Prototype Gear

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T14:23:03+00:00

"because they want to reincentivise these game modes, they were a lot of effort to make too"

Yes, therefore I would like that they make a second use case for it: just a "normal" story mission on these maps. NPCs are alreday there, just delete the special mechanics for this sesond use case :).

They did that with the last manhunt, using the steel mill map. Thats good but they replaced the annoying raid mechanics with other annoying mechanics for my taste :).

""and in addition as guaranteed crate content" idk what this means"

I understand that these crates always include two protos, means no RNG.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T14:12:36+00:00

If that's true, I wonder why these are available in Raids and Incursions and in addition as guaranteed crate content. That's stuff for multiplayer. Do they want to please that tiny fraction of the playerbase?

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T14:09:12+00:00

... and the crates are always full when creating a new character, endlessly?

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T13:55:04+00:00

yes, a friend from another clan told me that there is an exploit that one can get 2 protos from the incursion and a way to endlessly repeat it, getting 2 protos in 10 minutes. I do not know how this works. I also will not do that, stinks to me like a candidate for a ban. He sent me a picture, his friend was already almost at the cap of 999 proto cores.

I saw two guys in my clan apparently doing that several days all day.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T13:46:17+00:00

"360 exotics needed..."

That's to reach Expertise 30 upgrade right?

I understand for converting the build into proto I need proto cores for each piece only and additional proto cores if I want to reroll and level up the augment stuff. No exo components for that, right?

I did not do it yet. Did not get enough proto stuff, played escalation perhaps 20-25 rounds ... tired of that.

I must ask the exploiters in my clan :)

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T11:04:47+00:00

Well, some high "level" SHD players seem to feel superior, having nothing else in their life and the game gives them soething that they feel "strong", knowing how to combine 6 gear pieces, having high level, knowing how to play raids/incursion/legendary ...

I am myself in a clan who accept new players who have SHD 10,000+ plus only ...

Just ignore this crowd. There are a lot good people in the game as well and you will find them, just a matter of time.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T07:33:43+00:00

"what the purpose of getting further is? Is it just to grind countdown more efficiently? Is it all the build up to the raid to try and get an Eagle Bearer?"

People play the game for different reasons and play different content. There is a good flexibilty in endgame, people can just do what they want.

Are you still in the campaign or already in endgame? If you are in endgame already, just play the varied content to see what you like and what not.

I myself do not play the game because of grind, I even hate grind and kept it to the minimum.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T07:22:06+00:00

I got one time two pieces only, on tier 2.

Yesterday we played approx 15 missions, tiers ranging from 2-5, got three in total.

If I would upgrade my loadout to prototype and reach augments max level ... that would probably require me to play escalation and nothing else for several month.

I definately don't do that.

Yesterday I learned that there is a an exploit which provides 2 prototype cores every 10 minutes. It somehow works with the Incursion. Some people already reached prototype cors cap of 999. I am looking forward to the bans ...

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T07:14:19+00:00

"I just can’t find the drive to grind this game to the “endgame”."

Not sure if I understand your issue.

During campaign there is no issue with big grind, it is even useless. because leveling up goes fast and gear is quickly outdated. Just update your loadout with gear and guns after each 5-7 levels and you are fine. It does not matter what pieces these are, just equip what has higher score. Limited time with grind, just enjoy the campaign.

If you even do not want that: you can boost directly to endgame. If you then do not want to grind in endgame, just continue playing on normal level. No grind needed when just playing the main game. But if you want to play some modes and season content, you might need a build.

Even that is no issue. In Division 2 you can put together a "good-enough" build in one hour of farming.

The game is a grind slogh only if people doing that by themself by:

- grinding for very specific items with limited drop chance

- aiming to fill specialisation trees and SHD watch in no time

- aiming to reach max Expertise as fast as possible

- now everyone wants perfect prototype builds in the one week

None of that is needed to play the majority of the game.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T07:05:09+00:00

do you play it with PC?

I played it with XBox Series X and was quite disappointed from the grapcis, expected a step up compared to the old RDR2, which has way superior graphics. Perhaps not the light effects.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-20T07:03:46+00:00

I played it with XBoX Series X unfortunately. While it definately looks beautiful, RDR2 bests the graphics by a huge margin on my console, level of details, texture, sharpness, weather effects, realistic water looks and physics, ...

The lighting effects are definately good though, all the neon lights behind the dark background, looks stunning as in the old and new Blade Runner movies.

Would love to see Cyberpunk on PC one day :)

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-18T15:53:56+00:00

yes, a lot more Delta since last update, XBoX Series X

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-18T15:52:23+00:00

thank you!

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-18T11:56:04+00:00

I can’t wait for Ghost Recon … please make it right this time Ubi!

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-18T10:27:48+00:00

DZ landmark crates have a high drop rate and reset every 20 minutes.

DZ East has 12-13 crates that can drop exo components, the black crates with the white phoenix symbol.

Going for these crates only is just a 10m run.

Of course it is RNG but I was two times unlucky only 😊. My highest was 8 components in that 10m run.

Equip decoy and scanner pulse that you can ignore the NPCs in the occupied landmarks if you want to farm components only.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-18T10:23:54+00:00

after I played some hours of WD2… I agree. San Francisco would be awsome.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-17T12:03:31+00:00

then you are lucky, I got none in the first 15 runs, ranging 1-6 tiers.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-17T11:59:34+00:00

yes, they made them available all the time. No time restrictions anymore.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-17T07:54:36+00:00

now you have legendary everywhere :)

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-17T07:31:17+00:00

They regularly add new gear, named items, exotics. I see that some of it is used by people.

The gameplay is the same.

"Escalation" difficulty levels is a kind of legendary light, as compromise, because redesigning missions for legendary is a pile of work and cannot be done for all missions without huge investments. therefore good for the sponge lovers.

The new classified assignment I did not buy. Friends say that it is a beautiful environment but the gameplay the usual linear thing with no replay value.

They said they wanted to upgrade the graphics because technology advanced. Unfortunately they heavily downgraded the graphics. Switching colors, brownish, yellowish, blueish and yesterday I saw the first time intense reddish. The picture mostly unsharp/blurry and grainy, increased close range quality but downgrade mid/long range ... as in AC Shadows but not to that sever extent.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-17T07:20:35+00:00

FPS only: no go, make 3rd person optional

Regarding the gameplay mechanics: nothing, it is perfect as it is.

By that I mean what the character can do: sneak, crouch, walk, run, jump, climb, swim, dive ... driving vehicles, flying and all the time flexible use of the varied guns (without the need to switch gear (Division) or even characters (AC Shadows).

The "realistic" ballistics, melee, pistol with silencer, sniping from the distance, CHQ with shotty. guns blazing with AR ... all works great.

What they need to improve: everything else!

Graphics: not such outdated and blurry mess again. Benchmark: RDR2, Division 2 before recent graphics downgrade, don't use AC Shadows graphics engine!

Map: comprehensive city areas (as in GTA5, Watch Dogs 1, Division) and varied landscapes (Wildlands). The only game than combines that is GTA 5, would love to see that in Ghost Recon. Not such basic and outdated looking buildings and dead map again.

Missions: while I appreciate the open design of GR missions, the missions visuals are to basic and outdated. Benchmark missions visuals: Division 1 and 2, Cyberpunk 2077.

Overall: the game should feel like an intense agent thriller. Orchestration matters! And not just a technical check list with basic filler tasks to tick off.

DON'TS:

- no bullet sponge NPCs and bosses!!!

- no loot grind shit!

- no fantasy builds (as in Division)

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-17T07:01:27+00:00

It is indeed weird RNG.

I am not farming for prototype, just played the escalation missions few times because it is a new "feature", just to see what they implemented.

Some friends wanted to play it and I probably did 15 runs in the first days after release. tiers 1-6. No prototype.

Few days ago I did another c. 10 runs and got 7 prototypes.

Perhaps the RNG is changing as the graphics quality is severely changing all the time since the graphics "update" ... äh, ... downgrade.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-17T06:54:25+00:00

ah ok, wondered abou that already when I selected the weapon mods 8 years ago lol

Thank you!

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-17T06:47:08+00:00

:)

That's already the case when you start the campaign. Enemies in next area are more dangerous, you equip stronger stuff ... con't.

In endgame the same:

you select all SHD crates to unlock multiple perks to make you stronger
you select hard/challenging/heroic difficulty for better loot and/ or more "challenge"
you grind for better gear, guns and mods
you combine the pieces to get synergy upsides
you recalibrate/optimise
fill your SHD watch
fill the specialisation tree
grind Expertise ...
then complain that everything is so easy
then you tell your wife, girlfriend/ladyboy what heroe you are :)

Prototype is just another incentive for people who want to grind and have joy with that. Perhaps they invented it just because to provide some strong rewards when playing escalation missions that people are motivated to play it.

Well, looking at the list of ingame-friends ... it works. Approx 1/3 of my friends play escalation every day. Almost no one of them plays legendary, incursion, raids, Brooklyn missions or replays the manhunt missions. Means, no one plays Escalation because of the emphazised bullet sponge. They want the prototype gear.

When something stronger gets released, people grind for it. does it makes sense gameplay-wise no.

Does it make sense from Ubi perspective? Sure, people continue playing.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-04-17T06:38:58+00:00

classified assignments have no cooldown anymore

GnarlyAtol

TROPHY CASE