For as big as this game is, not many here seem to play the game. Buncha old farts that can't keep up with gunplay+building I guess!
Anyway, the lead-up to Season 5 is pretty cool so far...
Epic has created an ARG to bring in Season 5:
Reddit Threads on recent Developments (Spoiler for size):
Most common assessment is that the map is going to have a bunch of new locations from different times.. the Rocket Launch opened up a Time Rift and we have artifacts from the past popping into the world, currently a Viking Anchor and a Carriage from the Old West.
The crack in the sky keeps getting bigger, maybe the entire world is transported. Maybe they introduce a new map entirely.
The current map isn't going to completely change as there is a video competition by EPIC to create a video using the Season 4 Heros, winning submission will be played on Risky Reels movie screen (which is currently damaged).
So another assumption is Risky Reels will be repaired, maybe it is a past version of itself when the Drive-In was popular.
Also a bunch of locations have had Anomalies pop-up and take signage:
Lonely Lodge
Motel
Noms (Retail Row)
Durr Burger
Tomato Town
We're expecting that maybe all of these places will be transported to a past-self. A time before the Motel was decrepit, maybe Tomato Town is a future self where it is a bigger town/city. Lonely Lodge maybe not so lonely... etc.
Season 5 is Thursday.
I'm hyped. Season 4 went so fast.
Regarding balance & other things: I feel the game is in a pretty good spot right now. Gunplay is very balanced. You rarely see the Double-Shotgun strat now. SMGs are viable. Almost everything seems useful... The Pump might be the worst gun to have now. I'm always looking for a Tact/Heavy to replace my pump(s).
Drum Gun is used a lot too.
After playing over 1,200 matches in Season 4, I've accrued 20 solo wins and have come to realize a couple things:
- There's a ton of players much better than I, in every game.
- It would be contentious, but I'm almost wishing Epic would add MMR rating to their matchmaking.
- Learning the game is so daunting, players have advanced so much with their play, new players are going to have a shit time.
- I'd rather be some low-rated player playing against other low rated players, games would feel more fair, instead of feeling like I'm always against Ninja, and could possibly slowly improve due to gameplay being a little slower if against equal rated players.
Cons:
- Not being matched with people of all ratings means losing that feeling that the world is truly dangerous
- never having the opportunity to fight a top-500 player
- FortNite Fridays wouldn't be as good (probably). Players would have much less kills, couldnt be as aggressive
- Might learn slower, or not at all, if you never experience the "good" players.
- Wins mean less, rank means more, more e-peen stroking by kiddies.
- Winning would feel less special, right now a win feels amazing.
So yea, overall I think MMR matchmaking needs to come to help new players, but there are certainly some cons with it. I also think it would stop (some) camping. It's pretty crazy how far the game has come and how advanced players have become. Sometimes I run across the bad player, usually they land outside populated areas, or get killed off quickly in the populated spots, so running across build & gunplay experts is much more common if you last past the 5min mark.
Personally I've improved a ton in the 2.5 months and maybe will still improve, but it's a hard game and I don't have the time, nor young age, to keep up with most of the kids in this game.
