source:https://discord.com/channels/118301609146056709/449345314407579649/1518932405686243338 Qualitative Feedback - What would you like to see changed, and what do you enjoy? What would you like to see changed or improved? 285 participants left comments. There were a total of 549 comments. I have sorted the comments in ‘themes’. A theme represents a broad grouping of similar concerns and comments. 1.Fliers / Vehicles Overpowered (86/285 = 30.2%) This theme was structured around the power of fliers. All comments within this theme noted how strong fliers were and that they needed to be weaker. Some comments suggested specific ways to downtune fliers such as being able to declare CC against them with units that possess superjump. 2.Old Profiles / Factions Underpowered (79/285 = 27.7%) This theme was structured around old factions and units feeling left behind or less powerful than new factions. Common mentions were Tohaa, Ramah Taskforce, Onyx Contact Force, Yu Jing, and O12. Many individuals listed profiles or sectorials that have received virtually no changes in N5. Many users noted how this made them feel demotivated to play the game. 3.Specific Factions or Units are Too Powerful (27/285 = 9.5%) This theme focused on newer factions and units that felt too powerful. The most common mentions were Next Wave, PanOceania, Neoterran Capitaline Army, Puzzlers, and the Swiss Missile. Responders noted that these armies or units were not fun to play against and overshadowed older factions/units. 4.Hacking is Overpowered / Hacking needs Changing (24/285 = 8.4%) This theme clustered around how non-interactive active turn hacking is, and how boring it can feel to be on the receiving end of hacking. Some users suggested changes to pitchers or hacking. Changes focused on how to make defending against hacking easier. Some users commented that hacking as a whole was a ‘solved’ and limited system which needed overhauling. 5.Non-Functional Rules / The Rules need Clean-Up (20/285 = 7.0%) This theme commented on clarity of rules and noted particular examples that were difficult to parse. Holomask was mentioned multiple times, as was cyberplug. Some users expressed frustration that there were not enough FAQs and this was putting them off playing the game. 6.Powercreep / Rules Bloat (19/285 = 6.7%) This theme was similar to certain factions being too powerful but contains responders that did not mention a particular profile or faction. If I add this to the theme of ‘Specific Factions or Units are Too Powerful’ then that theme represents 46/285 people, or 16.1%. This theme also contains individuals who said they felt new profiles were too bloated with skills, i.e. they have too many new rules, and they wanted to see a return to simpler profiles. The Sharvara was mentioned as a particular example of a profile that has too many rules. 7.ITS Complexity / Narrative Alternative (16/285 = 5.6%) These individuals noted concern and dislike for ITS missions. Many said they felt ITS missions were too complicated and/or unbalanced. Many of these individuals expressed a desire for more narrative missions or campaign play. 8.Unrespondable Mechanics - Eclipse, Guided, SpecFire (16/285 = 5.6%) These individuals all listed a mechanic that is difficult to respond to or removes player agency. They noted that the game is less fun and fulfilling when these mechanics come into play because it feels like choices are removed. Many asked for examples such as Disco Balls, Speculative Fire, or Guided to be significantly limited, or in some cases, removed entirely. 9.Alpha Strike / Mobility Concerns (15/285 = 5.3%) These individuals commented on how fast the game was and noted that they felt that early, aggressive play was too powerful. Many gave examples such as superjump with jet-propulsion. Some of these users expressed a desire for AROs to be better because they felt that defending in the earlygame was too difficult. 10.Armies Too Similar / Identity Loss (13/285 = 4.6%) This theme focused on armies all gaining access to most rules as they get reworked and how this reduces faction differentiation. Many of these individuals commented on factions feeling the same and that uniqueness has been lost.
Regarding the topic "Non-Functional Rules / The Rules Need Clean-Up," I noticed that skills and equipment are currently sorted alphabetically by their first letter. However, this alphabetical sorting doesn't serve any practical purpose. They should be organized logically instead, which would greatly improve readability. Taking sharvara as an example, related rules should be grouped together: Post-Hit / Damage Resolution: Rules triggered after being hit should be grouped. Examples: Courage, Remote Presence Special Deployment: Deployment-related rules should be grouped (along with Combat Jump, Parachutist, Hidden Deployment). Example: Forward Deployment (+4") Ballistic Skills / Shooting Modifiers: Shooting-related modifiers should be grouped (along with BS Attack (-3), Albedo, MSV). Example: Mimetism (-3) Close Combat (CC): Melee-related rules should be grouped. Examples: CC Attack (-6), Natural Born Warrior Movement / Mobility: Movement-related rules should be grouped (along with Climbing Plus). Examples: Stealth, Super-Jump
My Personal Views on These Topics 1. Fliers / Vehicles Overpowered (86/285 = 30.2%) Regarding Vehicles being overpowered: Aside from the scoring bonuses, I don't feel there is anything that urgently needs to be nerfed right now. Some players noted that "hover vehicles have disrupted traditional deployment habits because lying prone behind cover used to be incredibly safe." Therefore, this perception of being "overpowered" might just be an illusion caused by players not being used to the change yet. 2. Old Profiles / Factions Underpowered (79/285 = 27.7%) Specifically mentioned: Tohaa This isn't surprising since the faction is out of print, and it lacks the massive player base of a major power like PanO. However, Tohaa possesses some of the most unique mechanics in the game; throwing in buffs could easily break its balance. Statistically, Tohaa performs average (with a 47.2% win rate) and has even won tournaments. It belongs to the category of factions that look weak on paper but have a very high skill ceiling. Ramah Taskforce As Haqqislam's biotech representative, its light and medium infantry might not seem as cost-effective now, likely due to the massive point drops for heavy infantry in N5. Furthermore, most of their melee profiles rely on CC (-6) or Natural Born Warrior, making them less affected by the changes to Martial Arts. Statistically, its performance is slightly below average (a 46.5% win rate) and it rarely places at the top of tournaments. The root cause might simply be a "lack of appeal," given that its total games played haven't even reached 50. It would help if the developers allowed Doctors to heal units that are not fully wounded but still alive. Right now, Doctors can only heal unconscious targets, which feels far too useless. Onyx The most awkwardly positioned sectorial within the CA. The developers have officially announced that a rework is in progress. Yu Jing This complaint is quite strange. ISS was recently reworked and has already started appearing in top tournament lists post-update. Meanwhile, the Invincible Army has been performing well since its release in N5. vYJ lists also consistently place in top cuts, having gained access to tools like pitchers, Minelayer (2), and discoballer . The complaints might just stem from ISS players feeling their rework wasn't as high-powered as other factions'. O-12 O-12 used to have the most versatile toolbox. However, with N5 widely distributing these tools (pitchers, disco balls, Chain of Command, etc.) to other factions, vO-12 lost its core advantage while retaining its N4 weakness—a high average point cost per unit. It is currently the only faction showing a statistically significant underperformance. 3. Specific Factions or Units Overpowered (9.5%) The Next Wave In stark contrast to O-12, while it shares the high average point cost, its units are incredibly overturned for their cost. Examples include the Harbinger, Cliff Jumper, Teucer, and Achilles. PanO While everyone in N4 complained that PanOceania could only shoot, N5 handed them a massive buff package. This includes the (+1B) + X-Visor Pitcher that leaves Nomad players green with envy, the cheapest disco balls, fast Pandas, and significant point reductions or buffs for powerful heavy infantry. The scale of these buffs feels a bit excessive. NCA Similar to PanO, but due to fireteam efficiencies, it executes certain tasks even more effectively, though it lacks a few specific tools as a trade-off. Puzzler Its cheap point cost and the fact that its death doesn't reduce your Order count make it an "extremely low-risk" unit. Moreover, Hidden Deployment is the best defensive mechanic in the game due to its unpredictability. Since most HD units are relatively expensive and provide Orders, players usually use them for long-range defense rather than baiting templates. The Puzzler, however, bypasses this risk entirely. Swiss Guard The complaints mostly center around the +1SD Missile Launcher profile. Its passive turn defense is devastatingly terrifying, and Hidden Deployment makes its threat impossible to predict. Catching an entire fireteam in one template shot can literally end the game on the spot. While this unit might be overtuned in certain scenarios, a slight point increase or adjusting its SWC cost would probably be more reasonable.
