Summary
The First Descendant’s recent updates to a popular farming strategy proves the game’s staying power.The First Descendantrecently put out its 1.0.4 update. It’s a simple hotfix mainly focused on balance (though it alsoconfirmed the identity of the next Descendant). However, the update also contained a much-dreaded change to what players call the “Valby Run.” The Valby Run is a gold, XP, and kuiper-farming exploit termed after the playable character of the same name.
Players must equip Valby with modules that decrease her ability cooldowns, as well as those that enhance her area of effect attacks and the duration of her specials. They then travel to the Vulgus Strategic Outpost in Fortress (ideally inThe First Descendant’s Hard Mode), blast a bunch of tanks, and then use Valby’s movement ability to slide around the outside of the area. The tanks will explode, killing the enemies inside,but more will spawn immediately, creating an enduring cycle of rewards with next to no player input. The patch directly addresses the exploit, although not in the way players might expect.
The First Descendant Has A Great Free Way To Obtain Ultimate Weapons
The First Descendant players can utilize this feature to lessen the tedious grind and avoid purchasing the game-changing Ultimate weapons.
The First Descendant’s New Update Keeps The Valby Run (Mostly) Intact
The Valby Run Is Down, But Not Out
Where most games would simply nerf the Valby Run into oblivion,The First Descendantopted to keep the farming strat intact, even while adjusting its efficacy to match similar sites. Per the official patch notes on developerNexon’s website, the Valby Run is addressed in a note from director Joo Min-seok:
With this adjustment, the reward amount at Fortress outpost has been reduced. However, to ensure that “Valby run” remains a popular hunting ground like Ambush Point and Refined Run, we have set the reward efficiency significantly higher than originally intended… Instead of reverting Valby run to its original design intent, we have adjusted it to offer similar efficiency to other high-reward hunting grounds.
In short, while the Valby Run is being nerfed slightly, it’s still present in-game, and a perfectly viable option for leveling up or gaining in-game resources quickly. It’s just a little harder to exploit to the point of imbalance. But it’s more than a simple nerf:instead of restoring its rewards to their originally intended values, it’s actually increasing them, along with those of other farming locations. Nexon is effectively ensuring that players still have many options when it comes to farming, so they’re disincentivized from just infinitely repeating the same overpowered exploit. That’s a pretty unique strategy among similar online games, and suggests thatThe First Descendantcould have much longer legs than its peers.
The original version of these patch notes was worded differently, making it sound like other farming locations were instead buffed to match the Fortress outpost’s efficacy.
The First Descendant’s Valby Run Changes Suggest Attention To Player Preference
Player Feedback Could Give The First Descendant Enduring Popularity
But more importantly than the concept of the Valby Run being left intact,this director’s note suggests a general willingness to listen to and incorporate player feedback, which is precisely the kind of thing that helps a game stay popular. The patch notes go on to assure players, “Through issues like the Fortress Outskirts and Valby run, we are learning what kind of play style our players enjoy. The experience of sweeping through and farming monsters is of significant value in our game. Your feedback and interest are what drive the continuous improvement of The First Descendant. We will always listen to your feedback and improve the game.”
The First Descendant Character Tier List
Players should prioritize building and investing in the top-tier characters in The First Descendant, all of which are ranked right here.
In a live-service game, things are constantly in flux. Whether it’s new characters, new quests, ornew items, each update toThe First Descendantleaves it fundamentally different from the last. Some of these changes are bound to be divisive, even downright unpopular, whether or not they’re actually in the players' best interest.Many such games simply do whatever’s best for their bottom line, with nary an acknowledgment of what players prefer. When they do, they risk removing beloved elements of their games, alienating players who enjoyed them, and ultimately decreasing the size of their user bases.
Butthis update admits that, as overpowered and exploitative as it can be, the Valby Run is a lot of fun. Skating around the outpost while watching XP, gold, and kuiper numbers go up is intensely satisfying. Players can actually enjoy this kind of farming, instead of letting their eyes glaze over while they half-watch TV in the background. Nexon realizes this, and instead of simply cutting it out, they allow players to continue enjoying it. This way, players who only open the game to do their daily Valby Runs will continue to do so. If anything, they have even more of a reason to play, with the update encouraging them to look for similarly satisfying grinding strats.
More than incessant streams of new content and build-upending balance changes, that kind of attention and response to what players actually like about a game is what can ensure they keep coming back, update after update and year after year. It’s a show of good faith, and a strategy more live-service games could stand to learn from. All in all, it’s a good start for one ofThe First Descendant’s first updates.
Source:Nexon
The First Descendant
Nexon Games presents The First Descendant, a third-person action RPG shooter set in a distant future where Humanity fights for survival against a hostile alien race. As a Descendant, players will embark on various missions and quests as they learn about the origins of the Descendants and partner up with up to four players to engage in expansive boss battles, unlocking new gear and skills.
