Erewhon' Bivouac (What did you do in GR:B today) (spoilers)

So yeah. Continuing on with the side missions and there is just so much to do in this game. Though on the flip side it's a lot different then what I am used to. A lot of modern game design focus on quests and activities that are short, but contribute to the greater whole. I could get a lot done in Assassin's Creed Odyssey for instance. But now it takes me an hour to just clear out a single base. Most of this is probably my fault though since I also get lost in buildings or waste time with buildings that have no way in.

Plus I just can't do the Elite Missions by myself at present yet. Just way too much stuff in there and it just takes awhile only for me to get into a death loop. Which stinks because they look good. Oh and I haven't gotten my boonie yet.

Other than that I am still enjoying the game...lol. I mean I expect to enjoy it more I just have to know my limits. On the bright side I did also pick up the perk where I get better weapons at Maria's shop which is quite a boon because I now have a purple Barret, which is awesome...and a purple Scorpion EVO and a purple pistol. The only issue is it seems weird that the 'rarity' is different from the mks. So my purple rated Barret has different passives associated with it then upgrading its mk. I wish they gave me a list of passives we can use like the signatures in Odyssey.

So I guess a correction is in order. I only hit my farthest target at 549 meters.

Anyways onto the stuff I actually did... I continued on with 'horn of plenty' with the wait there is more quest design...and it went off to a very familiar looking building. In fact the same building with that truck I had to hijack which then led to all sorts of unpleasetness that I related before...needless to say I was not exactly happy to be *back* here, good game design or not...though now I wonder if the presence of the truck made things easier somehow. Regardless my 'easy' way in was inaccessible due to fences, which I do not have a torch...I do now though...so I literally had to go in through the front door. I made it but with the intl guys being deeper in...well I got caught, and then quite dead...most annoying. I caught a break though since the next time the guy I was looking for, the intel guy, spawned right at the entrance so he was isolated...and I got him. Since I had already looted everything here and with the objective in hand I snuck around the perimeter and just focused on being stealthy and only killing who I absolutley had to. Fortunatley the blueprints weren't guarded either so I had an easy time getting it. On the way out I exploded my C4 mounted to a turret and FTed.

Second objective I actually wanted to hunt down an attachment for the SMGs...the Aitapal laser sight...as a bonus there was a faction mission in the same base...the negative though the faction mission in question was to kill them all. Fortunatley I was able to get on the roof of the factory which gave me descent sight lines. I whiddled down who I could, they started looking for me, they found me, so I engaged in epic panicky peekaboo with the Sentinel goons. For the longest while they couldn't find their way up to me...they did though in a stairwell in the back, but this let me set a perfect pick for them as they climbed up to get me. I had to hunt the last few down and got the loot before leaving.

Another satisfying day on Auroa.

So yeah, I've decided I hate the friggin loot system and 'gear level' in this game. Its still early yet so maybe the story will still wow me or something but yeah whoever came up with this idea...just in general...needs to have something very bad happen to them. (Just kidding obviously please just learn from this for any sequel). So now not only do the rarities not matter, but neither do the whole presets with this. Havign different loadouts with different weapons really doesen't matter when such loadouts will be obsolete in a couple of hours because of the gear score. Combine this with having their cake on on the whole rariety system and boy is it a mess and a half.

Speaking of the story though I finally found a boonie in all the random loot, making my dreams come true and giving me the look for the character I want...well mostly. *It has its edges twisted up*. Though at first I ran into an interesting issue on the side mission I was doing. I was hunting all the way around for clues for what happened to this guy from the second world war, and one of them is apparently in the middle of a level 150 Wolf base. I died...twice. At least I tried. This game when you can find good cover to funnel the bad guys into can still be quite easy even with yourself discovered. Just set a pick and watch them pile up. Steath is stil the preffered when you're playing by yourself. Latest example of this I was up a watchtower and around the corner came a whole lot of bad guys. The frustrating thing about this though is they do usually come one at a time, if they rushed me it might be more difficult. But at the end there was a lot of bodies. With that I found my boonie. And also upgraded my weapon with all the mark 3 parts so with that....

Time to begin prepping for the next leg of the story. With Mk. 3 so close for me on some of my weapons I decided to go get some skill points out in the word to get the right skills to unlock the mk. 3 skill set so I could upgrade my weapons. Also picking up some blueprints. First up the Behemouth Defense Area with the P-90 blueprint...snuck in and out very quickly thanks to my drone spray. Second area was a bitch...since it was in the neighborhood I decided to go out and get the 416, one of my favorite ARs...but its in the middle of a Wolf camp. First attempt didn't last long, second attempt I got in and got the thing...but then died. Seems the Wolves can't be marked with the automatic marking skill. Which yeah got me killed. Finished off with another BDA getting a pistol blueprint and the skills I needed.

So with that time to start the story and I decided to start with 'Herzog's' area which I had no idea was Rosebud (who I know is the sniper with the bitchin sniper). And it took me so far to a lot of areas that I have been to...and shoud've known they were story areas. First area was fun though. Underground base with a generator under there, died and then I snuck underground and found the generator...turned it off...which got the whole base to come down there, and they spotted me and I died. I wised up and placed C4 on it next time and then made my way as far away as possible before blowing it up. I fought and sniped my way through the base and in the end... it told me I needed to interrogate one of the soldiers for intel, who was all dead at that point. Fortunatley I went through a door and in huge white lettering said 'security office', which just so happened to be what I was looking for. The information pointed me in the direction of someone who escaped Herzog's prison which I found and then he pointed me on the trail of a friend of his and also a Sergeant for Herzog. The sergeant's mission really bugged out since I had to stop his convoy. The objective marker was approaching me in a dirt path it was getting coser and closer...less then a hundred meters...then less than ten...I fired blindly...and then the truck spawned in. I was able to interrogate the guy, he gave me the code. Then found the executive at a conference center and he gave me the info I needed to get into the prison...off to somewhere else I've been.

It is a bit furstarting I don't know why but the game just does not like the Barret...despite all the time's I've had it, it is always just not listed as my preffered weapon...the 416 now is. Ugh. Also it insists I have only explored 6 % of the world. I think its bugged.

I'm basically playing 'dress-up'...

(and enjoying the exploration)

So under the heading of 'there is just so much to do in this game',I decided to try and go after some of the collectibles in the interest of resolving some of the investigations which I thought might be for the side quests missions and exploration...afterall the one with Midas was resolved with a side mission just popping up out of the blue. But I struck out. First one was to the 'Ayn Rand residences' (there is a lot of...political references in this game...not sure if they are trying to be cute or if they are trying to make a BioShock esque statement. I mean they also mentioned Jace Skell's 'libertarian utopia'...ahem) Anyways quaint little complex. It was funny listening to the guys freaking out about me being there but not seeing me. Second area was to a 'bilomunicent cave' which apparently is a story area after doing research so strike two.

At the end I did a faction mission at a garbage dump...which had a blueprint in it. Just did a lot of sniper work in the woods around the area taking out their snipers and anyone I could reach. Had to clean out the camp so it all worked out...only had a couple of people left when I made my assault. Got up to tier6 of the battle rewards which got me the first of the battle rewards...which is something I was curious about...and it was just a random emblem. Not sure if the battle rewards are worth the grind. Some of them look cool, blueprints, an attack helicopter...but is it worth the grind? Not sure. The faction missions are fun but kind of wish the reward was better, like ghost coins would be good (though I do know they want to make their money with MTXs so that might be out).

Your Nomad looks awesome. I am having so much trouble getting the class challenges complete. I am maybe ten hours behind you and like only 7 of Panther and 4 or 5 of Sharpshooter.

What do you usually run as a loadout? What's your preffered playstyle/ tactics? I noticed some really cool looking sniper shots in one of your posts in the general thread.

***

As for me...well I didn't get a whole lot done last night, at least mission wise. Started 'Critical Mass' which is off to a..frustrating start. So on the bug front it seems that the last patch A. Did not address the issue where you use certain pieces of gear and it freezes your controls and B. there was a perfect sniper shot, I set it up, and when I fired, it pinged off something. But double checking with the drone there was nothing in the way...and it ended up alerting the entire camp and causing a rather sustained shitstorm.

So yeah. Critical Mass, hunting down secret nuke experiements conducted by the US Govt in the past on this island. Implications...well my curiousity is piqued. And once more taking me on a merry chase throughout the lands of Auroa. Up first was...Howard's Port...I think. A flat low area with not a lot of high ground around it so I couldn't do my usual tactic, but there was some sniper towers so I was very sneaky and ghost like and got to one, shot the sniper just before he could alert anyone, took out the other snipers, and set up Overwatch. It was really funny there just seemed to be a single lone Wolf patrolling the grounds of the port and I had to quite cautiously sneak around to get him. What followed was alot of good sniper work on my part...at least until I was getting maybe a little cocky did the 'green...yellow...red' special forces thing but then the guy saw a dead body from what I shot before, stopped, and I panicked and missed. Which let the entire base know where I was. I didn't panic though and focused on the greatest threats, in this case an auto mortar and a auto turret. I am rather found of as long as you don't panic if you have the high ground you can stay up there and just pick people off. Which I pretty much did.

The second base was the one with the sniper fuck up. Only thing of note I freed a prisoner to help me out because things were loud. They got quiet only for him to rile up the badguys again and get himself killed.

Spent the rest of the time looking for the last base. I suspect it's under ground.

It does.

Just throw yourself a medkit and pick it up.

It was the best of play sessions, the worse of play sessions, the longest of play sessions...the most productive of play sessions.

So one of those situations where I did a lot lets see where do I start?

Oh yeah so I actually found the mission I was working and stuck on entirely out of the blue and randomly on Youtube, I didn't watch it at first but then figured it could help me with my problems of it...while watching it the solution occured to me: The first underground base connected to the second one. So I had to fight back through the first one again...which was annoying. But I did get it without problems.

Had my first 'assassination' mission of this playthrough...which I just realized was ironically enough from the first base from this particular mission chain. Anyways since I already was there before I decided to just try and go after the guy. Weirdly enough and delicatley he was standing right next to the com guy so I knew I had to be careful...this required some very precise and careful...sniper work. I mosied onto position and the guy was standing in a doorway so I had to be sure I could see him...synched up the com guy...shot the commander...then crawled out. I love the assissination missions probaby my favorite of the Faction Missions so far, wish this stuff was in Wildlands.

I think I got the 'navy' paint scheme from this mission so I put it on my vest, its a camo pattern and not a solid blue..which worked. Also worked for my generic boonie.

Up next on the mission list was 'Icarus Blues' which involves the Azrael droves so I thought it might be a fun one to do...and sure enough it has been a fun one to do so far...lawl. *ahem*. Anyways after sniping the base the two good doctors were near, which I am not sure I needed to do, I talked with them and they pointed me in the direction of Restricted Area 01. I needed to get some information on their blueprints in order to know what to steal. I followed it to Assembly Hall 01 which then proceeded some really good opprotunities from sniping. Including nailing someone through a wall at nearly 500 meters...I think...and nailing a rocketeer when I didn't even have him marked...so I don't exactly how far he was, but it seems it wasn't a new record. As an aside once I cleared out the base I am loving the headcannon I've got going on for my character, I doubt this would change if I was wearing something different but it is funny that multiple of these civillians are convinced I work for Sentinel somehow...in this case the guy I interrogated thought I was HR...while I had a M82 out *snort*...anyways but its funny because I look the part. Sentine jacket, sentinel combat pants, sentinel goggles...only things that don't seem standard is the boonie and the fingerless gloves.

So this is where the annoyance began. I was just having a gay ole time loving this game marveling over it and how it is starting to get really fun...and then it decided to crap the bed in really unlucky fashion. Anyways the next part of the mission does not give me a specific objective so I was doing some 'free roaming' 'exploration' and stumbled across an area called 'Arrow testing area' well since I like Arrows I decided to look into it...and it was a Wolf base...an amazing Wolf base with, you'll be shocked to know, an arrow motif. It just seems to be a giant airbase to test crap out with a huge underground complex attached. And...well...I did not clear it out. So there is this NASTY bug in the game so far that might be the single worse non game breaking bug I've run into. Basically if I take out some of my equipment it just freezes all my controls. All I can do is move, crouch, and open the inventory wheel...NOT change anything, just open it. The only way I know to get it out of it is to fall off a mountain which forces your character to holster their weapons and re open it...no mountains to fall off of in the midde of a frickin underground fortress. So I had to go up...twice. First time I died in the base because I didn't secure my corners. Second time...well there is a guard on the backdoor to the place and well after nearly getting the base all cleared out...the guy killed me, because i had to come up to try and slide down his mountain and then after recovering the game decided that my character had to slide down the mountain...which gave him the perfect opprotunity to kill me. Third time I had to leave it because I can't find the last thing with the skell credits in it....

So yeah. This was highly annoying. But at least I found a gold P90.

Its a bit of a sad revelation but I think my 549 meter record might be the longest shot I am able to pull off. Things start getting REALLY buggy right around 600 meters. Which isn't bad...about what it was in the last game actually and that is a pretty long range. Anyways it was enlightening because the side mission I was doing actually took me back to the testing grounds I had to run through while looking for Skell with the mockup of a town. I actually found a hill eight hundred meters from the objective and it was really difficult to not have it bug out. And this mission is another side mission...well its a bitch...not sure its going to be one I am going to complete on my own. Leads me to a frickin Behemouth with an army around it.