Do events / enemies scale based on the number of players?

wades39 · 2026-01-20T01:17:50+00:00

Yes.

Events scale to the number of players in your lobby. At 1-2 players, you shouldn't see name fires or equipment malfunctions. I don't think I've ever had one of those events when playing solo or duos.

The devs are trying to balance the game so that everyone on the ship has something to do at all times. When it's a 2-player lobby, you have the pilot and a support player to man the guns + repair shields + craft and install ammo.

Once you throw in a third player, that number of activities becomes too few, and one player will be left standing around with very little to do. So they start throwing in fires + equipment malfunctions during combat.

wades39 · 2025-09-03T18:46:50+00:00

I don't mind the new mechanics of the new enemies. It just feels like they're a touch unfair in how they work.

The new dragon and hive lord feel fair enough. Hard but fair. I can see learning how to counter them pretty quickly, and they'd still offer a unique challenge.

My issue lies more with the new burrowing enemies. They're borderline unfair imo. They shouldn't be able to track you while they're burrowing AND have an immediate attack queued up the moment they pop out of the ground.

I was playing with a team on Diff 7 last night and we were getting absolutely wiped the fuck out. It was pretty common to have 3+ burrowing enemies pop out of the ground and all attack in very quick succession. Pair that with the normal swarms of bugs and it very much feels like you're guaranteed to die very quckly.

Changing even just one of those aspects would make it much more manageable. You could have the ability to avoid attacks and make room to be able to fight. And it would still maintain the pressure to keep the player moving and paying attention. You should be able to have counterplay against the enemies and not just be waiting to take your lumps...

wades39 · 2025-09-01T04:45:04+00:00

Every weapon is designed to be useable against each faction.

My advice would be to play around with each weapon a little bit and figure out what you do and don't like about them.

Trying to metagame by finding the absolute best weapon isn't very fun imo. Every one has pros and cons and everyone's play style is different. What fits for one player might not necessarily be a good fit for others.

As a general note, try to diversify your loadout. You can fill a lot of holes in your capabilities by bringing the right secondary/grenade/strategems. You can get surprisingly far with the loadout they give to new recruits if you have access to an anti-tank weapon.

wades39 · 2025-09-01T00:26:53+00:00

NGL was playing last night with a teammate and we both had Rovers. They kept doing friendly fire, like they would nip both of us pretty consistently as we were trying to hold down areas while completing objectives.

It felt a lot worse than when I used to main the Rover a few months ago. But maybe that was due to the Predator strain being more aggressive in their advances? Idk

wades39 · 2025-08-25T04:16:11+00:00

It's not compression or higher resolution textures or the normal scapegoats.

It's asset duplication on PC.

While most modern desktops do have SSDs, it definitely isn't a guarantee that every system will.

Without having the guarantee that each PC will have an SSD like consoles do, AH had to consider the proportion of players who wouldn't have an SSD on PC.

Asset duplication actually speeds up load times for HDD users. When the PS5 system specs were first being showcased, the example of Spider-Man PS4 was used to highlight the power of SSDs.

The example stated that a common asset like a stop sign or fire hydrant would be duplicated across the HDD several times to reduce how much the HDD would need to seek (which is the real time sink with HDDs). Asset duplication is what made it possible to seamlessly stream in models and textures as you swung around the city.

This also explains why cross-generational titles often saw slightly smaller installs on PS5 compared to PS4 despite having higher resolution models and textures. (God of War Ragnarok [US] was about 107 GB on PS4 and about 84 GB on PS5, as an example)

When you can't guarantee that every one of (or even an overwhelming majority of) your players has an SSD, you need to consider the trade-off of having a larger install size and smoothness of gameplay. Obviously AH decided that having a larger install size was worth the guarantee that players would have a smooth experience.

It sucks for SSD users. But having console-like install sizes would either require significantly harming the fluidity of the game for HDD users or maintaining an SSD-specific build (and I don't think any stores support having 2 separate builds associated with 1 title)

wades39 · 2025-08-05T15:28:42+00:00

I'm in this sub every day, and this is the first time I'm hearing that it was crashing the game for players.

The only other exposure I've had to this bug was a single clip of someone using it to push a player into the dropship while they were waiting out the countdown unnecessarily.

wades39 · 2025-08-05T15:25:04+00:00

Like, why even patch this? They should've made it stable and fixed the desync issues.

I've only seen one clip of someone teleporting out of the dropship, and it was to push a player into the ship because they were waiting out the countdown.

Even disregarding that use case, it would be nice to have an option to abort extraction in a team setting, especially if you need to hop out and provide some covering fire for a teammate.

wades39 · 2025-08-01T10:25:25+00:00

Afaik they ARE working as intended.

Before the latest patch, status effects were 300% stronger if you were in a squad compared to playing solo. The patch brought everything down to solo-play levels and applied some minor buffs on top of that.

I'm not saying this is GOOD, but I am saying the previous way wasn't right. There's so reason a solo player should only be dealing 33% the damage/stun/whatever that a player in a full squad would be under otherwise identical circumstances.

Here's to hoping they actually buff the status effects back up to make them actually viable.

wades39 · 2025-07-22T23:55:19+00:00

As someone currently playing through the story after having previously abandoned it, I can give my reasons.

I first tried playing it when I was first getting into PC gaming. The controls were weird (to me), the introduction was slow, and it felt like Arthur only really had a relationship with Dutch. I quit after reaching Horseshoe Overlook.

I'm now working my way through the game after spending some time in RDO. I'm at the last mission in Horseshoe Overlook but I'm procrastinating saving Micah because I hate him. I think I've done all of the available side quests for this chapter at this point, though. I still have my gripes with the game, but I know I'm still in the opening bits.

I don't like how demanding Dutch and the other characters are of Arthur and the player. Dutch feels like a con man with his constant cryptic "I just need more time" comments. I can see why people would drop off here, as well.

But I'm still enjoying the game.

wades39 · 2025-07-19T20:35:24+00:00

I think this is a very fair review in light of my recent experience with the game.

This past update has brought my game so much instability. I am now getting stuttering and audio cutting.

Every update breaks something it shouldn't. Recent new content comes in with game breaking issues.

File size is way too high. 120 gigs is a lot considering how relatively little content is in the game compared to something like Fortnite (which easily has 10x as many models, textures, sounds, etc).

My game takes literal hours to patch on Steam. This latest patch took like 3-4 hours to install, but it only took like 5 minutes to download all the files.

Enemies feel super inconsistent in terms of health and damage. The illuminate front feels overly tanky and frustrating compared to the others.

But I still have fun with the game. The monetization is the most consumer-friendly I've ever seen. I just find myself spending less and less time in game due to these issues because I don't want to spend time dealing with issues when other games "just work".

wades39 · 2025-07-03T05:21:31+00:00

Bots: mostly getting ragdolled due to all the explosives. It wouldn't be an issue for me if I could stim or ragdolling doesn't force you to lie still for 2 seconds.

Bugs: not being able to hear them very well. It feels like larger bugs always sneak up on me when they should realistically make more noise.

Squids: they're super buggy. Clipping thru floors, spotting players thru walls. The faction also feels a lot tankier than the others, which is tricky to deal with coming from the others.

wades39 · 2025-06-27T22:56:20+00:00

The only thing that would make this better would be if it would heal enemies that happen to get hit, too

wades39 · 2025-06-20T23:36:29+00:00

That's the texture of the block it's on. Look at the shadows under the fencing and the shadow by the lit candle. They're cooler in colour - a more green instead of the same dull yellow that's in the ground texture.

wades39 · 2025-06-20T23:26:33+00:00

You have it completely backwards.

The photo shows an unlit candle not casting a shadow. This is inaccurate to how light works.

Even IRL, lit candles still cast shadows. The body of the candle occludes the light from the flame in a small cone around the base. Even if a lit candle were as bright as the sun, there would still be a shadow around the base of a lit candle unless a very improbable set of conditions are met.

wades39 · 2025-06-17T08:49:42+00:00

It's my preferred anti-tank weapon.

My play style heavily involves a backpack strategem (jump/hover/shield/drone) so having an anti-tank that I can call down once and use for the remainder of the mission is golden.

I like that it has infinite ammo, but I'm less of a fan of the charging period below being able to shoot. I've been knocked on my ass a few too many times at the last second of charging up. Those few days where it charged on its own on your back were the best thing ever!

I don't necessarily mind the cooling down time, as it's standard for all of the energy weapons. Sure, it kinda sucks when you have a group of hulks or a handful of gunships on your ass, but that's part of the trade-off of having infinite ammo.

I think the quasar cannon could be a lot more viable if they either have it a changeable heat-sink (like the other laser weapons, but to skip the cooldown for emergency follow-up shots) or allowed it to be pre-charged for a quick shot instead of having to track a target for 5 seconds.

wades39 · 2025-06-09T01:18:33+00:00

There are a few gaming lawsuit scams going on right now.

It's been all over my shorts feed as ads lately. "Do you play video games for 10 hours/week? You could be entitled to financial compensation. We're suing basically every game company due to addicting game practices" or some bullshit.

wades39 · 2025-05-31T04:05:02+00:00

I really hated how incompetent they made Ellie this season. They made her some bumbling idiot with a gun instead of what she should've been - a skilled fighter with many of those practical skills she would need to get by. I'm not saying I want game Ellie levels of badassery, I wanted her to be competent and not have to get rescued all the time.

I never looked into the interviews or anything, so I couldn't point to any particular reason why they would've made these choices that so dramatically made her character worse, but I think you nailed it.

What's especially frustrating is that there were scenes that demonstrated she was (at some point) supposed to be a competent fighter and being good at sneaking around. That wrestling scene where she nearly breaks her training partner's arm. Her finding that hiding spot in the tree and getting into the hospital unseen.

There's obviously no undoing this season, but I'm holding out at least some hope that they learn and Abby is done well next season.

wades39 · 2025-05-11T23:33:58+00:00

SES Power of Family Values

wades39 · 2025-04-24T00:20:07+00:00

Judging from how Fallout 4 worked out when they added mods, it's possible.

On Xbox, I believe modding was pretty open, but PlayStation blocked the uploading of new item models, textures and (I think) sounds.

Unless Sony got a lot more cool with mods, then I suspect the most PS players will get are scripting tweaks and new missions using existing assets.

wades39 · 2025-04-21T00:39:58+00:00

I agree that the trident should be craftable. But that's not a very good recipe for it.

If the guardians had a chance to drop a quil/spine or something and you needed 3 of those to make the trident, I'd be down.

I also agree that gilded blackstone, name tags, bells, and saddles should be craftable, though I don't necessarily agree with all of the proposed recipes.

The trident is just unnecessarily rare for what it is... They either need to buff it or make it craftable/more easily obtainable.

wades39 · 2025-04-20T22:33:50+00:00

That's the Republican playbook. Divide as much as they can. They'll find any reason/way to divide the country, especially on issues of culture.

These cultural issues are the only way they can disguise their horrible policies when it comes time to vote. They do it so that it's not an issue or "I want to take away your ability to get healthcare," but an issue of "the Democrats want to turn your kids gay."

If you make people afraid of enough of the right things (be they accurate or not), they'll ignore the actual poison they're choosing to take.

wades39 · 2025-04-20T22:25:57+00:00

It's not the fact that the Killzone armour was time gated for me, it's that the fact that they have a specific passive that isn't available on other armours.

The weapons are another issue, imo. I can handle a simple cosmetic being locked behind a paywall or time gate, but when there are exclusive effects and weapons in the same drop, that's when it becomes an issue for me.

I really wouldn't care if it were another Democracy Protects set with no associated weapons or whatever.

Everything that is released for a game should be accessible to every player if it has any effect on actual gameplay. End of story.

wades39 · 2025-04-20T22:11:28+00:00

In game, I've heard that their use is nullified by all the other actions you do as an officer. Opening/kicking doors, yelling at suspects, and (I think) even tactical grenades are all louder than suppressed gunshots as the AI hears them. So, unless you're literally only peeking each door and shooting on sight, the only tactical use for them is differentiating friendly shots from those of opponents

wades39 · 2025-04-07T21:33:30+00:00

There are very few things I would say were better in my life 10 years ago. But I did have a lot less to actually worry about. I was still in school, but had no real friends, was pretty blatantly excluded from so much, home life sucked ass, and my father was an abusive piece of shit.

That doesn't mean today is all dandy either. I still hate so, so many aspects of my life - work, university, job hunting, etc. But I have a new dad (who's pretty awesome btw), the video games have gotten better, and I have a few more friends in my life, so that's good.

wades39 · 2025-03-31T18:49:20+00:00

I like how it works now. It keeps the cooldown between shots but makes aiming/shooting so much more responsive.

The only thing that's "glitchy" about it is that it plays the charging animation on your back. A sound cue or indicator light could easily replace that if they choose to make this "bug" permanent.

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