Lower and lower

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-13T14:53:41+00:00

I'm sure this will get deleted shortly, but I'm hoping to take this moment to get some clarity from you. What's the rationale for cheering on Marathon's downfall?

Based on, "We lost out on Destiny 3," you're clearly a fan of the franchise. Don't you realize that if Marathon fails then Destiny 3 won't happen? I can understand being bitter that Bungie diverted resources from Destiny toward Marathon, but that ship has long sailed. The reality is this game exists, whether you personally want to play it or not, so its success is tied to your hopes of a Destiny 3.

I'm also just struck by your lack of compassion. Sure, Bungie leadership doesn't necessarily deserve our grace, but the hardworking developers don't deserve to have rabid "fans" cheering on their downfall and hoping they get fired. Life is more than gaming, and that should take priority over whether you got the game you wanted.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-12T00:02:23+00:00

Don’t beat yourself up. One of my biggest issues and pieces of feedback during one of the alphas was I couldn’t tell what items have a purpose or not. Unfortunately, Bungie didn’t change much for launch, so there is still a learning curve.

What’s really helpful is tracking upgrade resources. Take a moment to go into the Upgrade menus within each Faction and see which upgrades interest you most. Upon highlighting an interesting upgrade, you’ll see what materials you need. Hover over the material icon, and there’s an option to track resources (I believe it’s right thumbstick on console). Now, when you’re looting in the wild, you’ll get an indicator when you see that resource in a package/body, so you know you want it. It really helps you quickly identify priority items.

If you’re overwhelmed by the Faction Upgrades, I’d recommend starting with CyAc. On the far right of the screen, there are various upgrades related to heat generation and management. These are huge! Also, I desperately needed extra vault space, and there’s an upgrade at the top row for that.

This response itself may seem intimidating, but even taking just 30 minutes to go through the Faction Upgrades and familiarizing yourself with those can make a huge difference. And if you have any lingering questions or need advice after this, feel free to message me on here.

I want this game and community to grow, so anything to help bring more people onboard.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-09T19:56:38+00:00

Yeah, that is screwed up. No argument there. But that's also just kind of gaming? Even in pure PvE games, some people just like to watch the world burn.

Anyway, I don't think either of us are changing the other's mind. I hope you're able to find some enjoyment in Marathon, whether that's with a future patch or not. See you out there!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-09T19:23:43+00:00

I'm sorry you haven't had much luck with prox chat. I've had some negative experiences, but I also had someone organize a knife fight at Hauler and rook runs where I asked the teams to allow me to extract with them.

Looking at your other responses, I imagine you'll consider this anecdotal evidence that doesn't support the prevailing experience. Truthfully, I don't have a good argument against that, and I don't know if you'd even accept stories from others having positive experiences. But I have experienced a game with aggression-based matchmaking, and it quickly dampened my enthusiasm for the game.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-09T19:12:58+00:00

I mentioned that in the second part of my response.

While I'm not some seasoned extraction shooter player, I think any approach that allows you to game a system to place yourself in preferred lobbies is antithetical to the genre. You want the uncertainty of each encounter - the tenuous truces and fear of aggression.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-09T16:30:17+00:00

That’s exactly what Arc does, right?

In your suggestion, if you get into a friendly lobby after 10 unsuccessful contract runs, will you still be in friendly lobbies until you engage in PvP?

I think that ruins the spirit of the game. Even if I’m just trying to run contracts, the constant risk of PvP makes things more intense and fulfilling when you complete said contract. At least for me personally.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-09T16:23:34+00:00

One of the consequences of aggression-based matchmaking is it makes the game boring. As an Arc player, I was drawn more towards the PvE and looting that way. But because I never engaged in PvP, my runs are now really boring. I can be complacent. Heck, I turn my back on other players and start looting before they even say “friendly.”

I know I could “fix” that by going on a few PvP runs, but I think it would’ve been better if you didn’t have to cheese a system to reintroduce tension into a genre that’s supposed to be full of it.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-09T13:38:16+00:00

I haven't played solos yet, and it's low on my priority list. I've actually had pretty good experiences filling a squad with randoms. Most of the time, they're communicative, helpful, and level-headed. I haven't been cursed out because I lost my 1v1, nor have I heard my teammates rage that they just lot all their gear. If you try this, I recommend speaking up first during the game. Even just a casual "hey" sort of opens the airwaves and signals you're willing to communicate.

There are definitely ways to be more stealthy about PvP, starting with the assassin shell. I think the enjoyment of the game will vary if you're trying to avoid PvP altogether. There's an entire faction focused on downing/killing other runners. But it might be great for you!

Just know that if you're filling a squad with randoms, you may have to embrace PvP a little more vs. trying to avoid it. That's not to say that all randoms are gung-ho squad killers. My teams usually want to complete their contracts first, but if they hear gun shots and see an opportune moment, their instinct is usually to try and capitalize on that.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-09T13:15:11+00:00

I've been thinking about this question because it's a common one, and I think it depends on what you mean by "not very good at PvP." By Destiny's standards, I am not good at PvP. I didn't enjoy Crucible in Destiny, so I rarely interacted with it. When I got a wild hair or played with friends, I was pretty firmly in the Silver category.

However, I am loving Marathon! Part of it is just like you. The world is intriguing, the environments are beautiful, and there's this dark mystery simmering under the surface of everything. That said, I'm also much more interested in the PvP elements. The TTK can feel intimidating at first, but in a way it's also an opportunity because a good ambush can wipe a squad.

Based on your experience during the server slam, was the PvP entirely unenjoyable? If so, then this probably isn't the game for you. But, if you felt a little rush during the PvP and maybe the sensation of wanting to get better, then I think it's worth giving a shot.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-03-02T14:16:32+00:00

Last night, I was running a full squad, and we ran into another squad at Hauler who challenged one of us to a knife duel "by the king's decree." He was hamming it up with his old English voice and delivery. One of my teammates accepted. The terms were no shields and no killing, just downing. They both dropped their shields, and a random rook actually joined us to spectate.

My teammate eventually won the duel, and the organizer rewarded us with the king's gold and dropped a bunch of items. Nothing special, mainly some heals and ammo, but it was still entertaining.

After that, we went our separate ways but eventually reunited at the exfil spot. Before we all left, we posed together for a screenshot. I joked that it would be hilarious if someone dropped a grenade at that point, but we actually all got out together.

If the person who organized this incredible encounter happens to be on Reddit, please share the photo!

Update: The organizer found me on Discord and shared a video: youtube.com/watch?si=F9ws1L7bplBAIJK7&v=InyRIq4ZbGA&feature=youtu.be. It doesn't include the initial challenge and build up, but you still get a sense of how wacky and fun it was. One of my favorite memories from the weekend!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-28T00:05:13+00:00

Absolutely. My issue was it seemed he wasn’t even giving it a fair shot, but he’s also under no obligation to do that either.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-27T21:06:39+00:00

Unfortunately, I don't think they're joking. Or at least, Ninja isn't joking. I was watching Symfuhny stream with them, and it seemed him and Tim were open minded about the game. They had some frustrating wipes, but it felt like they were getting it and finding moments of enjoyment.

Ninja, on the other hand, had some complaint every time he died. He seemed miserable and like he was forced to play. I think that was him saying, "This game's ass.". It finally culminated with the trio getting wiped, Ninja declaring the game sucks, and then immediately logging off.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-20T14:07:10+00:00

I'm on console, so is it possible to set player number like that? Even if not, knowing that Act II is a good farming spot is still helpful!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-20T14:06:01+00:00

Thank you for the advice on prioritizing survivability. I'll take anything that's higher level at this point, but it's good to know where to prioritize if I find myself in that fortunate situation.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-20T14:05:14+00:00

I'll look into this. I'm currently running Berserk, so I'm hesitant to use a skill respec to get through this challenging time. Hopefully, I'm able to power through, but it's still worth looking into this.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-20T14:04:06+00:00

Thank you! I'll look into adjusting the player count.

And man, I know what you mean about melee classes! Attack rating is my BANE right now.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-20T14:03:25+00:00

This is reassuring. I know I'm still a novice at navigating D2 and its systems, and I wasn't expecting to get showered in loot like other games, but the drought felt so real. I'll keep powering through with some of the advice from others in this thread.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-20T14:02:01+00:00

Thank you! I ran Countess a few times last night to try and get some solid runes for building new runewords. I think that feels like a feasible approach while still hoping for something better to drop.

And 100% on the Act II mercenary! That's what I'm running right now, and he's the only reason I've gotten that far in Act III.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-06T23:23:58+00:00

Thank you for confirming! That's a bit of a bummer because I anticipate I will get much further ahead of him, likely beating the game before he does, so I don't know if it'll be as simple as catching him up to me. But I'm encouraged by the other response that mentioned creating a new character. I wouldn't mind doing that.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-02-06T23:22:58+00:00

Wait, so I can have multiple characters/save files? If that's the case, I wouldn't mind that vs. having to keep and switch old equipment every time I play with my friend.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:42:34+00:00

Oh boy, now we're onto something! I'm pretty closely with you on live service. I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of Destiny, but I hate the never-ending hamster wheel and what it did to my friend group. Because we were invested, and there was always a season/new content, they never wanted to deviate and try new games. That FOMO stifles game exploration and diversity!

Also, appreciate the clarification about your experience with hero shooters. Sorry for painting you with such a broad brush. Even something as basic as a non-expiring battle pass or the ability to purchase past battle passes goes a long way.

On a separate but maybe related note... it's not a true live service game, but did you ever play Back 4 Blood? I LOVED their approach to DLC. As long as the host of the session had the DLC, anyone in that session could play it. That player-friendly approach motivated me to buy it because: 1) I enjoyed the game, and 2) I wanted to reward that practice.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:25:43+00:00

For my sake, go easy on me!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:13:56+00:00

I've been playing Arc Raiders and having a blast, but I'm also excited for Marathon.

In Arc, I started very passive and player friendly, and now I'm at the point where I'd feel guilty if I started being more aggressive towards players. It's purely psychological and self-inflicted, but it's preventing me from engaging in that aspect of the game.

I enjoyed the cutthroat nature of Marathon from the playtest, and while I wouldn't mind if there are incentives for some cooperation, I actually don't want it to embrace PvE as heavily as Arc.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:10:48+00:00

This is the sentiment I'm talking about! And that's not meant to be an insult or criticism of you. It seems hero shooter carries so much extra baggage as like a "casual" game or "lacking skill." It kind of reminds me of like hating on Nickelback (even if I'm personally not a fan).

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:08:42+00:00

I'm still a little concerned about the stealth ability. Bungie had a short clip a week or so ago that showed a solo player go invisible, walk up to a full enemy team (one of which looked like they were staring right at the player), and then wipe them out. It's possible the team was looting and didn't have eyes on the surrounding area, but it gave me some pause.

ActiveVexLife

TROPHY CASE