In this Developer Note #25, we have prepared some exciting news for the Origin 1.5 Anniversary of Counterside that you have all been eagerly awaiting as well as the major updates planned for August 2024 for the Global server.
However, as the 1.5 Anniversary broadcast is scheduled for August 9th, we will be introducing the contents here in a way that does not spoil the broadcast, hence we ask for your understanding.
Origin 1.5 Anniversary
Starting from August 7, 2024, CounterSide’s Origin 1.5 Anniversary Eve will begin.
As previously mentioned, we are preparing a broadcast for August 9th to mark the Origin 1.5 Anniversary, and the main events will begin on August 14th.
For the 1.5th anniversary broadcast, we are preparing to deliver a variety of news, including the new rearmed employee, Danger Close boss, and a lot more.
New substream [KR ONLY]
The new substream episode that will be released on air tells the story of a girl looking for her missing father and discovering a counter in Lotus who has lost her memory.
■ New awakened employee [KR ONLY]
The new awakened temple is being prepared as a defender, which takes damage from allies and increases attack power quickly as health gets lower.
■ New SSR employee [KR ONLY]
The new SSR temple is being planned as a supporter that nullifies enemy buffs and controls movement, and is scheduled to be released through Counterpass.
New Rearmed Employee
The new rearmed employee will be released in a form that enhances the unique buff/debuff characteristics.
More details will be available through the broadcast, so please look forward to it.
Max Level Expansion and Partial Growth Resource Overhaul
Within the second half of 2024, we plan to expand the max level for employees and partially overhaul growth resources.
As expanding the max level for employees and overhaul of rearmament and growth resources are sensitive matters that may cause concern among our CEOs, we have decided to address these points first in this developer’s note, as opposed to discussing newer content like substreams or awakened employees.
1. Max Level Expansion
Currently, the max level a employee can reach through Limit Fusion is 110. However, to accommodate the new, higher-difficulty Danger Close and future content updates, the max level will be expanded to 120 in the second half of 2024.
As the max level increases, employees will gain additional stat boosts proportional to their level.
To perform Limit Fusion for levels 110 to 120, SR, SSR, and Awakened employees will require [ Special Fusion Core ], an upgraded version of the [Fusion Cores], while N and R grade employees will need [Fusion Cores]..
[ Special Fusion Core ] required for additional Limit Fusions of SR, SSR and Awakened employees can be crafted in the workshop using Fusion Cores, but there will be a weekly production limit.
2. Addition of Regular Acquisition Sources for [Fusion Cores]
Due to the anticipated increased demand for [Fusion Cores] following the expansion of the max level, we will be adding new in-game sources to regularly farm [Fusion Cores], coinciding with the max level expansion update.
3. Rearmament Overhaul
To rearm employees, CEOs currently need [Rearmament Data] or [Prime Rearmament Data], depending on the employee’s grade.
However, [Rearmament Data] has been an entry barrier for new CEOs, and for CEOs who have finished rearming all their employees, it’s just taking up space in the storage. Many CEOs have requested improvements to this system.
To address these issues, we will be overhauling the rearmament process to prevent situations where CEOs have too little or too much [Rearmament Data].
As part of this improvement, starting in the second half of 2024, [Rearmament Data] and [Prime Rearmament Data] will be replaced entirely with [Fusion Cores] for rearmament. However, the amount of [Fusion Cores] consumed will vary depending on the employee’s grade.
With the removal of [Rearmament Data] from the rearmament process, CEOs will no longer be able to obtain [Rearmament Data] or [Prime Rearmament Data] from the [Data Transmission Room] after the rearmament overhaul update.
Additionally, we are preparing an update that will allow CEOs to convert existing [Rearmament Data] and [Prime Rearmament Data] in the storage into [APT Cores] and [Fusion Cores] through crafting in the workshop.
4. APT Core Unification
The Counter, Soldier, and Mech [APT Cores] and [S-APT Cores], will be unified into a single [APT Core] and [S-APT Cores] respectively in the upcoming update.
After the APT Core Unification update, CEOs will be able to use this unified [APT Cores] and [S-APT Cores] for the Limit Break of all employee types.
The existing [APT Cores] and [S-APT Cores] for Counter, Soldier, and Mech will be converted into unified [APT Core] and [S-APT Cores] after the update along with [APT Cores] and [S-APT Cores] acquirable from simulations and supply operaitons.
With the APT Core Unification update, we believe that the Limit Break for employees will be more straightforward.
The expansion of the max level and rearmament overhaul planned in the second half of the year, we expect that existing PvE contents will become easier to play.
To match the increased capabilities of employees, we will also be introducing higher-difficulty raid and dive content, so please look forward to it.
We will provide more detailed information about the max level for employees and overhaul of rearmament and growth resources in the 1.5th anniversary broadcast and through separate announcement.
Attack Range Reference Point Unification Update
Currently, all employees are categorized into Air, Ground, and All-around Attack. Additionally, aside from the attack type, the attack method is divided into melee and ranged based on the range of each employee’s basic attacks, Special Skills, and Ultimate Skills.
In CounterSide, we determine whether an attack is melee or ranged based on whether the distance between the caster and the target is greater or less than 500 distance.
However, we have found that the reference points used to calculate this distance from the target were inconsistent, leading to situations where skills with the same set range would have different distances between the caster and the target in actual combat.
This inconsistency was due to the fact that the range of some employees’ attacks was calculated based on the size of the target employee, while the range of other employees’ attacks did not include the size of the target.
To address this issue, the development team aims to unify the reference points for attack ranges, thereby reestablishing the ranges of attacks that, despite being set to the same range, have been activating differently in actual combat situations.
With this unification, all employees will have their own unique attack ranges, which will be informed through skill tooltips, allowing for more accurate and transparent gameplay.
While this unification will provide more consistent gameplay, it is important to note that due to the differences in how attack ranges were previously calculated, some employees may experience changes in their attack ranges. While we will be striving to minimize these changes, some adjustments are inevitable.
With the change in attack range reference points, the additional melee and ranged stats obtained through gear and other factors will also be affected.
Currently, the additional melee and ranged stats obtained from gear and other factors are determined if the attack range is 500 or less, it’s considered melee; if it’s over 500, it’s considered ranged.
However, due to the ongoing unification of attack range reference points, which may change the attack ranges of individual employees, the way these melee and ranged stats are applied will be adjusted to be more flexible.
As shown in the graph below, there is a clear distinction between melee and ranged stats based on a 500 distance now, but the effects will gradually increase or decrease based on 500 distance after the formula is modified.
Changing the attack range reference point requires multiple tasks, including modifying data values and client code. Additionally, implementing such a significant change suddenly would likely cause considerable confusion among CEOs.
Therefore, we plan to gradually unify the attack range reference points. As a preliminary step, we will apply the modified formula for melee and ranged stats in the July 31 update.
We anticipate that the change in the melee and ranged stat application formula will allow for more flexible gear usage.
When unifying the skill reference points for individual employees, we will provide advance notice regarding affected employees to minimize confusion caused by sudden updates.
In addition to redefining the skill range formula, the CounterSide development team will continue to strive to provide a better combat environment.
New Substream – Matryoshka Dolls
Under the guise of national heroism, the Northern Union conducted cruel experiments on its citizens, sparing neither adults nor children.
Children sacrificed in these experiments were transformed into cyborgs known as Matryoshka Dolls, programmed to obey only the Northern Union’s commands.
The new substream [Matryoshka Dolls] delves into the tale of a discarded doll, Mavka, who rises against the Northern Union.
Mavka is a Counter taking on the role of an Awakened Ranger introduced in the new substream, [Matryoshka Dolls].
Specializing in aerial mobility, Mavka excels at suppressing Defenders through continuous attacks. Her unique fighting style grants her increasing strength as she maintains her offensive.
New Substream – Avenger
As Season 3’s narrative revolves around Demon Lord Thagirion, the undisclosed story of the Elysion world is unveiled from the perspective of a new character.
[Avenger] delves into the experiences of a young paladin who wanders gelid lands to find a fairy, encountering another civilization beyond Elysion.
This story will shed light on the keywords that have not been revealed clearly, such as fairies, demons, and the Golden Branch, whose true nature remained unclear.
Accompanying the new substream [Avenger] is the release of the newly Awakened employee, Mordred.
Mordred is an Awakened Counter Sniper who possesses immunity to sleep.
Furthermore, she boasts a skill set specialized for combat against Corrupted Objects, raising expectations for her versatility across various content.
New Seasonal Episode – Treasure Hunt of the Debtcade
[Treasure Hunt of the Debtcade] chronicles the adventures of the Sigma Pirates, sparked by the encounter between Yuppie and Sigma, who embark on a treasure hunt to settle their debts.
Unjustly branded a debtor, Yuppie embarks on a perilous quest for treasure, facing wrongful accusations, daring escapes, and confronting the TASKFORCE, all in the relentless pursuit of debt repayment. Come enjoy Yuppie’s unstoppable treasure hunt story!
New Alternium Reactors
The Alternium Reactor for [Arhat Joo Shiyoon] is being designed to enhance his own performance the more counterattacks are activated.
[Félicette]’s Alternium Reactor will strengthen her defensive stats, while [Laika]’s will enhance her offensive performance, amplifying their inherent roles and characteristics.
The three new Alternium Reactors are scheduled for release in the August 14 update, and detailed information on their abilities will be provided through the patch notes. Please stay tuned for more details.
Gauntlet Ranked Battle Improvements
As of this moment, there is no demotion before reaching Platinum 5 in the Ranked Battle. Reaching the Platinum League offers the advantage of retaining Platinum league rewards until the end of the season, but it presents the difficult matchmaking for CEOs in Gold 1 and below due to the reduced CEO population in those leagues.
To improve the overall gaming experience for CEOs in the Gauntlet Ranked Battle, we are preparing the following changes.
■ Expanded NPC Matching Range
Currently, in the leagues up to Silver, if CEOs cannot be matched with another CEO in the Ranked Battle, they will be matched with an NPC instead.
However, we have observed that CEOs in Gold League are facing difficulties in reaching Platinum League due to the lack of NPC matches.
To address this inconvenience, we will expand the NPC matching range up to Gold 1.
■ Reduced NPC Matching Time
The development team has identified an issue with lengthy wait times, even for NPC matches, which reduces the accessibility of Gauntlet.
Therefore, we are also taking steps to reduce the NPC matching time by half.
■ Increased Victory Points in Gold 1 and below
To expedite the progression to Platinum league, we will increase the Victory Points awarded for wins in Gold 1 and below from 25 points to 150 points.
These Gauntlet environment improvements are scheduled for release in the July 31st update. We anticipate that these changes will enable new CEOs to more quickly experience Gauntlet and engage in competitive matches with other CEOs.
New Skin
◆ Gha’agsheblah Eve Meitner – Melting Sanity
◆ Plaga – Beneath the Shade of the Burning Sun
◆ Freelancer Kim Chowon – After School Swimming
This concludes the Dev Notes for July, 2024.
