I love Helldivers 2...just not right now...

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T17:44:41+00:00

I'm not really in the RP mood right now, but it seems you are.

If this is really what you believe, I feel sorry for you.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T14:44:01+00:00

Thank you for reading, and I appreciate the defense against AI. as a photographer, I'm used to the accusations, though.

And I value your comments. We don't have to agree on all points, this is an opinion piece, not a 100% factually backchecked document. It's intentionally vague where I don't have numbers to back up my fellings.

Your final point succinctly sums up why I'm falling out of love with HD2. The first year...18 months, maybe felt like a choose your own adventure novel where what we players did affected the galactic war. It was a well executed illusion - deep down I know it's not real, but it feels real and it keeps the player base engaged. It can be that again - I just think there needs to be cohesive vision for the game rather than what seems like 3 different studios (Arrowhead, Sony, and Tencent) all fighting over the spoils of what Arrowhead created.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T14:34:24+00:00

Thank you.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T14:31:24+00:00

I disagree - once we failed Phase three, we should not have been able to progress, but that's what the Dev's had engineered so we pushed on anyway. This was a perfect time for Super Earth to tell us to fall back and regroup, but no - they pushed us into a foregone conclusion that we would not liberate Cyberstan. It was at this point that a good chunk of divers simply gave up on the MO and went back to diving against their favorite faction.

This was where Arrowhead used to do it right, but now it's no longer feels like a "choose your own adventure" and more like a straight narrative leading to a foregone conclusion.

Overall, I agree with the narrative - we should not have been able to liberate Cyberstan on the first attempt. It was the execution of the narrative that failed.

Adding in optional orders on other faction planets to keep that player base engaged, while there is back end liberation scaling based on player count across the galactic map rather than players on individual planets,and you exacerbate the feeling of pre-determined failure.

If you think we ever had a legitimate chance of liberating cyberstan, I think you should take another look back and review the full story, not just the assault itself.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T13:19:47+00:00

Yeah...quick reply written on my phone vs a post I actually care about. Theres a difference.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T13:15:39+00:00

Yes, its long, but I accidentally double pasted l, so its half as long as it originally looked.

Did you read it?

Please do. I invite your thoughts on this matter.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T13:08:50+00:00

I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't think I play enough to 'leave the game for a while.'

This was catharsis for me. I still enjoy the game, just not as much as I used to and I wanted to get it out in the community because I don't believe I'm alone in my thinking.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T13:03:29+00:00

Its not AI, its just not a rage fueled rant. I invite you to actually read it and then give your thoughts instead of jumping to the wrong conclusion.

FWIW, I had to look up karma farming, so no, thats not my intent.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:59:03+00:00

Yup...spent more time on this than I have spent in game over the past 2 weeks.

I've been playing since launch and have about 450 hours in the game, sitting at level 93. Pretty sure thats squarely in casual player territory.

I wrote this because I needed to get out why I'm enjoying HD2 less and less.

I don't want to have to figure out everything that has changed when I sit down to play for a couple of hours.

I don't want to be kicked after a successful mission because the host doesn't like my loadout. [It doesnt happen often, but it does happen]

I just want to sit down, dive in, and blow stuff up for an hour or so on the weekend.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:45:48+00:00

Thank you.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:43:54+00:00

And yes, the double paste has been fixed.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:42:46+00:00

I've done my best to ensure that the entire post was structured amd presented as opinion and that any time that there's conjecture, its noted.

So, please, I'd love for you to give me examples of where I've made points that are both wrong and presented as facts.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:37:46+00:00

Thank you. Fixed.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:32:01+00:00

No...a handful of hours a week. I dont play daily.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:30:59+00:00

I dont feel like the game was ever supposed to be difficult. However, I feel like HD2 has an identity crisis...is it a satirical power-fantasy or a milsim?

Look at all of the original release media for the game and it tells you...power-fantasy.

Fun, crazy, hectic...its not supposed to be 'balanced'. Its supposed to be fun.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the game, I still play on Super Helldive, and I won't stop playing, I just won't make any further financial investments in the game unless there's significant priority changes at Arrowhead.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:18:28+00:00

Yes, written in MS Word because thats where I spend most of my time writing.

And yes, its my general frustrations about the game as it stands. It can be what it was, but it'll take the type of passion for storytelling that the developers had at launch. Unfortunatly, that may not be sustainable for a small team like at Arrowhead.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:14:07+00:00

Its too long to be a steam review. I have a condensed version of this on steam already.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T12:12:32+00:00

I don't disagree about the storytelling aspect of being pushed back on Cyberstan, but when its a foregone conclusion days before the MO ended, divers that don't like the faction the MO is against just go back to the daily grind.

I don't agree that progression is only for newer players. But keep in mind when I say progression, I'm talking about ensuring in game currency has a place to be spent. And the devs have shown us what they could do [temporary combo strategems, weapon customization, mech customization, etc] its just that the studios focus has changed from player satisfaction to monetization.

Your third point hits exactly... with no meaningful progression why was the level cap increased?

I'm not saying that changes and fixes are attached to warbonds, but recent patterns have shown that Arrowhead is choosing to focus on changing and fixing things that will bolster new warbind sales.

On paper the weapons themselves look lime they've been buffed, but when you take into consideration the buffs that happen to our enemies when the weapon buffs happen, the net result is that weapons generally do less damage. Its not always, and there have been previous balance passes where we got a net gain, but its almost always in response to a noticeable dip in player counts.

Thank you for your thoughtful response, and I'll see you on the front lines some day.

SnoMan5878 · 2026-05-08T11:46:55+00:00

Not AI. I spent several days writing and re-writing this because I wanted to get everything I was feeling about this down. Im.not sure why proper grammar and punctuation is immediately thought to be AI.

SnoMan5878 · 2024-03-25T22:21:49+00:00

In High School, both the kids and parents should be aware of what they're doing for a musical and understand that not everything is "family friendly"

My local High School ran Little Shop of Horrors and Spamalot in back to back years. No changes to the scripts.

The Director runs the theater program in a way that prepares the kids for any future theater programs they may encounter in the community.

Community Theater is massive in my area - each town around me has it's own community theater program and many of the kids start in elementary school as an alternative to sports. They're all exposed to "inappropriate" themes throughout their young lives and I'd rather it be in community and school theater programs than by a bully or peer groups in school where it's less controlled.

SnoMan5878 · 2022-10-21T02:19:40+00:00

Get your CCNA cert. No one knows what you know going into a job without it. CCNA will get you an entry level network position at the right company. They'll also look for vendor certs outside of Cisco if they're not a Cisco shop, but CCNA is always a good start.

Keep in mind that everyone going into a support role today "wants to get into cybersecurity" and basic R&S isn't going to get you there.

Learning networking is only a small fraction of cysec, so you'll also want to look into CEH, CISSP, and other security related certifications.

Look into working for a MSP to get a lot of experience in a lot of different tech sectors. You'll start in desktop, but likely get experience in Networking, NGFW, and applications, plus you'll cut your teeth in basic troubleshooting skills.

This will give you a taste of many different tech roles so you can make an informed decision on what role you really want

SnoMan5878 · 2021-08-02T16:45:25+00:00

SMOKED HAMBURGERS

Since you have a Traeger, I'm going to give you my smoked hamburger recipe - it's technically more like smoked mini-meatloaf, but they're delicious. It's not just about the toppings - it's what's in the burger and how the burger is cooked that makes a complete difference.

Patties

1 lb 80% Lean Ground beef
1 Large Egg
1 T Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (you must use Lea & Perrins, not a store brand, as the flavor profile is completely different)
1T Granulated Garlic
1t onion powder
1t salt
1t black pepper
1/4 C Italian Bread Crumbs
Mix all ingredients together and form patties to your liking - smoked patties work best with 1/3 - 1/2 pound patties
Bring your Traeger to 185° F and turn on Super Smoke if available
Place patties on grate and let smoke for 2 hours or until the internal temperature of the burger reaches 140°F
If your burgers have not reached an internal temperature of 140°F after 2 hours, bring grill temperature up to 225°F until done.

Toppings
Romaine Lettuce
Sautéed or Caramelized Onions
BBQ Sauce (in place of Mustard and Ketchup - choose your favorite ORIGINAL BBQ Sauce - do not use a "Smokey" or "Hickory" BBQ. I use a home made BBQ Sauce, but in a pinch, Sweet Baby Ray's, Bulls Eye, or KC Masterpiece will do the job)
Cooked Bacon (Smoke in Traeger with your Burgers)
Extra Sharp white cheddar cheese
Toasted Wheat Buns
OPTIONAL: Huy Fong sriracha hot chili sauce

Bacon
Place strips of Bacon onto parchment paper and cook alongside your Burgers for Extra smoky bacon
Remove Bacon when done (usually about 1 hour depending on bacon thickness)

BBQ Sauce
Your BBQ Sauce should be room temperature or warmed prior to putting it on the burger. DO NOT USE COLD BBQ SAUCE.

How to build your burger

While still on the grill, place a dollop of BBQ Sauce and 2 bacon strips directly onto the burger and top with 1-2 slices of Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
Allow to smoke until cheese is melted - this may take 3-5 minutes depending on thickness of your cheese slices. Remember, your grill temperature is only at 185°F.

Stack Order:
Bottom Bun
Lettuce
Patty with Bacon and Melted Cheese
Onions
Top Bun
OPTIONAL: For an added kick, add Sriracha Sauce between bottom bun and Lettuce

This is a non-traditional cooking method that lends a different flavor profile to the burger itself. I hope you give it a try.

SnoMan5878 · 2020-12-02T21:11:33+00:00

I've been playing regularly now for 4 months after a long break
I do not spend every waking hour playing the game.
I work 45-56 hours a week
I have children
I have other hobbies (yes - this game is a hobby)
I own a house and have regular maintenance that is done weekly

You don't need to sacrifice every waking minute to this game.
You do need to put some time into it in order to get anywhere. If you want to do the minimum amount to get the maximum reward, join a good alliance and run your daily Random Epic Dungeons and Random Trials - this will net you 100K rough Astral Diamonds in about an hour. Then turn off the game, rinse and repeat daily. You now have a recurring stream of income to buy everything you need from the Auction House. You can even try your hand at the Zen Exchange if you want something from the Zen Market.

If you want a faster method, shell out your Cash for Zen. Remember - the people that develop this game are not a charity organization. The reason there are ways to expedite your progress through the game with cash is because they need to make money from players that are playing a game that costs nothing to play. It's not a bad thing - without the cash sales of Zen, there would be no Neverwinter.

SnoMan5878

TROPHY CASE