As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

[Defiance] Let's shoot/kill some bugs

13839404143

Posts

  • CorehealerCorehealer The Apothecary The softer edge of the universe.Registered User regular
    Even better, when you die and extract it extracts you directly back into the arena, with no cover, with everything shooting at you. There was no apparent exit, I control-alt-deleted out of the game.

    What

    the

    fuck

    Poor Regina Fong's got them bad arena spawn blues.
    The aliens filled him full of holes from his head down to his shoes.
    They laughed and cajoled him at the patience he would lose.
    He flubbed them off with a wave of his hand and went off in search of booze.

    488W936.png
  • DecoyDecoy Registered User regular
    edited January 2014
    Arthil wrote: »
    So have they actually added anything which would even be considered for my pre-order thing where I'd get the first 5-6 DLC stuff for free D:? I remember the option of being a Castithan and getting their cool energy daggers as a weapon being talked about.

    Chances are I have the most time spent in the past 2 DLCs so I guess I should chime in. The game is still what it was at launch. An easy, shallow, open world, 3rd person multiplayer shooter. I enjoy the shooting mechanics though, so I've been able to glean a good amount of fun from it.

    The 1st DLC gave us:
    • Castithans (ie pale reskinned humans) as a playable race, but like the 2 available at launch, still had 0 effect on any story or gameplay elements.
    • The "story" they added was just a thin explanation built to explain the Battle Arenas (ie instanced Horde Mode) and introduced a new "faction".
    • The Charge blades are a nice feature since people were asking for melee weapons since beta. The feel fairly powerful when traited, but you'll often lag behind in damage considering others kill at range.
    • The Charge weapons are fairly meh.
    • RE-Added seiges, which are basically open world Horde Modes, set at predetermined locations on the map.

    The 2nd gave us:
    • The ability to summon new minor and major arkfalls, using a new in game currency. These can be entered once enemies outside have been dealt with (also resulting in you not being able to easily leave til they are done, as Regina mentioned).
    • The "story" given to us was simply a thrown together series of "go here" missions to explain now being able to call down types of arkfalls.
    • New weapon tech that allow some weapons to shoot projectile beams instead of bullets. What they gain in splash damage and the "cool looking" factor, they lose with their horrible travel time and wild inaccuracy.
    • Spikes and Stims were added. Spikes are deployable AoE buffs (DMG, Protection, Ammo regen) that act like a Shaman's totem for everyone around you. Stims are temporary personal buffs.
    • Grenades have gone from timed cooldown to a consumable with a limit of 5. Meaning once you throw those 5, you're out til you buy more from a supply station or pick more up as a drop. The quality and type of the grenade isn't lost, just the quantity.
    • The only good thing released post-launch is the Warmaster. He is the final enemy of the newly summoned Major Arkfalls. He is a timed "raid boss" encounter that requires a team of 15-20 coordinated people to takedown. The problem with him though is he doesn't scale. Meaning that if he is released before there is a large number of people there, the DPS required to down him, just won't happen. This has led to griefers and newer people wasting other people's ark currency to summon the Major Arkfall. When downed though, he has a much better chance to give Orange loot than any tier of lockbox.

    The 3rd DLC was teased a few days ago. I shit you not, it's called The 7th Legion, and its about Canadian Samurai. No details, other than backstory, have been released yet.

    Side notes:
    • Currently the game is in the age of the Surge Bolter. Which is a charged semi-auto sniper rifle that is so unbelievably OP, any normal company would've brought down live servers to fix it no matter what the time/day.
    • The RNG behind the loot acquired from T-4 lockboxes has appeared to have been nerfed HARDCORE, making oranges extremely rare. And GOOD oranges even more stupidly rare. Some may say this is a good thing, but once you've done everything and are literally just grinding for loot and EGO points, the amount of weapons and consumables now in the game, coupled with the various Bonus Rolls you can get on weapons, mean that you are almost guaranteed to get shit from lockboxes now. The Warmaster encounter is by far the best way to get new weapons, but people releasing him early make this a futile effort as well.
    • With the change to grenades (now 5 limit consumables) and the addition of spikes and stims (10 limit), the loot dropped by world mobs often results in a consumable you are full on. Meaning you'll see a bunch of green and blue loot drops but not able to pick them up. Not only that, but consumables acquired through mission rewards and lockboxes will now be placed in your claimable items section, causing it to quickly bloat out of control.

    The TLDR version:
    • Open world and instanced Horde Mode were added.
    • You can call down minor and major arkfalls that have horrible design flaws but are decent ways to get gear.
    • Grenades are so pointless that you might as well ignore them/respec out of them.
    • World dropped loot has been made worse by consumables and lockbox loot was nerfed to the ground.
    • Surge Bolters are OP.
    • PVP is dead. What is left is filled with perk/waepon/ability cheesers and straight up exploiters.
    • UI is.... better... but still horrible.


    I have fun, but then again I can play anything. It's a decent distraction, but don't expect it to have any legs.

    Decoy on
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    Did they do another season of the show yet?

    What is this I don't even.
  • DecoyDecoy Registered User regular
    No, not yet. It comes back this June, I believe.

  • CorehealerCorehealer The Apothecary The softer edge of the universe.Registered User regular
    Seems like a slow burn. Did they give any reason why it would take until June?

    488W936.png
  • DecoyDecoy Registered User regular
    Nothing that I can see. I would assume though that it's mostly due to the post production that is required for a heavily sci fi sy fy based television show.

  • Regina FongRegina Fong Allons-y, Alonso Registered User regular
    Yeah, I can't believe that mmo makers still haven't figured out that excessive loot drops -and much much worse- lots of loot drops that can't be picked up, are hugely fucking annoying.

    They basically turned the loot system into a massive annoyance.

  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    My guess on the show delay (besides Decoy's reason) is that they're also adding stuff that's happened in the game to the show's plot. I've heard that at least one of the game's NPCs is making an appearance along with the chosen PCs.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Show won't come back till june because it launched around may of last year. Its a summer show meant for people to watch it when there is nothing else on.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • DocshiftyDocshifty Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Show won't come back till june because it launched around may of last year. Its a summer show meant for people to watch it when there is nothing else on.

    Being Human is starting back up today, so Defiance will start when this season ends to give people a reason to keep watching SyFy, like Preacher said.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    I did really like the show when it was on. It was the closest thing to a good serialized western in a long time and despite other people not liking the lead I enjoyed him. It'll be interesting to see where they take it post resurrection weirdness, then again we saw nano's can bring people back to life.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • ArthilArthil Registered User regular
    All I can say is...

    Viva la revolución For what is bound to happen in Season 2.

    PSN: Honishimo Steam UPlay: Arthil
  • DecoyDecoy Registered User regular
    FINALLY reached 3k EGO and messed around with a melee focused build (in prep for the "Samurai" coming in DLC3). While it's obviously not recommended in every situation, it did perform pretty darn admirably (total dmg wise) in most if you are constantly on the move and charging around like a madman.

    Loadout:
    Weapons: Shanjifyo Blade
    Shield: Respark Regen III DX (1247 cap, 40%/sec, 3 sec delay, 50% regen)
    Gren: Frag Gren
    Spike: Dmg Spikes
    Stim: Brawler Stims
    Ability: Blur

    Perks:
    (Ability boosters)
    Second Wind: Reduce the recharge time of BLUR.
    Endurance Runner: Increase BLUR duration
    (On Shield Break)
    Risk Taker: When your shield breaks, extend the duration of the active EGO power.
    Escape Artist: When your shield breaks, you move faster for 5 seconds.
    Thick Skinned: You take half damage after your shield breaks.
    (On Kill)
    Hyperactive: On a melee kill, you move faster for 5 seconds.
    (Defensive)
    Regeneration: Constant bonus health regeneration.
    (Offensive)
    Sonic Strike: While BLUR is active, you deal more melee damage.
    Intimidation: You deal more damage to enemies that are flinching, knocked back, or knocked down.

    My thinking with this loadout was essentially to have a relatively small, fast recharging shield with regen to allow me to use "on shield break" skills. Coupled with the boosts to Bur and the "on melee kill" speed boost, movement shouldn't be an issue. With the grenade change, I barely use them anymore, so Frag is just my default choice for most everything. Bio might come in handy in some situations, but not enough for me to run it full time.

    Most things are fairly obvious, with the only real thing I feel like I'm missing is "Nothing to Lose". It's perk states "You deal more melee damage when your shields are down." While this sounds like a no-brainer, its a situational 10/20/30% dmg progression, versus the 25/50/75% of Intimidation (which happens on all swings to non-elite mobs) and the 20/40/60% from Sonic Strike. And because Regeneration is so damn helpful and damn near required for a smaller shield build, I'd try to shoehorn NtL there, but alas, it's the one being left out.

    Anyhow, after writing all that, I'm not sure why I did since most of it is obvious. Regardless, you can't say I'm not contributing. Ha.

  • Anon the FelonAnon the Felon In bat country.Registered User regular
    I have two copies of this on Steam. If anyone wants one, shoot me a PM.

  • CorriganXCorriganX Jacksonville, FLRegistered User regular
    I have been playing a lot more lately and having a lot of fun with the game. If anyone else is kinda feeling the itch to play again (Or start playing) message me here or on steam and lets shoot some mans. I still have the clan going if anyone wants to join it. Trying to level it up so the more the merrier.

    n1woEHJ.png
    CorriganX on Steam and just about everywhere else.
  • IoloIolo iolo Registered User regular
    CorriganX wrote: »
    I have been playing a lot more lately and having a lot of fun with the game. If anyone else is kinda feeling the itch to play again (Or start playing) message me here or on steam and lets shoot some mans. I still have the clan going if anyone wants to join it. Trying to level it up so
    the more the merrier.

    I'll take a clan invite, @CorriganX, if you don't mind me not being terribly active.

    Lt. Iolo's First Day
    Steam profile.
    Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    If there's a PA-clan on the PC servers, I'd gladly take an invite too.

  • CorriganXCorriganX Jacksonville, FLRegistered User regular
    @Owenashi let me know when you log in and i'll log in to invite you. @Iolo was already in the clan, he just forgot. :p

    n1woEHJ.png
    CorriganX on Steam and just about everywhere else.
  • IoloIolo iolo Registered User regular
    That's not true. I was testing our illustrious leader! He is the one who forgot and whose brain is leaky!

    Lt. Iolo's First Day
    Steam profile.
    Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    chat1.jpg

    First look at the changed chat-UI coming in with 7th Legion.
    See that screenshot? TrickCastithan is chatting right now. That’s the new full chat interface, free of the commands/emotes/etc. that bloated the viewport in the previous iteration.

    We’ve also divorced voice chat from text chat: there’s no reason to keep those two tied together, bogging each other down. The voice chat channels now appear in the top-right of the screen alongside the mini-map. The voice channel you are speaking in is clearly indicated and can be swapped on the fly, but channels will also light up when people speak in them. (So you can know where that strange voice is coming from.)

  • Regina FongRegina Fong Allons-y, Alonso Registered User regular
    Wow, nice! A huge part of the reason I've always felt totally divorced from any other player in this game is the lack of an actual decent chat interface. Not that there's anything wrong with a multiplayer shooter, Defiance is a pretty nifty multiplayer shooter. But some RP in that MMO is nice.

  • CorehealerCorehealer The Apothecary The softer edge of the universe.Registered User regular
    I played this in the beta a while ago before launch. Haven't paid it much attention since, though I did think it was an okay game that did some unique stuff. Perhaps I should grab it on Steam.

    488W936.png
  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    It's pretty fun though some of the enemy placement can be annoying, especially with the little mini-events that randomly happen. Sometimes they're not far from another fight you have to go through for a mission and they decide to help the guys you're trying to fight by dogpiling on you at the worst time. Also, Trion's pretty nice with letting people who don't buy their DLC still have stuff from that content, like the Charge Blades from the first one and being allowed to help out in summoned Arkfalls from the second.

  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    tGjymqh.jpg

    Looks like things are gonna get messy with the 7th Legion.
    JOIN THE 7th LEGION
    Yoshida Hiro’s 7th Legion marches for the Bay Area armed with the latest E-Rep weaponry and defenses. Prove your worth to join their cause, battle against the enemies of a unified Earth, and reap new rewards.

    SPECIAL RECRUIT KIT
    An outfit, gear, and title start your path to becoming an honored member of the 7th Legion.

    EXPAND YOUR ARSENAL
    The 7th Legion has developed a unique fighting style expressed in its new weapons and synergies.

    SHIELD UP
    Wield hybrid Human-Votan tech shields designed to take down enemies on the New Frontier.

    AND MORE!
    A new chat system debuts with 7th Legion DLC, plus INCURSIONS: a new kind of dynamic content invading the bay area!

  • DecoyDecoy Registered User regular
    Ha. I was going to post that yesterday but I wasn't sure if anyone really cared. :) There's a live stream supposedly happening today, as well. I have Trion's twitch setup to tell me when it goes live. I'll take notes if I get there in time to watch it.

  • MasterOfPupetsMasterOfPupets Registered User regular
    I have two copies of this on Steam. If anyone wants one, shoot me a PM.

    This offer still on the table? I'm giving the free trial a shot and like it. Might be worth playing a bit.

    XBL = MoP54
    PSN = PessimistMaximus
    camo_sig2.png
  • Anon the FelonAnon the Felon In bat country.Registered User regular
    Steam friend request sent.

  • MasterOfPupetsMasterOfPupets Registered User regular
    Steam friend request sent.

    Accepted. Thanks

    XBL = MoP54
    PSN = PessimistMaximus
    camo_sig2.png
  • DecoyDecoy Registered User regular
    edited February 2014
    This is a few days old, but I figured I'd post it since it's still here as a draft.
    Back in September, when this was posted, we were in production on Arkbreaker and in pre-production for 3 more DLCs. At the time, DLC 3 was going to be our first story update, DLC 4 was going to be more mechanically driven, and (no spoilers on DLC 5… yet!) Many of the features of Arkbreaker took longer than expected and required the same resources as our story update. As such, DLC 4, which soon became “7th Legion” moved ahead of DLC 3.

    Strangely, this numbering will still be apparent in the audio files for the story update, as all of them will still be tagged for DLC 3. Welcome to game development.
    There are neither missions nor side missions in the 7th Legion DLC. Incursions occur more frequently with higher populations as high populations complete dynamic events more rapidly. That said, we're looking into increasing their frequency so that more players are certain to encounter them.

    "Incursions" are a collection of roadside emergencies ending in a seige-mode encounter. Meaning, it's all existing content, but now it's collected together in a slightly different way. They are even shown on the map similar to Arkfalls, only now they are shown as yellow circles, not red.

    DLC3 sounds like its going to be pretty light in terms of content. As a SP owner, I'm getting it regardless, but for anyone who buys them "one at a time", it looks like you're not missing anything.

    Decoy on
  • DecoyDecoy Registered User regular
    edited February 2014
    Well. The DLC dropped yesterday. Here are some of my notes (all from the PC version):

    Bug/Quality of Life Fixes

    Chat
    Chat, on the surface, is more in line with most MMOs now. Hit enter to bring focus to the chatbox. The giant box of doom is gone (at least for chat itself, not the 'Ctrl' menu). Private chat is a bit cumbersome still, as you have to manually type someones name to reply if they whisper you. I would've thought it'd be in the 'Ctrl' menu, but it's not. Still, it seems fairly responsive and a lot more lively now. I haven't... or more appropriately... don't care to test every little nuance of the system. Bottom line is, you can see people talk and respond easier.

    Loot
    I've only played a few hours since the DLC dropped, but the loot RNG is a mixed bag. The stuff you get from keycode purchased lockboxes (3 T3s bought and 2 T4s) still appear to have such a large table that the chances of you getting something you want is slim to none. The same goes with world drops and activity completion rewards. The time and effort most things take seemingly never pay off in turns of reward.

    On the flip side, it appears they boosted Vendor Supply boxes (the Supply Boxes you can purchase from the VBI/Sel/TN vendor machines). Many people have reported getting multiple Oranges from these. I can also attest to this as I got a good (for my melee build) shield from one. And because their loot is restricted to the pool of Vendor specific weapons they offer, you're now ONLY at the mercy of getting a bad roll on the weapon bonuses. Pending you like the Synergy they offer.

    Mass Breakdown
    Mass Breakdown now only breaks down White/Green/Blue items. All purples and above need to be manually broken down. This will keep people from accidentally breaking down their Epics. Blues are still susceptible, but it's a decent QOL thing.

    Random Bugs
    Cars still despawn around emergencies, but more on this later.


    Content

    7th Legion
    The advertised 7th Legion has 0 presence in the game other than a Vendor at Overlook in SF. There are no missions, no data recorders, and no in-game explanation as to why they are there. The only way you even know they're in the game is by the new pursuits and new reputation grind in your list. The pursuits and daily/weekly goals are either "complete XX incursion(s)" or are generic (given there's no missions). Aside from incursions they are the way to gain the rep you need to acquire 7L weapons and outfits.

    Incursions
    Like I mentioned earlier, are essentially a small area of the map where you go from roadside emergency to roadside emergency eventually ending at a siege. They appear to be phased differently than anything else in game, in the sense that Trion is allowing A LOT more people to be i the same phase than in any other content they've released.

    Population/Phasing Example (note all the purple dots on the minimap... Also note the chat box, if you want an example of that as well.)
    AE0F5FE76450ADBCE3A5C36A719CAA50D7735487

    Unfortunately this "new" content has many downsides.
    The roadside emergencies, as well as the end sieges, have set spawn points for the monsters. Leading to A LOT of spamming of specific areas... leading to monsters being dead before they even appear. Obviously, lag has been fairly present for some. To make matters worse, these emergencies are short. So by the time the massive group of people all make it to one, it's either over or ending. Much like more populated arkfalls, you'll get occasional bouts of everyone despawning and looking like you're alone. Also, I personally believe the ending sieges go on FAR too long. 10 mins of a siege, after running from emergency to emergency is just tiresome.

    As an example of just how bad the set spawn points are, I literally went from emergency to emergency spam swinging my blade at the spawn points. And eventually did the same at the ending siege. This was the result.
    B91C809B5BA274D929C06787E1312BFF6FAECD89

    And then there is the "Cars still despawn around emergencies" bug that has plagued the game for a while now. How a developer builds content specifically around something that has such a rampant and heinous bug attached to it, I'll never know. Going from quick emergency to quick emergency is always a trying affair as you never know when you'll be kicked from your car.


    What you get when you buy the DLC vs just playing for free
    1 title
    1 outfit
    3 random DLC themed (ie rekinned) weapons. 2 of mine which were greens.
    1 7th Legion Shield (also green)

    Other than that, nothing. You're good to play the Incursions without paying for the DLC.


    DLC value conclusion

    Unless you're a Season Pass owner, you don't need to buy the DLC. Save your $10 and buy 1-2 more discounted Steam games.

    Decoy on
  • ArthilArthil Registered User regular
    I should get this as a Season Pass owner right?

    PSN: Honishimo Steam UPlay: Arthil
  • DecoyDecoy Registered User regular
    Arthil wrote: »
    I should get this as a Season Pass owner right?

    You will. Trion considers this 1 of the 5 DLC they are required to publish.

  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    Well, it looks as if maybe the next DLC will have the story-progression players have been asking for.
    eidge6i.jpg

    The world of Defiance is a big place with lots of story to tell and many unanswered questions: What is the Biodyne Project? Who controls the Earth Republic? Today, we’re excited to announce an update that may answer many of those questions for you. For months we’ve been putting together a juicy story update for Defiance. We have had a lot of narrative threads we’ve wanted to explore since our initial release, and we’re proud to finally reveal our next DLC: Gunslinger Trials.
    Gunslinger Trials picks up after the disappearance of Karl Von Bach and during the expansionist push of the Earth Republic’s Terrestrian Party. Ark hunters will face three new mission lines, each presented by a different member of Von Bach Industries.
    • Azumi Yoshida – Former COO of Von Bach Industries, and acting CEO.
    • Uvan Johaar – Senior Technician at Von Bach Industries.
    • Raizar Zandijur – VBI Consultant to the Earth Republic.

    These stories are told with eleven new cutscenes and over three hundred new lines of dialog. Ark hunters will uncover a conspiracy to steal EGO implants, the revival of the Biodyne project, and even the rise of a new political power in the Earth Republic. Working for Von Bach Industries is not without its benefits: Ark hunters who help the organization will be rewarded with new gear created to the specifications of each of the VBI leaders. Do you prefer the EGO-enhancing properties of the Yoshida weapons, or the danger of Raizar Zandijur’s weapons which push his “Ultimate Warrior” philosophy?

    While betrayal and intrigue are the core of the story, Defiance is a tale told in bullets and blood. Gunslinger Trails will also add nine new arenas that challenge up to four ark hunters in a tactical race to reach the high score. Hunters will not only be graded on the pace at which they kill, but also their capacity to work together. Bonuses are scored for coordinated fire and for attacking enemies who are debilitated by nano-effects. Additionally, all existing Thorn Liro arenas will now be available to groups as well. Do you have what it takes to face these challenges?

    Stay tuned for more in depth information on Gunslinger Trials in the coming weeks. We’ve got a lot to talk about before the DLC hits Xbox 360s, PlayStation 3s, and PCs everywhere this March.

  • DecoyDecoy Registered User regular
    edited February 2014
    While all that is great, I was never a fan of the arenas (and "horde" modes in general). So hearing that those will be a major player in the next dlc is a bit disappointing. Especially considering the Thorn Liro arenas were the same base area with differing platforms. ESPECIALLY also considering coop arenas were supposed to be in DLC 1.

    There's also some fear that the new weapons and synergies will once again be reskins, as always. But still, I'm looking forward to new actual content. Hopefully it's decent enough to want to play through a few times.

    Decoy on
  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpWBDTgvCN0&feature=player_embedded

    Dunno what the DLC will be like until my comp's fixed but it has a neat trailer.

  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    Sorry for the double-post but I figure that those who play this game might want to know that Defiance is going F2P starting this June 4th(PC)/June 15th(PS3) to coincide with the second season's start on Sci-Fi.
    MMORPG.com wrote:
    But what about players who purchased the game? Or those who bought add-ons from the store, or DLC packs and season passes? There are no tricks, no traps. If you’re an existing player, your Defiance experience will stay the same. If you bought the game, bought DLC, or bought any items from the store it all stays with you when the game goes F2P in June. On top of that, you’ll also be getting the new Patron Pass “subscriber” level free for a month. While Trion isn’t quite ready to share all of the prices on the Patron plan for Defiance, Trick Dempsey (Creative Lead) told us that it will definitely be less than the industry standard of $15 a month. There will also be opt-ins for 15, 30, 60, and 90 day times. Since you can’t buy revolving access on the consoles, you instead buy one time use codes/items in the store that are then applied to your account. Much like Defiance’s existing XP and Script boosters.

    There are some other nice quality of life changes coming with the launch of F2P on the PC, including a quick radial swap for loadouts, more inventory management changes, and an unequip pop-up that will let you salvage and sell gear you have equipped more easily by checking with you if you want to sell any items you have equipped.

    As for what's coming to lead into the second season's premiere...
    But F2P isn’t all that’s on tap over the next month for Defiance. In mid-June, the second season of the show on SyFy will launch, and to help fans gear up the game will be running Pre-Season events beginning in the next couple of weeks. The first of which is called Cradle to the Grave, where you are introduced to the first Human-Irath hybrid which will somehow play part in the SyFy show as well. Then the second crossover preseason episode is called Stahma’s Interests, which of course means everyone’s favorite gorgeous white alien mama is making an appearance in the game. Lastly, just before the premier of season two, Nolan Returns will bring Grant Bowler’s character back to San Francisco for a new mission crossover. None of this will be gated, and it will all be free to players.

  • tastydonutstastydonuts Registered User regular
    edited May 2014
    Was wondering why there wasn't a thread for this game... forgot there was even an MMO section. Anyhoo, I figured I'd finally pull the trigger on this and got it and played it some last night (on the 360). Forgot what it was like to wait for patches to download. I did get some play time in though, and I like it so far. Made it up a little over 200 EGO. (edit: didn't make 200)
    The only good thing released post-launch is the Warmaster. He is the final enemy of the newly summoned Major Arkfalls. He is a timed "raid boss" encounter that requires a team of 15-20 coordinated people to takedown. The problem with him though is he doesn't scale. Meaning that if he is released before there is a large number of people there, the DPS required to down him, just won't happen. This has led to griefers and newer people wasting other people's ark currency to summon the Major Arkfall. When downed though, he has a much better chance to give Orange loot than any tier of lockbox.

    I like that you get boosted in level or whatever for arkfalls too. Pretty organic experience. Wound up fighting this dude. When people were standing around waiting and one guy was shooting those locks I assumed they were just grinding weapon XP. Guess I was wrong... and that's exactly what happened. But now I know, heh!

    tastydonuts on
    “I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    Today's the premiere of Defiance's second season on Sci-Fi and the devs have decided to unveil what's coming to the game during it's run.
    My fellow ark hunters,

    It's been an exciting year in Paradise. The Tarr family has expanded its operations into the Bay Area, Dark Matter operations in Tranquility have been thwarted, and now the thief, Josh Nolan, has been involved in the downfall of a Votan trafficking ring. Interesting times.

    But there are more interesting times ahead.

    Starting with the Gunslinger Trials, we began to drop hints of the dire events occurring in Silicon Valley. Von Bach Industries has research labs in the valley, but communication with these remote facilities has been disrupted for months now. It won't be long before the troubles there come spilling out into the rest of the bay.

    Z5MsxGt.jpg
    98OBFuw.jpg

    Now that the stage is set, our Season 2 storyline can begin in earnest. We've got a lot of content coming out over the next three months: new missions, new gear, a new vehicle, and a new landmass. The New Frontier will never be the same!

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Defiance came back today, was an enjoyable table setting episode. A lot of people are in a worse place, and damn the former mayors dress was very nice.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • tastydonutstastydonuts Registered User regular
    Ha... ha... I've never seen a game dev openly call out and dismiss their loyal fanbase so strongly until today:
    Warmaster Event Changes in Defiance 2.1

    From Creative Lead Trick Dempsey:

    Ark hunters,

    We’re releasing an update to the Warmaster instance to address social dynamics inside the event. Feedback from players fell into two broad categories: those that break locks and those that do not.

    Lock breakers break the Warmaster locks at the first opportunity, valuing their play time, entertainment, and the moment-to-moment rewards that come from constant action. They are playing Defiance for a limited time each day and they are guided by which events are active in the game. Every part of the user interface supports this play method. Indicators and EGO instructions push these players forward, and they reap great rewards during their time. Lock breakers constitute a vast majority of players.

    Lock keepers seek to prolong the lock-breaking step until the number of players inside the Warmaster event meets or exceeds 24 players, often using chat and weapon intimidation to dissuade others in the instance. These players value resources over time and aim to earn the legendary weapon drops from the Warmaster at all costs. Additionally, these players tend to have an extremely limited scope for value on items; anything that is not part of a predetermined list is deemed entirely worthless. These players are extremely active on the forums and in-game, but still constitute a small minority of players.

    Here is how we are updating the event: When the last Volge in the upper level of the arkbreak is killed, the objective to open the vents appears. That objective now has a 30-second countdown. At that point, the vents will open themselves and the cage will appear in the room below. When the cage spawns, it begins a 3-minute countdown. During this countdown, the locks may be destroyed as normal. However, when the countdown completes, the locks shatter and the Warmaster is released. To be clear, from the moment the last Volge is killed in the lobby, there is a maximum of 3.5 minutes before the Warmaster fight starts.

    This puts the game’s mechanics in line with the interface indicators in the game and the instructions from EGO. Once inside the Warmaster event, players will proceed to its end in 10 to 15 minutes, thus freeing them to pursue their next adventure in a timely manner. Players aiming to maximize their chances to earn legendary gear or Warmaster kills now have the onus put on them to organize their teams before entering the event. They need to prepare their plans, leader designations, and group/friend invites such that they can execute them quickly. We are not, at this time, removing the exploit that allows players to exceed the event’s 24-player maximum, but we are requiring teams that wish to do so to achieve this in a timely fashion.

    While lock keepers are not necessarily playing the Warmaster instance incorrectly, this is not how the event was designed to be played. This change prevents them from holding an in-progress event hostage and allows the instance to progress as designed. Players who progress the Warmaster fight are not and have not been “griefers” as they are doing what the game has literally told them to do. We’ll continue to monitor feedback about the Warmaster event and this latest change, so please share your constructive experience-based insights with us on the forums.

    Good hunting,

    Creative Lead Trick Dempsey

    Apparently, because I'd rather wait a few minutes and not simply fail a fight I'm a lootwhore? How is joining a fight with a 90% failure rate even fun? Hopefully they'll fix the scaling on that fight so that it's actually feasible with groups of the desired size, given they allow people to join the encounter with poorly scaled up weapons and all.

    But as it is, the game instructs them to fail. Hard. By design. I mean many times there's only 10 - 15 people at the locks initially. This, plus a possible large influx of weaker low level players that would flood that even effectively ruins pugging it out. What about if you get put into a random instance? Reading through the whole thread but just... wow.

    Source

    “I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
Sign In or Register to comment.