Support NeoGAF

[DesertFox]

Sounds like the additional armor and knife range in Blacklist is causing most of your complaints. That's also one reason I usually stick to Classic.

Regarding the knifing, I think the Mercs' guns need either better stopping power (so Spies slow down when they're being shot), or make it so Spies can't knife while being shot.

A slow down effect while being shot would definitely help, but Spies should not be able to knife-kill from the front at all. This wasn't allowed in previous games and it used to require skill to get behind a merc and pull of a melee kill. It was satisfying for the spy, and didn't feel cheap to the victim merc (you let him get behind you after all).

In Blacklist, there have been so many times that a spy is running straight fucking at me and I'm holding the trigger unloading into a them (and getting at least 5 hit markers) and the bastard still knifes me from the front.

Spoiler

I know, I should just "suck less"

Absolutely infuriating. I mean, sure, if you're playing as the spy there's no complaints, but it used to be so much more challenging and gratifying to dispatch a merc as a spy.

 

[Pooya]

does the camo actually have any effect? I assumed it was only for show so far :S

last stealth suit + urban camo look so boss, had that on in last mission

Spoiler

+balaclava looks too badass.

 

[hao chi]

A slow down effect while being shot would definitely help, but Spies should not be able to knife-kill from the front at all. This wasn't allowed in previous games and it used to require skill to get behind a merc and pull of a melee kill. It was satisfying for the spy, and didn't feel cheap to the victim merc (you let him get behind you after all).

In Blacklist, there have been so many times that a spy is running straight fucking at me and I'm holding the trigger unloading into a them (and getting at least 5 hit markers) and the bastard still knifes me from the front.

Spoiler

I know, I should just "suck less"

Absolutely infuriating. I mean, sure, if you're playing as the spy there's no complaints, but it used to be so much more challenging and gratifying to dispatch a merc as a spy.

Right, and I'd agree, but since Blacklist's Classic plays very differently than Chaos Theory/Pandora Tomorrow, I'm concerned that might be a bit too much of a nerf for the Spies. I wouldn't mind like an experimental weekend though like Uncharted 2 did so the community could test it out; I'd definitely be down for that (and unlike what ND did, actually react based on feedback).

 

[joeygreco1985]

Anyone want to play some co-op on PC? My Uplay is Joeystyles66

 

[TheSeks]

Right, and I'd agree, but since Blacklist's Classic plays very differently than Chaos Theory/Pandora Tomorrow, I'm concerned that might be a bit too much of a nerf for the Spies. I wouldn't mind like an experimental weekend though like Uncharted 2 did so the community could test it out; I'd definitely be down for that (and unlike what ND did, actually react based on feedback).

I'm still pissed with that and why I haven't bought the Last of Us yet.

 

[Mubbed]

I have been playing on max settings for two weeks and then during boot-up last night (I have the recent patches) I get a DirectX11 error. Tried a couple fixes floating around the web and nothing worked. Tried reinstalling the game and now I'm getting a CRC error during installation. Seems like I'm out of luck for now.

 

[hao chi]

I'm still pissed with that and why I haven't bought the Last of Us yet.

I know what you mean. Uncharted 2 would still be my favorite multiplayer of this gen if it weren't for the 1.05 update.

 

[The Nature Roy]

I have barely played this so far (I went through the tutorial mission and toured the plane and that's it). I have a couple Qs before I really dig in if someone doesn't mind helping me out:

1) Is it preferable to pick a style (ghost vs. panther vs. assault) and stick with it (as the gear and weapons you buy may support that style or maybe even rewards that might be tied in to stats that extend beyond single missions), or is it more mission-by-mission which style you choose adopt?

2) Do you need to tackle the side missions pretty quickly or risk missing out on them?

Thanks!

 

[Kazerei]

I have barely played this so far (I went through the tutorial mission and toured the plane and that's it). I have a couple Qs before I really dig in if someone doesn't mind helping me out:

1) Is it preferable to pick a style (ghost vs. panther vs. assault) and stick with it (as the gear and weapons you buy may support that style or maybe even rewards that might be tied in to stats that extend beyond single missions), or is it more mission-by-mission which style you choose adopt?

2) Do you need to tackle the side missions pretty quickly or risk missing out on them?

Thanks!

1. I suppose the optimal way to spend your money as you progress through the campaign is to pick a style, and focus on buying gear and weapons that support that style. You can always replay missions or side missions to earn more money though.

2. Side missions can't be missed, they will always be available

 

[Sober]

I have barely played this so far (I went through the tutorial mission and toured the plane and that's it). I have a couple Qs before I really dig in if someone doesn't mind helping me out:

1) Is it preferable to pick a style (ghost vs. panther vs. assault) and stick with it (as the gear and weapons you buy may support that style or maybe even rewards that might be tied in to stats that extend beyond single missions), or is it more mission-by-mission which style you choose adopt?

2) Do you need to tackle the side missions pretty quickly or risk missing out on them?

Thanks!

1) Points convert to the same money either way but sticking with a style will get you extra bonuses, especially if you master it (pass the point threshold for a style in a level), leading to more cash.

2) side missions, like the rest of the SP game are replayable anytime. The side missions actually act as co-op stuff (or soloable co-op maps).

 

[Alpende]

I have barely played this so far (I went through the tutorial mission and toured the plane and that's it). I have a couple Qs before I really dig in if someone doesn't mind helping me out:

1) Is it preferable to pick a style (ghost vs. panther vs. assault) and stick with it (as the gear and weapons you buy may support that style or maybe even rewards that might be tied in to stats that extend beyond single missions), or is it more mission-by-mission which style you choose adopt?

2) Do you need to tackle the side missions pretty quickly or risk missing out on them?

Thanks!

I believe the Ghost style nets you the most points and thus the most cash. I'm not too sure though.

 

[Everdred]

Just ran into some speed hacking spies on PC... Impossible to beat them.

 

[Alpende]

Any XBOX360 players here that want to do Briggs' co-op missions ghost style?

 

[FutureZombie]

Any XBOX360 players here that want to do Briggs' co-op missions ghost style?

I do, but I can't be on until tonight. My gamertag is FutureZombie. Send me a message on Live if you want to play.

 

[Lima]

Just a heads up you can't do these missions full ghost. There are forced assault sections where you can't bend the rules to still get ghost knockouts.

 

[Alpende]

Just a heads up you can't do these missions full ghost. There are forced assault sections where you can't bend the rules to still get ghost knockouts.

As Ghost as it gets then

I do, but I can't be on until tonight. My gamertag is FutureZombie. Send me a message on Live if you want to play.

Alright, I'll add you. I'm in a European time zone so if you're in a US timezone it's going to get tricky time wise.

 

[B4D1E]

Any XBOX360 players here that want to do Briggs' co-op missions ghost style?

Actually I'm also looking for a co-op partner. If you want you can add me. My GT is Phen0mX.

Edit: I'm from Belgium

 

[MAX PAYMENT]

Any XBOX360 players here that want to do Briggs' co-op missions ghost style?

Add me.
MAX PAYMENT


The upgraded cross bow can 1 shot heavy armored dudes, in case anyone didn't know.
Shoot their helmet off with a gas dart and the gas will knock them out.

 

[Alpende]

Actually I'm also looking for a co-op partner. If you want you can add me. My GT is Phen0mX.

Edit: I'm from Belgium

Add me.
MAX PAYMENT


The upgraded cross bow can 1 shot heavy armored dudes, in case anyone didn't know.
Shoot their helmet off with a gas dart and the gas will knock them out.

I'll add you guys.

 

[Xanathus]

Has anyone on PC been able to play co-op with someone on their friends list? I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what network issues are preventing us from joining either other and we've tried everything on this support guide
https://support.ubi.com/en-US/FAQ.a...d=249&productid=2732&faqid=kA030000000eZEfCAM

Both of us are able to join public co-op and SvM games, it's just private co-op that seems to be broken.

 

[SporeCrawler]

played the first mission (benghasi) on wiiu. Really liking the game so far. Gamepad integration seems pretty good so far too.

 

[danielcw]

Has anyone on PC been able to play co-op with someone on their friends list?

Yes, with one fellow Gaffer,
without any (noteworthy) network issues

 

[DesertFox]

Just discovered that private matches count towards your progression. Makes it pretty easy to cheese the MP progression.

Spoiler

you can get about 2300 points in 2 minutes

 

[Mustainium]

Well after playing about ten hours worth of SvM, I can say without a doubt that it's the worst experience I've had with a multi-player component since that of God of War: Ascension's. It's just an infuriating, unbalanced mess, and like Ascension, a complete waste of potential.

Campaign's great though.

 

[NoSkillz187]

Downloaded the new patch on PC through Uplay and it has broken my game. I can't even start it now. Went to their official forums and seems like a ton of people are having similar issues and deleted saves.

I have had nothing but terrible experiences with Uplay and I think I will have to now avoid Ubi games on the PC from now on. This is ridiculous.

 

[Krappadizzle]

Downloaded the new patch on PC through Uplay and it has broken my game. I can't even start it now. Went to their official forums and seems like a ton of people are having similar issues and deleted saves.

I have had nothing but terrible experiences with Uplay and I think I will have to now avoid Ubi games on the PC from now on. This is ridiculous.

How do you download through Uplay?

 

[AwesomeSauce]

How do you download through Uplay?

When you start the game through uplay it auto downloads the patch.

And yeah im one of the victims of getting my save deleted :/ I was so close to finishing too.

 

[Krappadizzle]

When you start the game through uplay it auto downloads the patch.

And yeah im one of the victims of getting my save deleted :/ I was so close to finishing too.

I just manually patched it. Hopefully it doesn't give me any issues. Probably will though. if anyone wants to play Co-Op or SvM(classic) let me know.


uplay id: Krappadizzle

 

[SporeCrawler]

played another small mission yesterday in my bed (the one with the island where you have to hack three devices). i really like this game so far and offtv play works greatly. the stealth is really enjoyable in said mission (i managed to hack a device without the two guys in the room noticing one time... unfortunately i got caught by lasers soon thereafter.)

oh and loading is noticeably long. how is it in the other versions?

 

[Bamihap]

I have only one interest: Spies vs Mercs. I LOVED it in Pandora & Chaos (played both games for 8 months straight. HATED the mode in that current gen game I can't even remember the name from .

How is it this time around?

 

[Krappadizzle]

I have only one interest: Spies vs Mercs. I LOVED it in Pandora & Chaos (played both games for 8 months straight. HATED the mode in that current gen game I can't even remember the name from .

How is it this time around?

SvM classic is great. SvM Blacklist I find to be awful. The spies are way too empowered. It's just not fun, plus the levels are too brightly lit unlike in the Classic mode. If you liked it in Chaos Theory, it's great in Classic mode.

 

[doniewhalberg]

Hahah going through the new patch notes:

- fix character rendering on customization screens on high resolution displays

I was wondering if that was only me or what haha, looked terrible every time I went to customise

 

[John Caboose]

played another small mission yesterday in my bed (the one with the island where you have to hack three devices). i really like this game so far and offtv play works greatly. the stealth is really enjoyable in said mission (i managed to hack a device without the two guys in the room noticing one time... unfortunately i got caught by lasers soon thereafter.)

oh and loading is noticeably long. how is it in the other versions?

Yeah loading takes more time than I would've liked. I think it has to do with the fact that I never see the game load in all the textures etc after the loading screen is gone, something that other Unreal Engine games are very guilty of (Gears of War, Mass Effect etc).

 

[Bamihap]

SvM classic is great. SvM Blacklist I find to be awful. The spies are way too empowered. It's just not fun, plus the levels are too brightly lit unlike in the Classic mode. If you liked it in Chaos Theory, it's great in Classic mode.

Thanks. Classic mode sounds perfect . Seems like I'll be buying the ps3 version (consistent framerate according to eurogamer).

 

[Krappadizzle]

Thanks. Classic mode sounds perfect . Seems like I'll be buying the ps3 version (consistent framerate according to eurogamer).

I guess I should tell you there is one VERY big glaring problem with SvM though. The spies are too empowered. They can stun you with the crossbow(which is totally fine, just like in Chaos Theory). But they can also run up and kill you while you are stunned. You can't do anything. So in Classic mode, spies are very powerful. It's a buzzkill, when they just spam the taser bolt, and then run up and kill you. You can't punch, can't swing your gun, nothing. I really really hope that Ubisoft fixes this. It's a very glaring omission. That on top of SvM being a bit bare-bones. Why they didn't just emulate Chaos Theory's mechanics exactly, I'll never now. As it stands, it needs a bit of work.

 

[Bamihap]

I guess I should tell you there is one VERY big glaring problem with SvM though. The spies are too empowered. They can stun you with the crossbow(which is totally fine, just like in Chaos Theory). But they can also run up and kill you while you are stunned. You can't do anything. So in Classic mode, spies are very powerful. It's a buzzkill, when they just spam the taser bolt, and then run up and kill you. You can't punch, can't swing your gun, nothing. I really really hope that Ubisoft fixes this. It's a very glaring omission. That on top of SvM being a bit bare-bones. Why they didn't just emulate Chaos Theory's mechanics exactly, I'll never now. As it stands, it needs a bit of work.

Since these games have so many possibilities there is a HUGE chance that players will find a way around this.

Old strategy games didn't get patches either, and are sometimes unbalanced. But because their gameplay is so very rich you find ways around those. Same with American Football for example.

But then again: When people complain a lot I'm sure the creators will "fix" the issues with a patch .

In other news. This was just posted on the official forums:

Hey guys,

I just wanted to give you a heads up about some changes/tweaks coming to your Spies vs. Mercs experience (could be as soon as the next few hours).

First off, we know some of you are having issues with connectivity. We are certainly looking to find ways to remedy that as quickly as possible.

We’ve got more fixes on the way in the next patch (for all platforms), but for the time being we wanted to ensure that people who are playing SvM are getting the most out of it.
We want to make sure that those who are new to the game will play against others who are also learning the ropes, while the big dogs play with opponents their own size.

SO… for a limited time, we’re adding a new playlist:

HARDCORE 2v2 - This playlist operates the same as Spies vs. Mercs Classic, but is only unlocked at rank 20.

On a similar note, we’re changing the max rank in Training Grounds to 10 (up from 5).
With this comes a slight change to SvM Blacklist – in that the minimum rank to access this game mode is now 10 (up from 5).

Also, to get into the game a little quicker, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Intel can now begin with a minimum of four people (as opposed to six).

I think it’s important to emphasize that we’re actively looking at long-term solutions to improve the match-making, but for the time being we think this will help the playing experience for newcomers and vets alike.

In addition... some gameplay balancing fixes:

The Spy Crossbow stun duration has been decreased by 25%.

The Spy AGS (Trophy System) - Reduce gadget quantity per inventory slot from 3 to 2

The Merc helmet: Vision Mode Enhancer now further improves the Motion Tracker refresh time.

 

[ja30278]

After playing through the first mission of the game (and really enjoying it), I was really disappointed to find out that the second mission handles detection by instantly ending the mission. I _really_ loathe this gameplay convention, and I _thought_ this game was going to avoid it.

In the first mission (and the one side mission I played), being detected just causes reinforcements to arrive, rather than instantly ending the mission. While this almost always caused me to be killed, it felt like a real consequence, and there was always a possibility that I could fight my way through. In this game in particular, which seems to advertise 'assault' as a valid play style, it seems like an odd choice.

Are there many missions of this style in the game?

 

[Sojgat]

After playing through the first mission of the game (and really enjoying it), I was really disappointed to find out that the second mission handles detection by instantly ending the mission. I _really_ loathe this gameplay convention, and I _thought_ this game was going to avoid it.

In the first mission (and the one side mission I played), being detected just causes reinforcements to arrive, rather than instantly ending the mission. While this almost always caused me to be killed, it felt like a real consequence, and there was always a possibility that I could fight my way through. In this game in particular, which seems to advertise 'assault' as a valid play style, it seems like an odd choice.

Are there many missions of this style in the game?

No, there is actually very little forced stealth. 3 Grim missions require restarting the entire mission if detected, and sections of some SP and Briggs missions just reload the checkpoint. During the main campaign there are only short sequences where detection means restarting the checkpoint (for story reasons), never entire missions.

 

[Onikaan]

Need some assistance from anyone that's completed on Perfectionist.

Spoiler

How do you take out the two guys during the moving train sequence? As soon as I drop into the window I'm killed. I have no time to do anything. Obviously I can't mark them due to the Perfectionist difficulty. I'm talking about the part when you climb out the window and shimmy over to the other cart.

I've attempted this so many times. It's getting a bit silly now.

 

[TheSeks]

Drop and hit cover to the left. That's really the only way you can do it. Even if you're trying to ghost it. In fact ghosting it you have to kinda do that and pray they don't auto-detect you.

It's a terrible sequence all around.

---

Did patch 1.02 fix Brigg's fourth mission?

 

[Sojgat]

Need some assistance from anyone that's completed on Perfectionist.

Spoiler

How do you take out the two guys during the moving train sequence? As soon as I drop into the window I'm killed. I have no time to do anything. Obviously I can't mark them due to the Perfectionist difficulty. I'm talking about the part when you climb out the window and shimmy over to the other cart.

I've attempted this so many times. It's getting a bit silly now.

Go through the 2nd window, and get immediately into cover on your left.

Edit: Beaten. Yeah, it's seriously the worst mission in the game. It's like Blacklist's Highway of Death.

 

[Onikaan]

Drop and hit cover to the left. That's really the only way you can do it. Even if you're trying to ghost it. In fact ghosting it you have to kinda do that and pray they don't auto-detect you.

It's a terrible sequence all around.

---

Did patch 1.02 fix Brigg's fourth mission?

Go through the 2nd window, and get immediately into cover on your left.

Thanks. I was doing both of those things, I just seemed to die within seconds of getting my back to the cover.

Managed to get through. Agreed, it's truly awful.

 

[Bamihap]

Just did the intro mission and went straight to spies vs mercs classic. WOW. It is superb! A bit disappointed that you don't have your visions anymore. But the core gameplay is alive and kicking.

A few impressions from SvsM Classic:
- Mercs are insanely powerful.
- Spies are deadly up close. I kind of like it. It forces mercs to cover their backs.
- No laser mines
- Sticky cams cannot be thrown anymore. You just place them on the wall/floor. This is a great tweak imo. It is not a more defensive instead of a offensive weapon. You will not actually use the decoy function to lure mercs and then detonate the cam.
- Love the fact that the motion detector only works in front of you
- There are great new tactical possibilities since you can only hack one terminal at a time: For example: If you see a spy, follow him and let him start the hack. If you kill him then the other spy can't hack anything for like 10+ seconds
- Real time shadows make it more difficult for spies to move around.
- Night vision for spies seems very useless.
- Really hope they bring back more gadgets. I just loved all the possibilities you had in Pandora/Chaos Theory. In Blacklist the Classic mode might become stale since you cannot change your gadgets and thus create tactics on meta level.

Anyone wants to play SvsM (classic)? Add me on PS3: BMHLive

 

[Xanathus]

- Night vision for spies seems very useless.

This is wrong if the mercs themselves are playing stealthily, they can hide in the shadow and camp the hack point to easily kill you immediately after you hack, which like you said locks out hacking for some time. Of course you shouldn't have night vision on all the time when a merc is around since they can easily blind you.

 

[Bamihap]

This is wrong if the mercs themselves are playing stealthily, they can hide in the shadow and camp the hack point to easily kill you immediately after you hack, which like you said locks out hacking for some time. Of course you shouldn't have night vision on all the time when a merc is around since they can easily blind you.

The night vision isn't doing it for me. In the olden times I could use my visions to easily spot mercs. It gave you a sense of control of the situation. Now I find it way harder to keep track of the mercs. Also because there are no trackers anymore.

So many gadgets are gone for classic mode

 

[securitypigeon]

One of the things that really annoys me about playing merc is how it's IMPOSSIBLE to get a melee kill on a spy.

 

[JHall]

One of the things that really annoys me about playing merc is how it's IMPOSSIBLE to get a melee kill on a spy.

If you're backing up you won't win a melee battle with a spy. Mercs have a bigger melee range than spies if you're moving forward though, it's all about timing.

SvM is fun, but its no where near as good as Pandora/Chaos Theory. Spies are too lethal in my opinion.

 

[Onikaan]

Gotta hate the dice rolling melee kills when two spies meet in TDM.

Many times I've stood aghast at what just happened in the previous 5 seconds.

 

[panda21]

enjoying the game quite a lot, its fun playing full stealth and seems much more interesting than that previous one.

the take down animation on dogs is hilarious though. one punt kill. i think it prompted me to do an aerial takedown on a dog at one point too but i missed it

 

[Y2Kev]

Doesn't Sam remind anyone of Shepard? The "brooding at the SMI table" scene where you launch missions is like a dead ringer for Shepard.