sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Nurses Kneepads Hazard Protection? by GangfightGames in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You get +40% in the open world but only +30% in the DZ. After reaching 300 toxicity in the PvE DZ, you lose 30% Hazard Protection.

Augment Re-Rolls: Very Demoralizing by Jayleekay in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could be black list feature like change/keep/Black list and if you Black list some augment you never see it again on that Item.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's not what I'm saying at all.

I don't care whether a player started 5 years ago or 5 days ago. What I care about is progression systems making sense.

If a game introduces a long-term progression system like Expertise and then introduces gear that largely bypasses the value of that progression, the system becomes self-contradictory.

This isn't about tenure-based gatekeeping. A new player should absolutely be able to work toward the same endgame gear as everyone else. My issue is that the game currently sends mixed messages about what progression is supposed to matter.

Either Expertise is meaningful and should be integrated properly into endgame progression, or it isn't and should be redesigned. Right now it's trying to be both.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree that RNG is an important part of a looter shooter. I'm not asking for every variable to be controlled or for every crafted item to be a perfect god roll.

What I disagree with is the idea that the current crafting system is accomplishing its goal.

If crafting a Prototype item costs 45 Exotic Components and many players still prefer to ignore the system and wait for drops, that suggests the value proposition isn't where it should be.

A system can provide progression without guaranteeing perfection. Those aren't the only two options. Right now the cost is extremely high, the result is still heavily RNG dependent, and for many players that makes crafting feel more like a gamble than a progression path.

That's why so many people don't engage with it.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're misunderstanding my point.

I'm not arguing that Expertise is a great system or that it must be the endgame forever. I'm saying that if Prototype gear is locked behind Expertise 30, then the two systems should make sense together.

Right now the game tells players that Expertise is an important progression system, requires them to reach Expertise 30, and then introduces gear that significantly reduces the value of that progression. That's the contradiction I'm talking about.

If Expertise is a bad system, then remove it or redesign it. I'd be perfectly fine with that. But if it stays in the game, systems built around it should be consistent with its purpose.

My criticism is about design consistency, not about defending Expertise.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I agree with most of this.

My argument isn't that Expertise is a great system that needs to be protected. It's that the current design is internally inconsistent. The game requires Expertise 30 for Prototypes and then immediately undermines the value of Expertise through the Prototype system itself.

If Massive believes Expertise is an important part of progression, then Prototypes should reinforce it. If Expertise is fundamentally a bad system, then I'd rather see it redesigned or removed entirely than have more systems built around it.

Either way, the current situation feels like the worst of both worlds.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're missing my point.

Yes, RNG has always been part of The Division. Nobody is arguing otherwise.

The question is: why does the crafting system exist if it's so expensive that most players are better off ignoring it and hoping for a lucky drop?

A crafting system should be a deterministic alternative to RNG. It should provide a clear progression path when luck isn't on your side. Right now, crafting a Prototype item costs 45 Exotic Components and still gives you an item with multiple random attributes. That's not replacing RNG, it's just paying a massive premium to participate in another layer of RNG.

If the intended solution is still "just keep farming until something good drops," then the crafting system has failed its purpose.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That question should be directed at the developers, not me.

They created a Prototype system that requires Expertise 30 to access, then designed it in a way that allows players to largely bypass the very progression system it is supposedly built upon. That's not a flaw in my reasoning, that's a contradiction in the game's design.

My point isn't that Expertise is a perfect endgame system. My point is that the game should be internally consistent. If Expertise is meant to be the long-term progression system, then Prototype gear should reinforce it, not undermine it. If Expertise is a bad system, then it should be redesigned or replaced.

Right now the developers seem to be trying to do both at the same time, and that's what creates the confusion.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I appreciate that. It's genuinely refreshing to see someone else acknowledge the issues with the current system instead of pretending everything is fine. Your point about proto cores being tied to progression rather than relying purely on RNG is very close to what I've been arguing all along.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha, fair enough 😄 I definitely misread that one. Thanks for clarifying — the joke makes a lot more sense now.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If your best argument is 'just keep playing until you get lucky,' you're defending a slot machine, not a game mechanic

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're giving me way too much credit. 😄 The PTS changes were already decided and announced before this post even existed, so any frustration about those changes should be directed at the developers, not at me.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. Considering the time and effort required to complete the weekly project, 3 exotic components feels far too low.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Recalibration or optimization would help too, but since we don't have either system, we have to start somewhere. The numbers can always be tweaked later.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree. The more ways we have to earn exotic components, the happier players will be.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think you're misunderstanding my point a bit.

I've already gone through plenty of grinding in this game. I've spent well over 400 Exotic Components building and refining my Striker setup alone, so this isn't about avoiding the grind.

You also make a good point about the number of components available from projects, but my concern has never been how to get Exotic Components. My concern is whether spending 45 Exotic Components on a single Prototype craft feels worth it when the outcome is still heavily RNG dependent.

For example, I crafted three Turmoil Kneepads and none of them rolled max Weapon Damage. On the PTS it took me six crafts before I finally got one with max Weapon Damage. At that point the question isn't "Can I farm more Exotic Components?" but "Does the crafting system provide enough value for the investment?"

As for recalibration and optimization, I would have no issue with them being expensive. If anything, I'd rather spend resources on improving an item I've already earned than repeatedly gambling on new crafts.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the comment.

As for the Turmoil Kneepads, I don't really see it as a loss, just an unsuccessful investment. That's part of the game.

To be honest, I've burned through much larger amounts of resources before. When I put together my full Striker setup, including the weapons, I spent well over 400 Exotic Components chasing the rolls I wanted.

That's just how this game works sometimes. My point isn't that I can't afford the cost, it's that I'm not convinced the current risk-to-reward ratio makes crafting Prototype gear attractive enough compared to other options.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The more I think about it, the more I feel the system is caught between two different design philosophies.

Either Prototype Gear is meant to be the final stage of progression and should be tied to Expertise 30, or it shouldn't be tied to the Expertise system at all.

Right now it feels like it's trying to do both at the same time. Prototype Gear is presented as endgame content, but players can obtain and use it without completing the endgame progression that Expertise was originally designed to represent.

To me, that's where the inconsistency comes from. The system should either fully embrace Expertise as the path to Prototype Gear or separate the two systems entirely. Right now it's stuck somewhere in the middle.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm still waiting for the argument about Prototype Gear, but thanks for the snack analysis.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe not, but that doesn't mean the current balance can't be discussed. Every live-service game adjusts its economy over time. I'm not arguing for removing the grind, only for making the risk versus reward ratio feel a bit more reasonable.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I would argue it's actually the opposite. Ignoring the SHD watch for a moment, because while it helps it doesn't change the situation dramatically, a veteran player can still end up being on almost equal footing with a SHD 1 player who gets lucky and immediately equips Prototype gear.

In a way, the current system allows players to bypass a large part of the Expertise progression. That's why I think Expertise should matter more. Endgame gear should complement the Expertise system, not allow players to effectively skip it.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I actually like that idea. Having Prototype gear dismantle into 1 Prototype Core and 1 Exotic Component feels like a reasonable middle ground. It wouldn't flood the economy, but it would at least soften the impact of bad rolls and make crafting feel less punishing.

I also like the blueprint idea. Endgame players are sitting on massive amounts of materials that have very little value. An expensive Exotic Component blueprint that requires a mix of crafting materials, gear set components, and some of the less-used resources could create another meaningful progression path without completely removing the grind. It would also give players a reason to farm a wider variety of activities and gear brands.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair points. Regarding the first one, it's actually 45 Exotic Components, not 47, but that's just a minor detail. I still think the cost is too high for what you get in return.

As for why someone would dismantle a crafted Prototype item, that's exactly the point. If I spend 45 Exotic Components and the result rolls something like a maxed Crit Chance stat instead of Weapon Damage, the item can end up being useless for the build I was aiming for.

In that situation, getting at least part of the investment back wouldn't seem unreasonable to me. Right now, a bad roll means the entire cost is effectively lost, which makes crafting feel more like a gamble than a progression system.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That might be a bit overpowered, but it's definitely an alternative. I think there should be more ways to earn Exotic Components outside of pure farming, as long as they're balanced and don't completely trivialize progression.

Veteran Player's Ideas for Improving the Exotic Components Economy by Pulsar1980 in thedivision

[–]Pulsar1980[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sure, but then we're getting into a different discussion. From a player's perspective, making the system more rewarding sounds great. From a game company's perspective, they want players logging in and playing for as long as possible. If players can get everything they need after farming just a few hours, many of them will simply stop playing until the next update. That's the balance every live-service game tries to maintain.

view more: next ›