That means youāre amazingly good then! I got to 5 solo & Iāve done 6 with an op8. I havenāt tried further. I think anyone that can solo op8 is highly skilled. Iām not sure, but several vids Iāve seen all appear to be on pc, so maybe pc is better (therefore easier?) than xbox?
1 Like
I am not amazing, far from it, smashed many a controller in 
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, āwhat sustains youā, 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
SixelA
(Mastering Google Translate like no one else)
#13
The variety that offers the game.
You can go through different emotional states, laughing at Claptrapās monologue before reaching Heroās Pass, and then crying with Tina during the end scene of the TTAODK DLC ā¦ 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 ā¦
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 ā¦
Iāve never played BL2 on console but I guess itās 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 youāve reached the final OP level.
1 Like
AMG_75
(I punch him!)
#14
First of all, because itās 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
Vinterbris
(Legendary Lunatic)
#16
Great post and thread, some interesting reading in here 
What sustains me is my own personal insanity! Iāve played Borderlands 2 on and off since itās 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. Iām glad I can play BL2 on newer hardware with an FoV slider and all that good stuff, but otherwise iād say gaming died last console generation.
This game keeps giving. Iām sure (in fact I know) iām not alone here in saying I still to this day see things iāve 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
mlociks
(Matīss Lociks)
#17
Farming ultimate gear ultimately. However I havenāt 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 itās so easy to keep pressing that single button while something else, like listening to videos, reading books, writing stuff, thinking abot things. So itās more like Iām playing Borderlands on background.
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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 Iāve never seen before.
Iām currently trying to do a 100percent on a character for the first time , as well as developing my first Zero.
1 Like
1- Iāve still yet to get a Hawkeye, mainly because I hate Vora
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 
5 Likes
SpicyHiro
(HOTHOTHOT CHOPS)
#20
Hello there!
Excellent topic 
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 Iāve 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 
Like Legendary Sickle and Legendary Nurse go together like peanut butter and maple syrup
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
This irks me somewhat. It maddens & saddens me in equal measure when I start another Maya (I have 8 so far, sheās 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 Iām missing. BL3 should, a year after release say, have a tool where it would tell you what youāre missing & how to find them, rather than scour the wiki. I should stop being lazy & look them upā¦
Adabiviak
(Guajiro PandoreƱo)
#22
As has been mentioned, itās the combat variety available in the game that does it for me. We have all the charactersā, 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:
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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 oneās playstyle, and donāt adhere to any single dimension unique to the manufacturer, and that would limit my playstyle options without an interesting return.
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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 canāt 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.
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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 āworstā). Itās up to me to figure out how to make these work in combat.
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There are a bit over 75 different maps available (between the stock game, the DLCs, and the Headhunter packs). I donāt 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.
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In each of these maps, there are a number of things I will do, generally in this order unless Iām in the mood for something specific:
- Story mission (if Iāve restarted UVHM, and have a story mission to complete, thatās 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, Iāll work on BAR challenges)
- BAR challenges (if these are starting to get full, Iāll 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 sheāll be dealing primarily with flesh-based enemies. Now letās say sheās 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 (Anarchyās 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, youāll run out of things to do after a while, but not for any fault of the gameās.
That said, here are some extra-curricular things that I like to do just because theyāre available:
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Non-Summoner Summoner: enrage a Goliath and run support for it, kiting it through the map and enemies as necessary to finish the mission. Itās surprising how far you can get them to go sometimes.
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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, itās 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. Itās a snap if youāre using a rocket launcher; less so if youāre using, for example, a shotgun.
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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 youāre at it). Find some lethal environmental hazard (a slag barrel wonāt 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. Itās tricky, but somehow satisfying to use their drive for loose loot against them (and environmental kills are always fun).
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King of the Hill: on any given map, find a high point thatās 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
Hattie
(Sloth in the time of corona)
#23
This! Borderlands is there and I know what it is, but thereās a suitably incredible number of deviations within it to be both familiar and exploratory (Iām 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 itās really my world. I often have it on in the background to dip into when Iām writing my thesis. Plus Krieg is always sympathetic when Iāve had a tough day.
More practically, I like using a big range of gear and thereās so many possibilities. If I just stuck with āthe YouTube metaā at OP8 Iād 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). Iāve tried other stuff too - two one-lifers (sadly deceased), a character who only uses mission rewards, a purely melee Maya (ābullets are for getting back upā). I enjoy all three modes so donāt usually rush to level them all up.
And lastly thereās the coop aspect. Iāve made some genuinely brilliant friendships through bl2 and doing mad stuff with great people never gets old.
5 Likes
Handsome_Dad
(Wh-?! A mask?! This is tooootally my face! I... uh... )
#25
The community keeps me going. Thatās YOU, motherlovers! Itās also not a hollow statement. There have been countless occasions on which Iāve 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, itās from vets like Derch or Demonite. Other times, itās from people who approach this game in a very different way, like Adabiviak or hattie. Still other times, itās 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 Fiberās 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 āpay it forwardā kind of way.
Kurtdawgās unbridled enthusiasm and powerful ājust happy to be here!ā 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 ā ā ā ā their own way.
ā¦and seeing guys like Vinterbris come in at one level of development as a player, dig in, and push through to the nextā¦ 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
nombre
#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
I love the characters and gameplay.
I love looting and collecting stuff.
Love the visuals and world of Pandora.
Love all the crazy s*** you can do like kill an OP8 boss with the first gun you get in the game.
This might be the biggest one for me: the game is amazing for solo players and for co-op. Not many games are like that.
4 Likes
I will not stop playing until I get a cobra. And thatās that
6 Likes
I guess that means that you know how you will be spending the next 200 years. 
Good luck!
5 Likes
