As the Marathon Server Slam Comes to an End, Bungie Acknowledges Ultra Fast TTK 'Is the Hot Topic' — but Some Players Like It Just the Way It Is

The Marathon Server Slam is coming to an end, and Bungie has outlined the assorted blistery topics players person surfaced up of launch.

Chief among them is TTK (time to kill), which is ultra accelerated successful Marathon. During the Server Slam, players recovered that they could beryllium killed highly quickly, with their shields and wellness barroom gone successful the blink of an eye. Enemy players are of people highly unsafe successful the extraction shooter, but the AI enemies are conscionable arsenic brutal. Turn astir the incorrect country and you tin find yourself eliminated earlier you tin react, the tally implicit and each your cogwheel mislaid forever.

“We've learned a batch from you, watched from the shadows arsenic you've deed snags oregon recovered moments of glory, and taken notes the full time,” Bungie said successful its Server Slam play feedback recap. “Your input during this clip has fixed america a batch of items to benignant done and we'll beryllium doing conscionable that successful the coming days, truthful convey you.”

Within PvP feedback, TTK is “the blistery topic,” Bungie acknowledged. “Some of you privation longer duels and much Runner contact, others are vibing with the existent pace. We're reviewing Runner density connected non-beginner maps and keeping a adjacent oculus connected however Perimeter and Dire Marsh consciousness each successful all.”

A speedy glimpse astatine the burgeoning Marathon assemblage shows a premix of players who privation Bungie to alteration the game’s TTK and players who privation the developer to permission it alone.

"You dice earlier you tin adjacent react," said 1 Marathon player. "I bask the crippled and the difficulty, but I consciousness similar it’s an inflated trouble with however accelerated the TTK is."

“I’m good with the TTK but it makes 70% of the abilities we person pointless,” said another. “We simply don’t get to usage them. Destroyer shield you would deliberation could prevention you if you get deed abruptly but it won’t arsenic by the clip the animation finished pulling it retired you’re dormant 2 times over. I would marque the TTK slower by having the tier 3/4 shields instrumentality an other 10%/15% harm and marque them expensive.”

“Base TTK should beryllium higher but is astir apt amended with higher tier shields? Weird that we weren't capable to trial this gameplay easy during this weekend,” said different fan.

"They truly needed to manus retired shields to players astatine an accelerated rate, conscionable for this Server Slam," suggested different player. "The TTK 'debate' is conscionable a effect of radical not being geared appropriately, dying successful 0.5 seconds, and reasoning this is however each Run successful the crippled volition yet be.

"If we had been fixed shields arsenic portion of immoderate introduction quest, oregon arsenic portion of a pre-release Sponsored Kit, radical wouldn't beryllium having this takeaway. Once you're geared appropriately TTK is hardly thing you're reasoning about, but I recognize radical not knowing what they don't cognize and this being their takeaway."

“My biggest fearfulness present is the TTK,” added another. “I’d ideate astir players won’t springiness it capable clip to set from different shooters and kick and Bungie volition alteration it. It’s large however it is and sets Marathon apart. Currently fights are accelerated and brutal. Apex yet got frustrating successful however radical could prolong a combat easy due to the fact that the TTK was excessively high.”

“Yes I anticipation they don't respond excessively powerfully to this point,” different said. “TTK is successful a bully spot close present I feel, it allows for clutch 1v2s and 1v3s successful a mode that precocious TTK wouldn't for astir players. Low TTK besides makes matches much tense, you person to enactment vigilant due to the fact that you tin get knocked precise easily. That said I deliberation they could tweak it ever truthful somewhat and it would inactive beryllium fine, I conscionable don't privation fights to crook into attrition matches due to the fact that it's excessively casual to tally and fell and heal repeatedly from conscionable taking a small damage.”

Please bash nary widen the TTK, it really rewards bully purpose and allows america to clutch up astonishing 1VX! pic.twitter.com/l3WAJbaTLj

Another constituent of feedback Bungie acknowledged was connected the med and ammo economy. Players person recovered some sets of items scarce, to the constituent wherever it’s casual to tally retired of ammo, especially, making Marathon an adjacent tougher acquisition than it already is. When you origin successful the in-game outgo associated with replenishing med and ammo items for each run, you tin spot wherefore some are precious commodities.

“We perceive you that meds are soaking a batch of your aboriginal loadout fund and that back-to-back fights tin chew done your med and ammo reserves beauteous quickly,” Bungie said. “We've seen immoderate folks for and against the Depleted items arsenic good — on with however rewarding drops disconnected of AI are. If you ran adust mid-fight oregon astatine a captious spot successful your Run, archer america each astir it!”

Bungie erstwhile again acknowledged the feedback connected Marathon’s UI, which has go thing of a sore constituent for a ample fig of players. “We bash program to proceed iterating post-launch and privation to marque definite that you're capable to easy navigate, work what's happening mid-fight, negociate your instrumentality effectively, and spot your pings without immoderate sound astir them,” Bungie confirmed.

And Bungie touched connected Marathon’s question and vigor generation: “Lots of chatter astir descent feel, momentum, and vigor alike. The communal asks are smoother descent transition, letting downhill velocity carry, and lowering vigor connected halfway question for cleaner chases and disengages. Keep your takes coming!”

Generally, it seems radical who are soldiering done Marathon’s punishing and initially confusing extraction gameplay are uncovering it rewarding. But immoderate judge it whitethorn beryllium excessively brutal for its ain bully and extremity up putting much casual players off, not conscionable due to the fact that of however hard it is, but due to the fact that of the clip and effort that volition intelligibly beryllium needed to support up with the hardcore subordinate base.

The Marathon Server Slam deed a highest Steam concurrent subordinate number of 143,621 erstwhile it launched past week, but somewhat surprisingly, that fig declined arsenic we worked done the weekend. Marathon deed a highest of 64,128 concurrents connected Sunday, conscionable a fewer days earlier Marathon goes connected merchantability priced $39.99 connected March 5. Of course, Steam concurrents bash not overgarment the full picture, and neither Sony nor Microsoft makes subordinate numbers public. It volition beryllium absorbing to spot however Marathon does astatine launch.

“Many Runners person maxed retired their Faction Rep, adopted a Rook oregon two, and braved the haunted hallways of Hauler,” Bungie said. “We've besides heard from radical saying the deeper they get into progression, the much amusive they are having. Tau Ceti tin beryllium unforgiving, and we can't hold to spot you adjacent week.”

Check retired IGN's Marathon reappraisal truthful acold to find retired what we think.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].