[Power Penguin]

Overall impressions of the new episode are great. The new progression system is fantastic, Ayana is really cool, linking the MMR with the Antag skill  rating was genius and all the changes to the economy make it a lot easier to jump back into the game. But there are a couple of things that I noticed that I don't necessarily agree with:

- I like the fact that the raider status bar has been simplified a bit by removing the card icons from it (it definitely looks better) but now I don't have a way of telling if a card is in effect. If there was some way to tell when a card effect is active that would be great !

- Please don't put folders within folders in the lore menu. It makes it much harder to navigate if you are looking for something specific.

- Really think that xp should be given to solo players so at least they can participate in the new progression system to some extent ( I know, I know it's a multiplayer game first and foremost but c'mon throw them a bone). Of course xp rewards would be determined by difficulty.

- Please fix the Ayana bug that kills the game when she tethers.

- Some of the spawn locations for Antag in some of the new maps are really questionable. Especially the ones that are right next the objective (I'm looking at you first part of A Low Blow).

If I can think of anything else I'll post it here.

[B30]

The "Blueprint Rolling" was annoying and frustrating before the update, and guess what it is still annoying and frustrating. It's even more upsetting now, because everyone needs way more blueprints (for upgrading weapons). So, now blueprints seem to be somewhat more common, but that really doesn't make it any better.

[Blue27]

Agreed. The fact that they made the worst part of this game even more annoying is unacceptable. I thought they said they listened to the community. I honestly think the game is in the worst state it has ever been in.

[Level9Drow]

Agreed. The fact that they made the worst part of this game even more annoying is unacceptable. I thought they said they listened to the community. I honestly think the game is in the worst state it has ever been in.

Really? You don't need to be an antag for half the weapons and antags can now earn stuff even when they lose. The rewards are larger, we have a whole new campaign with on new free raider and another on the way (not counting Rak Mayura) and you feel it's WORSE?

Wow.

[Power Penguin]

It's way better than it was before guys, blueprints (at least for me) drop every two or three games and you can have the weapon upgrades that increase the chances of getting blueprints and I believe it stacks for every team member.

[Blue27]

Yes. I think its gotten worse. I do enjoy the fact that antag can get rewards now (a great change), but I think the bad outweighs the good. The most time consuming part of this game has always been trying to get the weapon blueprints you want, and there is nothing more frustrating than finally seeing the blueprint you want drop only to lose the roll. They took that problem and made it 10 times worse. In addition, they introduced a leveling system that makes you more powerful when you level up. I already made a post discussing why this is a terrible idea, so I won't go into too much more detail here.

Note that I am saying that the design of the game is worse than its ever been . Of course more content is always better, but they have made the underlying game worse. I am actually impressed that they have been able to add free content so quickly. Back during the beta, I never expected them to add new free guns.

I want this game to succeed, but they need to stop making so many mistakes  that are likely to turn away new players. I am level 20 now, and they have put me into games against level 1 players since the community is so small. It was bad enough when I was more experienced than them, but now I am objectively more powerful as well.  What happens when I am level 75 and they are level 1? Doubt they will stick with the game.   

[Level9Drow]

Well if they're level 1 and you're level 75 when they lose they will get more rewards than if they had won against an antag their own level. Or that's what the devs implied.

EDIT: I'd like to add that if the difference from the antag and the raiders is large enough, it MAY be like a guaranteed free handout for the lowbies.

[Power Penguin]

I think that a well coordinated team can take out a high level Antag and match making should not permit such a level disparity (if it works).

[Blue27]

Yes. If you are against a higher level opponent you get a slightly better reward. I think its one of the 4 (5?) things the game calculates at the end of a match to determine your mission score. However, the other variables are likely to be much lower since it is doubtful you will get far against an opponent who has vastly higher stats and more experience than you. I am thinking about all the times I have crushed new players on hanging by a thread without superior stats.

I posted this in my other thread, but another problem with the increased stat system is that it makes guns feel very weak if you haven't been lucky enough to get an advanced blueprint. This problem is only made worse as people level up and their bullet resistance stat increases. In theory, this power creep is balanced by the forge system. However, every time you forge a weapon you lose one of your blueprints. So as you level up, you need to keep collecting the same blueprints over and over again if you want your weapons to remain viable in pvp. To make matters worse, you have to roll for those blueprints against other players. This has led to melee combat (which increases in power as you level up without needing any sort of collectable) becoming way more powerful than ranged combat in pvp for all but your most recently forged weapons. Think about it. How many of your guns will remain viable against opponents of your level as you level up? Only those that you have recently forged. This games melee combat has a low skill ceiling, and I don't like that it is becoming how I deal most of my damage (this is a shooter after all).

I can forgive this in part because it is another way for the developer to make money (selling xp packs). I can't forgive the blueprint system however. They don't even profit from it. It annoys the player but benefits the developer in no way financially (other than by trying to convince people to buy all the campaigns by spreading the weapons around). Let me spend gold to buy blueprints or give them to me when I level up. You can even still tie weapon availability to owning specific campaigns. This will benefit everyone. The players have a reliable way to get the weapons they want and the developer makes more money (by selling gold or xp packs).     

[Power Penguin]

I understand what you are saying it would be nice that at certain intervals they would give you the blueprint for the base character weapons. And I do agree the roll is still dumb.

[LordDraco3]

I agree that the blueprint rolling is the very REASON I went and gave this game a bad review day 1 of playing it. 4 moths later I've played it every day and loving it, but yes it's extremely annoying seeing all 4 players jump on the weapon you want to upgrade into a viable condition, or worse, don't even HAVE yet. I am also very unhappy with having to compete for these rewards, it's silly. At least before, once you got the weapon then you were 1 less person trying to roll for it. But now it doesn't matter who owns what, everyone is gonna go for weapons because we all need to upgrade them.

I had hoped the forge system would allow customization at will, but that is clearly not the case. Also I maxed out my Treasure Hunter stat on the Shtorm, and according to the rewards screen, it only gives an extra ONE% boost to drop chance, despite the forge screen stating 19% boost.

[B30]

… but yes it's extremely annoying seeing all 4 players jump on the weapon you want to upgrade into a viable condition, or worse, don't even HAVE yet. I am also very unhappy with having to compete for these rewards, it's silly. At least before, once you got the weapon then you were 1 less person trying to roll for it. But now it doesn't matter who owns what, everyone is gonna go for weapons because we all need to upgrade them.

EXACTLY!!!

[Adrian_123]

The short solution for that is to play antagonist, as the rewards are going to be just for you. At least it is going to be my approach.

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Another suggestion: Game needs an inventory now,
I need to know what blueprints I have and what are the upgrades I have done to the weapons because I can't handle that information by memory.

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Just try to control the Ping for the antagonists. Game just don't work with bad ping.

[Level9Drow]

I think that a well coordinated team can take out a high level Antag and match making should not permit such a level disparity (if it works).

I don't think so, with the inherent stat bonuses low level raiders will get slaughtered and do hardly any damage to the antag. The silver lining is that the game SHOULD be handing them amazing rewards even when they lose.

[Blue27]

I wish I could just play antagonist to get the blueprints I need. Unfortunately,   you can only get a handful of blueprints playing as the antag. The vast majority of them are locked behind playing as a raider. There is no escaping this games pointless blueprint roll system. As noted above, it doesn't benefit the developer financially, and its the most hated part of this game. Why don't they just patch it out? Its clear that nobody likes it (although some people are less bothered by it than others).