PS4 The Division. Thoughts & opinions

[Slaine]

So everyone enjoying it so far? Absolutely loving it myself. New York is wonderfully created, and the earning of xp is so addictive.
Just completed it today, took over 32 hours and I've still got plenty to do. I've had a couple of jaunts into the Dark Zone. I was worried about the other players, but its the npcs who are more of a pain. Got my arse kicked every time.
Still I'm a higher level now, and if we all go in mob handed we could clean up a bit.
As I said, Ive still got loads to do, and this is before any of the updates and dlc.

 

[HERMAN_JELMET]

Can't........ Talk...... Division........ Busy.........

 

[Sportsvee]

So far so good.
Stuck my nose into the dark zone again, killed a couple of npc and 1 knob who tried to take me out. Did 2 quick extractions and promptly ran away. Keen to do more.

Just need to get @Bloodfairy on it more.

 

[ColSonders]

Just completed it today, took over 32 hours and I've still got plenty to do.

Is this a game where the real game starts when you complete the game? I know that sounds dumb but many of these types of game are all about the end game.

If not it sounds like it's going to be a bit short lived without forking out more money for the DLC.

 

[Slaine]

Is this a game where the real game starts when you complete the game? I know that sounds dumb but many of these types of game are all about the end game.

If not it sounds like it's going to be a bit short lived without forking out more money for the DLC.

Well the Dark Zones recommended level is 30, plus daily challenges and phoenix credits unlock after the end of the game. Its like Destiny and Assassins Creed had a child. The two promised free updates plan to bring something new. In fact you can see where one of them will be on the map, once you've completed the game.
As someone who is happy with just an eight hour campaign, this game far exceeds that. Like Destiny it's best enjoyed with others.

 

[Martok]

@HaloJ and I are loving the game so far. We're currently only level 14 and have plenty of main missions left to do as well as the myriad of side missions. We've only ventured into the Dark Zone once so far so there's plenty more to do in that too.

We're both glad we picked up the Gold Edition for £59.99 each, I think that £17.99 for the DLC for the year is a good price (especially as it's £32.99 on its own on PSN).

If you've not been using in-game comms I'd suggest you try them instead of party chat. They are the best in-game comms we've ever used on the PS4, so much so that you can't tell the difference between them and party chat (usually in-game comms are considerably worse). With in-game comms you get to hear the beautiful audio effects in some areas - for example in big squares your voice will echo (you can't hear it but others can). It was great to hear @HaloJ's voice echoing and very funny hearing the echoey laugh!

 

[c00ky]

Loving it!

Ok it has bullet sponges, and I have had one glitch where the Tech opening mission didn't recognize me and Sportsvee completing it, but graphics amazing, tictacs are good, NPC's flanking etc. Crafting is interesting, although the GUI seems a bit cluttered when you are looking through the options.

The bonuses for medic, security and Tech don't appear to make much impact in the game, maybe this gets bigger and nmore noticable whne you are up at lvls 25+.

In game comms great!

Audio soundscape is very atmospheric!

My little niggle is that although the environment is populated with so much stuff, the craftable pickups are only in special bags/boxes. Maybe its too much Fallout playing beforehand but when I see a room of empty beer bottles, or a ransacked electronics store with tvs on the wall, I want to be able to liberate some of that to provide parts for my gun etc.

Only found out last night that clicking on thumbstick makes you go Aim Down Sight and brings up marksman optic if fitted, so my headshot tally started to pick up.

Is there also a quick binding to swig a water bottle or energy bar? As I again only realised that you can go in and enable explosive bullets or drink water from the dpad sub menu....

Hopefully catch some of you other Divisioners online soon.

 

[Slaine]

@c00ky dont bother with the bars and drinks. Instead level up the medical wing, and you can earn a self replenishing health crate with a very generous radius. Plus levelling up the base also nets you additional grenade and med kit slots. I can now carry 5 med kits and my never ending deployable one. Doesnt make you indestructible, but will stop you endlessly dying.
As for crafting; don't bother. The effort expended in crafting isn't worth it. The drops you find are just as good, and if you go down the purchase route and buy and sell everything, you'll soon have some decent stuff. Ive a sniper rifle with 28k damage. Nice

 

[Tktonny]

I am really enjoying this game. As kentioned the in game comms are very good, when u can get ppl to talk in your team

I am have been switching between secondary weaps, a spas shotgun and a nice marksman rifle. Both blue and can kill very qucikly, but by switching I radically change my game play. Thou sometimes I forget and get really close and damn its my rifle not my shotgun much panic stricken rolls latter I calmly get shot I the back by the badguys flancking correctly. Brill.

Would like to go into the dark zone teamed up, say a least a couple of snr squads. I think it would be great fun.

Overall a great game, I little bug that is getting on my nerves thou. You walk miles to a mission u press for match making, yiu join a squad and it spawns you miles aways, with the rest of the squad space out over the map. Very very annoying.

 

[Slaine]

@Tktonny I think what matchmaking sometimes does is put you in a game thats already commenced, hence why the rest of your squad is some distance away.

 

[Tktonny]

Makes sense. Still annoying have to wait 5 mins for all squad member to turn up at the begining of the mission.

 

[Martok]

As for crafting; don't bother. The effort expended in crafting isn't worth it. The drops you find are just as good, and if you go down the purchase route and buy and sell everything, you'll soon have some decent stuff. Ive a sniper rifle with 28k damage. Nice

I'd disagree. Both @HaloJ and I have been crafting weapons and they have been better than either what we've picked up or could buy. I believe that crafting at end game will also give you a better chance of decent items.

 

[c00ky]

@Martok I agree I have crafted some armour that was about 10 points better than my level drop. It also seems to add random bonuses to weapon crafting when weapon is our or above .

I think some of the Division pages you have posted have also said crafting and slowing can earn you credits.

Although I found that spending you money on some monster gun you seem to getsomething better from a mission drop subsequently ....

 

[Sportsvee]

Most of the blueprints I have are below my level but sometimes there is things of use there. So crafting can be useful.

I dismantle more than I sell.

Game is good though. It's what Destiny should have been at the beginning.

 

[c00ky]

I think the good thing is that you can either collect, dismantle and craft or buy and sell and neither is 'better' they both have roughly the same level of rewards.

From watching some Youtubers - they seem to think Darkzone is a bit odd - lots of risk for similar reward to running normal missions outside.

I don't mind trying it to see what loot there is!

 

[IamNumber6]

The yellow blueprint you get from the last mission is killer for a handgun, took me 1-2 hours to solo it on hard.

I really like the increased difficulty it adds when you team up with your fellow Divvies . Took me a full weekend of hard play to get from 20 to 30, that last few levels take a while if you solo it. Had a good run last night with @Sportsvee running the second to last PVE zone and taking him on a Daily Challenge (without him knowing about it ) also had a great time running with @HERMAN_JELMET , @Solo-nite , @Skarpar and @c00ky over the last few days.

Just got the last 2 zones to finish collecting and running side missions and then onto the dark zone. If anyone needs a hand with anything feel free to drop me a message.

A word of guidance for anyone that has come across a few echo's and other items that they can not be accessed, don't panic these are mission related items that can be accessed at a later time when story based side missions become activated.

I'd disagree. Both @HaloJ and I have been crafting weapons and they have been better than either what we've picked up or could buy. I believe that crafting at end game will also give you a better chance of decent items.

I also have had some decent random bonuses from crafting plus you've got the tech bench upstairs to change one of the stats for a small price. The phoenix points seller (tech center) also provides some interesting blueprints once you reach level 30 and finish the final mission

 

[DrewePeacock]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying it, but I think I'll be giving it a miss. I've really been on the fence with this one, but I think Destiny has broken this part of gaming for me. I just cannot be bothered with any more bullet sponges, and I am concerned about the content and having to replay stuff over and over and over again.

Work is absolutely mental at the moment too, and I would rather not get sucked in to a potential endless grind.

I'll stick to my quick fix games like BF4, Space Fight & Resogun.

 

[Martok]

I've now been playing this for 1d 7h 25m and I'm level 18 (@HaloJ is about the same). We've still got main missions to do (we haven't completed any of the medical/tech/security wings) and we've got lots of side missions/encounters etc to also complete as well as some safe houses yet you visit. I'm not sure how @Slaine managed to complete the main game in 32 hours! We've only had one jaunt into the Dark Zone to date but we will do some more soon, so there's plenty there to explore and do once we do.

We're both really loving the game. It's beautiful (in a grim sort of way), the cover system is excellent and the missions feel varied.

I'm glad everyone is enjoying it, but I think I'll be giving it a miss. I've really been on the fence with this one, but I think Destiny has broken this part of gaming for me. I just cannot be bothered with any more bullet sponges, and I am concerned about the content and having to replay stuff over and over and over again.

I totally understand where you are coming from. We felt very let down by Destiny and were concerned that The Division could go the same way. So far though we don't feel that is the case (and by this stage in Destiny we already felt that it was repetitive). In Destiny there definitely were bullet sponges in the boss battles - personally I found it ridiculous that the enemies leading up to the boss were generally fine to fight (unless they were well above your level) and then the boss was just silly with the amount of bullets that you needed to pump in them to take them down. In The Division the bosses are more armoured than the other enemies with them but not stupidly more - they are definitely killable without sponging away for a long time.

As for the longevity of the game, it still is a case of wait and see, but so far it doesn't seem like something that has dried up and is already going stale. We'll have to wait and see if Ubisoft have learned from the mistakes that Bungie made with Destiny in keeping the game alive not just for those who bought the DLC but for those who haven't. I'm hoping that they have as they are looking at The Division as a long term game and they will have seen many of us drop Destiny because of its lack of content without paying loads for DLC.

 

[HERMAN_JELMET]

I'm taking my time, enjoying the game, I've cleared the left hand side of the map of everything and working my way up the right. Ive got 2 main missions to do on normal and then most of them on hard.
Not ventured into the dark zone yet and probably won't until I've cleared the whole map.

 

[Sportsvee]

@DrewePeacock - Destiny was a bland grind fest. After 18hrs it was been there done that and was quickly traded in.

2 days play time and Devision is still very playable. Dark Zone should spice things up further.

Get work sorted and try and borrow a copy. I avoided Hardliners and Star Wars due to disappointing games. This has gone a small way to restore that.

As I said before, this is what Destiny should have been in the first place.