This game is now a fun challenge. Thank you Trion

[Calranthe]

I left Defiance awhile back although I was one of its biggest defenders at the start, every couple of months I would start it up and see if anything changed, dlc 1-4 were okay but nothing that made me want to actually log in and play, I was only ego 1900 and just lost interest.

I re-installed when the big change came in and spent the first three days getting my *** kicked even by roadside events, so I realized that the problem wasn't the game it was me, I was still approaching Defiance as it was.

100 guns in my inventory so after doing some reading sold or salvaged my way down to 40 weapons, tested each weapon at arkfalls, incursions all the new stuff even replaying a few missions.

Went back to the ranch and started to wittle down my guns even more, really thinking, planning my loadouts, customizing my loadouts for different situations.

Lets face it before this patch you could get away with pretty much anything, okay you made a little effort if you were in to being top scorer but otherwise nearly all content was a walk over especially for someone never interested in PVP.

Road side events are no longer a blah but are doable and you see groups of 20 people kicking in for a road side event and its still challenging.

I can now solo all of what I could solo before I just have to think before I engage the enemy., my load outs will always need tweaking especially as I get more ego but solo missions hell even the annoying D guy isn't that hard if you use tactics.

One of the hardest things was to scrap pretty much all of my old weapons, to step outside the comfort zone, to actually think about the weapon and the nano effect more that its colour.

Thank you Trion, this game is now more in line with the challenges shown in the tv show.

[lifeexpectancy]

Lol bullet sponges arent a challenge. The enemies are still easy to out maneuver and out play, it just takes 10x as long as it used to. FEAR Instant Action maps on insane mode or whatever the highest difficulty was. Trials Evolution getting 100% on the game. Mirror's Edge speed runs on levels and 3-starring the challenge maps. These things were difficult/challenging. Spending a lot longer out playing the same dumb AI just because one enemy can soak up 25-50% of your ammo rserves, or dying a lot in a boss fight because the enemies phase in and out of existence? This is not challenging. It's bollocks.

[Calranthe]

Lol bullet sponges arent a challenge. The enemies are still easy to out maneuver and out play, it just takes 10x as long as it used to. FEAR Instant Action maps on insane mode or whatever the highest difficulty was. Trials Evolution getting 100% on the game. Mirror's Edge speed runs on levels and 3-starring the challenge maps. These things were difficult/challenging. Spending a lot longer out playing the same dumb AI just because one enemy can soak up 25-50% of your ammo rserves, or dying a lot in a boss fight because the enemies phase in and out of existence? This is not challenging. It's bollocks.

I sense a lot of bitterness in your post, I stand by my post this game is now a lot more fun and challenge, maybe it just is not your type of fun.

[Mordresh]

Agreed, this game is fun and challenging. I can understand though that a sudden dramatic change can upset existing players, but as a new player post DLC5 I simply love the challenge this game has. Bullet sponges or not (prone for tweaking) I find this game more challenging and dynamic then most MMO's I've played. Some mobs really move well, I think that a lot of people are to furious about the change to see the good parts as well. But that's just my 2 cents, I really like what I see.

[rydda]

Im a existing long time player and I have fun with the new way teaming up with people, and other players are starting to ask for help. As your ego gets higher then it gets easier. Its great low ego weapons are not high price any more for the noods.

[Manstan]

Soloing isn't the issue. If anything soloing is even easier. As I've said soloing gives me a TL of 2, I can pretty well cake walk through with out a thought to weapon or load out. It's when it gets to 6; which is most of the time, I have to abandon what I am doing or lose my score dieing, load outs, perks and weapons make little difference.

[Festival]

I side firmly with the "nope" camp: this bullet sponge nonsense hasn't made the game much more of a challenge.* It's not significantly more difficult to defeat enemies, it just takes several times longer. I'm not doing much of anything differently (I've always preferred using decent tactics instead of the blind rush...old FPS habits die hard). Well, not much of anything differently other than scrambling for ammo a lot...because it takes multiple magazines to drop a freakin' minion with crit shots to the freakin' face.

As has been pointed out, all that needed to be done was to make enemy NPC weapons a lot more dangerous to player characters. Presto! Now you make it essential for players to not be tactical morons...without the mind-numbing, immersion-killing grind that we have now.

* the only "challenge" I've been experiencing lately has been not falling asleep in the middle of another endlessly drawn-out combat. Seriously...I've literally nodded off mid fight.

[Ironhide]

Agreed, this game is fun and challenging. I can understand though that a sudden dramatic change can upset existing players, but as a new player post DLC5 I simply love the challenge this game has. Bullet sponges or not (prone for tweaking) I find this game more challenging and dynamic then most MMO's I've played. Some mobs really move well, I think that a lot of people are to furious about the change to see the good parts as well. But that's just my 2 cents, I really like what I see.

This isn't really an mmo, its much like Red Dead Redemption. It wasn't called an MMO, but it played like one. I play DC Universe Online. There is an MMO and one that would offer a real challenge. Best of all its free on pc and ps3, ps4 to play.

Their enemies are not bullet sponges either and take skill to play against, plus higher content takes 4 people or more. A tank, to get enemies attention and keep it. Dps to burn the enemy down, A controller to power the teams super abilities. Finally a healer to keep the group alive. It has its flaws but THAT is a true MMO. Defiance is just a poormans Red Dead Redemption with space guns and cars.

If you want a real challenge and dynamics then you should really try DC Universe Online.

[Ironhide]

I side firmly with the "nope" camp: this bullet sponge nonsense hasn't made the game much more of a challenge.* It's not significantly more difficult to defeat enemies, it just takes several times longer. I'm not doing much of anything differently (I've always preferred using decent tactics instead of the blind rush...old FPS habits die hard). Well, not much of anything differently other than scrambling for ammo a lot...because it takes multiple magazines to drop a freakin' minion with crit shots to the freakin' face.

As has been pointed out, all that needed to be done was to make enemy NPC weapons a lot more dangerous to player characters. Presto! Now you make it essential for players to not be tactical morons...without the mind-numbing, immersion-killing grind that we have now.

* the only "challenge" I've been experiencing lately has been not falling asleep in the middle of another endlessly drawn-out combat. Seriously...I've literally nodded off mid fight.

I agree it hasn't made it harder, I still pretty much play the way I always have. DC Universe pretty much had my tatics set. Its just a lot more tedious now. The only thing that is super tedious is Sieges. Especilly Volge Sieges, where you have 15 to 20 Ark Vicera all clumped together where you cant focus fire on any single one. Oh yeah those Vicera love to spawn camp, so when you extract from extracting, thats so much a challenge.....of frustration...and Fail!

[Bonehead]

To the OP; right on I'm glad for you. I have never cared much for bullet sponges and Trion's own assessment is that the game is not in a good place right now.
From Scapes;
"We're also working on more changes in upcoming patches including a new player experience that scales in the player's favor and a generally easier open world experience. The team is constantly evaluating the difficulty of the game to get it to a good state."

These patches have yet to come.

I like some of the new changes and the bullet sponge patch is getting better albeit slowly. If you like it now, wait a while, it's gonna change some more.