Hello!
So I’m not sure if this should go here or gameplay feedback but settled on discussion since I’m less so trying to say what is there is not what I would like, and more just thinking what would be a good addition.
And the general idea is that I think Secondary Objectives could be more interesting.
The Problem
I think Tomes/Scriptures and Grimoires have been a detriment to the tide game series for a number of reasons I’ll try and list.
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They incentivize separation, as one person might not know where they are while another does, creating an annoying loop of people asking someone to pick one up, when they might not even know how to reach or have gone ahead, etc…
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They push your nose to the ground: In general Scriptures and Tomes are small books on the ground, so whatever exploration note is gathered, our instinctive perspective is always driven to the floor which I think is bad player direction.
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They create potentially unwanted risk. Which I think Darktide has solved by making it an optional modifier rather than a forced thing on every map.
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They are passive objectives, making them a set it and forget it situation with something that could be more.
Alternative
I think secondary objectives could benefit from a system similar to the encounters we already have in Darktide. As it stands, most missions have 2 set piece moments, where the team needs to defend or perform an objective in order to progress to the next area so to speak. These are usually in big set piece areas where enemies spawn from all sides to challenge the player in the encounter.
So if missions already have these sort of encounter moments? Wouldn’t the game benefit from having new one’s as secondary objectives?
Picture this, in the co-op shooter Deep Rock Galactic, there are things you find on mission I’ll call encounters, whether they be mini-bosses with unique avenues of defeating them, localized events where the characters need to perform a specific task, etc… And these events reward the player for actively participating in an encounter similar to that of those in Darktide’s mid-mission and end-mission.
So I think what Darktide could benefit from would be a similar system, where secondary objectives can be tomes and grims, but then also have interesting secondary objectives involving adding new branching paths to every mission that leads to a new “set-piece” where the players have to actively perform and encounter to gain a bonus.
Examples
- Imagine this, you enter a mission with a modifier that makes the map difficult to see on, whether its a light’s out or fog, whatever. And at the start of the mission you get prompted.
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“Heretics have shutdown the local power grid, re-enable it and you’ll be granted a bonus.”
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Now there will be a new door open somewhere in the level that leads to a power control center, could be a very interesting but smaller scale location, but ultimately would be more interesting for exploration, as it would add something new to a mission you might have done 1000 times. As well as provide an opportunity to solve a problem you entered into rather than it being a passive threat.
- Or how about this, you enter a normal mission and are then prompted.
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“Local insurgents have been seen transporting explosives through the area, if you can find it and destroy it you’ll be granted a bonus.”
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Now we have something else to look out for, a new path to take, and a new encounter to face, one that can challenge and even demolish a poorly prepared party but also provide rewards.
Conclusion
Overall I don’t hate the secondary objectives in Darktide, I just think from my experiences with other co-op games and just a common understanding of what “objectives” means there could be more interesting implementations.