#8

It is. I’ve only more recently started to give back to this community and the forum a bit more, (some not so good like some of the rubbish Haiku’s i wrote for @Jefe 's post, soz mate) or just taking the time to read some other posts and watch some vids that people have done.

I read the post and watched the vids that @Sun_Tsunami did on his journey through the Peak to OP8. I also started to read the entirety of @Handsome_Dad 's post, What did you do in BL2 during your most recent session? (nearly 8000 in total now) and learned a lot so far, not to mention if i didn’t do that i would have missed things like post # 1655 which need to be viewed and hopefully discovered one day myself.

Checking out all the amazing Time Trial stuff, too many awesome people to mention there that not only entertain me, but inspire me to try new things.

Then there’s all the builds to try, and even things like seeing a mate @SixelA post his first vids on the forum just the other day. These things and many others bring me enjoyment, and hopefully others also and are just a few more thing’s that keep me around and playing BL2…I just love it :grin:

3 Likes
#9

Three different things keep me playing this game:

  1. Maya. The combat flow and loop is addictive and I love it

  2. Completionism. I enjoy playing the game enough that I want to do everything, and even though I have 69/69 achievements, I’ve never gotten Axton or Gaige to 72, let alone OP levels.

  3. It keeps me connected to one of my high school friends with whom I quite enjoy playing co-op and our playstyles synergize quite well.

5 Likes
#10

image

Forgive me if I have not posted the above snip correctly.

I disagree with this somewhat as I took all but my Krieg solo to OP8, Krieg being as different as he is I seconded friends on the last two runs to help where I failed. Sure there are other ways less satisfying to get there also but you don’t need to be amazing just patient, not everything is a speed run, again it is down to knowing the character and what to use along with how and when to use it. This all plays into the sustainability of the game which is the subject topic, get up and try again and again lol.

Personally I look at the peak as a game of chess whether solo or co-op, each run very different even if only slightly but still different and have a play for scenarios you may have already encountered.

5 Likes
#11

That means you’re amazingly good then! I got to 5 solo & I’ve done 6 with an op8. I haven’t tried further. I think anyone that can solo op8 is highly skilled. I’m not sure, but several vids I’ve seen all appear to be on pc, so maybe pc is better (therefore easier?) than xbox?

1 Like
#12

I am not amazing, far from it, smashed many a controller in :rage: quit, there are plenty on the forums here who have also completed solo runs with their characters main or secondary. It certainly is as you imply where it cannot be completed in the one session, it takes re-farming to remain on par should mules from previous ventures not have gear to assist with the next sitting hence the good thread this is, “what sustains you”, challenge for sure. I would say also it is the same for friends I have played with who constantly farm BA rank challenges, that is their sustenance.

I would imagine it is all the same difficulty wise on game play, I play the HC on Xbone currently and 360 prior never played on PC.

2 Likes
#13

The variety that offers the game.
You can go through different emotional states, laughing at Claptrap’s monologue before reaching Hero’s Pass, and then crying with Tina during the end scene of the TTAODK DLC … and laugh again at Claptrap in the same scene.

And even if Borderlands 2 is not an open world, the only real limitations that exist in the game are defined by you, your imagination, what you want to accomplish and how you want to do it.
There are a multitude of builds and gear to play with. Also there are many constraints you can add to spice up the game : running an allegiance toon, using only the loot dropped by ennemies, playing with stuff from vendor machines, using only white/green/blue quality gear, etc …

As previously mentionned, the community, the GBX forums, Youtube I guess too, keep older players active. Maybe not by playing 40 hours per week as in 2012 when the game is out, but by helping new members, providing advice, compiling data, creating new way to kill a boss, making videos, etc …

I’ve never played BL2 on console but I guess it’s not easier on PC than on console. There are probably some differences, like the fire rate/damage limitation but nothing that makes the game way easier on PC. What makes the Peak hard, tedious imho, is the time spent to farm again and again the same stuff to pass through some levels (depends the gear and the character you are playing) before repeating the same process till you’ve reached the final OP level.

1 Like
#14

First of all, because it’s just fun to play. Most of my farming is purely for sport. Shooting things and collecting loot is relaxing. I also love the world and the humor.

6 Likes
#15

Couldn’t agree more!

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#16

Great post and thread, some interesting reading in here :slight_smile:
What sustains me is my own personal insanity! I’ve played Borderlands 2 on and off since it’s release, and play it more now than I ever have. I put that down to the fact that modern games are mostly awful and/or multiplayer only, or that pretend choice you get in some games. I’m glad I can play BL2 on newer hardware with an FoV slider and all that good stuff, but otherwise i’d say gaming died last console generation.

This game keeps giving. I’m sure (in fact I know) i’m not alone here in saying I still to this day see things i’ve never seen before, and given that most games that exist show you everything inside 5 hours these days, I call that a win.

2 Likes
#17

Farming ultimate gear ultimately. However I haven’t got it all yet, might as well start experimenting with all of that gear a lot more and continue playing after I complete that goal.

Lately almost everything I do is farming Buttstallion, because it’s so easy to keep pressing that single button while something else, like listening to videos, reading books, writing stuff, thinking abot things. So it’s more like I’m playing Borderlands on background.

1 Like
#18

I second this. 6 very different characters with a huge variety of builds that can completely change the way the game plays.

Absolutely! The Gearbox community is second to none.

For me ,
There always seems to be something new to try and even now I find things I’ve never seen before.
I’m currently trying to do a 100percent on a character for the first time , as well as developing my first Zero.

1 Like
#19

1- I’ve still yet to get a Hawkeye, mainly because I hate Vora :rage:
2- All of my O6 VH reached OP8 via a game glitch that has since been removed. As such, I want to see how good I really am, which meant starting all new characters with THC and seeing how far I can get. So far the new Sal has reached OP8 and the new Gaige is at OP7- just for my own personal integrity I want to see what I can legitimately do here :innocent:

5 Likes
#20

Hello there!

Excellent topic :grin:

As many stated, I love the character diversity which allows to enjoy truly different experiences with the game; Krieg is my beloved butchering punk but I’ve loved playing Melee Zer0, Pistolero Sal and Anarchist Gaige;

Other than that, I love to get new skins and heads, complete challenges (as it forces you to try out new gear) and most of all the multiplayer experience because VHs complete one another oh so well :grinning:
Like Legendary Sickle and Legendary Nurse go together like peanut butter and maple syrup :innocent:

As @AMG_75 punched right into it, the humor and atmosphere of the series makes playing the game very relaxing and highly enjoyable.

3 Likes
#21

This irks me somewhat. It maddens & saddens me in equal measure when I start another Maya (I have 8 so far, she’s my fav) and it says 24/26 heads (I think) and something like 86/96 skins. I wish there was a way to know what I’m missing. BL3 should, a year after release say, have a tool where it would tell you what you’re missing & how to find them, rather than scour the wiki. I should stop being lazy & look them up…

#22

As has been mentioned, it’s the combat variety available in the game that does it for me. We have all the characters’, their respective skill trees, different builds among these skill trees, different playstyles used with each of these builds, different gear sets used with these playstyles to choose from. We can take these characters to a huge variety of different maps with many different enemy types and unique challenge sets. Here is how I roll:

  • I have eight characters to choose from; one for each manufacturer (I play allegiance); two Commandos, Sirens, Mechromancers, and Assassins. (I also have a Gunzerker that I tool around with sometimes, but no Psycho). This allegiance only applies to guns, grenades, and shields (not COMs); COMs define one’s playstyle, and don’t adhere to any single dimension unique to the manufacturer, and that would limit my playstyle options without an interesting return.

  • Each character is mandated to use a) every Unique piece of gear available from their respective manufacturers (plus whatever else they see fit), and b) a different build from the other similar character, specifically, they can’t share more than one capstone. One of my Sirens (Hyperion) uses a Thoughtlock/Sub Sequence build, where the other (Tediore) uses a Scorn/Life Tap build. One of my Mechromancers (Bandit) uses an Anarchy build, where the other (Maliwan) uses a Little Big Trouble build. The playstyles between any two character doppelgangers is noticeably different, due to both the different build and distinct gear sets.

  • Each Unique piece of gear is fitted to a unique combat niche, so they all have a role, requiring me to use everything. I get to use a single Pimpernel, but I also have to use a Vladof Rocketeer (or whatever grenade/shield/gun one considers the “worst”). It’s up to me to figure out how to make these work in combat.

  • There are a bit over 75 different maps available (between the stock game, the DLCs, and the Headhunter packs). I don’t need to tell you how different these can be, given their routing options, enemy availability/density, environmental hazards, side mission options, secrets/easter eggs, and difficulty ratings. A romp through Southern Shelf is a much different game than a slog through Sawtooth Cauldron, for example.

  • In each of these maps, there are a number of things I will do, generally in this order unless I’m in the mood for something specific:

    • Story mission (if I’ve restarted UVHM, and have a story mission to complete, that’s first).
    • Side mission (if more than one is available, I pick whatever sounds fun at the moment).
    • Map challenges (if these are starting to get full, I’ll work on BAR challenges)
    • BAR challenges (if these are starting to get full, I’ll focus on these until I can prestige, and reset them).
    • Map purge (usually combined with one of the above; everything on the map dies, and all chests/secrets are hit).

To facilitate this, I have a spreadsheet with all my characters and all the map options. It randomly chooses a character/map set, which I load and go through the priority list above for that map. Say my Bandit allegiance Mechromancer (built around Anarchy) rolls Tundra Express, where she’ll be dealing primarily with flesh-based enemies. Now let’s say she’s done with the storyline but Tina has a couple of side missions open, and we pick the Pretty Good Train Robbery. Maybe she does this with melee (using With Claws, some bladed thing, and a healthy dose of stacks). Maybe she plays close-range shotgun (Anarchy’s specialty). Maybe she plays ranged combat (with the Sawbar and Tinderbox). Maybe she lets Deathtrap handle everything, and she plays a support role. Maybe she puts on the Hide of Terra shield and plays shield offense (with Blood Soaked Shields and Unstoppable Force, it works). Maybe she does it King of the Hill style by assuming a position on top of some high point, and defending it while taking everyone out per the mission.

Think about how many different things there are to do among the characters, builds, maps, gear, enemy types, and combat styles the game has to offer through the lens I described above. If you only have a single character with one build, and four weapons that you use every time, you’ll run out of things to do after a while, but not for any fault of the game’s.

That said, here are some extra-curricular things that I like to do just because they’re available:

  • Non-Summoner Summoner: enrage a Goliath and run support for it, kiting it through the map and enemies as necessary to finish the mission. It’s surprising how far you can get them to go sometimes.

  • Teen Wolf: Go to the Dust from the Three Horns Valley entrance. At the vehicle spawn there, spawn two vehicles. Leave one behind, and drive the other straight to the exit to the Eridium Blight, and wait there. As soon as you hear the Cara Van come calling, it’s either right in front of you (unlikely), in which case, use the nearby Catch a Ride to teleport to the other vehicle, and catch them on the other side of the map. In either case, you want to take out the guards as soon as possible upon the spawn of the Cara Van. When the Cara Van stops, hop on, and wait a minute. It will eventually resume its drive across the Dust. Your job is to ride on it, taking out all the enemies you can, and without getting knocked off, kind of like a moving King of the Hill. It’s a snap if you’re using a rocket launcher; less so if you’re using, for example, a shotgun.

  • Scavenger Trap: go to a map that has Scavengers running around. Kill everyone except the Scavenger (and pick up at least a few pieces of trash loot while you’re at it). Find some lethal environmental hazard (a slag barrel won’t work, but a cliff will, for example). Drop the loot near the hazard, and use it as bait to get the Scavenger into a precarious position, then finish him. Use Nuke, Execute, Fistful of Hurt, or some low-fuse Singularity grenade for the execution. It’s tricky, but somehow satisfying to use their drive for loose loot against them (and environmental kills are always fun).

  • King of the Hill: on any given map, find a high point that’s not too protected, and not too exposed, in the middle of some enemy camp. Charge in, stand on that thing, and take everything out without getting knocked off.

8 Likes
#23

This! Borderlands is there and I know what it is, but there’s a suitably incredible number of deviations within it to be both familiar and exploratory (I’m still discovering and trying new things after over 4000 hours). Without self-analysing too deeply, I also feel a lot more in control of my Pandoran gameplay - in comparison to a stressful and mentally demanding outside life I can really narrow my focus on Pandora and it’s really my world. I often have it on in the background to dip into when I’m writing my thesis. Plus Krieg is always sympathetic when I’ve had a tough day.

More practically, I like using a big range of gear and there’s so many possibilities. If I just stuck with ‘the YouTube meta’ at OP8 I’d get bored. I like allegiance characters as these have really provoked me into using new gear and play styles I would not have thought of (my Bandit Siren kicks ass). I’ve tried other stuff too - two one-lifers (sadly deceased), a character who only uses mission rewards, a purely melee Maya (‘bullets are for getting back up’). I enjoy all three modes so don’t usually rush to level them all up.

And lastly there’s the coop aspect. I’ve made some genuinely brilliant friendships through bl2 and doing mad stuff with great people never gets old.

5 Likes
#24

I have to try this!

1 Like
#25

The community keeps me going. That’s YOU, motherlovers! It’s also not a hollow statement. There have been countless occasions on which I’ve felt flat, popped by here or to various YouTube channels I subscribe to, and found inspiration to get back to Pandora and try something. Sometimes, it’s from vets like Derch or Demonite. Other times, it’s from people who approach this game in a very different way, like Adabiviak or hattie. Still other times, it’s because of a post or pm from a less known or new community member whose enthusiasm gets me fired up.

Off the top of my head:

Man of Low Moral Fiber’s particular way of narrating his videos sucked me in and shaped my entire process for problem solving the Peak.

Derch and Chuck80 made me want to find a way to contribute to the community in a very ‘pay it forward’ kind of way.

Kurtdawg’s unbridled enthusiasm and powerful “just happy to be here!” attitude infected me long ago. Waaaaay more than he knows.

Adabiviak and Slif_One have unknowingly been inspirations with their marked, firm insistence on doing this ■■■■ their own way.

…and seeing guys like Vinterbris come in at one level of development as a player, dig in, and push through to the next… that has never stopped keeping me excited.

Each person here puts their own stamp on this community, and I have to admit that I feed off of that.

9 Likes
#26

Gaige

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#27

Combat variety, massive gear selection and possibilities, co-op gameplay, progression, the community patch, the amount of resources available, and the amazing forum community.

1 Like