Lack of Player Agency and what to do about it - Map Selection

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Gameplay Feedback
1

There is a lack of player agency in the game. I know we’re supposed to be rejects, and not the heroes… and we are supposed to go where we’re sent, not choose… and use what we’re given or can find, instead of crafting the perfect custom equipment… but lack of player agency isn’t really fun.

I like the concept that we’re getting sent on missions, I like the aesthetic of the mission terminal, but the way it’s implemented takes away too much player agency. Sometimes I just want to try the new map, sometimes I need to run a specific map to complete a weekly, etc. If I want to run a level 4, I shouldn’t just have 1 or 2 to choose from.

How to fix it, while keeping the look/feel/aesthetics:

  1. Add a button in the terminal to make custom missions. Not a big button, just a normal button that’s not the star of the show. Let us choose the map, modifier, side objective, etc. (100% player agency, 0% look/feel/aesthetics)

To preserve and improve the look/feel/aesthetics:

  1. Change the missions in the terminal to be map+mod instead of map+mod+difficulty. When players select one, let them choose the difficulty. This will de-clutter the screen since you’ll actually need fewer and give us more choice because all of them can be run at any difficulty.

  2. Incentivize us to play these missions, give us more XP, more equipment, more crafting resources etc. Make us want to be there instead of running a custom mission.

  3. Use these mission to advance the narrative. With the latest update, the new map could have been labeled as a High Priority mission and pin it for the week, front and center to draw attention to it. Add specific missions to advance the story… We’re trying to send a signal? Cool, pin that new mission. Since we’re sending a signal, probably need to shut down that Nurgle broadcast too. Pin that mission too, label them both High Priority and have them give us a bigger bonus for running them.

So for an example. The mission terminal would have 2 High priority missions that would give players a good bonus for completion, 4-6 random missions that give a bonus and rotate out every so often, and a way to play any mission we want without any additional bonus.

12 Likes
2

Agree with giving us more incentive to play quick play and also for higher difficulties on top of customizing missions. Resources, gear, maybe more progress in contracts, anything to help.

2 Likes
3

Thanks. I was really trying to strike a balance between letting players play whatever they want when they want, while preserving the look/feel/aesthetics FS is going for. The mission terminal looks a lot better than the book in VT2, but it removes way too much player agency.

4

If they do this and not just give us the freedom to choose the next posts will be why did you do this instead of just giving us the freedom to pick our self. VT2 you picked what you wanted to do at what difficulty when you wanted to, I do not see why this would be made any different or even tried to be a mix of both.

Bonus for doing quick play isn’t a bad idea.

There does need to be changes made especially making special conditions more rewarding and yes part of that falls flat due to how the shop works (or doesn’t work) but having millions of currency does nothing when the shop rarely has anything of value and most of the value is put into crafting materials that you cannot spend money to obtain making the reward for special conditions worthless at level 30.

5

Because doing both gives us the option to choose, and gives FS a way of advancing the story and maintaining the narrative.