Hey guys,
Here’s one last update on the April update before we go live on Monday. Today, I’m giving you a look at the inner workings of the new PvP scoring system and ladder and the revamped handicap system.
PvP Scoring and Ladder
One of the most common complaints about the current PvP scoring system is the negative scores that seem to occur even when you’re doing really well in the game. So first things first, the negative scores are GONE!
The basics of the new system go like this: If you kill a player the same rank as yourself, you score 6 points. You get more points for killing higher ranked players and fewer points for killing lower ranked players. It’s possible to score zero points if you’re farming noobs, but you don’t lose points for dying. The formula is based on the PvP rank table with Rooks at level 1 and Most Wanted at level 11.
With the elimination of negative scores, we’ve also removed the cap on PvP scores. On update day, the PvP ladder will be wiped clean with everyone starting at zero. We’ll run a one-month PvP Ladder Tournament and at the end of the month, the top players on the leaderboard will win a mix of real-world cash prizes and in-game prizes. When the month is up, we’ll wipe the boards clean and start a new chase for the top rankings.
Revamped Handicap System
Where before we determined a player’s handicap based on their PvP score, we have now added a new system, the Power Rating that determines how powerful players are in relation to each other. The Power Rating is based on the character’s level, their kill/death ratio, the items they have equipped and their equipped abilities. The total score is displayed by a star on the paper doll. Each item’s Power Rating is displayed in the pop-up tooltip, allowing players to mix and match their weapons, boosts and abilities to compete in a variety of matches.
In the instance selection screen, you’ll still see the difficulty column, but now the difficulty is based on the Power Rating of the player who started the instance rather than their PvP rank.
Handicaps also will be applied to a wider range of attributes than they currently are, including stamina regen rate, recoil and accuracy.
We’re also working on a profile feature that will allow players to have multiple builds of each character that can be tailored for PvE or PvP versus higher or lower Power players. This feature will be coming in a future update.
Post update we will continue to tune these systems for best performance.
--KevinB

Hey guys,
We wanted to let you know about a new feature on the website, the CrimeCraft Skill Calculator found here.

This tool lets you try out multiple skill build outs for your character without going through the rollback process in game. It includes full descriptions of all skills and a snazzy interface too!
We’ll be updating the calculator as we move forward when new skills are introduced to the game.
--KevinB
 

Hey guys,

In a little less than two weeks, on April 19th, we’ll be releasing a patch that brings four major changes to CrimeCraft. I’m here today give you all a quick overview of these changes.

For our current players, three of the changes will have the most impact.

PVP Scoring System
We’re making some major changes to the way the PvP scoring system will work that takes into account player feedback we’ve received since the last revision. In the new revision, we’re revamping the scoring formula and doing away with negative scores. We’re also removing the cap on PvP scores and adding a penalty for players who try to game the system. To be more transparent with players, we’ll be adding an additional UI screen that details the scoring system.

In addition, we’re changing the way we calculate handicaps. Instead of basing it on PvP rank, we’ll be looking at a player’s “Power” and kill/death ratios to determine handicaps. Power ratings add a new level of depth to the game, as this can be adjusted by players on the fly. Power is calculated from a player’s level and kill/death ratio, but also on the player’s weapons, clothes, boosts and abilities. Players will be able to adjust their equipment to compete without penalties in a wide variety of matches. You can see your power marked with a star on the character UI.

As you may already know from a previous announcement, we’ll also be clearing the leader boards on a periodic basis and handing out prizes to the top players at the end of each “season.”

Maps and Game Types
The reaction to the Delosville map has been overwhelmingly positive, but the high minimum player count to start the map makes it less popular in the overall rotation. To counter that, we’re reducing the minimum player count to 10 from 16. This is a change we’re making in direct response to community requests. We’re also adding the Riot mode to the map, which should make for some chaotic fun free for alls!

A few changes are coming to Headhunt and other PvE maps as well. In Headhunt, fewer mobs will spawn near the boss; overall, Berserkers will be slowed down by about 20 percent.

XP and Loot
Based on player feedback we are reworking the XP system for Headhunt and Safeguard to remove penalties for completing the match before the timer expires. For Turf and Robbery, we are reducing the minimum time to 7 minutes.

Loot will also be recalculated so players aren’t penalized for completing the match early, subject to the same 7 minute limit for Turf and Robbery.

Finally, we’ll be increasing the drop rates for tier 4 and 5 rare crafting ingredients.

Campaign Prologue
Finally, we are adding an intense prologue to CrimeCraft. “Welcome to the Jungle” is a series of missions designed to introduce players to the story behind CrimeCraft. This is a series of about 33 missions that take place on the outskirts of town as players “prove” to the Municipality that they are ready to enter Sunrise City! The prologue is primarily for new players and takes character from level 1 up to about level 8. For current players who don’t have open character slots but who want to try it out, we will be selling additional character slots so they can experience the prologue as well.

We’ll provide detailed patch notes on release day, but this gives you a solid heads up about what is coming this month!

--KevinB

Hey guys,

Back again to talk about server stability. As you know, we’ve taken several steps to ensure a more stable game for everyone, but obviously we’re still experiencing some issues. Fixing this issue is our top priority, but it will not delay the patch update that is due this month as we are currently in the testing phase.

While the steps we have taken will benefit the game in the long run, we now know that we have a memory bug. Memory bugs are tricky to fix, but we’re following a four-step plan to coax it out and crush it!

First of all, we’ve reconfigured our debug tools to draw out relevant information from the crash dump logs to give us more information on exactly what is happening during the crash.

Next, we are updating all server hardware to ensure the best performance on all machines.

We’ve also begun a line-by-line code review to identify what may be the cause of the problem.

And finally, we are rolling back some portions of the C++ code for greater stability.

We are committed to server stability and we will find and beat this memory bug. We also are looking at ways to compensate our subscribers for the inconvenience, and I'll announce something on that real soon.

As more information comes from the team, I will pass it along to you here.

--KevinB

Hey guys,

The devs behind CrimeCraft have been looking to bring a new wrinkle to the game, this time through a timed leaderboard competition. At the beginning of each season the leaderboards will be wiped clean and everyone will start from zero. This means the current leaderboards will be reset.

Scores will be based on a revised PvP scoring system that eliminates negative scores from matches.

We want your input on how long do you think a season should last and also on the types of rewards we should offer. Vote in the poll at CrimeCraft.com/community and let your voice be heard!

--KevinB