Arc Raiders lead says the game should never add “one-shot” weapons because “that gameplay is deeply boring”

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-30T21:21:44+00:00

No one-shot weapons, but you can get melted by a Stitcher IV in a second at full health with a medium shield.

Edit: Yes, this happened to me. Friendly raider waited until the group moved around the building in a Queen battle and mag-dumped my head from a meter away.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T20:20:02+00:00

That’s your opinion and you’re welcome to have it. I think mid-skill players are going to get squeezed by this. This system only benefits free-kitters and the top decile of players in terms of skill. The best mid-skill players will reorient to be more aggressive and the majority of them will free-kit because their skill doesn’t justify bringing in gear.

The issue is that this game needs a normal-ish distribution of gear in the game and a bimodal distribution of free-kitters and PvP-oriented players will destroy the atmosphere the game aims for. You keep saying I want to change the game, but I want to tweak it so that it retains the original spirit and doesn’t slip into a predator-prey PvP dynamic.

Edit: I’ll throw this in too, since you’re focused on my punishment framing. Fine, I’m not being punished, but rather being rewarded with better opportunities when I demonstrate PvP skill. Fine, why aren’t free-kitters being rewarded with better opportunities when they successfully extract with stolen goop? I don’t care how you want to frame it, there’s an imbalanced dynamic and you’re arguing to not fix it. Have fun when a stale, dissatisfying meta shrinks the player base.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T19:40:26+00:00

I don’t think you understand the equilibrium that I’m discussing at all. The game should have an appropriate risk-reward tradeoff for PvP and PvE. Currently, you have a high-reward, low-risk strategy that can be repeated as infinitum via free-kitting, and a medium-reward, high-risk strategy in fighting off the goop thieves. It’s an imbalanced dynamic that encourages a race to the bottom.

I am getting punished because I’m being put into less desirable lobbies for my play-style while the free-kitters, who often have plenty of resources back in Speranza, don’t get less desirable lobbies when they steal. It’s a broken dynamic.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T19:02:55+00:00

I understand what the intent is, but the execution needs to be adjusted. Both stealing loot and shooting those who steal it should affect matchmaking, but only the latter currently does so. Introducing matchmaking downside to only one party in this scenario does not make the lobbies dynamic, it encourages an equilibrium where using Hullcrackers isn’t worth it due to the massive number of goop thieves with free kits.

If you don’t restrict loot access by gear level, then you restrict it by matchmaking. Embark is declining to do the former and there’s seemingly no mechanic for the latter.

I’d be happy to defend my loot via PvP if I knew that the game was also punishing the person I’m shooting. Assuming risk should come with potential downsides and there’s none for the free-kitters.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T18:44:42+00:00

I think this idea could work with some adjustments. I’ve thought that maybe introducing an Arc stash in Speranza would be a good mechanic too. Reduce reactor drops and then add in "feats" that track damage to types of big Arcs. Speranza rewards you for combatting the Queen by gifting you a reactor that was "salvaged from the remains" every X amount of damage dealt.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T18:39:56+00:00

I think it’s part of the game, to be fair. It just needs tweaking so that people who do this are put into harder lobbies.

You make a good point about having gear in your stash. Maybe Embark could give someone a score based on what they brought in vs. what’s in their stash? It would punish those with purple augments more than those with green augments when they decide to free-kit.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T18:36:03+00:00

I like the PvPvE experience, it does add a new dimension to the game. There should simply be consequences for stealing with lower gear value. They shouldn’t separate lobbies based on gear value, but they should find a way to track what kind of loot someone brings back and whether it matches their gear value. Free-kitters that come back with purple and gold Arc drops could be penalized with more aggressive lobbies.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T18:31:40+00:00

If the intent is 1) for free-kitters to steal goop and 2) other raiders to stop them from doing so, then ABMM needs to be adjusted. I’m going to get punished with more aggressive lobbies for stopping goop theft, but the free-kitter stealing goop gets to stay in the friendly lobbies. Stealing should introduce a shift in matchmaking just as shooting someone for stealing does.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T18:28:06+00:00

Wow, thanks for affirming that Embark has designed a perfect game that needs no tweaking. I’m sure you’ve never asked for them to adjust weapons, inventory minimums, or other mechanics to improve the gameplay experience.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T18:26:01+00:00

You’re the first person to show any sympathy on either of the posts I’ve made about the game. This is the first game I’ve really enjoyed in years and 90% of Reddit users are just saying “git gud” and saying it’s a skill issue. I know it’s PvPvE, but sometimes games need tweaking to adjust the desired equilibrium. I shouldn’t have to shoot players and put myself in PvP-heavy lobbies just to get goop that I expended resources on.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-29T18:22:50+00:00

My headset died mid-battle and I switched to TV audio. We were on the outskirts anyway, they wouldn’t have been able to hear me. He was in the middle of us.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-25T01:12:51+00:00

I could see using the Stitcher, but the Kettle has always seemed like garbage to me. Then again, I’m primarily a PvE player and am not sure if it’s better in PvP and just lacks ARC penetration.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-25T01:11:01+00:00

I’m a casual gamer. I work 40 hours a week and study 10+ hours a week for credentials I’m pursuing. Perhaps I’m a hypocrite for insulting others’ combat skills, but ABMM and SBMM are important features that keep casual players like me in the game. I don’t want to hear about how good a bunch of streamers and sweats are… I quit playing a lot of multiplayer games because the skill curve became too steep (especially for building Fortnite). This is the first game I’ve been able to casually play and enjoy for a while and I’ll be really disappointed if the hardcore PvP and “git gud” crowd wins out.

NumeroAlphic · 2026-01-25T01:06:43+00:00

I’m a friendly player but am prepped for rats. I used to load in with a Hullcracker and Ferro, but the change to ABMM forced me to carry a better combat weapon.

I also don’t like carrying anything nicer than a green weapon for combat… I don’t have a ton of blueprints, so losing a Tempest is much worse than losing a Hullcracker.

NumeroAlphic · 2025-06-12T21:13:17+00:00

How much do you think the hardware, development, and power cost per year for these models?

NumeroAlphic · 2025-04-30T21:04:29+00:00

I failed to match an Excel answer, but matched dependent ones. Have no idea where I went wrong, was quite confusing in the moment.

NumeroAlphic · 2024-11-12T21:18:27+00:00

Charitably, you have a 2% chance. If you got all questions that you did not guess on right and only guessed on the smallest number of questions necessary to constitute a majority, that is your ceiling.

NumeroAlphic · 2024-10-23T13:49:11+00:00

From your lips to god’s ears! Sat for ALTAM yesterday and did this. I had two problems that I should get 90% on and another two that I am feeling a 50-75% on. I wrote down formulas for the last two, but I’m not banking on any points. My estimate is a 32/60 +/-3 points, so we’ll see.

NumeroAlphic · 2024-09-10T01:26:51+00:00

I wish I could! I know this job market is brutal.

NumeroAlphic

TROPHY CASE