Arrived today for Xbox One so haven't had a chance to get into it yet but was hoping maybe some other Dakkites also got it. I remember back when it was announced and they had hoped to integratte tablet use but things changed over time, unsuprisingly. What I have played is fun but it will take a little getting used to for the little things.
I don't have it (or the funds for that to be an option) but I've seen a lot of the marketing on youtube and so forth - it looks pretty interesting, but I'd be glad to hear what it's actually like to play. Is it a straight shoot-em-up, or story based? the marketing seemed a bit vague on what you actually get to do...
What I'd also really like to know is whether it's single-player compatible, seeing as I don't have gold membership for online play.
From what I've seen streamers play, it looks boring as feth. Just another 3rd person shooter, supposedly post-apoc but I see no survival elements or the feeling of limited resources.
It's definitely built for multiplayer, so while its possible to solo missions Dark Apostle its not an easy task by any stretch. Infact I'm not sure it even has an offline mode.
The game is first and formost a 3rd person shooter with MMO elements. Guns, gear, mods all affect stats and have color levels. You can have 2 active skills and your skill trees are unlocked by progressing the storyline.
Talents are slotted and at max lv you'll have four, and then you get perks, passives that are always in play. Skills, talents, and perks are all tied to leveling up your base.
The story isnt exactly post apoc I'd say. New York was hit with an engneered smallpox outbreak spread through money on black friday. While the big apple is a hellhole theres nothing to point out the rest of the worlds collapsed.Your part of a special agent team trying to restore order alongside the army enforcng martial law.
The gunplay is pretty solid. Every gun I've handled has felt uniqe and the mod slots increase custo,ization. Crafting is straightforward but touch of a gamble because of random stats. Gear changes your look subtly, if you like Destinys pauldrons you won find that here. Most of your customization is through appearence items you find which gives you a ragtag look.
You are not rambo by the way. Unless your about three lvs above your target you better use cover and if you have a team, flank. The guns are pretty lethal and chew through your hp fast.
Now its not all sunshine, this is a Ubisoft game afterall. Me and my crew have encountered a few game breaking glitches. Shooting baddies but causing no dmg, unable to pick up loot, lootcrates randomly locking if approached at a sprint. Most of these bugs though, while annoying can be fixed with tme or ligging in an out. Trading between players isn't n the game yet which is annoying but whatever we all get tons of loot anyway.
Now on Steam the current review is 'mixed' pay no attention to that. The reason is because when the NorthAmerican servers went live they were promptly overwhelmed and crashed for a half hour at best.
To which so many entitled little gakstains ran and began throwing up negative reviews and screaming about getting refunds... feth people.
Anyway thats my thoughts and info, if you got any questions fire away.
Ahtman wrote: Arrived today for Xbox One so haven't had a chance to get into it yet but was hoping maybe some other Dakkites also got it. I remember back when it was announced and they had hoped to integratte tablet use but things changed over time, unsuprisingly. What I have played is fun but it will take a little getting used to for the little things.
I got it. Don't remember if I have you on my friends list for XBL or not.
It's definitely an interesting little game. Had a ton of fun just doing side missions last night to get unlocks for the Security and Tech Wings.
BTW? First priority should be the Canine Unit for Security Wing. When you complete the side missions for a specific area(the ones from the Situation Officers/Bounty Boards) you then get all the Intels marked on your map.
Ahtman wrote: Arrived today for Xbox One so haven't had a chance to get into it yet but was hoping maybe some other Dakkites also got it. I remember back when it was announced and they had hoped to integratte tablet use but things changed over time, unsuprisingly. What I have played is fun but it will take a little getting used to for the little things.
I got it. Don't remember if I have you on my friends list for XBL or not.
It's definitely an interesting little game. Had a ton of fun just doing side missions last night to get unlocks for the Security and Tech Wings.
BTW? First priority should be the Canine Unit for Security Wing. When you complete the side missions for a specific area(the ones from the Situation Officers/Bounty Boards) you then get all the Intels marked on your map.
Picked it up on ps4, any other tips for starting out as hear it's pretty vague in that regards.
Picked it up on ps4, any other tips for starting out as hear it's pretty vague in that regards.
Go for the utility upgrades before skills, unless you really want the skills or they require the unlock.
For my Medical Wing, I unlocked the Pharmacy and whatever the one which gives you the Support Station is first since they both enhance your "Protective Measures"(the level of which affects what kind of contaminated zones you can enter with no issues).
For the Security Wing, I unlocked the Canine Unit first and then basically just picked whatever unlocked vendors inside the Security Wing(Supply Line and Armory both unlock a Clothing and Advanced Weapons vendor respectively).
For Tech Wing, I went for the upgrade to the Turret because I like using the Turret with a Flamethrower.
ALSO! Almost forgot:
Do all the side missions for an area. It sends you back to the person who gave you the side missions and it gives you a level appropriate reward that is above what you normally would get.
Kanluwen wrote: Don't remember if I have you on my friends list for XBL or not.
I don't believe so. I think it come up but never ended up happening because everyone kept doing things and it just sort of got moved to the back burner.
I'm going to sit down with the game later tonight for a bit and work getting to and getting the upgrades mentioned.
The mission to unlock the Electronics wing is a huge pain in the keister. Not so much the whole stage but the boss at the end. He has a flame thrower that seems to take most of your life from barely touching you when half a room away.
I was going to join someone then I saw they were level 24 and I was only level 6. So small and puny, am I.
Ahtman wrote: The mission to unlock the Electronics wing is a huge pain in the keister. Not so much the whole stage but the boss at the end. He has a flame thrower that seems to take most of your life from barely touching you when half a room away.
Explosive Rounds are your friend against Ol' Fiery. They can splash damage his tanks and deal a ton of damage.
I was going to join someone then I saw they were level 24 and I was only level 6. So small and puny, am I.
Probably for the best--found out after I joined a friend that it averages the group members' levels together and raises the mobs to match.
Got it on the PS4. My group of friends has pretty much shifted from Destiny to it. I like it. Very open world, love the weather effects.
Still has a repetitive feel to it that all shooters seem to have now a days. Level 15 now, and just starting to dabble in the Dark Zone. Things are definitely stepped up a notch in there.
Did my first real Darkzone excursions today, solo. Holy gak, that was some tense gak.
I also quite liked how the other players I came across were not the wankstains who'd shoot you on sight, unlike the beta. Funny enough we helped one another out with clearing the LZ's and then deposited our gains without killing one another, then went on our ways again.
BrookM wrote: Did my first real Darkzone excursions today, solo. Holy gak, that was some tense gak.
I also quite liked how the other players I came across were not the wankstains who'd shoot you on sight, unlike the beta. Funny enough we helped one another out with clearing the LZ's and then deposited our gains without killing one another, then went on our ways again.
My first excursion I found a group of 3 guys fighting, and I joined in. They proceeded to leave me alone afterwards. Some friends of mine were roaming, lvl 15 or so at the time, they ran across 2 lvl 25's, and those guys just instantly wiped the floor with them.
Still happening, but hopefully it'll be a little less common.
BrookM wrote: Did my first real Darkzone excursions today, solo. Holy gak, that was some tense gak.
I also quite liked how the other players I came across were not the wankstains who'd shoot you on sight, unlike the beta. Funny enough we helped one another out with clearing the LZ's and then deposited our gains without killing one another, then went on our ways again.
My first excursion I found a group of 3 guys fighting, and I joined in. They proceeded to leave me alone afterwards. Some friends of mine were roaming, lvl 15 or so at the time, they ran across 2 lvl 25's, and those guys just instantly wiped the floor with them.
Still happening, but hopefully it'll be a little less common.
You shouldn't be running into level 25 players, as the Dark Zone is bracketed by levels. 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-29, 30.
The areas within the Dark Zone do have different levels for NPCs though. Certain areas just aren't meant for you to be going through them until 30 but rather than gate them off artificially they left it open.
djones520 wrote: Still has a repetitive feel to it that all shooters seem to have now a days.
I would say that it's essentially Diablo 3 with assault rifles.
I'm loving it right now. I'm level 24 and more or less keeping pace with the story missions, but I also do all of the side missions in an area to get gear blueprints (I love crafting!). The one thing that bothers me is how they scale mobs when your group isn't close in level. I helped my friend yesterday (who I vastly out-level) and even though he got decent XP for the kills, he couldn't do much damage and the gear drops were all two levels above him.
djones520 wrote: Still has a repetitive feel to it that all shooters seem to have now a days.
I would say that it's essentially Diablo 3 with assault rifles.
I'm loving it right now. I'm level 24 and more or less keeping pace with the story missions, but I also do all of the side missions in an area to get gear blueprints (I love crafting!). The one thing that bothers me is how they scale mobs when your group isn't close in level. I helped my friend yesterday (who I vastly out-level) and even though he got decent XP for the kills, he couldn't do much damage and the gear drops were all two levels above him.
See, I'm actually really liking that. It encourages you to have an alternate character to play with lower level friends rather than have them just sit in the back and plink away at things that they can't really harm.
I'm having a hell of a time so far, the missions and the limited exp in DZ was fun. They have daily missions, if you set it on hard and complete it you get some nice loot.
Running into bosses thinking its just a patrol scared the hell out of me, they're literally scattered around the city.
Big Mac wrote: I'm having a hell of a time so far, the missions and the limited exp in DZ was fun. They have daily missions, if you set it on hard and complete it you get some nice loot.
Running into bosses thinking its just a patrol scared the hell out of me, they're literally scattered around the city.
I had that happen yesterday while doing Mission Persons: Bernard Gamble.
I just happened to look over the side of the building I was on, saw a patrol of 30+ LMB(10 rifles, 6 Engineers, 6 Heavies, and the rest a mix of Marksmen/Grenadiers/Shotgunners) led by--I kid you not--a group of 5 named guys. A Marksman, a Shield guy, an Engineer, a Grenadier, and a Heavy with a LMG.
Took them all on and won from my rooftop. Stupid xbox refused to record the clip of the last bit, which was EPIC. Detonated the backpacks of the Grenadiers/Heavies, detonated my flamethrower turret in the middle of all of them and just went to town with explosive bullets and a LMG.
So. Much. Loot.
OH! Also worth mentioning that if you run into the named guys and their cronies? They level scale compared to your level--and if you kill them while at 30? The named guys will always drop a small number of Phoenix Credits for you.
Kanluwen wrote: See, I'm actually really liking that. It encourages you to have an alternate character to play with lower level friends rather than have them just sit in the back and plink away at things that they can't really harm.
Well, the problem is that there is no real reason for multiple characters; there are no classes and every single skill is interchangable. I would prefer just to have your damage scaled down to the appropriate level.
Kanluwen wrote: See, I'm actually really liking that. It encourages you to have an alternate character to play with lower level friends rather than have them just sit in the back and plink away at things that they can't really harm.
Well, the problem is that there is no real reason for multiple characters; there are no classes and every single skill is interchangable. I would prefer just to have your damage scaled down to the appropriate level.
You're right that there's "no real reason for it", but it doesn't hurt you any to run with a friend on a lower level until you get closer together.
Kanluwen wrote:You're right that there's "no real reason for it", but it doesn't hurt you any to run with a friend on a lower level until you get closer together.
Ahtman wrote:I think the reason for the other character is so you can have one for playing through with a friend(s) and one just for normal play.
Until your friend plays when you can't and then out-levels your other character. I've plays WoW on and off for almost a decade and that is something that always happens when you have a friend that is starting out. Also, this game sells itself by allowing people to seamlessly drop into your friend's game, which is kind of hard when the game can make your low level friend useless.
I'm pretty sure damage scaling is how D3 handles mismatched player levels.
I'm almost level 26, whereas my brother and his friend are just level 23 or so. A bit annoying as I don't feel like starting a new character right now.
ScootyPuffJunior wrote: Well, the problem is that there is no real reason for multiple characters; there are no classes and every single skill is interchangable. I would prefer just to have your damage scaled down to the appropriate level.
It would make more sense to just not have your damage scale up as much in the first place. Some random looter shouldn't turn into a bullet sponge just because he's getting shot at by a seasoned veteran and not some rookie.
BrookM wrote: I'm almost level 26, whereas my brother and his friend are just level 23 or so. A bit annoying as I don't feel like starting a new character right now.
See, the difference between your group isn't going to be too significant.
It's when you have something like a 5-6 level gap that it becomes problematic.
ScootyPuffJunior wrote: Well, the problem is that there is no real reason for multiple characters; there are no classes and every single skill is interchangable. I would prefer just to have your damage scaled down to the appropriate level.
It would make more sense to just not have your damage scale up as much in the first place. Some random looter shouldn't turn into a bullet sponge just because he's getting shot at by a seasoned veteran and not some rookie.
That's why I said "appropriate level." If you have gear that matches your level, mobs aren't bullet sponges (except for bosses and named elites, which is understandable). I'm not the biggest fan of carrying or being carried by high level buddies just face-rolling through enemies but I do like being able to team up with other people with mismatched levels and not have the game trivialized to one or both of us.
Destiny does something similar to this where your damage is capped depending on the enemy level; you and a low-level friend can do a mission or patrol and it's just like you are the same level, even if your buddy is level 11 and you're level 40.
On a side note, I hit 30 yesterday and started working towards gearing my Agent. I have almost all purples and High-End items, except for a chest armor (and hopefully I can fix that today when I get home from work) I haven't totally decided on what kind of build I want, but I'm leaning more towards a medic/support build. I'm using an assault rifle and a LMG right now and it's pretty fun, but I have my eye on getting a marksman rile (sniper classes are my preferred classes in other similar games). Replaying the final mission on hard mode is an awesome way to get purple loot as well; you can easily attain 5+ pieces in a single run! The daily challenge mission also gives a guaranteed piece of High-End gear (I got a face mask on my first one) and it is also repeatable, but pretty damn hard if your gear sucks or you don't know what you're doing.
Also, I play on Xbox One and my gamertag is xCRAIG CHRISTx if anyone is interested in hooking up to get some sweet, sweet loot.
ScootyPuffJunior wrote: Until your friend plays when you can't and then out-levels your other character.
Then one of you is doing it wrong. If you have a character just to play with friends then that should only be played with them, and that goes for them as well. I have a "main" that I play whenever and a character for when a friend and I play together. This is also true for other MMOs.
I hate the XP loss in the Dark Zone. I don't mind the loss of keys, money, and items (though informing you another player stole your stuff is a bit of a kick while you are down) but losing XP is ridiculous and a mechanic I hate with a passion. I'll still grind out to Rank 30 so I can buy stuff but man will I hate it. So far I haven't run into to many jackasses in the DZ, though there were three guys tonight gong around and getting help then turning on their helpers and stealing their stuff. Currently Level 29/Rank 22 (almost 23) in the 25-29 zone. I won't do anymore side quests or kill anything outside the DZ so I won't get to level 30 and be pushed up to the Level 30 instance.
I'm at level 30 now, have beaten the main game, 100% all collectibles and well.. that's it I guess? I think the game will be set aside until the first DLC is released, as the Darkzone holds no real interest for me.
BrookM wrote: I'm at level 30 now, have beaten the main game, 100% all collectibles and well.. that's it I guess? I think the game will be set aside until the first DLC is released, as the Darkzone holds no real interest for me.
We get "The First Incursion"(read: raid) in April. If you look on your map near the power station, you can see where it will be under the label "Falcon Down" I believe.
In May, we get the next DLC called "Conflict" and is set in The Dark Zone adding new game modes within the area and new things for players to do while engaging players or NPCs in that area.
Past that, it's three paid DLCs starting in June. Underground has us sweeping the tunnels for enemies, Survival has us battling "not just enemies but the environment itself" as winter arrives in full force in NYC, and the last DLC is called "Last Stand". Not much detail about that one, a lot of speculation is that it will be centered around a kind of tower defense mode as the promo materials show Agents establishing bases in the different districts and establishing turrets etc.
Also, I'm totally jealous of your 100% collectibles. I'm 2 shy because they(Survival Guide page 19 and Echo Mike DuFrane) bugged out.
I got the K9 upgrade first, then block by block started gathering up each and every trace of data I could get, except for that last one in Chelsea, which you can't get until you've beaten the game. I was playing with my brother and his friends, where we had the agreement that we would only play the story missions together, so whenever I had downtime, I'd be hunting for phones and whatnot.
The thing is.. I've reached level 30 well before beating the game, well before I even got to the last two or three safe houses. So either I was "grinding" way too much by not using fast travel and instead gunning down every minority / cleaner / Blackwater PMC I came across, or they didn't really think this all the way through good and proper.
But as is, I'll wait with getting the season pass until I know more about what it is going to be precisely. While I did get the game as a gift, I am personally not seeing the value of a €60 price tag for a game that can easily be breezed through in a few days. The lack of an endgame is also painfully obvious, even more so that they need to put it behind a €40 DLC wall.
I guess now the wait is on to see how soon the sequel will be announced, as that's how this game ends, on a massive unfinished business hook, which I guess is on the par for the industry these days. Maybe this will be the next franchise Ubisoft will run into the ground mercilessly?
That said though, story telling through the ECHO's was a nice touch and some of the bits and pieces presented, like melon-fething Noble squad and April Kelleher's trek were well done. Also, the four hobo's singing around the fire. T_T, just that.
BrookM wrote: I got the K9 upgrade first, then block by block started gathering up each and every trace of data I could get, except for that last one in Chelsea, which you can't get until you've beaten the game. I was playing with my brother and his friends, where we had the agreement that we would only play the story missions together, so whenever I had downtime, I'd be hunting for phones and whatnot.
I did that as well, it's just that certain factors apparently cause those things to glitch out.
The thing is.. I've reached level 30 well before beating the game, well before I even got to the last two or three safe houses. So either I was "grinding" way too much by not using fast travel and instead gunning down every minority / cleaner / Blackwater PMC I came across, or they didn't really think this all the way through good and proper.
Yeah, I don't know how you managed that. I was only 29 when I finished General Assembly and that was with all the safe houses unlocked.
But as is, I'll wait with getting the season pass until I know more about what it is going to be precisely. While I did get the game as a gift, I am personally not seeing the value of a €60 price tag for a game that can easily be breezed through in a few days. The lack of an endgame is also painfully obvious, even more so that they need to put it behind a €40 DLC wall.
Well, they've said that there's free DLCs intermixed with the paid. The first is in April, like I said, with "The First Incursion".
I guess now the wait is on to see how soon the sequel will be announced, as that's how this game ends, on a massive unfinished business hook, which I guess is on the par for the industry these days. Maybe this will be the next franchise Ubisoft will run into the ground mercilessly?
They've got a three year plan currently from what I've been able to weasel out of someone who worked on the game. Their intent is to make something that has at least as long of a lifespan as Destiny has had.
That said though, story telling through the ECHO's was a nice touch and some of the bits and pieces presented, like melon-fething Noble squad and April Kelleher's trek were well done. Also, the four hobo's singing around the fire. T_T, just that.
I liked the way Noble Squad's story intersected with April's.
I should probably mention that all the story missions were done on hard. Not my personal choice, as I hate it when enemies are turned into bullet sponges that my assault rifle - SMG toting character can't actively harm unless I empty a dozen clips into each baddie before they drop. Pulsing / smart-balling them helps, but it's still not enough to really make an impact.
Chances are my brother will want to replay them on that super-hard level next, no thanks for me, I don't like tagging along just to draw heat and shoot out pulses when barked at.
Though the joke is on him, because I use silencers a lot, meaning they focus less on me and more on him and his mates, who all carry sniper rifles and don't use cover as much as one would expect in a game like this.
Like many games of this ilk getting to level cap isn't the hard part, nor where the main elements of the game preside. Once you cap level it is getting the right gear setup with the right stats to do the high end Dark Zone and missions on the really hard settings. I'm not disagreeing with your overall point in being disappointed in finishing the story so quickly, just saying that the story rarely is the main element of the game.
I haven't finished the story yet as I don't want to level beyond 29 at this point and I got there with lots of side missions left to do on top of the story missions.
BrookM wrote: I should probably mention that all the story missions were done on hard. Not my personal choice, as I hate it when enemies are turned into bullet sponges that my assault rifle - SMG toting character can't actively harm unless I empty a dozen clips into each baddie before they drop. Pulsing / smart-balling them helps, but it's still not enough to really make an impact.
Chances are my brother will want to replay them on that super-hard level next, no thanks for me, I don't like tagging along just to draw heat and shoot out pulses when barked at.
Though the joke is on him, because I use silencers a lot, meaning they focus less on me and more on him and his mates, who all carry sniper rifles and don't use cover as much as one would expect in a game like this.
I can pretty much guarantee you that they won't be doing "Challenging" anytime soon.
Finished the story today and..... well it leaves much to be desierd, one thing is for certain. With the expection of the Cleaners and perhaps the LMB the enemies in this game are some of the most generic I have ever had the displeasure of murdering my way trough during a game.
That said thougth, I really enjoyed playing in a wintery landscape and the weather that comes with. Hopefully the DLCs will mend this.
And the Darkzone needs to be made more dark if that makes sense. So far it feels just like the normal map, with the exeption of other players and mobs of more challeging foes. Had hoped for a more dilapidated and generaly more ruined sector to delve into
Ahtman wrote: Then one of you is doing it wrong. If you have a character just to play with friends then that should only be played with them, and that goes for them as well. I have a "main" that I play whenever and a character for when a friend and I play together. This is also true for other MMOs.
Yeah, I'm well aware of how it is supposed to work. My point is that in all of my decade plus of playing MMOs it almost never happens, and I've been on both ends multiple times. It's one of those things that always sounds like a great idea and starts off swimmingly, until it all goes to gak because someone can't play that evening. But you know, the road to hell is paved in good intentions.
I hate the XP loss in the Dark Zone. I don't mind the loss of keys, money, and items (though informing you another player stole your stuff is a bit of a kick while you are down) but losing XP is ridiculous and a mechanic I hate with a passion. I'll still grind out to Rank 30 so I can buy stuff but man will I hate it. So far I haven't run into to many jackasses in the DZ, though there were three guys tonight gong around and getting help then turning on their helpers and stealing their stuff. Currently Level 29/Rank 22 (almost 23) in the 25-29 zone. I won't do anymore side quests or kill anything outside the DZ so I won't get to level 30 and be pushed up to the Level 30 instance.
I also hate the XP loss. It always seems it happen in waves, too. I'll be making great progress, killing dudes all over the place and then I'll get ganked or overwhelmed by mobs and die. Then on the way back to my stuff, it'll happen again (and sometimes again!).
ScootyPuffJunior wrote: Yeah, I'm well aware of how it is supposed to work. My point is that in all of my decade plus of playing MMOs it almost never happens, and I've been on both ends multiple times. It's one of those things that always sounds like a great idea and starts off swimmingly, until it all goes to gak because someone can't play that evening. But you know, the road to hell is paved in good intentions.
I can't disagree with that. had the same thing happen though I wish it didn't.
Honestly, they need to adjust the purchase ranks for Dark Zone stuff.
Had I realized that it scaled with level I would have actually spent time in there when leveling. At 30 though?
Minimum rank stuff to purchase or open up a chest even is 30. And any time I die or Extract items, I get told that I'm "carrying too much Dark Zone currency and I should buy something"--but I can't, because it takes FOREVER to get up to 30.
Kanluwen wrote: Honestly, they need to adjust the purchase ranks for Dark Zone stuff.
Had I realized that it scaled with level I would have actually spent time in there when leveling. At 30 though?
Minimum rank stuff to purchase or open up a chest even is 30. And any time I die or Extract items, I get told that I'm "carrying too much Dark Zone currency and I should buy something"--but I can't, because it takes FOREVER to get up to 30.
So annoying.
Yeah, if you wait to hit the Dark Zone until level 30 (like I did), by the time you get to DZ30 there isn't anything you will need to buy with your 100K+ DZ credits because you'll be swimming in good gear from the standard vendors and drops.
One of the problems seems to be that by the time you get to Rank 30 you don't need the stuff they sell for the most part. I leveled up to Rank 30 before hitting Level 30 but there hasn't been any reason to buy anything from the Vendor. The only useful thing is probably the Gold Blueprints but for that you need Rank 50. They really need to figure out what to do about this.
I have to say that I've been enjoying it so far. It is essentially an RPG in a modern setting. It is not a survival game because I don't think it was ever intended to be one, having to ration supplies etc. was not a game mechanic that was a center piece of the game.
I pulled my second piece of HE gear from the Dark Zone today. Unfortunately it was for my knee pad slot, which already had a HE item, but the new piece was level 31 and had better stats than what it replaced.
It's pretty nerve wracking carrying around a piece of HE gear, especially with a bunch of rogues in the area (I had already killed one right before I got the drop from a named boss and he was part of a group of four).
The possibilty of losing gear just to sell always made me edgy. I couldn't imagine how on edge I would be with something awesome I wanted in my inventory.
Ahtman wrote: The possibilty of losing gear just to sell always made me edgy. I couldn't imagine how on edge I would be with something awesome I wanted in my inventory.
I cheat like a mother in that case.
If I get a REALLY good piece of gear, I head to a Safe Room or Checkpoint and hide out there. I sign out, then come back during slow hours and extract it the next day.
If I get a REALLY good piece of gear, I head to a Safe Room or Checkpoint and hide out there. I sign out, then come back during slow hours and extract it the next day.
I haven't really pinned down when the slow hours are on Xbox One. I've jumped in the DZ to farm DZ01 and DZ02 pretty early in the morning during the week only to be confronted with roving gangs of rogues.
The best thing I've found to do is head to the upper DZ areas to extract loot because the groups of rogues tend not to roam that area because the mobs are much more dangerous. Of course, going up there solo can be tricky because of that but just taking your time and moving carefully is usually enough to survive.
I find 1-2pm Eastern or 8-9am Eastern are the 'slow' hours.
At that point, most of the Brazilian players(I swear all the Rogue agents I see are Brazilians when you look at their profiles/bios) and the kiddies overseas/domestically aren't on.
The best extraction zones for good loot are the ones nowhere near a checkpoint.
Kanluwen wrote: I find 1-2pm Eastern or 8-9am Eastern are the 'slow' hours.
Hmm, I play during those hours (especially in the morning) and have found the opposite.
At that point, most of the Brazilian players(I swear all the Rogue agents I see are Brazilians when you look at their profiles/bios) and the kiddies overseas/domestically aren't on.
I have also noticed a lot of non-English speaking rogues and quite a few of them speak Portuguese.
So summoned my will strengt and dived into the darkzone, and much to my suprise I meet a fellow player that was not a complete neandertal! Good times where had, and plenty of loot. Although noting spescial was found.
Trondheim wrote: So summoned my will strengt and dived into the darkzone, and much to my suprise I meet a fellow player that was not a complete neandertal!
I've had mostly good experiences in the DZ and I've made quite a few friends there. Last night, some kid and I went rogue and killed some dudes in an extraction zone and stole their stuff, but it was all junk. We killed some other people wnd ran around until our timers ran out, which gives you a huge chunk of experience!
This morning, I was playing solo and killed a couple of rogues after they killed some guys trying to extract. I almost had them as they were extracting but I couldn't get a good LOS on them. I loaded explosive bullets in my First Wave M1A and took them down in a couple of shots.
plenty of loot. Although noting special was found.
Trondheim wrote: So summoned my will strengt and dived into the darkzone, and much to my suprise I meet a fellow player that was not a complete neandertal!
I've had mostly good experiences in the DZ and I've made quite a few friends there. Last night, some kid and I went rogue and killed some dudes in an extraction zone and stole their stuff, but it was all junk. We killed some other people wnd ran around until our timers ran out, which gives you a huge chunk of experience!
This morning, I was playing solo and killed a couple of rogues after they killed some guys trying to extract. I almost had them as they were extracting but I couldn't get a good LOS on them. I loaded explosive bullets in my First Wave M1A and took them down in a couple of shots.
plenty of loot. Although noting special was found.
Welcome to the Dark Zone!
Rouge agents are something that I loath, lazy people should not be rewarded by the game developers. This goes for all such mechanics in any game really. If a player dont want to grind for their gear them they should not be abel to just curbstomp people who took the effort to get it. And yes, the scrappy loot was expected but still. After several mour hours spent in the dark zone I now, somewhat dishearted to see the potential of it pissed away. But then again its a Ubisoft game so I was not suprised
Rogue agents are something that I loath, lazy people should not be rewarded by the game developers. This goes for all such mechanics in any game really. If a player dont want to grind for their gear them they should not be able to just curbstomp people who took the effort to get it.
Yeah...I have the opposite experience. Most of the twits who have gone rogue after me ended up dead. It's all a matter of looking at how they're behaving. You see someone hanging around an extraction zone with no contaminated items? They're probably going to go rogue, so have stuff ready to go.
I usually hide my turret in a corner while I stand out in the open and have Survivor Link ready to pop, along with a Support Station.
And yes, the scrappy loot was expected but still. After several mour hours spent in the dark zone I now, somewhat dishearted to see the potential of it pissed away. But then again its a Ubisoft game so I was not suprised
Where exactly are you at in The Dark Zone? Certain areas give better loot than others, and the loot quality dramatically increases when you hit level 30. Increases even more if you pick up some stuff with +Scavenging.
Rogue agents are something that I loath, lazy people should not be rewarded by the game developers. This goes for all such mechanics in any game really. If a player dont want to grind for their gear them they should not be able to just curbstomp people who took the effort to get it.
Yeah...I have the opposite experience. Most of the twits who have gone rogue after me ended up dead. It's all a matter of looking at how they're behaving. You see someone hanging around an extraction zone with no contaminated items? They're probably going to go rogue, so have stuff ready to go.
I usually hide my turret in a corner while I stand out in the open and have Survivor Link ready to pop, along with a Support Station.
And yes, the scrappy loot was expected but still. After several mour hours spent in the dark zone I now, somewhat dishearted to see the potential of it pissed away. But then again its a Ubisoft game so I was not suprised
Where exactly are you at in The Dark Zone? Certain areas give better loot than others, and the loot quality dramatically increases when you hit level 30. Increases even more if you pick up some stuff with +Scavenging.
Make no mistake, I know they tend to end up as carrion. But still, the thing still annoys me to no end. I threat everyone as a potential hostile unless they are someone I know whom will not turn on me a like a rabid mongrel.
Been running around the zones from 32 and upwards, dont recall the names but have also spent a lot of time in the various subways and what not. Been hunting named foes and such
If you're running solo, you want to be down in the 30/31 areas. Stick near Extraction Zones and Checkpoints if possible.
The reason why is that 32 is basically 'fireteam territory' where people are going to be organized in groups and there's a lot of Rogue Agent activity because the loot is the best in that area.
If you're down in the 30 area, look for the Landmark of Koreatown, the Blockade, and the Abandoned Gas Station. Those are two fairly good farming spots with some nameds that spawn nearby--and a decent selection of Extraction Zones for you to pick from.
Trondheim wrote: Rouge agents are something that I loath, lazy people should not be rewarded by the game developers. This goes for all such mechanics in any game really. If a player dont want to grind for their gear them they should not be abel to just curbstomp people who took the effort to get it. And yes, the scrappy loot was expected but still. After several mour hours spent in the dark zone I now, somewhat dishearted to see the potential of it pissed away. But then again its a Ubisoft game so I was not suprised
I would agree with you, but the best loot in the game isn't found in the Dark Zone.
Do the UN mission on hard a few times and you'll be outfitted in all purples (and probably some yellows) in no time. Then, hit the challenge missions for your guaranteed yellow as many times as you would like. Also, the vendors sell amazing gear as well: my M1A was vendor bought and my Vector was built using the vendor supplied blueprint.
I am already well equiped with purple grade weapons, respectivly a M1A and a ACR. Been doing the mission replays but so far the loot has been sub par to What I have weapon wise
Nope until they add something of intrest to the game I am done with this game, beside it has been down for the last day and half on my end. So looks like my agent will Get a long vacation
Weird. The only thing they had going on was PC users being told that there was server downtime scheduled for yesterday and today, but still being able to play.
I've had it say several times that it wasn't available but if I tried again it went through with no issues. Hopefully they will fix that in the future but it isn't down as much as it seems to think it is, which is no good, of course.
Update 1.1's patch notes are up. This is the update going live next Tuesday.
NEW FEATURES
Falcon Lost
Falcon Lost is a new incursion available in the Stuyvesant area
You must be level 30 and have completed the mission "General Assembly" to access this mission
The encounter is balanced for 4 players with high level gear
Gear Sets
Gear set equipment can be found by completing the most challenging activities in Manhattan
Collecting and wearing gear sets grant powerful stat bonuses and talents
Gear sets of varying gear scores can be found for many playstyles. Find the set that best suits yours
“Tactician's Authority” – enhances electronics and support capabilities
“Striker's Battlegear” – provide bonuses for assault capabilities
“Sentry's Call” – enhances marksman capabilities
“Path of the Nomad” – provides bonuses for lone wanderers
Trading
Items dropped by enemies can be shared with other players
Trade items by dropping them as loot from your inventory, so players in your group can pick them up
You can only share items for during the first 2 hours after you have acquired them
Items can only be shared with players who are currently in your group and who were also in your group when the item was originally dropped
Assignments
Assignments are automatically obtained when you log in and can be tracked from the map via the menu called “Mission Overview”
Assignments are available for a limited time (24h for Daily Assignments and 7 days for Weekly Assignments), after which, they will be replaced by different assignments
Assignments come in different categories:
Combat
Dark Zone
Crafting
Most assignments can be completed while playing alone but some will require enlisting other agent’s assistance to complete
Dark Zone Supply Drops
Dark Zone Supply Drops are a global event where the Strategic Homeland Defense agency airdrops multiple supply caches to assist Division agents
Supply drops will occur multiple times over the course the day
The supply drops will contain non-contaminated gear of all types that will be ready to use without the need for extraction
These supply drops will be heavily sought after by other agents and enemy factions that roam the Dark Zone, so be ready for resistance
Gear Score
Every non-vanity gear piece that can be found when your agent is level 30 has a Gear Score value. The higher an item’s Gear Score, the stronger the item
The overall Gear Score of your agent can be seen in your main menu next to your player level. Gear Score indicates the advancement of an agent
Other agents’ Gear Scores are displayed next to their health bars
Improving your gear and increasing your overall Gear Score will grant your agent access to the most dangerous high-end challenges
Group Spectator Camera
The Group Spectator Cam lets players spectate members of their group while waiting to be revived or the entire group to be down
Players can use RB/LB, R1/L1 or Q/E keys to switch between group members
New High-End Named Weapons
Added new High-End named weapons:
Warlord: Assault Rifle
Valkyria: Submachine gun
(Historian: Marksman Rifle) Please note that while the Historian will be implemented in the game with this update, it will not be acquirable in-game until update 1.2
GAME CHANGES
Gameplay
Turret skill can no longer suppress enemy NPCs, as this allowed named NPCs to be defeated too easily
Recalibrating High-End items will now cost normal Credits instead of Phoenix Credits
Phoenix Credits drop have been increased on lvl 31 and 32 named enemies:
Level 30: 1-3 Phoenix Credits
Level 31: 2-4 Phoenix Credits
Level 32: 3-5 Phoenix Credits
Dark Zone
The vendor in the Church Safe House will now sell items in Dark Zone Funds instead of Phoenix Credits
Ranks requirements for Superior and High-End quality items at the Dark Zone Vendors have been adjusted:
Superior (Purple) items: Rank 15 instead of 30
High-End (Gold) level 30 (Gear Score 163): Rank 25 instead of 50
High-End (Gold) level 31 (Gear Score 182): Rank 40 instead of 50
Added a new Dark Zone bracket for characters with Gear Score 160+
Crafting
Increased costs for converting crafting materials and crafting High-End items:
10 Standard (Green) materials instead of 5 to craft 1 Specialized (Blue) material
15 Specialized (Blue) materials instead of 5 to craft 1 High-End (Gold) material
10 High-End (Gold) materials instead of 8 to craft 1 lvl 31 High-End (Gold) item
Changed deconstruction yield of Standard (Green) and High-End (Gold) items:
Deconstructing a Standard (Green) item yields 1 Standard material instead of 2
Deconstructing a High-End (Gold) item yields 1 High-End material instead of 2
Added new level 31 and 32 High-End items Blueprints to Vendors
Removed Division Tech requirements from some level 31 High-End Blueprints
User Interface
Added gamepad deadzone calibration in settings menu (all platforms)
BUG FIXES
Fixed a bug where sometimes the weapon talents would not activate if the player has the exact stat requirements
Fixed a bug where players could exit the Dark Zone on East 43rd street
Reloading stripper clips is now correctly interrupted by firing the weapon (marksman rifles and shotguns)
Fixed an issue where buying a weapon with a pre-attached scope using the buy and equip feature sometimes caused the scope to un-equip
Fixed an exploit where players could shoot through corners of covers
Fixed a number of locations where NPCs could shoot through walls
Fixed an exploit where players could ignore the fire rate of certain weapons
Fixed some locations where players would get stuck in Queen Tunnel Camp mission
Fixed various prop collisions so that players no longer become stuck
Fixed a bug where the final cut scenes would unlock before the final missions were completed
Fixed a bug where the Water Supply side mission would not activate
Fixed an issue where the Morphine Supply side mission sometimes would not complete
Players no longer receive too much XP for completing the Morphine Supply side mission
The buff from Smart Cover no longer stacks if multiple teammates are using it on the same piece of cover
Fixed some bugs where deployable skills would not activate under certain circumstances
Fixed a bug where voice chat volume indicators would overlap in the group UI frame
Fixed a bug where receiving a group invite via Matchmaking would sometimes not show up on the screen
Fixed a bug where the dead teammate icon would turn into a blue dot instead of a red cross if the players were too far away from each other
Fixed an issue where a player would be unable to inspect the appearance of his/her character while changing outfits
Fixed some UI elements for mission overview frame and adjusted some of the misaligned icons
Corrected the colors for the appearance items in the Mission rewards list
NPC’s will no longer ignore the player while they are attempting to interact with props (arming/disarming bombs)
Fixed a bug where a NPC would sometimes not leave its spawn area during the Morphine Supply side mission
Fixed a bug where NPC’s would sometimes not respawn at one of the landmarks in the Dark Zone
Several clipping issues have been fixed with various appearance items
Some tooltips have been updated with more clear information
And many more
PC specific
Added new resolution scaling and lighting options
Added support for reporting players on PC. Players can now type in chat /report
Improvements to resolution detection and switching between display modes
Fixed some issues with camera movement while using Tobii Eye Tracker
Fixed screen look for minimap when using Tobii Eye Tracker
Fixed several issues with Logitech peripherals
Fixed several graphic issues due to dual monitor display
Fixed an issue where players could move UI elements out of the visible screen area
So fare mixed feelings about the update. Especially annoyed I spent the PC on a High End Assault Rifle blue print, made two (first had awful perks with terrible needs) and then turned out to be burst fire even though it said that nowhere on it.
I'm really annoyed that I spent so many Phoenix Credits on blueprints and that I never saw any mention that the Phoenix Credit vendor would have set piece blueprints!
I could have gotten the Sentry's Call Mask or Kneepads.
Kanluwen wrote: I'm really annoyed that I spent so many Phoenix Credits on blueprints and that I never saw any mention that the Phoenix Credit vendor would have set piece blueprints!
I could have gotten the Sentry's Call Mask or Kneepads.
They are hideously expensive and not just in PCs but also crafting materials. This update was supposed to slow hardcore players but ended up much more of a middle finger to casual players. If you have two characters doing the dailies everyday it still takes almost two weeks to just afford to buy the blueprint then you have to have enough High End materials to craft them. I still like the multiplayer but this update was not a good one.
I also fell through the game world four times today, so at least that bug didn't get fixed.
Massive has said that the trade off is that HE items are guaranteed from any level 30+ named enemy, which is supposed to make killing enemies a better way to acquire HE gear than farming a bunch of useless gak to destroy and build stuff.
I haven't delved into the the patch yet but I intend to this weekend.
The daily+ bosses do drop one HE, but they aren't always what you want and when broken down into materiels you might get 1/10 (if lucky) of what you need to make something else. It is nice, but it doesn't keep the overall from being disappointing.
Ahtman wrote: The daily+ bosses do drop one HE, but they aren't always what you want and when broken down into materiels you might get 1/10 (if lucky) of what you need to make something else. It is nice, but it doesn't keep the overall from being disappointing.
I'm talking about all of the named minibosses in the Dark Zone that can be farmed over and over again. Those are all supposed to drop HE items and they have their loot table shuffled to make tracking down desired gear easier.
Well yeah, that's where the other players, mobs, and loot are.
I have more fun in the DZ than I do anywhere else in the game. I've found cool stuff and made friends running around, even though I spend a majority of my time there playing solo.
It is where the trolls of the game reign supreme and everyone else has to hope to avoid. This morning there was a guy camping an entrance and killing people before they could get a skill off or even move. If they took away the ability for random players to kill or stab you in the back and just had all the high end nasties roaming around it would be much better. As it is it is sorta fun but also incredibly angering and frustrating. No game has made me as angry as the Dark Zone in The Division has.
There are so many entrances to the DZ though; just go to another one if someone is being a douche. I spend a majority of my time in he DZ and rarely have issues with rogues bothering me. Yeah, every once in a while it happens but it's never been enough to ruin my game.
As far as the loot changes go, I couldn't be happier. I spent about 45 minutes in the DZ this morning and walked away with six good HE drops and two of the Nomad set from the DZ6 vendor.
ScootyPuffJunior wrote: I spend a majority of my time in he DZ and rarely have issues with rogues bothering me.
That is nice but that doesn't account for others experiences or the fact that the game rewards teamwork then pulls the rug out from under you and rewards being a douche to others. It is a strange mechanic. I have characters who are 35 and 25 in the Dark Zone so it isn't like I have never been there. My experiences haven't been nearly as nice as yours there. In lower levels it wasn't to bad, but if you hit Character level 30 that all changes.
I think you should check their Terms of Service page and scroll all the way to the bottom...
Do I have to point out every satire page? If I post from the Onion do I have to explicitly say "this isn't real" or be worried that people will get upset about it? How much can I assume people know/don't know?
Well yeah, that's where the other players, mobs, and loot are.
I have more fun in the DZ than I do anywhere else in the game. I've found cool stuff and made friends running around, even though I spend a majority of my time there playing solo.
I don't mind it sometimes, and I've met some cool people there as well. I just don't especially enjoy what is primarily a PVE game changing to primarily a PVP(VE) game at cap. I like being able to get on and run around to achieve something in a short space of time without needing to worry about gankers all the time. The new drop changes have helped a little, but the game is basically pretty content-light, so they're relying on the DZ for players to provide their own content. No biggie. When I get bored, I'll play a different game and come back to this one later.
Damn, there's a lot of downtime, though. Server maintenance on Tuesday and Thursday?
Today was downtime because they're patching the glitch in the "Falcon Lost" incursion where people would get outside of the map and then use weapons with high armor destruction values to shoot the APC to death. Now, it can only be damaged by the C4 packs dropped by NPCs during the waves.
Stupid xbox refused to record the clip of the last bit, which was EPIC. Detonated the backpacks of the Grenadiers/Heavies, detonated my flamethrower turret in the middle of all of them and just went to town with explosive bullets and a LMG.
