Agreement on not being a fan of timed missions. It runs counter to a calm and methodical approach. Sometimes you are wasting a lot of time in getting game related mechanics to work, such as orientating the camera so that you can get a button prompt to appear, and then the time delay fiddling around prevents you from the ideal timing to avoid an NPC’s patrol.
Agree that both story driven narratives combined with fun gameplay is more ideal.
It is not an easy task for the devs to find the balance between story narrative, gameplay, tone and mood, playfulness, but also an environment that is not too gamey, an environment that is somewhat a credible space.
On the subject of forced starting locations, I certainly take your point but unless they change escalations around to allow for choice in start locations, it’s something we’ll have to live with as IOI has made it pretty clear that escalations aren’t going anywhere.
Escalations don’t need forced starting locations and plenty including a couple H3 ones allow choice of starting location like the Berlin one that has the neat twist of unlocking more starting locations as you go. As IO have said escalations are very flexible and can work any way they want.
I think part of the issue is the nature of the paid content which makes up most of the escalations so far. They come with a suit and two items and they feel the need to show them off, so they make it suit only and restricted loadout so you need to use the new stuff. They are also as mentioned very thematic and more story driven so there’s your restricted starting location. Then when half the free escalations do the same thing it makes the vast majority of escalations have a similar style of play.
I do want to say I have really enjoyed most of the H3 premium escalations so far (with greed probably being my least favorite because the coin mechanic doesn’t make a significant difference to separate it from something made in contracts mode), but I would also like some more variety. Hopefully at least the future free escalations will play with all of the games mechanics more.
I don’t see how that is important in the slightest, which kinda proves your point before that.
It does not need to make sense. Escalations by design were pure gameplay, a playground for the devs where they could implement crazy and unique complications, messing around with what they could do.
I really don’t see why escalations need to be story-driven at all, or why complications have to make sense. You have other modes for that.
Hence my suggestion to mix it up a bit more. Have different types of escalations that appeal to different types of players. Instead of solely catering to one group.
Really feeling everything Frote has said here. It’s made worse by the fact that contract mode hasn’t been updated in 5 years, and there are so many different tools that could be used as conditions. Unsilenced weapons only. Hot disguise. Weapon A can only be equipped in Disguise B. No agility actions. Pacifications as an objective, with outfit/weapon restrictions. I don’t particularly mind these more themed and mood-centric escalations that impose more limitations, but they would be much easier to accept if players had the tools to create the more robust, “playground” escalations the devs are now shying away from.
I just went back to Hitman 2016 recently and finally played through every escalation, and the conditions of some of them are just bonkers. If some of the contract-makers here had access to them, I could easily see myself putting another 100+ hours into the game.
Any word on the next ioi insider yet? It should be this week if there is one , right? Cant wait to see what theyve done with the next sins bit. Please no escalation.
i think the IOI Insider for this month might be substituted with their Twitch Gaming stream, although it would be strange to reveal the Sloth content there if it’s on the more underwhelming side
There hasn’t been any word on next stream so far.
And there is no schedule for IOI Insider.
Seems they will stream when they feel the right time for it
Ah, cheers for that. They could show it off there then. Even if it seems a little bit to unexciting for such an event. Maybe they announce their next project as well or tease it at least.
I have a feeling they’ll announce it officially on that twitch stream, yeah.
Then again, wasn’t the last Insider only revealed like 2-3 days before it aired? There’s still a bit of time until they can decide to put that out.
But, they also said that the Insider streams were made so that they could keep a line of communication and not have to be on a strict every-month schedule. They might not do it this month
When they do make another podcast/livestream - I hope they take a couple minutes before going live to do some simple mic and audio checks. Maybe not the last few, but A few of them have had some audio issue at some point or out of the gate. Kinda detracts from the immersion.
