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[shermas]

I just jumped back into this game... I'm GS 230-something I think. Is there a consensus to the best PvE build? I saw that LMG's are bad again, which is a bummer, bc that's what I was running.

Just doing daily missions and underground stuff over the last couple days. Trying to get a set of something that's fun to use... are there any 'insta-trash' sets that I need to stay away from?

Thanks for any help/advice.

 

[Wallach]

I just jumped back into this game... I'm GS 230-something I think. Is there a consensus to the best PvE build? I saw that LMG's are bad again, which is a bummer, bc that's what I was running.

Just doing daily missions and underground stuff over the last couple days. Trying to get a set of something that's fun to use... are there any 'insta-trash' sets that I need to stay away from?

Thanks for any help/advice.

LMGs are not bad in PvE at all. The same AlphaBridge AR build people run can pretty well be run with a Pakhan and some other LMG instead. Pakhan is still one of the best PvE guns in the game.

 

[shermas]

LMGs are not bad in PvE at all. The same AlphaBridge AR build people run can pretty well be run with a Pakhan and some other LMG instead. Pakhan is still one of the best PvE guns in the game.

So, AlphaBridge is a good set? My Pakhan is GS 208 or something bc I got it a while back.

Thanks.

 

[fr0st]

So, AlphaBridge is a good set? My Pakhan is GS 208 or something bc I got it a while back.

Thanks.

1.5 alpha bridge is the best gear set because you can use 6 talents, provided you can unlock the 4 from each gun

this means that you can focus on firearms/stamina build and leave electronics alone

you can also use the free slot to unlock talents that require electronics such as competent or ferocious or transfer special talents to another gun (famas is a good example)

 

[Ruthless_Barbarian]

So, AlphaBridge is a good set? My Pakhan is GS 208 or something bc I got it a while back.

Thanks.

Don't waste time and resources building alpha bridge right now, it's changing with 1.6 patch which is due later this month.

 

[fr0st]

Don't waste time and resources building alpha bridge right now, it's changing with 1.6 patch which is due later this month.

its still good for unlocking free talents but the nerf to skill power in 1.6 killed it

 

[Ruthless_Barbarian]

Another day, another survey..

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tdpts4balancepvp

 

[MythicReclaimer]

LMGs are not bad in PvE at all. The same AlphaBridge AR build people run can pretty well be run with a Pakhan and some other LMG instead. Pakhan is still one of the best PvE guns in the game.

Have fun with it now.

The 1.6 update will relegate it to stash status.

It's too bad as it was one of the best and most versatile weapons in the game.

 

[Lima]

Seeing how the gear score won't increase this time around what's a good build for PvE then that works in 1.5 now (want to help a friend grind his rank 40 underground rank) and will still work in 1.6? I haven't played the base game in like 2 months or so. I just to Survival which I don't need gear for.

 

[MythicReclaimer]

Seeing how the gear score won't increase this time around what's a good build for PvE then that works in 1.5 now (want to help a friend grind his rank 40 underground rank) and will still work in 1.6? I haven't played the base game in like 2 months or so. I just to Survival which I don't need gear for.

Striker's Battlegear should be fine although not really team oriented as far as providing a bonus.

D3-FNC should be OK, I guess, with the changes to SMGs in 1.6 (the shield is being nerfed) while still very useful in 1.5 currently.

Reclaimer is awful in the live 1.5 version but will be popular in 1.6 (if a player wanted to stash some gear for the next update).

Edit: Speaking of High-end gear just below, you should try and get Specialized backpacks in each of the three main stats (Firearms, Stamina, and Electronics) to create build versatility and a Barret's chest is also very useful in build makeup.

Most of my gear set builds include...

Barret's chest
Specialized backpack
Gear Set mask
Gear Set gloves
Gear Set knee pads
Gear Set holster

...if you don't have a Barret's chest I would go with a High-end Sturdy (provides an armor bonus while in cover) holster especially with the upcoming nerf to Toughness and put a Gear Set piece in the chest slot.

 

[Northern_Manny]

An all high end build is good now and still will be come 1.6 if you can get your hands on the skull MC gloves.

 

[MythicReclaimer]

An all high end build is good now and still will be come 1.6 if you can get your hands on the skull MC gloves.

I loved the all High-end builds in 1.5 but unfortunately I think they'll take a big hit in 1.6 due to the new Toughness system as the need for specialization will be increased especially concerning survivability and overall team play in regards to the most difficult content in the game.

 

[Lima]

And weapons? AR I assume? Famas looks interesting.

 

[MythicReclaimer]

And weapons? AR I assume? Famas looks interesting.

ARs and apparently SMGs are making a triumphant return in the 1.6 update.

Snipers are also very useful in the new Legendary missions.

 

[Lima]

Okay since I got a shit ton of gear I put a striker set together. Looks good. Looking at either Famas or the good old G36 I guess. What's a good secondary because my old trusty M1A seems like total garbage these days.

 

[MythicReclaimer]

Okay since I got a shit ton of gear I put a striker set together. Looks good. Looking at either Famas or the good old G36 I guess. What's a good secondary because my old trusty M1A seems like total garbage these days.

With the return of the SMG I guess the Predator's Mark Gear Set is a decent as well.

I generally use a G36 as my main and a Pakhan as my secondary.

The Pakhan will be especially good (in the live 1.5 version) with the Striker's set and the +stability bonus.

 

[Lima]

With the return of the SMG I guess the Predator's Mark Gear Set is a decent as well.

I generally use a G36 as my main and a Pakhan as my secondary.

The Pakhan will be especially good (in the live 1.5 version) with the Striker's set and the +stability bonus.

Thanks dude. Really appreciate it.

 

[GazzaGSi]

Thanks dude. Really appreciate it.

Currently the Pakhan (edit, didn't realise the reset had happened, poor roll compared to previous week, cheers Ruthless_Barbarian for pointing this out).

The famas has a decent bonus if you can control it, with 4 strikers you'll get the additional stability bonus from having 2 pieces equipped. When using any other 4 piece gear set and the famas I try and equip 2 striker for the additional stability. There's also a bonus talent from the 4 you can choose which offers stability when entering cover which also helps control the famas.

Also, stability and accuracy mods do not effect the uncomplicated talent much at all, someone did the test with 13% stability and accuracy mods equipped and the weapon only lost just under 4% damage.

Alphabridge will still be pretty strong in 1.6 even though it's dropping from 6 talents to 4 (if you don't use the sidearm shotgun workaround), currently to use the 6 talents you must meet the firearms, stamina and electronics requirements, in 1.6 you do not need to meet these requirements but only get the free slot talent from from the secondary weapon. This helps for talents which require high electronics like as the majority of builds focus on firearms and stamina.

Firecrest is decent now and will be reasonable come 1.6, it's good for crowd control especially in UG with the maps being quite narrow or defending flanking enemies while you work on the opposite flank. The turret is taking a nerf in 1.6,25% health reduction IIRC but adding 4 5% turret health mods in 1.6 will help counter that nerf and the damage output will be dependant on your skill power.

For a sniper similar to the M1A you want the SVD which had tight reticle bloom even without accuracy mods and deals reasonable damage for a fast fire rate MMR. M700 is also decent which is a 1 shot fire rate similar to M44.

 

[Ruthless_Barbarian]

Seeing how the gear score won't increase this time around what's a good build for PvE then that works in 1.5 now (want to help a friend grind his rank 40 underground rank) and will still work in 1.6? I haven't played the base game in like 2 months or so. I just to Survival which I don't need gear for.

It's hard to say because the 1.6 patch notes are not final yet, but for pve content the following sets look to remain strong:

D3-FNC
Reclaimer
Tactician
Striker

Edit: Speaking of High-end gear just below, you should try and get Specialized backpacks in each of the three main stats (Firearms, Stamina, and Electronics) to create build versatility and a Barret's chest is also very useful in build makeup.

Specialized will be less effective come 1.6 so might not be the best option.

Relentless works way better for skill builds as you can invest purely into SP and get healing from offensive skills, no need to run heal as a skill and focus purely on damage dealing skills.

Resourceful is also more beneficial for 1.6 as any healing will heal your skill objects (shield, turret) with the nerf to shields and turret health.

For example, this is my skill build in 1.5 and it kills everything in 2 seconds.

3 tac + 3 firecrst in the pic but I usually run with 2 Tac, 3 Firecrest + Relentless backpack (for the healing). Running seeker mines + flame turret, switch to sticky bomb for single target damage. Using 4 AOE talents: wildfire, demolition, shrapnel and chain reaction.

Sticky bomb does over 1 million damage (even a m44/carbon sniper can't hit that high) and you can one-shot named bossed when Technical procs.

I NEVER HAVE TO FIRE MY WEAPONS lol

With the return of the SMG I guess the Predator's Mark Gear Set is a decent as well.

Predator 4 piece was average when it came out will be worse off with 1.6, so not advisable to spec in Predator's, especially not for pve.

To get the most out of the 4 set, you need a weapon with high base damage since that determines the damage of the bleed, so SMG's for a Predators build is the worst thing you could do, since SMG"s have lower base dmg numbers than AR's and LMG's.

3 predator combined with 3 striker is pretty strong though.

Currently the Pakhan at the advanced weaponry vendor is also the highest base damage with the highest out of cover bonus damage its been as well so worth a purchase if you plan on using that.

That was last week, vendors reset 20 hours ago and this week's roll is bad.

 

[GazzaGSi]

That was last week, vendors reset 20 hours ago and this week's roll is bad.

Crikey didn't even realise it was Friday, been a mad week! Thanks for correction me, I'll edit.

 

[Ruthless_Barbarian]

11 months since the game came out and this NPC behavior has still never been fixed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWfN8HXUPTE

Combined with insta-accurate shots from NPC not even aware of your presence, NPC's shooting in the opposite direction but all the bullets boomeranging and hitting you instead, teleporting NPC's when you try to CC them with bleed or fire, NPC's shooting you through cover, walls and doors.....the list goes on.

 

[MythicReclaimer]

It's hard to say because the 1.6 patch notes are not final yet, but for pve content the following sets look to remain strong:

D3-FNC
Reclaimer
Tactician
Striker




Specialized will be less effective come 1.6 so might not be the best option.

Relentless works way better for skill builds as you can invest purely into SP and get healing from offensive skills, no need to run heal as a skill and focus purely on damage dealing skills.

Resourceful is also more beneficial for 1.6 as any healing will heal your skill objects (shield, turret) with the nerf to shields and turret health.

For example, this is my skill build in 1.5 and it kills everything in 2 seconds.

3 tac + 3 firecrst in the pic but I usually run with 2 Tac, 3 Firecrest + Relentless backpack (for the healing). Running seeker mines + flame turret, switch to sticky bomb for single target damage. Using 4 AOE talents: wildfire, demolition, shrapnel and chain reaction.

Sticky bomb does over 1 million damage (even a m44/carbon sniper can't hit that high) and you can one-shot named bossed when Technical procs.

I NEVER HAVE TO FIRE MY WEAPONS lol



Predator 4 piece was average when it came out will be worse off with 1.6, so not advisable to spec in Predator's, especially not for pve.

To get the most out of the 4 set, you need a weapon with high base damage since that determines the damage of the bleed, so SMG's for a Predators build is the worst thing you could do, since SMG"s have lower base dmg numbers than AR's and LMG's.

3 predator combined with 3 striker is pretty strong though.



That was last week, vendors reset 20 hours ago and this week's roll is bad.

I'll mainly be using balanced builds across the board (All High-end, Striker's, and Reclaimer - with maybe the exception being a D3-FNC build) meaning I'll be at about 200K Skill Power which the Specialized backpacks worked just fine to get me there during the PTS builds. That's if the final 1.6 released update is worth it from a PvE experience.

I've seen the Skill Power based builds where players don't even need to fire a weapon and they don't interest me in the slightest as that's not even remotely close to the gameplay I'm looking for in The Division. I'm looking for my Skill Power/Skills to complement/enhance the gunplay and overall gameplay rather than completely take it over.

Concerning Predator's Mark I was more or less speaking of the +AR and +SMG bonus damage the set offers in calling it decent (with the supposed buff to SMGs). Outside of the D3-FNC set I would never use an SMG as my primary.

 

[fr0st]

Still no release date for 1.6?

 

[Northern_Manny]

If they are going to announce a release date for 1.6 this week it'll probably be on State of the Game on Thursday.

 

[EL CUCO]

Still no release date for 1.6?

banking on Feb 28.
Hoping for Feb 21 tho.

 

[Ruthless_Barbarian]

Division official forum is such a lovely and delightful place

 

[fr0st]

Division official forum is such a lovely and delightful place

Broken image

 

[ItachiSWE]

Division official forum is such a lovely and delightful place

Damn just had a very nice mental image...


On another note, Im farming gear/weapons in wait for 1.6 and just wondering a few things:

Im currently running D3 build with like 200k dps, 425 thougness and 120k skillpower. How viable will that be in 1.6?
And since armor is gone, should I focus on health instead or go for skillpower? Or somethig else?

Otherwise Im thinking of going with Tactitian combined with something else, any pointers on whats a good combo?

 

[Ruthless_Barbarian]

Im currently running D3 build with like 200k dps, 425 thougness and 120k skillpower. How viable will that be in 1.6?
And since armor is gone, should I focus on health instead or go for skillpower? Or somethig else?

Otherwise Im thinking of going with Tactitian combined with something else, any pointers on whats a good combo?

D3-FNC will still be good, better at OF-FNC (the irony) in 1.6 but worse off being tanky, so spec more into electronics to get a stronger shield.

 

[Eusis]

It is frustrating admittedly to not have the Survival DLC reliably install properly. Hopefully this next patch sorts that out, but being a large game it's not really fun to re-download to fix that.

And that was one of the reasons I cracked on getting the Gold, damn.

 

[RedSwirl]

Just tried this out for the first time for like 45 minutes. The base game was on sale for PC (physical copy) for $10 during last fall's sales which for a AAA game that had been released just a few months earlier was basically "what the hell" price.

I always thought the setting and premise were ridiculous and still do now that I'm playing the game. I'm frankly tired of close-quarters military-themed games as well as the "everything's fucked up" type of theme, and I think at the game's second E3 showing it just looked like a generic 3rd person shooter to me. That said, I get that it's supposed to be a Diablo-type thing and I can really get into those games.

After what I think is the first mission where the game lets you play online, it feels like Ubisoft tried to go for a combination of Diablo and the shootout scene from Heat.

I don't think the aforementioned setting and premise were necessary to get that feeling. Maybe a cops & robbers type of thing would have been better, but whatever. Gun fights kind of feel cool when they get really intense. I guess that means The Division successfully captures the fun of going through dungeons with other players, just in a new way. What's really gonna matter though is whether or not I get sucked into the loot loop. Phantasy Star Online is the only game that really got me hooked on finding better gear and leveling up to use the gear I found. It's a combination of getting a visibly cooler weapon and being able to immediately feel how much more effective it is. When not done right it just turns into finding whichever equipment has a higher number.

I'll sleep on this and see if I have any desire to come back to this game. That's usually the sign of a really good game.

 

[Lima]

I have been really getting back into this game and got really sucked into Survival again. It just sucks that after a couple of runs all that memory of where everything is came back and it was just running the same routes, taking out the same landmarks. I still don't understand why this shit isn't random every time you play it.

Have they ever said anything about potentially changing this?

 

[Ruthless_Barbarian]

I have been really getting back into this game and got really sucked into Survival again. It just sucks that after a couple of runs all that memory of where everything is came back and it was just running the same routes, taking out the same landmarks. I still don't understand why this shit isn't random every time you play it.

Have they ever said anything about potentially changing this?

Yeah they said they will randomize material spawns with 1.6, nothing specific though..have to wait for patch notes.

I like survival and already got the Hoarder (100 survival extractions) trophy but the lack of randomness makes me want to play less and less.

 

[ItachiSWE]

Any good/useful tips for a survivalvirgin?

Been busy farming gear etc from boss runs so havent tried it yet

 

[rpcdrag0n]

Any good/useful tips for a survivalvirgin?

Been busy farming gear etc from boss runs so havent tried it yet

Same here, not really touched it - a guide would be cool if anyone can point me towards one. Would like solo PVE for reference.

 

[Slackerchan]

Any good/useful tips for a survivalvirgin?

Been busy farming gear etc from boss runs so havent tried it yet

Same here, not really touched it - a guide would be cool if anyone can point me towards one. Would like solo PVE for reference.

I recommend PvE for at least your first few playthroughs so you can get a handle on the mechanics and how to proceed.

• Look for subway and sewer entrances as those tend to have decent loot and aren't subject to the freezing temperatures topside.
• Main game missions tend to have some loot in them, whether at the entrance or exit of the mission. Examples: Russian Consulate ending courtyard, Amherts's Apartment entrance, Time Square entrance subway section.
• Police stations are also an excellent place to gear up at: look for one in the north just west of the Clear Sky entrance and in the far northeast corner just north of a landmark.
• The closer to the Dark Zone you are, the higher quality items you'll tend to find. Purples spawn more frequently and materials tend to be blue or even gold in quality when near the wall.
• Inside the DZ, all materials you find will be gold quality, guaranteed. Enemy material drops will usually be blue or gold. All equipment drops from enemies will be purple quality. Attempt to find at least one Division Tech box when you get in there so that you can craft one or two gold weapons.
• If you attempt to hit DZ landmarks for survival caches, try to use a sniper rifle. Enemies at landmarks tend to be elites and are quite tough if you can't maintain distance between you and them.
• When ready to extract, use Bryant Park. When the Hunter spawns, run up into the two story buildings and shoot from the balconies. Hunters, at this time, are not programmed to go into the buildings so there's no risk of a 1-hit melee kill.

Good luck!

 

[Mullah88]

whats the nerf to hip firing that i keep hearing?

 

[Slackerchan]

whats the nerf to hip firing that i keep hearing?

It's a couple things. They're pulling the camera in to make it harder to focus when hipfiring and they're making it a lot less accurate. Based on what I've seen of the PTSes for 1.6, cover-based fights and ADS has become quite a bit more common.

 

[Mullah88]

It's a couple things. They're pulling the camera in to make it harder to focus when hipfiring and they're making it a lot less accurate. Based on what I've seen of the PTSes for 1.6, cover-based fights and ADS has become quite a bit more common.

so they didnt reduce the amount of dps output? just camera work and accuracy? good

 

[Slackerchan]

so they didnt reduce the amount of dps output? just camera work and accuracy? good

I can't say for certain about DPS output but I don't think so. We'll have to wait for the official patch notes to come out.

 

[Ruthless_Barbarian]

Any good/useful tips for a survivalvirgin?

Been busy farming gear etc from boss runs so havent tried it yet

Same here, not really touched it - a guide would be cool if anyone can point me towards one. Would like solo PVE for reference.

I would recommend going in blind for a first few tries just to get a feel of the game mode. Survival is all about the experience, so don't spoil it by reading up guides and maps.

Your initial experience will change with every run you do, and once you get comfortable with the mode you can look up guides to become more efficient.

If you're on PS4, feel free to add me and I'll run Survival with you..

PSN: ruthlesbarbarian

That said, this guide on reddit is pretty good for players struggling with Survival:

https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/5fqkjm/long_complete_guide_to_survival_mode_only_for/

http://divisiontips.com/guides/Survival/SurvivalGuide.html

 

[rpcdrag0n]

I would recommend going in blind for a first few tries just to get a feel of the game mode. Survival is all about the experience, so don't spoil it by reading up guides and maps.

Your initial experience will change with every run you do, and once you get comfortable with the mode you can look up guides to become more efficient.

If you're on PS4, feel free to add me and I'll run Survival with you..

PSN: ruthlesbarbarian

That said, this guide on reddit is pretty good for players struggling with Survival:

https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/5fqkjm/long_complete_guide_to_survival_mode_only_for/

http://divisiontips.com/guides/Survival/SurvivalGuide.html

Awesome - I'm gonna add you as you are clearly the division master!

 

[rpcdrag0n]

I recommend PvE for at least your first few playthroughs so you can get a handle on the mechanics and how to proceed.

• Look for subway and sewer entrances as those tend to have decent loot and aren't subject to the freezing temperatures topside.
• Main game missions tend to have some loot in them, whether at the entrance or exit of the mission. Examples: Russian Consulate ending courtyard, Amherts's Apartment entrance, Time Square entrance subway section.
• Police stations are also an excellent place to gear up at: look for one in the north just west of the Clear Sky entrance and in the far northeast corner just north of a landmark.
• The closer to the Dark Zone you are, the higher quality items you'll tend to find. Purples spawn more frequently and materials tend to be blue or even gold in quality when near the wall.
• Inside the DZ, all materials you find will be gold quality, guaranteed. Enemy material drops will usually be blue or gold. All equipment drops from enemies will be purple quality. Attempt to find at least one Division Tech box when you get in there so that you can craft one or two gold weapons.
• If you attempt to hit DZ landmarks for survival caches, try to use a sniper rifle. Enemies at landmarks tend to be elites and are quite tough if you can't maintain distance between you and them.
• When ready to extract, use Bryant Park. When the Hunter spawns, run up into the two story buildings and shoot from the balconies. Hunters, at this time, are not programmed to go into the buildings so there's no risk of a 1-hit melee kill.

Good luck!

Thank you!

 

[glaurung]

Some of my friends bought this piece of crap and invited me back in. I never ground my way to 30, I stayed at 27 because I just grew so bored.

So now my friends want me to get to 30 so we could do other stuff. I spent an evening farming for side missions, then logged out (normally as far as I understood). When I logged back in, the game told me that there was a server issue. It rolled my gear, level and mission progress back ~2 levels.

Fuck this game.

 

[ItachiSWE]

Some of my friends bought this piece of crap and invited me back in. I never ground my way to 30, I stayed at 27 because I just grew so bored.

So now my friends want me to get to 30 so we could do other stuff. I spent an evening farming for side missions, then logged out (normally as far as I understood). When I logged back in, the game told me that there was a server issue. It rolled my gear, level and mission progress back ~2 levels.

Fuck this game.

Just have some of your friends carry you through missions and you should reach 30 in no time.

 

[ItachiSWE]

And also thanks a bunch ruthless and slacker for your input on survival, much appriciated.

We should get a release date for 1.6 today on SOTG right?!

Really wanna try the new incursion. Got a taste for more since doing/completing clear sky and dragons nest last weekend. Tried Falcon lost but almost fell asleep...

 

[glaurung]

Just have some of your friends carry you through missions and you should reach 30 in no time.

Yea the leveling/gear aspect is not that critical. I am pissed off that it erased my progress into those dead-boring patrol missions. If they were fun to do, I would not be complaining. But they're literally the worst. Run for 10 minutes, shoot three guys, repeat. Eugh.

 

[MythicReclaimer]

And also thanks a bunch ruthless and slacker for your input on survival, much appriciated.

We should get a release date for 1.6 today on SOTG right?!

Really wanna try the new incursion. Got a taste for more since doing/completing clear sky and dragons nest last weekend. Tried Falcon lost but almost fell asleep...

It's going to be February 28, lock it down.

 

[Northern_Manny]

No 1.6/Last stand date today.

But 1.6/Last Stand have been sent for submission to Microsoft/Sony.

 

[MythicReclaimer]

No 1.6/Last stand date today.

But 1.6/Last Stand have been sent for submission to Microsoft/Sony.

I doubt Ubisoft wants this content release to coincide with Ghost Recon and I would imagine Massive wants it out during Year 1 of it's lifespan with at least a week's worth of play before their one year anniversary.

Next week seems too soon making the following week very likely for a lot of reasons (one of which is the initial rumored date).

That said, the secrecy surrounding the launch date of DLC is weird. I mean, yeah, it has been sent off for certification and something could come up during that process but really, just give the players a date already.