First off, definitely love to see PvMP still receiving updates post-Fantus era. It does give me hope that it hasn't been abandoned...yet.

However, the direction of the Audacity changes seem improper. I will list out the points that need addressing:
  • Audacity is not the same between both sides. Freeps need to be forced into Audacity for easier balancing, hence the + incoming damage modifiers on low Audacity. To enable freep accessibility, the initial 25 Aud is barterable for gold, not Commendations. This brings a problem for creepside - Audacity is their only choice. They do not require the + incoming damage modifiers from the start, however for parity of the stat one can keep it the same across for both sides and it seems this was the choice. If so, creeps desperately need the first 25 Aud to be free as well, either as a one-time quest reward or their default values.
  • Incoming damage reduction is not the same between both sides. Creeps have none, freeps have plenty of options. Due to the nature of how it stacks Incoming Damage Reduction is a freep buff. Remove Incoming Damage reduction on both sides if parity is important, keep it on creepside if it makes it easier to balance.
  • The CC reduction is overtuned. In my limited experience on PvMP, freeps burst down creeps effectively with a combination of runspeed, self and fellow buffs and debuffs, the most notable being a red captain's Grave Wound (-50% inc healing, ~50% uptime) and CC. However, off all these contributing factors, the strongest is the incoming heal debuff, resulting in kills by meeting this sole checkmark alone against the less experienced creeps. The same is not true for creepside - reliable burst is fewer and far between due to the primary contributor being Blight. While it is much stronger than the freep counterparts (and it needs to be due to quantity and variety of buffs freeps have), it is a ground effect requiring a reliable CC window to take advantage of during burst. Herein lies the problem - ~90% CCR is a creep nerf and vastly lowers the skill ceiling on both sides. Sure, it could be said that creeps should just use a Flayer Warg now instead but this is at the cost of removing options such as a Flayer Warg's topple, Warleader's Shield Bash and a Weaver's traited daze. Also the limited options would reduce the variability and viability of small groups (not that there was much currently). The same is naturally true on freepside as well however they have plenty of other options so barring solo Burglars and Loremasters they would be marginally affected in comparison.


My suggestions? Ignorable but would like if they are considered:
  1. As said earlier, free 26 Aud for creeps. Instead of adding the layer of questing, having the default value will at the very least make rankfarming slightly more tedious.
  2. Keep incoming damage reduction on creepside - it just adds an insulating layer considering freeps have access to similar buffs of varying degrees, mainly thanks to Captains and Runekeepers.
  3. CCR 50% at 26 to 60% at 36.
  4. I like the concept of the tincture, so when overcapping the benefits could be limited to CCR and +dmg% only.
  5. Finally for Audacity Ranks: 1-26 would be -2 to 50% CCR, +52% to 0% Inc Dmg, -52% to 0% Out dmg. 26-36 would be 50-60% CCR, 0% Inc dmg (0-10% for creeps?), 0-20% Out dmg. Finally overcapping to 41 would be 60-65% CCR, 0% Incoming dmg (10% for creeps?), 20-30% Out dmg.


Lastly, I would like to touch class balance even if it might not be completely related to this thread. Simply put, freeps have both quality and quantity of utility tools, the most egregious of which is Champion's Sprint currently. The incoming heal debuff and temp morale bubble uptimes are also major offenders. Assuming these are not being looked at, I would like to make 2 class suggestions for a temporary (or maybe even permanent) stopgap measure:
  • Warleader utility: Snap out of it provides a +50% runspeed boost for 5s (immune to slows), Crack the Whip bestows +15% incoming healing on the target for 5s and Quit Whining and Fight cleanses 1 effect on the healed targets. The first one is obvious, allows for countering rundowns while also punishing lack of well timed CC from opponents. The second one stacks with the similar Defiler effect encourages coordination and forces more CC reliance on freepside instead of pure incoming heal debuff rundowns. The third one is something that is simply required on creepside due to lack of such cleanses.
  • Reaver utility: allow for Sundering blow to apply +30% incoming damage if used on a target with a temporary morale bubble and +10% otherwise.


I definitely have more to say about these 2 classes (and the others) but since they are the most-forgotten creep classes and that creepside also requires such tools I've cobbled together that. I apologize if some of the points have been reiterated but I feel that in this case it is required anyway.