LORE
“By fire be cleansed, by steel be absolved.”
Lucius is a sworn lancer of the Crown, a living bulwark in steel and fire who stands at the forefront of the King’s armies. Trained from youth in the disciplined art of shield and lance, he learned to pair unwavering defense with explosive force, believing that true loyalty means holding the line no matter the cost.
OVERVIEW
Lucius is a Tank designed around threat control and sustained frontline presence, particularly when dealing with groups of enemies.
His kit was designed to address a weakness in the existing Tank roster: limited effectiveness outside of group play. By combining increased survivability with respectable damage output, Lucius can remain effective while playing solo without sacrificing his identity as a defensive frontline unit.
DESIGN GOALS
- Create a durable frontline unit
Build Lucius around survivability, sustained frontline presence, and the ability to withstand prolonged enemy pressure. - Establish a clear Tank identity
Give Lucius tools for controlling enemy threat and protecting less durable allies, particularly when facing groups of enemies. - Improve the appeal of the Tank role
Create a Tank that remains viable outside of party play, addressing the relatively low player interest in the existing Tank roster.
DESIGN PROCESS
The concept behind Lucius began to take shape shortly after the implementation of new defensive stats and mechanics.
I decided to create a new Tank unit that could showcase these additions to players, while also providing an opportunity to update and expand the existing Tank roster.
The character model had been created some time earlier and was already rigged, but had never been released. I began researching similar characters and archetypes for inspiration, using them as a starting point for developing Lucius’ identity and abilities.
From there, his skill set gradually took shape around his role as a Tank and the new defensive mechanics I wanted to showcase.
ABILITIES
Autoattack
Ignite
Lucius swings his lance in a wide arc, dealing physical damage. Every 3rd attack deals increased damage and also burns enemies for several seconds.
Damage
Scatter Blast
Lucius fires a piercing shell straight ahead, dealing physical damage to all enemies in its path.
Crowd Control
Blazing Bastion
Lucius detonates two concentric shockwaves, each dealing physical damage, taunting enemies and applying a stacking burn effect on them for several seconds.
ultimate
Infernal Wave
Lucius slashes forward and unleashes two cannon blasts, dealing physical damage.
All hits apply a stacking burn effect for several seconds.
GAMEPLAY
IMPLEMENTATION & TESTING
Lucius’ skills were implemented through the game’s existing CSV-based skill system. This allowed me to translate the ability designs into configurable gameplay parameters and iterate quickly during testing, while also identifying and reporting defects or visual issues.
I configured the individual skill values and interactions, then tested the abilities directly in-game to ensure they behaved as intended. This also allowed balance adjustments to be made without modifying the underlying systems.
BALANCING
Balancing a new unit that also introduced new stats and mechanics was challenging, as it required me to consider the entire roster rather than Lucius in isolation.
Initially, Tank units could already block incoming damage, albeit with a relatively low chance. During testing, however, it became clear that this mechanic could quickly snowball, making Tanks disproportionately effective at absorbing damage.
I adjusted the defensive mechanics and revisited the Tank roster as a whole, allowing Lucius and the existing Tanks to benefit from the new system without creating balance issues.
The result was a more consistent defensive identity across the Tank roster while keeping the new mechanics from overwhelming the rest of the game’s combat systems.
TAKEAWAYS
Balance the role, not just the unit.
Introducing Lucius and the new defensive mechanics showed me that balancing a new character often requires looking at the entire class. Changes that improve one unit can have unintended consequences when applied across a shared role.
A strong defensive identity isn’t always enough.
The existing Tank roster was effective at absorbing damage, but that alone wasn’t enough to make the role appealing to players. This highlighted the importance of giving defensive classes engaging tools and mechanics that make them enjoyable to play, rather than relying solely on their ability to survive.
New mechanics can be an opportunity to revisit existing content.
Lucius’ development also provided an opportunity to update the existing Tank roster and bring older units in line with the new defensive systems, rather than treating the new unit as an isolated addition.