Dauntless Upcoming Progression Changes Detailed

Phoenix Labs, the developers of Dauntless, a Monster Hunter-like action-RPG currently in Early Access, are moving away from frequent stability updates and are instead focusing their attention on the major Sharpen Your Skills update that should go live in December. This update will add a new weapon type and revamp the combat system in general, while also introducing two new behemoths and a new equipment augmentation system.

And apart from that, the update will change how the game’s progression works, moving away from a linear system towards something more dynamic. You can read about the upcoming progression changes here. An excerpt:

What defines the legend of a Slayer? What separates the vanguard of Ramsgate from the average adventurer? Every time that you embark upon a hunt, you should feel like you’re taking a step forward toward building your lasting legacy. This is your story; built one Behemoth, one adventure, one piece of gear at a time.

We’ve been listening to your feedback and analyzing the data generated during the Closed Beta. What we’ve heard loud and clear is that Dauntless players want improvements in the matchmaking process and better rewards and replayability around Behemoth encounters.

We’ve been hard at work on adjustments that will completely change the way you build your legend, and we are excited to share this preview of what’s to come.

NEW HORIZONS

A Slayer’s legend is forged day to day, moment to moment. There’s no predicting what new threat may come calling — and the champions of Ramsgate wouldn’t have it any other way. With the Sharpen Your Skills update, we’re working to better capture the thrill and excitement of being a Slayer in the way that you explore the Shattered Isles and hunt Behemoths.

Progressing forward in Dauntless currently consists of fighting one Behemoth after another, advancing through a linear quest line. While it can be satisfying to work your way upward from humble beginnings, we’re excited to introduce a new system that will make every fight rewarding and exciting to join.

We will be introducing a new progression system with the Sharpen Your Skills update. Slayers will now initially embark on patrols where they find targets of opportunity. For example, the first region that Slayers have access to is host to Gnasher, Embermane, Drask, Charrogg, and Shrike. When slayers patrol this region, they may encounter any of these Behemoths, chosen at random.

Loot tables and crafting requirements are also being reworked to complement these changes. Gear made from Behemoths in the same region will now share several ingredients which are found across those same Behemoths. This means that you can get most of what you need to craft or improve gear across a wider selection of Behemoths.

CALL THE SHOT

It’s important that the new patrol system does not preclude Slayers from targeting specific Behemoths. Weapons and armour will still require items which are unique to certain creatures, so stalking specific Behemoths is still a big part of progressing.

Slayers will also gain intel about the locations of specific Behemoths as they complete patrol hunts. Once a Slayer has enough information, they can embark on a hunt after a specific creature of their choosing.

Both patrolling Slayers and players selecting specific hunts will go into matchmaking together. This means shorter queue times, more robust matchmaking, and more opportunities to meet new players. It also means that breaking parts will become more important than ever. We’ll be diving into how we’re improving systems related to breaking parts in an upcoming blog!