Borderlands 2

[DiscipleofBob]

The possibility of a new melee character lines up with scant details dropped by Hemingway and Armstrong, who lamented Borderlands 2's lack of a melee character

Um... doesn't Zer0 count as a melee character? I know I was mostly stabbing things with Law and Order through most of my playthrough with him.

[Anteros]

Um... doesn't Zer0 count as a melee character? I know I was mostly stabbing things with Law and Order through most of my playthrough with him.

I'd certainly classify him as one. He has a tree and a half centered around melee after all.

[DiscipleofBob]

So... new character:

Spoiler

Show

Krieg the Psycho

I've got to say, I'm a little disappointed. I was hoping for something a little more original than a reskinned Badass Psycho. It seems like another Brick from the first game or a combination of Salvador and Zer0 in the sequel.

Then again, it is still very early with very little information about skill trees and stuff.

Maybe more information will peak my interest.

Still waiting on that 4th DLC

[Triscuitable]

We've all known that since Sunday.

In addition to that, the level cap will be increased to 61 next Tuesday, Backpack, Bank, and Ammo SDUs will be added, more Eridium can be carried (and spent), and Pearlescent guns with be returning. That's $5, or free with the Season Pass.

But wait, there's more! Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode is a part of this new DLC compilation, giving those of you who already beat the game (and all its DLC) a reason to beat it again, but this time earn 11 more levels with the previously mentioned pack. UVHM is free, and comes out on Tuesday, as well.

Lastly, the fourth and final DLC comes out in June, a month after Krieg hits. It'll most likely be $10, or come with the Season Pass. It'll also be developed in-house by Gearbox, as opposed to being an outsourced mess like the last three.

[Sith_Happens]

In addition to that, the level cap will be increased to 61 next Tuesday, Backpack, Bank, and Ammo SDUs will be added, more Eridium can be carried (and spent), and Pearlescent guns with be returning. That's $5, or free with the Season Pass.

But wait, there's more! Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode is a part of this new DLC compilation, giving those of you who already beat the game (and all its DLC) a reason to beat it again, but this time earn 11 more levels with the previously mentioned pack. UVHM is free, and comes out on Tuesday, as well.

Gah, and here I am still at level ~35 (IIRC) after not having played for months because various-extremely-stupid-reasons.

[Triscuitable]

Gah, and here I am still at level ~35 (IIRC) after not having played for months because various-extremely-stupid-reasons.

I just got my Mechromancer to level 50 in anticipation.

[Reynard]

While the idea of playing through the game again, and dealing with enemies that haven't been made any smarter but will instead take 20 rockets to the face each to kill, and remove 40000 health&shields with a single pistol bullet sounds appealing...

Wait, no it doesn't.

I loved BL2 when it came out. I played it more in a month than I played the first game in three years. But the late game gameplay is just... so uninteresting to me.

I'll probably give Krieg a spin, but no way in hell am I going to go through the story three more times for him.

[Anteros]

I didn't really find late game gameplay to be that significantly different from early or mid game gameplay. Not even remotely interested in this character though.

[Triscuitable]

While the idea of playing through the game again, and dealing with enemies that haven't been made any smarter but will instead take 20 rockets to the face each to kill, and remove 40000 health&shields with a single pistol bullet sounds appealing...

Wait, no it doesn't.

The key question here is: did you play co-op, or stay solo?

[Reynard]

The key question here is: did you play co-op, or stay solo?

I've done a couple of playthroughs of both, and all I've found co-op to do is just make the problem of the enemies being blundering sacks of health appear sooner than level 50.

Yes, co-op is more fun, because you've got people to joke around with and get killed/save. It doesn't make the game itself play better. It doesn't make the 'Invincible' fights anything other than hiding behind any terrain that blocks their insta-kill attacks and popping your head out every now and again to get a few thousand points off of their billion-strong health bar, for questionably worth-it loot.

[factotum]

Have to agree with Reynard here--the combination of ridiculous amounts of enemy health and damage makes the late game not fun for me. Friend of mine owns the game and has a much easier time of it, because he's taken the time to grind for the best equipment...another activity which ranks right up there with watching paint dry in my personal lexicon of worthwhile activities.

I don't understand why the game is like this, to be honest--I found the first game to be almost perfectly balanced in this respect. Were there loads of people complaining it was too easy and what we *really* needed was almost every enemy able to insta-kill us with one shot?

[Triscuitable]

Well, here's a couple things to know about playthrough 2:

• Level scaling goes out of whack. Level 47 equipment will not do a thing to level 50 enemies, and level 50 enemies will pound level 47s into dust. 48? That's okay. 49 is better. 50 is best.
• Grinding is a lot more pleasant when it's something you're doing absent-mindedly, like watching TV or listening to a podcast. Music also helps.
• Maybe Borderlands 2 just isn't for you in the late-game.

I mean no offense when I say this, but I don't think we should let the thread go from active discussion on new stuff into a, "I don't like this about Borderlands 2" for the next few pages. Cynicism is not fun.

[Lunix Vandal]

And (until one particular glitch is fixed) if you really want to render the sacks-o'-HP issue moot (and don't mind being a little underhanded about it) ...

Spoiler

Show

1. Acquire an Evil Smasher (from the Marcus quest that sends you to Sawtooth Cauldron).
2. Acquire any non-launcher gun that is not the Evil Smasher. A Vladof Infinity is best due to not needing ammo, but most anything is fine.
3. Equip the Smasher in (for example) Slot 2. Other slots work, but with R as reload, 2 is convenient for what follows.
4. Equip the other gun in (for example) Slot 3. Other slots work, but yadda yadda yadda.
5. Fire 1 round from the Smasher.
6. Assuming the guns are in the slots I mentioned, press R, 3, and 2 (in that order) in quick succession. "Fast Enough" leaves you with a not-reloaded Smasher, with the Slot 3 gun never appearing onscreen (though its stats card will likely pop up in the corner). On XBox/PS3/PC-with-controller, substitute the appropriate reload/gun-slot buttons.
7. There may have been a large explosion effect obscuring your view during Step 6. This is normal, and is part of the red-text effect of the Smasher. If it occurs, you may note that the clip size of the Smasher increased significantly (and, simultaneously, also the fire rate, damage, and accuracy).
8. Repeat Step 6 several times. The explosion effect mentioned in Step 7 should start occurring with increasing frequency (and increasing visual lag). Due to the glitch invoked by Step 6, you should notice the Smasher's clip size slowly climbing.
9. When your clip is absurdly deep (and repeating Step 6 is unbearably laggy), switch to and stay on the Slot 3 gun. You can use other weapons as well, but avoid switching to and/or reloading the Smasher. As a Gunzerker, avoid reloading your left-hand weapon while 'zerking.
10. With this method and no other cheats or exploits, I have personally killed Lv 50 Hyperius before he can drop his first Nova -- meaning I could theoretically kill him 100 times an hour ... if I felt like it, and if not for the growing loot pile causing unholy amounts of lag. Pete, Vermi, and Vorac are similarly near-trivial, but Gee is still a horribly-designed slog.

Why, yes, GLaDOS, I am a horrible person. Does make farming Seraphs trivially easy, though.

[factotum]

I mean no offense when I say this, but I don't think we should let the thread go from active discussion on new stuff into a, "I don't like this about Borderlands 2" for the next few pages. Cynicism is not fun.

I'm sorry? As far as I can tell, this is supposed to be a general discussion thread for Borderlands 2. That should surely include the aspects of the game we DON'T like as well as those we do. (And note I have something like 180 hours played in Borderlands 2 so far, so it's not like I played it for an hour, didn't like it, and have come here to whine about it).

[Triscuitable]

I'm sorry? As far as I can tell, this is supposed to be a general discussion thread for Borderlands 2. That should surely include the aspects of the game we DON'T like as well as those we do. (And note I have something like 180 hours played in Borderlands 2 so far, so it's not like I played it for an hour, didn't like it, and have come here to whine about it).

Here's what I think: just bashing the New Game Plus because it's more of a grind (it wasn't, at least, not in both times I ran through it as Maya and Gaige) isn't a fun topic. That's what I was referring to. The argument could stretch for pages and go absolutely nowhere.

[Anteros]

As opposed to the no discussion at all that's been going on for the last month.

[Triscuitable]

As opposed to the no discussion at all that's been going on for the last month.

We had nothing to talk about. Now we have tons to discuss, and everyone goes straight to the negative.

[Logic]

So, besides Crazy Earl, and access to the Raid bosses, what can you spend Eridium on? I am carrying 99, have all my SDUs, and only level 41.

If there is nothing else to buy with it, is there some kind of Raid boss sign up sheet? I can't take them on alone! (Or perhaps at all.)

(I play on X-Box as a Commando primarily. GT Yakostovian)

[Triscuitable]

The DLC next week raises capcity to 500, and lets you buy bigger backpack, bank, and ammo SDUs from Crazy Earl at a massive sum of Eridium each.

[Kesnit]

So... new character:

Spoiler

Show

Krieg the Psycho

I've got to say, I'm a little disappointed. I was hoping for something a little more original than a reskinned Badass Psycho. It seems like another Brick from the first game or a combination of Salvador and Zer0 in the sequel.

Then again, it is still very early with very little information about skill trees and stuff.

Maybe more information will peak my interest.

Spoiler

Show

For me, the idea of a really tanky-melee character is right up my alley. Brick was my favorite character in BL1, and Zer0 just doesn't have the same feel.

[Tergon]

I feel the need to express my childlike delight at getting a Commando to level 50. Phaselocking an enemy with a levelled Siren is hugely entertaining; getting a string of headshots or trigging multiple Decepti0ns as an Assassin is huge fun; and Gunzerking is, well, Gunzerking, which is the highest compliment there is to give. And I thought that having a turret do my shooting for me might not be that much fun.

Having two turrets that fire for a ridiculously long time, add rockets to said long firing time, attach to any surface I arbitrarily look at and say, "That's a good spot," and do so from the safety of beehive shields? I'm giggling like a child as I watch them shred literally anything I throw them at. And the knowledge that with the new level cap, I'll be able to add a second, slag-firing gun to each turret... it's like setting a kid loose in a candy shop, then giving him the deed to it.

But, while this has been of tremendous value against all enemies and even against Terramorphous and Vermivorous the Respectively Invincibles, I'm also perfectly aware that when I must fight the True Vault Hunter Mode version of The Warrior, my turrets will merrily plug Rakks and Crystalisks and ignore the big guy until he inevitably swats 'em down like flies. So I'm curious if anyone here has found a way to take down The Warrior as a Commando without resorting to a full Skill Respec and then sniping at him from a safe spot like a poor man's Assassin? Because while I know I can do that - and do it pretty easily - I'd rather sort of stay true to my build and do it "right", you know?

So... any tips?

[mangosta71]

Well, if you shoot all the rakks and crystalisks, the turrets won't have any targets other than the boss....

That's probably not the solution you're looking for, though. I haven't played my commando enough to be sure how turret aggro works. If they shoot at whatever's closest to them, you should be able to position them so that the Warrior is the closest thing to them.

[Dire Ferret]

So... any tips?

I've got a similar Commando build and I did fine just throwing out my turrets and letting them shoot whatever while I focused down the Warrior.

[Reynard]

Well, if you shoot all the rakks and crystalisks, the turrets won't have any targets other than the boss....

That's probably not the solution you're looking for, though. I haven't played my commando enough to be sure how turret aggro works. If they shoot at whatever's closest to them, you should be able to position them so that the Warrior is the closest thing to them.

Well, the rakks and crystalisks are infinite, so that first solution sadly doesn't work, and there aren't really any places where the turrets can be close enough to the warrior to choose to shoot at it, except for the first place it emerges.

[mangosta71]

Well, the rakks and crystalisks are infinite, so that first solution sadly doesn't work,

Thus "that's probably not the solution you're looking for."

[factotum]

I think the turrets are probably hard-coded to NOT shoot at the Warrior regardless of what else is going on--however, the Warrior is not a particularly difficult foe to take down so long as you can avoid his main attacks, so you might as well stay with turret spec and use the best weapon you've got to attack the big guy.

[pffh]

The Rakk attacking turrets will also instantly get you a second wind if you go down so there is that to help you fight him.

[NeoVid]

And (until one particular glitch is fixed) if you really want to render the sacks-o'-HP issue moot (and don't mind being a little underhanded about it) ...

Spoiler

Show

1. Acquire an Evil Smasher (from the Marcus quest that sends you to Sawtooth Cauldron).
2. Acquire any non-launcher gun that is not the Evil Smasher. A Vladof Infinity is best due to not needing ammo, but most anything is fine.
3. Equip the Smasher in (for example) Slot 2. Other slots work, but with R as reload, 2 is convenient for what follows.
4. Equip the other gun in (for example) Slot 3. Other slots work, but yadda yadda yadda.
5. Fire 1 round from the Smasher.
6. Assuming the guns are in the slots I mentioned, press R, 3, and 2 (in that order) in quick succession. "Fast Enough" leaves you with a not-reloaded Smasher, with the Slot 3 gun never appearing onscreen (though its stats card will likely pop up in the corner). On XBox/PS3/PC-with-controller, substitute the appropriate reload/gun-slot buttons.
7. There may have been a large explosion effect obscuring your view during Step 6. This is normal, and is part of the red-text effect of the Smasher. If it occurs, you may note that the clip size of the Smasher increased significantly (and, simultaneously, also the fire rate, damage, and accuracy).
8. Repeat Step 6 several times. The explosion effect mentioned in Step 7 should start occurring with increasing frequency (and increasing visual lag). Due to the glitch invoked by Step 6, you should notice the Smasher's clip size slowly climbing.
9. When your clip is absurdly deep (and repeating Step 6 is unbearably laggy), switch to and stay on the Slot 3 gun. You can use other weapons as well, but avoid switching to and/or reloading the Smasher. As a Gunzerker, avoid reloading your left-hand weapon while 'zerking.
10. With this method and no other cheats or exploits, I have personally killed Lv 50 Hyperius before he can drop his first Nova -- meaning I could theoretically kill him 100 times an hour ... if I felt like it, and if not for the growing loot pile causing unholy amounts of lag. Pete, Vermi, and Vorac are similarly near-trivial, but Gee is still a horribly-designed slog.

Why, yes, GLaDOS, I am a horrible person. Does make farming Seraphs trivially easy, though.

Wish I had known about this trick long ago, I tried using it two days ago and all of a sudden, the game was excessively fun again. Solo killing Pete at level 45 was good for an evil laugh, also.

[Triscuitable]

Wish I had known about this trick long ago, I tried using it two days ago and all of a sudden, the game was excessively fun again. Solo killing Pete at level 45 was good for an evil laugh, also.

It's been patched. Hooray for rebalancing!

[Tergon]

So, my advice on fighting the Warrior as a Turret-Focused Commando is this:

Ouch and Don't.

In TVHM it spawns approximately 8.2 billion Volcanic Crystalisks per second, and the turrets shoot at these pretty much nonstop - and do nothing, which means you're getting sprayed with flechettes and exploding crystals. When the turrets have breathing space away from the Crystalisks, they'll instead shoot the occasional Rakk, ensuring that a dozen of those swarm you as well. What you can be certain of is the turrets will absolutely NOT shoot at the Warrior, who lacks the courtesy to not attack you in return.

Fortunately my Run-Like-A-Little-Bitch Style Kung Fu was strong, and I killed the Warrior by shooting out his chest plates and lobbing some Longbow Sticky MIRV grenades into the hole while peppering him with assault rifle fire. It was long and painful, but I only died once (annoyingly, I had him at one-quarter health, and he fully heals in TVHM, the bugger) before getting the kill.

I suspect that respeccing to make myself a more formidable fighter rather than relying on the turret would be a much better move. Which is a shame, but I guess that's fair - an Engineer build that enhances turrets is ridiculously overpowered against every other enemy in the game. If it was effective against the Warrior as well, that'd be stupidly unbalanced. And I have at least proved it's possible, if highly impractical and sub-optimal.