First I do love the game, thats why I keeping playing it since the start. What I really like is the experience curve in the game (but that one also got a bit screwed up with rivals now). You start the game with no equipment and no clue whats going on and the first few hours you learn the game. I really like the game and how challenging it is (well was). Now with the rivals ingame and having the chance to a prototype rival dropping some “end game” weapons that situation is changed. Even as a low level player you can get into “easy-mode” fast. I remember how happy I was when I got my first golden weapon and how much hours I’ve spent till then, before those machines where scary, after I’ve gotten a few more golden guns that game started to became pretty easy, also because of the learning curve and how I started to understand all the tactics for those machines. Hunters, Tanks (even the fnix) ones had become easy prey.
The only thing which were annoying at the time was the constant need for ammo. We had to restart the game all the time and check the ammo boxes over and over again, sometimes for hours before we could start playing the game, then you put in a respawn timer at that time I stopped playing, cause well there wasnt anything to do for me anymore (completed all quests, seen everything) and it really didnt make any sense to run around for hours (ingame time) on places I’ve seen hundreds of times just to get a few more bullets. Shortly after you increased the ammo drop from machines. Now the hunt for ammo was getting better, but for me its sometimes still painful. But at least by killing machines you could refill those ammo needs now. At that time it still didnt make any sense why I had to waste hundreds of bullets on a machine, but at least that machine gave me hundreds of bullets back now. So the game was doing ok again.
The you did something really great. You put in rivals, before we had gotten only nice to have things, bikes and a few more looks. Having some kind of “counterpart” ingame, reacting how you act ingame and giving some really enjoyable goodies was a great move. Now I have weapons hitting hard and I dont have to waste hundreds of bullets anymore, finally a weapon works like a weapon should work.
I like the realism, I like that machines have parts you could destroy and it makes that game realistic and really great. The first time you realize that in a game you dont have to just shoot, you have to think about where to shot first. Destroying those weapons the machines have, which leaves them helpless and defensless. Thats something where that game really stands out. That one I have to admit really great thing this game has and I do love that. I wish you would make it eaven more realistic. Example, right now by shoting and destroying those leg components those machines can still move. So why would I bother destroying those parts? Weapon parts work, by destroying them those machiens cannot shot anymore, but legs? why can a tank or harvester still move when I destroy his legs?
Another thing is the armor. It only takes 2-3 shots to destroy the armor, but it takes 10 times the amount of shots to destroy the non-protected component parts behind. Makes also no sense. Components should get destroyed with 1-2 placed hits, the armor should be tough and it should take a while to get that armor off. I think thats how it was intended, but thats no how it works right now.
Thats an example why on one side that games is great but on the other side totally broken too.
Next thing are those weapons. At first a cal 50 was a really weak gun and it totally made no sense for such an powerful gun to be that weak ingame. Its an anti-vehicle gun. You dont shot soft targets with that gun, that would be a waste of ammo, but thats not how it works in the game (well except of the new exp cal 50) and yes that gun should be made even stronger instead of what some people think. (especially those crying for a nerf). That game should destroy any non-armored robot in one shot. Yes you heard right, same goes for grenades, mines, etc. or that rocketlauncher. Why should a seeker, runner or hunter stand any chance against those weapons? That would be totally unrealistic and makes no sense. Those machines are soft targets (like humans). Even a prototype harvester or a prototype tank is more or less a soft target.
Military machines are a different thing. They do have armor now, but that armor is weak. Where I can agree that only a good placed cal 50 hit should destroy a military hunter with on shot, everything else should get destroyed by that gun. Thats what that gun is made for btw. to destroy light armor vehicles. Now a military harvester or miltary tank is different now, you need a few really good placed hits for both. Destroying the armor first, but after that armor is gone, its basicly a one shot to destroy a component again and if component would really matter (exception weapons where it works), then that game would be really great. Mines, rocketlauncher? well did you ever see what happens to a tank when he gets attacked by those things in reallife? those things are made to destroy heavy armored vehicles, but in the game both are really weak now. If a military havester or military tank steps on a mine it should be destroyed in one hit. Anything else is just wrong.
Counter Balance those things? well make mines or rocket ammo hard to find.
FNIX is a different story. I think they should be tougher most of the time, they use the heaviest armor and the best weapons. So from all kinds of machines ingame, i think they are the only machines which really work right now, compared of how hard you have to hit them right now till they get destroyed.
Weapons. You really need to rethink weapons ingame. For me it makes no sense how some of those weapons work. Mostly the new expiermental weapons. That 2 shot rocketlauncher. Well I already wrote about it and it could be an easy and fast fix. Just do some remodelling and attach a 2nd tube so we have 2 rocketlauncher melt together into one weapon. The experimental shotgun. Jesus… thats really broken and its even worse when tell us that intended. “a melee” weapon. No really stop please! I dont know that strange kinds of drugs you guys use in sweden, but no please… its a shotgun and having a bird shot having a higer range as a slug… omg… seriously stop taking those drugs. If you really want a melee weapon then make a new weapon, but make a shotgun work like a shotgun.
That game is at parts really realistic and great but then you break that realism with things like those melee shotgun slugs 