Alpha Better Shield
• Increase health 120->160
• Decrease shield regen rate 15->10.666 health/sec
• Decrease shield regen delay 2.0->0.0 sec
• Decrease shield regen delay from destroyed 10->0 sec
• Decrease min shield health from destroyed 40->22 health
• Remove strafe speed modifier
• Increase backpedal speed modifier 1.0->2.0x
• Remove transition time back to Heroic Fists
• Fix issue with shield not being lowered when picking up Gnome Bomb

Electric Slide

• Boogie Bolt
• Decrease damage 16.8->14.9
• Decrease initial velocity 1000->650 m/s
• Decrease drag start distance 50->20 m
• Decrease drag end distance 80->40 m
• Decrease post drag velocity 600->400 ms/s
• Switch to automatic fire
• Increase damage of electric arc 7->14
• Fix issue with arc lighting jumping to more than one target per arc jump
• Funky Bouncer
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Disco Tornado
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned

Captain Deadbeard

• Anchor Shot
• Fix issue with targeting arc not turning off after being revived if vanquished with weapon primed
• Increase damage 20->50, have fun with that
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Eggsplosion
• Fix issue with ability refresh timer not resetting
• Upgrade Powder Keg
• Remove secondary explosion
• Upgrade Heavy Metal
• Updated description to match gameplay; full charges lasts until next shot
• Upgrade Long Barrel
• Fix issue with reticle not adjusting to new accuracy

Space Cadet & Space Station

• Gravity Smash
• Fix issue with refresh timer starting early
• Cosmo Shot
• Decrease damage 6.9->6.5
• Asteroid Shield
• Decrease health 300->125
• Hands-On Torpedo
• Increase lifetime 10->15 sec
• Increase refresh time 14->20 sec
• Increase direct damage 40->50
• Decrease splash damage 70->50
• Big Bang Burst
• Decrease damage 10.5->9.9
• Decrease initial velocity 800->620 m/s
• Add drag start distance 30 m
• Add drag end distance 60 m
• Add final velocity post drag 400 m/s
• Space Force
• Increase movement speed multiplier 1.2->1.25x
• Decrease refresh multiplier 5->2.8x
• Decrease Big Bang Burst rate of fire multiplier 1.5->1.3x
• Decrease Cosmo Shot rate of fire multiplier 1.5->1.15x
• Crater Maker
• Add initial refresh
• Upgrade Hands-On Torpedo Health
• Decrease health 30->20
• Upgrade Crater Maker Speed
• Increase movement speed multiplier 1.2->1.44x
• Upgrade Bullseye
• Fix issue with incorrect projectile being used

Scientist

• Goo Blaster
• Switch to automatic fire
• Sticky Healy Thingy
• Increase healing rate 18.0->30.3333 health/sec
• Decrease active heal time 5.0->3.0 sec
• Increase refresh time 20.0->32.0 sec
• Heal Spray
• Decrease heal rate 22->20.85 health/sec
• Fix residual heal, now does intended healing of 5.0 health/sec for 5 seconds
• Upgrade Power Wash
• Increase heal rate 6.25->8.75 health/sec
• Increase range 18->20m
• Upgrade CPR
• Increase heal rate 6.25-> 8.32 health/sec
• Upgrade Reflexive
• Increase heal rate 10->12.5 health/sec

Engineer

• Bullhorn Swarm
• Adjust trajectory to be more center screen aligned
• Decrease gravity of initial projectile
• Upgrade Turbo Charge
• Remove UI health element
• Upgrade Rally the Troops
• Fix issue with missing refresh reduction
• Increase refresh reduction 1->4.5 sec
• Upgrade Double Time
• Fix issue with proper speed blending

[Fork_x_Spoon]

To summarize most of it, they made the game faster (decreasing most ability refresh timers) & accurate (trajectory adjustments). However, one change that may be underlooked is the speed blending; it'll feel much smoother when you switch from regular speed to spriting. Not to mention the fact that Electric Slide & Scientist are no longer semi-auto; gone are the days of mashing the RT button!

[Positronic-Rift]

Can't wait to test these changes out later this week! Hopefully sprinting and the related camera work will make the game feel more responsive. Decaying overhealth and Blossom not being able to self-heal/self-overheal Sunflower are nice changes imo.

Scientist's goo blaster becoming automatic... Now that's an interesting change.

Edit: Questions for @Motive_Mario:

1) For Super Brainz, what exactly is Bone Collision?

2) Will Wizard be excluded in Ranked Battle Arena until the new plant class is introduced into BFN?

3) Will damage drop-off ever be considered as an option to balance characters so that they play at their intended ranges? I just don't get why the dev team believes that changing velocity & drag distance would be much better than directly changing projectile damage at short, medium, & long range. I would love an in-depth explanation on this. For context, please watch the 1/24/20 LFN stream (around the 20 min mark).

[MCFBlackfang]

oak and acorn teaming up sounds worth it now. super patch looks good! also just noticed this. is "thorn apart" the new rose legendary upgrade?

[SockReverie]

It looks like we did get quite a bit more balancing than we thought! It all looks very nice. I hope this makes the meta a bit more bearable for the time being, and helps with Battle Arena. This is all wonderful.

[belpita]

Thank [Someone] for automatic fire! It was really tiring having to do it manually, especially during a longer playing session. 

[Shinobicap]

Chomper still gonna be the worst character in the game. Simply because it takes WAY too long to swallow an opponent, even with mastication (and that's an essential talent).. His hit box is massive and his health is sub par for a melee character. He's slow and clunky. He's just all around bad. Which is a shame because chomper was my favorite in gw1//2 

Also why can't you regen health underground? that's silly.

[Poss-one]

These are some great patch notes! I'm glad that Snap, Sunflower and the Hardened upgrade got nerfed. Scientist also got buffed, which might encourage me to play him more often as a support class.

Also thank god for the parkour nerf.

[shurikeninja]

@Shinobicap I think Chomper is great in BFN, much better designed than in the GW games. He's not top tier, but he can work well, especially in Battle Arena.

[Iron_Guard8]

Overall this is an encouraging list of changes. I'm especially glad to see to the reduced shield health on the station riders. It appears that overhealing will be much like in TF2 where if you don't maintain it, it decays over time, which is a good thing. 

We'll need to go over these in more detail but it looks good, I love that hardened got cut on Acorns but gives more health to Oak for example. The Acorn riders losing their tree top armor may be an issue as you can't really dodge anything while up there and the armor was a big help for supporting the big man.