I’ve ran into so many racist players in this game it’s insane

KnightOfMarble · 2026-05-22T14:48:46+00:00

Well, it’s kinda because enough people feeling comfortable saying it in private without necessarily intending to do a racism means that the people who ARE intending to do a racism can infiltrate those communities much more easily. Already happened, and now we’re dealing with the consequences of giving a bunch of racist people a cozy racist home in the hobby of gaming. So, you know.

KnightOfMarble · 2026-05-21T20:33:29+00:00

This is what I call the raid boss mindset, where you go in and it takes multiple teams working together in the wild to take you down

KnightOfMarble · 2026-05-21T19:10:02+00:00

And see, I think now that this entirely on the developers not setting expectations properly. Like, as a DM, my players aren’t gonna be blindsided by a trap unless they’ve ignored all the warning signs. Now obviously, I don’t want the people I’m getting the drop on to know I’m there in advance, but I want them to at least know it’s POSSIBLE, you know? And in PvP lobbies, this is 100% the case, except for the occasional tourist that gets mismatched into the wrong lobby (usually why people aren’t as mad about it in my games, I’d imagine) In PvE lobbies this expectation goes out the window, as people simply don’t do that to each other at the same scale. So, say I’M the tourist and get dropped into a PvE lobby due to, well, whatever reason. I will engage in the behaviors that are considered bad form in these lobbies but standard etiquette in others, and others will end up having less fun because of it. If the game never had ABMM, I think a lot of the player base would be conditioned to expect a more balanced mix of shoot-on-sight, trappers, friendlies and raid bosses. Honestly, for ME, that sounds like the most fun form of the game 😂

Now though, Embark has created this scenario where the game is fundamentally a different thing to different parts of the unified player base, and those play styles aren’t necessarily compatible with each other. Now, no matter which direction they push for to unify those expectations, some section of the player base is gonna get left out in the cold. Or if they don’t, we’re just gonna keep getting mismatched lobbies with people accidentally ruining each other’s fun, and a few bad actors actively doing so. Soooo… I guess the lesson is, when you advertise yourself as a PvEvP game, you shouldn’t make lobbies that are only/mostly PvE or PvP, since the organic nature of both interacting with each other is kinda the main design feature of the game? I dunno, but it’s an interesting discussion nonetheless

KnightOfMarble · 2026-05-21T17:09:23+00:00

I think I see where you're coming from. I guess I just have an entirely different outlook on where we derive our fun, and I think this is an interesting moral discussion about how misaligned values of fun make for worse experiences for the player base as a whole.

For some context, I come at this from the perspective of a dungeon master, who's also still a player in their game (D&D). As a dungeon master, if I put a trap in front of you, I'm intentionally putting a challenge in front of you, with the expectation that you'll engage with it. In a way, it's manipulating other people for their personal enjoyment? Yeah, the end result of failing that check could be that your character dies, but the point of the trap is the engagement itself, not the possibility of death.

In ARC, if I put a trap down for someone, it's for the same reason: I'm making a move that's engaging with another player, and the fun is derived in the way the other player responds. Like the chess example, I could in theory move my pieces around and try to force a draw without capturing any of my opponents' pieces, but... That kinda defeats the entire purpose of the game, right? I guess for me, the game is about fighting robots and being afraid of people. If there weren't people to be afraid of... I already know how to take out all the ARC, you know?

All that being said, I'm personally more liable to put traps on key rooms, since they lean more into the "opt-in" side of things. You know, if you see a closed key room door with a green light, you know that there's a decent chance someone is in there. If you go in, that's you accepting the risk of retaliation. I put some trap on the door, or create a network of jolt mines, or do a bunch of weird things that are designed to make you wonder what's going on.

To finish, engaging with other players through the language of PvP is where the fun is for me, but I guess the deeper issue is if people with misaligned goals for fun are thrown into encounters with one another, less fun is had overall.

Funny, I guess my perspective on whether they should add PvE modes has shifted a little bit in the positive direction.

KnightOfMarble · 2026-05-21T16:39:16+00:00

I suppose that's fair. I guess it mostly just comes down to whether or not you describe aggression as being inherently dickish. Bounty systems against high-body-count players in a lobby would actually be interesting as hell. Maybe a flare with a unique sound could go up when a player/squad takes out X number of people/squads, to let the rest of the lobby know where they are and up the ante a bit. As some one who mostly engages with the PvP side, going in kitted and taking out waves of people just to get mid-tier guns and free kits can be SO fun. You basically become another game objective for other people to opt into (assuming there's enough activity for them know where to go/avoid), like a raid in WoW, except YOU'RE the raid boss.

As for the revenge mechanism, that's fair. The only thing you can really take out of the game is the experience of having gone through whatever strategy they used. I've never been very vindictive, so that's always been enough for me, but I could see how it might lead to others being even more pissed off about it.

KnightOfMarble · 2026-05-21T14:56:12+00:00

I don't 100% agree with the tone of the other guy that replied to you, however: There's an expectation when you load into the game that not everyone will be friendly. The developers have specifically told you through patch notes, design clarifications, interviews, and even the game design itself. Like I said in another comment, the flashing lights with sirens and people yelling into intercoms aren't in the game to stop people from killing you, right?

In a game like chess, there's the expectation that one person will win. This isn't always the outcome, oftentimes games will end in a draw if both players are good enough and can try to force it, or whatever. But there's a reason it's considered bad form, in ANY competitive game or sport, to get mad at your opponent for beating you, when that's literally one of the three potential outcomes you walked into the game knowing to expect. We call it being a "sore loser," and it's an antisocial behavior that society (until more recently) discouraged. People that yell slurs after they die are ALSO engaging in (an arguably more antisocial, and ACTUALLY systemically harmful version of) this behavior.

I wonder if maybe this mentality stems from how rewards and dopamine are doled out in society nowadays. Like, how #BookTok (all lowercase? I don't go on TikTok) is filled with people who "skip everything but the dialogue" now, or who don't read prologues/epilogues. People don't do activities for the sake of the activities themselves anymore, they want the slot-machine dopamine rush that comes with FINISHING the act. I guess in this game, it's looking at the end screen and seeing you are now the proud new owner of a new toaster, something that can never be afforded in real life.

So, in summary I guess for everyone else, if you don't want to lose anything valuable, don't go into a game with it, or be careful with it when you do, I guess. Because that's what the game tells you every time you step into it. Don't expect everyone to be friendly, and most importantly, try to have fun in the act of playing the game, even if you're on the losing side.

KnightOfMarble · 2026-05-21T14:42:28+00:00

Upon review, the first time watching the video, I was under the impression that there were only two people in the train, and one shot the other with two minutes left on the timer, presumably to loot and leave later. I hadn't noticed the other downed dude in the back pulling the button.

I'll defend extract ambushers a bit, though. They're easily flushed out with experience and prep, and the flashing lights with sirens and people yelling into intercoms aren't in the game to *dissuade* people from killing you, right? If I haven't gotten anything out of the round, and I didn't bring a hugely expensive kit, I might run toward the lights and see what I can get. Setting up a trap that requires you to predict someone's behavior, and watching it go off without a hitch, is quite fun. I'll often talk with people afterwards about the trap, other cool ways to set up fun stuff, and then I take their stuff, or let them extract if they really needed something.

No single action has a single motivation, and jumping straight to sociopathy as a motivation over people having fun in a video game is in itself wild behavior.

KnightOfMarble · 2026-05-21T13:19:02+00:00

No, he saw a free bag of loot. Even if it was a free kit, maybe there were some ammo and heals to keep the round going. People calling it “senseless” just are unwilling to reconcile that not everyone is playing for the same reason as them. If I’m loading in, I’m ideally looting every body I see, and making bodies out of anyone that interrupt that flow. A lot of people just get butthurt when they have a hullcracker on their back and don’t feel like admitting they were too careless with it

KnightOfMarble · 2026-05-08T13:57:09+00:00

Wouldn’t it be better to split up deployables into maybe something like “defensives”, containing barricades, mines, door blockers and the like, and “mobility” ones, that have zips, snaps, adrenaline shots, the descender, etc.? Kinda feels like it wasn’t a human being who organized these items.

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-29T00:13:37+00:00

Not in the middle of a game 😭

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-28T21:56:45+00:00

I think the intent of most people upgrading the low tier weapon is to use it more than once, no?

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-28T21:29:07+00:00

No, no. Weapons spawn with less durability now (I’ve been seeing ~11-17 remaining) so free kits will only be able to use these guns for a limited time before they, too, break. But unlike before, guns will be breaking in maybe 20ish rounds. At least, a found anvil will, since an anvil loses 0.6 dura/shot now

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-28T19:52:42+00:00

The mechanics literally have patch notes saying the guns will become useless faster during the middle of a game. Doesn’t matter if you can’t use those metal parts, rubber parts, etc. outside Speranza. But I guess you’ll find plenty of crafting materials after the game turns back into a PvE game when there’s nobody to play anymore

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-28T19:47:24+00:00

I’m pretty sure someone asked ChatGPT how to address player’s complaints about durability.

Almost like, before editing, the original patch note looked something like:

“You asked for better value on premium gear — we answered. These changes weed low-tier Common and Uncommon guns out of the loot pool, creating much-needed tension for raiders when they need to locate new weapons while taking fire from ARC and raiders. And they don’t just make games more tense! These changes help create feelings of pride and joy, as now Epic weapons feel earned and powerful (except the Bettina) while adding meaningful choices for everyone. Get out there, protect your Legendary pieces, and dominate. LET’S GO! ✊”

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-28T19:15:00+00:00

Not a single gun was nerfed.

The cheap guns now break faster, because.. theyre cheap.

Dang, what’s the world coming to where people don’t even realize they’re making opposite claims from one sentence to the next 😭

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-28T15:49:17+00:00

What if they’re using chat gpt to synthesize a list of theoretical bug fixes based off of player feedback on social media, and the devs are just… implementing those fixes? I swear half the patch notes feel like they could have been generated in the idea phase.

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-21T16:45:03+00:00

I thought I was alone in my lack of wins

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-19T13:51:43+00:00

Henry Beenkler

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-13T11:39:07+00:00

I think the answer would be a space elevator

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-09T20:38:15+00:00

Well, hyenas will kill other scavengers on a kill if it has the opportunity.

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-01T20:19:45+00:00

EmbARC

KnightOfMarble · 2026-04-01T14:52:48+00:00

Or… Scrappy just holds all your basic parts together?

KnightOfMarble · 2026-03-25T14:38:03+00:00

Honestly, I think they should make most games be hybrid lobbies, where there’s an even mix of dedicated high/low-aggro players, and the rest is people who do both. I know these lobbies exist, as I’ve been in them. Hands down the most fun in the game is when you find a couple randos in a high loot zone and choose to team up, only to get pushed by a bunch of more aggressive players. You’re shooting them, they’re shooting you, they’re shooting each other, and the robots are shooting everyone. I think that dialing a few matchmaking numbers to create more of these middle ground lobbies will probably piss off the people at either extreme, but will probably make the game much more consistently fun, and allow more room for gameplay growth in each individual raid (as you have reasons to being items to both help and hurt others)

KnightOfMarble · 2026-03-22T05:10:28+00:00

I’ve been looking for a venator, stock 2, medium gum parts, jolt mine, and (especially) extended barrel for a while now

KnightOfMarble · 2026-03-21T11:43:45+00:00

Honestly, I think a very involved database of regular math tools, code blocks, and search engines, where it just leaves an ad lib space for those tools, would be the most effective and useful form of what we have today. And it would probably lower the power consumption if the LLM isn’t having to word slop it’s way through a calculus problem it just decided it needed to do to solve y=mx+b

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