INFORMATION | Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2 | BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Official Website

2021.03.23

[Developer Newsletter] Regarding the update in late March

■[PDT] 03/23/2021 02:00
　[CET] 03/23/2021 10:00
■Introduction: Hello, pilots! I am Tokushima from the Development Team. With more than 3 million downloads and the recent release of PS5™ version, GBO 2 continues to grow! In the original GBO, the lineup was focused on the One Year War, but it was expanded to include Z and ZZ, so there are even more units that you won’t see in other games! As of the end of February, there were a total of 230 units! That’s 80 more units than in the previous game. I’ve been working on mainly One Year War stories, so I’m excited to see all these new units that I’ve never handled before. GBO 2 still has a long way to go!
■New MS “Jegan” joins the battle!!: At last, a unit from “Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack,” a title that depicts the second Neo Zeon War in UC 0093, is here!; ※The video represents a work in progress. It may differ from the actual game behavior.; ＜MS description＞
Mobile Suit Jegan has a well-balanced performance with no weaknesses, and its maneuverability is slightly higher than the average suit. Its weaponry is also very orthodox as a general unit. It has a main weapon that can stagger instantly, a secondary weapon that can accumulate stagger, and a new high-powered throwing grenade that can destroy parts of the body. It also comes complete with a shield, perfect for cover! Jegan has a sense of stability, making it easy for anyone to pilot. This is a famous MS that has been in operation for nearly 30 years since it was deployed on the actual battlefield in UC 0093.; From now on, new units from a wide range of MS from the One Year War to the Second Neo Zeon War will be introduced one after another. We hope you look forward to it as we focus on more units!
■Updated “BOSS” in the battle simulator mission!: A new BOSS for the battle simulator will be updated soon! Please note that only the “BOSS” missions will be updated this time. The new menace is… “Quin Mantha,” the formidable weapon of the Glemy Faction that was piloted by Ple Two in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ!; ※The video represents a work in progress. It may differ from the actual game behavior.; The next BOSS battle will take place in “Space!” Different from battling a giant enemy at ground level, engaging in mobile combat in Space will be a new experience for all!

＜MS description＞
Unlike previous BOSSes, this one aggressively targets you with a melee attack. It’s quite different from previous BOSSes in that it will follow up on a staggered attack with a melee attack, a series of attacks, or even an emergency evasion. Oh, the pressure!

Unlike conventional BOSSes, Quin Mantha’s weakness does not appear until it is stunned. Since the stun gauge can now be increased on the back instead of the legs, you need to avoid the large binders on both shoulders (which are special buffers), and attack while going around the back. This may sound difficult, but worry not! We’ve made the stun gauge rise faster for that very reason.

It is important to make good use of the rapid ups and downs that only space can offer. I think this will be a good way to practice space combat techniques!

On an important note, we’ve received feedback for more focus on MS adjustments. We apologize for the fact that we have only just begun to address this issue, so I would like to discuss our next steps.

■Major adjustments will be made to raid units to balance the game

First of all, please let me explain why the raid unit is being adjusted. GBO 2 is designed as a team game, and the roles in the game are based on the advantage or disadvantage of the MS category, so that players can easily collaborate with their teammates. Initially, we envisioned a “General Unit” with no outstanding abilities, but with well-balanced performance and high survival rate that would play a leading role on the battlefield, building a front line with its strength in numbers.

Even now, many battlefields are organized with 1 support unit and 1 raid unit for every 4 general units, which is close to the image we had in our mind. However, for the raid, even though it functions as a deterrent to the support unit, it can easily lead to extreme battle results. This makes the raid unit a difficult role in the game, such as not being able to reach the support unit, to return alive, and to survive if surrounded by general units with high defensive capabilities. We would like to improve this situation by combining several measures.

However, if the raid unit becomes more powerful, the balance of the game itself will falter, as there will be more cases of pilots ignoring the category and actively fighting against the general units. Therefore, the adjustment will be to make the raid units easier to reach the support units, breaking through the general units to survive. In order to make it easier for players to perform their original roles, battle-situation survey and techniques will still be required. We have set up an adjustment guideline that focuses on two points:

① Develop the unique characteristics and strengths of strong attacks
② Remedies for numerical disadvantage between categories (i.e., increased survival rate)

Normally, we would like to do these two things at the same time, but since we want to alleviate the situation as soon as possible, we will start with the adjustments in ①, and as soon as possible, we will implement the adjustments in ②.

◎Measure ①-1 “Reduce thruster consumption at the start of high-speed movement” for all raid units

■It is expected that the coordinated effect of increasing the strength of the raid unit and skills will lead to improved stability for some MS. Thruster consumption at the start of high-speed movement will be reduced from a flat 20 to a flat 15 for raid units only, with the exception of some tank types. In addition to extending the amount of time that you can move at high speed by reducing the amount of money consumed at the start, you can also expect synergy with the skills that many raid units possess.

・Maneuver Armor
Since this skill mitigates damage reaction during fast movement, the extension of its duration creates the effect of restraint reduction.

・Forced Injector
It can also be applied to semi-auto firing, which expands the range of use and reduces the risk of subsequent overheating.

※The video represents a work in progress. It may differ from the actual game behavior.

◎Measure ①-2 “Enhancement of existing skills for raid units”

■”Extend the strength of raid units” ※Limited to units with skills

The skill to be enhanced is “Maneuver Armor LV2.” Maneuver Armor is present in other units of other types, but LV2 is only for raid units. We will not give this skill to other categories of units unless there are exceptions.

・Skill effects
– Improved reduction of stagger accumulation while moving at high speed (increased from 5% reduction to 20%)
– Reduces damage taken while moving at high speed (10% reduction)

This is only available to units that have this skill, but since it is available to a large number of raid units with a cost of 400 or more, it will have a wide range of effects. If you don’t have this skill, you will have other special skills such as stealth, special weapon, etc. We will also consider making adjustments such as adding new skills to units and their LVs that are deemed necessary.

◎Measure ①-3 “Establishment of new skills dedicated to raid units”

■”Develop the strengths of the raid unit” & “Make it easier to approach the support unit” ※On the ground only

“Assault Booster,” a higher level skill of Quick Boost, will be newly implemented as an exclusive skill for raid type and will replace Quick Boost. At the same time, “Assault Booster LV1” will be newly added to ground type raid units that do not possess Quick Boost.

・Skill effects
In addition to further reducing the jumping pool time, the jumping speed is increased and the reaction to being hit by an air shot is reduced. This will allow it to quickly jump and go when approaching support units positioned high in ground combat. This is expected to make it easier to take anti-support actions, which is the role of the raid, in various situations.

※The video represents a work in progress. It may differ from the actual game behavior.

◎Measure ② Notice “Correction based on the number of categories the enemy team is weak in”

I would like to discuss about this adjustment to let you know what we are thinking about it. This is an adjustment that affects the category correction in the game.
Specifically, depending on the number of units in the enemy’s weak category on the battlefield, only damage from the weak category will be reduced.

The enemy has “1” unit in the weak category = no damage compensation
The enemy has “2” units in the weak category = no damage compensation
The enemy has “3” or more units in the weak category = damage compensation from categories you are weak in (defense UP)

※It is assumed that the damage compensation from the weakness category will increase as the number of units increases.
※In order to prevent both sides from knowing each other’s formation status in advance, we will not display the correction status.

This adjustment itself does not apply only to raid units. It is still the ideal way for the raid units to attack the support units by approaching it at once, taking advantage of the gap between the general and the support units. Also, in terms of tactics, if the general unit wants to play it safe, it will have to respond to the raid unit with a greater numerical advantage than ever before, but this entails the risk of a collapse of the front line, so tactics in this area will be the catalyst for the difference between victory and defeat. The difficulty of contact with support units by raid units will be reduced, and the frequency of attacks will be increased, which will increase the danger of support units that are isolated away from their allies. The battlefield as a whole will become more active and intense!

We do not expect this to improve the entire situation at once, but will continue to make adjustments in areas that need balancing. If any of the MS becomes too strong as a result of the adjustments, we will consider readjusting them. We will continue our efforts to balance the game from your feedback, and to make the game more enjoyable for all!; Now for the fun part! We will have “GBO 2 Spring Festival 2021” soon!; Event details will be announced separately, but be ready for some spectacular goods this festival, including special supply drops and exclusive missions! Also, we’ve made a CG movie which will be available in-game. The movie will play when you leave the title screen for a certain period of time. If you are a new player, the movie will automatically play once you’ve created your avatar. I hope you all enjoy our movie!
■Closing words: Thank you for taking the time to read! We’re still actively adding new MS and elements each week as usual, while continuing to improve existing features and make the game even better, so please continue to support GBO 2! Thank you again for tuning in, off to development work now!; (Development Team: Tokushima)