Something seems to have gone wrong: For an hour, players had the opportunity to access the test servers of Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode – and they have interesting reports to share!
It’s no longer a secret: Epic plans a complete overhaul of the shooting behavior of weapons in Fortnite, with a special focus on the Battle Royale mode.
Recently, it was announced that access to the test servers with the appropriate configurations will only be released in early 2018. That didn’t go quite well, the test server was accessible to all players for about an hour – and testers are reporting exciting things from there!
These are the changes Epic plans for weapons
Many players have been frustrated for a while now about the Bloom mechanic in Fortnite: Battle Royale, which adds a random factor to the fights, thus downplaying the skill of the individual player.
Bloom causes your shots to miss the target, even if you are aiming precisely at the opponent. This mechanic is also present in hand cannons in Destiny, among others.
A simple removal of the Bloom mechanic would mean that the winner of gunfights will often be the player who saw the opponent first. Without Bloom, it’s much easier to take down the opponent. The player who lands the first shot has the advantage.
For this reason, further adjustments are necessary to give all contenders the same chances. The following measures from Epic are conceivable:
- Reduction of Aim Assist – The aim assistance provides a magnet effect on the opponent – making them easier to hit. Aim Assist is a useful tool, especially on consoles.
- Increase in weapon recoil behavior – Increased recoil means that players must constantly readjust their weapons to continue hitting the opponent.
- Damage drop-off over range – Currently, weapons cause the same damage at any range. Individual damage drop-offs for each weapon would make tactical considerations in gunfights much more significant.
The particular challenge with all these measures is to consider the platform. It is significantly easier to aim with a mouse and keyboard than with a controller’s joystick. Typically, there is no aim assist on PCs. Epic must be able to balance PCs and consoles separately.
Players had at least for an hour the opportunity to test a first round of adjustments. This action was not intended; Epic has since locked access to the test server again. However, this did not stop players from sharing their experiences on Reddit.
Initial player feedback is mixed
While PC players mostly react positively to the changes, the situation on consoles is more mixed. Specifically, players have noticed the following changes:
- Aim Assist has been dramatically reduced
- The recoil behavior, especially with automatic rifles, has been drastically changed. The vertical kick of the weapons is significantly more pronounced than before
- A damage drop-off over range has been introduced, which even means that headshots with sniper rifles are no longer deadly at certain distances
- A few players report that weapons of any rarity now deal the same damage. A legendary automatic rifle now deals the same damage as a common one.
For PC players, the changes are much more manageable due to the mouse and keyboard control than for the controller players. The immense recoil of automatic rifles is specifically a headache.
Removal of Bloom has been positively highlighted. Shots hit where they are supposed to; the random factor has been removed. Fortnite now feels like a real shooter.
Epic responds to player feedback
Epic once again proves that they react promptly to feedback and announces on Reddit that the activation of the test servers was a mistake. None of the mechanics noted by players are final, they stick to the schedule, to announce more details in early 2018.
When asked whether Epic will incorporate player feedback into future plans, a representative from Epic responded that they are carefully monitoring the feedback and emphasized that even an unwanted test provides data that Epic can analyze afterward.
Robert thinks: Even though the insights gained from the short access time and the early stage of the test servers are not very representative, one thing is certain: There will be profound changes to Fortnite’s gunplay.
Epic has a balancing act ahead of them. The removal of the Bloom mechanic must be offset. The reduction of Aim Assist and the much more noticeable recoil of the weapons will widen the skill gap between players.
Epic must ensure that the changes do not lead to frustration among some players, as this could have mid-term effects on player numbers. However, I am convinced that Epic will succeed, as their close relationship with the community and consideration of player feedback is a great strength of the developer, which will pay off with such changes.
What do you think? Do you welcome the changes or do you view them skeptically?
