Dirty Bomb - Splash Damage gives objective FPS one last try with F2P

[benjipwns]

Got an e-mail that their closed beta is going to be up for good (barring technical stuff) starting today so thought I'd make a thread. Read elsewhere that they're basically going to just hand out keys to everyone who signs up, so it's theoretically released.





You can also pay $20 for the starter pack: http://store.steampowered.com/app/355730/

[Great Rumbler]

I had such high hopes for Brink.

[benjipwns]

In a lot of ways this is what Brink should have been and was when you got a game where Brink was at its best on the two or three good maps where the objectives were clear so your moron teammates helped. But they went off with the single player stuff and the outfits and crap. Plus all the technical issues.

I hope this does well for them so they can expand with it like TF2 or Blacklight: Retribution.

[Stoney Mason]

Wanted to try it but haven't got around to it yet.

And yeah, Brink was a disaster on many levels but there were a lot of great ideas in it.

[Rufus]

Path of Exile 1 month race and Pillars of Eternity prevents me from playing this currently, but I'm sure it'll become a mainstay in my rotation. For as long as it lives, anyway.

[benjipwns]

I think it could have a decent shelf-life, I never thought Blacklight: Retribution would stick around but they're still adding modes and stuff to that, I've heard it makes pretty good money too.

[Rufus]

Not enough to keep Zombie Studios afloat though.

[benjipwns]

I hadn't realized that, apparently the company just broke up? Founders retired, the Blacklight team formed their own thing to keep on the game and the rest started another company, guess working with Jessica Chobot was too much for them.

As of January 2015, that Blacklight team from Zombie Studios have split and created a separate company: Hardsuit Labs. Blacklight: Retribution will be developed and published by Hardsuit Labs.

[Rufus]

I thought they closed down entirely. Hardsuit Labs better find a way to make their namesakes more appealing.

[Rufus]

Aaand there are already cheaters out there. Spectated a guy yesterday whose crosshairs where glued to other player's heads the moment he hit right click. Didn't even try to hide it, but was still defending himself. Outscored everyone else by a factor of four and had something like 90:7 KDR. Every single kill a headshot.

Cheat in an open beta.

[chronovore]

Aaand there are already cheaters out there. Spectated a guy yesterday whose crosshairs where glued to other player's heads the moment he hit right click. Didn't even try to hide it, but was still defending himself. Outscored everyone else by a factor of four and had something like 90:7 KDR. Every single kill a headshot.

Cheat in an open beta.

 If it's exposing a problem with the programming, I would prefer they were cheating during open data rather than cheating once the game is launched.

[Kara]

I think it could have a decent shelf-life, I never thought Blacklight: Retribution would stick around but they're still adding modes and stuff to that, I've heard it makes pretty good money too.

I won't pretend like I expected it to live long at the time of its release, but its success made a lot of sense postmortem. It had great style, a decent complexity curve in game modes, a solid gimmick (the wallhack thing, not the crisis suits), replicated Call of Duty 4's online mode without being insufferably obvious about it, and, most importantly, was great at egging you on with its F2P systems.

Not really seeing any of that with this game.

[benjipwns]

Thing I noticed is that I don't think a lot of people even use the wallhack/detective mode, but it can turn you into a god once you know the map layouts because you can pretty much guess where they're going and jump them. And it's epic for clearing your flanks. And finding campers. I would just pop it for a second to assess so I could do it more often.

The suits almost made you more vulnerable if you ran into like three people attacking from a good distance (sweep distance in MK terms), I loved taking a series of pot shots at it while leading the dopes around the map where they couldn't get up to me since I could SEE THROUGH WALLS AND IT WAS HUGE.

Also, putting ordinance all over it before the person could get to it or back to it. Then blowing it as they approached.

Should hop back into that, it's been a while.

[chronovore]

I take it you’re talking about a PC Master Race version, and not some hobbled 360 port?

[benjipwns]

I think the PS4 has a PC-equalish version of Blacklight: Retribution at least gameplay wise. And they were going to add KB/Mouse controls I think.

They were touting it as one of the big F2P exclusives. I honestly have no idea if that was true.

This guy has a pleasant voice, though like a Quick Look, he doesn't start playing for 12 minutes:


EDIT: This one only takes six minutes to play:


Dunno, looks pretty decent compared to PC version including the wonky lag. Highest level textures don't seem to fade in too smoothly though, looked at some other videos and they seem to have toned down or turned off one of the crazier rain effects in the one map but most are just slightly toned down textures being the main thing. 

The PC version back when I was playing it every week did have some issues with them upgrading things graphics-wise rapidly without full testing so it'd go from smooth to "gotta drop $3000 on upgrades breh" from update to update. I imagine PS4 is just sticking to medium-high to maintain 60fps, I'm not seeing many framedrops in the videos.

Though these a year old, so who knows about the PS4 playerbase now.

[Kara]

Yeah, that and Planetside 2 were supposed to be killer (F2P) apps on the PS4. I wonder how bad the side is on console, it didn't have multicore support or some nonsense when I played it and it looked like ass on my hog.

[benjipwns]

They had a period just after they added the new gameplay mode where you have to defend a tank or whatever where the thing was running like butter because they had gone through all the maps and made sure all the seams were closed and stuff*. And had done a good number of core optimizations including I think multi-core support.

*I guess there were many more than normal because they were just throwing the game out there and updating it to a "release" state as they went. It was like independent mappers doing the maps and not hunting down that one brush that makes their DoD map drop to 5fps when you pass a building.

[Phoenix Dark]

Seeing mixed reviews but I'll still give it a shot. Wolfenstein ET

why can't someone remaster Wolfenstein ET and put it on Steam? That would really revive the player base.

[Rufus]

Since this is all I've been playing recently...

I love Nader. I don't really have as much of a handle on the grenade arc as I would like, but I've blown up snipers and loits of people huddled around healing stations, squirrely proxies and lots and lots of turrets anyway. Martyrdom (suicide when downed) is great too. People try still try to knife you when you're down and if they're quick they can pull it off, but if not - boom. I got three people at once with that one time, it was glorious. Also she screams "Granaten!" every now and then.

Bushwhacker is nice too. His turret is pretty fragile, but if you know where to place it it can survive for quite a while and even pick off the odd fool not quick enough to duck into cover. Nice for both defense and offense, i.e. you aggro people then retreat in your mechanical friend's direction. Bushwhacker can also get what I think is the best SMG, the Kek-10 (these names ). It's really accurate and the clip is endless/the rate of fire is just right. Bushwhacker is a really nice alternative to Proxy, if you like to be the objective monkey.

I've also had the chance to try out Execution mode, which is a bit like CS. You have one life and try to advance through a map. Each section has different objectives and your team only advances to the next set if they complete them. It is a bit of a shit show though, because medics exist. You only need to kill someone once for the enemy team to be permanently weakend for the duration of the round, so if you have more or more competent medics on your team and at least one guy to give you ammo, you can simply outlast the enemy. The other modes can be pretty one-sides as well, and this mode only amplifies it.

Still having a lot of fun with this, though I mostly log off as soon as my daily missions are completed.

[Kara]

Also she screams "Granaten!" every now and then.

SIE-chan reincarnated.

[Rufus]

Her accent isn't quite there, but waifu material nonetheless.

[Kara]

She won't rape me and she probably wasn't SSD either, but we can't always get what we want.

[Spanky]

are there MUCHO BAD GUYS in this game?

God, Brink...what the fuck happened...you were supposed to be the chosen one...

[Rufus]

There are plenty of shitheels who ignore the fucking objective if that's what you mean.

[Rufus]

New update today added another two mercs. One is a gatling gun wielding mountain of meat and the other a speedy support with an amazing looking orbital lazer. They'll probably be free to try in the next rotation, though I dunno when they switch over.

[Kara]

mountain of meat

[Stoney Mason]

Been playing some of this recently.

It's less ambitious than brink but then it actually works and it still has a good deal of the teamplay that splash damage is known for in their shooter. I like the shooting mechanics. I like that hip fire works amazingly and the game is very fast paced. It's fun and fast and reminds me of the frantic pacing of COD but still with some strategy mixed in there.

I don't like all the air strikes and orbital lasers and shit like that. I know they are supposed to be cluster attacks and denial of area attacks but it was lame in cod and its lame here. Game would be better served imo to rework all abilites that blanket the map with mass carnage.

[Rufus]

They are thinking about friendly fire options:
http://forums.warchest.com/showthread.php/44247-Friendly-Fire-in-Matchmaking?s=4b2ada18f9f326a3d91996c2a21d9914&p=529749&viewfull=1#post529749

[Stoney Mason]

I think that's an awful idea. The real problem are those things themselves. Not trying to bandage around the bad idea. If they implement such a thing in casual games, then it would just be a mess of people dropping those thing and team killing by accident. If they only implement that option in ranked play, that's better but its still not great. Those abilities like that should have MASSIVE cooldowns. Like you can only do that shit once or twice a game max. But they won't limit it that way because they won't have a primary ability that neutered. It would just be so much more interesting if those things were actual cool abilities rather than mass carpet bombings.

[Rufus]

Well, the variant that Arty and Kira have are much more limited, because they both need line of sight. Arty's is like grenade or two going off at once, much lower cooldown, but also lower damage and range. Kira can re-direct the laser at will once it's active, but without a good angle she's vulnerable during that time. It's also not as strong against the EV.

Skyhammer is the one that can just throw it out willy nilly and carpet bomb the entire enemy team if it hits right. I think it's more of a map design issue though. Chapel particularly is a Skyhammer paradise in all three phases of the map. It shuts down the EV most reliably, and in phase three a well timed strike can take out the enemy team just after they spawned and even if it doesn't they have to steer clear, so they're delayed either way.
That's the one map where he is a monster, otherwise there's always enough cover within reach, provided people pay attention to the sound and visual cues, which so many people just ignore.

Anyway... I've unlocked Rhino and good god. With a competent medic at your back you can clear out any enclosed space. It would feel unfair if people didn't keep trying to run at a 200HP gatling gun monster.

[Stoney Mason]

[Rufus]

Hot.

[doctavius bonbon]

http://www.pcgamer.com/watch-the-full-dirty-bomb-e3-trailer-and-get-a-free-mercenary/

[Stoney Mason]

Awesome Thx.

I love the game but I suck.

But then I suck at most fps games on the PC. I do well when everything is gated where its like all low level people but once you are thrown into the deep end of the pool against all levels, I get destroyed.

Still the game is really fun and I'm going to keep playing. I hope it comes over to xbox one though.

[benjipwns]

she's frightening 

[benjipwns]

"Ah! A sneaky bugger!"

[toku]

This game was acting weird last time i ran it but i kinda want to give it another shot...I like "Spark."

[benjipwns]

Got my code for Fragger, thanks for the link!

[chronovore]

Yeah, same here! Thanks!

[Rufus]

Wonder what happens if I already unlocked him...

[Kara]

http://dirtybomb.nexon.net/news/10730/unlock-and-load-update

New character design for Proxy (she's a pirate now).

New loadout cards... reminder that we're on the second edition of loadouts and it's still in beta.

Some new single player time attack map to test your skillZzz.

Also you get a free expert case every day you play for the rest of the month.

[thisismyusername]

http://dirtybomb.nexon.net/news/10730/unlock-and-load-update

New character design for Proxy (she's a pirate now).

Proxy's eye has been SNITCH-cooked, and the injury isn't just restricted to these cards. Her new handicap will be reflected on all Loadout cards, past and future, until she can find some help from an expert in the art of biomedical engineering...and who knows how long that could take?

:/ Ruin a character design for your stupid event mystery, brehs. It's not even a good upgrade. I wish they'd allow folks to have an option to choose between the two.

To better ease new players into Dirty Bomb, we've adjusted the early Level-Up rewards, adding a Credit Booster and a Case containing a Gold Loadout Card for Skyhammer or Aura before players hit Level 7.

And those of us that have already done that get... nada.

[Kara]

I'm just about to hit level 7.

e: I'm kind of at the new design for Proxy, especially since the whole story seems, well, out of place with her character as I knew her, but advancing the storyline is an underutilized concept imo and (again imo) a way of keeping a F2P product fresh.

Too bad THIS GAME IS STILL IN BETA.

[thisismyusername]

The whole murder mystery was a joke. Of course they're gonna be Proxy since she's the only class that can get objectives done faster than everyone else, so of course she's gonna be in rotation more often.

They need to give away more Merc's. I'm still level 7 after their 2XP event a year ago and don't have enough money to unlock the merc's. It's really why I stopped playing: There's no feeling of progression.

[Rufus]

If you play regularly things go the other way and you suddenly have more credits than there are appealing things to spend them on. Shortly thereafter, progression stops entirely and all you can do then is to aim for cobalt loadouts, which is not at all worth the trouble.

The only effects of the new loadout card I've felt so far was a Kira desperately trying to get kills with the katana and a Phantom shutting down my turret. Not sure what else to expect.

[Kara]

I guess I want Aimee eventually so that I have a sniper, but now that I have Bubba Sparks and Nader 2016 I'm not really in hurry to get new characters. (Phantom is fun but I really can't take over a game with him like I can with my harem.)

Buying cases though, it's just like DUST 514 again.

Also I really appreciate having more intuitive graphics on the metal progression for loadout cards when you're at the trade up screen.

[thisismyusername]

Have they actually made trade-ups worth it? Last I saw, you just rolled the dice for a slightly better card.

[Rufus]

There is (has been?) a sale of sorts where it's a lot cheaper, but I'm used to just buying whatever bronze I want.

[Phoenix Dark]

Is this as bad as I've been told?

why can't we get a Wolfenstein ET remake

[thisismyusername]

Is this as bad as I've been told?

why can't we get a Wolfenstein ET remake

It's not bad, but it's not great/worth grinding in. If the other merc's were faster to unlock, maybe.

I keep forgetting that free login pack thing.

[Kara]

I like it a lot PD, but it's much more intimate than Enemy Territory was in its scope. You definitely get TONS of off-map attacks like ET which is what makes it something more than another Team Fortress 2 derivative.

[Stoney Mason]

Dirty Bomb was a fun game, but the unlocking process as a f2p was super tedious and that killed a lot of the fun and the enthusiasm of the community which is pretty small now.

[Rufus]

It fell off really quick. Not long after open beta ranked matches were already really hard to get. Servers are still well populated enough and I can get a game whenever, but it's obviously a small game.

I still enjoy it, even aftre, what 500+ hours. (Fuck me, I used to play more games...) Currently trying to get used to Kira.

[thisismyusername]

These loadout cards. Yes, give me a bunch of cobalts for characters I don't have unlocked. Thank you so much, Splash Damage.

[Kara]

These loadout cards. Yes, give me a bunch of cobalts for characters I don't have unlocked. Thank you so much, Splash Damage.

Then trade 'em for a character you do have. 

[Rufus]

These loadout cards. Yes, give me a bunch of cobalts for characters I don't have unlocked. Thank you so much, Splash Damage.

Didn't know that was possible.

[thisismyusername]

These loadout cards. Yes, give me a bunch of cobalts for characters I don't have unlocked. Thank you so much, Splash Damage.

Then trade 'em for a character you do have. 

I only have like 4 characters. Trading up just means getting the same thing: A card for a character I don't have unlocked.

[Rufus]

You chose the merc you want cards for when you trade.

[thisismyusername]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1244955

RIP Dirty Bomb? What is gonna happen with Splash Damage being bought out?

[Rufus]

DB has been shambling along for all its life, really.

They added a new map to execution mode recently (a mode I still maintain is a mistake, especially now that player numbers are low) and some spit and polish to other maps. They're also working on casual matchmaking, which when I tried it only seemed to increase waiting times. Bitching about 'unbalanced' matches is never, ever going to go away. At least they disable shuffle 4 minutes before the end of a match, so sore losers can't try to win by RNG...

All they need is a proper ready system, so matches don't start with half-filled teams or multiple people still loading in.