This page contains all the blog posts from april 2016. To read the most recent blog posts, click here.

The upcoming HD3 update will contain some changes to combat boosts. There were a few balance problems that will be targeted (and hopefully fixed) by these changes.

The primary problem was that powerful boosts had too low a score or had too high a trigger count. When the game creates a boost with a powerful ability, it will limit the number of times this boost can trigger over the course of duel, but there's no reasonable limit to this number in the modify screen - any boost could have its trigger count increased up to 25. Another problem was that a boost with a low-power ability and thus a high trigger count could (through the modify) have its ability changed to a powerful one, without the trigger count changing.

Each ability has now been given a default trigger count, which will be low for the most powerful abilities. Players can still increase this trigger count, but it will be capped to max 125% of this default value. Thus, a boost that has an ability with a default trigger count of 5, can have that count increased to max 7 (trigger counts are allowed to be increased as long as the current count is lower than 125% of the default, which is 6.25 in this case, thus a count of 6 can be turned into 7).
When multiple abilities are present on a boost, the one with the lowest trigger count will determine the final trigger count of the entire boost.
Finally, when abilities are changed in the modify screen, the trigger count of the boost will be reset to the default value for that ability.

Alongside these changes, with this update, HD3 will also have support for a new event-only game mode that will be activated in the near future.

A new HD3 update, containing the Exploration game mode was released earlier this week.

In the previous blogpost i talked a bit about the first part of exploration. Once this part is completed, the dimensional gate will unlock, which allows players to visit 'hidden dimensions'. A hidden dimension is an area similar to those encounterd in the first part of exploration, but there will be 6 instead 4 regular opponents next to a single boss. This means that by the time players reach the boss, it will have 6 bonusses making it stronger or more difficult. These areas are also available for a limited amount of time, measured in combat attempts. However, if players lose a duel, any damage dealt to that opponent will carry over, so players can tackle more difficult opponents over the course of multiple duels. Finally, the deck and flagship as well the choice of combat boosts and mercenary are fixed. Once you activate the gate, you can no longer change your deck or edit your flagship. Boost and mercs can't be changed anymore either, but the ones you have chosen will be available for each battle inside the hidden dimension.
That's not all - the gate itself affects the opponents in the area as well. There are 9 modifiers that determine the races of the decks you'll encounter, additional combat boosts the opponents will have, or additional starting ships, etc.

What are the rewards? Next to regular card and boost drops, everytime players complete an area at the highest available difficulty level (which starts at level 50), they'll get a elite card of their choice (of a random race). There are also 'dimensional affinity' points (DA points) to be earned, which can be invested in a small set of skills that boost various aspects of a player's deck and base. For instance : there's a skill to increase base HP, but there's also one that randomly spreads an increase amount of attack and defense points across the ships in player's deck. These skills are only active while in hidden dimensions.

Up next, i'll probably focus on balancing (both card and difficulty). I've already done some preparation work for a possible new event gamemode.