The Good and Bad of 1.5.2

Talking Points of the January 21 Update

• Rumors

• Linnea Silver Quest

• Slayer's Path Reforge Buff

• "Event" Hunt Passes

Rumors

I want to start off positive. Phoenix Labs has made some good choices in the latest batch of rumors. I personally really enjoy the cosmetics of the recent releases, but I'm mostly glad they are actually filling in the gaps in existing content, which they don't always do. (Where are the shock-charged behemoths for Shock escalations?)

And now the negatives. I can't even do these rumors until I finish the nightmarish rumors from the last event. I'm glad that rumors don't disappear once you pick them up, but I also really wish I could have more than one at a time.

Linnea Silver Quest

The Linnea Silver Quest isn't bad but feels lacking. I expected it to be similar to the Halloween event, Nevermore, in scale and rewards, but it was just a reskin of a Skraev and a bit of new dialogue that I really can't understand for some reason. I also really wish that there were multiple difficulties because it felt way too easy even though it made itself look very hard.

Slayer's Path Reforge Buff

The new Slayer's Path node that makes you gain weapon XP faster based on how many times you've reforged is the single best quality of life change in recent memory. I know that it doesn't fix every issue people have with the reforge system, but this is the change that I wanted and needed. If only I had saved my merits.

"Event" Hunt Passes

What exactly is the event? The loading screen and event shop sit empty, but the two new-ish hunt passes are being labeled as event-related. I can only assume that because regular Hunt Passes have been refunding platinum once completed, Phoenix Labs wants to make sure that players are still using platinum for something non-refundable. It seems labeling something as an "event" hunt pass is their existing way to differentiate the two. If Phoenix Labs is reading this: instead of this weird system of rereleasing stuff and charging a bunch of platinum for a mediocre hunt pass with a strict deadline, just rotate the items in the shop better. I don't rush to buy anything in the shop because I can just wait 6 months to a year for it to be on sale.

Closing Thoughts

The real update is coming in early February.

Citations:

Phoenix Labs. (2020). Dauntless Roadmap. Retrieved January 21, 2020, from https://playdauntless.com/

All images are from the Dauntless website and are only meant to serve as placeholders.