The developer of Helldivers 2 discusses the changes to weapons and tactics, inviting players to try them.
As the players of Helldivers 2 work on the first balance patch of the game, developer Arrowhead has discussed the thinking behind the changes to weapons and strategies, urging players to give them a chance.
Patch 01.000.100 reduces the power of the Breaker, the Railgun and the Shield Generator Backpack, three items considered essential for playing at higher difficulties and the best loadouts of Helldivers 2. But it also buffs weak weapons and tactics, including the Flamethrower, the Laser Cannon, the Punisher, and the 380mm and 120mm Orbital Barrages.
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It is the nerfs to the Breaker, Railgun and Shield Generator Backpack that already cause the most discussions in the Helldivers 2 community, given their effectiveness and, consequently, their popularity. At higher difficulties, Helldivers 2 often throws a swarm of powerful enemies that require weapons and tactics with strong impact to deal with.
The Breaker was an effective shotgun with long range and damaging firepower. The Railgun was considered essential for dealing with the game's more powerful enemies, such as the Terminid Bile Titan. And the Shield Generator Backpack was considered essential for survival. These items were so effective that some Helldivers 2 players admitted to kicking random players out of their team if they didn't have a loadout that included them.
In a post on the Helldivers 2 Discord, designer Alex K described Arrowhead's approach to game balance. Alex admitted that “it is absolutely frustrating to have your favorite game diminished” because of the time invested by players to dominate these games. “And then, feeling that this weapon fails to keep up feels like a punishment for being too good at the game”, Alex continued.
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However, Alex asked the players to give a chance to the recently nerfed weapons and armaments. “I beg you not to compare a changed item with its old version, but to evaluate the existing as it is and see if it still has a place in your heart”, said Alex. Speaking generally about Arrowhead's philosophy, Alex said that today's update is “the first round in an endless series of balance changes”.
“Our goal is to give you a wide range of weapon options, where each weapon has its purpose and none is absolutely better than another”, explained Alex. “Of course, you will have your own favorite, but it must come from your personal preference, not from the universally agreed knowledge about which weapon is the strongest. In general, we balance each item according to its particular characteristics, so if a weapon is very effective at what it does, it must have significant drawbacks to balance its power.”.
“The AC-8 Autocannon is a good example of a balanced weapon: it delivers a strong hit, has very good range, but requires you to carry a backpack of ammunition or have a friend help you. The GL-21 Grenade Launcher is the opposite example. It is a good general‑purpose weapon that gives you so much flexibility, obviously it cannot cause too much damage without becoming overly powerful.
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“But weapons that are simultaneously strong and versatile become an automatic choice during the weapon selection phase. They deprive you of your own authority, as the ‘meta’ builds force you to make an unfair choice between a fun weapon and an effective one. In short: strong weapons cannot be very versatile, versatile weapons cannot be very strong.”
After analyzing player feedback and data, o Arrowhead discovered that the Breaker, the Railgun and the Shield Generator Backpack were the “three biggest violators of this primordial rule”, Alex revealed. “All three were quite powerful with very few drawbacks, dominating over all other choices at high difficulty levels. Thus, with this patch, they receive significant drawbacks to balance their power. However, we firmly believe that the changes will not destroy this build, but will help the affected items find their place among the other options and remain effective in capable hands.”
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There is a lot of action in the world of Helldivers 2, including a recent new strategy that involves hugging. The galactic war continues, of course, as players await the arrival of the machines.
Information source: ign.com
