The upcoming MMO shooter The Division showcased gameplay from the “Dark Zones”, the PvP areas of the game, at E3. It features an adrenaline-pumping “Cops and Robbers” mechanic. It’s all about the precious loot.
The “Dark Zones” in The Division were the locations in New York where the virus first struck: Ground Zero, so to speak. Here, the military was still deployed. They withdrew from the areas when it became clear that they could do nothing. And … the story goes: They left their valuable military equipment in the contaminated zones. So the stuff that would be a +8 super sword of the nasty Orc death in a fantasy MMORPG. In The Division, this includes weapons of military quality.
I’m a looter! I want out of here
For the surviving agents in “The Division”, this means: There is really something to be gained here! But one mechanic complicates things: The “treasures” there are contaminated. You can take the equipment (like a great light machine gun), but it is stored in a “specially marked protective bag.” This is, of course, clearly recognizable from the outside.
Now it’s time to call a helicopter to take the “loot” to safety, so to speak. The catch: The heli is called in with a signal flare that other teams in the area can also see, and they have 90 excruciatingly long seconds to check who fired into the air and signaled “I’m a looter! I want out of here!”
And only when the helicopter has fished the equipment out of the danger zone with a hook is it truly the player’s property and not just borrowed.
90 seconds can feel like a damn long time
And those 90 seconds can feel damn long. Because in the “Dark Zone” there are not only AI-controlled “enemies”, but also other teams. And the agents can play as “Rogue”, as “renegade agents”, as “lawbreakers”, so to speak.
They become these lawbreakers by shooting at other players who are not in their team. As seen in the spectacular gameplay trailer, they can even leave the group and then shoot at their former comrades. Since it is visible which players have “loot” and which do not, it quickly becomes clear who is worth targeting and who isn’t.
But beware: Whoever shoots at “innocent agents” becomes a “Rogue Agent” and a target for others. He can then in turn be attacked and killed by other players who remain “innocent” and even receive a bonus, a bounty, for the kill.
Downgrade rumors and no loading screens in The Division
That sounds like an interesting concept.
Also exciting: In the gameplay, one of the developers reveals why they marked the transition into the Dark Zone so clearly: There are no loading zones in the game, everything is an open world, so you need this clear distinction.
By the way, Ubisoft is aware of the “downgrade” fears and faces them with calm. They are incredibly proud of how the game currently looks. It has weather effects, everything is dynamic.
Drone out, power creep in
Bad news, however: The “drone app”, which allowed a player to control a flying drone through their smartphone, has now been scrapped. This drone was still seen in earlier demos of the game. They tried for a long time but just couldn’t get it “balanced”.
And for fans of MMOs, certainly encouraging: The goal of The Division is ultimately for players to get stronger and stronger.
In December, a beta for The Division will start on Xbox One, for PC and Playstation 4 players probably later. The release is scheduled for March 8.
