Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Escape from Tarkov - The highlights of the alpha livestream

On May 18, 2016 there was the first, somewhat sympathetically chaotic alpha livestream from the Battle State Games developers for the shooter MMO Escape from Tarkov and our colleagues from Survivethis.news put it under the microscope. The gameplay as well as the handling of the weapons and equipment were shown in the stream.

The objectives, i.e. the tasks in the scenarios, were also explained in the approximately 90-minute stream. There are also scenes with the previous interface and a look at the level selection. What is unfortunately still missing: A date for the start of the Alpha.

In Escape from Tarkov there are so far two factions that the player can join. One is pro-Russian, the other group is pro-western. The game has also been called a stalker MMO for the past few months. Anyone who sees the gameplay in the video will immediately recognize similarities in the setting, as both games are recognizable in areas of the former Eastern Bloc.

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There is a story
In between the gameplay sections, the developers also answer some questions from the audience. Among other things, it's about the story. The story of the game is told as a flashback in television interviews in which two contemporary witnesses report on the events surrounding Tarkov.

Surviving in the raids is tough
The scenarios (or raids) are part of the basics of the game. As the name "Escape from Tarkov" already suggests, the player must escape from Tarkov. Alone or with up to three friends you can make your way from zone to zone - there is no coherent open world, but large, open levels. In the livestream, the developers show one of these raids and up to 70 minutes they try to escape twice, but fail because of the opposing NPC's called Scavenger.

In the 8km² area you look for keys to open the transition to the next zone. The player also collects weapons, ammunition, food and other aids on the go.

In addition to the scavengers, foreign players can also join the raid and hunt down the player. Also environmental influences and the harsh area of ​​Tarkov should not let the player come to rest.

Beware of ricochets
Escape from Tarkov features amazing ballistic physics that can be seen in the livestream from 1:17 hour onwards. For example, bullets ricochet off hard surfaces such as steel or pierce soft objects such as plastic or meat. The balls change their career and can hit other opponents.

The type of bullet should also have an impact on the shooting behavior. For example, an inferior quality bullet can damage the barrel and render the weapon unusable.

The shot
The exit hole

The shot If you shoot at soft objects like plastic barricades ...

Looting objects should be carefully considered
If you want to loot finished enemies, you should keep a close eye on the area. In contrast to games that are similar to the genre such as DayZ, you can not see directly what is in the respective pockets. The player has to search them first and while a timer is running, he is defenseless to other players.

Modification of weapons
Modifying weapons is also a big part of the MMO shooter, so we can replace every imaginable component or attach additional weapon mods to the respective places. With this feature, the player should be able to assemble his own weapon in order to be perfectly equipped in every situation.

The weapon parts first have to be found in the world of Tarkov or bought from various dealers.

The Steam also shows that the player can lean left and right in Escape from Tarkov.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Escape From Tarkov - Start of the closed alpha testing dated

 Escape From Tarkov will enter the alpha phase in summer 2016: The test run of an early version of the survival shooter, which is peppered with role-playing and MMO elements, will start on August 4, 2016.


However, access to the alpha test is limited: There is no point in opening the test phase directly to the general public, according to the developers.


The aim of the closed alpha is not only to polish individual aspects and implement new content, but also to work out the balancing and optimize details of the game mechanics. And for that you need a smaller and more focused group of testers.


How many testers will be approved in the end and according to which criteria is not yet known. However, interested players can register on the official website and hope to be invited later.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Escape from Tarkov Patch 0.8 - New map, more weapons & familiar problems

In early March Battle State Games had an R oadmap for from further development of Escape Tarkov published, now already the implementation of the first plans follows: The update 0.8 is for the closed beta of hardcore shooter appeared. The patch is accompanied by a wipe, i.e. the resetting of all game progress.

The full patch notes in English will take this message to her on the second page. The most obvious change is the new Map Interchange.

The huge shopping center in the center of the map stands pleasantly from the gray-brown of the other game environments with its modern, bright look. However, the winding shops are no less deadly, even if currently only players and no AI opponents are up to mischief there. The Scavs move into the mall later.


The implementation of a basic tutorial is gratifying for new players, while veterans are more likely to be happy about additional pieces of equipment (helmets, protective vests, bags, etc.), weapons and the new dealer Ragman.

A new reloading system underlines Tarkov's claim to offer the most realistic possible gaming experience. Players can now refill empty magazines with individual cartridges. But that takes a long time in action.

Escape from Tarkov - Interchange
Escape from Tarkov - Interchange
Escape from Tarkov - Interchange
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Escape from Tarkov - View images of the Map Interchange

Still problems with the netcode
According to Battlestate Games, patch 0.8 should also improve the game's performance and latency. Escape from Tarkov has a lot of catching up to do here. Especially for a hardcore shooter, in which a single bullet can sometimes be fatal, the delay in Tarkov is far too great, as the YouTuber Battle (non) sense recently demonstrated in a netcode analysis.

According to initial voices from the beta forum, patch 0.8 doesn't seem to get this problem under control either - much to the disillusionment of many fans. While some players report noticeable improvements, others see no difference.

Since the AI ​​opponents have now become almost invincible killer machines again - a problem that had already surfaced last year - many beta testers are frustrated. Some even talk of slowly losing trust in the developers for good.

In the meantime, Battlestate Games is still working hard and has already fixed minor problems with the current update in a hotfix.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Episode 2 of the "Raid" short film for Escape from Tarkov is getting personal

 The short film for the shooter Escape From Tarkov with the title Raid continues. At the end of July, the developer published the second episode on Youtube. The miniseries is produced by director Anton Rosenberg and tells the story of the multiplayer title.


What happened so far: Contact with a unit of BEAR soldiers in the fictional Norvinsk region broke off. A second team is supposed to find this, but is surprised by looters. Finally, another group from USEC attacks. When they fire at the BEAR soldiers with a rocket launcher, the situation seems hopeless.


In episode 2 it gets personal

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The latest episode follows on from this end and also focuses a little on the soldiers' family life. There is also a little more history to the first group and their leader, Ski.


The last confrontation was not without losses, but reinforcements arrive and the journey continues. In an abandoned building complex, however, the next argument takes place. And here it gets extremely chaotic. Friend and foe can hardly be kept apart in the skirmishes between three different groups in a confined space.


What is currently happening in the game?

The developers are currently focusing more on cheaters in Escape from Tarkov. It wasn't until July 26 that the team published a list of accounts in the forum that had been banned for fraud. There was also the announcement that the anti-chat measures of the survival shooter will be continuously improved.


Update 0.12 has been delayed due to its size, but the team is already working through the weekends to release it. The developer published the latest statements about the upcoming patch on July 24th. Among other things, the mechanics for your own shelter are already integrated. Now you are working on crafting. The new military base map is - like many other features - in polishing and is currently being optimized.


Escape from Tarkov was announced in 2015 and entered the early access phase in 2018. The full release should take place in 2019. Above all, it relies on a PvPvE mode in which you not only defend yourself against other people, but also against AI-controlled opponents.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Escape from Tarkov - Nasty AI opponents lurk on the new Map Laboratory

 With update 0.11 for Escape from Tarkov, developer Battlestate Games introduces a new map in the hardcore shooter: Laboratory. This secret laboratory was once the linchpin of the scientific work of the Terragroup group. Ever since the city of Tarkov drifted into anarchy amid conflict between groups of state mercenaries and mercenaries paid by Terra, the laboratory has become the scene of deadly combat.


And among other things in the laboratory patrol the Raider Scavs, a particularly dangerous variant of the enemy AI. They consist (according to the story "probably") partly of former PMCs, ie mercenaries who are otherwise exclusively controlled by players. Unlike the classic Scav faction, you cannot play Raider Scavs yourself.


Above you can find the trailer for the Map Laboratory, which captures the oppressive atmosphere well.



This is why the Raider Scavs are so dangerous

Not only do the Raiders look confusingly like real players, they are heavily armed and use advanced tactics to hunt down players. And on the new Map Laboratory, a lot of them seem to be on the move, which makes the scene even more unpredictable and deadly.


But it's worth it: Lab attracts good prey if you can defeat and loot the Raider Scavs. Then you then "only" have to disappear alive at one of the exits, which is often the greatest difficulty.


Why is it so difficult to escape? With Escape from Tarkov, the name says it all, you have to escape alive at the end of a round. On Laboratory, elevators, among other things, serve as an exit, some of which you have to activate first.


Where are you coming from? Yes, that is the challenge: which exits are open or firmly closed is determined at random before a round and can therefore not be predicted. So you have to research the map again and again. And it is not unlikely that you will be surprised by either another player or a raider scav.


Fancy guides for Tarkov? Here are our beginner tips and here our professional tips


Cool, sterile and deadly: The Map Laboratory in Escape from Tarkov is only recommended for experienced players.Cool, sterile and deadly: The Map Laboratory in Escape from Tarkov is only recommended for experienced players.


That brings Update 0.11 for Tarkov

Developer Battlestate Games brings more content for EFT with patch 0.11.0. Numerous new firearms find their way into the game, including the HK416 A5 assault rifle and the high-tech LMG RPK-16 as well as around 80 new weapon modifications.


In addition, new melee weapons such as a machete, a sword and a climbing ax are added. New night vision devices, helmets and ballistic armor represent the equipment part of the innovations.


Furthermore, the developers are adding new quests to Escape from Tarkov, which can be accessed as usual via the traders via the main screen. There is still no trace of the player hiding place, which will one day replace the boring menu gameplay.


Player hideout is apparently getting closer

However, Battlestate Games reports that the so-called hideout will follow immediately after the flea market has been completed. It will be interesting to see how soon it will really be. After all, developers have had to move features several times in the past.


This is also how it looks with the Open Beta, which according to our last interview on Escape from Tarkov should take place in 2018. Originally, the talk was from the beginning of 2018, but the studio decided to bring the performance to an optimal state first. Battlestate Games left another request from GameStar regarding the Open Beta unanswered.

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Developers vs YouTubers - Why Escape From Tarkov Videos Were Deleted

 Do developers have the right to contest YouTubers for their videos if they say the wrong things about their games? This fundamental question is currently being hotly debated, because just such a case occurred in the context of Escape from Tarkov. A YouTuber is said to have spread lies, false statements and unjustified criticism - and there were copyright strikes from developer Battlestate.


There are two fronts. The comparatively small YouTuber Eroktic (around 50,000 subscribers) has been producing a lot of videos on Escape from Tarkov for two years. In many of them he takes a critical stance on the development status of the game, addresses numerous bugs and so on. The other side - developer Battlestate Games - claims that he crossed a line with the most recent videos.


Eroktic spread lies and also publicly supported people with harmful attitudes towards Escape from Tarkov. These people accuse Battelstate of allegedly leaking user data and not closing data leaks - and Eroktic stirs up "negative hype" against the entire team in its videos that deal with these topics.


The result: 47 so-called DMCA claims, i.e. copyright reminders, with which the developers put numerous YouTuber videos offline. For Eroktic, things could end badly: After three successful strikes, YouTube can block the channel. In theory, he could also be banned from opening new channels.


Both sides see themselves in the right

Battlestate Games have issued a lengthy statement on Facebook in which they allege Eroktic and justify their decision. Here are just a few excerpts:


"All attempts to pretend to be deaf ears because we allegedly do not listen to our loyal players is a false and unfounded claim. As always, we have considered any feedback, but in this case we had to take the hard way. [.. .] Eroktic has published a video in which he tendentiously insinuates that we had allowed a leak of two million user profile records out of sheer incompetence. [...] Eroktic created another video, completely ignoring the fact that we had cleared up these leak He spread the alleged fact via YouTube that a leak existed and 90 percent of all user profiles had already been banned. Again, he did so in a disrespectful and cynical manner Way.We investigated the matter and are convinced that the video is completely a lie. "


Eroktic published an even more detailed counter- statement on Facebook in which it faces criticism. Here are some excerpts as well:


"Battlestate Games are lying. They pick out the questions they want to answer and they delete all the postings from their forums that speak negatively about Escape from Tarkov. And after a person is mistakenly banned, they stop responding to their requests. [.. .] If my statements were supposedly a lie, why is my YouTube channel being silenced in no time at all? In the past, the developers at best joked about my channel and did not care about my statements In the two years in which I have been producing content for Escape from Tarkov, I have not spoken to the developers once about my work. [...] They use 'negative hype' to describe criticism of their game.In my opinion, they do not want them and they get everyone out of the way who does not suit them. "


Battlestate Games tell Polygon that they have never made DMCA claims against YouTubers before. And that they have no plans to repeat this approach in the future either. In this case, however, it was necessary because misinformation harms the team and their product.


The community is upset

The fans see it differently. On Facebook there are numerous reactions with hundreds of likes accusing Battlestate of having silenced critics in the past. Eroktics' statement about the ban policy in the forums is correct. And fundamentally one is taking a path here that is clearly pointing in the wrong direction.


Escape from Tarkov

Escape from Tarkov

Escape from Tarkov

5

Escape from Tarkov - Check out the Scavs faction screenshots


In principle, the independence of YouTubers is at risk. Battlestate Games make no secret of their aversion to Eroktic's critical statements. But you have to put up with such criticism, otherwise YouTubers would be mere puppets of the developers. Taking their videos from content creators because they are not producing pleasing content is the completely wrong approach. And dangerous when you consider that many YouTubers make a living from their videos.


This attitude is also shared by some particularly loyal fans. So-called emissaries are actually there as a kind of volunteer community manager to promote the players in Escape from Tarkov worldwide. But even here there are people who even vacate their posts because they no longer find working on the game ethically justifiable. One of them is OnepegMG:


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Saturday, July 21, 2018

Raid - short film for Escape from Tarkov thrills the fans, hint of new features?

 Escape from Tarkov is now available as a short film. The developer Battlestate Games has published the first episode of "Raid". We embedded them at the beginning of this news. In the film by director Anton Rosenberg, the mercenary groups USEC and BEAR meet in Tarkov and engage in a fierce firefight.


The short film was announced via a 47 hour long broadcast on Twitch. There were scenes of the port area of ​​Tarkov, which the dealer Tadeusz Pilsudski, known from the game, controls.


The fans of the game collected the main events of the stream and tried to find out what was behind the mysterious show. On March 29, the puzzle was over and the first episode of the short film series appeared on Youtube.


Action-packed shootouts in Tarkov

In the film, a unit of BEAR soldiers is sent to the fictional Norvinsk region. Contact with them is lost, however, and another team is supposed to track down the missing unit.


However, an attack by looters halts the search and also lures a USEC group, whereupon a fierce firefight breaks out.


Escape from Tarkov_PICTURE-1

Escape from Tarkov_PICTURE-2

Escape from Tarkov_PICTURE-3

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Escape from Tarkov - view screenshots


Does the film teaser new features? The Escape from Tarkov community is currently wondering if the film could possibly teaser new features for the game. Because it stays very close to the gameplay, but also shows a number of elements that do not exist in the shooter. Some are not yet in the game but announced, others we have not heard from. This includes:


Pull Allies to Safety (Announced)

Shoot guns to destroy them

Rocket launcher (announced)

The fans are thrilled. On Youtube itself there are more than 15,000 thumbs up compared to only 264 downvotes and the comments also reflect the positive response.


Above all, the use of the sound effects from the game itself is praised and the performance of the actors also convinced the audience. In the future, many players are hoping for more material on the background story of the online game.

An update with weight: Escape from Tarkov is getting heavier - and easier

 Update 0.12.4.6440 for Escape from Tarkov is live, as developer Battlestate Games announced via Twitter. The patch makes adjustments to the...