The traditional start-of-year Missive is back! In it, we tell you more about what's coming to DOFUS Touch in 2021. ![Missive DOFUS Touch #14]()
The year 2020 was very eventful, and not always in a good way! Still, the epidemic isn't an excuse for everything, and we are aware of various aspects that we need to improve on our end. More about that below.
All the same, the year did have a few highlights:
The number of players in-game has remained good and went up with the various stay-at-home orders, as you most likely noticed with the various technical issues encountered during the first.
We would like to thank all the players who support the game every day once again!
For those who haven't skipped over the first part of this Missive, now it's time to talk about 2021.
The project hasn't been on the top of its game in 2020 and we aren't going to give you a laundry list of excuses. We had started discussing this subject in an article published for the game's anniversary in September, and we've taken the time examine things properly between then and now.
The problems with iOS, bots and some aspects of how we communicate are notably things we want to improve (among other things). We will do what it takes to fix things but, before that, we want to apologize for all of these issues.
This year, the production team will be reinforced. The hiring process has already started (for server development, client development, and even game design). We aren't looking for a magic bullet that will fix everything overnight, but rather to invest in the long term. Because, yes, we still believe strongly in DOFUS Touch!
Without revealing the backstage plans in detail and always with the idea of investing in the long term, know that this year we will be investing time in adjusting the game infrastructure and certain tools. While these changes won't be visible to you, we wanted to touch on the subject because the changes will let us maintain and grow the project in the best possible conditions.
This is also why new developers are going to be hired. But don't worry! We will be offering you new content this year, as you'll see below.
Some iOS problems are still active issues, and they will be our priority in the coming weeks.
Others will also be corrected during the year, and time has already been scheduled for them.
As you are aware, there are still some issues related to Kwismas Island or the revamped Pandala. Still, with the idea of explaining things a little more in-depth, some concerns take a long time to be corrected (Kwismas quests for example) due to issues with our tools. This ties into the "Infrastructure" section above; we make sure to correct all of this properly and in a sustainable way. In the meantime, this explains why we cannot be as responsive as we would like to be and we apologize for that.
We thank all the players who have taken the time to give us detailed feedback, they are very precious to us!
Bots are still a huge hindrance for the project, as they are for you, our players. Certain developments are already underway on this issue and, once again, time has been set aside throughout the year to tackle it.
In addition to this, a new game moderator recruitment campaign will be launched early in the year. We'd also like to thank all our current moderators.
We understand that we have been repeating all these several times and that you may be wondering. However, actions have been and still are being taken at Ankama's level. We just regret that they are not more visible on your side now.
To give you an example, massive bans have been carried out by our team for over a month, several times a week. Added to this are the actions of our moderators. While this can slow some down and lighten the load on the servers, we are aware that this is not enough since bots always come back. Our next projects mentioned above therefore consist of blocking them in a more concrete way.
In 2020, we did not want to provide much advance communication on upcoming projects so as to avoid disappointing you if any of them needed to be canceled. This decision gave the impression that we'd abandoned you, and for that we apologize.
We hope that this Missive will be a step in the right direction towards giving you more transparency by presenting the projects and plans that are most likely to become reality.
We also want to take a closer look at certain other aspects that may seem anecdotal but are important to many of you, such as no longer making changes at the end of the beta without announcing them to players, announcing (with a date!) the release of a beta or major update in advance so that you have time to prepare, and more.
Even with all that, we won't be ignoring new content! Here's a glimpse at what's coming in 2021.
We want to continue the narrative arc surrounding the new Pandala (no surprise there).
Since our team doesn't want to do thing by halves for the rest of this overhaul, it should spread out over several updates.
While there weren't any class balancing or overhauls in 2020, you can expect movement here in 2021!
Several classes will be affected, and we'll reveal more about this as the year progresses. As usual, we'll be asking for community participation in these changes with a beta that will stay open for approximately one month.
First, we want to complete the work on dopples, and revive the subject of trophies. Don't worry. It isn't necessarily a question of adding dozens of new trophies, but rather reopening the discussion and validating changes if they are positive for the game for existing trophies and possible new trophies to add.
We will get back to you with more specifics on these two topics in the first part of 2021.
A new project is being studied regarding organizing PvP tournaments for DOFUS Touch, specifically an equivalent of the "KTA" organization for DOFUS (for those of you who are familiar with it). The idea is to work with a group of players to organize tournaments (inter-server tournaments whenever possible) more regularly while leaving them a degree of autonomy.
This way, the community won't have to depend on Ankama's schedule (and unexpected events impacting the schedule!) for these tournaments, which are so important to many experienced players.
Our team will continue to be in charge of some aspects of organizing tournaments, rewards, etc. We will have more details for you in the coming weeks.
Of course not! We have other surprises in store for you with, notably, the traditional major update at the end of the year.
Certain aspects of the game will be improved to make your everyday gaming experience more enjoyable.
For all of this content and these changes, the pace will be one update every three months on average. Between updates, some fixes may be rolled out during weekly maintenance.
Vulkania, Al Howin and Kwismas will be joining in the fun in 2021 as usual. There will also be new equipment to earn from Ascension Island and as part of the new content.
When it comes to events, we're planning a "Maxi Dungeon Rusher" for early February! Get your keys and bunches of keys ready for the following dungeons: Wa Wabbit, Nelween, Dragon Pig, Crocabulia, Kimbo and Bworker. The idea is to offer former dungeons already done in 2018 and 2019 plus a new one with Nelween. It'll be the perfect occasion to collect tons of ceremonial shields!
The game masters will also have events and surprises for you several times throughout the year. We thank them, too, for everything they do!
We hope that this new Missive has started to answer your questions about our vision for the project, particularly for the year to come. As usual, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!
Now, let's officially kick off 2021. We're eager to spend this year with you!
Turning the Page on 2020
The year 2020 was very eventful, and not always in a good way! Still, the epidemic isn't an excuse for everything, and we are aware of various aspects that we need to improve on our end. More about that below.
All the same, the year did have a few highlights:
- various fixes and improvements during the first part of the year, here and here,
- the second part of the Cania overhaul and a major overhaul of the in-game economy,
- an interim update in September,
- along with the Pandala overhaul, calligraphy and much more at the end of the year.
The number of players in-game has remained good and went up with the various stay-at-home orders, as you most likely noticed with the various technical issues encountered during the first.
We would like to thank all the players who support the game every day once again!
For those who haven't skipped over the first part of this Missive, now it's time to talk about 2021.
Back to Basics
Foreword
The project hasn't been on the top of its game in 2020 and we aren't going to give you a laundry list of excuses. We had started discussing this subject in an article published for the game's anniversary in September, and we've taken the time examine things properly between then and now.
The problems with iOS, bots and some aspects of how we communicate are notably things we want to improve (among other things). We will do what it takes to fix things but, before that, we want to apologize for all of these issues.
This year, the production team will be reinforced. The hiring process has already started (for server development, client development, and even game design). We aren't looking for a magic bullet that will fix everything overnight, but rather to invest in the long term. Because, yes, we still believe strongly in DOFUS Touch!
Infrastructure
Without revealing the backstage plans in detail and always with the idea of investing in the long term, know that this year we will be investing time in adjusting the game infrastructure and certain tools. While these changes won't be visible to you, we wanted to touch on the subject because the changes will let us maintain and grow the project in the best possible conditions.
This is also why new developers are going to be hired. But don't worry! We will be offering you new content this year, as you'll see below.
Bugs
Some iOS problems are still active issues, and they will be our priority in the coming weeks.
Others will also be corrected during the year, and time has already been scheduled for them.
As you are aware, there are still some issues related to Kwismas Island or the revamped Pandala. Still, with the idea of explaining things a little more in-depth, some concerns take a long time to be corrected (Kwismas quests for example) due to issues with our tools. This ties into the "Infrastructure" section above; we make sure to correct all of this properly and in a sustainable way. In the meantime, this explains why we cannot be as responsive as we would like to be and we apologize for that.
We thank all the players who have taken the time to give us detailed feedback, they are very precious to us!
Status of Grandapan, Dodge and Brutas' Shop
We have been experiencing issues with the in-game Shop on the International and Hispanic servers for several months now.
We don't want to go into details due to security reasons. All we can say is that the shop and payments in some countries are blocked due to non-regulatory actions.
The situation is still not resolved at this time but different teams at Ankama continue to look into the issue in order to find the best solution as soon as possible. Being a major issue, solving it takes time.
In the meantime and in order not to penalize all the players, we have decided on the following actions:
The purchasing of Goultine Packs for Colombian players will be blocked for an indefinite period. However, the Progress Packs (Starter, Shiny, Revival, etc.) will still be available for purchase for Colombian players.- Update as of 3 February, due to an increase in fraudulent purchases, we have blocked all purchases from Colombia, including Progress Packs, for an indefinite period.
- Payment options for Chile players will remain blocked for an indefinite period.
- Purchasing with Kamas will be once again available for Brutas, Dodge, and Grandapan players.
- Brutas, Dodge, and Grandapan players will receive 2 weeks' worth of Bonus Pack, to be distributed during the maintenance on Tuesday, January 19th.
- Eligibility: Accounts active on Dodge, Grandapan and Brutas servers between December 1, 2020 and Monday January 18, 2021
We want to reassure you that this is not about any marketing strategy. That would be far from the best way to do it and the current situation does not suit anyone.
Conversely and prior to these issues, we were exploring possibilities to make the shop experience more convenient for LATAM players. However, this project is a work in progress and we will do what is necessary to restore the shop situation as soon as possible.
We apologize for any inconvenience and will get back to you when we have an update.
Bots
Bots are still a huge hindrance for the project, as they are for you, our players. Certain developments are already underway on this issue and, once again, time has been set aside throughout the year to tackle it.
In addition to this, a new game moderator recruitment campaign will be launched early in the year. We'd also like to thank all our current moderators.
We understand that we have been repeating all these several times and that you may be wondering. However, actions have been and still are being taken at Ankama's level. We just regret that they are not more visible on your side now.
To give you an example, massive bans have been carried out by our team for over a month, several times a week. Added to this are the actions of our moderators. While this can slow some down and lighten the load on the servers, we are aware that this is not enough since bots always come back. Our next projects mentioned above therefore consist of blocking them in a more concrete way.
Communication
In 2020, we did not want to provide much advance communication on upcoming projects so as to avoid disappointing you if any of them needed to be canceled. This decision gave the impression that we'd abandoned you, and for that we apologize.
We hope that this Missive will be a step in the right direction towards giving you more transparency by presenting the projects and plans that are most likely to become reality.
We also want to take a closer look at certain other aspects that may seem anecdotal but are important to many of you, such as no longer making changes at the end of the beta without announcing them to players, announcing (with a date!) the release of a beta or major update in advance so that you have time to prepare, and more.
New Content
Even with all that, we won't be ignoring new content! Here's a glimpse at what's coming in 2021.
Pandala: New Chapters
We want to continue the narrative arc surrounding the new Pandala (no surprise there).
Since our team doesn't want to do thing by halves for the rest of this overhaul, it should spread out over several updates.
Class Overhauls and Balancing
While there weren't any class balancing or overhauls in 2020, you can expect movement here in 2021!
Several classes will be affected, and we'll reveal more about this as the year progresses. As usual, we'll be asking for community participation in these changes with a beta that will stay open for approximately one month.
Dopples and Trophies
First, we want to complete the work on dopples, and revive the subject of trophies. Don't worry. It isn't necessarily a question of adding dozens of new trophies, but rather reopening the discussion and validating changes if they are positive for the game for existing trophies and possible new trophies to add.
We will get back to you with more specifics on these two topics in the first part of 2021.
PvP Tournaments
A new project is being studied regarding organizing PvP tournaments for DOFUS Touch, specifically an equivalent of the "KTA" organization for DOFUS (for those of you who are familiar with it). The idea is to work with a group of players to organize tournaments (inter-server tournaments whenever possible) more regularly while leaving them a degree of autonomy.
This way, the community won't have to depend on Ankama's schedule (and unexpected events impacting the schedule!) for these tournaments, which are so important to many experienced players.
Our team will continue to be in charge of some aspects of organizing tournaments, rewards, etc. We will have more details for you in the coming weeks.
Is That All?
Of course not! We have other surprises in store for you with, notably, the traditional major update at the end of the year.
Certain aspects of the game will be improved to make your everyday gaming experience more enjoyable.
For all of this content and these changes, the pace will be one update every three months on average. Between updates, some fixes may be rolled out during weekly maintenance.
Vulkania, Al Howin and Kwismas will be joining in the fun in 2021 as usual. There will also be new equipment to earn from Ascension Island and as part of the new content.
When it comes to events, we're planning a "Maxi Dungeon Rusher" for early February! Get your keys and bunches of keys ready for the following dungeons: Wa Wabbit, Nelween, Dragon Pig, Crocabulia, Kimbo and Bworker. The idea is to offer former dungeons already done in 2018 and 2019 plus a new one with Nelween. It'll be the perfect occasion to collect tons of ceremonial shields!
The game masters will also have events and surprises for you several times throughout the year. We thank them, too, for everything they do!
We hope that this new Missive has started to answer your questions about our vision for the project, particularly for the year to come. As usual, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!
Now, let's officially kick off 2021. We're eager to spend this year with you!