Tarkov’s New Secret Extracts aren’t Executed Equally

(Intro)

One of the additions to Tarkov that I can’t remember being mentioned by BSG prior to their introduction, was having extra secret extractions around the map that were not readily available to you and your party unless you did something to gain the knowledge of their existence. On paper, this is a great idea; while you are passively playing out your raids, you might just so happen to stumble across whatever information is necessary to gain a bonus extraction much closer to your current location. It’s an incentive to exploring, looting and leaving no stone unturned. But that’s only on paper. What we got in reality is something close to that effect, but with the classic BSG so close yet so far stamp of approval. So, what do these hidden extractions do right? What about them misses the mark? What needs to happen to fix them? And what’s the current state of Tarkov’s extractions as a whole?

(Hidden in plain sight)

Hidden extractions just by idea alone is very compelling. An opportunity to shortcut your time in a raid should you get lucky and discover the information necessary to unlock it. Depending on the map, there are one or multiple secret extractions open to discovery. Each scattered far enough away from each other that they don’t feel lumped on top of each other. Now, I’ve only experienced a secret extract in Tarkov twice so far whilst playing. Both times on my PMC, so I am unsure if they are usable on your scav. If you know the answer, feel free to enlighten the rest of us. But, by finding a piece of paper with a specific map’s code word on it, and these codes can spawn pretty much anywhere in a lootable location, it will open up the secret extracts for whatever map it corresponds to. Notice how I phrased that statement: the code will open whatever secret extracts it corresponds to. What this means, and from my own personal experience, is that sometimes there’s a chance that you will find an extract code that does NOT work on the map you are currently playing. Now, again, I have very little experience with this mechanic. Perhaps it was a bug and BSG has addressed this already. But I distinctly remember one of the two times I found a code; it wasn’t for Customs. And from looking online, there isn’t a ton of information regarding exactly how they work. Each word written on the paper dictates which map it is meant for. But the fact there’s a chance the code you find isn’t for the map you are playing at the moment you find it, creates a lot of problems. What’s also the cherry on top is sometimes you can get these codes from daily quest completion. And that these codes cannot be taken into raid, and no trader will take it from you, leaving the codes worthless in your stash. Lots of areas where these things shouldn’t be, which means these kinds of circumstances weren’t fully thought out. Which is a shame.

(Losing what was once ours)

Wrong codes on maps aren’t the only problem associated with the hidden extracts. Another issue I have personally with it, is that while most maps in the game got at least one new extract, the one map that actually lost some ways to leave is Customs. Smuggler’s boat, and ZB-012 before, were extracts that had the chance to be available per raid. So, while not a one-hundred percent guarantee, there was always a chance for a quick getaway. But now, those two extracts have been turned off permanently, unless you find a code while in raid. This lack of critical information actually got me killed once early on; trying to use smuggler’s boat because I see the fire going which meant before that it was available. Only to stand there for a hot minute before realizing it wasn’t working, only to die to a player crossing the main bridge. That one hurt. But lessons were learned that day. So, while customs has two hidden extracts, neither of them are brand new. It did get a green flare extract which is cool, and we’ll talk about that more in a minute, but for me, the hidden extracts are really interesting, but fail to provide a consistent experience that can be replicated enough so that it’s an option, but only if you get to it first. And what I mean by that is rather than having the codes be randomly lootable, it feels like it would’ve made more sense for the notes to be stashed away on the map in a handful of different static locations and can be looted like an in-world quest item. That way, they are always there, but can rotate across some different locations; giving players more reasons to explore the less traveled areas of a map to find a shortcut off a map. Having the notes move around as well makes it so they aren’t farmable? That isn’t the right word to describe this phenomenon, but you know what I mean. If they were always in the same spot, it would make the hidden extracts moot for the most part. But having them rotate around and also having players fight over them gives more agency to choices you make in raid, and also allows some of the quieter areas to get some action. It might’ve worked, but instead you need to just find them out in the world and hope you get lucky. But of course, not every map was lucky to even get new extracts.

(The Current state of extractions)

In general, extractions across most maps feels really solid. Most maps have a lot of potential ways to get out should you want or feel the need to. As I mentioned earlier, Customs even though it lost two optional extractions, got a permanent green flare one; which just makes that item even more useful than it already was. Woods also got a flare extract, although the location of that one is pretty bad. It’s close to not only ZB-014, but also the outskirts extract, which doesn’t make sense to me. The best location for it without a doubt, would’ve been where the relocated coop extract is located. Over by the scav bridge. All it really does being where it currently is located, is save you about thirty-sixty seconds of in-game running. Which I mean, is nice, but with how much dead space there is between the car extract and the next one over, having it be close to the sunken village would’ve been absolutely perfect. Either way, it’s an addition so I can’t complain. What I can complain about is the only map in the game except Labs that did not get any new extractions. Want to take a guess which one it is? Interchange. Because of course it is. This poor map is in desperate need of some love from BSG. I’m super happy with how new Customs plays; we’ll be going over it in the future, but I honestly would’ve rather seen that effort and time go into the mall. That map is now the oldest map in the game that has not gotten the modern BSG touch-up treatment. Shoreline got hidden extracts, Streets did too, and even Ground Zero; the map that needed it the least got a hidden extract. Interchange is in such dire need of some attention. Any at this point, will do. But that map having basically one traditional extraction for players depending on which side they spawn on is absurd. I understand the map is just a big square so it might be difficult, but there has to be a way to add additional extracts that work with zero gimmicks.

(Outro)

The idea of hidden extractions that can be discovered is such a cool idea. A potentially easy way to speedrun an extraction should you have critical items on you and want to get out and only needing to travel to something like the halfway point of a map instead of all the way across makes exploring and checking every lootable location that much more important in the long run. But, like with pretty much every system and mechanic in Tarkov, it doesn’t come without its fair share of problem points. These can be rectified fairly easy, however. It’s just a matter of whether or not BSG will. I hope they do because this mechanic can be so much better and deserves to be much better. It just needs some of the kinks worked out at the very least. Maybe some love and attention to the location of some secret and regular extracts on maps would be a nice bonus, but I don’t have my hopes up that high. Either way, secret extractions are a cool and interesting idea, but they are also weird and quirky in their own unique ways. 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 hidden extractions being added to the game, extractions in general across Tarkov and be sure to subscribe for more videos about mechanics in game that have been unfortunately botched before they truly got a chance to shine through. I hope to see you in future ones.