How have things been going for you in ARC Raiders since Cold Snap update? Have you found things more difficult due to the new Snowfall map conditions? After all, it hinders both combat and survival on the map.

On the other hand, the update initially increased the drop rate of blueprints, an important in-game item. This meant that even facing blizzards and the risk of frostbite, you could find more blueprints in a single expedition.

However, just two days later, ARC Raiders lowered the blueprint drop rate again with Patch 1.7.2. This back-and-forth behavior makes one wonder what the developers are trying to achieve. Let's analyze the situation.

Blueprint Drop Rate Changes

Originally, after Cold Snap launched on December 16th, the blueprint drop rate in the game increased significantly. Many players reported finding blueprints more easily than before, resulting in a more relaxed and comfortable gaming experience.

However, this dissatisfied some old-school players who enjoy a challenge, as they believed that ARC Raiders Blueprints, as a type of rare item, should maintain a low drop rate to maintain game balance.

Regardless of which viewpoint you support, Patch 1.7.2 was released as a hotfix on December 18th. After this, you would find that Blueprint drop rate in ARC Raiders had decreased, but it was still higher than before Cold Snap update.

Ongoing Blueprint Drop Rate Controversy

The reason the development team is "flip-flopping" on BluePrint drop rate issue is ultimately because the player base is divided into two camps: hardcore and casual players.

For hardcore players always prefer more difficult combat and challenges, striving to prove themselves by achieving accomplishments and obtaining loot that is difficult for others to acquire.

Therefore, regardless of the developers' intentions in lowering the game's difficulty or making rare items like blueprints "no longer rare," hardcore players will consider it a destruction of the game experience and meaning.

If you are a casual player, you either don't have enough time to play (busy with work and studies) or simply prefer a relaxed atmosphere and don't want to stress yourself out too much.

Based on this, obtaining enough low drop rate blueprints to craft the necessary items becomes a hard task, and without this crafting channel, it's hard to acquire enough gear to compete with other players.

These two completely different attitudes and demands towards the game have led to almost constant controversy regarding the drop rate of blueprints and other rare items since ARC Raiders launched.

Views On This New Change

Hardcore players believe this is a timely fix, preventing ARC Raiders from becoming completely unbalanced and turning into a "dumb" shooter due to blueprints being too easy to obtain.

The enthusiastic casual players, however, have to return to their previous state, struggling to farm blueprints in their limited game time. Although the drop rate is higher than at the beginning, they are still not satisfied.

Interestingly, some casual players pointed out that since the blueprint-related content could be changed again within two days, why does it take so long to fix some obvious bugs, and why are some still unresolved? It's strange and a complete mess.

To be honest, while other aspects may not be done well, at least ARC Raiders has made an effort regarding Blueprint issue. It's almost impossible to come up with a solution that satisfies two completely different groups of players.

What Should The Developers Do?

As long as there is internal controversy among players, ARC Raiders cannot set a blueprint drop rate that satisfies everyone. The key is how to ensure that different players can have a good gaming experience.

Taking gear as an example, for a long time in ARC Raiders, high-rarity gear has not possessed the strength it should, and the difficulty of combat doesn't change whether you're a hardcore or casual player.

Therefore, when facing the same challenge, hardcore players can spend a lot of time farming specific blueprints to craft weapons to overcome it, but the same blueprints may still be very difficult for casual players to obtain.

In other words, the blueprint drop rate is just the flashpoint of the player controversy; the underlying logic is that ARC Raiders' mode differentiation is still unclear - everyone is crammed onto a "battlefield" with only one set of standards.

Perhaps this is also related to the controversy that arose shortly after ARC Raiders launched regarding whether to set up a separate PvE gameplay mode. Compared to PvP or PvPvE modes, PvE is indeed easier and more suitable for casual players.

Therefore, even without introducing a separate PvE mode, developers should find ways to introduce other casual gameplay options or increase the differences between gear of different rarities, giving hardcore players a way to invest more effort.

Other Patch 1.7.2 Content

Whether BluePrint drop rate will be modified again or other changes will occur, the final decision rests with the developers. Therefore, you should focus on the immediate gameplay experience, such as the other content added in Patch 1.7.2:

• Re-enabled the limited-time event Hidden Bunker.
• Fixed an issue where repeatedly clicking the interaction button with a poor network connection would prevent interaction actions from being performed.
• Fixed an issue where cold damage was still applied in some indoor areas during Cold Snap.
• Updated AMD GPUs driver warning.
• Fixed an issue in Unexpected Initiative quest where the quest item would not spawn, preventing the quest from being completed.

Of particular note is Hidden Bunker event. This event is only available on Spaceport map, and the specific refresh time is not fixed. It usually opens in the early morning or afternoon in North American time zone, but the duration can vary.

If you see Spaceport status as yellow during gameplay, it means the event is active; if it's gray, it means the event is about to start. The timer below the event button will show the remaining time until it starts.

The value of this event is that you can obtain a large amount of high-level loot and XP, but the number and danger of enemies will also increase, so it's best to team up with good gear.

That's all the information for this update. Will ARC Raiders continue to modify Blueprint drop rates? Nobody knows, all you can do is focus on the present!

ArcheAge War, an MMORPG, is based on the world and character settings of the famous PC game ArcheAge. Compared to the original's focus on sandbox gameplay and free-roaming content, ArcheAge War emphasizes the war experience.

The game features multiple factions and races, combined with different equipment, attributes, and skill choices, resulting in over a hundred possible class combinations. Each player can create a unique character playstyle.

Faced with such a complex class system, you may feel overwhelmed. This article will provide you with a detailed introduction to the class system in ArcheAge War, including class selection, level types, and how the class system works in the game.

Race And Faction Selection

The world of AA War features six races, each with different attributes, weapons, and skills. Your weapon choice determines your class type, and every subsequent choice can influence your final class, so careful consideration is required.

The game features the following races:

• Nuians
• Elves
• Dwarves
• Firran
• Harani
• Warborn

Each race has a unique visual style and backstory. While class selection is free, once you choose a race, you must swear allegiance to one of four major factions:

• Ezna Royals: A noble human empire based on martial discipline and a hierarchical system;
• Crescent Kingdom: A powerful desert nation with abundant trade and resources;
• Andelph Republic: A republican civilization shaped by craftsmanship, innovation, and politics;
• Marianople: A coastal naval power renowned for its shipbuilding and navigational prowess.

Your faction choice will affect your storyline, early game environment, town access, and PvP opportunities. While players can change factions later in the game, your initial faction will influence your early game pace.

Class Types And Levels

Levels

Unlike traditional MMORPGs with a few fixed classes, ArcheAge WAR uses a class card system combined with weapons and skills to build your character's role. Classes in the game are represented by Class Cards. Players can obtain Class Cards through card draws, completing in-game missions, or exchanging them in the in-game store. The official classification divides Class Cards into different tiers, with higher-tier cards being rarer. The tiers in ArcheAge War are as follows:

• Common
• Uncommon
• Rare
• Epic
• Legendary
• Arche

The higher the class tier, the higher the character's attributes, and the faster their attack and casting speeds. Higher-tier classes are not only stronger but also unlock advanced systems that define character development in the later stages of the game.

Arche-tier classes can gain 3 Ancestral skills and 1 Dominator skill by using a certain number of gems; while Legendary classes can gain 1 Ancestral skill by using gems.

An Ancestral skill is an auxiliary skill that allows you to use other class skills, essentially providing additional skill assistance.

Types

While there are over a hundred specific classes, they can be broadly categorized into these roles:

• Melee DPS
• Ranged DPS
• Mage
• Healer
• Tank

Each class offers a unique gameplay experience, which is one of the game's most appealing aspects.

Class Upgrades

Synthesis Upgrades

When players obtain duplicate Class Cards, they can collect them and synthesize them into a new class. Four Class Cards of the same level can be synthesized into a higher-level class.

To obtain an Arche class, you need three Legendary Class Cards to synthesize. Each synthesis consumes a certain amount of ArcheAge War gold; the higher the rarity of the card, the more gold is required.

You can choose the cards to synthesize manually or let the system automatically select or synthesize them. There is a chance of synthesis failure.

However, the game has a failure stacking mechanism. If you fail to synthesize a higher-level class in your first few attempts, the success rate of synthesizing a higher-level class increases with each subsequent failure, essentially allowing you to synthesize a higher-level class.

Class Change Upgrade

When your character reaches a certain level, you'll receive a Class Change quest. This might involve defeating monsters, completing a quest instance, or collecting materials. Completing the quest will upgrade you to a higher-level class.

After the class change, your character's appearance will also be improved. When you see the message "Class Change Available" on your screen, it means you can complete the class change quest to upgrade, and you can also change your current class this way.

Class Finalization And Changes

If you obtain an Epic or higher-level class card, that class will enter Pending Finalization phase. This state will remain in the game for 7 days, during which you can perform a limited number of class changes based on the obtained class level.

Normal Change requires gems, and the new class you receive is randomly selected.

Premium Change consumes more gems, but players can pre-select three desired class cards and then randomly receive one of them. It also extends the class Pending Finalization period to 30 days, giving players more time to choose their ideal class.

If you're lucky enough to obtain your desired class card during the customization process, you can choose it for Finalize.

Skill Switching And Modification

Switch

Players can use the in-game Skill Switch system to convert learned skills into corresponding skills for their chosen class. However, this system currently has limitations; only Swordsman class can switch skills to Spellblade. The developers have stated that more classes will be added to this feature later.

Modification

Arche Classes can change a character's Dominator and Ancestral Skills, while Legendary Classes only allow you to modify Ancestral Skills using a certain number of gems. Note that each modification has a 24-hour cooldown period.

Due to the sheer number of classes available in the game, many new players may be unsure where to begin. Here are some recommended powerful classes: Ollo and Gene Evernight are both well-rounded characters, and Melisara is also a good choice.

ArcheAge WAR's class system is a layered framework, unlike typical systems. Players need to understand the purpose of each step and adapt accordingly. Understanding and effectively utilizing the interactions between these mechanisms can not only improve your character's combat efficiency in the game, but also allow you to face even the most challenging missions with ease.