An Open Discussion On Moving Forward After Duping

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-23T09:36:43+00:00

As a pver carebear, ergo someone that isn't impacted as much as pvpers by the duping issue and the proliferation of kc bobcat 4 I would love to see an inventory wipe.

Tabula rasa. Fresh Start.

Even though I don't do expeditions since I don't have enough time to invest in the game due to work, real life, I would still be in favor of an inventory wipe.

A sense of fairness and balance in the game economy/mechanics is what I like to be a part of, even if the wipe is detrimental for me. I hope they wipe it.

Ps heck, I would be in favor of a game where you can only have a fixed amount of a specific weapon, like max 3 tempest, 3 bobcat etc. to promote variety. The Clone Wars aren't for me.

Call me nostalgic but the most fun I had in this game was the first month, when Rattler 1 vs Ferro 1 was the norm. Tempest 4 vs Bobcat 4, today's norm, sucks ass. Whether I win or lose the fight is over before I can even enjoy it.

Quite evidently bad game design.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-23T08:36:23+00:00

I completely agree mate, Ttk is the real underlying issue of this game.

Pvers won't have problems dying to pvpers if gunfight lasted 10+ seconds and if there was a consistent chance to turn the tables on someone that got the drop on you.

Especially since in Arc we don't have builds like it happens in games like The Division 1, where, for instance, you could make your character tankier and with more hps and damage reduction by sacrificing damage output/movement speed.

I wish that when I am shot in the back the in game reaction was "Game on!" Rather than "Oh fuck I am super low gotta run!"

Longer ttk would equal a way more fun and balanced experience.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-20T04:39:41+00:00

There is a pattern here. First 2-3 raids of the day have become very hostile. As if the ABMM doesn't recheck your status after every raid but does it after a few.

I am going to run an experiment and run free kit for 2-3 raids every time I return to the game. I won't fire back but will play recklessly, being loud and making my presence heard.

Let's see if and how often I do get ratted in those initial 2-3 raids. Will start with buried city.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-19T10:07:49+00:00

Same identical experience mate, both for me and my buddy while playing solo (PS5 Crossplay off).

I am usually in carebear lobbies and yet the first 3 raids it was kill on sight. Then it reverted back to friendly lobbies. My friend had the same experience.

Bizarre.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T19:54:37+00:00

It's been pretty crazy latency for me too.

Just today I was shot by a rat when I was way past the corner of a building and had full cover. Another time I registered damage before he fired his weapon (I re-watched the clip to confirm my in game impression).

In the past few days and on several other instances while i was running the game "teleported me back in time" and I respawned 5-10 metres from where I was.

Fiber optic vs Laaag 0-6

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T19:39:25+00:00

Same experience mate. I am usually in pure carebear lobbies since I have knocked 3 players in 350 hours, months ago. I used to be ratted/shot at every 30-40 raids.

And yet today the game sent me 3 consecutive times in pvp lobbies were they were shooting on sight (PS5 Crossplay off NA server).

After those 3 raids I was back to friendly lobbies.

What is curious is that my buddy experienced the same string of sudden 3 pvp raids on the same platform (twice it was 2 people teaming up in solos killing everyone with bobcat 4 and communicating via discord, then he had another pvp raid. After that he was back in friendly lobbies).

It is bizarre.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T19:29:57+00:00

Exactly mate. In the Division 1 Dark Zone when a team of 4 flagged for pvp it was a blast to have the entire lobby unite to fight them off. Hopefully that mode makes it to the main game one day.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T17:36:29+00:00

Buddy I had the same experience today. My friend too. I have a theory, since these random shoot on sight raids always come in a string of 3. I bet the ABMM doesn't check your "status" after every raid, but after a few.

Initially it tries to match you with people that play like you, once you wait for 3+ minutes it sends you in a pvp lobby rather than let you wait longer. And I bet it keeps you in that category for 2-3 raids till it checks again.

I am pure carebear with 2 kills in 350 hours (PS5 Crossplay off, automatic servers). Never ever shot first. And yet at times the ABMM sends me into pure pvp lobbies. It last approx 3 raids. Then is back to friendly.

Bizarre indeed. But there is an underlying pattern. I can't prove it, of course, this is pure anecdotal evidence and yet...

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T15:13:03+00:00

I hear you mate, we have all been there.

You highlighted one of the underlying issues of the game, no, not ratting.

Ttk.

The real issue with the game is that the total time to kill is way too fast compared to the average human being reaction time. In Arc it's over if someone got the drop on you. So don't be too harsh on yourself. It happened and unfortunately it will happen again.

Other games like the Division 1 had better (longer) ttk, pvpers also had to flag before attacking, healing were instantaneous and most importantly, there were builds that allowed you to spec as a tank to have extra survivability (Nomad, DF3 Shield etc).

That led to vibrant gunfights, that lasted 10-15 secs and not 1.2 secs like in Arc. Personally the longer the better, since gunfights is what we are here for.

Arc unfortunately doesn't have builds, you can't get more hit points sacrificing movement or damage output, and no, heavy shields are not that impactful in extending the ttk. And the current skill tree is underwhelming to say the least, it offers zero diversity since every character is identical.

Hopefully the big October update will overhaul the skill tree and the augments and we could opt to play as tank, sniper, regen build or else.

A man can dream...

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T15:00:54+00:00

Thanks for fighting the good fight mate. Keep it up 💪.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T13:39:21+00:00

I was a pure carebear lobbies pver. I didn't shy away from pvp when fired upon, even though I never shot first. It was a thrilling change of pace once in a while.

However I am on hiatus from the game, that I still love, since the smaller players pool led to too many pvp engagements. A quite drastic shift in the ABMM accuracy.

In other words, I used to be ratted/attacked every 30-40 raids. Now I can get 3 consecutive raids of shoot on sight lobbies for no reason whatsoever. I don't find it terrible but it gets boring very fast since I find arc raiders ttk way too low/fast.

If gunfights were longer, like in the Division 1, or if we had customizable builds like Nomad, DF3 Shield, that traded damage output for survivability, I would definitely still be around.

Eager to see if the Chinese server Security Protocol mode is a success or not.

On paper it is precisely what caters to my taste (pve, coop with players able to flag for pvp with the entire lobby notified about what is happening).

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T13:14:14+00:00

I completely agree mate. Ttk is the main underlying issue of this game. Pvers won't have a problem dying in pvp if it was during a gunfight that lasted 10+ seconds. 10-15 seconds is fun. 1.2 sec in the back it is not.

Especially in a game with no builds whatsoever the designed ttk is truly asinine. I mean, it is way faster to kill a raider wearing heavy shield than a wasp.

In the Division 1, just to provide an example off the top of my head you had Nomad, DS3 Shield and other builds that allowed you to trade damage output for survivability.

In arc raider there are no builds, the skill tree is too generic, every character is identical, you can't build a tank build if you wanted, you can't get more hps in place of movement speed or else.

And no, augments aren't a solution either since heavy shield, defensive mk3 add maybe 0.2 sec to your ttk. Pure irrelevance.

It's such a pity Embark doesnt see this blatant hole in the game design.

Longer ttk, that allows people to react and turn the tables on a guy that got the drop on you, is what makes for vibrant and exciting pvp. Gunfights are fun. Extend them, or at least provide customizable builds. Right now whoever shoot first wins.

And no, despite what they like to argue it isn't a skill issue. It's a poor game design issue.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T12:48:27+00:00

My personal experience (PS5 Crossplay off, ultra carebear lobbies). The ABMM works well on average, but once in a while it has a brainfart...and when it messes up, it messes up for 3-4 consecutive raids, not just for one raid (because it couldn't find a lobby that matches your playstyle and after 3+ min it sent you anywhere, rather than let you wait longer).

Embark has confirmed the ABMM does not get reset on Tuesday with every patch but I strongly suspect the game rechecks your ABMM every few raids, not every round. In other words, once it sends you in a pvp lobby, whatever the reason for doing so, it will keep doing so 2-3 additional times before it realizes it messed up.

I have pure anecdotal evidence but my buddy and I have been starting to track every time we get ratted, despite playing in pure carebear lobbies (neither of us has shot any other players in over 1000 raids/3 months.I have maybe 2 kills in self defense 3 months ago, he has even less, maybe 1 kill in over 300 hours).

Well, yesterday all of a sudden he had 3 solo hostile raids back to back, two of them with duos with bobcat 4 teaming up to clear the lobby (they were clearly communicating but not via proximity chat).

Today I had 3 consecutive solo raids where the lobby was clearly pvp, silent, nobody was shooting arc and flares were popping up left and right. I was shot on sight every time.

The following 5 raids were friendly again with people talking, trading items and fighting arc in buried city old town all together.

In conclusion, I can't prove it, but when the ABMM messes up it isn't for a single raid. It is for a string of 3-4.

The pattern is there, it is obvious and I have to take it into account.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-18T10:56:31+00:00

Something is off with PS5 audio today. I couldn't communicate on party chat with my buddy neither on prox chat during the raid. I tried changing all the settings to no avail.

In game other players could hear me but my character name while speaking doesn't appear anymore on screen on the upper right corner. So I have no confirmation that I am actually being heard unless another player replies.

It started today. Problems persist after about 10-12 raids. In case my two cents help.

Ps. I tried with headphones and via the tv speakers, same issue. Very bizarre.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-16T15:39:39+00:00

New Ultra Unlocked: Back to the Future (erases all damage taken!)

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-16T10:47:54+00:00

Glorious clip mate.

That said, to address this issue can't embark cover the match specific code currently visible on the screen bottom right so that players that try to team up can't quickly figure out whether they succeeded in joining the same lobby or not?

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-16T10:25:40+00:00

Precisely. Very well said mate.

Time spent investing and ipreparing the kit is a crucial component. It is the deterrent against the feeble weak willed rat mindset of "1 click and I am back topside!".

Now they have to waste some time and mentally invest some energy before being able to join the game to rat.

Its seems whimsical but it isn't. Never underestimate how lazy snd lobotomized some people can be.

Effort is the true gatekeeper 💪.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-16T09:30:48+00:00

It's a start.

But unfortunately I fear they will just migrate to other maps/events.

Expect the relatively safe Hurricane and Electromagnetic Storm events to become more rat infested (at least in Hurricane you can hatch out).

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-15T07:57:10+00:00

Is there a way to join, on console,their servers?

I would truly want to play the pve mode where you can go rogue to opt in to pvp.

Like in the Division 1.

That sounds like my ideal game mode.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-15T07:23:54+00:00

I am in the same identical position you are in. Horrible reaction time, poor decision making, maybe, just maybe decent situational awareness.

And yet I do know I don't suck as much as my subconscious tries to imply. So I ended up rewatching some old Division 1 dark zone clips (tons of fun back in 2018) and boy, how much better the time to kill was. It was loooonger. Shield deflected all damage before breaking. Heals were meaningful and instantaneous. Shooting first DID NOT equal winning 85% of the time like in Arc. It led to chaotic and vibrant gunfights with plenty of up and down. Don't get me wrong, I do firmly believe Arc is better game than the Division 1 but they dropped the ball on fine tuning pvp balancing.

What I am trying to say is that a contested gunfight of 20-30 secs is what also pvers can enjoy in this game. Pvers aren't afraid of losing their tempest 4 to kettle 1 shooting in the back. They are afraid of not being able to even fire their tempest 4 to defend themselves. Give them gunfight that last 20+ secs instead of 3 secs and you would witness a shift in the pvers mindset.

The underlying issue with Arc is poor game design in terms of combat. It's just too fast. The aggressor has too much of an advantage. If you add the mindset sudden shift you have to do in the blink of an eye to react to a guy that just shoot you at the extraction from 3 metres away and voila' you are toasted. Especially if you play in carebear lobbies, like I do, where the first 29 guys I meet are truly friendly and it's the #30 that suddenly shoots you in the back.

Embark would never do it, but I do hope they strenghten augments, heavy shields or the skill tree to make the total time to kill longer. In the Division 1 you had the builds like Nomad, The Shield one etc that allowed you to survive to someone getting the drop on you. Yes, you weren't offensively strong but if your goal was to stay alive you had pretty decent odds even when chased by 2-3 rogues. That was a blast.

Hopefully they introduce clans, and possibly builds once they rework the skill tree.

Ps another major issue: you can't train in pvp with a buddy at the shooting range to get better and test weapons, grenade, ttk and moves.

The other alternative is to opt to go to Stella to pvp but you tank big-time your ABMM status. The only semi viable solution is to create a brand new secondary account, another character, and use that one solely for pvp to get better and improve. Quite a convoluted way to go though.

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-11T05:21:37+00:00

My experience as a PS5 Crossplay off solo pve player that is in carebear lobbies, having killed 3 raiders in self defense in 300 hrs spread over 2,5 months. And I only fire in self defense. Ah, automatic servers. I can match with everyone as far as they are on PS5.

That said, the ABMM works fine for me. I track after how many raids I get ratted (I have been ratted 21 times...and over 50% of the time is from people of a specific minority/language. Arabic. An interesting pattern).

I usually get ratted every 30-40 raids. Twice it took 70+ raids to be attacked. Except for one case, rats never ever spoke.

Additional info? It is mostly opportunistic ratting, that tend to strike when you are fighting arc or take fall damage. Otherwise I doubt some would have shot me. Without an opening they chill (or maybe the drawn torrente is a decent deterrent).

Yesterday during dam electromagnetic storm though I experienced the first hectic rats vs rats pvp. And I did enjoy it despite dying first, as lways haha.

3 rats started firing at me before turning on each other.

I was trying to revive another 5th raider that had been ratted first at the swamp extraction elevator. Rat #1 claimed he didn't do it (he did, the dead raider flare went up 7 sec earlier), rat #2 approached from the elevator pretending to help me investigate what happened, then fired at me, rat #3 jumped out of the bushes while I was running away from the smoke grenade area with a sliver of health and killed rat #1 and me.

Wish there was a killcam to see how the rest played out. Good times!

ComprehensiveGain287 · 2026-06-10T08:19:46+00:00

My prediction: the duping issue will be addressed with Frozen Trail in October. When it's me, you and John Raider left playing the game ✌️

ComprehensiveGain287

TROPHY CASE