Lately, my time with The Division has dwindled. That’s partly because I’ve had other games to play, but mostly because I’ve lost interest in the endgame grind. I still fundamentally like playing the game, so I’ve been looking for ways to spice things up.
Maybe you’re in the same boat? If so, perhaps you’ve resorted to increasingly elaborate farming methods, or fallen into the endless hunt for high-end Division tech, or maybe you and your friends made alt characters to troll the low-level Dark Zone. Doubtless you’re looking forward to the new modes that Ubisoft will be adding to the game soon, and holding out hope for an update that raises the difficulty of enemies in the PvE open world.
Ever since I got my character a solid set of gear and got my DPS well above 100k, I’ve been stuck in a weird imbalance between the daily “hard” missions and the daily “challenge” mission. When I do a hard mission with a matchmade group, we plow through it with hilarious ease. Challenge missions, however, are still a real fight and can take 30-45 minutes to finish. I’ve been missing a middle ground.
To that end: These days when I play the daily hard missions, I play them solo. They’re still not all that hard, but they’re much more interesting and enjoyable when I play them on my own versus playing with a group. I actually have to use cover and tactics, and feel like I’m getting the most out of my gear. Levels no longer feel like a bullet-strewn clusterfuck where my team steamrolls through to the end. I can take my time and enjoy some of the little touches that make the various areas interesting, and can experiment with solo tactics against enemies who can take at least a little punishment. It’s not the most efficient way to get through the mission and earn my 15 Phoenix Credits, but it’s fun, and right now I care more about fun.
For a few weeks, it didn’t even occur to me to try going solo, so I figured some of you might not have tried it, either. Your mileage may vary, of course, but it’s not a bad way to go if you want to spice up your solo time with the game.
If you have any other similar tips—things you’ve been doing or experimental ways you’ve been playing—I’d love to hear them.