I’ve been over Anthem theories for multiple times that I couldn’t even believe it myself. The game that had taken my breath during its first reveal, the game that has exceptional combat mechanics, the game that has… failed us all in the end only due to lack of content and developer focus. BioWare is desperately trying to salvage whatever it can, but will it succeed in the end?
It appears that Anthem is ready to develop a new update, aiming to surprise all of the fans around the world. Even though the fans are probably frustrated out of their minds and cannot bear hearing anything related to Anthem… the move may strike a returning player base, no matter the numbers.
On Friday, 31st of July, BioWare has discovered that a big update is coming to Anthem, which promises dedication and changes to the already existing loot tables. In a blog post, Anthem’s developers have started discussing the new update with nothing else but a “Satisfying Loot Experience,” even though the lack of content was the main culprit for the game’s unsuccessful path.
Furthermore, they’re ready to balance inscriptions by allowing players to roller traits on them. This has a zero-to-hero impact, knowing that even the best traits can be rolled at once. More about that, below.
Just a quick notice: turning the eyes towards the loot issues has nothing to do with the game’s lack of content. PERIOD! I expected to be deeply driven inside the game’s plot, shimmered throughout its narrative, and have a journey longer than in any other game. Well, it didn’t happen.
Below you can find the full list of changes that BioWare is ready to develop, as published on their official website.
Satisfying Loot Experience
A good player experience depends on the loot system being extensible and robust, and a lot can go wrong. A lot did go wrong. We fell short here and we realized that building something new from the ground up was going to be required – starting with taking a long look and understanding the best in class of the many great games that inspire us. Based on this research, along with your thoughts and feedback, we planned some high-level goals and changes we wanted to try:
Respect Your Time
- Increase the frequency of Loot Drops
- Loot is viable more often; All items are better and more competitive, but
- there’s still a chance of getting something exceptional
- All loot rarities have strategic value throughout progression
Embrace Choice
- You can pursue specific loot without relying on randomness alone; Quests;
- Specialized Vendors; Unique Loot Tables
- Modify your loot, including rerolling inscriptions and leveling up items
Create a Rewarding Loot Experience
- Loot feels exciting and more noticeable when it drops, and is celebrated when collected
- Rare enemies (aka “walking treasure chests”) create exciting moments to get a burst of loot all at once
Keep it Accessible and Immediate
- Reveal and equip loot right away
- Complete revamp of the equipment sheet – including a detailed stat sheet (not shown)
- The equipment sheet can be accessed from anywhere, allows you to easily see what you have equipped in each slot
- Reliability of Equipment and Rewards
- Each item has an inscription “budget”, based on its Power and Rarity
- No more useless items because they were missing must-have inscriptions (see “Increased weapon dmg by +225%”)
- Exceptional items are about getting the exact types of bonuses you want, instead of maxing values on every bonus
- Scale for the Future
- Your power cap can be easily increased, and the loot system scales accordingly
- Advanced telemetry data allows us to identify trends and make meaningful balance changes
A big loot update wouldn’t cause any difference. In my opinion, the loot drop was always considered a minor problem, while the content itself, despite the numerous seasonal events, was still found lacking.
What do you think about the changes? Would you believe Anthem will ever come back, or even close to where it was during launch? I kind of doubt, but I would love to see your opinion on the matter.
