Is the Era of Chaos Battle System Broken? | Era of Chaos

Summary

The video examines whether Era of Chaos’s battle system and economy are becoming unbalanced. The creator logs back into a lightly maintained free-to-play account and finds it in second place in the arena, despite skipping several days and spending only a few minutes on routine upkeep. The account’s original challenge ended sooner than expected after other players quit.

Main concerns

• Power creep: The creator argues that newer heroes can outperform older ones even when using the same units. If each generation’s advantages multiply rather than increase gradually, older teams may become obsolete and the gap may grow exponentially.
• Counter-union mechanics aren’t working well: Heroes intended to counter particular unions—Jessica is one example—can still struggle against the teams they are meant to beat. The creator worries that a newer, stronger hero can overwhelm the intended counter.
• Increasing spending gaps: New currencies, costly Divine Herald weapons, and diamond offers such as Growth Fund 3 can give some players a major advantage. Players who spend heavily may also feel more affected when balance changes or bugs undermine their investments.
• Unclear combat rules: Battles are described as a “black box.” Players cannot pause to inspect a unit’s active buffs and debuffs, easily determine how effects such as damage immunity work, or direct units to specific targets. The creator compares this unfavorably with Raid: Shadow Legends, where battle effects can be inspected more clearly.
• Limited testing tools: The creator would like an experimentation mode to compare formations and units under controlled conditions. In the video, they demonstrate comparing the same units with their positions swapped and comparing a Pit Fiend’s healing role against a Naga. Permanent passive upgrades, such as hero armor, make it difficult to test units “in a vacuum.”
• Economy and event design: The video criticizes the introduction of new currencies and the repetition or perceived low value of some events and rewards. The creator argues that game-economy and user-experience decisions should involve people who understand player behavior, rather than being treated as engineering decisions alone.

Gameplay highlights and practical tips

A free-to-play account can remain competitive with limited daily attention. The creator’s maintenance routine includes:

• Claiming available energy and chests.
• Donating to the guild and collecting its rewards.
• Making a small number of unit upgrades or awakenings.
• Collecting available resources and completing convenient guild-adventure tasks.
• Skipping time-consuming activities when time is short.

Other practical observations include:

• Arena refreshes can help find a worthwhile opponent. The creator refreshes until reaching a favorable ranking, then challenges that player.
• Formation placement can matter. The creator suggests testing whether a defensive unit should stand in front of an attacker and examining how support units such as the Pit Fiend perform when protected.
• Bugs and balance problems should be reported and fixed, though players may look for advantages when glitches occur. Persistent problems can drive players away and weaken the game’s community and spending base.

The creator sees the game as relatively free-to-play-friendly when expectations are modest, but warns that power creep, opaque combat, and economic changes risk damaging the experience. They also note that when a high-ranking player quits, other players may get an opening to compete for first place.

Gamers and sources mentioned

• Players/accounts: Undertaker, Yoyo, Soviet, Megalodon, Yasin, and Chapel.
• Other creator referenced: Hate.
• Games and experiences used for comparison: Raid: Shadow Legends and the creator’s past experience with online poker and casino products.
• Video source: Strategy Core