I do not like this Void Planet, it is too easy.

The problem the Illuminate now is they are essentially a slower, worse version of the bugs. Crushers are significantly slower than Bile Titans or Chargers, Wretched are worse hunters, having only 50 hp limbs and having a less effective leap strike (no acid spit to slow). Voteless and Fleshmobs present far less threat than swarms of hive guards, brood commanders, or especially alpha warriors.

Of the Illuminate on the void planet, the most common enemies can all be easily kited. The 'meta' is light armor, preferably the +10% speed pilot armor, or the anti-ragdoll armor simply so the stupid void plants dont knock you over. A laser rover and a scythe handles every enemy but crushers helmets and Harvester legs, which a bolt pistol can handle. Just running like a maniac between objectives works incredibly well.

The spawns also don't seem as dense, whatever they did when they lowered watchers by 190% (classic arrowhead tiny balance changes) seems to have lowered patrol density by that much. Seaf troops are mopping up most of the enemies on the map even without player assistance. The spawns for the new objectives also seems extremely low. The Aquifier drill nuke I've had complete without any warp ships arriving, or they 'deploy' nothing via their tractor beam.

My theory is the map is so littered with interactable objects like destructible trees, void plants, spore mines, fuel barrels, etc that it's eating up the resource count and capping the number of enemies that can spawn. I bet if it was a desert or ice world we'd see Cyberstan levels of spawns for better or worse.

The other issue I have is, no cultists aside, this update doesn't really feel like the Illuminates home turf. I was really, really hoping that nearly two years later this would be Arrowhead 'finishing' the Illuminate faction. Give them a mega base, preferably with some sort of big star wars shield generator you have to go inside on foot and disable so you can't just pound it with orbitals first. Make outposts that feel like outposts. The new Warp Gate outposts are somehow even weaker than the standard warp ship encampments. The ships at least have shields, the warp gates are destroyed by a simple AT grenade of your choice.

If nothing else this was THE update to make the Illuminate feel like an entrenched faction we are at war with. The warp ship camps fit the hit and run skirmish invasions they did prior to super earth, but with nearly 6 months in the void you'd think it would be converted into a collection of fortress worlds. Where more permanent industry and infrastructure produce war material for the Great Host. At the very least, we should see large colony/landing ships that are being used as quasi-permanent settlements litter the surface.

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u/Trump_4_The_Hague — 1 day ago

I don't like these new void missions.

Spawns aren't high enough. Map is using too many resources on fog and particles. I've yet to see an Appropriators mission with an individual kill count above 200. And I've hit a thousand kills on the Exospire missions when the Appropriators first came out. The new biomes are especially barren of patrols.

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u/Trump_4_The_Hague — 6 days ago

Non-AI Level Cap Announcement Because I'm Bored

Attention all Helldivers, citizens both Super and marginally less democratic. Sons and daughters of Liberty one and all. Super Earth High Command has authorized a new tier of service, greater and more democratic than any yet seen in the Second Galactic War. With it, the maximum level of those serving in the Helldiver corps will at last be elevated from the existing level cap of 150 to the new limit of 300. The Ministry of Science attest that is a 100% increase in liberty and a 1776% increase on patriotism.

To any Helldiver who may find themselves... weary on the long road to level 150, worry not. Managed Democracy is a journey, not a destination. The road​ to liberty is paved with many streets, so that every freedom loving citizen may walk them at their own pace. For those of you who stride across the battlefields of democracy, who yearn to give more to our noble cause. Rejoice, for this your hour, and know that the thankless hours of toil you set yourself to will be nominally rewarded for your continued dedication and service to Managed Democracy.

For those citizens that are not scholars of history, a brief recap.

Launch Day Cap - Special Military Operation: Level 50, Skull Admiral

April 2024 - Operation Swift Dissassembly: Tripled to level 150, Super Private

Present Day - Second Great Galactic War: Doubling again to level 300, [Redacted by the Ministry of Truth]

With each increase in the level cap, it has come with it new ranks and titles for our brave Helldivers to enjoy. Bragging rights for our day one veterans, and milestones for our fresh out of academy cadets. Whether you are a hero of Malevelon Creek, held the Menkent Line until it was constructed, shattered, recaptured, and shattered once more, a brave defender of Super Earth herself in her hour of need, or one of the many ​​patriotism inspiring battles since.

This time proves no different, and High Command intends to honor each and every Helldivers for their acts of valor & bravery. Posthumously or otherwise. Super Earth has declared this Esclation of Merit to be the first step in a broader progression overhaul that will bring about both Galactic War Campaigns and Personal Campaign Progression. Giving our brave Helldiver corps new goals to track, rewards to earn, and democratic metrics to chase, even when temporary setback and strategic withdrawal forces finds us unable to complete our major orders.

For Liberty, For Freedom, for Managed Democracy. High Command awaits your incremental gains and countless sacrifices in the name of Super Earth with baited breath.

___

I'm not doing the rest its super unnecessarily wordy to say exp was banked if you were already level 150. I ran out out of lunch break and will accept no criticism. Any typos are because I'm not an abominable machine.

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u/Trump_4_The_Hague — 13 days ago