Amazon Game Studios just launched the Brimstone Sands Update for New World. Aside from new content, this patch also implements plenty of balancing changes. Rapier users might not like this patch, though, because this weapon type has been nerfed significantly.
Riposte is one of the abilities available to players who use the Rapier. This is a defensive stance that allows them to initiate a counterattack that deals weapon damage and staggers and stuns attackers for two seconds. What’s more, players are invulnerable upon a successful Riposte.
That said, some changes have been implemented that effectively nerf Riposte, particularly its invulnerability aspect. The window of invulnerability is decreased slightly at the end of the counterattack. Moreover, the counterattack hitbox size is reduced to make hitting multiple targets less likely to happen now. As if that’s not bad enough, the counterattack homing mechanism is also increased to make it more likely to only hit a single target.
Lots of players use the Rapier primarily as a means of escaping tough situations. According to AGS, this was never its intended purpose, which is why certain adjustments are applied to Allegro and Breathe In. Now, these abilities no longer trigger their effects immediately after use. Instead, their effects can only be triggered when successfully evading an attack.
New World’s latest patch brings tons of other balancing changes. Here are some of the most notable:
COMBAT CHANGES
Mechanics
- Added an Equip Load-driven delay before a target can start running after being hit with a melee attack:
- Light equip load: 1.5s delay (Reduced from 1.75s)
- Medium equip load: 1.0s delay (Reduced from 1.75s)
- Heavy equip load: 0.5s delay (Reduced from 1.75s)
- Light and Medium dodge translation is reduced by 20% while the delay is active.
- Reduced the recovery of the block break reaction from 50 frames to 30 frames to make block breaks less penalizing.
Blunderbuss
- Players can now cancel Mortar Shot by clicking the right mouse button while the ability is active.
- Removed the Decay on the Haste applied by Blunderbuss' Run and Gun passive abilities.
- The Run and Gun passive abilities now grant a consistent 40% Haste for 1s after a reload has been initiated, so that movement speed is increased while reloading.
Fire Staff
- Activating Burnout no longer triggers a sprint delay or cancels auto-run.
Great Axe
- Reduced startup and recovery of Execute, and improved the ability’s target homing.
Hatchet
- Separated the Infected Throw Disease and Weaken status effects into two different effects.
Ice Gauntlet
- Ultimate Chill no longer weakens targets, now only increases damage for the player that owns the upgrade vs chilled targets.
- Weakening Gust no longer weakens targets, now Ice Storm damage is increased by 10% to targets under 50% health.
So, what can you say about the changes made to the Rapier? Was AGS too heavy-handed on the nerfs, or are the negative adjustments justified?
New World Brimstone Sands Update is available on PC.
