The Division just did a livestream specifically about their endgame. A lot more info in it than could be gleamed from the endgame trailer from last week and the infographic that's been circulating about the year one roadmap. Given how looter shooters have been struggling with this at launch, it seemed relevant to make a specific topic about this, because it looks as though this game is launching with a very, very impressive endgame.
You can view the stream here.
You can see the previously released trailer here:
ENDGAME STREAM SUMMARY
- Upon hitting level 30 and defeating a specific stronghold, the endgame opens up with a new enemy, and the map being invaded
- You progress through 5 world tiers, each with more and more difficult enemies and better loot (like the first game)
- This is where you unlock a specialization (you can progress each of them, you aren't locked to just one)
- The world map is a "living world," with enemy factions jockeying for resources, interacting with you and each other for them
- It seems that most, if not all, activities can be played on increasingly difficult settings (hard>challenging>heroic)
- The endgame loop involves:
- Defeating the story missions that have been invaded by a new faction (enemy configurations and spawns change in the sequel to limit repetition) - these missions are available in hard, challenging and heroic difficulties, with loot drops scaling accordingly (unsure if you can play everymission on challenging/heroic, unlike the first game)
- Defeating specific missions and strongholds to up your world tier (1-5)
- Defeating a final stronghold (coming shortly after launch) for the new enemy faction
- Defeating 52 named bosses (upon defeating all 52, they become available again to redo)
- Taking on control points occupied by enemies. If you complete the hostile activities around them first, you can level them up, increasing their difficulty and subsequent loot supply. Seems like a good, varied endgame loop for gear.
- Taking on daily missions, weekly assignments, daily and weekly projects for your settlements, daily bounties and weekly bounties (boutnies are generated based on a ruleset, so it's not random, but it's unlikely you'll find the same exact enemy configuration, location, faction, boss, etc.)
- You find a snitch who spawns a gunrunner - a vendor that has named weapons/serious gear (spawns every day and a half)
- This stream rundown didn't talk about the raids, didn't talk about Dark Zone (where historically you can get a lot of high level loot quickly), and didn't talk about PVP modes (a couple already announced) or potential DLC like Underground/Survival (survival was a sort of battle royale mode that came out before PUBG, with mechanics related to keeping warm/hydrated and funneling to the DZ to extract yourself and a antidote out of the DZ). It also didn't talk about global events from the first game (system modifiers that changed how you played the game for a week - rewarding headshots, long distance fights, etc.). Basically, expect even more from the game.
DETAILED ENDGAME STREAM BREAKDOWN
AT LEVEL 30
- Throughout the game, there's a mechanic whereby defeating faction missions unlocks strongholds to take on. Strongholds are significant plot missions/faction areas that are tougher than the previous missions.
- When you complete the main story missions
and hit level 30, a new stronghold unlocks. It's a significant plot mission, a big fight, like all strongholds before, but...the toughest one yet. It's the "you beat the game" moment.
UPON BEATING "FINAL" STRONGHOLD
Black Tusk & Other Enemy Factions
- Upon beating it, the main map gets invaded by a new faction. This faction (Black Tusk) takes over previous missions that are tied to newly invaded strongholds. Your control points (previously controlled by you) are now controlled by the enemy factions that have been chased out by the Black Tusk. The Black Tusk also open up a host of new world activities. Basically, the map that was largely getting under control is now full of new activities and you don't control it, outside of the White House.
- The map is governed by a living world mechanic. Each faction has wants (ammo, food, water, components, etc.), and if they don't have them, they will engage in activities to get them. If they do have them, they will engage in activities related to their motivations (hostage takings, propaganda, etc.).
- These factions are interacting with each other too - so if one is repressed, they may be less aggressive than one that's in control.
World Tiers & Specializations
- As you hit end game (level 30 + beat stronghold mission above), World Tier 1 unlocks - this unlocks your specialization choice (example: Sniper, Crossbow, Grenade Launcher, etc.).
- It also is where gear score starts to be a thing that matters (you are a little below the enemies as level 30 and have to level up your gear - not just getting level 30 guns/armor, but optimized versions of these, similar to the first game).
- At world tier 1, you get daily missions that unlock (replay a specific mission for good rewards). It's worth noting that replaying missions doesn't mean enemies spawn in the exact same configurations and locations. So there should be less repetition than the Division - where missions like Lexington became a joke in how you could massacre the enemies knowing their spawns.
- At world tier 1, you get daily/weekly projects that unlock (things your settlements require). This is a huge library of quests that cycle through randomly (so everyone is working on different ones in their own game - think Hearthstone/Magic Arena dailies that cycle through).
- At World tier 1, you have 6 missions that unlock 3 strongholds to take on. These require a gear score of 275 to take on at first.
- Upon completing one, you'll have 60 seconds to get your loot, and then be bumped up to world tier 2. Now the world map/missions/activities are harder and the missions/strongholds have a higher gear score requirement to take on. The enemies get tougher (better gear).
- This pattern persists until World Tier 4.
World Tier 4
- Upon unlocking world tier 4, you get bounties (see below)
- Challenging difficulty is unlocked
- Priority missions are unlocked
- Control points are now upgraded/reinforced - as you complete a hostile activity around a control point, the control point goes on higher alert. This continues as you complete activities, making the control point move from hard > challenging > heroic. The supply room in the control point gets upgraded so that loot gets better and better. This seems like it will be a pretty fun endgame loop and a main way to tackle getting good loot in the endgame.
World Tier 5
- There's a mission that will come shortly after launch that, upon completing it, will unlock world tier 5.
- Similar to world tier 4 (all of those activities still available), but with tougher enemies, better gear, better drops.
- Sounds like more coming too. They didn't want to spoil it all.
OTHER INFO REVEALED
Gunrunner
- Cassie Mendoza is the gunrunner (keeps stock for a week, stock consists of at least one named weapon and serious equipment)
- She shows up at World Tier 1
- She doesn't spawn until you find the snitch, who spawns her
- She can be spawned every day and a half (so that time zones are accounted for)
- Her guns scale to the world tier you are in
Snitch
- The snitch has a deck of cards related to named bosses in the open world
- Each suit represents a faction, the royals of each faction are harder/more outlandish
- There are 52 named bosses in the open world, for reference, The Division had 15 named bosses
- Once you've killed them, you can't encounter them again until you've completed all 52
- They each have great loot on them
- If you complete collections, you get commendations and drops
Bounties
- World Tier 4 brings in a new bounty system - priority target network.
- This involves an interconnected set of 7 bounties inside of different zones of the map. You get hard ones that unlock another one (and so on). Bounties move from "hard" to "challenging" to "heroic."
- There are daily (up to 4) and weekly bounties.
- The loot is always strong, but rarer for weekly bounties.
- The bounties are generated using a set of rules, so infinitely varied. Not random, have a logic, but you shouldn't ever see two exactly the same.
Anywho, that's a summary of what they talked about. Hope this is helpful to some of you looking into jumping into a looter shooter but unsure if one has the endgame pull you're looking for. It's rumoured to be about 40 hours of gampeplay before even getting to the endgame, so it seems like it's launching very content-rich
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