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Today Trick Dempsey (Senior Game Designer at Massive Entertainment) joined Hamish to discuss Endgame Progression
Endgame
Strongholds vs. Missions
Strongholds are vastly bigger, and meaner, than missions. Strongholds will be important to the plot development of the game and are extremely significant. Missions will need to be completed before attempting Strongholds. The concept of Strongholds are introduced very early on in the main campaign, but the concept becomes ramped up in the Endgame.
What happens when you hit level 30?
During the main campaign you'll be working thru a bunch of Missions and a handful of Strongholds to get to the final Stronghold that remains locked until you reach level 30. At that point, it will be unlocked and revealed. Once that final Stronghold is completed, World Tier 1 is unlocked, Tidal Basin is revealed and the living world will completely change.
Previously established control points that you've captured suddenly become dynamic as the Black Tusk faction comes into play and factions are pushed into the open world. Previously established fast travel locations are no longer available and must be re-established. Most importantly, due to the influx of the Black Tusk, Specializations are introduced because "you're gonna need a bigger gun.", and you're vastly weaker in relation to the new faction.
World Tiers 1-3 Unlocked
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3 Strongholds, that were previously faction based Strongholds, will now be repopulated with Black Tusk and need to be retaken. Those will have 2 invaded missions that are tied to each Stronghold.
- After completing the first Stronghold, you'll progress to the next World Tier 2. Finishing the second will push you into World Tier 3 and finishing the last of the 3 Strongholds will push you into World Tier 4.
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"The Snitch" & The Deck of 52 becomes active
- 52 Named bosses, each faction matching a suit, that will award you loot and commendations for "completing the deck" and getting their cards. They won't spawn again until your deck is complete.
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Cassie Mendoza "The Gun Runner" is revealed
- A roaming random spawn vendor that cycles every day and a half that will have special loot/guns that scale to your World Tier.
World Tier 4
Priority Target Network - An interconnected set of 7 tiered Bounties inside of different named zones that scale in difficulty as you progress thru them (progression similar to the "hard", "challenging" & "heroic" ways that were familiar to players in TD1).
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Bounties (this is not endgame, but was discussed after the Priority Target Network to explain how they happen)
- During the campaign you'll meet Otis Sykes and you'll get access to bounties that you spend Target Intel to play.
- Target Intel is garnered thru mission completion and endgame content.
A final Stonghold "Tidal Basin" will need to be completed to move into World Tier 5
World Tier 5
- TBD later - gotta keep you guessing and excited.
Keeping the open world "fresh"
Interesting discussion about the logic behind the rules and modifiers to keep endgame & bounties fresh and changing. Less about being random. More about being controlled and deliberate, while allowing each experience to be unique thru the use of the modifiers.
A future podcast will discuss these background mechanics.
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Important links
- Video
- Article on the official page