Well, after some twenty or so hours of gameplay, I finally hit Level 50 in Titanfall and was presented with the opportunity to regenerate. Having not played much Call of Duty, I wasn't completely familiar with the mechanics of the "prestige" other than to know it was something all the cool kids did. And so why wouldn't I want to be a cool kid in Titanfall and regenerate.
I guess I should have taken the multiple prompts as hints that regenerating wasn't all that smiles and benefits. No, in fact, to get the cool designation along your gamertag in Titanfall lobbies, you had to sacrifice game progress. Weapon upgrades, challenges, customizations... all gone. Level 1 is Level 1 with minimal benefits from the regen. Having unlocked Ogre and Stryder class titans, those unlocks would be available to me. Of course, I didn't really comprehend at the time of the regen that meant I still couldn't access them because Level 1 is Level 1 and there was no customization of Titans. Actually, if you remember Level 1, that means not even having all three pilot types available let alone customization of pilots. Players keep burn cards and XP is earned at a faster clip because of the regen.
So after the regen, I lost all my scopes and extended magazines, any of the bonuses that give the player that slightest advantage -- gone. And for what? To get the notation and to begin again. It's so weird to begin at the beginning, where challenges aren't even readily available.
I will say leveling up seems to occur fairly rapidly as a couple of days and a couple good sessions later, I find myself sitting at G2, Level 10. I did unlock the challenges a little earlier and at Level 10, regained the ability to customize titans. I'm glad because I think I hit a very good strategy in LTS (chaingun + extended magazine + cautious play = quickly acquired damage core). Of course, I was looking at unlocking/upgrading everything but find myself with factory issue weapons again. I had unlocked all of the upgrades for the R101, the EVA-8 and Smart Pistol pilot-wise and the extended magazine, accelerator for the chaingun and upgrade for the ARC cannon titan-wise. Gone, gone and gone.
It's not terrible but I do wonder for what reason... there, of course, is a chivo associated with the regen. And in fact, there is a chivo for reaching Generation 10. I do like the notation of having played enough to be past Level 50. I suppose there is some behind the scenes reason. Cynically, the idea of the regeneration creates artificial replaybility. There's the carrot of the max level cap and players will want it, even if it is Level 500. I guess perhaps more importantly and ideally crucial to the balance of gameplay, regeneration can even the playing field albeit temporarily. What happens is a G2, Level 10 does not have the firepower of a Level 25 even and though theory would say the former has more experience and arguably skill, at least at that point, in working back up the ladder, he's still unlocking upgrades. Maybe not such a bad idea after all...
And did I mention I'm the one in the lobby with the G2 designation? Yes... that one.
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