[Anthem] Death from Above ! and Sideways ! sometimes even from Below !

Fairchild

Anthem, the flying battlesuit game from Bioware/EA. Tons of fun as you and up to three of your closest friends zoom around the map, shooting Bad Guys, blowing up big danged Monsters, and doing Good Deeds.

Launch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPf-EATqFng

Website: https://www.ea.com/games/anthem

Ability chart for primers/detonators/whatnot: https://www.zockify.de/anthem/ability-chart/

Fairchild

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLS2N9mHWaw

soylenth

So this a weird start to to the new thread, but i think i'm running out of things to do. I'm at a weird spot on two of my javelins where gm1 feels too easy but gm2 still feels too hard/long for the rewards. Also, gm2 legendary contracts are not 2 mw guaranteed! I only got one last night on one of mine. anyway, i was hooked in hard while leveling and doing story missions, but doing contacts and stronghold runs alone aren't quite enough to keep my interest in the long term. I will likely be playing less until they add more story content or strongholds.

Additionally, quickplay being a 50/50 crapshoot as to whether you're joining a bugged mission and the current drop rates are fairly frustrating.

The gameplay is still great, but i'm ready for the surrounding systems to be better.

BRIAN BLESSED

Here's me still soloing story missions, still popping Rare Embers at best and just finished clearing the Tombs :P

Corporal Carl

Please rate my stuff:

- Papa Pump is nice because all modifiers apply to the gun itself, but I don't know if they are spectacular.
- Elemental Rage has +110% Shields; sounds good for a Storm?
- Death from Aboive : so hovering and weak spot hitting is +150% damage?
- Rejuventaing Ammo: even though the armor/shield stats are lower than any javelin-specific MW, that +75% Armor is INSANE!

Krieghund

I think this Regulator kid at the shop is hitting on me.

Fairchild

I hate to say this, but I have yet to join a Quickplay that was not bugged. Luckily I have found that starting a new GM1 mission never fails to quickly build a full team through Matchmaking.

Fencingsax

Krieghund wrote: »

I think this Regulator kid at the shop is hitting on me.

I feel like a bunch of characters were lowkey hitting on me. I was okay with it.

Cobell

I just did a legenadry contract at GM2, and I didn't get anything at the end... only the things I picked up. That's a thing I don't like.

kaceyp

I beat the main campaign today! Overall it was solid -- nothing particularly great or original, but satisfying. It did feel like some things should have been developed more.

Owen's endgame arc definitely could have used more fleshing out. He steals the Javelin of Dawn and flies off to join the Dominion, and then the very next time you see him he tells you that that didn't work out, and then he's gone. They really could've used another scene/mission with him in between. There's a letter from Tassyn during that time that explains that the Monitor and Owen tried to get into the Heart of Rage, and the mission failed because the Javelin didn't work, but Owen survived.

Speaking of, the Monitor was a pretty nothing villain. He's there to fulfill his purpose in the story and not much else.

The post-credits scene with the Urgoth seems to be the obvious expansion hook. And is that Mark Pellegrino as Adams? There's also Owen still running around. And (Dax spoilers)

I've gotten a dialogue chain about something weird going on with Aunt Cardea's memory that hasn't led to a mission, so I'm not sure if that's something that just hasn't opened up yet or if it's another hook.

KafkaAU

Cobell wrote: »

I just did a legenadry contract at GM2, and I didn't get anything at the end... only the things I picked up. That's a thing I don't like.

Yea this has happened to me in strongholds and legendary contracts.

Preacher

kaceyp wrote: »

I beat the main campaign today! Overall it was solid -- nothing particularly great or original, but satisfying. It did feel like some things should have been developed more.

Owen's endgame arc definitely could have used more fleshing out. He steals the Javelin of Dawn and flies off to join the Dominion, and then the very next time you see him he tells you that that didn't work out, and then he's gone. They really could've used another scene/mission with him in between. There's a letter from Tassyn during that time that explains that the Monitor and Owen tried to get into the Heart of Rage, and the mission failed because the Javelin didn't work, but Owen survived.

Speaking of, the Monitor was a pretty nothing villain. He's there to fulfill his purpose in the story and not much else.

The post-credits scene with the Urgoth seems to be the obvious expansion hook. And is that Mark Pellegrino as Adams? There's also Owen still running around. And (Dax spoilers)

I've gotten a dialogue chain about something weird going on with Aunt Cardea's memory that hasn't led to a mission, so I'm not sure if that's something that just hasn't opened up yet or if it's another hook.

Dax spoilers

her social conversation is kind of weird you have to listen to her talking to her aunt a couple times, and then later her aunt and another character that gets involved.

kaceyp

Ah okay. I think they mentioned

talking to Matthias but...he...hasn't gotten involved yet.

Which reminds me, I think Triple Threat might be my favorite part of the game.

Fairchild

Leaving

Owen's

story open is pretty obviously setting up a DLC, I believe.

soylenth

Fairchild wrote: »

Leaving

Owen's

story open is pretty obviously setting up a DLC, I believe.

Hopefully we won't have to pay more for more story drops though.

TTODewback

all the storyline stuff is free.

pay for the game and get the game
they're only planning on charging for the cosmetics

soylenth

I am definitely looking forward to more story...I just might take a minute to play one of the 10 games I bought very cheap during the PSN holiday sale in the meantime. I will always keep the anthem in my heart as it whispers twisted stories of transfiguration and change.

Speaking of weird anthem stuff, my take on Dax's Aunt was;

I didn't think it was so much leading to a new mission, as it was just trying to leave you with the unsettling feeling that maybe you didn't get the SAME aunt back, i.e. the one that came from your timeline. I just took it as emphasis on how unstable and unpredictable anthem tech can be. Like maybe it was her real aunt, who just saw a bunch of possible pasts and futures, and maybe it's the WRONG aunt, who saw possible pasts and futures including the one we're all living in. *cue spooky music*

kaceyp

With Matthias and Dax's missions, I was happy to see the game actually lean into some of the weirder sci-fi elements. It's a different sort of vibe than where games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect typically go, and used well could add some really interesting and entertaining depth to the usual story beats.

BRIAN BLESSED

Fencingsax wrote: »

Krieghund wrote: »

I think this Regulator kid at the shop is hitting on me.

I feel like a bunch of characters were lowkey hitting on me. I was okay with it.

My favourite so far is

Tassyn's initial idea of small talk. "So hey we named our spy organization after a bird, we talk the shit out of our enemies and disappear them super hard afterwards, we're pretty badass. So now you know a bit about what I do!"

And here's me going "well... Thanks, I guess"

spool32

Man, how common is it for people to just disconnect after the 2nd chest in Heart of Rage? I've had three groups just fucking quit on me, in a row. Chest appears, they fly down, collect loot, vanish.

soylenth

Somewhat common. I always stay to the end, i just think of it as player feedback on the current tuning of endgame bosses.

spool32

soylenth wrote: »

Somewhat common. I always stay to the end, i just think of it as player feedback on the current tuning of endgame bosses.

I figured it's more about how the boss isn't perfectly optimized for maximum loot-per-mouseclick so chest farmers fuck off to do another 2/3rds run because their spreadsheet says that's how you get loot.

The other night, Belasco was killing skorps in that middle section of Tyrant mine before the first water area, and thank goodness she was quick because she was still able to grab the masterwork that dropped from one of them before the speedracers force-hopped her to the next fight.

soylenth

Do you get all the armor that drops at the end even if you don't explicitly pick it up?

Krieghund

I finally got around to doing my first stronghold mission. Tyrant mines? And now I have all blues except for my components. Just have to rep up for those apparently.

KafkaAU

soylenth wrote: »

Do you get all the armor that drops at the end even if you don't explicitly pick it up?

Only masterworks and legendaries. Everything else you have to pick up.

stopgap

I think I must have gone just slow enough because I got started on Masterworks after they updated some of the missions and component drops. I'm having a blast. I think my limited playtime helps though.

soylenth

I have been no lifing this game more than i care to admit, so take that into consideration.

Phoenix138

You’ve been earning me the most alliance coins every week so your dedication has not gone unappreciated soylenth.

Big Dookie

I’m not gonna lie, after 50 hours and leveling three of my javelins up to MW, I think the grind is really starting to wear on me. This game is a lot of fun, but it’s also so, so broken in so many ways. Might be time to set this one down and revisit it in a couple months when they (hopefully) have some of the kinks worked out.

dporowski

soylenth wrote: »

Somewhat common. I always stay to the end, i just think of it as player feedback on the current tuning of endgame bosses.

I look at it as "Ooh sweet, extra rep/coin/alliance XP for killing one boss", since QP strongholds are almost always HoR. But hey, quick MW roll and a lot of extra stuff.

Who-Psyd

dporowski wrote: »

soylenth wrote: »

Somewhat common. I always stay to the end, i just think of it as player feedback on the current tuning of endgame bosses.

I look at it as "Ooh sweet, extra rep/coin/alliance XP for killing one boss", since QP strongholds are almost always HoR. But hey, quick MW roll and a lot of extra stuff.

I have Quick Played into it 3 times now, once I swear the team had no idea what to do about the Meteors.

And honestly if the team is doing it right the boss is not such a big deal.

KafkaAU

Only problem with the monitor is I have no idea where his weak spots are and I’ve done that instance at least 10 times.

Who-Psyd

KafkaAU wrote: »

Only problem with the monitor is I have no idea where his weak spots are and I’ve done that instance at least 10 times.

Face and Chest, he does have some Invuln phases to his moves though.

evilbob

it's more top of the head and sides. it's sometimes you can see them glowing yellow, sometimes you can't.

evilbob

Got a good random murder crew rolling in freeplay earlier. Three of us, me and one of them had builds too good for gm1. Other guy was close. Went up the west side and across the north killing literally everything.

Prohass

I really wish there was more cosmetic rewards, that your javelin looked different depending on mods equiped, like if you had a MW ammo mod you had like extra ammo packs on your javelin, that MW weapons actually looked different rather than just a reskin, or had alternative fires or something.

Honestly I would have liked armour loot too, just...something. And for gm2 and 3 difficulties to have actually different things to do, different enemies or at least different patterns or behaviours.

Because frankly once you've decked out your favourite javelin from gm1 there's not much point in grinding for anything else from a gameplay perspective.

There's just not enough rewards to make playing the higher difficulties worth it. GM1 is the endgame for all intents and purposes.

Games-as-services should have lots of varied rewards or lots of varied gameplay otherwise increased difficulties are just stats and math in a vacuum.

I would have liked way more mission variety, stuff to do with flying, taking on enemies on hover carriers, fending off Striders, defending your base. Maybe like a territories map where factions gain and lose control

It's a testament to how fun I find the flying and combat that I feel like I've stopped playing this game not because I want to, but because there's literally nothing left to do. And in a regular game this wouldn't bother me, but they sacrificed a proper fleshed out campaign experience for the games as service model, so running out of things to do is a major issue

Shove in pets, drone friends, just anything! I'm desperate to play your game Bioware, give me gimmicks at least!

MMMig

Wasn't the first post game stuff coming out this month?

furlion

MMMig wrote: »

Wasn't the first post game stuff coming out this month?

That was in the road map yes but given their... difficulties patching their own game I am not super hopeful it will not be a disaster and/or delayed to make sure they don't do something crazy like bump drop rates to enjoyable levels

Chanus

i got a new masterwork marksman rifle that shoots lightning bolts and shreds mans and it’s a lot of fun

but i’m just not finding myself compelled to keep playing

i pick it up for a few hours in the weekend but just kinda get bored eventually and go do something else

which is a good thing i suppose but if i had paid for the game i think i would feel fairly disappointed by it

Corporal Carl

This is the vinyl you get when completing the Challenge of Valor (on helmets where you can see the skull well):


I also completed the Bastion Collectibles Challenge, so now the only thing to do is do the daily legendaries, and try to get all the kinds of left/right trigger skills in MW.
The guns will undoubtebly follow at a slower pace, but now there's no big rush anymore at the moment for me.

Sadly my trophy for the Light Machine Gun Master didn't pop, so no Platinum yet, and the Legendary Freelancer Challenge is bugged (it doesn't mark the suit challenges, and nobody nows what the last category is), so I can't show off that decal yet.

Prohass

Jesus you did the bastion collectibles achievement? Did you use a guide?