Some Arc Raiders players feel cheated by the rewards for taking part in the game's first Expedition project—essentially the first major voluntary character wipe—while others are just happy to be able to reset and get back to collecting.
The Arc Raiders Embark studio has been pretty transparent since the jump. what is an expedition project and will continue to be: an option for raiders who feel like they've seen and done it all to start over. Again, this is voluntary, so you have the choice to ignore it all and continue doing what you're doing, but there are some rewards for those who choose to participate. And here's the thing: there are a lot of players who don't think the rewards were worth it.
Another Redditor shared their reaction to the new cosmetics, saying it's “kind of a bummer” that the only customization options available for the outfit are toggles to turn off glasses and headwear, while other outfits allow you to change various elements. This seems to be the most common complaint coming from the contingent of Arc Raiders players firmly on the “it's not worth it” side of the debate.
“I don't care about high level weapons, I'm good with stitcher, ferro and anvil,” said another disgruntled raider. “However, not having workbenches and then having to upgrade them again to get a premium module or higher level utilities is more onerous than I expected. Turns out I just don't feel like going through this whole “gathering” thing anymore and just want to focus on PVP, where ideally you already have everything in place to quickly craft things that will give you a slight edge in PVP. So, for now, until I find the right motivation… I have to admit, I'm putting myself in a position where I have less motivation to play.
I would not participate in the expedition again.”
On the other hand, most of the top comments in the embedded Reddit thread above support expeditions as an option, rather than a requirement, for resetting progress.
“Honestly, I understand why people moan about how it's not worth it, but as a thirty-something gamer, I find the whole thing hilarious,” he said. one gamer in his thirties. “The expedition is a voluntary reset. This is a “prestige” mechanic for people who have already seen and done everything.
“Why do we treat a video game like a 401k? If you don't like using your equipment because you're worried about the “value” you lose when you reset, you've stopped playing the game and started working a second job.”
Other players feel completely liberated.
“Honestly, rebooting feels more liberating than I thought it would. I'm actually glad I did it. Starting from scratch, with the knowledge that I have now, it will be a completely new experience,” one said. “And also, yes, the leather is cool. I'm glad I have it.”
The confusion at the center of the controversy seems to be whether the point of the expeditions themselves is character resets or the rewards waiting on the other side. There seem to be enough of those who feel that the rewards don't justify the sacrifice to potentially force Embark to rethink these rewards, while others view expeditions as simply optional destruction with the possibility of nominal loot and perks serving as a bonus incentive. Essentially a glass half empty or glass half full deal.
I'd pick Arc Raiders and The Alters from GOTY until I discovered what they had in common.
