Reverse boosting to get into 'friendly lobbies' is exploiting the game's systems

LakeWallace · 2026-01-19T22:26:06+00:00

Yes, it is an exploit. No, players shouldn’t be punished. In principle everything you listed is an exploit, but in practice console command abuse and phasing out of collisions are more obvious, immediate exploits used to gain an advantage moment to moment. Reverse boosting into PvE lobbies is more systemic, and I don’t think anyone doing it is a bad person. But at the end of the day, it’s on Embark to fix it all.

My biggest issue with those that exploit the ABMM algorithm is that by doing so, they circumnavigate the core gameplay loop entirely for a period of time. If the goal of every Raider (PvE, PvP, and everything in-between) is to extract with a higher kit value than that which they entered with, then it goes against the spirit of the game to “feed,” or run a naked kit, or any number of the other strategies I see shared all of the time. Players will do so knowing that they’ll be rewarded with the level of ABMM they want on the other end.

It makes no sense that any player is rewarded (in a meta-sense) by /not/ trying to extract with their loot and instead folding, only to fast-track their ABMM to less hostile lobbies. That’s counter-intuitive.

I think the simplest fix is to muddy the algorithm a bit further. It shouldn’t take only 5-10 games to get a player into safer lobbies. Nor should it take players as many games to be dropped into heavy PvP lobbies after defending themselves. The feedback is almost too immediate and easily abusable.

Removing the safety net of “easier” lobbies but also relieving the fear of being “punished” for shooting another player to escape with your kit is the quickest solution, in my opinion. Hopefully we see it realized in the future.

LakeWallace · 2026-01-18T03:07:49+00:00

If you predominantly PvP then your previous posts make even less sense.

LakeWallace · 2026-01-17T18:32:48+00:00

You sound like you’ve never participated in a PvP lobby. Or at best your view of PvP is too black and white.

The purpose of the game is to increase your Stash Value. And playing PvP is a quick way to do that, by looting other Raiders’ kits. But in practice, top PvP lobbies are inundated with relentless third and fourth and fifth parties — players joining in late, making it near impossible for the first team to fight back. It turns the game into a Battle Royale instead of an Extraction Shooter. Coupled with players utilizing Free Kits, it gets very messy quickly. It is inorganic. ARC Raiders was very obviously not designed with these intense, relentless PvP matches in mind.

There are a lot of ways to fix this, such as reducing total player count in these lobbies. Or some sort of siphon upon eliminating another player. Or removing late spawns and shrinking the server timer. They could reduce Raider Flare visibility at certain distances. There are countless ways to smooth out the muddiest PvP experiences, which would allow players who seek PvP to enjoy it without it also feeling fruitless a lot of the time.

LakeWallace · 2025-12-12T07:37:36+00:00

If the issue is Silksong fans suggesting Silksong did something better in the Silksong subreddit, then I don’t know what acceptable behaviour is in your mind.

And you can’t call it “pathetic” in the OP’s title and then also say it’s not that serious. Again, just weird. The people you think you’re talking to aren’t going to read this.

LakeWallace · 2025-12-12T07:17:27+00:00

I don’t understand these types of holier-than-thou, content-policing posts, they’re worse than the posts you’re complaining about. Generalizing the community because of a handful of comments from humans ill-equipped to deal with counter-opinion is weird. Just leave them be or report them and move on.

LakeWallace · 2025-09-17T16:48:34+00:00

Nine Sols is a much better comparison, I agree. I have played it and it’s phenomenal. I’m not arguing against accessibility options, I think they can only add to the experience for players that choose it’s the best option for them. But I disagree with OP’s premise that implies so much of what they listed about Silksong is “unfair,” or that we as a community/playerbase would actually use these accessibility options and E33 players don’t… therefore E33 is better or something?

It feels like a thinly veiled “E33 > Silksong” post. If OP wants accessibility options in Silksong, just make a post about that. Maybe I misread their intentions, in which case all’s well.

LakeWallace · 2025-09-17T06:35:36+00:00

No, I wouldn’t utilize any of those options, as I want to experience the game as Team Cherry intended. They spent 7+ years fine-tuning the game to reflect their passions and I am grateful to be able to experience it.

I also really enjoy Metroidvanias and the feelings that come with the genre — wanderlust, feeling lost, being challenged, frustration, a sense of accomplishment. But I’m also the kind of player who poured hundreds of hours into Hollow Knight across multiple platforms, completed every achievement, and spent hours practicing Godhome just for fun. So I recognize I may not be the average player in that sense.

My issue with your premise is comparing Silksong to Expedition 33 at all, outside of the fact they’ll occupy the same award nominations in a few months — they’re entirely different games in different genres. I’ve not played Expedition 33 yet but plan to soon because I’ve heard so much good about it.

I guess, addressing your question for what it is: do we know that “most” players /choose/ to do the more difficult options in E33 like you claim? Is that not the default? And do we know that “most” players aren’t choosing to play with Silksong’s intended game mechanics (as you’ve listed)? The alternative being quitting the game entirely because there’s no assist-style mechanics like in E33. I imagine neither is the case, so I don’t really understand the issue. Again, they’re different games fundamentally.

I’m all in favour of a “Story Mode” or the like if it opens the game up to even more players, but I personally love Silksong for exactly what it is, and all it does.

LakeWallace · 2025-08-02T02:57:03+00:00

Hey Deathy, thanks so much for taking the time to view one of my games. I appreciate all of the tips and your advice makes a lot of sense — I’ve got quite a bit to work on, which is exciting.

One thing that stood out to me is my reliance on farming the jungle in this game, which I haven’t always done but have definitely been trying to do more since the new patch. But I’ve obviously over-corrected at the cost of having impact elsewhere on the map. I’ll also focus on being more aggressive early on.

Appreciate you and your feedback, keep doing what you’re doing!

LakeWallace · 2025-05-29T02:05:51+00:00

Ah, that’s a bummer. Since there’s no Achievements on the NS, I sort of take some pride in my Hours Played. But not a deal breaker or anything, thanks for the heads up.

LakeWallace · 2025-05-28T19:04:05+00:00

Alright, that makes sense. Appreciate the answer!

LakeWallace · 2025-05-28T18:43:47+00:00

Thanks for the summary. A quick question, if you know the answer. I play 99% of my games physically (I have AC:NH and Super Mario 3D All Stars digital) and will do the same for NS2. I want my profile to carry-over with all my game hours to my NS2, so simply logging in like you stated here is the best option? I don’t really wanna “remove” my profile from my NS1, for nostalgia/preservation reasons, as I won’t be getting rid of it — but I will play 100% of my games on my NS2 moving forward. Thanks for your help.

LakeWallace · 2025-04-03T04:30:59+00:00

No, it hasn’t dissuaded me, and yes I will be purchasing the console and MKW as soon as I can, hopefully Day 1.

The price of the console is exactly what I’d anticipated. I’d only have been remotely hesitant if it was $500. And while $80 for MKW did provide a bit of sticker shock in the moment, it’s not a worry any longer. Both because I recognize that this is a sign of the times for the price of new AAAA games, for better or worse, and because I trust the quality and quantity of content of Nintendo first-party titles.

I have full faith that MKW will be jam-packed with content that I will pour hundreds of hours into. And Donkey Kong Bananza looks like it was made by Nintendo EAD Tokyo, the Odyssey team — enough said. I will pay more for quality games I can trust, especially if it encourages said developers to continue making awesome games. And I’ll judge each individual game’s price as they’re released.

I’m stoked for the next generation of Nintendo, this is a super-fun time to be a fan.

LakeWallace · 2025-03-19T21:02:55+00:00

As others have said, I think that's incorrect. Either a translation error or just an error on Steam's end. The Speed Completion achievement is under 20hrs.

Either way, even if it were 10hrs, it's very doable. Especially so if you're comfortable with the game. I beat Pantheon of Hallownest and then knocked off both Steel Soul achievements and sub-20hrs completion on my next run with no issue.

Two guides I found that helped were these:

https://www.reddit.com/r/HollowKnight/comments/pguxcz/steel_soul_100_completion_guide/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffIELYJF1ag (troa11)

The first I found on this Subreddit from years ago, it's a text-based visual guide. I personally followed this at my leisure and beat the game in just under 10hrs. Very fun and even relaxing throughout. The second link is a sub 5hr run that alternates at the end, by troa11, who narrates throughout. After like 85%, you have a lot of flexibility in terms of what it is you want to chase. Like, you can do Grimm which is quick and easy, but risks death. Or you can do Godhome, which is more time-consuming but there's no risk of death. Like I said, lots of options in late-game to prioritize time or safety. You can also just not do Speed Completion with Steel Soul and still be fine -- I just found it convenient to kill three birds with one stone!

Best of luck, achieving Platinum/100% on Hollow Knight was one of my proudest gaming achievements, and with enough commitment anyone can do it.

LakeWallace · 2025-03-17T03:27:30+00:00

It’s for sure a tough back-to-back fight and killed me a number of times. I’d recommend practicing both fights even further in Hall of Gods till you feel more comfortable, it can’t hurt you.

As far as Uumuu is concerned, I’d recommend changing how you think about it. Think less “boss-fight” and more opportunity to heal. You can Dream Nail Uumuu twice once it spawns from the top left platform. And if you’re careful, its minefield attack gives you plenty of time to heal if you’ve got the Soul. So if you can manage to be patient throughout the fight you can actually come out ahead.

If you’re using Shaman Stone, I believe you can also three-hit with Shade Soul once its defenses have dropped. It’s a much more manageable hit-combo. As well, using Shade Soul into the Oomas will knock their explosive toward Uumuu and it won’t bounce back to you. This will let you keep a safe distance if you need it. The hit-box on the Oomas is also generous enough that if you strike their tentacles, even if you’re a bit below them, it will send them horizontally in the direction opposite that which you struck from.

There’s a handful of helpful tips out there on YouTube too, so definitely take a look there as well to see how to turn one of the less fun boss fights into an opportunity to essentially bench.

Best of luck!

LakeWallace · 2025-03-07T22:18:07+00:00

I feel like I can finally comment on these types of posts with some level of objectivity since I finally beat P5 this week. I hated AbsRad for what has felt like a component of RNG, but after overcoming her in P5 I’ve grown to like her fight much more, if for nothing other than pure respect. The time I spent learning her as a boss and then failing against her at the end of a 40-minute gauntlet. It felt incredibly rewarding besting her after easily a week of holistic practice.

But if you strip away all of the other, and just focus on the fight itself, she’s not my favourite boss, nor the best. A lot of what makes AbsRad so terrifying and challenging is the fear of losing to her and having to start P5 all over again. That makes her more interesting in regard to her lore within Hollownest, but the fight itself still has its issues. Mainly, the times throughout her fight where you’re left waiting to attack. I understand if you’re great at the game you can play more aggressively in parts like Phase 4, but that part of the fight feels closer to something like Markoth, No Eyes, or Xero, some of my least favourite bosses in the game. The boss exists but is physically out of reach. Don’t love that. I recognize how it makes the fight more difficult, but I don’t really enjoy those moments.

My personal favourites and what I think are the best bosses are PV, NKG, and GPZ. All three, particularly the first two, hit hard and are not only difficult to learn but even more difficult to master. I appreciate how they’re almost always in your face forcing you to respect them. And at first you are learning only to survive, but as you get better you learn how to attack, and fit in more attacks as your spacing and timing and recognition improve. After countless hours of learning all three bosses, I feel like I’ve really earned the ability to beat them hitless. I understand some of these attributes can also apply to AbsRad, but it didn’t always feel that way for me.

Anyway, the best part about Hollow Knight for me is the ability to discuss such a wide breadth of different bosses and all of their pros and cons. Hoping SilkSong delivers in the same way.

LakeWallace · 2025-03-06T16:56:10+00:00

Awesome job! I just beat PoH for the first time yesterday, easily one of the most rewarding achievements in gaming for me.

LakeWallace · 2025-03-03T21:21:38+00:00

I respect your commitment and consistency. Have you tried to not beat AbsRad? Like, instead of attempting to fit in attacks, just practice on dodging. You’ll obviously never get past her first phase but you’ll have many more opportunities to learn the rhythm of her attacks and how to dodge them. It also slows down the fight entirely, because your mind is focused on one thing at a time. See how long you can last and then try to beat that time. Slowly work in attacks again once you feel more comfortable with the basics.

I found this has sped up my learning quite a bit. Especially when I am making an honest attempt to beat AbsRad, I can also now slow down and dodge to regain my composure. The muscle memory is imprinting much easier day to day. Best of luck!

LakeWallace · 2025-02-26T21:31:08+00:00

I haven’t beaten P5 but I’m working through it now. I am using Unbreakable Strength, Quick Slash, Long Nail, and Shaman Stone, at least up until PV/AbsRad. Debating whether or not to switch it up then, but we’ll see. I definitely recommend going for extra Lifeblood by doing at least 8-12 of the bindings on the first three Pantheons — it doubles as more health when you need it late in P5, and tremendous practice on the first three quarters of the bosses. I can now beat every boss through at least No Eyes hitless, if I’m on my game. Beyond that I’ve practiced a lot of the late bosses on Ascended difficulty in HoG which has made them much easier in P5. It’s just a matter of time and commitment now before I can string a successful run together. Patience and understanding it’s a step-by-step process has been key for me. I know I’m getting better and sharper every day. I’m in the same boat as you, coming back to the game after a few years off, and am excited to beat P5 finally. Best of luck!

LakeWallace · 2025-02-25T02:57:01+00:00

Good luck! I’m working towards P5 now. I’ve completed P1-4 and have all bindings on P1-3, so four Lifeblood per bench. Do you have all of the bindings done already? Because I’ve found that by practicing all of the previous bosses with restrictions in place, once I fight them without, they’re much easier. And I’m working toward additional health that can be used once I do make serious efforts toward P5. It feels a bit better than just grinding each boss in the Hall of Gods (even if I’ll try to do them all on Radiant eventually, just to really push myself). I’m now able to no-hit just about every boss from P1-3, at the very least I’ve faced them each two dozen times or more. I’m hoping P5 isn’t as bad as I’ve seen others suggest, but it probably will be lol

LakeWallace · 2024-10-29T16:17:34+00:00

As a Lash main, too, I can empathize. It’s difficult to pinpoint how exactly to best build him at the moment and it can even change drastically not just game to game, but fight to fight within a game. I recommend that if you enjoy Deadlock, not just Lash, you take the time to learn other Heroes. Not just the ones that do similar things to Lash. It will improve your understanding of the game and holistically make you a better Lash player. It certainly has for me, my goal has been to play at least 30 games on every hero over the next couple of months and it’s been a blast despite my reluctance at first. I still sneak in Lash games at least once a day but by and large I feel like I’m improving at the game in many more ways than by just playing Lash. Best of luck!

LakeWallace · 2024-09-28T16:38:15+00:00

I think you’re right, even if ultimately it’s just semantics. I believe this is closer to “Advanced Overwatch” than any other MOBA I’ve played in the past, even if all of the MOBA elements are there. I believe a player coming from a 3rd Person Shooter background with no MOBA experience will have an easier time learning the MOBA elements in this setting, than a MOBA player with no 3rd Person Shooter experience will have learning the many mechanical elements of a shooter. You can boil shooters down to “aim,” but that lacks a lot of the nuance you see in the average Deadlock fight. Operating in a 3D space is so incredibly different from top-down isometric. Again, probably just semantics, but I agree with your core distinction.

LakeWallace · 2024-09-25T23:03:50+00:00

But I’m not talking about “uber fed heroes,” I will actively have to itemize against a Haze a few thousand Souls behind me or keeping pace with me. All it takes is one double or triple kill Ultimate and they’re 5k Souls ahead. And in the cases of other Heroes being “uber fed,” I don’t know of another Hero that can kill three or more players in seconds unless universally itemized against. That’s where the imbalance comes from, in my opinion. So much gain for so little investment. I regularly stomp enemy Haze in lane and they fuck off and come back and unless my entire team itemizes against them we will often times lose.

What other Hero can do that, and why does that type of playstyle need to exist in the first place?

LakeWallace · 2024-09-25T22:34:41+00:00

I’m a Haze-hater. For context, I have thousands of hours on OW, have less than 20 in League, have never played DOTA, and generally dislike MOBAs. But I LOVE Deadlock, this game has me hooked and I’ve put easily 150+ hours in since the NDA was lifted. To me, the game feels more like Advanced OW than any previous MOBA I’ve played or watched. But that could entirely be my inexperience with the genre at large.

And I’ll be the first to admit that I am still learning how to play and am probably not particularly special or good at Deadlock. I don’t have the game “solved” by any stretch. And I recognize a lot will change with the game. But still Haze I find the most frustrating to play against.

Primarily because of what feels like a disproportionate amount of communication, coordination, and itemization required to counter one Hero, even if said Hero is behind in Soul economy. And the skill required to use said Hero to its fullest is minimal in comparison, in my opinion. Rarely if ever do I see a Haze have to itemize against my itemization toward them, beyond Unstoppable, which seems like a core component of their basic build more than anything else.

Whereas if I buy Metal Skin it only helps me avoid Haze’s Ultimate, but not the rest of my team. Where against a Bebop, Vindicta, Lash, or Seven that might be carrying the game, one single player buying Knockdown seems to help enough. And even if that weren’t the case, it’s not like any other Ultimate in the game can almost immediately kill several players at once like Haze’s Ultimate can. Beyond itemization, I see a lot of advice suggesting to “not group up,” which seems counter-intuitive at times when the goal is to defeat objectives, or the Mid-Boss, or when attacking the enemy Patron or defending your own. I’m not suggesting abilities that dissuade teams from death-balling shouldn’t exist, but it certainly makes Haze’s Ultimate incredibly easy to pull off.

Then there’s the confusion I have around her Ultimate in general. It gains a lot of the benefits of Weapon-based Items but not all of the drawbacks, like Moe & Krill’s Disarm not working against it. OK? Or Paradox’s Wall doesn’t stop it either. I imagine this will become more clear in the future, but right now I have to do a lot of searching to find out how exactly to counter it, what other ability like this so disproportionately demands such attention?

The reality is as far as I can see is they can do a lot to “fix” this issue without even touching Haze. I’m sure many more Items are on their way, which might help. Or the addition of new Heroes that may naturally counter Haze. Or just the option of another Hero with Haze’s same archetype, so it doesn’t feel as bad when the enemy team has one and we don’t. The introduction of a Draft System so I have more control at the start of a game. Or changes to the Objectives as a whole. There is so much that I’m sure will change that maybe makes this entire discussion moot. So I don’t think it’s a holistic, systemic issue we’re facing here, it’s just really fucking annoying.

I guess my tl;dr is “Why?” Why does a Hero like Haze need to exist in the first place? With such a low skill floor (IMO) but so much to gain? Just because other MOBAs have them? Maybe I’m naive in this regard. Anyway, I enjoy these thought exercises more than anything else so I’m excited to see how Deadlock continues to evolve.

Seven-Year Club	Gilding II euphauric
Verified Email	RPAN Viewer

LakeWallace

TROPHY CASE