PATCH Patch Notes for February 24, 2025 - PvP Patch

[Domnu]

The changes in this patch actually had the oposite effect in terms of nerfing zergs.

The flat point system for kills and the lack of penalty for deaths will always0 favor the largest team.

The disappearing bars also make large teams stronger since getting target is easier if there are few possible targets, often you dont even need to pull bars just cycling is enough against a smaller team.

Yea you might not get the reward, but you still have the chance to, that wont stop anyone from playing the dominant side.

I agree. I think more changes need to be made that favor small groups and diminish the advantages of larger groups.

 

[WeStSiDe]

Please take my feedback with a grain of salt as it is still very early and patience is key to see how this will play out in the long run.

With respect to DFP/CCC - a primary concern I have is the lack of catch up mechanics. There is an increased focus on ticks and overwhelming the opponents. This will naturally lead to the “Zerg” guild taking over and squeezing out the smaller player groups. Furthermore, by losing points leaving zone, we have effectively eliminated roaching. My experience so far has been stale in all honesty - either zerging the smaller groups and sitting on a point, or getting zerged and wishing the event would just end.

I am mixed on bars expiring - there are some bugs there with bars remaining when they shouldn’t be, but outside of that I am fairly indifferent. It highlights a different skill set from what the player base is used to which is good to see, although the ability to target nearest or “pull a bar” isn’t exactly mechanically all that different from setting last target and syncing a drop.

I haven’t factioned extensively to judge any changes - but the change in skills is a great refresher and I love to see Hallys and Maces being put to use in small skirmishes.

Overall I am so thankful for the work put in, and I ask that you continually monitor and adjust to ensure the best for PvP. My other comment is not to solely listen to the loudest voices in the PvP Discord channel, they honestly don’t have the player base’s best interests at heart.

Thank you!

 

[Zhayad]

Speaking for myself only, there is no point to wait with a bandage to start because of a strategy... A bandage takes 10 seconds if you have 100 strength, 10 seconds is a very very long time in pvp if you only fight mages. It's NOT the loop i'm concerned about, it's the possibility to overwrite the bandaging process..
Like, you applied a 10 second bandage and it's almost complete, say 8 seconds have passed and then you accidently push your bandage self hotkey and it starts over, so in the worst case you have a bandage process going on for 18 seconds without healing.. You're dead then.

I dont like scipts in pvp either but that bandaging thing is annoying. Dexxers have to keep an eye on so many thinks around them in pvp... Ok Mages to, but mages push a button and they are healed instant. Dexxers have a 10 seconds window for two healing options, thats already a BIG handycap!

Also the spelldamage from mages in pvp added in this patch against 100 resist is over the top!

I wanna have my bandage running while i just got poisoned,/diseased (from pets) while i didnt took any damage, means: I'm at 100HP but i got poisoned/diseased and my bandage kicks in.

 

[AreYouKidden]

Speaking for myself only, there is no point to wait with a bandage to start because of a strategy... A bandage takes 10 seconds if you have 100 strength, 10 seconds is a very very long time in pvp if you only fight mages. It's NOT the loop i'm concerned about, it's the possibility to overwrite the bandaging process..
Like, you applied a 10 second bandage and it's almost complete, say 8 seconds have passed and then you accidently push your bandage self hotkey and it starts over, so in the worst case you have a bandage process going on for 18 seconds without healing.. You're dead then.

I dont like scipts in pvp either but that bandaging thing is annoying. Dexxers have to keep an eye on so many thinks around them in pvp... Ok Mages to, but mages push a button and they are healed instant. Dexxers have a 10 seconds window for two healing options, thats already a BIG handycap!

Also the spelldamage from mages in pvp added in this patch against 100 resist is over the top!

I wanna have my bandage running while i just got poisoned,/diseased (from pets) while i didnt took any damage, means: I'm at 100HP but i got poisoned/diseased and my bandage kicks in.

I've dropped many a dexxer who refuses to adapt in the middle of combat, you drop them by 5 HP, start counting their bandage timer, make sure you've got it nailed down - so you can maximize your 10s window to dump on them and kill them. Restarting a bandage when a mage isn't doing damage to you, is a necessary strategy to beating mages 1v1 - a bandage healing 5 HP, and telegraphing your engagement window is a pure tell of ability, and puts the entire engagement in the mages control.

That said, I understand the argument, and absolutely feel they need both options a bandage that won't overwrite a bandage in progress, and a bandage that will, so you can determine what it is you are hitting, or when you are purposely overwriting your bandage. I don't really feel they needed to remove the bandaging expression at all from scripts, removing loops, timers, cooldowns, hits, maxhits, and everything else stopped the auto bandage. If bandaging didn't need to go as well.

 

[oroechimaru]

you can't use loop, and you can't use the bandaging expression, or hits, maxhits, no timers, cooldown expressions, no way to check your health to verify.
I mean you could still use hotkey 'Bandage Self' in a script if you really wanted, but why not just set a hotkey?

@Laughing Skull you can still run loops in PvM btw - nothing changed there.

Thanks ayk. I always just use hotkeys so I think I am ok.

I just was worried “no hot keys” which my love for 1998 uo does not match my old man hands of 2025.

I've dropped many a dexxer who refuses to adapt in the middle of combat, you drop them by 5 HP, start counting their bandage timer, make sure you've got it nailed down - so you can maximize your 10s window to dump on them and kill them. Restarting a bandage when a mage isn't doing damage to you, is a necessary strategy to beating mages 1v1 - a bandage healing 5 HP, and telegraphing your engagement window is a pure tell of ability, and puts the entire engagement in the mages control.

That said, I understand the argument, and absolutely feel they need both options a bandage that won't overwrite a bandage in progress, and a bandage that will, so you can determine what it is you are hitting, or when you are purposely overwriting your bandage. I don't really feel they needed to remove the bandaging expression at all from scripts, removing loops, timers, cooldowns, hits, maxhits, and everything else stopped the auto bandage. If bandaging didn't need to go as well.

When i make a mistake i just chug a potion and try for the best and run till bandages can help

The changes are great, less automation and more skill.

 

[Chase]

The recent PvP changes in UO Outlands have been met with mixed reactions. While the removal of scripts is a welcome adjustment, the broader changes introduced in this patch largely fall tone-deaf to what the player base has been requesting. Rather than refining gameplay and rewarding skillful, small-group engagements, the update has instead resulted in a system that further incentivizes zerging and has significantly reduced the impact of individual skill.

One of the primary concerns is the overall increase in damage. Players have long requested tighter damage ranges for both spells and weapons to ensure more consistent combat interactions. However, instead of fine-tuning these aspects, the patch delivered a massive damage increase across the board. This has exacerbated the effectiveness of large groups, as smaller teams now die even faster to zergs, making it nearly impossible to fight effectively when outnumbered.

Additionally, the removal of the Archmage has dramatically reduced kill potential for small teams. Previously, a duo could secure kills at an 8-tile range by executing precise, skillful positioning and gameplay. With the necessity of casting follow-up spells to confirm a kill, small groups now find themselves at a severe disadvantage. The inability to finish off opponents without closing the distance significantly alters the pacing of combat, forcing smaller teams into unfavorable engagements against larger groups.

The draw of Outlands PvP has always been the ability for a well-coordinated small group to kill any opponent that comes into their range. This patch has significantly weakened that dynamic, making small groups ineffective due to the increased damage output and the necessity to stand still longer to secure kills. In practice, this means the only viable strategy now is to bring more players, reducing the skill ceiling and making combat far more about numbers than execution.

Perhaps one of the most frustrating changes is the removal of sticky bars. This mechanic was primarily utilized by small groups for precision targeting, while larger groups rarely relied on it outside of large-scale battles. Its removal has slowed down gameplay, adding unnecessary clunkiness and making it easier for large groups to lean on tab-target cycling. Instead of addressing a genuine mechanical issue, this change appears to be more about optics than function, further diminishing the efficiency of smaller teams.

At its core, this patch has not strengthened PvP but instead neutered fast-paced, skillful combat in favor of a slower, more numbers-driven meta. Simply tightening damage ranges and removing scripts would have been sufficient to improve the game without fundamentally disrupting small-group viability. As it stands, the changes favor zergs, discourage high-level execution, and make Outlands PvP feel less rewarding for those who thrive on strategic, skill-based engagements.

If the goal was to create a more balanced PvP environment, this patch has unfortunately missed the mark. The developers should reconsider these sweeping changes and focus on adjustments that maintain the integrity of small-group play while addressing the core issues players have raised.

Hope this helps!

 

[riin4]

finally a fix to dmg window! less random in pvp. great!
cried for this on suggestions for years.
I see an increase dmg on spells I don't understand but I suppose is connected with other parts of the patch. good luck with the feedback!

 

[Rehls]

Forums are so unpopular that I, who hasn't ever done a CCC nor even found worth to learn how to duel, will have to be the one to point out this glaring issue in a months-old important thread.

• Any wait action (WaitForX, Pause, Wait)

I've only ever used simple macros but I noticed how important WaitForTarget is. Pause is affected by latency--it can be broken, so gotta use that instead. Without WFT, AFAIK, players would've to hold the button to spam-cast spells in order to avoid the delay from reflexes (hella clunky, needless to say). Beyond that, it's not hard to imagine that it'd widen the latency gap, benefiting those with lower latency even more.