Dev Diary #10 - Player Versus Player (Season 1)

Welcome to our ongoing series of Developer Diaries for THE ALCHEMIST CODE—the global version of “For Whom The Alchemist Exists”—the most widely sought-after mobile Strategy RPG in Japan!

In this series, our development team for THE ALCHEMIST CODE will delve deeper into the vast and rich universe of the game and share behind-the-scenes details on the making of THE ALCHEMIST CODE.

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Previously with Rem, THE ALCHEMIST CODE team writer, she penned down her experiences as she writes THE ALCHEMIST CODE’s Global Original Story; and we briefly discussed our plans for the present and the future of the global content.

For this edition of Developer’s Diary, let us proceed into something impressive. Something global players have been waiting for since the launch of THE ALCHEMIST CODE over a year ago -The Player Versus Player (PvP) feature.

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Ever since the launch of THE ALCHEMIST CODE more than a year ago, we know that you are eager to partake in a mode where you can truly measure your winning strategies against opponents of varying strengths and tactics, and most importantly, to claim the title of the Master Strategist. Unlike the Arena Multiplayer, which was released at launch, this PvP feature will empower you to plan and execute every unit’s actions instead of relying on the Artificial Combat Intelligence.

THE ALCHEMIST CODE team’s goal for PvP is to observe the extent of the creativity our players can achieve; such as constructing different combinations of units to produce different advantageous attributes that even we did not think of. We are even opened to the thought of players focusing on a unit combination comprising only a single element. We would not be surprised if this unit combination ends up becoming number 1 on the leaderboard.

However, as much as it is exciting to be part of this challenge to be the best, we have set a certain entry requirement to ensure an equal playing field all across the board. For you to be eligible for PvP, you are required to attain at least a minimum Player Level of 85. Limiting the entry level to 85 will help to remove any player level advantages one player will have against another. Furthermore, the max level of a unit is 85. On the other hand, this could also mean that all players eligible for PvP will most probably have an army of strong and powerful units, and most likely a highly skillful strategist.

In PvP, there are 2 different matches you can participate in - Ranked Battle and Versus Friend. These two similar yet different type of matches are designed to fulfill different purposes.

Rank Battle

Rank Battle in THE ALCHEMIST CODE is the hotbed of the PvP mode. This is the competitive side of PvP. Your performance in Ranked Battles will be measured in two ways. First, through your competitive placement on the leaderboard. Second, your individual ranking. These two measurements are interconnected with a point system created to only reward skillful strategists.

To reach the top of the leaderboard, one has to accumulate the highest amount of points for that season. The fastest and easiest way to do that is to simply win every single match.

Points earned during the PvP Season is also used to measure a player’s individual performance. All players will start off with a Rookie rank at the start of the season. After acquiring a certain amount of points, the player will then be promoted to the next rank, Bronze, so on and so forth. The highest rank one player can achieve in a season is Legend.

Furthermore, at the end of every PvP Season, a set of rewards will be given to the players based on their season performance. Prestigious rewards will be bestowed upon those who have proven their skills in battle with the top player receiving exclusive items. 

Friend Match

On the other side of the coin, Versus Friend is the alternative option for players who enjoy the challenge of PvP but wish not to affect their hard earned points in Ranked Battle, or for those who simply love a friendly bout. Versus Friend uses a Host and Code matchmaking system to simplify the process of matchmaking. With this system, any players can challenge other players without the need to be in the Friends List.

Fair play

On the topic of fair play, we understand that there are concerns among our players regarding certain units endowed with a generous amount of advantage over other units and this might create an unfair dominance during of the match. Therefore, to mitigate potential unfair play issues, we are including multiple special map effects for each room and level layout to encourage the use of various strategies instead of a straight-up powerplay.

As a strategist, you must be able to turn the tide and transform disadvantages into opportunities - for every battle is unique and requires a different set of unit combination and strategy.

Reporting for PvP Cheating

With any online competitive event, there will always be a group of cheaters trying to spoil the fun. Therefore, we need you, and the community at large, to help us report these cheaters to us. If you think your opponent is behaving suspiciously such as consistently able to produce 1 Hit KO attacks, it is best to report it. Let us work together and prevent these cheaters get their way.

However, we know that this reporting system will eventually be open to possible misuse such as players misunderstanding, accidental reporting, or worse, abuse. That is why we are implementing an internal review system to ensure that each report sent by you are valid. As much as we wish to deter hackers, we wish not to damper those players who are legitimately putting their 100% effort in PvP.

PvP Frequency

After releasing two PvP beta test over the past few months, we are now ready to officially launch Season 1 of PvP in the coming weeks. We will run Season 1 for a single week to kickoff the PvP feature to gauge the community’s response. The longevity and additional updates for future seasons will be highly dependent on the community’s reception and feedback of Season 1. Feel free to chime off your feedbacks on all of our respective channels!

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Alchemists, it is time to train hard and prepare all you can for the most intense competition in your Alchemist career. Carve your path, triumph over your opponents, and become the season’s Master Strategist. We hope to meet you at the top of the rankings!

Moreover, during Season 1, get the chance to win unique PvP gears that will give your units an additional boost to overcome your dreaded enemies. It is definitely worth the addition to your armory. Earn gear from Rank Rewards and by trading PvP coins!

Until then, be seeing you at the Door of Truth, Alchemists.

THE ALCHEMIST CODE Team