We really need an update focused on fixing, balancing and improving stuff that’s already in the game, instead of just adding more things on top. There are already plenty of mechanics, classes and systems that could use some attention, and I feel like polishing those first would go a long way towards making the game feel more consistent and enjoyable overall.


New content is always nice, but there’s not much point in continuously adding more stuff when some of the existing problems are still sitting there untouched.


The idea is pretty simple: staff should listen to what players are actually asking for and use that feedback to fine-tune existing systems. There are still people who believe in Zezenia and want the game to improve, so why not fix and balance what we already have first.


Nothing too crazy, just some changes to things that are already in the game and could use some attention. I do think these things are worth looking into. Hopefully the feedback doesn’t get overlooked, and we can see some of these points being considered in future balance changes.



A) Player vs player damage~defense is kinda unbalanced ->-> the natural mage resistance against other mages at higher lvls. At some point a higher level mage gains a lot of magical defense. This should probably be looked into so it doesn’t end up hurting the late game and pvp.



B) PVM damage is pretty low ->-> warlock is bad now, they've only cross of annihilation, which has the worst, very tiring, type of main damage spell. On the other hand, barbarians earn very low Experience/Hour in comparison to mages and rangers, seeing that shockwave has an awful area of effect and rage of fury deals varying damage. They really could use some buff here.



C) Warrior and rangers gain exactly the same hp~level ->-> before the addition of enchantment system it was fair since rangers had less defense using ranged weapons, but today they have bigger AOE, resulting in better lifesteal and AOE ranged attacks~> through ricochets + areal arrow, so they can arguably survive even better than warriors, especially compared to barbarians. I propose to increase warrior's hp instead of reducing ranger's hp.



D) Rangers are the only class with auto-attacks that can hit more than one target. First, their ricochets will always hit more than one target, and in some cases they even increase the single-target damage, while Areal Arrow has up to a 15% chance to hit additional targets. I feel like mages and warriors should have at least something similar to Areal Arrow: Warriors with around a 20~25% chance to hit targets within close range of the target and mages with around a 5~10% chance to do the same.



E) Some basic QoL stuff ->> there was a suggestion about letting rogues place traps directly under themselves, introducing a new option similar to Aim Target, without replacing the current one. It sounds a small thing but honestly would make rogue gameplay feel a lot better. It definitely makes the mechanic feel much more comfortable, mainly during long hunting sessions lasting up to 2 hours straight.



F) Some equipment types is just forgotten ->> we still don't have any enchantable armor with base critical hit bonus, so maybe it's time to finally add the rest of the Wolf Hunter set? Wolf Hunter Cape + Wolf Hunter Headguard for example. Barbarians still have no weapon reward from Mysteries of Tarmell Quest (death knight blade, vanguard bow, grand inquisitor staff... we’re still missing a two-handed weapon with 2% dodge)

There is something strangely poetic about a community continuing to throw ideas into the void, elaborating suggestions, discussing improvements, pointing out problems and generally showing more signs of life than the people who is supposed to keep the world running. In any MMORPG, what matters: not XP, not gold, not rare drops, but the attention of players who still care enough to imagine what the game could become; Meanwhile, a level cap triggered due to a bug can apparently sit there collecting dust like an abandoned monument, while weeks pass, calendars move and the forum continues accumulating thoughtful player posts without even the smallest footprint from the people behind the curtain; What it communicates to the people who still bother proposing ideas is that their investment of time, creativity, and concern may be worth less than the silence they receive in return; A game is not kept alive exclusively by code, servers, databases and maintenance windows, but also by the strange little community of people who care enough to complain, speculate, suggest, debate, test, dream and occasionally write something completely insane because they want the game to be better, and sincerely, that kind of player attention should probably be treated as an asset rather than background noise.

On top of fixing the balance issues, our Zezenia desperately needs new bosses and creatures.

The last update that actually added new creature-related content was like 2 years ago (31st July 2024), and ever since then players have basically just been doing cerberus DG and hunt geck's hardcore portal because it’s pretty much the best place to grind XP.

I know a lot of games take inspiration from classic concepts when designing new monsters, and MTG is obviously a huge source of inspiration for that kind of stuff.

So I wanted to share a few cards that I think would match Zezenia’s aesthetic really damn well as new bosses (first row) and regular creatures (second and third rows):

It would be amazing !

Lupus Aurelius is the guy who makes the new sprites

Nowadays, at least more than half of the active players are between levels 1000 and 2060. .this means that the current spawns are no longer challenging.. . even the fact that npcs thorvald and oswald don't give hard tasks to players level 500+ shows how much things are stale

Most players have been hunting in the same places for years..it’s boring to see the same mobs over and over again for years xD

Lupus doesn't make maps. The guy who used to do that is no longer on the staff.

Yessss i’m aware that the guy who made the best maps in the game, including the implementation of the hardcore portals, unfortunately left the staff.

However, Lupus Aurelius is also a great pixel art designer and the New Continent already has many areas mapped out.

All that would be missing is the creation of new monsters, even if only a small number, like only 3 or 4 new ones each year?

Considering that the game has a small staff, a major update once a year introducing new monsters could still bring a few meaningful new features to keep players engaged!

Part 2 – More ideas for the Staff to create new creatures:

The game feels abandoned, with tons of bugs and no fixes. The game itself is actually pretty fun, but it has been neglected. There’s no class balance whatsoever. Zero updates. Honestly, they should either sell the game or just shut it down for good.

The only profession worth playing is ranger. They heal a lot, deal a ton of damage and it’s no coincidence that pretty much everyone currently playing is a ranger. Warriors are frustrating to play, their damage is low and their aoe is tiny. Meanwhile, rangers can hunt solo and get2x more xp than warriors get from the same hunt.

New Monsters and Bosses: Reworking Monster Damage and Saving Us from the “Stat Stick” Meta


Yooo guysss,, wanted to drop a design proposal here regarding future content. Part of class balancing undoubtedly involves monster damage and how it affects each subclass.

This post focuses specifically on ideas for designing new monsters and expanding their attack variability. Right now, class balance is a bit scuffed because almost every relevant endgame mob chunking you is doing it via Magic Damage (AoE or single-target).

Because magic has been the meta for years, defensive gear has completely stagnated. Right now, defensive sets are basically just stat sticks: you stack Magic Resist (MR) and call it a day. From there, you’re left choosing between Dodge, Physical Resist, or HP Steal, but none of these options offers a meaningful advantage depending on the hunting spot. There’s no real data-driven reason to choose one defensive setup over another. In the end, there’s virtually no strategic choice at all.

By introducing new monsters with highly diversified attack patterns, we can effectively solve this item stagnation. The goal isn't to rework old mobs or force players to micromanage and swap gear mid-fight, but to create meaningful gear choices where Physical Resist, Magic Resist, and Dodge Chance are all viable depending on the boss or hunting spot.


Here is how we can split it up logically:


# 1. Remodeling Base Monster Damage (For New Mobs)


We need to split new mob damage organically so different defensive stats actually matter:


* Auto Attacks: Split them between physical and magic. High attack-speed mobs should hit fast but low, making Dodge the absolute best answer. Slow, brawler-type mobs should hit like a truck with massive physical swings, rewarding Armor and Physical Resistance.

Some monsters could have very high auto-attack damage, while their other attacks could be slightly weaker to compensate. This would create monsters where physical resistance is particularly valuable, even if their special abilities deal mostly magical damage.

Additionally, some monsters could have higher attack speeds but lower damage per hit. In these situations, dodge chance could become a more valuable defensive option, creating another distinct defensive strategy instead of simply choosing between physical and magic resistance.



* Other Attacks & Spells:


# A. Pure magic damage
Close-range and/or ranged attacks could deal exclusively magic damage.


# B. Pure physical damage
Close-range and/or ranged attacks could deal exclusively physical damage.


# C. Mixed damage

Some monsters could combine both damage types.


* C1. Some monsters could deal primarily physical damage, with a smaller amount of magic damage


* C2. Other monsters could deal primarily magic damage, with a smaller amount of physical damage

This would make defensive equipment choices much more meaningful and would encourage players to adapt their sets according to the monsters they are facing, rather than relying almost exclusively on magic resistance.

The goal would not necessarily be to force players to constantly swap equipment, but rather to make different defensive setups viable and give players meaningful reasons to choose between them.



# 2. New Tile-Based Grid Mechanics & Code Logic


# A. Tile-Distance Damage Scaling (Spatial AoE)

The damage type or intensity scales based on how many tiles away you are from the mob.

* How it works: A caster mob shoots a blast. If you are face-to-face (1 tile away), it acts as a Heavy Physical blast wave. If you are kiting at a distance (4+ tiles), it dissipates into Pure Magic burn damage.

* Code Logic:
int distance = get_tile_distance(monster.position, player.position);
if (distance == 1) {
deal_damage(player, DAMAGE_TYPE_PHYSICAL, base_power * 1.5);
} else if (distance >= 4) {
deal_damage(player, DAMAGE_TYPE_MAGIC, base_power);
apply_status_effect(player, EFFECT_BURN);
}



# B. The Dodge Meta: Multi-Hit Flurry Attacks

Instead of making Dodge just another generic damage reduction stat, let's give it a unique identity against rapid-fire skills.

* How it works: A nimble mob channels a flurry that deals 6 small, instant physical hits in a single turn.

* The Interaction: The evasion check rolls for each individual hit. A dodge-focused player evades 4 or 5 out of the 6 strikes, taking minimal damage despite wearing light armor.

* Code Logic:
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
if (roll_dodge_chance(player) == true) {
show_floating_text(player, "Evaded!");
} else {
int final_damage = base_hit_damage - player.armor;
deal_damage(player, DAMAGE_TYPE_PHYSICAL, max(1, final_damage));
}
}



# C. Polarity Aura (Anti-MinMax Monoculture)

A mechanic for group hunts or mini-bosses to actively punish players who blindly stack one stat.

* How it works: Every 3 turns, the mob emits a true damage pulse that scales directly off your current Magic Resistance.

* Code Logic:
if (turn_count % 3 == 0) {
int aura_damage = player.magic_resistance * 1.5;
deal_damage(player, DAMAGE_TYPE_TRUE, aura_damage);
}



# D. Directional Vector (Flanking & Rear Damage)

Bringing tactical value back to classic grid positioning.

* How it works: Frontal hits are mitigated normally by armor or shield blocks. But if a mob hits you from behind, the attack completely bypasses Dodge, or converts into Pure Magic damage (spiritual backstab). It forces solo players to position flawlessly and gives Knights a real job to turn the boss away from the party.

* Code Logic:
if (monster.facing_direction == player.facing_direction) {
deal_damage(player, DAMAGE_TYPE_MAGIC, backstab_damage);
} else {
trigger_standard_mitigation();
}



# E. Kinetic Shield Pressure (Wall Collisions)

Direct interaction with the blocked tiles/walls of the map.

* How it works: Heavy heavy-hitter mobs cause a 1-tile Knockback. If you get shoved and collide with a solid wall or obstacle immediately behind you, you take massive secondary impact damage.

* Code Logic:
tile target_tile = get_tile_behind(player, monster.push_direction);
if (target_tile.is_blocked == true || target_tile.has_structure == true) {
deal_damage(player, DAMAGE_TYPE_PHYSICAL, wall_slam_damage);
apply_status_effect(player, EFFECT_STUN);
} else {
move_sprite_to_tile(player, target_tile);
}



# F. Grid-Tile Interaction (The Conductive Floor)

Damage that reacts dynamically to map textures and terrain IDs.

* How it works: A boss electrifies the room. If you are standing on Water or Grass tiles, you take continuous Magic tick damage. If you lure the boss onto Stone platforms, the electricity dissipates and environmental attacks turn into Pure Physical debris.

* Code Logic:
int current_tile_id = get_tile_id(player.position);
if (current_tile_id == TILE_WATER || current_tile_id == TILE_GRASS) {
deal_damage(player, DAMAGE_TYPE_MAGIC, environmental_tick_dmg);
} else if (current_tile_id == TILE_STONE) {
deal_damage(player, DAMAGE_TYPE_PHYSICAL, rock_debris_dmg);
}



For the Devs...

Look, this is all just simple mathematical logic running server-side — basically a few if/else checks. For minimal coding effort, we get a massive boost to tactical depth, item diversity, and the overall excitement of the gameplay loop whenever new monsters are released...