Did Volcanic Plate Shield get Nerfed?

36 replies [Last post]
Iron-Volvametal's picture
Iron-Volvametal

I've been doing Royal Jelly runs ever since I've became good at them, getting more Crowns than any other Run I do.

I always go in with my Standard Gear:

Mad Bomber Mask(Cobalt Helm)
Mad Bomber Suit(Heavy Demo Suit)

Volcanic Plate Shield

Ever since the Dragon Wings Update, my Shield has been Breaking a LOT more Often than Usual.

Before, I could Block off about 4 Polyp "Missiles," but now, I can only Block about 2.

Lumbers can turn my Shield Orange instead of Bright Green when they wail on it.

About 5 Zombie/Retrode Swings can Break my Shield, instead of 6.

Have you been Experiencing the Same thing?

Psycho-Dani's picture
Psycho-Dani
Oh snap

My ironmight seems to be weakened a bit, so it might be a plate-wide stealth patch?

Iron-Volvametal's picture
Iron-Volvametal
Even the Ironmight?

Darn, & I was going to get one after I find a Plate Shield with a High Piercing Defence UV!

Kilbride's picture
Kilbride
Hrm...

It may not just be plate shields. My CoA seemed to be soaking less damage too. I thought it seemed weird.

Iron-Volvametal's picture
Iron-Volvametal
So, every Shield has been Nerfed a bit?

What the frak is going on here!

Psycho-Dani's picture
Psycho-Dani
Except for one...

My Darkfang, oddly enough, seems to perform much better than my grey owl too... So all craftable shields are nerfed?

Az-Rel's picture
Az-Rel
i used to do vana runs on swiftstrike

it never broke(in like the 3 runs i had done) so i never changed it, this mornining i got owned now i have to take my owlite...

Mirmulnir's picture
Mirmulnir
Now that you mentioned, my

Now that you mentioned, my Blackened Crest seems a bit weaker now, too.

Tengu's picture
Tengu
ugh, and Vanaduke just blew

ugh, and Vanaduke just blew right through my Swiftstrike...

Az-Rel's picture
Az-Rel
@tengu

actually it was some shadow fire i was trying to get a heart.
it like insta breaked...
on vana i never have to shield as i use shiver and i am allways at vana's back.

Buckdida's picture
Buckdida
Perhaps it's a bug of some

Perhaps it's a bug of some kind? Ironskullkid, since you noticed it first, you might want to post something in the bug report forums, so the devs will look into it.

Nicoya-Kitty's picture
Nicoya-Kitty
I've actually noticed a weird

I've actually noticed a weird sort of glitch where if you shield at the wrong time the shield will appear to insta-break. I haven't been able to narrow it down beyond that, though.

Iron-Volvametal's picture
Iron-Volvametal
...

"I've actually noticed a weird sort of glitch where if you shield at the wrong time the shield will appear to insta-break. I haven't been able to narrow it down beyond that, though."

The same thing happened in a Arena! It was the Last Round, where the Mecha Knights appear, & I was Planting Plasma Capacitors & Shielding. I Dropped one, & Tried to Shield while a Blight Knight was Charging its Attack, & it Instantly Broke my Shield in one Swing.

Sawkush's picture
Sawkush
Mhm.....

I will definatly try this out later and give freedback. I use a Dread Skelly shield in Vana :0 (LOL) should be interesting...

Merethif's picture
Merethif
Conspiracy ;-)

step 1. Nerfing zombies, retrodes and wolvers - you don't have to shield when dealing with them because they do not turn around and follow you when attacking. Shield are less important in survival.

step 2. Nerfing shields. Shield are less efficient in survival.

step 3. Shields are useless now - let's play some dual wielding!

Toastnaut's picture
Toastnaut
Dunno about the insta-break being new

I've had my shield insta-break a few times when I shielded right as an attack hits at least a handful of times in the past (since Steam release) so that one's not new, as much as it's confusing and annoying...

Definitely noticed that my shields seem to be less effective in some circumstances.

Specifically, my Omega Shell (which I take into FSC since I haven't finished my Volcanic Plate one...) which normally did not break, has been.
I've been noticing that my Grey Owlite is breaking more easily than I'm used to - except against gun puppies.
Haven't had any issues with my Barb. Thorn Shield, it's as tough as ever, but I normally just use it when it would be an appropriate choice.

Perhaps the way damage is absorbed/gets through is changed?
Alpha wolvers still don't break my thorn shield (and they didn't before,) but attacks that hit with lots of normal and a bit of elemental are going through my Omega, and things with a fair bit of normal damage are going through my Owlite faster than I'm used to.
Perhaps a stealth patch was done to make the actual affect of types of damage on shields vs. what the stats bars say more similar.

Wuvvums's picture
Wuvvums
I think my shield's been

I think my shield's been prone to breaking quite a bit too, but I am not dying as much as I normally do regardless. Maybe they felt they needed that sort of balance? I mean, I feel like I've been taking less damage, despite being in mad bomber.

Az-Rel's picture
Az-Rel
....

wish i could help testing on t3 but i had always used swiftrike on t3 so i can't really compare, i usually just shield bumb with it and use avenger to defend myself. i defended from zombie strikes and things like that but it had never broken so no idea fi it needed 2 or 3 swipes to break,
ill try RJP with the owlite to see if i notice any difference.

Asukalan's picture
Asukalan
Way to go, ooo, constant CE

Way to go, ooo, constant CE only promos, you have to pay to get anything, you name ce promos "EVENTS" and now that? Weakening our shields to make us die more and... use more CE for revs.

Nordlead's picture
Nordlead
meh, I don't die because of

meh, I don't die because of shields breaking faster. My deaths are often because I'm trapped and/or shocked and can't get out or I'm doing something stupid.

Granted, it seemed like my BTS broke incredibly fast when I stepped into shadow fire while trying to pick up the statue that is surrounded except in one corner.

Asukalan's picture
Asukalan
Or maybe its just a cheap

Or maybe its just a cheap trick?

Look, they gonna nerf monsters. They gonna nerf shields. We wont see much diffrence in T3 but then... they gonna do OMGOMG NEW CONTENT RELASE. And what will happen? The new content will be like old T3 that got nerfed and in fact we wont have anything new, just copy pasted old content.

Orangeo's picture
Orangeo
My VPS seems fine. Haze-like

My VPS seems fine. Haze-like bombs got slightly nered a good while ago, no one seemed to notice. Not that it was a bad nerf, seemed balanced.

Pepperonius's picture
Pepperonius
VPS vs Fire

I can no longer tank a zombie flame attack, and also, used to be able to take up to 10 trojan strikes before anything dented it, now it breaks in 5. I am fairly certain VPS got nerfed.

Bigfootm's picture
Bigfootm
What Dark Ritual?

Thought my BTS got nerfed.

What really scares me though, in UGW, or even T3/S6 in general, my Max Piercing BTS still broke in 2-3 hits from a Wolver/Alpha Wolver.

If max piercing is one hit now... Nuh uh. I'll test this a bit, will try to update.

Guyinshinyarmour
--

Jeez, I must be the only person that doesn't feel like their shield is made of plasticine. My BTS and CoA are holding up fine.

Digguisawesome's picture
Digguisawesome
u are the only person

u are the only person goddammit

Buckdida's picture
Buckdida
Did a Vanaduke run. My Grey

Did a Vanaduke run. My Grey Owlite Shield seems to have the same strength it always had. If it didn't, Vana's mace would have messed me up- instead, it took as much damage as it normally did, going down to orange after a hit. If it had been nerfed, the shield would have broken- anything past orange would break it.

It's possible it's only effecting certain shields? Maybe lag could be a factor, too, who knows.

Dunreave's picture
Dunreave
Heres a Though

Maybe it has something to do with the armor? Say that your shield used to get a bonus from your armor and was really strong. now your shiled is on its own dealing with all the damage instead of your armor helping it out?

Dunreave's picture
Dunreave
Side Note

Well just went to FSC with my VPS dragon wings equipped and i am not noticing any real issues. Zombies fire doesn't have any affect as usual. spikes do about the same damage. Never really payed attention since i don't have piercing. Shadow Fire is 3 hits. Trojans i haven't tested but i would say the recovery was just dropped which would explain why u went down from 10-5 Trojan strikes.

Dirt's picture
Dirt
Everyone in this thread is

Everyone in this thread is having their memories rearranged by the OP's placebo. I haven't noticed a change in any of my shields. Have you ever thought that, maybe, your shield has no piercing? I really, really doubt it has ever last four Polyp shots, even in the Royal Jelly Palace. I'd be surprised if my Aegis with max piercing survived four or five hits.

@Bigfootm
What really scares me though, in UGW, or even T3/S6 in general, my Max Piercing BTS still broke in 2-3 hits from a Wolver/Alpha Wolver.
If you are seriously implying it has lasted longer against a T3 Wolver then you are lying or not remembering correctly.

Clueless-Inferno's picture
Clueless-Inferno
@Nicoya I believe if you are

@Nicoya I believe if you are unfortunate enough to shield EXACTLY when your shield regenerates, it perma-breaks for that run. This isn't 100% though, but that's how I found out about it.

Also, VPS should be able to tank Zombie fire breath. Full fire resistance and all...definitely a stealth patch.

Derpules's picture
Derpules
So is this confirmed or what?

Imagination or reality? I'm only in T2 and haven't noticed any difference, but it seems like something I should be aware of when planning for the future. . . .

Vescrit's picture
Vescrit
@Nicoya

I've had a similiar thing happen, although I think I may have been affected by a status when it happens.

Example:

I was in a poison stratum and took a large hit from a lumber(BTS, reduced to orange), it didn't break my shield but I was poisoned by a zombie's breath. After that I backed off and tried to shield bump a wolver away, it shattered on my without taking a hit.

Pepperonius's picture
Pepperonius
@ DIRT

It's not a placebo if I came to the forum looking for a thread like this because in FSC i noticed it. I thought maybe it was just me, but this thread was a confirmation of my suspicions. VPS (at very least) has had a nerf. I run FSC at least 3 times daily, I know how my shield performs. I also know that even with fire resist, against a flame puppy it breaks in 3 tics. Against a Zed flame attack, 5 tics. It used to not turn past green. Even on regular trojan attacks (which are normal damage) i was able to take up to 5 hits without my shield weakening. Now, it's done after 4.

This is not my imagination.

Neodasus's picture
Neodasus
stealth patches are for nerds

stealth patches are for nerds

Psychodestroyer's picture
Psychodestroyer
...I know how this is...

The shields didn't get nerfed....

WE DID Oo

Fallconn's picture
Fallconn
hmmm

i didn't notice anything different about my VPS but my CoA was getting 1 shotted by lumbers