So, for all of you folks who have no doubt been waiting with bated breath to hear how DUST 514 is-- the NDA has just been lifted.
Impressions so far:
1. Current build is a little "battlefield-y," with relatively predictable maps, but they're working on that. If you join in, you can see CCP practicing its engine manipulation. There's at least one that has new resources literally dropped from orbit mid-match. There are several that switch their building layouts around.
2. The microtransaction model they're using is not P2W, but it is a bit "P2get-your-hands-on-premium-gear-early." Advanced (level 3) gear at level one, prototype (level 5) at level 3. Prices are not silly-high-- in fact, they're low enough that I'm getting a little tired of getting sniped with a certain three-penny rifle.
3. Graphics and gameplay are not "triple A" awesome, but some of the "strange stuff" you encounter on the field (resources dropping from the sky at irregular intervals, possibly-randomized buildings) hints at vast potential for the future.
4. Balance is mostly okay. There are the usual people yelling, "nerf this, nerf that," but not much is actually broken. Not even the allegedly nerfed SMG.
5. The game caters perfectly fine to multiple play styles-- better than Eve does, IMO. Playing a sneaky bastard in Eve was always a bit of a pain, and took a lot of patience and a lot of luck. Now I can play a sneaky bastard and expect my tricks to pay off much faster, and occasionally yield a bumper crop (most kills I've gotten to date from a single remote explosive detonation: five).
6. Variety is comparable to Eve's start position: four suit types, a dozen or so weapon types, and many lesser variations among those. If Eve is any example to go by....
7. Gameplay is MUCH more immersive than it is in Eve, though the scenery doesn't tell us all that much about what we're looking at. Most sites are kind of generic high-tech industrial facilities. I look forward to a firefight in a habitation module; that should tell us a few things about the lifestyles of New Eden residents.
8. Social media has a ways to go. Those of you who have exchanged Evemails with me know whereof I speak.
9. Snipers have been scope-nerfed to prevent us from headshotting the rest of you poor sods from Timbuktu. Yes, on rumored Earth, in the Sol system, in the Milky Way Galaxy. Railgun charges travel instantaneously. One of the deadliest things to a sniper in this game is another sniper with a better scope, though sniper duels are usually won by superior (meaning, usually, "unexpected") positioning.
10. Static defenses, such as gun turrets, are effective but fragile. Any tanks that take the field will usually try to kill turrets first thing, to get rid of a primary threat to their survival.
11. Fitting is rock-paper-scissors flavored, though the effect is less absolute than it is in Eve. Unless you're in an anti-infantry fit and facing a tank; that gets pretty absolute.
12. Terrain is not very interesting-- yet. No grass, no trees. At most there might be short, velvety greenery. Also, all fights so far take place on terrestrial worlds, or maybe barren. No ocean, no gas giant, no lava, no plasma. They MIGHT have just introduced a storm world map, or something that could be used for it. They have hinted at plans to expand here, as well.
13. No cover mechanic is yet present beyond crouching. Mind you, crouching can be pretty damned effective for getting under cover.
14. Hit detection seems to err on the side of the defender, which can be maddening when a sniper shot produces a shield flash but no hit.
15. Need. More. Suits. Also need other-race variants of standard weapons. My Caldari black ops specialist is running around in a Gallente scout suit with a Matari SMG. The ignominy! It's also nearly impossible to properly outfit your Amarrian heavy suit with Amarrian weaponry: heavy weapons all seem to be either Caldari or Matari. Sorry, PIE.
Author
Topic: DUST 514 Beta (post-NDA) (Read 3832 times)