With great changes comes great responsibility... and many good questions!
The latest update turned out to be quite a mystery to many. But worry not — the HQ is here to make it all clear and answer the most frequent questions we've been asked this week.
Q: Did the Operator upgrade cost really increase?
Short answer: yes and no. It's a bit complicated, so stay with us.
Upgrading an Operator actually requires less Gold than before. The difference is quite drastic, check out the numbers here. Full disclosure: it's a classified dev document. Don't mind the typos!
Plus Shards now drop for all Operators equally, as opposed to the previous system where Epic Shards almost didn't drop at all. This makes leveling up a significantly easier task after the update.
However, the new upgrade system also uses Silver which wasn't the case before. In some instances it does make the cost slightly higher than it used to be, but since Silver can be obtained from many sources, the majority of players will experience faster progression speed.
Q: Okay, but why add Silver as an upgrade requirement at all?
Adding more Shards to regular rewards and reducing upgrade costs in Gold both have a serious impact on the game's economy. There has to be something to balance things out, right?
To avoid damaging the entire progression system with these changes, we added Silver to level-up requirements. It works as a gateway of sorts that makes sure you're progressing through the game at just the right speed. On the other hand, earning Silver is extremely simple, so it never feels like a true blocker.
Q: Why are my fully upgraded Rare Operators no longer maxed out after the update?
In our Overhaul Preview, we mentioned that Rare Operators will be converted to the new system with a x1.6 multiplier rather than x2. Let's dive into the reasoning behind it now.
For a very long time, upgrade costs across Rarities were all over the place. Leveling up an Uncommon was more expensive in total value than maxing out an Epic — doesn't make much sense, does it? Still, for those dedicated enough to invest in low-tier characters in the old system, we decided to keep their progression intact.
Rares were the cheapest of the bunch to upgrade, however, so it didn't feel fair to apply the same rules to them. Instead, we capped the conversion at LV 80 and raised their power ceiling so you can make your favorite Rare Operators even stronger.
Q: What's up with all the tiny rewards?
We are currently in the middle of transitioning to the new system. Some parts of the game are easily adapted to the changes and already function as intended, while others — like the VIP Tree — are lagging behind. Don't worry, we are fully aware of it and already working on fixing it.
Next month, most of the regular activities will be adjusted, and the rewards will be recalculated to match the new Tacticool reality.
Q: Any info about the secret nerfs?
Oh, right. We kinda missed that part in the initial announcement. Sorry about that.
Here's an updated changelog with all the changes made to Epic Operators in this version. Make sure to give it a closer look, there are quite significant corrections on the list.
Q: Do you even listen to the community when you make balance changes?
Here at the HQ, community is everything. A lot of the things we do are aimed at solving old problems like poor gun variety, useless characters, and bad matchmaking — things that have been reported countless times. Even the latest changes in Operators were partially proposed by those who play Tacticool daily and support us through the years.
Of course, analytics are also there to ensure we don't break anything, but your input really is crucial to seeing what aspects of the game require our immediate attention.
We understand your need for a more clear feedback loop, though. Rest assured future requests and ideas will be addressed by our team in a more regular manner.
That about covers it all! Our team is keeping the channel open, so feel free to share more of your thoughts and questions regarding the update on our social media.