Release 2023-04-05

Even the Score

From the Release Notes:

Puzzle scoring thresholds: The way that puzzle performance and puzzle standings are determined has always been relative to the performance of other players on the ocean. Over time, as players have become increasingly skilled at different puzzles, these scoring mechanisms have shifted a lot, so that performance that might have one time qualified as "Incredible" will now only be rated as "Good", or less. This is partly by design, but over time these scoring thresholds have become quite exaggerated, to the point where newer players trying to improve their standings or duty reports can become quite discouraged that their attempts at eventually excelling at certain puzzles feels hopeless. This is not ideal for the long-term health of Puzzle Pirates, in terms of continuing to welcome new greenies to the oceans. With this in mind, the goal of this update is to implement some fixed puzzle scoring thresholds for puzzle standings and duty reports. This will mean that if your puzzle performance score is sufficiently high, you will be guaranteed to achieve certain ratings or standings, regardless of how other players have recently been scoring at the puzzle. These are some of the desired outcomes we would like to see from these changes: Providing Expert labor should be a more attainable goal for reasonably skilled puzzlers. Achieving standing levels such as Ultimate should no longer feel like an impossible goal for legitimate players. Unrealistic puzzle performance scores attained by bot usage will no longer shift the scoring thresholds to excessively high values. Bots will continue to be detected and result in bans. Don't use puzzle bots! These new scoring thresholds can and will be adjusted in the future as needed, and we will continue monitoring the impact this has on the oceans going forward. Due to these changes and those of the mercenary update, blockades will be closed to players the weekend of the 8th.