I've been playing 1.4 since it came out. I've tried several builds and as may of you out there have I ended up with 3 hunter and 3 sentry. I also like the predator and alpha sets in here too but this isn't about what gear I'm running... This is about what I think about 1.4.
I have to say over all I am not impressed. I know many are going to disagree with me. If you disagree with me let's see how many of you are still playing in a month. It's new and anything new we flock to. I have been playing the Division, and basically nothing but the division, since it came out. I would run in groups with all of us having different strengths, snipers, tanks, tac, etc. Sure you could get several guys with lots of firepower and get through everything, but that wasn't the most efficient way to build your party. Unless you were doing strictly PvP. Enter 1.4. I have to say I really like the world tiers! That part I have to say well done. Even if I think they are still too easy. My biggest complaint and disappointment is what has happened to the skill powers and the challenge/heroic leveled incursions/UG missions. If challenge is going to be the hardest level of difficulty in the UG I should not be able to do it on my own. Even the Heroic on the incursions is just too easy! It doesn't take much thought or strategy anymore. The enemies have been nerfed so much (which is a good thing because of what has happened to our skill power [sp]), that it just isn't challenging anymore. The rebalancing of some of the things I think was needed. But instead of rebalancing I think more than anything this update just made everyone move toward the middle.
One of the things that I have heard repeatedly from players (friends and just others I've been in groups with) is they hate the DZ because of the "griefers" in there. They flat out don't even go in there anymore. I go in from time to time with friends to farm. From time to time I have become one of those "griefers" too (actually did it on the release day), but I have also been on the other side of it and I understand the frustration. Most ppl I've talked to that are upset about it would like to have seen a different system in the DZ. One where you have to declare your intent when entering the DZ. Whether you want to PvP or if you are just wanting PvE or both and putting them on different servers. At the very least putting in place diminishing returns for a time after killing other players in PvP. This isn't a 1.4 observation, but one that has been ongoing in the DZ since the game began.
All in all I feel customization of characters isn't nearly as varied anymore. Yes different sets give different bonuses, but most ppl are running high firearms and toughness, or sacrificing a little of one for a little more sp. Yes many ppl are back in the game right now. As soon as everyone gets their 229 gear I believe they are going to get bored and leave again. You are welcome to disagree with me, but again, let's see if you are still playing in a month. I have to say as much as I have liked and played this game, I am actually thinking I'm going to leave and hope for something better in 1.5. What do you think?
I'm opposite on the build variety. They straightened out the gear score bottle neck on builds, and added in the option of using the golds to make a build. I'm thinking we are going on some really good gold builds. Also, we aren't stuck with a certain type of build to be the strongest. And it sounds like you've played enough to know what we had to run in1.3. I do miss 1.1, 1.2 and what 1.3 brought for the meta, but this will be better overall I bet.
yeah, i feel there is less importance on the gear as well, all options are viable, but not stellar, there nothing "special" or unique about any of it.... its turned into a vanilla loot.......
x knee pad, x vest..... won't matter so long as your armor is as high as you can go..... and your firearms and stamina are high.....
(PVE only references, the problem with gear sets being too OP for PVP was a cry to change them.... PVP not PVE.....)
yeah, but the reason for the meta was PVP ..... but if we look at PVE, you could have used a whole bunch of them (and combo of them in teams)..... just now, they are washed out versions of themselves..... i do agree that they were OP for PVP though......Originally Posted by NORTHBOERN1 Go to original post
We had some really OP pve builds, hence the insane ttk and damage of the npc. For some crazy reason I think 1.4 brought balance.Originally Posted by PlayingOnMySofa Go to original post
yeah, i guess it gives the option for the average player to fill their shopping cart full of stuff and try it on for size...... i guess majority of people prefer vanilla.....Originally Posted by NORTHBOERN1 Go to original post
i think the meaning behind the sets is no longer there..... there is no sniper build, skill build, etc. with the gear set behind it.... now it's just brand X build, grab whatever gear and weapon and take on anything..... (missing the cool factor of the gear, not the OP part.... as i never did feel OP in 1.3....ever.......)
Feels like a progression reset.Originally Posted by NORTHBOERN1 Go to original post
The tier +difficulty system makes sense and seems more linear right now. Using this as a foundation to build on should allow for continued additional difficulty settings that aren't as jarring as 1.3.
The core mechanics in the game had to be changed before content was added IMO.
yeah, the building blocks and foundation that they set them on were way out of whack, but the ideas behind the gear sets were cool, just now, they seem to be no real differences between them..... and as people have mentioned, that is viewed as a good thing so no one gear set is the meta..... but maybe the uniqueness could be balanced too, not necessarily just from a damage perspective.... as that becomes too op right away.....maybe some of the character skills / talents are buffed with a certain gear set... something that makes them different.... less the same....Originally Posted by Furinol Go to original post
Originally Posted by NORTHBOERN1 Go to original postSorry PlayingOnMySofa but what are you talking about? You have it totally backwards. In 1.3, you could use a bunch of different builds for PvP but for PvE only 2 or 3 builds were acceptable. When we played DZ we would use reclaimer, striker, sentry, predator, alpha bridge, deadeye, I used to use a 3pc lonestar/2sentry/ savage build that made my shotgun OP. A friend of mine would use 2sentry/2blind/2final measure and he did just fine. You could be a tank, glass cannon, skill build or balanced.. there was a ton of build variety in the DZ. However for PvE there was no build variety whatsoever. We needed 1 person with very high skill power, didn't really matter what set they were using but reclaimer was the best option for the bottled water. The other 3 players, Sentry, Sentry, and you guessed it... Sentry! and all 3 with the highest possible damage for the M1A/M870. 3 out of 4 players on our team were looking for the exact same gear pieces, weapons and mods with the exact same stats and talents on them.. We wanted absolutely 0 variety (except our skill guy of course) because each person NOT using a high damage sentry was just slowing us down, if you didn't have 52k skill power or a 5pc sentry sentry set, we would probably kick you out if we were trying to speed farm.Originally Posted by PlayingOnMySofa Go to original post
I miss the sentry build I worked on for months, a ton. I'm still a sniper though. I just started trying some other builds with it now.Originally Posted by PlayingOnMySofa Go to original post