Apex Legends

Homelander

To be fair I think most games these days get "worse" as they go on, because they constantly feel the need to add new mechanics, micro-transactions, more colorful skins/weapons, and so on to keep things fresh.

But it's really a subjective worse, as the core gameplay is still perfect. Personally I would be fine if Apex never changed much from S0 apart from new maps or weapon balances, but games these days chose the path that will net them the most money above all else.

Modern Warfare is a good example for me. What was a visually realistic and gritty shooter on launch is now still an excellent shooter but these days you have guys running around in wacky suits with red shoes and pink guns, as they slowly added more out-there cosmetic items.

Battlefield is another. We saw the backlash to the trailer for the BFV, which looked like some bizarre wacky WW2-Fortnite hybrid. Release game was not really anything like that (thankfully) but it too suffered greatly among the actual fanbase for not having a clue what game it wanted to be, apart from "how can we appeal to literally everyone at once".

At least in Apex the crafting and wacky cosmetics make perfect sense and don't really visually interrupt the game. Trying to shoe-horn those same cosmetics into games like COD and Battlefield is taking away from them in my own personal opinion, and in some cases (BFV) it actually generates significant bad-will from the core fanbase.

fixXxer

Do people not like the crafting system? I thought it was a good mechanic to have. Risk vs reward, you get a high tier item, but it sends up a flair to your location.

AdamD

The crafting system has absolutely minimal effect on the game, definitely not worth moaning about. Not sure on the vehicles yet, though Apex has been 3rd party central for a long time now anyway.

nix

fixXxer wrote: »

Getting 3rd partied has been thing for ages :pac: Once people know the map it's ways the same hot spots they gravitate to. I was thinking it was nice to have a map no one knows as it was leading to more random encounters.

I know that, but its more common now as people are just blowing around in cars converging on any sound/respawn, and im using "3rd partied" just as a label, its actually more 4th/5th partied with the amount of people showing up in cars now. If they just got rid of the cars, it would fix it and it would be back to the kickass game it was, i can swallow the rest tbh as it doesnt effect the game much at all..

fixXxer

nix wrote: »

I know that, but its more common now as people are just blowing around in cars converging on any sound/respawn, and im using "3rd partied" just as a label, its actually more 4th/5th partied with the amount of people showing up in cars now. If they just got rid of the cars, it would fix it and it would be back to the kickass game it was, i can swallow the rest tbh as it doesnt effect the game much at all..

Might just take a while until people get used to the mechanics of it. Damage to the vehicle is distributed evenly across the driving team so focus firing would be effective. Still just from a a personal perspective I've not had too many experiences of being ram raided. Too busy falling down unexpected holes in the map :pac:

nix

fixXxer wrote: »

Might just take a while until people get used to the mechanics of it.

Well yeah its completely changed the meta, its just a lot more chaotic now than strategic, from what ive experienced thus far anyway..

Sniping for example is completely gimped as its now far too easy to close the distance..

Parsnips

My early taughts on Level 7. ( they may change as the map becomes familiar)

- Map is way too big. Ive have spent literally 15min waiting to find another team to battle.
- Do not like the cars. especially when your exploring an area for loot and some muppet is spamming you to jump on. and eventually you get on and he cant drive and goes 50m up the road and jumps off.
So annoying.
- Sniping seems to have no use whatsoever for me now. Dont really know why. just doest feel right on this map somehow.Maybe itll change
- LOOT.., seems to be wayyyy more loot on this map than any other. you can drop in certain areas and full team can load up with great stuff within a 50yard radius

fixXxer

Sniping still feels like an after thought, apart from the triple take (Or the Kraber. God I love the Kraber). I wonder would they consider re-integrating the snipers in to the Light/Heavy/Energy pool instead of keeping them separate.

AdamD

The devs had a decent reply on reddit regarding snipers. They said the changes needed to make them more viable would have too much of an impact on what's good about the game for it to be worthwhile. At the moment all they're good for is building damage to upgrade shields.

Edit: https://www.reddit.com/r/apexlegends/comments/jmtm7v/season_7_patch_notes/gay34sp/?context=1000

fixXxer

Triple Take is a bloody good shotgun though!

Homelander

I get a lot of Longbow kills. They're not as effective as they were in earlier seasons but they are still excellent for building armour up and realistically you can 3rd party at zero danger to yourself and get easy kills in the confusion.

I'd say at least half my overall kills are from Longbow.

Parsnips

Lingbow is nice especially with some good attachment.
I tried the sentinel for a while when it released and liked it but its so bloody slow. I do love the noise of it

Back using TT for sniping. clearly the best sniper.

I forgot how good the R99 was. havent used it in ages. now they are all over the map again.

i am not impressed with the new quast system. Definitely definitely definitley harder to level up.

Shlippery

Any boards 'clubs' going?

FunLover18

Shlippery wrote: »

Any boards 'clubs' going?

I would join one. The new map although twice I've fallen off thanks to stupid squadmates, one actually drove the whole squad off, smh.

Shlippery

Haha, yeah, it's a bitch for falling off...was horizon while on the run from the 3rd/4th ring, down to last 3 squads, our BH was AFK and ended up dc'ing.

Me and Lifeline on the move.. I dropped a grav lift to get us around a bottleneck...give a boost over a wall...once I was at the top, I saw a drop and moved and managed the save. Llifeline nor so lucky. Left me 1 v 3 against the last squad. Happy with 2nd but probably coulda clinched it if didn't launch Lifeline into the abyss

murphyebass

Since the new map update I’ve been finding the matchmaking to be woeful.

I’ve been getting absolutely slaughtered. I’m not saying I was brilliant before it but I can’t have got this bad so quickly.

Did they change the matchmaking somehow?

Having spent hundreds of hours in the game, unlocking all the characters through game time I’m honestly thinking of quitting it.

Anyone else feel it’s changed??

Homelander

It's been like that for a few seasons. It's geared towards making you lose a ton and eventually win, thus apparently increasing the rush of winning, therefore making you more likely to keep playing...apparently.

Rather than skill-based matchmaking or SBMM, it's called EOMM. It's in other games to a degree but Apex is the worst offender by far.

Think it's a load of crap myself, I used to play daily, now only play the very odd time for that exact reason. It wasn't in the game in earlier seasons, initially it was a melting pot, then some form of SBMM, then from about S3 onwards it was this EOMM system.

murphyebass

Homelander wrote: »

It's been like that for a few seasons. It's geared towards making you lose a ton and eventually win, thus apparently increasing the rush of winning, therefore making you more likely to keep playing...apparently.

Rather than skill-based matchmaking or SBMM, it's called EOMM. It's in other games to a degree but Apex is the worst offender by far.

Think it's a load of crap myself, I used to play daily, now only play the very odd time for that exact reason. It wasn't in the game in earlier seasons, initially it was a melting pot, then some form of SBMM, then from about S3 onwards it was this EOMM system.

It’s only since this season though that I’ve seen a drastic change to being killed constantly and finding it hard as **** to kill others.

I can only liken it to feeling like moving from easy mode in Doom to expert level.

At first I thought it was just with everyone dropping down the ranks and the better players would rise out of my games but nope still shiiiite.

For what it’s worth even with a ridiculous amount of time spent in the game I’m still only average at it. Probably a silver player at best. Got to Gold once a lot of seasons ago.

Homelander

I feel the same. I'm a Plat player, but playing public matches about 7 times out of 10 I'm up against 20-kill/4k damage badge opponents.

Ranked is OK in theory but because it's a free game, and because of the stupid split system, you end up with god-tier "Bronze/Silver/Gold" smurfs who wreck the lobby fairly regularly.

What I hate about it, is unlike other games, it now makes you feel like you're absolutely **** at the game most of the time, when in reality you're not any worse than before.

Wasn't at all like that in earlier seasons where it was way more balanced and fair.

Fair enough if EA/Respawn think it's the best retention system, but I won't be buying any more battle passes.

Roddy23

murphyebass wrote: »

It’s only since this season though that I’ve seen a drastic change to being killed constantly and finding it hard as **** to kill others.

I can only liken it to feeling like moving from easy mode in Doom to expert level.

At first I thought it was just with everyone dropping down the ranks and the better players would rise out of my games but nope still shiiiite.

For what it’s worth even with a ridiculous amount of time spent in the game I’m still only average at it. Probably a silver player at best. Got to Gold once a lot of seasons ago.

This is exactly what I could have posted. I’m on Gold for season 7 but finding it an absolute slog since getting there. Think I’d be happier dropping back down to silver as seemed more competitive as opposed getting thrashed every 2-3 games. I want to like season 7 especially after introducing a new map and the cross play.

What do the battle passes give you? Never bothered buying anything for the game. Have been playing since season 1 and have all the characters unlocked but unless there is an obvious advantage not spending money on it.

nix

Roddy23 wrote: »

What do the battle passes give you? Never bothered buying anything for the game. Have been playing since season 1 and have all the characters unlocked but unless there is an obvious advantage not spending money on it.

Haha how have you been playing that long and dont know whats on the battle passes? they pretty much mash your face in it every season. Its all cosmetic stuff.

Roddy23

nix wrote: »

Haha how have you been playing that long and dont know whats on the battle passes? they pretty much mash your face in it every season. Its all cosmetic stuff.

I’d guess you could call it selective participation.

Sight808

I'm getting absolutely rolled in most lobbies too. I'd usually clock up 1 win in 5 but I'm not even close to that anymore.

Not sure how I like the new map, at times it can feel like forever when trying to find people then other games I can't even loot a deathbox without getting cut down.

Enjoying watching shivfps on twitch..even though he seems a bit jaded with the game.

FunLover18

TBH I blame a lot of my losses on getting paired with absolute morons

I'm a very average player, usually level out around Gold in ranked so far from perfect but I'd like to think I have some tactical awareness.

AdamD

Not finding my games any more difficult this season, not sure on the map though. It looks nice but seems too spread out.

FunLover18

AdamD wrote: »

Not finding my games any more difficult this season, not sure on the map though. It looks nice but seems to spread out.

I like the new map a lot but I dont like all the gaps that you can fall through.

Apparently I got banned during the summer

Parsnips

I love the new map but its a tad too big.
I agree with above. Im an average player that watched my daily tasks ......But I have definitely seen a big drop in skill level and player behaviour since new season.

The amount of Diks Ive had just land and leave their player there idle for the duration is off the charts.
Also the amount of clowns that ask to boards the car and then just drive off the map is soo annoying.

This is all in competetive mode too.
IMO they need to get rid of the vehicles.

I refuse to board them now.

Shlippery

Parsnips wrote: »

I love the new map but its a tad too big.
I agree with above. Im an average player that watched my daily tasks ......But I have definitely seen a big drop in skill level and player behaviour since new season.

The amount of Diks Ive had just land and leave their player there idle for the duration is off the charts.
Also the amount of clowns that ask to boards the car and then just drive off the map is soo annoying.

This is all in competetive mode too.
IMO they need to get rid of the vehicles.

I refuse to board them now.

If someone drives off the map, don't get out of the vehicle. it will float back up as they're invincible!

If you get out, you die.

fixXxer

Gonna chime in and say finding this season much tougher anything so far. I've completed the battle pass since season four, and usually end up with a good few wins by the time the end rolls around. Stuck on 3 so far and finding my self paired up with some absolute murder machine teams. Part of it is that Caustic doesn't work well on the new map and that's who I'd lave the most play time with but there's been so many times an enemy team has just absolutely lasered us to pieces, and then on the kill screen I see it was some lad with 10,000 kills and 10 Billion damage.

Having said all that, it feels so smooth playing this on a PS5 compared to a launch PS4.