r/ActiveMatter

It cannot be overstated how refreshing it is to have an Extraction Shooter that emphasizes Solo play as much as PvP. More often than not, Solo players such as myself get shafted when it comes to PvE in general either because the mode is half baked due to the game being PvP focused OR just flat doesn't exist. Hunt: Showdown is perhaps a the best/worst example of this where you can technically play Solo but not really as you're still in a lobby with other players. The fact I can just simply play Active Matter as a Single Player game and go at my own pace is probably the most underrated aspect of the whole thing. Great to play in short bursts which is perfect for me as I seldom have more than a few hours of game time per day.

The other thing that sold me on Active Matter is the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. influence. Anomalies, mutants, physics being bent and inverted, overall bleak atmosphere. Maybe it's just me but the only game series that gave me that feeling of desolate misery apart from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is Metro. I've only sunk 20ish hours into it so far but I'm already hooked.

Edit: Also, optimization is pretty damn good all things considered. I'm running a Ryzen 9 8945H with an RTX 4060 @ 1080p and hovering around 120-130fps on high settings. 90-100fps if I bump it up to Ultra.

I think there are really two levels to improving controller aim: a few relatively easy changes that could make a big difference, and a more involved overhaul of the aiming mechanics.

The easiest/most immediate fix would be aim assist. I don't think controller players should have to disable it entirely because the current implementation is so difficult to use that many of us have resorted to turning it off. That's basically a workaround, but it also puts controller players at a disadvantage against M&K.

Right now the combination is a very strong aim snap + extremely strong slowdown. The snap can work in theory, but it sometimes snaps next to the target rather than onto it, and it's so aggressive that it feels jarring. Then the slowdown is so strong that once you're near the target, you actually have to fight the controls to make micro-adjustments or move from body to head.

At minimum, I'd separate aim snap and aim slowdown and give each its own strength slider. That alone would let players find a balance that works for them. Ideally, though, I'd eventually like to see the aim assist move toward something more like rotational/magnetism-based assistance with minimal slowdown. The goal would be for the assist to help you initially get on target and stay with a moving target without taking control of the reticle.

Another relatively simple change would be separating horizontal and vertical sensitivity. Right now they're coupled, so increasing horizontal sensitivity automatically increases vertical. A lot of controller players prefer slightly lower vertical sensitivity than horizontal, especially in shooters.

For a more involved overhaul, I'd also love to see more control over the response curve. Having options such as Linear, Exponential, and Dynamic/reverse-S, rather than being limited to the current curve, would give players much more control over how the stick responds. Personally, Dynamic/reverse-S is my preference.

The close-range aiming is where all of this becomes particularly problematic in Active Matter. Medium and long-range aiming is generally manageable, although the excessive slowdown makes tracking something moving horizontally very difficult. But so many of the monsters here rush directly into your camera, move extremely quickly and unpredictably, and then juke laterally at the last second.

Flowermen are a good example. You can center your aim and track them while they're approaching, but once they get close they suddenly cut left or right. By the time you fight through the slowdown and get the reticle back onto them, they've already hit you or run past you. Distorted can be even more extreme because some of them will come straight at you and then suddenly shift/teleport a short distance sideways as you're trying to center your aim. I understand that movement is intentional game design to make them harder to hit, but combined with the current controller mechanics it can make those encounters feel more like you're fighting the controls than the enemy.

That's also why I think the issue is particularly noticeable in this game. It's not just that the aim assist needs work. The game has a lot of extremely fast, erratic enemies that attack at point-blank range, which really exposes the weaknesses in the current controller aiming. M&K doesn't have that aim-assist behavior to fight against, so players can make those tiny corrections much more precisely.

One other, lower-priority feature I'd eventually love is an option to control how ADS magnification interacts with your FOV. Essentially, allowing players to choose whether their ADS view uses a consistent zoom level or scales relative to their current FOV. I wouldn't consider this nearly as important as the other changes, though.

So if I had to prioritize it:

1. Separate aim snap and slowdown + individual strength sliders

2. Rework the aim assist toward more subtle rotational/magnetism assistance

3. Separate horizontal and vertical sensitivity

4. More response-curve options, particularly Dynamic/reverse-S

5. ADS/FOV scaling options

I know that's a lot, but I'm not trying to nitpick or complain. I genuinely really enjoy the game, and that's why I'm taking the time to break this down. I've been playing shooters for about 25 years and generally feel very comfortable on controller, including holding my own against M&K players. I'm not expecting the game to make aiming easier for me. I just want the controller to feel precise and predictable.

Right now it feels like the aim assist is doing the opposite of what I think it should: it can snap aggressively onto the wrong spot and then slow the reticle down so much that correcting it becomes difficult. Even just separating those two systems and letting players tune them independently would be a huge step in the right direction.

u/MajorMcDonalds

I was one hour too late for it. Maybe just give preorder addition like 5000 prime instead or something. And then add this sleeve into the rooster? Its a decent sleeve, but it also bothers the f out of me that there's a sleeve in the containment room that I can never access.

You seem to repeat the twitch exclusive sleeve. Maybe do the same for this somehow.

i play mostly pve, due to a lack of friends and skill. i like exploring, taking my time, looting what i want and looking at the environment and what's around me. i also, would like to expand over to PVP and from my experience the raid lengths have always caught me either forcing me either to loot and get out, do a couple missions and get out, do some combat and get out. i can't, really do what i wanna do. which i get the point of the timer is there for a reason, but it feels really oppressive and obligatory. i cannot really "explore" i feel rushed, i feel like i'm going to get hurt or killed rushing. i cannot express how scared i am of pvp, every raid i've done in pvp has ended terribly, and the raid length has contributed to that. i don't take many fights, i want to team up or sit and let them pass. but i don't have time to observe, i don't have time to wait. i need to move, i need to keep moving. not to mention the invisibles, who pop up randomly while i'm packing mags, packing meds, or generally trying to gather my bearings or loot. sometimes forcing me to reset or add time to the tasks i'm already sitting still to do. i'm loving the game, but the general feel of oppression and claustrophobia in the sense of "i can't catch a break" works, it does. the game is tense in all of the right ways. but it is also really frustrating when i've only hit 2/5 of my tagged POIs because i got into a rough fight with turned, distorted, devourer or what have you. need to heal up, pack mags, do both whatever. and after 2 or 3 of these cycles i'm already down 2/3rds of the raid. maybe it's a skilll issue, i won't deny the possibility. i'm bad at games, haven't had a lot of time recently to play and sink into practicing. i just wish there was more time, and that invisibles maybe wouldn't spawn next to you, or run straight up to you while you're trying to deal with the shit the last one did. or the last set of enemies did. otherwise love the game, love your work. please keep going!<3

I fully accept any criticism or bullying that comes my way. Just try to be constructive about it please?

TLDR; raid too short, want more time to look around and enjoy game. Invisibles too oppressive and make packing mags/meds annoying. Otherwise game good.

Edit: correction due to being high and forgetting what words I was using.
Much love
- Scav

There any way u gorgeous amazing perfect devs can rerun the twitch drops at some point? At least the camos … I missed week 2 bc I had no idea there was more than 1 week of them. But it’d be great for anyone that missed the camos. The only thing that’s a permanent unlock 💔💔

I don't know much about AK's exept for that they are world famous firearms. This in no exeption in this game. So please tell me:

What are the differences about them and which one is the best? Because I only know, that there are 2 different ammo types of AK's and that some are older and that some are newer.

Hey guys, new active matter player here. I started playing yesterday and having a blast! I joined some maps with modifiers by mistake and we spend the first 10m of the game fighting around the spawn, so much fun. (PVE only now until i get my bearings).

My question is, in terms of looting materials etc, which ones should i prioritize? My game loop atm is filling the bags with random stuff and recycling those materias on the refiner when i leave the game.

Should i pick a bit or everything? Prioritize uncommon upwards? Any tips will be welcomed!

Not sure if its a bug or not, but ive been trying to complete this investigation, specifically placing the temperature probe. Anytime I get close to it, the marker for the point disappears

Should i keep them? Should i refine them?

From my 2 encounters with those beasts, i know that flamethrower is far less Effective against them - normal flowerman dies in less than second, while alpha and his sidekicks can Burn for minutes. Are there any strategies for them? Or should i just bring machine gun to fight them? (For context im trying to raid lab for investigation)

Do guns do more dmg in higher tiers? I was under the impression that weapon dmg is tied to caliber.

Anyone using controller that has there own custom keybind set up, can yous tell me ideas and such, trying the change it a bit…. Like I prefer leaning with the two analog sticks than L1 and R1…. I also wanna map toggle weapon flashlight and weapon laser to something, please tell me your bindings?