The Things I Like About Havoc

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Gameplay Feedback
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There’s been a lot of criticism of Havoc mode as of late (rightly so, mind you) And I’ve discussed at length all the many problems I have with it, and how

Pretty much shoot the mode in the foot with the starting pistol and expect it to run.

But I see a lot of folks saying “Get rid of Havoc” and I feel the need to mention just a quick list of things I actually like about Havoc in case they do decide to toss the whole thing, that these might be somehow salvaged.

1.) I like Assassination Bosses being in the monster pool (Although they could be more random, I hate “Knowing” we’re getting an assassination boss, and exactly when they’re going to show up).

2.) I like the general density of enemies at Havoc 40. The extra specialists, elites and hordes. I get great joy from surviving chaotic and unreasonable situations and this helps a lot. Some of my favorite moments have been when the team’s wedged between two encroaching mixed hordes and you have to rapidly re-prioritize who to attack at any given moment.

3.) I like the faster attack speed on most melee enemies. Particularly how fast Bulwarks recover from their attacks. It’s enough to get in a hit but I like how this makes teamwork and “Cracking” the bulwark open more incentivized.

4.) Pretty much all the buffs to Melee enemies. We get a lot of basekit tools for dealing with these (Dodging, Blocking, Staggering, Outright Killing, etc) so I feel they provide adequate punishment and encourage using more of those tools.

5.) I also like how spongey Monstrosities can get. I mean, it’s boring AF when everyone’s just wailing on 'em but in mixed engagements having to keep track of a boss while dealing with everything else helps create that sense of chaos I thrive on. Going back to Aurics reminded me that Bosses there are kinda a joke.

And that’s it. Might not seem like a lot but these do represent the majority of Hidden Havoc modifiers excluding reduced toughness/health/quell speed (which I’m indifferent towards), health increases to non-boss enemies (Which I don’t notice much since, you know, the meta) and of course the Ammo Scarcity which really should be a rotating modifier and not a hidden one.

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I honestly expected this to be a :poop:post and to come it to see the blub saying:

nothing

I do hope they sort it out over time. I suspect it will take years.

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It really feels like Havoc’s a “One Guy” project, and that guy isn’t keen on changing “Their Vision” of the mode that much and also they work on other projects too sooooo yeah, if that’s the case this would be an accurate prediction.

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there’s also the fact that it has many very good players and they know what they do and stick together much better than your free range chicken in auric.

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I was so ready for this post to be empty or a rickroll :laughing:

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One of the best havoc changes

One of the worst changes, bulwarks already force you to disengage from combat in auric, in havoc they become even worse

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You’ve hit every single point I also agree with when it comes to what I like about havoc/why I’ve kept up my havoc 40 each week, and why I’m so sad and frustrated at their complete ignoring of fixing the systems around it and instead just decided to buck shot it into irrelevance.

Cause there’s good here, there absolutely is. It truly does test you in a vast amount of ways, and forces you to use ‘the best’ to the highest form of a degree with such a variety of engagements and hectic combat that’s thrilling to get right.

It’s just the systems around it that force it to be a slog. All these are the reasons I kept coming back though, but with them forcing me to not play 40 anymore for no reason and making it ‘a grind’ every few months just because, I unfortunately won’t be able to hold on to this experience like I want to.

As it is fun for those that want a true challenge from time to time…but the challenge should be left in the gameplay, not the stupidly made systems that make it a chore to get to said gameplay.

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Well said. I hate when a lot of the trial and tribulation comes from navigating a game’s menus and matchmaking systems.

Also I still want them to fulfill their promise of having each Havoc Level change what ‘The Best’ is. As opposed to ‘The Best’ choice always boiling down to Bubble Psyker (Which is what EFL and the Ammo Scarcity funnels me towards) and Relic Zealot/VoC Vet. Like, I don’t mind that occasionally being the answer, but every match?

Surely they could design a set of modifiers that’d make bringing a squad of fully automatic weapons and maximum reload speed not just viable but the ideal choice, just as an example!

Something like Limited CAs, Infinite Ammo but Extra Peril Generation, Endless Hordes, More Shooters (who no longer go into melee when you get close), maybe the inverse of pus-hardened skin (Call it The Bloat and say the extra fat deposits make them resistant to melee damage) and all the usual buffs listed in my OP. So like, you’ll want folks to be constantly firing and Exec Stance Vets and Gunluggers would be The Meta Pick for this specific Havoc Level, and people post melee only solo zealot runs to flex

And then the Level after is something completely different. Where the meta’s a bunch of high mobility stealth vets or a team of Heavy Hitter Ogryns.

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