Vision Versus Reality in Tarkov

(Intro)

With everything currently going on with Tarkov, from the hardcore wipe to its soft cancelation, one thing that has become somewhat apparent when looking at all of this from a wider lens, is that Tarkov’s scale and scope has shifted so much over the years. I mean, it’s kind of obvious when you say it out loud but really think about it: this game went from a small niche title that was specifically being created for players who enjoy a much more hands-off immersive approach to a first-person shooter. Skipping over many of the more conventional measures we are accustomed to from annual franchises and other titles. But Tarkov was willingly going against the grain in terms of gameplay, expectations and scope. It wasn’t trying to be the biggest, but something true to itself and to those that played and experienced the game from start to finish. And over the years, there has been a tangible shift in priorities; a necessary evil to see the game through to the end. And sadly, that has alienated some people from ever coming back. What I wanted to focus on today, is the original idea, and missions statement from BSG and Tarkov, and how eventually, it all took a sharp turn into something that is still very much Tarkov but has lost some of that original essence and edge to it. What the definition of a hard game in the context of EFT means and disconnected things feel now, unfortunately right before they release 1.0.

(The original intent of EFT’s difficulty)

Tarkov has always been a difficult game, and that was intentional. BSG wanted to really show up other companies who hand hold their players and make the experience as easy to jump into as possible. Tons of UI elements to keep you informed at all times, a simple and linear progression line you can tangibly see and actively work towards, and an overall simplified experience that feels more like small-scale deathmatches more than anything else. EFT goes out of its way to throw all of that out the window. Your UI elements are limited but critical to your success, so pay attention to them. There’s no map, no way to tell friend from foe, and no quick at glancing how much more ammunition your current magazine has. Everything feeling so strange and obtuse is clearly done by design. It all serves a purpose; to get you immersed in the experience you are playing, and to make you think carefully and critically about every decision you make. Sure, we can poo poo their actual execution and how flawed it is on many different elements across the game. But what we can’t do is say that it was done without at least some reason; any reason as to why certain things are the way they are. Someone at BSG has the answers to those kinds of questions. It may not be Nikita, but someone does. The whole point of all the difficulty being thrown at you right from the start, was to establish very early on that Tarkov is not like other shooter games out there. It’s going to test your ability to think and react quickly and on the fly. They want you to struggle and have to make tough choices, which sometimes might still lead you back to your stash prematurely even if there wasn’t anything else you could’ve done. This game was never trying to be fair to the player; because Tarkov wouldn’t be fair to anyone in it. The games lore and current circumstance would bring out the worst in people; which is why it feels so isolating and overwhelming. And for many years, the games tone and atmosphere reflected that mentality and want from BSG well. It was different from what it is now. Almost darker in a way. Not in the sense of light, but how much more defeated it all felt. Like no matter what you do, you’re stuck in Tarkov. And you just need to make do with what you have. But as the years went on, and more mechanics, locations and the general popularity of the game grew, so too did a shift in many aspects' veterans of the game came to know and love, were slowly being phased out. For better or worse.

(What harder actually means)

Difficulty and the sense of something being easier or harder is very much a subjective thing. Looking outside of EFT for a moment, for some people the Souls’ games are considered hard and challenging. While for others, those games are used to relax and unwind. But within the context of EFT, harder and difficulty isn’t just a slider than goes either forwards or backwards. This game has so many elements outside of your direct control as a player, that you can do everything right and still lose. Does that make the game hard? Depends on who you ask. Having to worry about your personal economy and running out of funds to provide yourself kits and the necessary gear to survive. Is that hard? This is a conversation that can go on for a long time, but within Tarkov, speaking for myself here, difficulty comes from making tough choices. Whether in raid or not, the need for sacrifice and being okay with losing items in some way, shape, or form is important. The idea of loss is what initially hooks players into the game; knowing you could find a juiced-out kit from another player and at any point could lose it all in an instant. You can’t ever fully relax in Tarkov; you need your head on a swivel and to always expect the unexpected. Because the second you let your guard down, that’s when your screen fades to black. Quests can be difficult for some; a shooter born in heaven was a notorious one for years before they changed the parameters around to make it much different than its original version. Harder is a tough word to attach to this game in a singular definition; because this game has so many layers. There isn’t just a difficult you choose before you enter a raid. There are no modifiers you can add or remove to tailor the game to what you feel like experiencing. The game is the way it is; you either pick it up, adapt and learn it or struggle to get out of raids and put the most likely, put the game down. Either way, the idea of challenge has been shifting for years now, and with the hardcore wipe, it all came to a head within the last month or so.

(Ideas versus reality)

The reality of Tarkov is that it’s gotten bigger; much bigger than I think most of us thought it would ever get. The reserve patch combined with the Twitch drops event, really took this game and community by storm. Which don’t get me wrong, this game deserves that level of success, but at the same time, it has also had an effect I think on how BSG has looked at EFT for years now. Because so many more people are playing and talking about the game, there are more people who aren’t as receptive to the idea of the game being so challenging and obtuse with no good explanation. So, in an effort to preserve some of those newer players, BSG dialed back some of the elements that made the game harder, while also not offering something of similar or equal value to those players that liked it being more niche and difficult. And sadly, that’s just the reality of games getting bigger and having a larger audience. Many companies want to stick to their mission statement; a creed that keeps the company on the right track from day one. And for BSG, that statement was “a battle simulator in a hazardous environment”. And while I’m sure people will immediately clamp on the notion that this statement makes no mention of difficulty or obtuse game design, on their own official website describing elements of what makes Tarkov interesting and worthy of a purchase it reads: “The winner is not the one who shoots better, but the one who lives in the world of Tarkov, understands the intricacies and has a strategic advantage.” It’s about the experience; how they want us to understand it’s not just another first-person shooter, but a simulation of extreme combat. And as much as I love these missions' statements, I think sadly over the course of the last few years, they have strayed away from these core concepts and identities in the name of expanding the player base. Hell, I would even go so far as to say right now, Tarkov might have a bit of an identity crisis, but I think that topic is worthy of its own video, so we’ll save that for another time.

(Scope creep)

It’s not surprising that with the expansion of the game across pretty much every element present, their ambitious to make the game bigger, more engaging and interesting grew as well. More maps that are larger in scope, changes that would be felt across multiple mechanics that would have more impactful consequences and just upping the stakes with everything they were adding. But that all came at a cost; which was dumbing down some of the hardcore elements that made EFT what it was for so many years. Nikita for a while always touted the game was never supposed to be fun, and while kind of a meme, many in the community perpetuated that mindset by saying things like based whenever he reminded us of that adage. And while he is technically right, people found their version of fun within Tarkov whether he wanted us to or not. So, in a weird way, we as a community gave some vindication for Nikita to make these kinds of changes because he was doing not only what he wanted, but what he thought the community wanted as well. It’s just a shame that things kind of got out of hand, especially recently with hardcore and now being so close to the release date. They wanted to mess around which is fine. The problem is, they should’ve been testing this kind of stuff for years in small doses so we can give them feedback and a better idea as to handle something as game changing as a hardcore wipe. But their ideas about where to take the game took priority and grew wildly. Not to say being ambitious is a bad thing; BSG has shown that in some circumstances they can deliver on ideas that are interesting and fun. But their batting average isn’t high enough to make that the norm. Right now, the focus should be on isolating what needs to be in for 1.0, and getting mechanics and balance exactly where they think it should be for the final release. The players will figure out the nuances after and hopefully work with BSG to iron out some of the kinks.

(Outro)

The vision of Tarkov has changed a lot over the years of development it’s been in. As the game grew and got more popular, so too did the desires of BSG and their vision for the game got larger and more ambitious. And while their efforts are commendable, ultimately those desires for a larger-than-life game came at the cost of many mechanics, ideas and general performance of the game being sacrificed in the process. The reality of their circumstance right now is that there are about three months out from release. They need to work their asses of to dial everything into a place where they are happy. Performance needs to be absolutely figured out before anything else, and from there the economy, weapon and ammo balance can come after. Their vision was bright, but the reality of what BSG can realistically finish is dark but not pitch black. 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 vision versus reality of Tarkov as an entire game being developed, whether or not you think BSG has stuck to their initial vision and be sure to subscribe for more videos about the difficult and complicated intricacies of making and game, what you’re willing to sacrifice in your vision versus what needs to be done before it releases. I hope to see you in future ones.