I'm on a PUBG binge lately. I can't get enough of the mad rush to pick up guns and shoot the heck out of everyone in the vicinity.
What I CAN do without is the monotony of not finding gear, waiting to find other players, and sitting in a bush waiting out the play areas to shrink.
Here's something we haven't touched on almost ever on the blog... H1Z1. Daybreak wants H1Z1 to be faster-paced and more action-packed than its competitor PUBG according to their newest H1Z1 roadmap.
Our vision is for H1Z1 to be the dominant fast-paced, action packed game in the genre. This is what sets H1Z1 apart from its competition. PUBG is very clearly a slow paced, tactical experience. And they have certainly delivered on that vision. But ours has always been and will continue to be based on fast paced & action packed moment to moment gameplay. In the coming months, all of the updates and features we bring to the game will be driving towards fully delivering on this vision.
Their goal to achieve this faster gameplay sounds good to me.
Having really never played H1Z1, I'll put these improvements into context of PUBG.
Streamlined picking up of items? Needed.
More vehicles? Probably okay where we're at.
Easier to locate and get into action? I'd like that.
Airdrops we're good.
Upgrades to enhance base weaponry are probably okay, though some general improvement would be nice.
The biggest improvements of all would be to enhance getting gear and getting into the action. While true that PUBG is designed to be a little slower-paced and there is an element of ambushing going on, I feel like most of the games run a little stale after the 15 minute mark.
Interestingly, H1Z1 also published a pacing chart to show how they'd like the games to play out.
Maybe it's just me... but this is what my PUBG already feels like. If H1Z1 wants to be faster and more action oriented, then it's probably a better idea to cut to the chase at 2x this speed.
I want to hit the ground, grab some items, and immediately fight. Not that I need a way to 'find the action' because there has to be an element of survival, but I want to fight more.
Lately I have intentionally been dropping on the heavy-action areas. I'll go out of my way to drop on the military base or the school. I like those games where I'm either the one to come out on top, or I die in the first 2 minutes.
If H1Z1 wants to set a pacing that already looks as slower or slower than PUBG, I don't know that I'd jump in.
In fact, I need PUBG to speed things up a little bit. PUBG needs less 'hide in a building and home someone opens that door I'm aiming my shotgun at for 10 minutes' and more of the 'I see lots of people running around let's see who I can hit with my shotgun before they down me'.
Seems like a scramble to stay relevant in the face of PUBG taking so many players away. Not sure it’s the right direction, especially as you said, their overall timeline is the same pace as PUBG now. Also I’m not sure a lot of people overall want to play a battle royale game more focused on item tiers/power vs shooting skill and strategy.
As for PUBG itself, like you also said, if you want instant action, drop school. You get it every time. But the fact that most people DON’T drop school/base every game tells you that most people don’t play PUBG for that instant action, at least not all the time (it’s fun to do as a warmup with the groups I play with).
Finally, I think anyone sitting in a building for multiple minutes is either new to the game and hasn’t figured it out yet, or a rare breed of player. It’s just not that common, mostly because of how boring it is, and how ineffective it is for actually winning a game.
Lately in my games most people are dropping school and military base. With 100 people in a game, I see 33% or more dropping to a populated area. Within the first 5 minutes 50 people are dead. It’s been increasingly popular to drop for action.
I do notice lately that when there are <30 people remaining, I most often die when entering a building to a camper. I've started fragging through windows before entering a house and flashing grenading when I go upstairs. I've also started doing the 'open a door and peak but then immediately duck back' strat. Learned it from people doing it to me and it works. They'll shoot thinking you're coming in, and you've just made them reveal their position.
Duo games differ in the late game. Most duo games I die < 30 people and it's because another duo set up a kill box in a ghost town. I roll in thinking no one is there, or I even sneak in, just to die to a squad that split up one person on each side of the street.
Are you playing NA FFP or 3rd? In FFP I don’t experience what you are saying in terms of camping houses early/mid game in duo/squad games. Late game if a set of buildings is in ideal circle position, yes, but that’s far more situational.
In terms of dropping to populated area, I think that’s a bit different than jumping into a brawlfest like school. School is where you go for a low chance to survive, but instant action. Dropping into a town along the flight path still likely means a few enemies, but the odds of coming out and being in a good spot to win are also much higher, so IMO they are two different things.
NA FFP here. It’s mostly house camping < 30 people remaining, which in my games feels like the halfway point in terms of time spent.
Military and School are all-out slugfests and the first person to grab a shotgun wins.
Towns are all different unless you get a game that cuts the continent on a corner and everyone is at crates.
My strategy with PUBG has simply been to aim for a LZ with a vehicle 🙂 The best is when I can score a buggy, I proceed to just tear around the map screaming VALHALLA!!!! and attempting to run someone over. Usually I get nailed with a head shot but I love the buggy in FFP.. so crazy. Sometimes I get lucky and get a vehicle right near where the AFKers drop and can score a bunch of kills super fast. The biggest issue though is I end up with no weapons and have to run into buildings later in the match totally unarmed.
Ending up with no weapons is my biggest gripe. If that can be tuned just a tad without making it feel like the gearing up phase is pointless, I’ll be happy.
I’m also a buggy fan. I love when a good Mad Max scene is reenacted.
Ever go out to the spawn lobby island AFTER you land on the map? I managed to get out there the other day via a boat and it was loaded with gear. I even made it back to the main island before dying in the circle of death. Of course I was sniped shortly thereafter but still pretty neat to explore.
I’ve never been out there, but I’ve always wondered what it was! That’s pretty cool to know it’s the starting island.
I kid you not I was running around on it for a good 2 minutes before I realized that was what it was. Usually when I am in the lobby I take that time to grab a beverage or something so I had not seen much of it before.