(DEV response please) Number of mobs spawning for solo play is increasing

[doggirl211]

I have posted previously about the ridiculous amount of mobs spawning while playing solo, and of course have been met with the "learn 2 play nub" crap. However, it seems to be getting worse. Today while doing the "Raid on San Quentin" (not sure of exact name) mission, I counted 23 mobs that spawned on my location at one time. I'm not talking about me running around and setting off additional spawn points, I'm talking about the game hitting some predetermined part of the mission and mobs simply spawning on top of me or running directly at me while target locking me, no matter what I do or how I approach the situation. There's simply no amount of tactics that can overcome this overwhelming number of enemies.

This happened on more than one occasion today, with a couple of roadside hostage missions spawning 18 at a time and a roadblock giving me 13 at one time.

My question to a DEV is, do you consider this mechanic to be working as intended? If spitting out 23 (TWENTY THREE!) mobs at one time on a solo player, to be working as intended? If so, I simply need to find another game, no matter how much I want to like this one. Those numbers are not enjoyable (or challenging, as i can not win no matter what I do, I die repeatedly until I whittle the numbers down one agonizing death after another) to me, and I can't imagine they would be to many casual players, which we are sure to be flooded with come the 15th and more people see the show and realize there's a game associated with it.

[doggirl211]

Just trying to keep this on the front page in hopes it will be seen by Sledgehammer or someone who can answer my question. Thanks

[Demented Mouse]

I actually had very few problems with large number of spawns unless there were other players relatively close to my area or doing the same quest as me... that was until I hit San Fran this weekend. Was starting off on one of the many side quests where you have to activate a few things to complete the quest. Simple enough, right? Wrong. Killed a handful of mutants in the way and thought everything was all clear so I proceed to activate the first device (don't remember what it was or why I was doing it or even the side missions name at this point) but out of nowhere I get hit by something that stops me from activating the device. Thinking another mutant had spawned on top of me, I run backwards and spin around looking for what hit me. Nothing was there. No red dots on the radar either. Thinking this to be just a fluke, I went back to try and activate the device and once again got hit by something out of nowhere that kept me from completing the activation sequence. And again no enemies were in sight and there wasn't a single other player showing on radar either. The third time I tried to activate the device an elite mutant appears right on top of me with one of those big grenade launching blue guys behind him and several other mutants down the road. They took me down before I could even fire off three shots with my SAW - had to use self-revive and run/roll to get behind some cover. Managed to kill a few mutants but they just kept spawning. Still trying to get this quest done, I killed probably 15 to 20 regular & elite mutants and the big blue guy when more elite and TWO big blue guys pop out at me. One mini-gunner and the other with a grenade launcher. I had no choice but to run around the a hill and try to activate a device on the far side of the road but when I look up there are THREE big blue guys running at me. I'm all alone and when I managed to kill one of the big blue guys yet another spawned. Managed to outrun the mutants and use cover long enough to activate the devices but forget clearing them out - they simply spawn way too fast. That was my first experience with the quick spawn times...

Right after I finished that mission I went to try and start another side mission but there was a Scrapper nest thing sitting right next to the place where you activate that specific side mission so I proceed to clear them out. Was easy enough and pretty much just used a BMG to take them out. Not a problem. BUT! As soon as that last scrapper died their little nests disappeared an a Dark Matter road block spawned. Spawned so fast I almost didn't have enough time to find cover before they took all my health (+3 Fortitude and yet I still can't take more than two or three shots from these guys when my shields break? ) Anyway. I proceed to pick them off one by one and they just keep popping out and next I know they bring in one of their aircraft and drop even more on top of me. Just as I am about to die a Hellbug arkfall falls on top of me and the Dark Matter simply disappear. Three events back to back and I still can't work my way to starting that side mission so I gave up and logged out for the night.

Love the game but they seriously need to work on the mechanics of the game. It's becoming impossible to solo with all the enemies spawning so fast you can't kill them all and if you try and run with a group of people the enemies become so strong you waste an entire magazine to kill a single enemy and when you are rolling with an LMG it shouldn't take all 80+ bullets to kill things like a nanite or skitterling. So it's a damned if you do and damned if you don't scenario now.

[doggirl211]

Demented Mouse,

Thank you for posting your experience! This has been happening to me in varying degrees since the game launched. I've received a few replies like yours but the vast majority are negative and are telling me I just don know how to play. I've played multiple mmo's and have never experienced the sheer number of mobs spawning as in this game. I almost exclusively play solo, because I like to take my time and explore, not rush through to the next quest.

I'm hoping we can get this issue some attention. I'm aware that it isn't happening to everyone, just as not everyone is having items in inventory disappear. That doesn't mean it isn't happening at all! Count yourself lucky if you're not experiencing this, because its very deflating.

Oh, and to those that say I need to dodge/roll because you can't be hit when you do? I got killed 3 times today while I was in mid roll. I was spamming the roll trying to get out of the way and into cover and continued getting hit until I died. So, it may not be happening to you, but it IS happening.

[BattleTested]

yes i notice this also in san fran area its not good because even though some missions only 3-4 i had a little help by random people this will not be the case always.

[Demented Mouse]

Definitely understand the problems here. Think my gameplay style is very similar to yours. Pretty sure several people in the Co-op missions were rather upset with me for running off looking for the data recorders while they killed everything. haha Then again every time I do one of the Co-op missions that has a big hulker or similar type boss/mini-boss they target me the whole time making it much easier on the other three people doing the mission so I guess that makes up for me running off on my own the rest of the time. haha

As for rolling - it does not make you invincible. Been taken down several times trying to run/roll away to find cover. Think the problem is the enemies have dang near 100% accuracy and track you thru walls. Which always annoyed me when I tried to use Cloak and hide behind a building till my shields came back up - as soon as Cloak wore off the enemies automatically knew exactly where I went even tho I was no longer in their line-of-sight.

[TheFallenRise]

I can't say anything for pc/ps3 but on 360 I've never seen more than 15 mobs at once unless at a major arkfall or co op instance (there is one near end game mission too) where it seems they want it to be way more challenging. I know they did probably intend for you to always have someone near by to help and sometimes the mobs can be a bit to much to handle but honestly after getting used to the npc tactics I've adapted to how they swarm you. Sorry you're having this issue (not trying to flame or discredit you in any way) just hope someone can help you out.

I do think they should definitely scale down just a bit on some of it if it's just 1 player.

[Vega Prime]

I had a similar experience while doing that mission, the next one too. I have seen quite a few instances where the amount of mobs are overwhelming. I thought that was by design.

[Pasha]

I guess that's because most missions designed as group content. In reality I had to do almost all of them solo and they turned into tedious mobs grind a-la Asian MMORPGs (or Rift from 50th to 60th level).

[Carbine258]

Love the game but,
Some missions just keep spewing out mobs and no amount of tactics, running or gunning make it survivable when solo!!!