Scav Bosses Always Spawning was a Mistake

(Intro)

Hardcore Tarkov is about making the game more challenging in a variety of ways. One change that went against the idea of difficult and challenging was making the bosses always spawn at the start of the wipe. I’m not entirely sure why this change was made, but with all the other restrictions that BSG put onto players, allowing us the constant chance to fight any boss on any maps was simply a mistake. Most people initially saw that in the pre wipe pictures they put out and scratched their heads wondering if it was going to be a good call adding the bosses all the time. Well, turns out it wasn’t and only after a couple of days, their spawn rate was reduced. So, let’s talk about it; the bosses in Tarkov, how they addition to hardcore goes against the entire point of the challenge, what I would’ve personally done, and just how it feels as though this hardcore experience has already lost some of its luster with all these changes happening so quickly.

(Boss spawns screwed up the start of hardcore)

The entire premise of this wipe was making the game harder by restricting our ability to earn money, acquire gear, and overall, just be unable to snowball the early game as out of control as players have been able to for many years. There were many stopgaps put in place specifically to slow down player progression on all fronts. However, the biggest mistake that BSG thought would do one thing and instead did the opposite, was allowing one hundred percent boss spawn rates on all maps, even the ones you had to initially transit to. I can see where BSG was coming from, kind of. On one hand, the bosses can be tough and really brutal to engage with if you are either new or just don’t have a ton of experience fighting them in this game. Normally, their spawn rates are low, relatively speaking. Sitting anywhere from twenty forty percent under normal circumstances.

But as soon as they shoot up to one hundred, everything changes. The entire dynamic of that map kind of goes out the window. Highly contested points of interest now become epicenters for player engagements because you know for a fact that on Customs, Rehsala can spawn in one of three general vicinities. So, it becomes a mad dash to get there first and at least see if he’s around. Because even with starting gear, fighting many of the bosses can be tricky, but still very much doable for lots of players. And when the boss gear hasn’t been tuned down to accommodate their spawn rate, and instead in some cases, has gotten better, you have a recipe for a lot of players making it their goal to farm many of the bosses as often as they can to stack their gear up and become almost unstoppable. BSG must’ve thought that having the bosses always around was going to really get players and have them think twice about fighting them because it’s the early game and our gear isn’t as insane as it could be. However, when players have nothing else to do because there are no quests on day one of the wipe which keep in mind, I was alright with and actually was in favor of, people will find a reason to play the game and farm the bosses. Worst case scenario is that if they lose too many times and have nothing left in their stash, they can just reset their account and try again. It's funny how just talking about it out loud shows how bad of an idea it really was in hindsight. It makes sense why they were so quick to lower the spawn rates down to about seventy percent.

(It was antithetical to hardcore)

My biggest complaint about this whole idea was that if BSG was trying to make this wipe more hardcore, trying to make players feel the sting of loss once more, and to have every single item you find feel valuable and worth something, why in God's name would you allow players the potential to farm bosses for powerful gear on day one? It’s antithetical and completely goes against the entire idea of hardcore. You’re going to limit items on the traders? Okay cool, I’ll just go farm Tagilla for his shotguns, AKs and level five armor with good ammo. Or I’ll take out Reshala for all his guards’ gear. Again, it isn’t a walk in the park; some of these bosses can be a real pain to try and fight. But under the right circumstances with even the most basic of gearsets, you can do it, even as a solo, and truly reap the benefits of their equipment. Getting Reshala and his guards, even just once is fantastic for lightly modified AKs, tons of grenades, a bunch of healing items, level four armors and ammo that for day one can absolutely shred any player with level four armor or below. Under normal wipe rules it’s not amazing gear by any means, but within the context of a hardcore wipe, any boss loot is essentially a gold mine. It can set you up so well to tackle future quests and the like just by taking out any of the bosses a single time. Some are better than others. Tagilla, Killa, and Reshala would’ve been the three I focus on the most because the brothers have level five armors, and Reshala has AKs with good ammo. Farm them two or three times, and you have the foundation to load onto the ground zero once the tasks were added back and to absolutely steam roll other players. It was that easy. Which has had me thinking about this entire hardcore wipe experiment and how with things changing so much so quickly, it certainly is still hardcore, but how much of that essence have we already lost?

(Are we losing the feeling of hardcore?)

Without a doubt, the entire point of this wipe still stands; it’s meant to be more difficult and challenging to acquire basic supplies, complete quests and level up the traders. With items costing more, selling for less, insurance still being too expensive to consider, your items and gear still matter. Losing a fight hurts more now than it has in literal years. At least back then there was a chance you might see that stuff come back. But now, unless you want to spend upwards of six figures to protect your equipment whilst in raid, you’re well off to check your back every now and again. Lest someone sneaks up while you’re head deep in loot. But I still have to ask, has the purpose of this hardcore wipe been diminished by how fast BSG has been making adjustments? On one hand, they did say early on that they would be paying very close attention to what’s going on and the consensus of how certain mechanics were being handled. Transit was abolished after only two days, when I was hoping it would’ve at least lasted the first weekend. But it didn’t. Boss spawns got reduced but should’ve never been at one hundred percent from the start. If it was up to me, the first day would’ve been zero percent, straight up. There are no bosses to fight because I know what’s going to happen if people get their hands on that gear. So, for the first twenty-four hours they wouldn’t have been around. After that, put them up to something like a forty or even fifty percent spawn. That way, they’re around, but not all the time. And it becomes more of a mini in-raid event should they be up. Something everyone wants to try, but something that doesn’t feel necessary to be successful this wipe. Either way, after just a week of hardcore, it’s already so much different to what it was on day one. And I’m wondering if that’s a bad thing, and if so, by how much? Part of me doesn’t think it’s bad; it’s BSGs first time trying something that is so drastic and different from the status quo. Even with the best of intentions, they were never going to get it right the first time. It’s going to keep changing, I just hope that essence and the identity of hardcore isn’t lost in the process.

(Outro)

Tarkov’s boss spawn rates should’ve never been one hundred percent during a hardcore wipe. It completely defeats the purpose of the wipes goals and allows players to farm powerful gear that can carry them across most of the early game if they have the skillset to pilot their PMC while wearing that good gear. It’s a good thing the flea market isn’t around because imagine how flooded the market would be with all those level five armors? Man, the wipe would essentially be over at this point. Which is something we will have to have a conversation about as well: the flea market’s removal and the impact that has had on the game as a whole. But either way, Bosses being around the fifty to seventy percent spawn rate feels about right for hardcore. Not every raid, but one in maybe two or three you might see them, and if you are first, or lucky enough to third party an already existing fight, you can snatch the loot away from someone else and actually feel like you earned it. Instead of just sprinting straight to their spawn location and cleaning them up with ease. It’s always better when you earn something in Tarkov. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to watch this video. Let me know down in the comment section below your thoughts on the boss spawns at the start of the wipe, where you would place them that feels fair and be sure to subscribe for more videos about all the changes that came with hardcore that might actually be better for the game than you realize. I hope to see you in future ones.