RPI - Ben Leech

[autumn pagoda]

Please only keep questions to one per post. Vote for questions you'd like answered. I'll do my best to get questions answered in a timely response. 🙂

[weary garden]

How do you determine how many entities a unit gets?

[supple ingot]

What’s been the hardest unit to balance?

Is there any consideration being given to boost goblin numbers given Cathay peasant unit size equals them? It feels weird

[civic atlas]

What method do you use for balancing units against each other? Is there a baseline form which to work, or a general ranking to keep in mind?

[supple ingot]

While updating and bringing over factions - what faction has caught your eye as needing the most help/being the furthest behind?

[quartz spruce]

What is the overall goal in mind when redesigning the Warriors of Chaos faction?

[tranquil void]

Will there be changes/updates to the vassal system in WH3? As Slaanesh relies on it it seems like a core aspect and right now in WH2 it gets very wonky with allies declaring wars on vassals/vassals v vassals, the AI not taking into account the lord when declaring war on a vassal, etc.

[solar mirage]

What are some units from WH3 that you still have your eyes on regarding balance? E.g units that are currently underperforming or overperforming

[supple ingot]

What lord match-ups are you most excited for once IE drops? Like Skarbrand v Wurrzag, or N’kari v Teclis etc?

[lilac juniper]

How do you deal with balancing units for both singleplayer and multiplayer? It seems to be difficult, considering that units like Ancient Salamander had to be gutted in the singleplayer campaign because they were overperforming in multiplayer

[valid zinc]

How much of your work, regarding factions and potential new factions, is analysed/directed from Games Workshop and do they take any of your ideas on board, for example creating Vampire coast as a new faction

[delicate marsh]

Will Surtha Ek rise again?

[shadow field]

Around two weeks ago a promotional image was shown in which Greenskins and Kislevites were fighting, in it many users noticed regular Goblins with Sword and Shield. Will those Goblins be added to the game in the future or do they only exist as promotional picture assets?

Additionally rate how much you love Goblins out of 10.

[small robin]

What do you find more challenging from a design standpoint: creating a new unit or improving the UI?

[shrewd jewel]

which is more important when designing fun or balance ?

[white berry]

Do you think it's possible to make spellcasters learn more than six spells, but have to select which six they have "equipped"? It's annoying seeing Mannfred with two whole lores of magic and then some of the greatest casters like Mazdamundi, Teclis and Kairos are gutted with preset rosters of six.

[lapis mica]

Why did you decide not to add Troglagobs (sea-goblins) to the Orc & Gobbo overhaul?

[supple ingot]

One of the aspects of the roadmap has been delayed from patch 1.3 - Increasing the number of field battles.

Can you share how the internal discussions around minor settlements battles are going? They are a fairly contentious mechanic, with some people loving them, some people hating them, and some people wanting to love with tweaks. How are you guys reacting to the feedback/prepping for Minor settlement battles in IE? Is there anything in that regard you can share?

[keen smelt]

the Old World Updates are free? or they're paid DLC?

[true canyon]

Will there be more Option/Differenzen between mages/Lords of the different lores? (F.e. high elves habe just different colors where Empire mages are different Models)

[covert citrus]

When the team determines that a particular unit needs a buff or a nerf, how do you go about deciding which specific stats to raise/lower and how much each will change?

[compact yarrow]

How much testing goes into determining the strength of characters who are extremely strong in the lore i.e mazdamundi, nagash, bel'akor, kairos

[proper token]

Is a unit cap system something you would like to add in the campaign (as long as it is optionnal) ?

[warped comet]

Are you considering adding free for all battles in multiplayer campaigns? Since IE will also have 8 player coop, it would make for some fun battles if it’s 1v1v1v1. And will stone trolls get a small visual rework to make them look distinct from regular trolls

[verbal glacier]

Any chance a system could be implemented for when a faction of your race (that has a legendary lord) is destroyed, you can get the Legendary Lords to flock to your faction? Or at least make rebellion farming for certain lords easier

[late leaf]

Obtaining Amanar the sea serpant is a bit lack luster, after all you go through to claim it. In the upcoming updates will their be more boons such as a unique unit summon by the Amanar power, or spells that can be used to make obtaining the Amanar more worth while?

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: Generally the standards of how many entities we place within a unit were created during Warhammer 1, so it's been a kind of blueprint we've been following. As some examples, Monstrous Infantry are generally always 16 entities, Chariots are always 4, etc. Since a lot of us on the DLC design team have inherited this wealth of content from other designers who made the initial decisions, we generally stick to the established rules in order to retain consistency across the game experience.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: Definitely the Rogue Idol on the Greenskins faction. Our game balance in battle is somewhat tied to our animation speeds, so we had to give this guy really inflated stats to account for his slow and lumbering attack animations. It was a good challenge though! With Goblins vs Peasants, it's always something that we can take a look at, so never say never!

[small robin]

Most fun unit you had to design?

[orchid dome]

** I**mproved the gameplay of the dwarves on the Ungdrin Ankor which is not exploited at all

** A** dd more legendary lords with different mechanics like the dwarves of Thorgard Cromson who are a bit like Norse tribes with a different technological advancement than their cousin in the central mountains

** I** mproved also the dwarf units by adding a guild faction and units linked to the guild like the dwarf gatling unit of Zhufbarden

** R** unic guardians are dwarf hot air balloons with guild masters as legendary lords or the addition of **Malakai Makaisson **or **Burlok Damminson **

[torn apex]

"This week I've been making some finishing tweaks to some of the units you can expect to see arriving into the game alongside the Warriors of Chaos rework.."
Can you clarife - 4 Champions DLC units or new FLC Warriors of Chaos units?🤔 😁

[devout trail]

Did you revisit some mechanics from some DLC while porting them to wh3 to introduce changes? For example Nakai or the cult of sotek mechanic

[lapis mica]

Would you consider buffing empire Halberdier they get out shined but spear men

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: So we have a number of units that we consider our balance anchors within the game. Empire Swordsmen and Chaos Warriors are good examples of benchmark units that we use to test a unit's performance against. Using these benchmarks, along with metrics provided by automated testing, internal playtests, fan sentiments, and live game metrics; we have a number of funnels that we can make use of to make sure the units land in the right place. Sometimes we do make mistakes, but we try our best to get it right for when we need to release something.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: Definitely the Vampire Counts. With low access to Magical Attacks, we have been coming up with some ideas to make them a bit more competitive vs the monogod factions that rely heavily on physical resistance. Hopefully, they should have the leg up that they need come release.

[silk cedar]

Are there any units you consider under used sleepers that you expect to shine in IE?

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: This is a good question. I'm sure all of the battle designers on the team have a different answer to this. Both are important, but I'm a big believer in that if you can find the fun, the balance will follow.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: The Wheeled Hordes are ready to be unleashed once more!

[main vault]

any plan to implement*** optional/toggleable*** unit caps in SP? eg. only 2-3 SEMs in one army

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: In battle that haven't undergone too much of a redesign. We've added a few new abilities here and there, but I'd say the most significant change to the base roster that we've done is rebalance Aspiring Champions to improve their performance in combat as well as provide a new niche for them. They've now got more of a solid role as a kind of pseudo-monstrous infantry now (they're still considered small entities though).

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: We're definitely aware of this request and it's on our radar. No promises for anything in the short term though.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: Unfortunately due to a tech limitation we're unable to do this for IE, it's something that we do talk about internally though. It's not as easy to achieve as one might think due to the way that the AI and battle initiation works within the campaign, but never say never!

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: We have a really good working relationship with Games Workshop and they've really helped us in guiding our ideas and concepts to solidify the identity of factions such as Cathay and Vampire Coast. Feedback is definitely a two-way street and they've been really accommodating with our ideas. It's hard to measure exactly how much comes from each side because it's such a collaborative process, to be honest. I must say though that the wealth of source material that we have access to is incredible.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: I'm looking forward to someone recreating Durthu, Malekith + Ariel vs Bel'akor, Drycha, and Coeddil from the End Times! I think that could be a very cool cinematic battle!

[barren veldt]

Question 1: I've been noticing after playing a lot of Slaneesh that vassals will only build a Tier 1 Outpost. Because I am really looking forward to buy some mammoths for N'Kari but don't know if it's possible due to that limitation. Are vassals programmed to build only a T1 Outpost, or can they go to T3? Is there an internal timer that controls at which point in game the next outpost tier will be built?

Question 2: Will there be FLC besides RoR? Say, can I get hyped for a Toddy/Red Duke FLC?

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: Generally campaign is a very transformative experience, where the base stats of a unit can change quite significantly through techs, skill trees, and panel features. In that vein, it can be difficult to explicitly balance units in single player due to this "Effect Soup". We use Multiplayer as our baseline for unit balance because it's free of any outside effects that can modify a unit's baseline stats and transform it to a state where it can do things that it wasn't necessarily designed to do. When we have the goal of making a unit more viable in single player, the effects that it can receive from sources within campaign have to be holistically taken into account, so that we don't overcompensate on our numbers. We definitely hear the feedback from the community in the case of the Ancient Salamander. Whilst I can't promise anything in the short term, the feedback is certainly on our radar.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: Definitely improving the UI. There's only so much space and making things readable with a good user experience is an art in itself. Units are tried and true elements of the game at this point, though they can still be challenging at times.

[shrewd jewel]

Is there any possibility of having the AI on harder difficulties use more of there unique mechanics such as ikit claw using more of his workshop or grom with his different dishes.

[split socket]

What fan reaction to the balance changes/new unit gave you the most fun?

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: That's definitely possible, but it wouldn't be overly user-friendly without some updates to the UI. Generally, our rule is to be a bit more conservative in the battle modes, but go a bit wilder with the balance in the campaign with skills and techs etc.

[rapid gull]

Will the Eye of the Vortex campaign be available in the third game at any point in the future?

[quick parrot]

This is a really old grudge for me (been having this on my mind since Warhammer1): Will there be anything done to look over the basic Orc Boar Boyz cavalry stats, specifically their melee attack?

This only really pertains to the non-savage orc versions who are fine on that front.

My issue is that them being in the low 20ish range makes them very hard to actually deal any damage with any regular basis and thus always fall off in use for me in singleplayer as you have better options (like trolls, or the dlc Snotling Pump Wagon unit).

While Orc Boar Big 'Uns have anti large to boost their chance to hit to some acceptable degree , the basic ones are so low with their starting melee attack of 22 that i just never feel compelled to use them.

I feel a boost of about +8 MA would do wonders for their usefulness, but really any gain would be great.

Sorry for the long message.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: It's a toss-up between Da Big 'Un and the Avalanche Mortars.

[tepid moth]

Is there any plans to resize the Chaos horses so they don't ride poneys anymore ? Chaos Steeds in the lore are supposed to be massive.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: That's one for the campaign team really, but I don't see why it wouldn't be possible.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: The Black Coach, without a doubt.

[smoky meteor]

When you first design a new unit, what do you base it's initial stats on before you start balancing?

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: The new intensity system that has been used on some of the Khorne units has been giving us some fun ideas for ways we can rework older abilities. Keep an eye out for some smaller reworks in that vein!

[shadow field]

#991690113308446832 message
#991690113308446832 message
I think this answears your question 😌

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: We're always keeping an eye on the balance in a holistic way, so if we see something that is underperforming, we generally take a look if we get a chance to. Boar Boyz could be one of those cases, so cheers for raising!

[dusk whale]

On the subject of Vampire Counts needing a 'legup' can you say if there are any plans to rework Vlad? As a Lord without access to mounts, he seems to really suffer in a race where mobility is really important.

[pearl umbra]

Will the Krimson Killaz get a movement speed buff so that they're faster than regular black orcs, ya know, cuz the red ones go fasta?

Also, can I just thank you to you guys and everyone at CA for giving us something incredible.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: No plans currently. Sorry!

[lean cypress]

Did CA actually consider implementing 3K Extreme unit size preset into WH3, what would have been the more "technical" (and balancing) limitations that may have prevented it ?

[rancid skiff]

wow the improvements for custom battles sound great. My question is: How much do you consider animation when deciding units power?

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: Unfortunately this was a bit of a mix-up on our end. Releasing anything like Immortal Empires has a lot of moving parts and sometimes inconsistencies can occur. The Goblin Sword and Shield unit aren't real sadly, although if it's something that you all really want, please tell us about it!

Probably 4 because I personally prefer Snotlings (please don't hurt me Skarsnik).

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: There are some changes in the works, though I can't say too much else.

[tranquil void]

noted, ty ben!

[lapis mica]

What’s been the most contested balance tweak internally? Do passionate workplace arguments ever develop over seemingly small changes with balancing? If so any funny examples?

[frail jackal]

Is it possible to not have generic Lizardmen factions when they declare war on Nakai say "Nakai wants you dead".

[tepid nimbus]

Whilst it's been mentioned that Warriors of Chaos and Vampire Counts will be getting a touch up, I wanted to ask if Norsca will be getting any changes with the release of IE? As for races left behind I think they are on par with WoC.

[sour rampart]

Do you have any plans to roll back units that were previously nerfed? The units that were nerfed in the beginning seem to be relatively weak at this point.

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: For contested balance tweaks, we all generally get on with each other and trust each other to make good changes, so discussions rarely get heated. Part of being a designer is knowing when to be humble and not aiming to die on every hill.

We once had a big discussion about the merits of giving an 80 Charge Bonus to Helman Ghorst when mounted on the Brothers Ghorst Corpse Cart. Corpse Carts in general are a bit of an internal meme.

We've got a spicy bug where all 20 of the tiny rats on the Doomwheel shoot Warp Lightning at enemies, which has spawned some funny discussions.

[rustic bluff]

Are there improvements intended for the Blood Pack release or will it just be as it was before for Wh2?

[umbral bear]

Is there anything planned for Dwarfs? Any touchup that gives them a bit of flavour would be nice 😄

[past trench]

In Chaos Warriors, will Chaos Lords in Skill be able to mutate? eg wings, bigger height, tongs instead of hands? And
Will there be an introductory intro to every faction in imortal empiers?

[vocal roost]

hello Ben,
first off thank you all for bringing IE for us as soon as posible.
And second, while i imagine IE is mostly done being made with balance tweaks left, and thus, do you guys play it for some (testing purposes?) and which is the faction u had most fun (testing) on the new map

[warped creek]

Which factions are you most looking forward to people playing when IE drops?

This could be to see how player behavior may change expected balance, changes you're particularly proud of, or something you're looking forward to the feedback on.

[long cipher]

Is there any chance that some other lore of magic besides Yin will get a spell kind of like missile mirror? I really like that spell idea and would love other lores getting something similar

[lapis mica]

I have a question about the blood DLC (if its possible): Do you plan to give nurgle units guts ect? Or is there design final?

Are you planning on making any reskins for certain units or increasing the amount of skins for lords and heros?

[autumn pagoda]

Ben: So this has been a long-standing piece of feedback that we've been aware of for a while. With the Warriors of Chaos Old World Update coming up, we thought it would be the perfect time to revisit this point and sort out the scale of the Chaos Steeds to meet community expectations. In this vein, we've scaled up just about every Chaos and Norscan Horse mount in the game (including Dorghar) to be more befitting of their riders, along with adding a bunch of new animations to accompany them. We hope you enjoy this change when the Warriors of Chaos rework releases alongside Immortal Empires!

[oblique peak]

Will legendary Hero's play a role in IE? Will we see more faction wide unique hero's that different Legendary lords can recruit?

[runic apex]

will Orion finally get reworked to be a fast cav lord? feels bad seeing keeper of secrets and nkari running around so fast and orion stumbling along in slow motion when the TT and everything would suggest they are around the same speed

[errant echo]

Will tzeentch chaos knights and doom knights have a visual update in the future to make them more unique compared to CW chaos knights and aspiring champions? If not, will future human chaos units have a more distinct appearance or will they be more similar to what we already have?

[thin shuttle]

Are there any future plans for a balance pass on the High Elves? While they generally perform pretty well on campaign, by the end of Warhammer 2's lifespan they were statistically one of the worst performing races in competitive MP, with units that were overpriced for their performance, being hobbled by the Martial Prowess mechanic, and low HP that was not compensated by meaningfully higher speed, as well as some of their centerpiece units such as dragons having been rendered ineffective by the changes to mass.

[winged torrent]

Do you think the Malus choice from ME (keeping Hag Graef) could be apply to Monogods LL ? I would like to see N'kari survive even if his invasion of Ulthuan fail. Same for Skarbrand etc...
I think the fact they start with 2 settlements make them interesting for 2 differents starting position : If you want to 1v9 with Skarbrand in Badlands you can but you can also paint in red the chaos wastes from Infernius.

I think it could please every style for the players and also give a chance to the AI, because I fear they will just be a Grom 2.0.

[worldly blaze]

Did you have to make any especially drastic changes to the stats of units for Mortal Empires races in order to make them comparable to the game 3 factions?

[lapis mica]

Would you or are you making any graphic changes to old wh1 races to bring them in line with the new look

[carmine raptor]

Will the sword of khaine still be on ulthuan at the start of the campaign (mostly bc n'kari is gonna be able to get it super easily if that was the case)

[lapis mica]

Will the old world races like the Empire, Dwarfs, Vampire Counts, etc receive updates to their core mechanics when they get added to game 3 or some point down the line? I know a lot of people don’t enjoy how the current Elector Count system works if you’re playing Gelt, Volkmar, and Franz.

[spare ice]

will there be a realm of chaos or anything alike?

[thick olive]

You mentioned the peril that was balancing the Rogue Idol - speaking of collosal monsters, were Dread Saurians changed in any way? Were You satisfied with how they functioned in wh2?

[runic apex]

Any plans to add the northern watchtowers in naggaroth for immortal empires?

[uncut glade]

Can Gotrek be modified so that he keeps any and all defeat traits he earns in his travels.

Sword of Khain shrine raised bug fixed ever?

[rancid nova]

Will a vanilla respec button ever be implemented? Due to the AI's poor decision making, very often lords, especially caster lords, will have completely useless skill selections made before you confederate them, which can lead to lords like Alarielle or Gelt, who are designed to be relatively strong, being worse than a generic lord

[sturdy isle]

Will the landing animation for when you manually land flying units ever be fixed?

[autumn pagoda]

Thanks everyone for all your questions! Ben is fully swamped today but I'd like to thank him for answering so many questions!
Join me next week for another Rally Point Interview 😄 it's gonna be a good one 😉

[small robin]

Swamped?
Kislev Hags confirmed!!!

[uncut glade]

Elves have to summon it remember