Thursday, April 14, 2016
The Division's First Add-On Is Here, And... It Sucks
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So, the new
update for The Division dropped yesterday, and it’s called Incursions.
It’s the first of two free updates, and frankly, I’m glad it was free because I’d
be pissed if I paid for it. A general list of content and changes is at the
bottom of this post.
Basically,
every higher-level piece of armor or weaponry has a points value associated with
it, so the game somehow adds all of those up (it doesn't seem like straight addition)
and assigns a total overall value to a player. Then, it separates those players
into different categories when in the DZ.
The new starter category is a gear score of 0-160, so everybody who’s been farming or crafting the best stuff is no longer in the same zone with people who play more casually, which is a godsend.
After this
change went into effect and the superplayers were moved elsewhere, my group
went back into the DZ and we were able to score lots of loot because we were
working together, we were holding our own against rogues, and there were plenty
of AI enemies to kill. The experience was finally back to what it had been
before things became so imbalanced.
There's also
a new kind of supply drop in the DZ that randomly occurs and everyone nearby
races to grab it. It doesn't happen quite often enough so far, but it's neat.
On the other
hand, the gear score seems like a double-edged sword. We were excited to jump
into the newest mission, Falcon Lost, but we didn’t meet the minimum gear score
of 140, so we weren’t allowed to start it. Surprised and frustrated, we went
back into the DZ and earned enough loot over two nights to finally clear the
bar for entry.
Before
talking about the mission itself, it’s worth noting that gear with a better
score was almost always worse than what I had previously
equipped. By using stuff with better rank, my DPS and Health both dropped
drastically, even after using mods to offset the difference. I find it
absolutely baffling that requiring a player to get “better gear” means
that their stats drop to unacceptable levels far worse than what the “low level”
gear provided. It makes NO sense.
Another
thing to note? The next free mission coming up requires a gear score of 220… Considering
how long it took us to get to 140 and the sacrifices in our stats that had to
be made, I don’t see how getting to 220 is any kind of desirable goal.
In any event,
we finally started Falcon Lost and it was awful. The mission description states
that it’s designed for a full squad of four with top-level gear, and by golly,
they weren’t joking. My team of three with the minimum required gear was
getting demolished from all sides, and the goal of defeating 15 waves of
enemies while an APC fired grenades at us was impossible. We died and retried
several times and eventually threw in the towel. There was just no way we were
going to get it done. So all the work we put in to gain access to the content?
For nothing. And farming it for gear? Don't make me laugh.
Overall, I
can’t say that I’m too thrilled with the direction The Division is going. I get that there’s a certain segment of
players out there who want MMO-style endgame content and an infinite amount of
stuff to grind and chase, but that just doesn’t appeal to me.
I was really
hoping that the devs would release content that would be right for dropping in,
getting it done, and then dropping out again… I really have no desire to grind
and farm just to access new content, especially if the content is going to be
harder than anything reasonably achievable by someone who isn’t playing the
game as a full-time job. Making matters worse, the game has no greatly
increased the mats required to craft things, so an already tedious grind is now
even grindier.
My review
praised the game for being a good middle ground between MMO design and console
sensibilities, but the devs are now swinging too far in the wrong
direction. Maybe someone likes the idea of having to pour a lifetime into The Division just to keep progressing,
but that’s the opposite of what I was looking for, and it’s a shame. Jumping in
with friends to knock a few missions out or getting some DZ time is great, but
when a forced grind comes into the picture, that’s when I bounce and find something
else to play.
*
Today, Ubisoft® announced that the
first content update for Tom Clancy’s The Division™ is now available for all
players on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows
PC. As part of the post-launch plan to keep players entertained after the main
story arc is completed, Incursions is the first of two free updates. Incursions
is comprised of new activities, features and items that continue to build upon
the gameplay experience.
NEW ACTIVITIES:
• New Incursion Falcon Lost: Developed
specifically for squad play, players team up with the Joint Task Force in an
epic fight against the Last Man Battalion and their new deadly weapon.
• Dark Zone Supply Drops: Players need to
be on the lookout for air supply drops in the Dark Zone from Division command.
These global events provide non-contaminated gear that are ready to use and
don’t require extraction.
• Assignments: Tackled alone or with other
agents, these lucrative timed assignments will offer players additional
rewards.
NEW FEATURES:
• Trading: As one of the community’s
most-wanted features, loot trading has been added to allow players to share
items within the same group by simply dropping them from their inventory.
• Gear Score: Now players can size up
fellow agents and gauge the power of items by comparing gear scores.
NEW ITEMS:
• Gear Sets: By completing challenging
activities in Manhattan, players can collect and wear new gear sets to unlock
powerful bonuses and stats. Find the set that best suits your playstyle:
- Tactician's Authority – Enhances
electronics and support capabilities.
- Striker's Battlegear – Provides bonuses
for assault capabilities.
- Sentry's Call – Enhances marksman capabilities.
- Path of the Nomad – Provides bonuses for
lone wanderers.
*
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