A short opinion on "Escalation of Freedom"

[Cadwell]

this isn't to post more negativity nor hatred in the community, i just wish to share my thoughts on "Escalation of Freedom" , so i hope to get some constructive feedback.

What i was anticipating the most from the update were : new missions, new mission layouts, just...in general different ways to play the game.

This may sound ironic because i criticized them in the past ,but you know what is the most fun i've been haivng in the last few days? dropping in Eradicate Bot missions and using the HMG emplacement and Autocannon Turret.

I still got overwhelmed pretty quickly on higher difficulties because the map is so small, but that felt 'fresh' as i was diving and quickly setting up defenses and mowing down enemies.

And this was what "Escalation of Freedoms" didn't give me : new ways to use stratagems, new situations or variations on where to use them.

the two new Bots (the Armored Strider Scout and the katyusha-looking rocket battery) essentially add nothing because

-you still use the same stratagems/tacticts you'd use on other Bots to take them out
-more ragdoll! YAY

why not make more Trooper types that behave/attack/move differently?
Support Bots or purely Defensive Bots? Something that makes you say
"oh, better take this one out otherwise they'll support the others"

TL:DR : we needed more missions, mission layouts, and the Bots needed non-offensive (support or debuff) type of enemies to inject some ACTUAL variety.

[Tama]

Funny part is that i see nothing new... the "new" bugs is some tentacles on a charger chassis and the new brood commander... is just a brood commander with make up, on the bot fronline the new Scout strider is just a scout strider with rockets strapped to it and no pilot, the MLRS is just a rocket launcher on an Annihilator tank chassis.

[Cadwell]

Originally posted by Tama:

Funny part is that i see nothing new... the "new" bugs is some tentacles on a charger chassis and the new brood commander... is just a brood commander with make up, on the bot fronline the new Scout strider is just a scout strider with rockets strapped to it and no pilot, the MLRS is just a rocket launcher on an Annihilator tank chassis.

Agreed.

Doesn't exactly scream "innovative enemies worthy of a trailer".

Mayyyyybe the one with tentacles is.

But, again, this is the stuff i'd expect from regular updates, it's not "game changing content", it's repurposed assets!

had they not given this update the hype and tailer, they wouldn't have gotten nowhere near the same negativity that they have now.

[[Æsir]Yuulaw]

I don't get all the hate for the update, it's amazing! i think ppl are venting their balancing issues on the update which is infact making improvements. Although the flamethrowers got too hard a nerf but the incendiary breaker is now being used more as intended, letting the fire deal the real dmg and hey, slugger is back in business with the cookout turning out to be pure gold. The added enemies are more threatening, the mission objectives were advertised as some variation to what we already have which felt good. Of course we want more meaningful updates but its coming in due time, cant wait for the train escort missions and my beloved rumbler!

[Cadwell]

Originally posted by ÆsirYuulaw:

I don't get all the hate for the update, it's amazing! i think ppl are venting their balancing issues on the update which is infact making improvements. Although the flamethrowers got too hard a nerf but the incendiary breaker is now being used more as intended, letting the fire deal the real dmg and hey, slugger is back in business with the cookout turning out to be pure gold. The added enemies are more threatening, the mission objectives were advertised as some variation to what we already have which felt good. Of course we want more meaningful updates but its coming in due time, cant wait for the train escort missions and my beloved rumbler!

There have been some positives, yes, but overall the update for me was a letdown.

I can see a case for the Impaler being more original, but the rest of the enemies being "threatening" means nothing when we deal with them in the EXACT SAME WAY we always do.

Reinforced Scout Strider? Chuck Impact grenades at it or use any other stratagem or AP support weapon
tank rocket battery? read as before minus the impact grenades.

the bio-mass recycler of the Automatons side-objective? acts as a mini outposts. It literally does nothing different.

I would have preferred if they waited to develop more content and missions, mission layouts, perks and stratagems like you said, than parade "Escalation of Freedom" as a BIG update, when it's a regular update.

Even the new yellow armor they gifted us is nothing special.
It looks good, yes, but doesn't change the fact that it's a regular Helldiver armor with a new coat of paint and not even an interesting perk to go along with it.