i'm getting a more consistent performance and 0 ctd's since the new patch, but my experience has been pretty dire tonight. why?
l33t unlocks.
i have zero interest in playing a game which is engineered for the immersive, experiential qualities that ro2 so aspires to, wherein every other soldier is carrying some l33t new experimental superweapon. i'll let the fact slide that the mkb. 42 was never at stalingrad in return for some acknowledgement of just how rare a weapon this should be. give it a special "elite assault" class or something.
avts, svts, gewehr rifles, mkb. 42 rifles....these should all be elite weaponry, deployed to only the very finest players within that play session (how TW originally pitched the "hero" system, whereby the best performing players would be invited to per-session/round elite roles). even the regular assault weaponry should be more specialised in its deployment. tearing through previously tooth-and-nail balanced maps with a squad of assault rifle wielding commandos just feels so fucking wrong.
this was a battle (war, even) fought overwhelmingly by regular infantry armed with bolt action rifles. i feel like tripwire have fallen victim to their own most paranoid thoughts about what needs to be done to assure commercial success, and feel a need to offer up the assault rifle run-n-gun experience for all those who so desire it; to the detriment of authenticity, balance, immersion and idiosyncrasy.
there are a myriad of ways for tripwire to correct this, should they recognise it as a problem. until then, ro2 will only ever live in the shadow of its own greatness.