Whilst my ideal next content for Darktide would be a Chaos Wastes like mode set in the Second Hive with Genestealer Cultists. - which we’ve wanted since November 2022.
Along with Meltagun, Hotshot Lasgun/Helguns, Power & Force Axes, Power & Force Halberds etc, Executioner Round shotguns for Arbites etc
BUT thinking about what could be added without requiring much new assets and development by Fatshark
MISSIONS AND GAME MODES
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Some Standard Mission Maps™ that use the assets from Expeditions would be the most obvious easy win.
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A “boarding action” or “defend the Mourningstar” mission: reusing some prologue “Tancred Bastion” assets: There is a mid mission voiceline somewhere where Wolfer suggests “clipping the Mourningstar’s wings” following some BANTER with Morrow IIRC.
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Missions with the amount of lore Dark Communion had - esp. Wolfer and the Arch-Cultist bickering.
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The ability to make your own mission & modifier combination - esp. access to modifiers from past events - at least in private games or perhaps list them in Party Finder AND PEOPLE MAY CARE!
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Perhaps just removing de-ranking from Havoc? - I get the idea of Consequences™ but losing it due to someone dropping out or similar server issues is just anger inducing. Or literally today we mistakenly queued without a party member being in the group and apparently it counted as a fail - despite I swear there was a patch that fixed this. This would mean people on the way up can be less Meta-sniffing without being BadWrongFun.
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The option to vote to keep playing Mortis Trials beyond Wave 12. - You can leave with the rewards but any who want to stay can. - Space Marine 2 Siege Mode gets this right.
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Something for Expeditions. I genuinely am not sure exactly how to fix it without just turning it into Chaos Wastes.
HUB
The Mourningstar is perhaps the least social social-hub in any of the co-op PVE games I’ve played.
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More socialness and stupid minigames to play with each other in a lounge to play in the Hub -
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Things like practicing the three Hacking Mini-games. - perhaps competing with your friend.
WEAPONS
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Weapon Modification - which is mostly there as modders use them: The ability to customise scopes or change the weapon special to add flashlights or bayonets.
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Since we’re not getting 100% weapons. Multiplying all the 5 Modifier Bars by 1.25 so 80% becomes 100%, 60% = 75%, - this might just cause a outburst of confusion and pant-shitting whining however.
+++
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#LetHadronBeNiceToSkitarii Get Zigi Ellison back in the recording booth and get some lines for Skitarii during missions.
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#LetUsPaint! Changing cosmetic colours using Citadel Paint colours like Space Marine 2. - This is real Hopium though.
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All of which are pretty tame but as a spicy bonus:
A RADICAL SUGGESTION - GET RID OF WEAPON MODIFIER BARS AND MOST OF THE WEAPON PERKS BUT PERHAPS HAVE MORE BLESSING SLOTS
Ironic as the dude who wrote the 4000 word crafting guide.
Whilst I don’t want to betray my 9 years of being a Tribalistic 'Tide Stan. - Having returned to Space Marine 2 (THE OTHER WOMAN!) after about 18 months I am a bit loathe to admit it’s had some very good improvements since release - despite still vastly preferring Darktide’s Combat system.
Likewise I am a bit loathe to suggest a change to the Crafting System again after how much better it has been since September 2024’s “Unlocked and Loaded” update BUT:
I honestly think progression via levels is enough but make getting an orange weapon more of a challenge and an interesting drop. Not something to be immediately: “64% mobility at max Power? GARBAGE! INTO THE BIN!”
I still hold a belief that Vermintide 1’s weapons were both simpler and more interesting than both Vermintide 2 and Darktide - although the loot itself was very random and unlocking traits (blessings) was a bit annoying.
Basically the key method of getting the ideal weapon is checking the hourly shop or spamming brunt is fundamentally both dull and unsatisfying.
Nor do I think the modifier bars lead to any real interesting choices when fully empowered to 500 “where do I put my 60% dump stat” isn’t a real choice and barely noticeable but encourages the worst gamer optimisationisng their own fun out of the game - perhaps with the exception is of deliberately minimising Warp Resistance below 60%… which feels like kinda “cheating” the intended system or at least showing the flaw in it.
They’re complex and confusing and poorly explained… but nor do I think they add much depth or perceptible difference.
So I would be happy to entirely get rid of Modifier Bars.
And with it checking the hourly shop or mass buying from Brunt for that 60% in the right bar.
I suppose we keep Power… but again I preferred Vermintide 1 which didn’t bother with that - just different damage by colour as well as how many traits the weapon had.
Although whether this would mean behind the scene changing everyone’s Power 500 Weapons to 5x76% and upsetting the dozens of people who loose a breakpoint… setting it at 5x80% and a tiny power creep I am less sure.
Mastery progression to unlock blessings I think works well enough and encourages people to play weapons or at least serve as a resource sink.
Likewise I think +25% damage vs Flak, Maniac, Carapace and Unyielding perks are powerful but dull and would rather get rid of them.
I would prefer we get more Blessings on weapons - like Vermintide 1 - even if we then have to nerf the better blessings to compensate for this.
Rework Melk into sometimes that combines aspects of Vermintide 1’s daily Bounty Board which was the same for everyone (and you could pick an item you progress to work towards with daily keys but at your own rate without a time limit - and the perhaps the Space Marine 2’s Weekly/Daily Stratagems.
Perhaps finally introduce Red/Heroic weapons that are like Vermintide 1 and that have unique combinations of Blessings or Space Marine 2’s “Sidegrade” Unique Blessings.
I think there is a sense of communalism from everyone having the same daily/weekly quests and rewards they can take and work towards.
(Vermintide 2 Red weapons were mostly "I have to press the karkng “reroll properties” button less. - still angry they didn’t use Vermintide 1’s rerolling that let you keep our old traits. But I think the way chests worked and the excitement of getting a Red worked better than VT or DT’s loot.)
