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proposal to make some changes to basing
Basing has always been one of the most exciting parts of the game, but I think it’s been held back by a few lingering issues that keep it from being as competitive as it could be. I would like to propose a few balance tweaks to shake things up a bit during off-season as now is the perfect time for experimentation.
I am aware that not everyone is a fan of change—we’ve seen that before with previous updates like shrapnel patterns being standardized instead of random, or when bullet damage was made consistent, or when rocket was removed from Javelin. But looking back, I feel all of those changes made the game more balanced and competitive. I think we’re at another point where some thoughtful adjustments could really improve the overall experience.
Let us start with Lancaster. It went through a complete rework around 2012 and received changes as recently as 2019 (see here), but still it remains mostly unused in competitive basing. Against experienced spiders and sharks, it simply doesn’t hold up. The movement feels sluggish at times, its recharge rate doesn’t really support its higher bullet costs, and shots are too slow making them easy to dodge and repel.
To address this, I would like to propose a few minor adjustments to help Lancaster feel better and more viable without making it overpowered. Slightly improving its energy recharge and reducing bullet costs while increasing bullet speed would enhance its offensive presence, while refining its thrust and rotation values would improve its overall mobility. Lastly, a small increase to afterburner cost would discourage reckless rushing as that could be an issue with close range shots while keeping the ship effective in the hands of skilled players. These changes aim to give this ship a proper role in basing again—as a ship that can punish overextended, low-energy opponents. I would like to test these changes in MMR while initially limiting teams to a maximum of one per team.
Below are my proposed adjusted values for Lancaster. You can check here other ship settings for comparison.
My second suggestion might be a bit more controversial, but I hope it's taken with an open mind. In my opinion, the impact of Terrier often swings too much due to item randomness. Depending on how lucky you are, it can either feel way too strong or frustratingly weak, and that kind of inconsistency isn’t ideal for competitive play.
To address some of the problems this ship has, I would first start by reducing burst duration by 25%. Lingering bursts are a known issue—they tend to bounce around unpredictably in the flag room, which makes it impossible for Sharks to react properly resulting in getting their team mates killed in the process. Slightly shortening the burst duration would help reduce some of that chaos.
To balance the reduced burst impact, my proposal for Terrier would be a slight increase to bullet speed, a small reduction in bullet energy cost, and a slight bump in max energy and recharge rates. These changes would help the ship stay more active and effective in crams and tight flag room fights. The extra energy would also allow full energy Terrier to survive a shrapnel hit, as you can make shrapnel deal exactly 1500 damage, thus adding a little more durability in those chaotic moments. Bursts would still kill.
To give straight values for easier comparison, here would be my proposed changes:
The second part of this is about greens. As things stand, a lucky streak of prizes can completely swing a flag room battle. In my honest opinion that kind of randomness doesn't belong in a competitive setting. We previously tested a timed prize system in TWLB, and while the implementation wasn’t perfect, the idea itself was generally well-received by top Terrier players, as it added an extra layer of strategy.
I would suggest reintroducing that concept in a cleaner form: remove Bursts and Portals from the random prize pool entirely and instead prize them when your team collects enough greens. For example, a Burst every 14 team greens, and a Portal every 30 team greens. This would keep the overall rates close to what we have now but eliminate the unpredictability. I feel this would encourage more coordinated green collection by the team while also rewarding Terriers who can plan and time their item usage strategically—making the role feel more skill-based.
I am pretty we already implemented this proposed system, but it was never tested as there was not enough time before leagues started.
I am aware that not everyone is a fan of change—we’ve seen that before with previous updates like shrapnel patterns being standardized instead of random, or when bullet damage was made consistent, or when rocket was removed from Javelin. But looking back, I feel all of those changes made the game more balanced and competitive. I think we’re at another point where some thoughtful adjustments could really improve the overall experience.
Let us start with Lancaster. It went through a complete rework around 2012 and received changes as recently as 2019 (see here), but still it remains mostly unused in competitive basing. Against experienced spiders and sharks, it simply doesn’t hold up. The movement feels sluggish at times, its recharge rate doesn’t really support its higher bullet costs, and shots are too slow making them easy to dodge and repel.
To address this, I would like to propose a few minor adjustments to help Lancaster feel better and more viable without making it overpowered. Slightly improving its energy recharge and reducing bullet costs while increasing bullet speed would enhance its offensive presence, while refining its thrust and rotation values would improve its overall mobility. Lastly, a small increase to afterburner cost would discourage reckless rushing as that could be an issue with close range shots while keeping the ship effective in the hands of skilled players. These changes aim to give this ship a proper role in basing again—as a ship that can punish overextended, low-energy opponents. I would like to test these changes in MMR while initially limiting teams to a maximum of one per team.
Below are my proposed adjusted values for Lancaster. You can check here other ship settings for comparison.
My second suggestion might be a bit more controversial, but I hope it's taken with an open mind. In my opinion, the impact of Terrier often swings too much due to item randomness. Depending on how lucky you are, it can either feel way too strong or frustratingly weak, and that kind of inconsistency isn’t ideal for competitive play.
To address some of the problems this ship has, I would first start by reducing burst duration by 25%. Lingering bursts are a known issue—they tend to bounce around unpredictably in the flag room, which makes it impossible for Sharks to react properly resulting in getting their team mates killed in the process. Slightly shortening the burst duration would help reduce some of that chaos.
To balance the reduced burst impact, my proposal for Terrier would be a slight increase to bullet speed, a small reduction in bullet energy cost, and a slight bump in max energy and recharge rates. These changes would help the ship stay more active and effective in crams and tight flag room fights. The extra energy would also allow full energy Terrier to survive a shrapnel hit, as you can make shrapnel deal exactly 1500 damage, thus adding a little more durability in those chaotic moments. Bursts would still kill.
To give straight values for easier comparison, here would be my proposed changes:
The second part of this is about greens. As things stand, a lucky streak of prizes can completely swing a flag room battle. In my honest opinion that kind of randomness doesn't belong in a competitive setting. We previously tested a timed prize system in TWLB, and while the implementation wasn’t perfect, the idea itself was generally well-received by top Terrier players, as it added an extra layer of strategy.
I would suggest reintroducing that concept in a cleaner form: remove Bursts and Portals from the random prize pool entirely and instead prize them when your team collects enough greens. For example, a Burst every 14 team greens, and a Portal every 30 team greens. This would keep the overall rates close to what we have now but eliminate the unpredictability. I feel this would encourage more coordinated green collection by the team while also rewarding Terriers who can plan and time their item usage strategically—making the role feel more skill-based.
I am pretty we already implemented this proposed system, but it was never tested as there was not enough time before leagues started.
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