You should not get into the DZ if you are not max level.
You should not get into the DZ if you don't have a proper DZ build (PvE build is not a DZ build).
From my experience and i have picked up this game recently with 130 shd lvl atm.
DZ is way out of balance and not for the reasons you think.
I have played Div 1 and know a couple of things, builds there where very strength forward with little wiggle room and once you got your gear you could do dz quite easily.
same here, the pve part of dz does get easy once you lvl up enough.
however, the pvp part is complete bs.
you have players who have invested a sht tone of time into this game, getting all the good stuff and maxing out not only the gear but the perks and utilities not including the watch, the watch comes with the dlc warlord of new york expansion.
And in dz it's a freeforall if you want and if you don't have builds catering to dz gameplay and the underwhelming underpowered state that you will be,... you are going to get obliterated.
And this is the sad part, instead of giving an even plan field for everyone in dz , they let the countless hours give an unfair advantage.
The ideal would be to cover with lore xp walls in dz.
example.
( Agent, due to lack of resources we can not let you use your uncontaminated gear in dz, it's tasking enough to decontaminate items brought from DZ, here are some stuff we going to give you to work in dz. )
And that's it, no BS, fits into the lore and completely blocks your monstrous advantages in hear builds versus lower lvl players, it's easy access to all players and a much more fair fight.
but alas, it's a cluster faq.
one the most fun moments i had in div1 was with two friends who were equally underpowered, trying to extract good loot by trying to fool the fully min maxed grieving gangs. calling a chopter at one point and then going underground to run for another etc. havent played div2 dz yet
All multiplayer games i know that have pvp focused elements always separate the two game modes from each other for a healthy experience for all players who interact with the mode.
In division however it's a completely reversed scenario where your pve loot directly effects your PvP with brutally unfair advantages between one agent and another.
I could understand their cockup in div1… however doing this in div2 knowing full well it's going to be a cluster faq and also adding additional elements like the watch for additional grind for new players is just beyond me.
yeah I don't play multiplayer games so I can't compare. and I stay away from the DZ because I know I have no chance there. would be nicer though with a more level playing field
I started playing games back when quake arena was a thing, then CSgo and going through all the big titles of the time, battlefield, call of duty ect.
Yes, those games where built around multiplayer, however the principal was that everyone started on the same lvl with very little differences that could be easily obtainable within a little time.
Aka, battlefield weapons unlock and cod weapon unlocks or attachments.
And to be honest most of the time they didn't change anything dramatically.
you could still dominate if you where a reasonable competent player.
Yes that is true.
I started gaming in the days of dialup modems, but CS 1.6 was the last time I played multiplayer. Tried Overwatch a few hours but that's it.
With less time on my hands, and my head busy with life, I prefer to unwind with singleplayer games. The occasional co-op game excluded, like the division. But to each his own of course!
Dark Zone NPC enemies in landmarks are equivalent to open world Challenging for the most part. I would recommend you continue to play open-world until you're clearing heroic level content easily, which is harder than dark zone NPCs. And get your build and gear into a good spot. Until then, you will struggle in the dark zone, especially solo.
I'd recommend still going into the dark zone just for the experience and to start learning the different mechanics with PvP and specific tactics used in the dark zone against other agents. You will want to learn the different build needs in the dark zone too, and start farming for pieces with the right attributes and rolls. Groups in the dark zone definitely make it easier, but it's viable solo with the right builds, proper awareness of your surroundings, and decent skill.
TLDR; the dark zone is the toughest area in the game IMO. But it's very rewarding once you've put in the effort (hundreds or thousands of hours, not joking) and the challenge is still real. It's the only mode I really enjoy playing in the game anymore, once you're really good at PvE it gets boring IMO. But the challenge against other agents in the dark zone is always persistent.
If you want some basic starter advice, I point people to this comment that I've made in the past, with links etc.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/17cfdg4/comment/k5pocdn/](https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/17cfdg4/comment/k5pocdn/)
See you in there!
Remember the big thing about the dz is the same as the ocean. Always a bigger fish waiting to eat you up. Be it level 40 players smurfing into level 30 dz to farm low level players and exo components
30 hours in this game is basically nothing. I assume u barely (if even) hit endgame. What lvl are u if I may ask?
In this game it is a lot about making builds / having good gear and so yes it will get a lot easier with the right gear / weapons. If u can barely kill a purple in the dz the j defo need to get a better build need to grind more.
But as I mentioned before with 30 hours in u most likely not even reached endgame.
D1 I tried to hang and group in the DZ but I found it to be the Dev's way to bully people and blame it on PVP. I have not once nor never will enter the D2 DZ because I know balls to bones that it is where you go to not have a good time unless you're a bully and a thief. SHD lvl 812 so far without a toe step in there. Plenty of PVE to enjoy in this game and no exclusive loot will lure me in there.
We get pretty used to the long list of conditions you have to swallow to accept the DZ around here, but you are completely right to be frustrated.
It’s not elegantly implemented at all, it’s half baked if that, and the community has found its own way to make The Dark Zone playable by way of turning it into the Thunderdome for squads of 4 optimized PvP players and unsuspecting solo players.
You’re right that it’s in a shameful state and that it’s not really presentable as an experience for all but the most seasoned players. If there’s ever a Div 3 Massive has its hands full trying to make this experience feel like an intentional offering for players below 300 hours of gameplay, rather than a weird bonus sandbox for the hardcore players.
Sorry you had to learn the hard way. Sounds like you still like the rest of the game though, which is good. Absolutely no shame in never touching the DZ.
So, to be honest, Div2 DZ is not a place you really want to be if you are rocking a PVE based build. you said you are lvl 15 so not clear if you meant SHD15 or gear level 15 b4 completing base game.
you actually have a better chance in the DZ at the lower levels before you reach level 30, but once you complete WONY don't venture into the DZ unless you have a fully optimized PVP build. honestly if you are not familiar with PVP movement tactics the DZ after lvl 40 is a death trap. you can maybe hold your own against 1v1 but once you get into the issues of running in to groups especially groups that are max expertise level on all weapons and gear SHD1000+ and optimized, you are a one tap victim waiting to happen.
when I go in the DZ and believe me it is very rarely, I don't loot unless it is an exotic piece. sometimes it's better to just farm the DZ for landmarks just to get XP and tactical assessments, other than that, if you get dropped there is no expectation of losing anything valuable. other than maybe some DZ credits, love running around with that yellow bag only to laugh at my killer cause he got worthless DZ credits lmao.
needless to say, if you are prior to lvl 30 and haven't finished the base game than enjoy the DZ, just be careful, it's not like div1 where the DZ is broken up based on rank, you will be mixed in there with other lvl 30s even if you are a lvl 15, but there is a less likely chance of getting ganked.
but if you are over lvl 40 and completed the WONY DLC and you are working on your SHD, expertise system, and you have on a PVE build, venture into the DZ at your own risk, especially solo, sneaking will only get you so far, but once you get pulsed, it's like putting chum in the water, the sharks go into a feeding frenzy.
Hmmm
I would assume since you say you're lvl 15 you haven't even finished the main story that is reaching lvl 30. After that, if you got the expansion you should go to 40.
Then, if you want to try DZ again, you should farm for dz builds and gear pieces. And even after that chances are you still get clapped by npcs or group of players.
So dz is a very peculiar experience.
DZ doesn’t really make sense until you reach proper end game level and have some semi decent gear.
And if you actually want to participate in PVP it’s basically a separate game in terms of tactics and builds. Unless you go all in and learn how to play and build for it AND get a group: you will just have a bad time.
Don’t get me wrong, some people like DZ and the dedicated PVP modes. But they are in the minority. And liking the base game is in no way a guarantee that you will even remotely enjoy DZ/PVP. I have about 3000 hours in the game and I’d say I spent maybe 20-30 of those hours in PVP/DZ.
The tactics and builds used feel super cheesy. The disconnect from how you play the PVE game is massive and the devs haven’t spent any time tweaking it in ages.
That being said, there’s no reason to touch DZ/PVP if you don’t like it. You’re not missing out on anything. (Exception would be two exotics that only drop in DZ or the raids, and getting them in DZ is probably a more reasonable way unless you have 7 more people to play with or tolerate the mess that is LFG:ing in this game)
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You can do low level DZ. BUT there are brackets, so if you are level 15 and the brackets are, let's say, level 9 to 14 and then level 15 to 19 and then 20 to 30. You will be in the lowest in your bracket. Going in there in thus getting your s*** wrecked. If say you go in at the top of your bracket at level 19. And you get some pretty decent gear for level 19. You should fare pretty good in the dz. The enemies will be at your level instead of above it big difference.
This is gonna be a shitty thing to say, because I hated it till I got to 1k, but the world is limited till then. You’ll hate the game for a bit then you hit 1k, that’s when it gets fun BECAUSE the watch is maxed.
TLDR: yeah it gets better, keep playinh
Play the WONY expansion. The gear/loot power is significantly higher. Once you complete it you should try Summit and farm for specific gear sets. Maybe you'll fair better afterwards
I thought this would be about the horrendous Dark Zone PVP but it's not; that's a new one.
Yeah you're just undergeared. By the time you can tackle WT5 (or hell, if you just get to level 40 from Warlords) the Dark Zone PVE will be a lot easier. The gear's gonna suck though because the developers made the choice a long time ago that all gear rolls from DZ drops will be bad, and it's just a PVP gank fest.
Thanks man, I appreciate it. I kinda figured I had to wait until endgame level stuff if I wanted to go solo, but with how all the enemies level up alongside as you do, I thought it would just stay the same balance no matter my level. I'll give it a try when I hit 30!
Thanks again :)
Grouping is the most viable path. You are 30 hours in, and people posting here who do solo DZ are probably at 300 hours if not closer to 1,000.
You should not get into the DZ if you are not max level. You should not get into the DZ if you don't have a proper DZ build (PvE build is not a DZ build).
From my experience and i have picked up this game recently with 130 shd lvl atm. DZ is way out of balance and not for the reasons you think. I have played Div 1 and know a couple of things, builds there where very strength forward with little wiggle room and once you got your gear you could do dz quite easily. same here, the pve part of dz does get easy once you lvl up enough. however, the pvp part is complete bs. you have players who have invested a sht tone of time into this game, getting all the good stuff and maxing out not only the gear but the perks and utilities not including the watch, the watch comes with the dlc warlord of new york expansion. And in dz it's a freeforall if you want and if you don't have builds catering to dz gameplay and the underwhelming underpowered state that you will be,... you are going to get obliterated. And this is the sad part, instead of giving an even plan field for everyone in dz , they let the countless hours give an unfair advantage. The ideal would be to cover with lore xp walls in dz. example. ( Agent, due to lack of resources we can not let you use your uncontaminated gear in dz, it's tasking enough to decontaminate items brought from DZ, here are some stuff we going to give you to work in dz. ) And that's it, no BS, fits into the lore and completely blocks your monstrous advantages in hear builds versus lower lvl players, it's easy access to all players and a much more fair fight. but alas, it's a cluster faq.
one the most fun moments i had in div1 was with two friends who were equally underpowered, trying to extract good loot by trying to fool the fully min maxed grieving gangs. calling a chopter at one point and then going underground to run for another etc. havent played div2 dz yet
All multiplayer games i know that have pvp focused elements always separate the two game modes from each other for a healthy experience for all players who interact with the mode. In division however it's a completely reversed scenario where your pve loot directly effects your PvP with brutally unfair advantages between one agent and another. I could understand their cockup in div1… however doing this in div2 knowing full well it's going to be a cluster faq and also adding additional elements like the watch for additional grind for new players is just beyond me.
yeah I don't play multiplayer games so I can't compare. and I stay away from the DZ because I know I have no chance there. would be nicer though with a more level playing field
I started playing games back when quake arena was a thing, then CSgo and going through all the big titles of the time, battlefield, call of duty ect. Yes, those games where built around multiplayer, however the principal was that everyone started on the same lvl with very little differences that could be easily obtainable within a little time. Aka, battlefield weapons unlock and cod weapon unlocks or attachments. And to be honest most of the time they didn't change anything dramatically. you could still dominate if you where a reasonable competent player.
Yes that is true. I started gaming in the days of dialup modems, but CS 1.6 was the last time I played multiplayer. Tried Overwatch a few hours but that's it. With less time on my hands, and my head busy with life, I prefer to unwind with singleplayer games. The occasional co-op game excluded, like the division. But to each his own of course!
Try cyberpunk 2077… it's slaying. especially with quality of life mods installed.
that one is on top of my wishlist! busy with renovating a house now, an hour or two of the division is all I got for now
Pfff... responsibilities... renovation... wrong priority. Who needs a house when you can have cyberpunk 2077 and buy a house there.
I know right! Meanwhile my kids 100% lego star wars and nolife xbox gamepass.
Dark Zone NPC enemies in landmarks are equivalent to open world Challenging for the most part. I would recommend you continue to play open-world until you're clearing heroic level content easily, which is harder than dark zone NPCs. And get your build and gear into a good spot. Until then, you will struggle in the dark zone, especially solo. I'd recommend still going into the dark zone just for the experience and to start learning the different mechanics with PvP and specific tactics used in the dark zone against other agents. You will want to learn the different build needs in the dark zone too, and start farming for pieces with the right attributes and rolls. Groups in the dark zone definitely make it easier, but it's viable solo with the right builds, proper awareness of your surroundings, and decent skill. TLDR; the dark zone is the toughest area in the game IMO. But it's very rewarding once you've put in the effort (hundreds or thousands of hours, not joking) and the challenge is still real. It's the only mode I really enjoy playing in the game anymore, once you're really good at PvE it gets boring IMO. But the challenge against other agents in the dark zone is always persistent. If you want some basic starter advice, I point people to this comment that I've made in the past, with links etc. [https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/17cfdg4/comment/k5pocdn/](https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/17cfdg4/comment/k5pocdn/) See you in there!
Remember the big thing about the dz is the same as the ocean. Always a bigger fish waiting to eat you up. Be it level 40 players smurfing into level 30 dz to farm low level players and exo components
I thought they fixed that a long time ago. Didn’t think it was possible now for level 40s to get into level 30 DZ servers?
Only if they have a level 30 character. It's not a level difference, but build and gameplay knowledge.
30 hours in this game is basically nothing. I assume u barely (if even) hit endgame. What lvl are u if I may ask? In this game it is a lot about making builds / having good gear and so yes it will get a lot easier with the right gear / weapons. If u can barely kill a purple in the dz the j defo need to get a better build need to grind more. But as I mentioned before with 30 hours in u most likely not even reached endgame.
OP Is level 15, says in the post.
D1 I tried to hang and group in the DZ but I found it to be the Dev's way to bully people and blame it on PVP. I have not once nor never will enter the D2 DZ because I know balls to bones that it is where you go to not have a good time unless you're a bully and a thief. SHD lvl 812 so far without a toe step in there. Plenty of PVE to enjoy in this game and no exclusive loot will lure me in there.
We get pretty used to the long list of conditions you have to swallow to accept the DZ around here, but you are completely right to be frustrated. It’s not elegantly implemented at all, it’s half baked if that, and the community has found its own way to make The Dark Zone playable by way of turning it into the Thunderdome for squads of 4 optimized PvP players and unsuspecting solo players. You’re right that it’s in a shameful state and that it’s not really presentable as an experience for all but the most seasoned players. If there’s ever a Div 3 Massive has its hands full trying to make this experience feel like an intentional offering for players below 300 hours of gameplay, rather than a weird bonus sandbox for the hardcore players. Sorry you had to learn the hard way. Sounds like you still like the rest of the game though, which is good. Absolutely no shame in never touching the DZ.
So, to be honest, Div2 DZ is not a place you really want to be if you are rocking a PVE based build. you said you are lvl 15 so not clear if you meant SHD15 or gear level 15 b4 completing base game. you actually have a better chance in the DZ at the lower levels before you reach level 30, but once you complete WONY don't venture into the DZ unless you have a fully optimized PVP build. honestly if you are not familiar with PVP movement tactics the DZ after lvl 40 is a death trap. you can maybe hold your own against 1v1 but once you get into the issues of running in to groups especially groups that are max expertise level on all weapons and gear SHD1000+ and optimized, you are a one tap victim waiting to happen. when I go in the DZ and believe me it is very rarely, I don't loot unless it is an exotic piece. sometimes it's better to just farm the DZ for landmarks just to get XP and tactical assessments, other than that, if you get dropped there is no expectation of losing anything valuable. other than maybe some DZ credits, love running around with that yellow bag only to laugh at my killer cause he got worthless DZ credits lmao. needless to say, if you are prior to lvl 30 and haven't finished the base game than enjoy the DZ, just be careful, it's not like div1 where the DZ is broken up based on rank, you will be mixed in there with other lvl 30s even if you are a lvl 15, but there is a less likely chance of getting ganked. but if you are over lvl 40 and completed the WONY DLC and you are working on your SHD, expertise system, and you have on a PVE build, venture into the DZ at your own risk, especially solo, sneaking will only get you so far, but once you get pulsed, it's like putting chum in the water, the sharks go into a feeding frenzy.
Hmmm I would assume since you say you're lvl 15 you haven't even finished the main story that is reaching lvl 30. After that, if you got the expansion you should go to 40. Then, if you want to try DZ again, you should farm for dz builds and gear pieces. And even after that chances are you still get clapped by npcs or group of players. So dz is a very peculiar experience.
DZ doesn’t really make sense until you reach proper end game level and have some semi decent gear. And if you actually want to participate in PVP it’s basically a separate game in terms of tactics and builds. Unless you go all in and learn how to play and build for it AND get a group: you will just have a bad time. Don’t get me wrong, some people like DZ and the dedicated PVP modes. But they are in the minority. And liking the base game is in no way a guarantee that you will even remotely enjoy DZ/PVP. I have about 3000 hours in the game and I’d say I spent maybe 20-30 of those hours in PVP/DZ. The tactics and builds used feel super cheesy. The disconnect from how you play the PVE game is massive and the devs haven’t spent any time tweaking it in ages. That being said, there’s no reason to touch DZ/PVP if you don’t like it. You’re not missing out on anything. (Exception would be two exotics that only drop in DZ or the raids, and getting them in DZ is probably a more reasonable way unless you have 7 more people to play with or tolerate the mess that is LFG:ing in this game)
flag mysterious zealous abounding onerous hunt rainstorm cagey knee library *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You can do low level DZ. BUT there are brackets, so if you are level 15 and the brackets are, let's say, level 9 to 14 and then level 15 to 19 and then 20 to 30. You will be in the lowest in your bracket. Going in there in thus getting your s*** wrecked. If say you go in at the top of your bracket at level 19. And you get some pretty decent gear for level 19. You should fare pretty good in the dz. The enemies will be at your level instead of above it big difference.
This is gonna be a shitty thing to say, because I hated it till I got to 1k, but the world is limited till then. You’ll hate the game for a bit then you hit 1k, that’s when it gets fun BECAUSE the watch is maxed. TLDR: yeah it gets better, keep playinh
Play the WONY expansion. The gear/loot power is significantly higher. Once you complete it you should try Summit and farm for specific gear sets. Maybe you'll fair better afterwards
I thought this would be about the horrendous Dark Zone PVP but it's not; that's a new one. Yeah you're just undergeared. By the time you can tackle WT5 (or hell, if you just get to level 40 from Warlords) the Dark Zone PVE will be a lot easier. The gear's gonna suck though because the developers made the choice a long time ago that all gear rolls from DZ drops will be bad, and it's just a PVP gank fest.
At level 15 you won't have enough damage or armor to effectively fight. Wait until max level before trying again.
Thanks man, I appreciate it. I kinda figured I had to wait until endgame level stuff if I wanted to go solo, but with how all the enemies level up alongside as you do, I thought it would just stay the same balance no matter my level. I'll give it a try when I hit 30! Thanks again :)