Version 2.0.2 Build 22726 PTR Patch Notes

PTR Discussion and Bug Report
1

While this is a work in progress and subject to change, we now plan to go live with with 2.0.2 on April 15.

Our biggest thanks to everyone who participated in the PTR and provided feedback. For any tournaments currently underway, it will be up to you to decide which version you will continue your tournament on.

New Changes in this Build

World Editor

  • Item Slow(Orb Version) (AIos) changed to be based off of Shadowstrike (AEsh) instead of Slow (Aslo)
    • This may change how custom abilities previously copied from Item Slow(Orb Version) function

Items

  • Vampiric Potion removed from drop pool
  • Rune of Lesser Healing removed from drop pool
  • Sentry Ward vision reduced from 1600 to 1200

Human

  • Reverted Siphon Mana range
  • Orb of Slow proc chance reduced from 30%/15% to 25%/10%
  • Orb of Slow debuff is no longer dispellable or stealable
  • Orb of Slow debuff now stacks with Sorceress Slow
  • Holy Light cooldown increased from 5/5/5 to 5.5/5.5/5.5 seconds
    • Note that the HUD does not support decimal cooldowns and will display the cooldown as 6.
  • Flame Strike mana cost reduced from 135/135/135 to 125/125/125
  • Defend deflection chance reduced from 30% to 25%

Orc

  • Orb of Lightning damage against summoned units increased from 150 to 200
  • Wind Rider movement speed reduced from 320 to 310
  • Sentry Ward vision reduced from 1600 to 1200

Night Elf

  • Reverted Hunters Hall lumber cost
  • Reverted Natures Blessing cost
  • Reverted Moonstone duration
  • Reverted Mountain Giant food cost
  • Upgrade Moon Glaives cost increased from 100/150 to 125/175
  • Upgrade Moon Glaives research time increased from 35 to 60 seconds
  • Huntress movement speed reduced from 350 to 340
  • Chimaera movement speed increased from 250 to 270

Undead

  • Reverted Ritual Dagger charges and cost
  • Cripple mana cost reduced from 100 to 90
  • Frost Wyrm air attack now has an area of effect (same as ground attack). This splash damage will only affect enemy air units
  • Frost Wyrm ground attack splash damage will no longer affect air units
  • Frost Wyrm ground and air attack range increased from 300 to 375
  • Disease Clouds spawned on Abomination death no longer have collision

All Changes in Version 2.0.2

Performance

  • Fixed an issue on production servers that caused the game to hitch every few seconds for some players

Bugfixes

  • Fixed an issue where players could not join a private custom game by name if they did not have the map downloaded

General

  • Updated various campaign background screens

Lighting

  • Reforged environment lighting direction adjusted to match Classic/Classic HD
  • Dungeon biome lighting overhauled to better fit Classic lighting
  • Minor brightness adjustments

Map Pool

  • 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 map pools have been updated

World Editor

  • Item Slow(Orb Version) (AIos) changed to be based off of Shadowstrike (AEsh) instead of Slow (Aslo)
    • This may change how custom abilities previously copied from Item Slow(Orb Version) function

Balance

Items

  • Sentry Ward Vision reduced from 1600 to 1000
  • Sentry Ward vision reduced from 1600 to 1200
  • Sentry Ward health reduced from 200 to 50
  • Sentry Wards are now magic immune
  • Healing Ward charges reduced from 3 to 2
  • Healing Ward area of effect reduced from 500 to 450
  • Healing Wards are now magic immune
  • Vampiric Potion added as a level 2 charged drop
    • Vampiric Potion grants +6 damage and 50% life steal for 20
  • Added Rune of Lesser Healing as a level 2 powerup drop
    • Rune of Lesser Healing heals 75 health in an area around it.
  • Ring of Protection +4 removed from drop pool
  • Ring of Protection +3 added to drop pool
  • Ring of Protection +3 gold cost reduced from 150 to 125 (matches Ring of Protection +4)
  • Backpack shop requirement removed for all races
  • Orb of Darkness will now spawn level 2 Dark Minions
  • Ancient Jango of Endurance movement speed increased from 5 to 7.5 and attack rate from 3 to 3.5%
  • Legion of Doom-Horn movement speed increased from 5% to 7.5%, health regen per second increased from 0.3 to 0.35.

Human

  • Orb of Fire replaced with Orb of Slow
    • Costs 325 gold
    • Provides +5 damage
    • Orb of Slow has a 30% chance to proc on units, and 15% chance to proc on heroes. Applies a 25% attack speed and 55% movement speed slow to the target for 10(5) seconds
    • Orb of Slow has a 25% chance to proc on units, and 10% chance to proc on heroes. Applies a 25% attack speed and 55% movement speed slow to the target for 10(5) seconds
    • Orb of Slow debuff is undispellable and affects magic immune units.
  • Flame Strike mana cost reduced from 135/135/135 to 125/125/125
  • Siphon Mana Range reduced from 600 to 500
  • Siphon Mana area of effect reduced from 800 to 700
  • Banish cooldown increased from 0/0/0 to 4/2/0 seconds
  • Holy Light cooldown increased from 5/5/5 to 6/6/6
  • Holy Light cooldown increased from 5/5/5 to 5.5/5.5/5.5 seconds
  • Militia Armor reduced from 4 to 3
  • Defend piercing damage reduction reduced from 65% to 50%
  • Defend deflection chance reduced from 30% to 25%
  • Defend cost reduced from 150/100 to 125/75
  • Defend research time reduced from 45 to 40 seconds
  • Slow duration reduced from 60 to 45 seconds
  • Invisibility Range increase from 300 to 400
  • Heal range increased from 250 to 350
  • Flying Machine movement speed reduced from 400 to 375
  • Arcane Vault requirement removed from Dragon Hawks and Cloud upgrade

Orc

  • Orb of Lightning cost reduced from 375 to 325
  • Orb of Lightning damage against summoned units increased from 150 to 300
  • Orb of Lightning damage against summoned units increased from 150 to 200
  • Mirror Image cooldown increased from 3 to 5 seconds
  • Great Hall build time reduced from 140 to 125 seconds
  • Great Hall build time reduced from 140 to 135 seconds
  • Wind Rider level reduced from 4 to 3
  • Envenomed Spears damage per tick reduced from 4 to 3
  • Wind Rider movement speed reduced from 320 to 310
  • Sentry Wards, Stasis Traps, and Healing Wards are now magic immune
  • Sentry Ward health reduced from 200 to 50
  • Stasis Trap health reduced from 100 to 25
  • Stasis Trap detonation radius reduced 400 to 350
  • Stasis Trap stun duration reduced from 6(2.5) to 4(2) seconds
  • Healing Wards duration reduced from 30 to 25 seconds
  • Healing Ward area of effect reduced from 500 to 450
  • Tauren now have Resistant Skin
  • Tauren cost increased from 280/80 to 300/100

Night Elf

  • Orb of Venom damage per tick reduced from 9 to 8
  • Moonstone duration increased from 30 to 45 seconds
  • Moonstone duration increased from 30 to 35 seconds
  • Mana Burn range reduced from 300 to 250
  • Keeper of the Grove strength gain increased from 1.8 to 2
  • Treant attack cooldown reduced from 1.75 to 1.65 seconds
  • Wisp lumber gather rate reduced from 8 to 7 seconds
  • Nature’s Blessing lumber cost reduced from 200 to 175
  • Hunter’s Hall lumber cost reduced from 100 to 80
  • Upgrade Moon Glaives now changes Huntress armor type to Heavy
  • Upgrade Moon Glaives cost increased from 100/150 to 125/175
  • Upgrade Moon Glaives research time increased from 35 to 60 seconds
  • Huntress movement speed reduced from 350 to 340
  • Ultra Vision research time reduced from 45 to 30 seconds
  • Mountain Giant food cost reduced from 7 to 6
  • Chimaera movement speed increased from 250 to 290
  • Chimaera movement speed increased from 250 to 270
  • Vorpal Blades upgrade now grants an additional 10 damage

Undead

  • Wand of Negation charges increased from 2 to 4
    • Wand of Negation is now a single target dispel that deals 200 damage to summoned units
  • Ritual Dagger cost reduced from 100 to 75, charges reduced from 2 to 1
  • Ritual Dagger healing increased from 175 to 200
  • Frost Nova range reduced from 800 to 700
  • Spiked Carapace damage return from 15/30/45 to 25/50/75
  • Carrion Swarm damage increased from 75/125/200 to 75/135/200
  • Nerubian Tower attack cooldown reduced from 1.3 to 1 second
  • Nerubian Tower attack cooldown reduced from 1.3 to 1.15 seconds
  • Burrow research time reduced from 45 to 30 seconds
  • Web is now available on tier 1
  • Gargoyle movement speed reduced from 375 to 350
  • Gargoyle ground base damage reduced by 1
  • Cripple mana cost decreased from 100 to 90
  • Anti Magic Shield blocked damage reduced from 420 to 300
  • Disease Clouds spawned on Abomination death no longer have collision
  • Frost Wyrm air attack now has an area of effect (same as ground attack)
  • Frost Wyrm ground and air attack range increased from 300 to 375

Neutral

  • Level 1 Rain of Fire range increased from 700 to 800
  • Dark Ranger Drain Life can now transfer life to a friendly unit.

Creeps

  • Poison Treants no longer have entangled roots. Health increased from 290 to 350
  • Spitting Spider armor type changed from Heavy to Medium - Health reduced from 400 to 350
  • Giant Spider Health reduced from 550 to 500
  • Satyr Hellcaller level reduced from 9 to 8
  • Giant Wolf stock delay increased from 220 to 440
  • Satyr Shadow Dancer cost decreased from 200 to 190 gold
  • Immolation damage reduced from 10 to 5
  • Entangle root duration from 10(3) to 6(3) seconds. Range reduced from 800 to 600
  • Frost Nova slow decreased from 4 to 2 seconds
  • Unholy Frenzy HP drain reduced from 4 to 2
  • Brilliance Aura reduce mana regeneration from 1 to 0.5
  • Polymorph mana cost reduced from 225 to 200. Duration reduced from 25 to 20 seconds
  • Healing Wave heal amount reduced from 215 to 130. Jumps reduced from 4 to 3
  • Cold Arrows duration increased from 3(0.75) to 3(1) seconds and damage from 0.25 to 1
  • Diseased Cloud duration reduced from 120 to 75 seconds
  • Animate Dead reduced duration from 120 to 40 seconds and mana cost reduced from 250 to 150. Cooldown reduced from 240 to 180 seconds
  • Parasite duration reduced from 30 to 15 seconds
  • Blizzard casting time reduced from 1 to 0.599 seconds
  • Rain of Fire casting time reduced from 1 to 0.599 seconds
  • Skink movement speed reduced from 200 to 100
  • Apprentice Wizard health increased from 180 to 200 and damage by 2
  • Fallen Priest damage increased by 2
  • Lightning Lizard armor type changed from Heavy to Medium. Health increased from 280 to 300. Dice damage reduced by 2
  • Salamander Hatchling armor type changed from Heavy to Medium. Damage reduced by 1
  • Arachnathid Earth-borer Shadow Strike and mana removed. Health increased from 400 to 450
  • Murgul Snarecaster Health increased from 375 to 400. Damage reduced by 1
  • Skeletal Orc Champion - Death Coil removed. Now has Cripple and Vampiric Aura
  • Infernal Machine now has Unholy Aura
12 Likes
2

Tauren resistant skin buff going through is kind of crazy not gonna lie.

Also I wish we got some bugs reported fixed but it’s fine, overall the patch is interesting, the nerf to pala rifle is alright I guess, although the compensation buff given (Heal range increased from 250 to 350) I feel like should have been removed when the siphon range got reverted… oh well

Question would it not be possible to create a NEW item for melee called Orb of Slow with the editor note (New) that is based on Shadowstrike? I say this because it is very risky for custom maps to go around changing existing interactions, not saying that this will break much other than make shadowstrike users not buy orbs of slow but it is good practice.

8 Likes
3

You are the best.
Not sure about all changes atm, but the fact that you REACT and update it so fast! This is very good.

7 Likes
4

I don’t understand why don’t you buff Dryad like Huntress? This unit dies so quickly with unarmored type. Should switch to Fortified type after Abolish upgrade. Also maybe it cost should be decreased? Why 145, when it can be 135 like human priest.

2 Likes
5

Dryads are fine.
They are one of the best unit in the game in synergy.
Ideally we don’t want to touch late game NE because it is fine. We want to see changes in the midgame.

4 Likes
6

Please revert this change cause it will break dozens of custom maps that people playing and in which mapmakers used such orb ability for their own custom content/triggered stuff.
I think that you can either create a new rawcode for new orb ability, or make it as it was before this hotfix.

10 Likes
7

Exactly. Dryads work well, use them almost every game.

I’d like a bit more armor or decreased damage from spells to Talons. They lack a matchup because they die so fast to late game heroes, and they are completely different tech tree. Meanwhile, they aren’t really good in early to mid game either…so really, there isn’t a suecase for them.

2 Likes
8

I’m sorry Blizzard, or Kaivax, please please please in the name of who you love transfer this message to the main dev team.

DO NOT TOUCH EXISTING ABILITIES, it will break custom maps, do it like the classic team that used to work, create a NEW item and ability base on Orb of Lightning (New) give the skin for orb of slow and make the ability inside it which is purge into the shadowstrike ability.

And you’re done, DO NOT, AND I REPEAT DO NOT change an existing ability.
The Classic Team did it like pros, check abilities like Ritual Dagger to see the evidence, even with that ability that changed during development they didn’t touch the old ability just made a new one.

For the love of all that is holy dont do this, by Uthers beard dont do this i beg of you, Blizzard, or Kaivax, please make sure the dev team sees this.

18 Likes
9

still no orbs not procing on passively acquired targets fix. tweaking orbs all around and yet they don’t even work correctly to begin with.

4 Likes
10

Why don’t you just create another ability for this orb like you did for orb of fire in earlier patches?

12 Likes
11

GUYS, thank you for your kind attitute towards the game. As an Undead main I highly appreciate your desire to buff Frost Wyrms!!!

Please, keep it on like that!!!

6 Likes
12

Thanks for the changes.
Pit Lord’s Cleaving Attack splash damage should be included in the calculating of restored health from each attack with Vampire Aura.
Vampire Aura may benefit from an additional effect causing life drain on nearby enemy units each second, depleting health and giving it to the Dreadlord and nearby friendly units. 0.5 health, 1 health, and 1.5 health per second is transferred at each skill level. It should not transfer more than this amount per second. If multiple enemy units are near the Dreadlord, the Hero should only gain 0.5 health per second total, and not 0.5 health per unit.
Dark Ranger’s Life Drain mana cost should be reduced. Siphon Mana is 10 mana? Life Drain maybe should cost 25 mana or less.
Alchemist Chemical Rage should give immunity to stun, and maybe last longer. This ability feels weak when Entangling Roots, Banish or stuns further deplete duration.
Mirror Image is devastating in late game free for all. Mana cost should be increased.

13

Healing wards cannot be magic immune. Anyone advocating for this change does not play free for all or is indifferent.
A 100 food army on screen will make clicking on individual wards obscured underneath armies almost impossible. Battles against a bloodlusted Orc army already happen so fast and every second of reaction is valuable.

Sentry wards are absurdly advantageous in free for all and should give experience when destroyed, and maybe should have reduced duration.
Other wards could fairly benefit from being stronger. Stasis traps could even be magic immune. The stun duration and effect radius of all wards should be reverted. They should be impactful. Give them much more health instead. Maybe even enough to require 2 dispels. Deespul, deespul!!

14

When is the Reign Of Chaos ladder coming back? Everybody’s asking

15

I appreciated Orb of Fire’s unique ability to reduce healing. This should be added to the Orb of Slow, or the Fire Orb could be changed to cause splash damage as it originally did, and inflict the healing reduction on all splash damaged units. The splash radius could also be increased, and do maybe 10 damage with each splash, or a % of the Hero’s damage. The splash damage has synergism with Thunder Clap and Blizzard. I saw Humans use Pit Lord effectively. If Orb of Fire is restored its splash damage should stack with Cleaving Attack. Everyone would probably enjoy Orb of Slow purchasable in the Goblin Merchant, maybe 600 gold or more.

2 Likes
16

Dryads do NOT need a buff. Magic immune, can dispel, fast unit, have slow, poison, and 145 is incredibly cheap. Mass priests on t2 aren’t winning you a game, dryads however, certainly can.

5 Likes
17

I really don’t like those changes. Elf OP, Pala Rifle will remain too strong. Messing up with air units’ movement speed for no reason. Wyrms buff is too strong.

Sentry Wards vision range remains nerfed for Witch Doctors even though the patch note mentions only ITEM. Can you fix it, please?

18

Some cool balance changes and its really nice to see more work on such a fantastic RTS! I have alot of concerns about how the implementation of the Orb of Slow change is going to be handled however… creating a new orb and ability already has precedence, if the existing ability data is overwritten instead its going to cause alot of issues and break alot of custom games.

I cannot stress how bad of a step this would be as far as workflow goes, and just about every time it occurs there is backlash.

So… why not just implement it the right way the first time around?

7 Likes
19

Many players may appreciate this proposition to mitigate teaming.
Each player can activate a ceasefire against 1 player once every maybe 10 minutes and only when their buildings are attacked by 2 seperate players within 60 seconds. This ceasefire disables the target player’s units from being attacked by or attacking the activating player, and lasts maybe 2 minutes.

Free for all should require 5 players minimum. Free for all was perhaps not meant to involve only 4 players. Reign of Chaos ladder initially allowed 6 players or more.
Free for all matches should no longer incur loss if someone leaves within 4 minutes.
Would anyone disagree more players is more fun?

20

This is the right direction now. Cost reverted but speed updated.
Tbh this state looks finalized. We will feel it now only in the late game what will help a lot with MGs upgrades and master upgrades for talons/bears.
Genius change.
I also will leave a link to a great video about lumber issue https://youtu.be/XZ2X6p05mlQ

My prediction that probably their armor itself should be 1 not 2 or dmg should be lowered.
Not sure that just movement speed is enough but we need more games to decide.
The idea is brilliant still - SO many units are playable (like FD, hippoarchers (you can make archers now because you don’t need to rush t3 now), even talons, potm is playable) because of this change on T2.

I like the new orb but I don’t like inconsistency. We have 2 effects, they are the same. One of them IS dispelable and another one isn’t. And the proc chance itself is also kinda scary because 10% is too low to relay on it but when it procs it is too good.
Probably the idea should be like - 30% proc but less effect or something like this.
I’m not sure how this could be playable without losing consistency.
Probably, this sounds crazy, human should have 2 orbs - slow and fire.

Overall:
In general - this patch looks way more finalized then previous one.
All changes seems reasonable now and implemented with thinking.
This one is playable 100% but seems like slight changes are still required.

3 Likes