reaper239

[COLOR=#cfe2f3]i don't really have a clever thing to roll off of this title, so i'll just say: Dust 514. anyone who's into sci fi shooter, knows what Dust 514 is. anyone who is into EVE Online knows what Dust 514 is. if you don't fal into either category, you may not know, so break out your pen and paper, class is in session.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]ok, so Dust isn't actually out yet, but your friendly neighborhood reaper, being the pimp mac daddy i am, managed to get access to the closed beta. that's right, i was scrolling through my games and noticed it sitting there randomly with no idea how it got there. cause i'm a pimp and devs just through this stuff at me. i wish there was an eye roll smiley on here. so, i originally heard about Dust like, a really long time ago, and haven't really heard anything since, so imagine my surprise to find that i had apparently registered myself a long time ago for the closed beta. i love when i do things without telling myself. unfortunately the rest of the reaper crew does not have a PS3, and so they will not be able to join me in this giant sack of awesome. that's right, a sack. of awesome.[/COLOR]
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[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]so, i've been into shooters for quite some time, but lately the standard call of duty formula just isn't doing it for me. i've been more into stuff like ME3, GR:FS, Operation Flashpoint, Operation Racoon City, etc. but, while those are great, they each have their flaws: ME3 isn't a hardcore shooter, i can't seem to get into the multi for GR:FS, no one really plays any of the Flashpoint games (even though they're awesome) and Racoon City, while still pretty enjoyable, is only a somewhat mediocre game. i know, right, beggars can't be choosers, which is why i haven't been complaining to this point, but i have been wanting something a little... more. enter Dust. Dust is a spin off of the MMO EVE Online, but it's not your standard spinoff. most spinoffs are standalone projects that have no real connection with the original IP, other than name and overall universe. this however has direct interaction with EVE Online. Dust players will have the option to join one of several space faring corporations, which can then be deployed by players in EVE in real time, to fight over resources on planets spanning the galaxy, with Eve players being able to provide orbital fire support, in real time, to Dust players in the heat of battle. it is one giant persistent universe, where people interact across platforms and games to effect events that touch thousands of players. pretty cool huh?[/COLOR]
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[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]keep in mind, this is still in beta form, but even now the game is deep. really deep. i don't know that you can get much deeper in this game unless you dig a hole dig a hole dig a hole. the RPG elements are stellar. you can buy whatever you want, but unless you have built up the requisite skill level, you can't use it. you have to have dropsuits, which are sets of armor, in order to participate in battles. there are different levels of gear: militia is the worst, but it's infinite, you buy one, i don't need anymore, so you don't have to worry about running out of supplies. at this point i should probably explain, you play as a soldier who transfers conciousness, once dead, to a clone. that clone requires a whole new set of equipment to go into battle, thus you face a logistical nightmare. i have built up my favorite class by combining the best equipment i can in such a way that it supports my play style, and there is no feeling like haveing a bad round and watching the number of deployable units you have in that class plumet. there are four class of dropsuit: Assault, Logistic, Recon, and Heavy, and it looks like more are going to be in the final product. assault is your typical well rounded dropsuit that can be enhanced anyway you choose to suit your play style, jack of all trades, master of none. logistic is what it sounds like, it has a heavy focus on supply, you get one wepon, and two supply options. recon has a focus on mobility, being fast, but lightly armored makes them great for range, or if you throw some extra armor on there, use them as a fast assault. heavy is what it sounds, heavy. lots of armor, takes a beating, like walking in molassess, tank it up with more armor and give it something that hits heavy like a shotty, or a rocket launcher, and you got a beast. it typically takes about two guys to drop me in my heavy class. of course, then you have to make sure that you've got plenty of your other supplies, like guns, grenade sets, dropsuit mods, etc. it takes a lot of planning and work to keep you in the fight, but man is it fun.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]the logistics aspect adds a whole new level to the game, you have to buy supplies to keep fighting and while 100K+ for a battle sounds like a lot, it's put into perspective when you realize that picking up 30 of your favorite rifle will set you back by half that. stuff ain't cheap, which is why it's good to diversify. it pays to buy different equipment specific to the mission at hand. i'll give you an example of two of my classes. Assault: GEK rifle (powerful, high rate of fire, no zoom, heavy, high power consumption), Breach SMG (low rate of fire, powerful, low MAGAZINE size (rusty), low weight, low power), 2 sheild extender (gives more HP to your sheild), 2 sprint recharge, nanohive (refills ammo and grenades when deployed). the assault is mobile, powerful, and good for engaging targets at close range. Operator: Tactical Assault Rifle (single shot, very powerful, low zoom, low magazine size), a (i can't remember the name of it but it is a very powerful) SMG (high mag capacity, very powerful, high rate of fire low power, low weight) sheild extender, sheild recharger (increases the rate of recharge), armor plate (increases armor), armor repair (repairs armor over time), nanoinjector (medkit). the operator is best deployed at mid range, but is formidable at close range. when i'm moving from one location to another, one objective to another, i like to use my operator class, when i'm going to be in close quarters, i like to use my assault class. it's a tradeoff.[/COLOR]


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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]then there's vehicles. so far i've seen a tank, a jeep, and a drop ship. there's also some kind of mother ship that hovers over the battle field on some game types, but you can't pilot those. the vehicles, especially the dropships, offer a different play to the game. you can fly high above the battlefield, and then you and some buddies can just drop in on the enemy. it kind of reminds me of MAG the way some of the vehicles are worked into the game, and the way you can interact with them. there looks to be more types and models coming, but i don't know for sure. the controls are also a little odd for vehicles, something i hope they fix, but then it is still a beta. vehicles are a nice touch, but at the moment they just feel kind of tacked on. if they can really integrate vehicles into the equation and make them an integral part of combat, they will work nice, but for now they are forgettable and, in some cases just feel kind of cheap. another aspect is bunkers and turrets. there are several different kinds of turrets ranging from rail cannon, to anti-air, to anti vehicular. if played right, they are a force multiplier, but no one really knows what to do with them, or how to combat them.which brings me to another thing: the learning curve is steep. like that first step is a ten foot drop steep. there is a lot here, and it's very complicated. i watched an egoraptor video that said good games should teach you through doing, and then he busted out megaman, which is elegantly simple. sure it worked for megaman, because that didn't need anything complicated, but this could really use a new guy tutorial. sure there are little messages that pop up when you enter a new menu area that tell you kind of what that area is for, but they need a short tutorial to help show people how to really use that area and how it impacts your game.[/COLOR]


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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]all in all though, it's still a beta. they have some work to do still before release, there are bugs and glitches and what-not, but overall it's fun. assuming they fix what's wrong, this is going to be the game for shooter fans who want something deeper than the call of duty experience. this is not a full release, so it doesn't get a review, but i will say this, play it. if you've got beta access, go play, if you don't, it's free to play, so you're not out anything if it turns out you don't like it.

check out my [/COLOR][URL="http://reapers-corner.blogspot.com/2012/09/reapers-corner-gets-dusty.html"][COLOR=#00ff00]blog site[/COLOR][/URL][COLOR=#cfe2f3] for bonus video material on Dust 514, and to see what else the RC crew is up to.[/COLOR]

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