Escape from Tarkov too frustrating even for the fans: Popular map is being revised

 A popular map in Escape from Tarkov is being massively revised: Interchange will receive a total of five extraction points with an upcoming update - and will no longer contain just two (or three) options for exiting the map.

Why is Interchange being revised?

The Map Interchange is extremely popular with the Escape from Tarkov community. However, there is a problem that has met with criticism from many players for over a year: Since there are currently only two Extraction Points, there are numerous campers waiting there to facilitate their loot for other players.

Developer Battlestate Games now wants to put a stop to these so-called "extraction campers": With an upcoming update, Interchange is to be expanded by three new exit points so that there are a total of five extraction points on the map. If you add the chargeable exit at the power plant, there are even six Exfil zones!

Maps in Escape from Tarkov: All maps at a glance 45 4th

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Maps in Escape from Tarkov: All maps at a glance

This should make it much more difficult for campers to intercept players on the way to extraction from the combat area: Instead of concentrating on just two possible escape routes, campers will have to keep an eye on a total of five different extraction points with the next update - which is what extraction camping is for them difficult and makes it easier for other players to escape.

The developers have not yet revealed where the new extraction points will be.

By the way, here you can watch an older video from Interchange, which gives you an impression of the battles in the mall:

Escape from Tarkov - Patch 0.8 four-minute trailer features new map interchange and helmet visors

 4:03 Escape from Tarkov - Patch 0.8 four-minute trailer features new map interchange and helmet visors

Why are Extraction Points so important?

A raid in Escape from Tarkov is not done automatically and successfully completed, for example if you kill a boss or collect the most valuable loot. Instead, the extraction from the combat area is still pending after each foray.

Players have to find one of several possible outcomes. However, they are not always open: Each participant in a round is assigned random exits. Sometimes a certain key is required, sometimes an exit happens to remain completely locked.

Escape From Tarkov for advanced users: 4 clever tips from the community 31 4th

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Escape From Tarkov for advanced users: 4 clever tips from the community

Finding the right exit is one of Escape from Tarkov's greatest charms. However, extraction campers missed the game experience for many survival shooter players, which is why the developer Battlestate Games is now responding to fan feedback.

Lighting and shadows are also being reworked on Interchange

Incidentally, the additional Exfil zones are not the only change for Interchange that Battlestate is planning: The lighting on the map should also be adjusted so that players in the parking garage of the map can no longer be unfairly discovered by other players who escape from Tarkov play without shadows or with a reduced representation of shadows.

Numerous fans on Reddit criticized the fact that they could be discovered by enemy players even though they should have remained invisible in the shadows - which of course affects the balance of Escape from Tarkov.

In addition, there will be "interactive lighting" on Interchange: Players can switch lights on and off on the map. Activation takes place via the card's Power Station, which triggers an alarm - but some of the new extraction points can also be opened at the same time.

When will the interchange update for Escape from Tarkov come?

When the next interchange update for Escape from Tarkov will be played, it is not clear from the livestream of the developers of Battlestate Games. We have already reported on the plans and roadmap 2020 for Escape from Tarkov.

On Twitch you have the opportunity to watch the developers' livestream again, where Battlestate Games talks about the planned changes for Interchange in Escape from Tarkov.

Does Escape from Tarkov have a spawn issue? Streamer calls for change

 At the beginning of 2020, Escape from Tarkov blossomed into the (meanwhile) most popular game on Twitch. Among other things, this is also thanks to big streamers, who at this point show increased interest in the survival shooter. Among the most popular streamers of Escape from Tarkov is also summit1g, which is currently not too good to talk about the game.

"The Scavs in Escape from Tarkov are unbeatable"

The reason for this: According to him, Escape from Tarkov is currently struggling with a "broken NPC spawn system". In the game there are NPCs called »Scav«, which are supposed to make exploring and looting more difficult in addition to human opponents.

However, Scavs do not disappear from the current match as soon as they are shot down, but rather respawn after their virtual death. And it is precisely this fact that is currently angry with summit1g.

Summit1g had to deal with a relatively large number of scavs in one of his last Escape-from-Tarkovs streams after he was unable to find other human players. And although he did one scav at a time, the NPCs ultimately managed to kill summit1g's character.

Accordingly, summit1g turned to the developers with corresponding frustration (and with various expletives): According to him, it is no fun to shoot down one scav after the other when they respawn anyway. So it is not possible for any player to master the overwhelming power of the scavs who cannot be killed.

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What would the alternative to the current enemy respawn be?

As an alternative to the scavs' current respawn system, summit1g suggests that, for example, an NPC counter could be introduced in Escape from Tarkov: In such a system there could be a limited number of scavs from which the ongoing match could be cleaned. What would remain "only" the threat from human adversaries.

Whether this is a suggestion that the developer Battlestate Games can make friends with is of course questionable: After all, there are not only loots from other players or from dealers and in the flea market, but also in loot caches distributed on the map.

This would theoretically make it easy for players to clean the maps of scavs, farm loot and, if necessary, even talk to each other. And that in turn would throw the game's balance out of joint, but above all it would destroy the real appeal of Escape from Tarkov.

Jaeger in Escape from Tarkov: how to unlock the dealer

 If you start with Escape from Tarkov, the hunter Jaeger is still blocked as a dealer. In order to be able to access his range of goods and his tasks, you must first activate Jaeger. But how does it work? We'll explain it to you in this compact guide.

First Mechanic Quest

First of all, you have to complete the Gunsmith Part 1 quest at the Mechanic dealer. To do this, you must have reached level 10 with your PMC beforehand. So you have to play for a while before you get anywhere near Jaeger.

If you need help getting started in this often ruthless hardcore shooter, check out our entry-level guide to Escape from Tarkov. Have you already reached level 10, accept the said quest at Mechanic.

The NPC mechanic will first check your hobbyist skills before you get any further quests. The NPC mechanic will first check your hobbyist skills before you get any further quests.

So you solve the quest

The mechanic asks you to make an MP-133 shotgun for him. But not just any, the part must have specific properties. And this:

Ergonomics of 55 or more

950 or less total recoil

Maximum of 4 fields

A magazine capacity of 6 or more

A laser pointer or a tactical laser / light combination

You can loot the shotgun from Scavs or buy it as cheaply as possible at the flea market. For the parts, we also recommend getting them at the flea market. You have various options for achieving the required values. We have put together the following setup:

With this setup you can complete the first Mechanic quest.With this setup you can complete the first Mechanic quest.

133/153 Pistol Grip

Custom plastic MP-133 forestock with mounts

UVG Tactical Foregrip

NCstar Tactical Blue Laser LAM module

Remington Tactical Choke 12ga

510mm MP-133 barrel

MP-133x6 magazine

Once you've put the shotgun together, go back to Mechanic and return it to the Tasks tab. Done! Now one more task is missing to unlock Jaeger in Escape from Tarkov.

Second Mechanic Quest

After you've built the shotgun for Mechanic, you have new quests to choose from. Select Introduction to take a step closer to Jaeger.

In the introduction you have to go to the Priozersky reserve, the Jaeger area. Here you have to find a message from the hunter and transport it out of the raid. Most people know the reserve better than Map Woods.

So you solve the quest

Start a raid on Woods and go to a hunting camp near the crashed plane. We have marked the place on the map for you:

Go to this location on Woods with the Introduction quest to find Jaeger's message.Go to this location on Woods with the Introduction quest to find Jaeger's message.

Once you've found the camp, look out for Jaeger's message. As soon as you have found them, you have to get out of the raid alive with the message.

Correction: It is not possible to simply transport the quest item in the secured container. We corrected the mistake.

Then give the message to Mechanic and complete the quest. Jaeger is now available to you as a trader and quest giver in Escape from Tarkov.

According to the developer, Escape from Tarkov has more players than Destiny 2 on Steam

 In the past, developer Battlestate Games has mostly kept a low profile on the specific number of players in Escape from Tarkov. In a live stream with well-known streamers such as Sacriel and Summit1g, chief developer Nikita Buyanov can now elicit surprisingly clear statements.

According to this, Escape from Tarkov already had around 100,000 simultaneously active players at weddings at the beginning of the month. The following weekend, according to Buyanov, the numbers doubled. To put the numbers in relation, let's draw a comparison to Steam: With around 200,000 players, EFT has twice as many players as Destiny 2 and is more in the range of Monster Hunter World (via Steam Charts).

Furthermore, Buyanov says that there is currently a weekly increase in players of 10 to 25 percent. We have embedded the stream as a video for you below. To hear the statements about the number of players, jump to minute 33:00:

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Success surprises the developers

Developer Battlestate Games did not expect such rapidly growing numbers of players. We reported: Thanks to a successful advertising campaign, Escape from Tarkov suddenly became one of the most watched games on Twitch. Several well-known streamers added the game to their portfolio. These circumstances are now also reflected in the number of players.

As Buyanov points out, the recent server problems in Escape from Tarkov were directly related to the increased number of players. In the meantime, however, the developers have taken countermeasures as announced. This weekend we did not have any serious problems with matchmaking and stability.

If you're one of the new players, take a look at our entry-level guide to Escape from Tarkov. In it you will find the most important tips to make the first steps easier. Our map overview for EFT, on the other hand, gives you an overview of the maps that have been playable in the hardcore shooter so far.

Server problems in Tarkov: developers are giving away 1 million rubles for a limited time

 Escape from Tarkov has had server problems for the past few days. Players complained about disconnections during the raids or could not even log into the hardcore shooter. Certainly not a few have lost valuable equipment as a result if they were suddenly thrown out of the game in the middle of a battle.

Developer Battlestate Games announced on Monday at 18:41 on Twitter that players will be compensated for this with one million rubles.

However, the offer is limited to three days. So you have to log in by February 13th at 6:41 pm. Anyone who logs in once must collect the money within 48 hours from this point in time. You can find the in-game money in the news tab.

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Server continues to be Achilles heel

Server problems have often been a weak point in the Escape from Tarkov beta in the past. There were frequent disconnections and desynchronizations, especially after the transition from alpha to the beta phase.

A hardware Youtuber discovered various problems with the Netcode of Escape from Tarkov in 2018. In the meantime, however, the situation has improved significantly. At least that has mostly been the case so far.

Noticeable desynchronizations rarely occur, and the client-side performance of Escape from Tarkov has increased. Developer Battlestate Games has repeatedly stated that server and client performance is one of the top priorities in development.

Now the old problem with the servers shows up again. Escape from Tarkov has seen an increase in the number of players recently, probably driven by a successful promotion and increased viewership on Twitch. This could be one of the reasons for the renewed trouble for which the players are now being compensated by the Tarkov developers.

Escape from Tarkov Roadmap - These features are coming in 2020

 Escape from Tarkov has big plans for 2020 and beyond before the survival shooter can finally fulfill the developers' vision. A few features are still missing to complete, including five maps and a mode that connects all locations into one large game world.

In the short term, the Russian studio Battlestate Games published a roadmap in the official forum in mid-January, which gives you a pretty detailed insight into the current construction sites and upcoming content for Escape from Tarkov. We summarize below:

The next updates at a glance

The developers at EFT divide the update roadmap into different categories.

Next big update and wipe: A wipe will not take place in the next few months. The next wipe will be linked to storyline quests when they are finished developing.

About the new map: The developers do not want to need eight or nine months, as with 0.12 Patch, to complete the new location. They want to do their best to finish as soon as possible.

The release of the new map should therefore be planned for 2020. According to the developers, the new map is the eagerly awaited city map Streets of Tarkov.

Streets of Tarkov is the next card in the development cycle.Streets of Tarkov is the next card in the development cycle.

Minor updates: In the next five months, minor updates should be added to Escape from Tarkov. Battlestate Games plans to make various content and feature updates as well as bug fixes during this time. The main new features on the agenda are:

Revision of the weight system in the game

Addition of the new audio engine Steam Audio

More detail in gear customization

In the course of 2020 you should have more options for customizing your equipment in Escape from Tarkov. Among other things, the possibility of exchanging the armor plates in your west, which are also new, if they have been shot.

Upcoming armor plates in Escape from Tarkov can show different degrees of destruction.Upcoming armor plates in Escape from Tarkov can show different degrees of destruction.

In this way, you will be able to think carefully before a raid in the future about which type of projectile you want to arm yourself against. Because you can choose from various materials for the armor plates in the depth of detail known for Escape from Tarkov, each of which has specific properties.

The developers also want to make it possible to attach tactical magazine pouches to your vests at will. So you can fine-tune your loadout and decide more easily whether you want to take small or large magazines with you into the raid.

More features in the pipeline

What else is currently in the development process at Escape from Tarkov is summarized in brief. However, it is not clear which of these will appear in 2020 or possibly later:

An AKM assault rifle that is extremely lightweight shows that there is no end in sight when it comes to weapon modding at EFT.

Extreme modding: With this AKM, lightweight construction is written in bold.Extreme modding: With this AKM, lightweight construction is written in bold.

Bastion helmets with aramid protective panels. It is a modern, high-performance plastic (known for example as "Kevlar") that offers strong protection against bullets.

Armor with armor for the legs to address the issue of frequent deaths from shots to the unprotected legs. Until the system is fully implemented, the vest could initially appear without leg protection.

Escape from Tarkov has new ways to protect your legs in the long run.Escape from Tarkov has new ways to protect your legs in the long run.

A new grenade launcher

A box for storing grenades in the inventory to save space

New gadgets such as a hybrid device with night and thermal vision

A new animation to lean to one side while lying down

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A new medicine item to heal serious injuries

New, expensive clothes for USEC Group PMCs

A vest that can hold 14 magazines

The ability to make and trade clothes yourself

Escape from Tarkov: No playable women, development is "too complex"

 There are currently some controversial discussions about Escape from Tarkov. On Twitter there are numerous reactions to a tweet from developer Battlestate Games, who talks about female characters in the hardcore shooter.

The developers reject the possibility that there will be female playable characters in addition to the male soldiers in the MMO shooter. The reason: The modeling is too time-consuming - and moreover, playable soldiers would not match the background story of the game. There are women in the game in the form of traders and other NPCs, but no playable soldiers.

The developers do not explain how the lack of female soldiers from the cart is explained. In the wikis and homepage entries published so far, we did not come across any specific indications that could classify the statement. We have asked the developers and will add this message as soon as we receive an answer.

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The discussion has been going on since 2016

There is more to this discussion than meets the eye. Many critics refer to a 2016 interview where one of the developers of Escape from Tarkov has already responded to the question about female characters. At that time, the reason sounded different than in the current tweet: Women could not bear the burden of war, it said at the time.

"We thought about it, but then decided that women are not allowed in war. I agree [that women are active in real military, editor's note] and we discussed it extensively, but came to the conclusion that women can not handle that kind of stress. There's only room here for die-hard men. "

The developers are now distancing themselves from the statement made at the time. The employee was reprimanded for his statement that they respect women in the military and in wars and do not want to reduce their performance.

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The more recent justification that women are too difficult to model can therefore be seen as a reaction to the statement at the time. Battlestate Games are not the only developers to express themselves in this way on this question, by the way.

Because there were similar discussions with Assassin's Creed Unity. Another example: The developers of Hunt: Showdown, who promised female characters for the future, but nevertheless emphasized how complex it is to integrate a second body type into the game.