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  1. #1

    Q from a Mid weight

    Hi guys,

    I've been really enjoying DIV2 for the past 6 months and had a few questions i'd like help with if you don't mind.

    About me: 38yo Dad who plays 2 hours a night 3 nights a week to relax.. I hadn't gamed since my younger DOOM2/Quake days so really enjoying the leaps in game development.
    Currently I have finished Story mode solo, killing K. I'm struggling to get motivated to repeat it all for the 'Seasons' bit so i'm getting more into assisting/joining others to co-op their missions. Currently L40 SHD 40

    I've noticed during these co-ops that I SUCK. really it's embarrassing, i seem to deploy little damage despite being agressive and needing to be revived often.

    My Q1: How can i get better to be more valuable as a team member. (i'm thinking maybe specialising as a medic provider build?)

    Also aside that:
    Q2: is the gun range at HQ any use?
    Q3: is buying items useful? I seem to find more/better loot then i can purchase.
    Q4: is constructing guns useful? again i find better weapons then i can blueprint build.
    Q5: at L40 are the 'Exotic' weapons any better than 'gold' ? they don't seem to be in stats.
    Q6: when people talk about their 'builds' why is it useful to stick to one 'brand'
    Q7: specialised amo is so limited it's almost a forgotten ability to activate?

    What I love about Div2.
    Gunplay and moving around is good fun.
    dying doesn't set one back to far (good when you don't play big hours in a sitting'
    the detail and size of the open world, amount of leveling, amazing. so may hours of fun. (thank you Ubisoft)
    So many players i've joined on missions have gone out of there way to be helpful and offer good advice, thank you to all those people.
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  2. #2
    Cadillac-Jack's Avatar Senior Member
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    My very first piece of advice.

    Is find a playstyle you are comfortable and something you enjoy, never force yourself into something you don't enjoy/like. Until you get to grips with the game in it's entirety.

    As for your questions.

    The Gun range is a decent tool to see what damage output you are doing, what AOE you have if you went down that route.

    Buying items Hmmm not really most are poor, but you do get the odd good one (especially named)

    Crafting guns is OK but it's pot luck, you may craft 30 and still not get what you want Stat wise.

    Exotics are a conumdrum some are really good some are not, but if one has a poor stst roll you can buy the Blueprint next to the crafting bench and re-roll them (as long as you have the exotic components and materials) Exotic components come from de-contructing exotics.

    As for builds, depends what you want, (if you want an SMG crit) then Solokov/Providence, LMG's Petrov/AR's Fenris, you don't have to always stick to one brand and you also have green gearsets, you can mix n match (some Youtubers do have build vids , so you can always get ideas from them.

    Specialized ammo yeah its rare and supposed to be and don't rely on the Specialized weapon they are not the best weapons, although some are useful, Flame thrower for groups, Crossbow for Armour break etc etc.

    PS: Hope some of this might help.
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  3. #3
    As1r0nimo's Avatar Senior Member
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    Hello

    2) Yes. It is useful in damage calculation, some pratcicing in using skills and learning peak values (for MMRs for example).
    3) Yes. Every week vendors reset their pool, so you can check them out. A lot of good stuff can be found there. Like high rolls for your favourite gun/gear, named items or simply some items, that you deconstruct for resoures.
    4) As a start - yes. With a small chance, you can get almost god roll item (i've conctructed 3 god rolled SMGs out of 200 for the whole WoNY period). But looting is way efficient overall. So mostly for a specific item.
    5) Not all though. For example, Lady death is stupidly OP in PvP, Capacitor is a god tier for skill builds, Mantis/Nemesis - super cool MMRs. Etc. There are some exotics that need buffs, but overall - they are top tier. In their specific situations...
    6) Not at all. THere are some brands that gives you exactly what you need, like Providence or Sokolov (for SMG). But not all.
    7) Depends on a signature gun. Crossbow oneshotes Heavy's armor plate, TAC50 is still the KING in terms of per shot damage, Flamethrower is the strongest for CC and Minigun could be useful against some enemies if you have CQ gear (like Marauder drones). Grenade launcher and Rocket launcher are a bit of undertuned right now and need a buff.
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  4. #4
    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    Hi guys,

    I've been really enjoying DIV2 for the past 6 months and had a few questions i'd like help with if you don't mind.

    About me: 38yo Dad who plays 2 hours a night 3 nights a week to relax.. I hadn't gamed since my younger DOOM2/Quake days so really enjoying the leaps in game development.
    Currently I have finished Story mode solo, killing K. I'm struggling to get motivated to repeat it all for the 'Seasons' bit so i'm getting more into assisting/joining others to co-op their missions. Currently L40 SHD 40....
    First started the game in 30th Nov 2020 and so addicted at SHD 1500s now after 3 months.

    I binge watched recent videos from below YouTubers whom put together nice builds, clear explanations and advice. Helped me put together and optimised DPS, Status, Tank, Healer and Skill builds to switch out during missions dynamically. It is a like a wardrobe of clothes to admire at!

    (Due to changes/nerfs throughout last year you will want to watch videos related to latest game update only)

    LtBuzzLitebeer
    That Abrax Gaming
    Patrick Wolf
    NothingButSkillz2.0
    AnYTime Gaming
    JumpStart Gaming
    ColdBwoyy
    Born 2 Game
    PurePrime
    Kamikazevondoom
    GameyDaddy [The Gamer Dad]
    Running Butcher
    LyricalFighter
    I am Fox
    NothingButSkillz
    TuxedoBandido
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  5. #5
    Sircowdog1's Avatar Senior Member
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    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    My Q1: How can i get better to be more valuable as a team member. (i'm thinking maybe specialising as a medic provider build?)
    Learn the maps for each mission. Enemy spawn compositions are somewhat random, but the spawn locations and triggers are always the same. This can be very important. It's mostly just practice and repetition. Don't obsess over it.

    There are many ways to play a support role in a team, and not all of them require a healer. Dead or Crowd Controlled enemies deal no damage, and damage prevention can be MORE important than actual healing. That being said, a very good healing build is using the BTSU gloves with the healing hive. Not only will you give very good healing, but you can also detonate your hive to give your team overcharge, which is very important for many skill builds.

    I highly recommend you take a few minutes and brows the sets, talents, and exotics available in the game to familiarize yourself what's possible. I often reference THIS link, which is updated regularly.

    Also, when you go to search for builds online, make sure you use a filter to only give you results from this year. Title Update 12.1 is the most recent patch, and went live in december. So anything before that might not have fully accurate information.


    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    Q2: is the gun range at HQ any use?
    Yes....and no.

    The gun range is good for seeing how weapons or skills work at the basic level. But I wouldn't put much stock in actual damage numbers generated in the shooting range. They're often buggy. Your best bet is to test a build or skill or gun in actual combat.

    And, of course, feel free to ask here or on the Division 2 reddit for clarification or verification of anything you're not sure about.

    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    Q3: is buying items useful? I seem to find more/better loot then i can purchase.
    Very rarely. But sometimes the clan vendor or secret vendor(Cassie Mendoza) will have items from the Dark Zone or other hard-to-get named items.

    It's random. So sometimes there will be good items. Other times not. For example: Just a couple weeks ago there was the named mask "Hollow Man" from one of the vendors. Which is popular because it always has Damage-to-Health on it. However, an argument immediately broke out about whether or not the other attributes on the item were actually useful for a build. Ultimately it came down to personal preference, as some people thought it would be good for niche-builds, while others thought the combination of attributes was worthless.

    Mostly, just check the clan vendor and Cassie Mendoza once a week to see if there's anything that catches your eye. Credits are easy to earn, so don't hesitate to buy something if you think it might work for one of your builds. Or if you're not sure, double check the forums. Just be prepared for differing opinions.

    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    Q4: is constructing guns useful? again i find better weapons then i can blueprint build.
    Random is random. Most times it'll generate a garbage item. But sometimes it can be easier to craft an item then optimize/recalibrate it than to farm forever in the open world and not get it at all.

    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    Q5: at L40 are the 'Exotic' weapons any better than 'gold' ? they don't seem to be in stats.
    Exotic items are neither better nor worse. They're intentionally made to just provide a unique form of gameplay. In some cases there are builds that don't use any exotics that are actually considered stronger. For instance: You'll often hear people reference a META "All Red" build, which only uses yellow High-End gear.

    However, many builds have a LOT of synergy with armor sets. Like with the healer skill I mentioned earlier. Combine the healing hive with the BTSU exotic gloves to not only make your heals better, but also to provide a buff to your team.

    There are countless very effective combinations, and it's probably best to try many different builds until you find a playstyle you enjoy.

    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    Q6: when people talk about their 'builds' why is it useful to stick to one 'brand'

    Brand bonuses should be used to give your build something useful. And if they're not, then there's no reason to stick to a single brand. However, many brands have very useful attributes when wearing 2 or 3 pieces. And most brands have an overall theme to them.

    For example: The "Empress International" brand focuses on benefits to skills. Whereas the "Providence Defense" brand has nothing but bonuses to guns.

    This is something that will make a lot more sense after you've gained some practice and experience with the game as a whole, and makes more sense after you've browsed some build videos.

    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    Q7: specialized ammo is so limited it's almost a forgotten ability to activate?
    Specialized weapons are EXTREMELY situational.

    Unfortunately most of the time specialization weapons are not particularly useful. Quite honestly, you can go your entire Division 2 career without using them and be perfectly fine. Although experts at the game will always be able to find uses for them.
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  6. #6
    The first thing I would say is that unless you're doing raids or Legendary strongholds, don't worry about not being the absolute best player. So what if you don't have the highest DPS in the game? Unless you're participating in the endgame activities that require maximization then just have fun.

    To actually answer your questions...

    1) Work on getting a base set of useful builds together. I'd focus on getting one high DPS all red core build that just focuses on dealing as much damage as possible first, then work on other kinds like skill DPS, crowd control status effects, healer, and shield tank. If you have a really good DPS build you can be useful in pretty much any situation and be very effective. Learning more mechanics of the game and missions is also real handy. Knowing which enemies to focus on and take out quickly can be the difference between beating an encounter in 30 seconds or a squad wipe on Heroic and Legendary. Knowing how to manipulate enemy behaviors (suppressing enemies, taking out weakpoints to nullify enemy abilities, baiting out melee attacks, corralling enemies with gun fire) can also be useful.

    2) The gun range can be useful for doing comparison testing of equipment. Do you want to see if a FAL works better for your build than a CTAR? Equip both and see. The AoE lane is also good for seeing more generally how quickly you can handle a group of enemies. The results from the gun range don't translate to actually playing missions but it is useful to get an idea of the relative power of different builds.

    3) Buying items generally is not going to be as good as getting loot from enemies, but vendors will occasionally have pieces of loot that are useful for sure. It's worth stopping in and checking out the inventory of the different vendors. You'll find items that might have a max attribute that you can use to augment your recalibration library or they might have a named item that you could use in a build. But as long as you're playing at Challenging or higher difficulty the loot drops from enemies are going to generally be of better quality.

    4) Similar to buying items, crafting can definitely be useful but generally you're going to get better items from loot drops. The main exception are the handful of Named items that can only be obtained by crafting like Sleipnir, The Send-Off, Vedmedytsya Vest, Ammo Dump, etc. Most of your gear should probably still be coming from loot drops though.

    5) Exotic gear are designed to be something that enables more interesting playstyles but they're not intended to just be better than everything else in every situation. You will often find that more normal high-end or Named items can perform better than Exotic items, especially if you can't craft an entire build around the talents from the Exotic.

    6) Brand and Gear Set bonuses are the cornerstone of making builds for a specific purpose. When you're putting together a build you want to think about what you're trying to achieve (high weapon DPS? Maximizing turret and drone DPS? Improving status effects?) and then find the pieces that will help you the most. Each brand set grants up to three bonuses for equipping items of that brand. For example, the Overlord Armaments brand gives you +10% Rifle damage for wearing one piece, 20% Accuracy for wearing 2 pieces, and +10% Weapon Handling for wearing 3 pieces. The bonuses are cumulative, but wearing more than 3 pieces does not give you any additional bonus. If you wanted to get maximum Critical Hit Chance without using any Exotics, you could wear one Česká Výroba s.r.o. item, two Providence Defence items, and three Sokolov Concern items for +30% Critical Hit Chance, as well as the +15% Headshot Damage from the 1-piece bonus from your Providence Defense items and +10% SMG damage and +15% Critical Hit Damage from the Sokolov Concern items. The particular item slot for each brand does not matter at all.

    7) Specialization ammo is limited by design, and while they can be useful you don't really need to use it all that often unless you have a build that relies on it for some reason (the flamethrower for some disabling CC and damage, the .50 cal for starting off Headhunter, the crossbow to cause bleed and break armor plates, the minigun for fun). Each specialization generates its ammo drops differently so it helps to know how to generate ammo for the one you're using (e.g.: Gunner generates stacks toward ammo drops for each kill you get without releasing the trigger to get more minigun ammo you don't want to let go of the trigger after a kill but just move your aim to the next enemy, Sharpshooter generates stacks for Headshot kills, Firewall generates stacks for killing enemies within 10m of you, etc.) Each specialization has a skill in the tree for generating specialization ammo stacks for the whole team (albeit slower than for yourself) so if nothing else you'll get some ammo if others are doing what they need to do.

    Hopefully this helps!
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  7. #7
    Licher.Rus's Avatar Senior Member
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    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    My Q1: How can i get better to be more valuable as a team member. (i'm thinking maybe specialising as a medic provider build?)

    Also aside that:
    Q2: is the gun range at HQ any use?
    Q3: is buying items useful? I seem to find more/better loot then i can purchase.
    Q4: is constructing guns useful? again i find better weapons then i can blueprint build.
    Q5: at L40 are the 'Exotic' weapons any better than 'gold' ? they don't seem to be in stats.
    Q6: when people talk about their 'builds' why is it useful to stick to one 'brand'
    Q7: specialised amo is so limited it's almost a forgotten ability to activate?
    1. You literally answered on this question above: do more DPS and don't die. No, there is no need in specific roles (maybe at raids only) - just go with DPS
    2. Yes - to test your dps output obv.
    3. Sometimes, but yes, 99% of your gear will be from loot.
    4. Same as above
    5. Really few of them. Most of exotics here are either niche or pure trash. Trash means "not better than yellow" - yes, for EXOTIC item this definition is equal to "trash"
    6. It is not useful at all. All builds are mix of 2-3 brands.
    7. This was made for fun or lulz, you will need (exactly NEED, not just "4fun") your spec weapon veeeeeery rare

    Mentioned YTers above, are just hype-train scums, who making builds for consoles and copy themselves and each other. Most of them wont work at all for unexperienced players.
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  8. #8
    Originally Posted by Aerotyne Go to original post
    Hi guys,

    I've been really enjoying DIV2 for the past 6 months and had a few questions i'd like help with if you don't mind.

    About me: 38yo Dad who plays 2 hours a night 3 nights a week to relax.. I hadn't gamed since my younger DOOM2/Quake days so really enjoying the leaps in game development.
    Currently I have finished Story mode solo, killing K. I'm struggling to get motivated to repeat it all for the 'Seasons' bit so i'm getting more into assisting/joining others to co-op their missions. Currently L40 SHD 40

    I've noticed during these co-ops that I SUCK. really it's embarrassing, i seem to deploy little damage despite being agressive and needing to be revived often.

    My Q1: How can i get better to be more valuable as a team member. (i'm thinking maybe specialising as a medic provider build?)

    Also aside that:
    Q2: is the gun range at HQ any use?
    Q3: is buying items useful? I seem to find more/better loot then i can purchase.
    Q4: is constructing guns useful? again i find better weapons then i can blueprint build.
    Q5: at L40 are the 'Exotic' weapons any better than 'gold' ? they don't seem to be in stats.
    Q6: when people talk about their 'builds' why is it useful to stick to one 'brand'
    Q7: specialised amo is so limited it's almost a forgotten ability to activate?

    What I love about Div2.
    Gunplay and moving around is good fun.
    dying doesn't set one back to far (good when you don't play big hours in a sitting'
    the detail and size of the open world, amount of leveling, amazing. so may hours of fun. (thank you Ubisoft)
    So many players i've joined on missions have gone out of there way to be helpful and offer good advice, thank you to all those people.
    Join a clan! A good clan with other adults and play for fun. I really couldn't stand thw thought of replaying allbof those missions over and over without my clanmates. Getting good gear and becoming a better player is all about experience. Keep playing and play for fun. No need to rush. Before you know it you'll be SHD eight million.
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  9. #9
    Thank you for all the advice and feedback.

    i'm currently making my way through many of the YouTube Vids (I hadn't thought to look on the youtube, must be showing my age)

    Some follow up Q


    Q8 - how do I drop items so that someone else can pick them up? and what is the bro-code regarding who should take from a skybeam first? (i didn't realise it wasn't multiplied for other players like a ammo restock is, sorry whoever i stole a weapon from)

    Q9 - what damage level on Assault riffles should i be looking for to join harder level missions. I found recently that i kept running out of amo without doing enough damage against bosses.

    Q10 - i find very few players using audio coms? is this normal, or maybe mine isn't working. i find texting on the ps4 to slow.

    cheers
    Aero.
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  10. #10
    I went with skill builds on my alt chars and from that point on i started farming different red dps based sets and so forth and you can get a nice Assault rifle in summit if you complete 5 or so challenges Capacitor is a nice Assault rifle for skill builds and its core attribute is damage to armor as well so 12 damage to armor on it and it boosts your skills as well.

    A good starting point is the skill build since red builds can be squishy and learning when to fire and or stay in cover can be a hard learning curve with skill builds you can sit in cover peak up and put your striker drone on a target or your assault turret two easy skills to learn to use effectively.

    And as others have pointed out a lot of good youtubers who have good build guides if you have no ideas what to build yourself, and i just ran Checkpoints and territory control points until i felt i could move up in world difficulty and or mission difficulty and once i felt i was ready i joined a clan and they then helped me get into legendary and raids.

    So the game has a lot of options you can go for most go full on dps because of time to kill being lower and others try survivability over time to kill, and the skill builds go for the middle road time to kill being okay and you have greater chances of surviving when you do not have to engage enemies head on constantly, the capacitor AR is a bit tricky to get used to since you build up stacks with that weapon, there are other talents and weapons you can use to get a good skill damage build up and running and you can avoid taking to many risks with those weapons but again good guides for that kind of build can be found on youtube.
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