TWID 2/22/2024

Another big TWID from the Crucible Strike Team. I'm not going to hit on everything in this summary just the big things.

TL;DR:

• Major changes to spawn locations to help avoid spawn traps. All of the offending maps get called out here. Some of this is already in the live game.
• Big maps will no longer have backfield spawns in non-Rift modes. (Think spawning in the "base" on Disjunction).
• 3 New Maps in May:
  • One on Europa
  • One on Neomuna
  • One in the Terraformed Pyramid Ship
• New maps are sized for 3v3 but will play on 6v6.
• More crafting materials already being rewarded for Crucible Matches
• Competitive Crucible will start dropping Artifice Armor.
• Trials gets a new Passage: Passage of Persistence that doesn't require going Flawless to cash it in for an Adept weapon. Wins will always add to your card. Losses will take away only one win.
  • Based on the wording I think you can still go flawless on this card which would mean you go to the lighthouse for an extra Adept drop like it works now.
• Passage of Ferocity will now reset to 3 wins instead of flawing the card if you have not yet gone flawless for the week.
• More non-adept trials drops for completions of matches as a fireteam of 3.
• New King of the Hill mode Collision coming. Hill rotates around 5 points on the map. Has a different Special Ammo meter system.
• IB Tribute getting changes. No more tracking players with max crests through the wall.
• Recap of last week's TWID about decreasing the skill gap.
• Lots of talk about Matchmaking that kind of goes over my head because I've been unable to keep up with how they do matchmaking over the years.
• Solo and Duo matchmaking staying in Trials to preserve matchmaking pool. Passage of Persistence should help solos feel like they're making progress.

Thoughts:

• The last two weeks have all sounded like good stuff for the health of Crucible. I like crucible but it's so god damn sweaty now that I won't play unless I'm with friends.
• Shifting optimal TTK to require more precision will make it feel like you're not dying as quick and hopefully make the game feel less cheap.
• Special ammo meter is a good solution to fix Special weapon spam without reverting us back to Y1 or otherwise changing the identity of PVP.
• The changes to Trials are a big highlight for me. I've been able to go flawless as a solo a few times but it's been a fucking STRUGGLE. Considering some of the best guns in the entire game are in Trials I'm glad they're giving people the ability to at least get ONE roll a week.