Good episode. Wish it could've been longer, was really enjoying the topics. [quote]What are thoughts on the updates Bungie has made to PvP, has it improved play?[/quote] Yes and No. While I do enjoy not being sniped every 5 secs for daring to step away from cover, I do miss being able to do appreciable damage to other guardians - primaries feel weak and grenades suck. 4v4 doesn't feel like there's enough enemy targets. Feels empty even on these small maps especially when the opposing team is traveling in packs. Supers take too long to charge. I'm almost afraid to use it, as if I'm saving it just for that perfect moment that rarely comes. Edit: Really wanted to mention this but forgot. Competitive Playlist: What's the point? There are no official or visible rankings and Leaderboards. Isn't this why people would want to jump in and sweat? Isn't this how people justify their time spent? Isn't ranking or a certain spot on the leaderboard something to strive for? [quote]At this point in D2, how does the new weapon system (kinetic, energy, power) stand up verse D1's system?[/quote] It doesn't hold up at all. 2 primaries are underwhelming. There is no medium power level gear, it's either dinky-doo with primaries or "kinda powerful" with power ammo - why choose a shotgun or sniper over a sword or rockets (which feel weak as shit, btw)? I want to feel powerful in PvE. D2 offers nothing for this. Hell, we aren't even allowed to be overpowered for an activity just to pretend to be powerful, if only for a few minutes. There is no gear that offers any feeling of power over another. It's all so bland, nothing feels exciting, nothing that says "I'm a carrot, chase me." [quote]Do D2 game modes really fit 4v4 play?[/quote] For Comp, yes. Those modes rely more heavily on team play, as they should. For Quickplay? No, as I mentioned earlier, there's just not enough action to be fun. In D1 with 6v6, you could pick just about any spot on the map and find targets to engage. In D2, there's a whole lot of emptiness, either because they're roaming in packs, or just too spread out. [quote]Lack of power and ammo in Prestige level play[/quote] Feels like a zero sum game. Killing yellow bars requires 2-3 rockets and gives you back 2. For regular PvE play, why not let us carry more power ammo, especially for Strike Bosses or NF? With Power weapon options much more diverse, why am I still carrying D1 levels of ammo? Why not let me carry 30-40 shotgun ammo, or 15-20 rockets? [quote]Is D2 too extreme casual to hard core?[/quote] Absolutely. There's little worth chasing, as all weapons are near equal and number too few (plus Vault is too small to hold everything in "a collection game.") There's not much that takes considerable time and/or effort to acquire. With D1, it felt like there was always something to do, something to strive for, something worth logging in for 3-5 nights/week. Not with D2. They went too extreme with the casualness. They need better balance - something for longer term players to strive for, yet casuals can feel satisfied with what they can accomplish within their limited timeframe. [quote]Thoughts on balance, kill times and the Bungie ethos on weapons[/quote] Separation of the sandboxes is a MUST!!! Yeah, PvP is pretty well balanced, but we're left with boring, underperforming gear and abilities in PvE. As for the weapons themselves, I'd say rein in the range on Autos a bit (Uriels Gift should not be competing with Scouts at Med-Long range), buff Pulses slightly, get rid of sidearms, buff grenade damage and buff Super charge rate. Make the game fun again. [quote]Will D2 be a reverse of D1's backward power creep?[/quote] No, D2 will not slowly introduce more powerful weapons willingly. At best we'll see some interesting perk combos, but nothing that screams "chase me!" This entire game has been a drain on everything that made the game fun - power, space magic, chucking grenades, different types of Supers, and larger groups of friends playing together.