While Wolcen's launch was a bit of a flop, this action RPG is getting better with each weekly update. Today's 1.0.5 patch, for example, addresses an impressive number of bugs, broken skills, and glitches, but not everyone is super happy with it.
The biggest change in patch 1.0.5 is the removal of an unintended glitch that caused players to upgrade unique items to Legendary. Like many ARPGs, Wolcen categorizes items into different tiers based on rarity and overall strength, but there is also a special category for items that are not simply the result of an algorithm, but are created by the developer. These items, called uniques, often open up novel playstyles, such as the two-handed sword Zephyron, which can use lightning spells even when holding the sword with both hands.
As the renowned Path of Exile's ZiggyD explains in a video on the subject, the problem with Uniques is that they are not that powerful and cannot keep up with the weapons found in Wolcen's vast endgame. So players discovered that they could use one of Wolcen's endgame crafting methods to upgrade their uniques and turn them into more powerful legendary items, which, as ZiggyD says, "opened up a whole new dimension of gearing."
The problem was that upgrading uniques to Legendary was never intended and could easily be used to create incredibly overpowered characters. In today's patch, the upgraded uniques have been restored to their original form, but Wolcen developers are not opposed to adding this feature in the future after they have had a chance to properly balance them.
"However, Wolcen developers are not opposed to adding this feature in the future, once they have had the opportunity to properly balance it.
A wise move, but I can see why players might be a little disappointed. Since launch, Wolcen has been plagued by a large number of glitches and broken skills. Most of them are frustrating rather than enjoyable, and it is a bit frustrating to take away one of the bugs that players actually enjoy. Still, Wolcen's developers have made remarkable progress in addressing the problem.
Patch 1.0.5 fixes a large number of obviously broken skills and nerfs several overpowered skills, including the infamous "Bleeding Edge" skill that players used to make Wolcen's toughest bosses disappear in seconds. As is typical with nerf-heavy patches, players are upset that their once-powerful characters have been weakened. There is already a growing chorus of complaints on subreddits and forums, with many pointing out that other abilities and passive skills still need to be fixed.
The last few patches have been promising, although it seems that Wolcen still has a long way to go before it approaches a stable balance. The last few patches, however, have been promising. Perhaps one day Wolcen will fall into the category of games that sucked when they were first released, but have gradually improved over time.
You can read the full patch 1.0.5 notes for Wolcen here.
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