A couple of balance/qol changes

[HitmanDoctor]

These are some pretty important changes to the game, that i hope will be implemented relatively soon.

1 - A fully functioning offline mode. The current one has certain functions, but it needs to be fleshed out to match the online experience, as in reality most of this game’s content doesn’t need internet to function.

2 - Prestige objectives should be optional to choose in hardcore Freelancer. Them being required to complete a mission if chosen is fine, however, always having to do an extra objective during a mission affects the freedom of choice, and makes hardcore much less fun to play.

3 - Add at least 1 safe spawn to every map in Freelancer. It’s a strange design choice to be able to get this objective without any remaining maps to complete it on. Simply add 1 safe spawn for each map, so we can always do this objective.

4 – More options to customize controls. Things like opening doors, dumping bodies and climbing pipes are something I want to be able to do with just the E key. However, all these actions are on 3 separate keys, and the game doesn’t allow for them to share the same keybind. I use Autohotkey to get around this, but I should be able to change controls the official way.

To fix this simply remove keybind restrictions on interact/use item/agility actions. Also, certain assassination opportunities like the tattoo artist kill on Rico Delgado, would need to have one of their keys changed, as with the default E, G, and Space, the first 2 would conflict. Changing G to Q, the default melee key, would fix this conflict, and would also match the controller controls for the same interactions.

5 - In Gameplay/General tab in the options, running and slow walking are presented together as options, forcing you to choose both as either hold/press/toggle. Separating them would allow for more choice, for instance having run as hold and slow walk as toggle, which isn’t something you can do right now.

6 – When recorded by a camera, you will get an alternating yellow camera/yellow guns icon in the hud indicating that you can retain your silent assassin status if you destroy the cctv footage. However, there is no such indicator for killing a target before they alert someone. Instead of alternating yellow icons, the yellow guns should appear when killing your target would retain your silent assassin rating, and the yellow camera icon should appear when destroying the cctv footage would retain your silent assassin rating. If both are needed to retain your silent assassin rating, both the yellow guns/yellow camera icons would appear next to each other.

7 – Elusive Target Arcade needs to be changed, so it can be what most fans wanted it to be, a permanent way to replay elusive targets without any changes to them, and earn the suits you would get for their completion.

Make all elusive targets individual missions, instead of grouping them up together.

When elusive targets stop being reactivated, make their rewards unlockable in Arcade with their original requirements.

Certain missions with mandatory complications like more enforcers/restricted loadouts need them removed and replaced with optional complications.

Now that elusive targets would no longer be grouped up, and would be individual missions, the arcade rewards (Banana, Ducky suit, etc…) would be given whenever you complete one of the 2 sets of 3 targets that would previously unlock these rewards. Completing a target unlocks progress for all rewards related to them.

[Grim47]

agree with most of these but want to add:

@HitmanDoctor

2 - Prestige objectives should be optional to choose in hardcore Freelancer. Them being required to complete a mission if chosen is fine, however, always having to do an extra objective during a mission affects the freedom of choice, and makes hardcore much less fun to play.

i think a compromise should be that in order to progress in Hardcore a certain threshold of money should be earned on either a by-mission or by-syndicate basis. with maybe the extra gimmick of hardcore is there’s always a Silent Assassin prestige objective in addition to whatever one you pick before going out, so you can do two prestige objectives in order to make Hardcore the BIG BUX mode

this could replace the difficulty levels syndicates were originally going to have, where easier syndicates cost more and you will have to amass enough money to afford the next leg of the campaign

@HitmanDoctor

3 - Add at least 1 safe spawn to every map in Freelancer. It’s a strange design choice to be able to get this objective without any remaining maps to complete it on. Simply add 1 safe spawn for each map, so we can always do this objective.

I think also that sometimes maps should generate more than one supplier or more than one safe

@HitmanDoctor

6 – When recorded by a camera, you will get an alternating yellow camera/yellow guns icon in the hud indicating that you can retain your silent assassin status if you destroy the cctv footage. However, there is no such indicator for killing a target before they alert someone. Instead of alternating yellow icons, the yellow guns should appear when killing your target would retain your silent assassin rating, and the yellow camera icon should appear when destroying the cctv footage would retain your silent assassin rating. If both are needed to retain your silent assassin rating, both the yellow guns/yellow camera icons would appear next to each other.

I agree with this but what I’d make it is it alternates between the red ballers icon and a red skull, to differentiate it from a glance from the other icon variants. so if you see a red icon you know you’ve been caught by an NPC, yellow you know it’s a camera, but if colorblind you can then look and see if it alternates between a skull or a camera or just stays unfilled to count as an SA yet. then when you kill the target it returns to the icon it was before a target caught you. or the target seen icon can be orange ballers and an orange skull to indicate it’s a mix between the recoverability of a yellow icon and being tied to an NPC seeing u like the red icon

i also think prestiging Locations should be a thing ala prestiging in freelancer, so we could reset mastery or challenges at will

[HitmanDoctor]

I have to disagree with you. I see no reason for any kind of compromise. I’d rather have freedom in how I approach a mission and not be artificially blocked by bad prestige objectives. For those who want the added challenge and the extra money you get with doing prestige objectives the option is still there.

As for your 2nd point. sure, I wouldn’t mind more safes and suppliers, though I would be satisfied as long as we get at least 1 guaranteed safe spawn for every map.

As for your 3rd point, red is already a color when you fail sa, so it wouldn’t help with the confusion, as the game already gives you red guns even when killing the target would salvage the rating.

No need to complicate it, green guns means you’re good, red guns means you lost the sa rating, yellow guns means you can salvage the rating by killing the target, and yellow cameras mean you can salvage the rating by destroying the cctv evidence.