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agentryanred · 4 years ago

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Runaway - A WONY Ending Rewrite

So, I was listening to Runaway by AURORA, and playing the Division 2, doing the manhunt and Keener's mission. That has lead to rewriting the ending a bit. Might continue more on it, don't know... See ya

I got my Sharpshooter Specialization and got some final things. We found Aaron Keener and his manhunt is going to end today. He has done dangerous things, enough that he must be killed. I wished there was another way, but if I tried to speak of it, I would become a rogue. I would become an outcast to the Division. I got ready and headed out for the ferry terminal where Kelso was already there.

Looking at New York City, a place that has become a temporary home for me, away from my original one of California, it has made me homesick. Seeing all of us fighting each other, and for what? Nothing so far. We want to rebuild, but we have no leader and we are all separated. This is just the United States, who knows about the rest of the world?

I soon arrived at the ferry and Kelso said that she was on one of the ferries, but to find her before the Black Tusk did. I would shoot them down, but I decided to sneak about, something impossible of a Division Agent, especially hearing the story of the original Division Agent at City Hall. It wasn't easy, but no bullet was fired.

After the next explosion went off, I thought Kelso was dead, but the voice of her on the radio gave me relief, telling me that the last boat there was the one she was on. However, that last boat had explosives. I slowly sneaked about, using anything to distract the Black Tusk, and somehow, it even got them off the boat. I soon got on the boat and disabled all the explosives. I soon arrived at the top of the deck, Kelso killing the last Black Tusk soldier.

"Come on Agent. I can't wait to kick Keener's ass,” she said with glee. I walked past the bodies, feeling sorry for them. We soon were off to Liberty Island. With a few minutes to pass, Kelso asked me something.

“You look shitty. More than usual, what's going on?"

"Nothing, just had to take a few detours, is all,” I replied. She hummed and continued on. Then we soon heard gunshots, hitting the ship. We tried to get out of the way, but we arrived at Liberty Island a bit rough. Kelso told me to continue on and she'll catch up. Then Keener got on the call. I wanted to talk some sense to him, but Kelso would be my mouth for those moments. I continued on and soon saw the Black Tusk again and heard their comms.

They were after Keener too…

After Kelso and Keener went quiet, I went to different radio channels, trying to find Schaeffer, trying to avoid the firing squad.

"Schaeffer, do you hear me?! This is the Division Agent, I want a truce!” I shouted. Nothing until one channel got a voice.

“Why do you want a truce? That is out of the question for you,” he said.

"Look, we're both after Keener and I didn't kill any of your soldiers, only Kelso did. We work together to stop Keener for this time and afterwards, we go back to whatever we did. Deal?” Dead silence for a few seconds until I heard something.

“Hold your fire. The agent is with us for the time being. They'll help us find Keener,” Schaeffer said. The shots stop and I put my hands up. I walked up to them and looked at me strangely. Some were upset that they couldn't kill me but I felt good and relieved.

“Deploying the Razorback sir." one of the Black Tusk soldiers said.

"The Razorback huh?” It was soon malfunctioning and the drone soon started to come

out.

“Damn it, Keener got it! We need to shut it down, everyone shut down the Razorback

through any means necessary!” Schaeffer said. We all rushed to it, trying to shut it down. We were soon able to get it, losing quite a few people in the process.

"Schaeffer, I'm going after Keener!” I told him. I left and others followed suit.

"Well, deploy the Marauder,” he said, with someone rebutting, “It's our last one sir.”

I soon saw it flying and was about to go around the Statue of Liberty before we all got electrocuted and started to attack us.

"God damnit Keener!” We continued to attack and I was soon the only one remaining. I continued onward, inside the statue. All the while, Keener was mocking me, leading me on, telling us that we were too distracted to see the bigger picture and that his legacy is secured. Inside, he was causing me more pain and fear until some protocol was activated.

I soon rushed outside and saw the missile. The payload, he called it. Heading straight for Haven, for New York City, for Keener's new world. I rushed to shut it down, dealing with all of his tech against me, but it was soon done and destroyed.

He was pissed for sure, and came after me. He was too powerful for his own good and even took out my drone and seeker mines, turning them against me. I soon got the final blow and he ran off to the end. I soon reached him, aiming my gun at him, Kelso finally behind me after a bit.

He tried to grab his gun, but I kicked it away, falling into the water. He started to touch his watch, activating something, and I grabbed it before he could do anymore. It was glowing red and was locked out. Kelso pressed his side, to stop the bleeding.

"What did you do?!” Kelso asked him, he only laughed and said his final words.

“You have no idea what's coming…” Rogue Agent deceased

Keener was dead… I couldn't get any common sense into him and even if I did, after seeing all of this, I don't think anything would save him. Kelso got the flare ready, but before she could fire, we heard Faye's voice.

"Schaeffer, come in. Schaeffer.” The more we listened, we learned how more alone we were now. Faye Lau sided with Schaeffer. I couldn't talk to him, not now, especially after the deal we made. Keener was dead and now I was back on the Black Tusk hitlist. Kelso fired the flare and we left…

---Few days later---

Theo, my drone was charging and I was cleaning off Keener, my seeker mine. I gave them names of the two targets of Keener's manhunt. Some questioned it, but it made me remember who they once were…

I soon heard a voice on my comms and answered it.

"You know what agent, I never got your name earlier, or your codename at least,” Schaeffer said.

"You took Faye away from us, from me! Why?” I asked.

"She found an opportunity with us, the Black Tusk, she wants to be on the right side, who will bring the world back to what it once was. And I think you want that too…” he said.

“I want to help the community too and the Division gives me strength and hope to do so. Look, I won't try to kill anymore of your soldiers, but don't count on me, especially with the Division hot on me,” I replied.

“Don't worry about it, you have a heart, something I haven't seen in an agent before, it can make you weak or it can make you strong. Now, can you answer my first question?” he asked.

“My codename is Runaway…”

#the division #the division 2 #bardon schaeffer #aaron keener

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matthewyoncrashcourse · 7 years ago

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“Let’s play a game I like to call, ‘Guess my Toughness’!” I exclaim to my jealous and slightly under-levelled squad, then continued to squeal in glee at their reaction to just how high it was.

“Help me grind my level!” is the chorus of responses I got.

That blissful moment of being a powerful badass is a common one in Tom Clancy’s The Division. Whether you’re running and gunning in the Dark Zone, grinding for good loot in hard or legendary missions or taking it to the Underground, it’s hard not to get that feeling of being a true agent.

But as the game gives, it takes away. The Division has had a long road to walk down, full of glitches, content and balance issues as well as disappointed fans. It famously lost the vast majority of its player base just a short while after its launch, with only a handful of people sticking to it to become the best of the best.

I can relate to the hate – I was one of the many who felt quite very disappointed with the launch version of the game, simply because it felt more like the shell of an idea – although a good one – rather than a finished and polished product.

But even after the bad reviews and negative feedback, Massive Entertainment refused to give up. Since launch they’ve been hard at work fixing, tweaking and adding content. Not just paid stuff at that. The amount of free content to keep the game fresh even without spending a penny extra than the vanilla cost.

But has Massive’s tenacity and will to keep their game alive payed off?

General Progression

Over the past two years the game has stumbled. Many people are extremely angry at the game still, to this day. The question is, do they still have grounds to stand on?

Mostly, from what I’ve personally seen and experienced, the hate or dislike for the game in its current state comes from the genre rather than the actual game itself. Generally speaking, Action-Role-Playing-Games (Action-RPG’s) have a few things: strong focus on player and enemy level, generally spongy enemies (especially if they’re over-levelled for you) and a focus on selected gear. That’s only to name some, all this together seems to be a formula people dislike when put in a game like The Division.

https://gfycat.com/DopeyBleakFish

“Grind through hard or legendary missions with friends”

A YouTuber named SkillUp made a re-review video of The Division, in which he brings this up. He pointed to the idea that it could be the game at first glance appears to be a gritty and realistic cover-based third-person shooter. From looking at it or initial plays, it’s easy to forget that it is, for a fact, an Action-RPG. You can find his 2018 video for The Division linked here.

It’s common for such a point as “bullet sponge enemies” to be given in a negative way, which is fine if you’re not into that kind of gameplay, which shares similarities to Diablo 3 and Destiny. However, if you were to use it as an excuse to say the game is trash because of that, I’d have to strongly disagree.

If you get past the common bad mouthing of this game, you can see there’s a trove of fixes and updates which indeed improve a lot of the issue. Clipping, wall breaks and even loot drops have been fixed and altered to help the game become less tedious and creates more of a levelled playing field.

I personally feel, after only recently creating a new character, it’s far easier and quicker to reach the End-Game, which is where the real meat of the game resides. Hitting level 30 now opens up so many new opportunities such as a wider access to more powerful loot and interesting game modes.

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“Gears Sets are a really great addition to up your late-game build.”

What’s more, after the addition of Gear Sets, armor pieces which bounce off each other if you have multiple of the same type equipped, allowed for more bonuses. This means you can better specialize yourself for a role in a squad of 2-4 friends or tweak yourself to be a one-man army.

Delve into the DZ

Welcome to the Dark Zone, agent. A fun and challenging PVP/PVE open world area in which you are at risk from all those around you, either the enemy gangs roaming the street or other players looking to turn rogue and steal all your loot.

Go in, grind out some loot and call in a chopper at designated extraction zones. Careful though, those around you may be curious what you’re carrying in that yellow contamination bag…

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“Gear tweaking has made the Dark Zone more balanced for players”

Those older players may have both fond and dark memories from this place, but not to worry. Since release the Dark Zone has been tweaked and altered to make it a lot more player friendly for everyone, including those who wish to turn on others.

Rogue 2.0 was implemented into patch 1.8, which most notably allows you to toggle it on instead of simply shooting people. For me this has been a welcome change, in the early days I spent a lot of time running away from players after I’d accidentally shot them and turned myself into a target. After this, the “Accidental Rogue” no longer happens.

Gear tweaking has also taken place, making the system more balanced for players. There is no longer a clear most powerful set, each is equally effective in their own ways, which makes the choice of your loadout a more interesting and complex one, allowing for more than one to be effective.

Underground revamp

The Underground DLC also got expended with 1.8, getting new directives and the chance for hunters to drop better gear, including Exotic. All of the new new’s in Underground alongside the DLC’s heavy PVE (Player vs Enviroment) focus makes it one of the best places to grind out gear. Whether you’re challenging yourself with a mission or grinding around this underground labyrinth, this expansion to the New York scene is an extremely entertaining addition.

Update 1.8 (and others)

1.8 proved that Massive still have a lot of surprises for us, even after they added in monthly Global Events whereas you have the chance to gain unbelievably good Specialised Gear sets. They really stepped up with this one. Adding in numerous events, patches and following that with a brand new section of PVE map to explore at the End-Game, complete with the highly addictive Resistance mode, a wave based horde mode where you and your buddies have to last as long as possible for that juicy loot. Follow that with the new PVP (Player vs Player) mode Skirmish – which is essentially just Team Deathmatch, but still something I felt was really lacking from The Division.

Westside Piers

The Piers areas of the map offers a challenging new open world area for you PVE fanatics out there. This is no small or empty section either, if you’re reading this and expecting a vast area of empty buildings, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Filled with enemies of all factions, its own Homebase (the players base of operations), randomised missions and complete with Resistance mode, it even has its own little subplot. There’s a lot to discover and find around the Piers, even some more collectables which ever so slightly give more depth to the world and its characters. Expect to hear a little more from the elusive Aaron Keener – one of the main antagonists – on the phones you find scattered around.

https://gfycat.com/AridWavyBudgie

“There’s a lot to discover in the Piers“

This area is a great grinding and combat experience, combined with Resistance it’s a brilliant opportunity to try out new gear sets, combos and even team roles. Say you’re usually a Support player, giving your squad mates those useful heals, but you’ve got that full Striker Gear set just lying round? This is the perfect place to switch things up.

Resistance

Something which I feel works so well in a cover based shooter. Very reminiscent of the original Horde mode of Gears of War, except the longer you hold out the more and better the gear you get. Resistance even adds onto the games concept of teamwork, allowing for the entire team to work together with paying for a squad-wide ammo or medical refill. It’s a small twist but it’s still a great addition.

https://gfycat.com/GranularGoodnaturedCero

“The longer you hold out, the better Gear you’ll get”

Don’t get me wrong, you’ll need your wits about you in this. As the waves progress the enemies in them get so much more challenging. It’s no easy feat. Yet every 5 rounds a new boss (or bosses) arrive to try and show you what’s what. Ultimately this is a great addon, and all for free too which is just the cherry on top.

Skirmish

Skirmish mode brings Team Deathmatch to The Division. Something I felt was really missing from the game was some actual PvP modes, meaning this is heartily welcome. It’s not for the uninitiated though, expect people at their peak to be roaming these servers. If ever you and your mates need a quick and easy kill mission jump on this fast paced 4v4 game type. Did I mention it’s free?

https://gfycat.com/ElasticWaryHairstreakbutterfly

“Skirmish mode brings Team Deathmatch to The Division“

Global Events

Although it was brought into The Division in a previous patch, Global Events really shine after 1.8. With extra gear and weapons like the infamous “The House” to attain from grinding, to event challenges with extremely cool cosmetic masks to hunt and unlock. Smash your way through selected missions and earn Global Event credits, buy packs and pray for that needed piece of classified gear, or that illusive Exotic weapon.

https://gfycat.com/FortunateWavyFireant

“Earn Global Event credits to buy packs”

Player feedback

After taking on the monumental task of tackling such a sticky subject that is The Division, I took to the gaming community to find out the thoughts and feelings of fellow players and those who avoid it like the plague. I asked about in forums, pestered people in Discord chats and even created my very own survey to see what people have to say on the game.

I was really shocked to see the positive feedback, feeling fairly alone in my thoughts on how well the game had progressed, people generally do love the game and some even think it’s great albeit simply not their cup of tea. Surprisingly, out of the 84 people who took part in my survey, 40% thought the game was better than launch, 29% thought it was no better and 31% thought it was worse than the original product. This shocked me, the result being far closer than I expected. The game was then rated out of 5 stars before and after the updates, scoring 3.24/5 for before and 3.67/5 for after.

When asked to speak on how the game is progressing I was happy to see such positive feedback for it.

“I’ve played since the Alpha on Xbox One, the game’s progression since then to now has been rocky (Like with 1.3 and 1.7), but now the game feels like it is finally complete, and it’s ready for a new adventure.”

However it’s impossible to ignore the critics, as they too do share some good points.

“Even before the update, the DZ was broken & unbalanced. It didn’t matter if you had a full team of players, there would always be another that would destroy us all in seconds. At one point at least 12+ players came together to hunt 4 rogue players down & it took at least 8 minutes for us all to kill one of them! That was the turning point of the game for me.”

I also had the chance to speak to Simon Albon an Ex-Ubisoft Blue Byte employee turned Software Tester for StoreFeeder. He spoke out on his thoughts on The Division.

“I think The Division stands pretty well against it’s competitors, as most of the games it shares a genre with are fantasy or sci-fi based, it’s nice to have something a little more grounded in reality, and that’s something I prefer.”

Simon gives a wide view on what he thought of the game. With each positive comes a negative and vise-versa.

“…I would want some friends to play it with, given the multiplayer oriented focus of the game, more friends to play it with is never a bad thing. I did actually recommend this game to one of my friends as he’s a big fan of RPG style games and other than Destiny, there isn’t much on the market for consoles which is similar…”

“…Overall, I did enjoy playing it once I had sunk a few hours into it, which is bittersweet, it’s like watching a television program that starts off very slowly and requires you to watch 3 or 4 episodes before it attempts to hook you, but once you are hooked it’s a very enjoyable experience.”

The Road Ahead…

The announcement of The Division 2 has me and most other fans excited as Hell. Personally I thought the game would die and be forgotten which would be a crying shame, so when this popped up for me I had a little fan-girl moment. Currently we know very little, Massive have done well to keep themselves quiet on this subject, however we have been told to watch out for E3 2018.

However, with a new title in the series being released, doesn’t that mean the first game will surely die? Absolutely not say the good folk at Massive. They’ve even released a jam packed plan of free content, updates and Global Events.

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So is it worth it?

If anything it’s the perfect time to get The Division. With a refined gameplay experience, a slowly returning and growing fanbase, it’s definitely worth your time. Especially as now you can pick up the game brand new for as low as £10. If you love team-based Action-RPG’s with an interesting plot and a content crammed End-Game, then it’s surely for you.

The road was bleak and dark for a while there, but finally The Division has light. With a relentless development team as well as a welcoming and friendly community, the real question is, why wouldn’t you get involved?

Why Tom Clancy’s The Division is worth your time in 2018 “Let’s play a game I like to call, ‘Guess my Toughness’!” I exclaim to my jealous and slightly under-levelled squad, then continued to squeal in glee at their reaction to just how high it was.

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