3 – The Dark Zone
The Dark Zone is an area where contact ends and it’s every man for themselves — simply put, it’s the wild west. This is the PVP portion of the game where you can kill any player that you see, at the expense of going rogue. The rogues are shown as a red blip everyone’s radar and players will be awarded XP for ‘neutralizing’ them.
The levelling system works differently in the Dark Zone as well, you have a DZ level, separate experience bar and currency. There’s a merchant at every entrance that sells the highest level equipment in the game. To purchase these items you must level up separately but it’s a great incentive. It’s important to sell junk often to avoid losing it to another player but in order to get your loot out of the DZ, you need to call for an extraction that appears in one area of the map. The problem is, this alerts every player that you want to be extracted and that you have some note worthy gear up for grabs. It’s always a tense situation when you see other players waiting at the extraction zone, keep your distance and most importantly trust no one (even friendlies will sometimes go trigger happy).
The Division does a stellar job of balancing the pro’s and con’s of targeting other players. Once you decide to go rogue you will lose DZ experience and more gear upon death, not to mention becoming a target for everyone in the map. This is a perfect way to ensure that everyone won’t become blood thirsty bandits while still encouraging you to tread lightly when approaching unknown players.
4 – Squad Up!
If you’re the lone wolf type don’t fret, The Division can be experienced solo but you might have an uphill climb on some missions. The game really puts an emphasis on teamwork and the benefits clearly show; a group earns shared XP and loot, also taking on more enemies which can lead to better equipment.
If you plan to play with a core group of friends, try getting at least one person to focus on one of the three main skill sets. Each skill tree offers unique group bonuses, when combined with each other it will make your group a well rounded killing machine. If you’re lacking the friends to play with (Don’t worry, it’s them not you) then you can use matchmaking to find a group within seconds. When entering the DZ it’s crucial that you have some backup, you never know when you’ll be attacked, so it’s nice to have a leg up against those filthy rogues.
5 – Crafting and Mods – Release Your Inner Tinkerer
One thing is certain, in the DZ you’ll be up against rogues with fully upgraded weaponry. Take the time and mod your weapons, it can be the advantage you need in a gun fight. You have a hearty selection of attachments at your disposal including magazines, optics, muzzles, under barrels, and handles. The Division has 6 different upgradable weapon types:
- Pistols
- Submachine guns
- Light machine guns
- Marksman rifles
- Assault rifles
- Shotguns
Three weapons can be equipped at a time and one slot is reserved for the pistol. When heading into the DZ is important to have weapons for both short and long distance combat. I’ve been ambushed close range by a couple rogues hiding behind a truck, I’ve also been picked off by a lone sniper from a distant apartment window. Nowhere is safe, therefore, you need to be prepared given any situation.
Crafting will let you get the most bang for your buck, you can craft upgrades to your armor, weapons and gear. The beta restricted access to this feature so not much else is known how the system works but it will play a part in allowing you to enter certain higher level contaminated zones.
Now that you’re all caught up on how The Division plays out, use these tips as a guide to victory. There’s more to be discovered when the full version is released but take it from those who played the beta; it’s a cruel, cruel world out there. Ubisoft already announced an open beta for later this month so those of you who didn’t pre-order will have a chance to take it for a spin before the March 8 launch date.