Aug 12 2025 Devblog
Greetings, heROs! It is I, Aventurine, handling a devblog for the first time. It’s been about 3 months since our last one, and there’s been some changes in the oven that we need to discuss.
Contents
DB Website Update
To start with, we’ve updated the DB to the latest patch on heRO, with the date of 08/07/2025 (mm/dd/yyyy). This should include everything up to the Soul Linker update patch. Note that we’ll probably do another one when we release the 20th Anniversary Update, but probably none in between due to the amount of work involved.
AMotion Change
I have been reading several comments and opinions regarding the fix for AMotion Delay being added back into the game, and I wanted to give a bit more detail into this fix. First off, what is it? This is basically a delay that forces your character to wait for ASPD and/or Animation delays before your character is allowed to use another skill. This is separate from cooldown. Many of you have noticed this change hit quite hard to skills like Call Spirits and Teleport.
One of the main things I implore all players to know is this system has been in the game for years. The client has always enforced this delay, never needing a server check. So what happened? The client we chose to use for our 2024 client update. Gravity made a change that removed the delay enforcement from the client (or broke it), and since there was no strict server-side enforcement, suddenly all players had effectively no-delay. Suddenly all skills are bypassing a delay that should have existed.. This helped lead to the MA SinX build becoming such a major problem (and absolutely dominated last Rental WoE).
The Fix
Put simply, we’ve been able to add strict server-side enforcement of delays. Not only does this fix the issue the client update created, but it also helps block the use of no-delay cheats in the future. I sympathize with players that this update was a bit of a slap to the face, but for the health of the server, it was extremely important to fix this issue to remain closer to the Pre-RE feeling we want the server to have. We’re not 100% on the timing of the current delays, and GM-Flutane was able to lay the groundwork for us to be able to adjust it per skill. Teleport is one of the first we’re going to adjust, by reducing or removing the delay completely. We are also looking at TK Ranker. We have not yet decided on what other skills we want to adjust, but we are actively monitoring. I have seen calls for Call Spirits to be adjusted, but the GM team remains split on that. Please know, we are listening to and reading suggestions. We have frequent debates in GMcord about changes regularly, including these. So, if you think something should be adjusted, let us know! I’ve created a new suggestions forum thread in the heRO Discord. But rest assured, the delay changes are not over, and we do listen.
Meteor Assault & PBD.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. This build was absurdly busted. It was broken in both PVM and PVP. It will be changed.
How?
We’re not ready to share that yet. Simply put, we’re still trying to work out a way that keeps the spirit of the items while ensuring that we don’t have an automatic “I win” build that destroys enemies and gives free full restores. Part of the AMotion update was related to reining in Meteor Assault, so we’re also waiting to see how that change affects this build before we do too many other changes. And with 20th Anniversary looming, it’s difficult to juggle all of that with these changes. But I wanted players to be aware that we do still have this change on our radar and still plan to follow through on it. But again, Meteor Assault changes will be handled after we verify how the delay fix affects the build.
Will there be compensation/decarder?
As it currently stands, no. Many players have been using this build for upwards of years now and have benefited greatly from it. Builds come and go with changes, new gears, nerfs, buffs, etc. This is a common thing in online games, and we are no exception. In my opinion, compensation is typically for things that have no viable way of recovery. Please note that GM opinions do differ, so this is not set in stone. Plus, if the changes are heavier than even I thought, that could change my mind as well. So put simply, it’s a no for now, but we can’t be sure until it’s out.
What about PBD itself?
I’ll reiterate Ayu from the last devblog as not much has changed regarding it:
SinX lost the shield card's % damage reduction, but they are still healing everything, such that unless they are one-shotted. So what can be done? But then the realization is that this is true of every physical class right now- if you are not one-shot, then any physical class will heal up to nearly full as long as the damage is high enough because of Purple Bat Doll and Hunter Fly. So perhaps the tank aspect is not solely the fault of MA and SinX, but Purple Bat Doll is the common denominator. Although other classes don't share the same spotlight, our TD team covers a wide variety of classes. They are aware of a few other under-utilized classes that actually do the exact same thing as SinX MA.
So, I think it's pretty easy to say that Purple Bat Doll is not going to exist in its current form and something needs to be done. At the same time, Purple Bat Doll breathes life into a few other lower-tier, non-high-end party builds, and we don't want those builds to wither away for MA's (and a few other skills') sins. We will likely change Purple Bat Doll, but potentially release Purple Bat Doll's old effect with class restrictions or build restrictions, such as for Lord Knight's Frenzy leech build. Purple Bat Doll also puts every other draining build out of commission because it is way more effective than any other draining approach. We have not decided what to do yet, but we are committed that something will change about the current Purple Bat Doll and Hunter Fly Card combo.
Instances
In the past few months, we’ve released 2 instances of older content, Nidhoggur's Nest and Endless Tower. We wanted to release these for a long time, and we finally have. Endless Tower was a huge one, as it enables multiple parties to enter at once, so we can avoid one player hogging the tower for GTB while a group waits outside for a chance at a full run. I also developed the new Instance Shop feature. My goal with this was to introduce a medium to long term grind for new costumes and other aesthetics to encourage players to rerun older content. With Flutranes help, I was able to also add a pity system into Endless Tower to help mitigate bad RNG. To clear up any misconceptions, yes, the crumbling badge is the pity counter. At 0, you have a 5% chance at a Violet Badge, and at 20 pity, it’s a guaranteed drop. We have plans for more content, including new instances. Many of the new official dungeons will be added but adjusted to fit heRO’s systems and needs. For newer players, this can range from the entire quest being overhauled, monster’s stats being heavily adjusted, to simply using the map to create an entirely different experience. We have 1 instance preparing to enter development and 1 in pre-planning stage. The Instance Shop will be used with future instances.
Class Updates
Our goal is to focus mainly on content going forward, but there are a few other changes to classes, one big one I wish to make note of. Extended Classes are the redheaded stepchild, and some of you might have noticed that they are starting to get closer attention from us. We just released changes to Soul Linker to make it more flexible in builds, allowing players to go full link support, or adding in more battle or buffs skills if they wish. We want the Extended classes to be fun but also viable. With that, we are looking at adding fully custom Platinum skills for each Extended class. Each skill is being used to emphasize that classes gameplay or to fix a major issue we see with it. We’re also using them to potentially add skills from their later jobs into their current ones, at a Pre-RE level of course.
Let’s look at Gunslinger. Gunslinger has 5 weapon types, and the skill tree is particularly wonky. The class can be hard to play, and heavily restrictive to using multiple guns due to the limited amount of skill points you have access to. To help with this, we are looking at adding 2 platinum skills (NOTE: NOT FINAL SKILLS OR NUMBERS). The first, Gun-Fu, would remove the Flee penalty when tanking multiple mobs, enabling Gunslingers be a bit safer when mobbing with close range skills (Desperado). The second we’re looking at is Winning Streak, where every crit you land, you get a coin. This can allow Gunslingers to more easily get skills off that rely on coins without needing to use Trick Coin constantly.
Other Extended classes are getting their own skills, but I’ll keep that secret until release or Flutrane will murder me.
20th Anniversary
It’s soon! Super soon! We have laid out plans for this event, and we’re already working on them. I’m keeping much of it secret, but I can reveal that my own event, Aventurine’s Roguelike, will be returning. I’ve made some changes, like lowering the costs of some items (MVP Card Album for 50 jades instead of 100 anyone?), God Items for stones (How do you get stones? Get lucky!) and adding 5 new painful floors with one truly disgusting final boss. I’ll make the bet with you players here and now. For each of these floors you clear, I will double the final rewards. That’s how hard I’m making them. Smile.
And yes, my dear friends. Topaz will be returning for you to happily gamble your rewards away for my new item.
There are other events, but I won’t spoil the surprise until it’s closer!
PVP, PVE, and God Items
This brings us to the last topic of this blog post. Many of you are aware that we’ve been working on Rental War of Emperium. It’s no secret that our normal WoE is not exactly healthy, and R.WoE is an attempt to help fix that. Many issues with WoE is just getting access with Guild levels, gear, zeny, and more. The other major issue is the God Items. God Items are typically from WoE only and many players are locked out of ever obtaining one, let alone having the chance to slowly work for one. For players who are unaware, God Items are some of the most powerful items in the game. To obtain one, you need to hold a WoE castle, invest in its economy (which is lowered by breaking the Emperium), and then open the treasure chests each day. The more economy you have, the more chests you get. These chests have a chance to drop materials to craft a God Item. So, if you never participated in WoE, you never had a chance to get one of these items.
This is changing, starting with this weekend’s Rental WoE. Some players might remember than in October 2024’s devblog, we planned to increase the amount of ways players can obtain these items. Back then we simply said just PVM, but we have decided to also add this to R.WoE as well. There is still a PVM system in the works, so eventually we’ll have 3 routes to obtain them. In addition, we plan to add SE chests to R.WoE on top of FE chests. These will enable players to begin collecting materials for the God Items Series 2, Asprika and Brynhild. These chests will not be added to WoE FE. They will remain R.WoE exclusive. The future PVM method will also include FE and SE God Items. We have not determined how we want to handle TE items yet.
Put simply:
- War of Emperium FE (First Edition): FE Chests for God Items series 1
- Rental War of Emperium: FE/SE Chests for God Items series 1 & 2
- Future PVM Update: Ability to craft God Items series 1 & 2
That’s it for this devblog, and Ayu, Aki, Flutrane or Ciar will post the next sometime around 20th Anniversary.
-GM-Aventurine
