With the LZ being top notch, I think it's time to incentivize the DZ. | Forums

[Merphee]

Gameplay should be the incentive with the same loot chances in both areas. Again why force people into doing what they don't want to do to obtain loot?

Because what you don't want to do is PVP, which is not what the incentive is about.

The incentive is the exclusive exotic

Which would not be obtainable without the gameplay, or in other words, the PVE - killing a named enemy, supply drops, DZ chests. You do those same exact activities in the LZ.

Not one time have I mentioned that exotics should drop when you kill a player. I am not the one talking about PVP, you guys are.

[Akasha-Rose]

You keep saying its not about PvP yet you want an exclusive loot pool. Your are lying and misdirecting to get your point across. If it wasn't about PvP then you'd be happy with an EQUAL loot pool to the LZ and people would show up just for the PvP and the highly desired "open world multiplayer experience" that LZ doesn't have unless you manually invite or join someone's private world which isn't a true experience.

[Merphee]

Well, it is about PvP. It's a place for players to fight over for loot. I understand it's about populating the DZ.
No one is going to step in the dark zone if there is "exclusive loot" while everyone is running the same loadout and one tapping everyone. How is that fun?

You know I am a proponent for exclusive loot, but there are serious some flaws regarding PvP right now. It needs to be addressed before adding exclusive loot pools imo.

Is solo queuing working for you?

PVP isn't 100% certain to happen but a landmark will always be up, no matter where you are located in the DZ. Remember, as long as you at least damage the named enemy, you will get loot from them when they die, no matter if you're the one who killed them.

Also, no, I think the solo queue needs tweaking. D'you see how players can still make groups in it? They said that on the game site and is what needs to be changed.

[Merphee]

You keep saying its not about PvP yet you want an exclusive loot pool. Your are lying and misdirecting to get your point across. If it wasn't about PvP then you'd be happy with an EQUAL loot pool to the LZ and people would show up just for the PvP and the highly desired "open world multiplayer experience" that LZ doesn't have unless you manually invite or join someone's private world which isn't a true experience.

It's not about PVP, though.

The proximity between activities in the DZ is much smaller and loot is a lot more instantaneous compared to the LZ. If I'm really desperate, I'd favor the proximity and instant loot. I have many times in Division 1. DZ07 was the best place in the DZ for me to farm for classifieds because the proximity was extremely small. Not once was I looking for PVP, if anything, I was trying to avoid it. If I wanted to PVP, I'd run Skirmish because 4v1s are stupid.

Or... I could have went through a lengthy Legendary mission over and over and come out with less loot with the same amount of time spent DZ. What do you think is the most optimal play in this regard for the most amount of chances for loot in a timely matter - A Legendary mission, or DZ07?

During GEs, the most optimal play for classifieds for me was speed running Clear Sky, non-GEs, DZ07.

In Division 2, since control points can be taken over, you won't be able to fast travel to the in order reclaim them. Meaning, you will spend more time completing it than you will running from landmark to landmark in the DZ, again because the proximity is much smaller and there aren't really major objectives in the DZ other than kill enemies.

[scarp99anzz]

Ideally, with the buff the LZ, yeah people will still be on the outside of the DZ. I definitely will, Heroic bounties are great.

But right now, there isn't any incentive to go into the DZ, except personal ones.

The chase for that 1% exotic is that only drops in the DZ is a huge incentive. No where in that chase mentions you will always have to PVP, because even now, that's just not true. Unless, you walk into the occupied DZ, of which you cannot blame the game telling you what you are in for.

Gear Sets would be the same way.

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And again to whom it may concern, if you are okay with the raid having exclusive gear, but the DZ cannot, that is some hypocrisy, and where the objectivity is lost.

I was more thinking they haven't gone in yet because they are still playing the main game, nothing to do with loot or anything yet.

I'm still only level 21 so have had no reason to go into the DZ yet apart from doing 2 of the DZ mission things.

Maybe in a week the DZ will be more active as people haven't completed the story part yet.

[silencerpl16]

You won't lure players into the DZ with exotics, you'll only piss them off. See: Destiny 1/2 and every time it forces PvP as part of an Exotic quest. PvP players get pissed off, PvE players get pissed off.

The appeal of DZ is the possible PvP while you PvE. "Surprisingly" not many players who like one like the other. There is nothing you can do outside of ridiculous unbalancing of loot rules that would shift that paradigm and even that is mildly doubtful. Despite your attempts you will never make PvE players forget that they can get lolganked in the DZ and that will keep them away, period.

[Akasha-Rose]

It's not about PVP, though.

The proximity between activities in the DZ is much smaller and loot is a lot more instantaneous compared to the LZ. If I'm really desperate, I'd favor the proximity and instant loot. I have many times in Division 1. DZ07 was the best place in the DZ for me to farm for classifieds because the proximity was extremely small. Not once was I looking for PVP, if anything, I was trying to avoid it. If I wanted to PVP, I'd run Skirmish because 4v1s are stupid.

Or... I could have went through a lengthy Legendary mission over and over and come out with less loot with the same amount of time spent DZ. What do you think is the most optimal play in this regard for the most amount of chances for loot in a timely matter - A Legendary mission, or DZ07?

During GEs, the most optimal play for classifieds for me was speed running Clear Sky, non-GEs, DZ07.

In Division 2, since control points can be taken over, you won't be able to fast travel to the in order reclaim them. Meaning, you will spend more time completing it than you will running from landmark to landmark in the DZ, again because the proximity is much smaller and there aren't really major objectives in the DZ other than kill enemies.

So what you are telling me is that you have your "PvE" incentive to be in the darkzone already and that we are done here outside of quest exotics in the LZ?

[F.i.x.e.r]

I've had someone ask me something the other day along the lines of "how's PVP in the DZ? When I went in there, it was empty."

I told him, "everyone is probably in the occupied DZ"

He then said "that's where I was lol"

I was in Butter's stream recently where a conversation took place about the DZ and how the much needed LZ buff took eyes off the DZ. Right now, you can loot up without ever going into the DZ. There is an overwhelming amount of activities to do in the LZ, and honestly, something like this needed to happen because of what the LZ ended up being in Division 1. It's an ample change for players who do not like the possibility of PVP in the DZ (not to mention the straight to inventory change), even a change I and many others were likely the reason why it happened. You might not see my name there because of some account issues, but yeah twas I who begun that thread.

However, the DZ is pretty empty. I've even had moments where I asked myself "am I the only one in here?" No extractions where going off, landmarks were always up. It could be because we are in world tier 4 and world tier 5 could really be where players go back into the DZ, but that's me giving the benefit of the doubt.

With the LZ getting the changes it so desperately needed, I think it is safe to incentivize the DZ again. And the answer to that lies within Exotic gear.

What has to happen, in my opinion, is for the DZ to gain its own exclusive exotic loot pool, and even its own exclusive gear set loot pool. This has to happen in order to incentivize the DZ again. Assuming they will follow Division 1, Exotics are a 1% drop. It is a hardcore chase that is kind to some, and harsh to others, but the drop rate will bring players in the DZ and for much longer, ultimately populating it again, without really turning the light zone into Division 1's light zone.

Sorry PVErs who do not venture in the DZ, but this has to happen, or the DZ will not be used (inb4 those who enjoy seeing it burned). Some of you may already know, but I've brought this up in the past. Exclusive gear has been confirmed for the Raid (check the raid tab in the Social menu), and now I think the same could be done for the DZ.

Not a chance, are you trying to go back to the bad ol days? I had two years of avoiding being funnelled into that failed experiment. The PVP sector have their arena, give them equal to what you get if you are PVE and play the LZ and that's it, no gating thank you very much.

[Merphee]

I was more thinking they haven't gone in yet because they are still playing the main game, nothing to do with loot or anything yet.

I'm still only level 21 so have had no reason to go into the DZ yet apart from doing 2 of the DZ mission things.

Maybe in a week the DZ will be more active as people haven't completed the story part yet.

There are a lot of players already at end game, believe it or not.

You won't lure players into the DZ with exotics, you'll only piss them off. See: Destiny 1/2 and every time it forces PvP as part of an Exotic quest. PvP players get pissed off, PvE players get pissed off.

The appeal of DZ is the possible PvP while you PvE. "Surprisingly" not many players who like one like the other. There is nothing you can do outside of ridiculous unbalancing of loot rules that would shift that paradigm and even that is mildly doubtful. Despite your attempts you will never make PvE players forget that they can get lolganked in the DZ and that will keep them away, period.

So the problem is PVP.

Again, that's not where the idea of exclusive exotics will go. A PvPvE area, sure, behind an actual PVP interaction, no. And with the straight to inventory change, it opens up the possibility without hurting anyone.

They also have the solo queue DZ, but it needs to be changed based on how they said it worked. If they make the needed change, which is remove the ability for players to still make official groups in it, that will also boost the exotic loot pool proposal.

[DeMizeFPS]

PVP isn't 100% certain to happen but a landmark will always be up, no matter where you are located in the DZ. Remember, as long as you at least damage the named enemy, you will get loot from them when they die, no matter if you're the one who killed them.

Also, no, I think the solo queue needs tweaking. D'you see how players can still make groups in it? They said that on the game site and is what needs to be changed.

I still feel you are missing my point. Let me rephrase. As a dark zone veteran, exclusive loot pool won't entice me to step in the DZ because the state of PvP is not enjoyable. Sure, PvP isn't 100% certain but players like me that like to PvP. It's still an issue. If you are not having fun with a certain activiity, it doesn't matter what the rewards are. You are going to stay away.

There are a lot of discussions right now regarding PvP and DZ. We need to have this conversation before implementing an exclusive loot pool in the DZ.

I want to point out that players are still playing 1-30 experience. I think that is why solo queuing isn't working properly because the population is low. As you said, you can still group up as well.