I love the restricted loadout complication, and loved the Escalations that used it in Year 1 (but not when the 7DS also restricted it to Suit-Only.)
It takes away all the pre-planning and figuring out what best item to bring in my massive inventory, and just using what I can find and know in the level itself to conplete the mission.
Whether it sounds “jerky” or not is irrelevant. Some like it, but some don’t as well, and I’m just being particularly vocal. Twice now, new ETs that have been long awaited have been given this restriction that severely limits the ways a person plays, twice in a row, in close proximity, forcing those of us who wanted to play these ETs in particular ways to wait longer still to be able to play them properly. It’s not about whether or not someone enjoys this restriction or not, it’s how closely together the same restriction is being used on newly released, long-awaited targets. New targets should be released with the softest restrictions available, so people can play them at long last in the way they want, and then when brought again in future Arcade contracts they can go more restrictive.
the first one in paris killed her with a propane flask the second one in colorado fall accident with one coin and last one with both targets snap necks manage to get silent assassin on three them
What they did with The Serial Killer is much better than the alternative you’ve suggested tbh.
At least starting with TSK coming to Arcade with the restricted loadout meant that when it launched as an Elusive Target just a few weeks later, there were suddenly so many ways to approach the mission. At least it had a major point of difference to justify the small time gap between the two. Doing what you’re suggesting would have just created a bit of pointless repeated content, and would’ve lead to way more people complaining about that compared to the a very small minority that are complaining about how they have actually done it.
Your entire premise is contingent on the fact that they released The Censor again a few weeks later, and the assumption that they’ll do so again. You couldn’t possibly have know that, you can’t possibly know they’ll do it again, and you can’t possibly know how many will react in what way compared to the reaction now.
That being said, I’ll grant that the first part of your statement has some merit in regards to building up anticipation for the eventual re-release, and I’ll admit I hadn’t thought of it that way.
Okay so I spent ten minutes doing a suit only, no loadout strat here on the Rage/Sully Bowden, only to learn that a poison kill doesn’t register as an accident kill. That just wrinkled my brain.
“hide all bodies” would like to have a word
I mean I’m on your side, as always “more freedom less restrictions” is my opinion. But still
I find that, so far, I don’t mind the restricted loadouts. The “Hide All Bodies or else!” was the only one I had a grievance with, especially with ‘The Angel of Death’. There’s only one way to do it and doesn’t allow for any creativity. The only choice you have is what to take to kill her with (non loud explosive, and concealable).
Next restriction I don’t prefer is the “NPC Headshots only!” but I suppose it’s fair.
Re: Restricted loudouts. I’ve said it before, I do like it in that it requires the player to use things from the level. I’d think/hope that IO wouldn’t force the player to go on a scavenger hunt for whatever weapon from the mission, like “Kill the Target with a remote explosive obtained from the level.” and it’s Sapienza. 
The Faux Pas… The Rage… Easy enough if you start in the Block or on the rooftop, get the PT from the balcony outside The Block, toss it down infront of the doors to The Block, use the Hackl from the level to snipe the PT.
And before when I’ve played ‘The Rage’ I had a harder time at getting him because I was thinking of what I could use that I could bring with me. 
That honestly says a lot about you if you think that that can be swept under the rug as “not relevant”; it was entirely relevant, you were dismissing people’s opinion as being beneath you and “your standards”. It was brash and needlessly rude in a conversation like this.
I really wish IO would consider returning to the escalating complications format in the Arcade now that the complications are optional. These contracts are really starting to get a bit boring and have a sense of repetitiveness building over time when they feature ETs making a second/third etc appearance.
Having only one complication means that most appearances of a target can be played in the exact same way, while still also staying within the “rules” of the complications. There is little incentive to be creative on the second/third outing of a target because I’ve usually already exhausted all possible options in the first appearance (unless the complication doesn’t allow for it). Bringing back the additional complications would and mixing them up would make each contract feel a bit more unique instead of just having a sense of “ugh, this again”.
Otherwise, they should just start shoving in ETs that haven’t appeared in the Arcade yet into the next few batches and then stick a fork in the Arcade and say its done and leave it alone. There’s absolutely no point in filling the mode up with duplicated targets and pointless single complications that don’t change the way you play the mission at all.
I don’t really understand the mindset of more restrictions is better. I personally find that the more restricted I am the less I care about silent assassin. I just want to get it done. The single restriction is OK. But what would be really nice, is if when one finished the contract once without failing, you were able to then select any one of the specific ETs in that contract and just play them with no restrictions and without having to do all the ones before; if you didn’t choose the first one.
But I doubt that will happen. Which is too bad, and for me makes the arcade a bit dull, and not very interesting to replay.
Because it turned it into a neat little puzzle that you had to figure out how to solve that in most cases had multiple solutions - which made the ETs interesting to replay because the ETs on their own (especially those from H1) are so barebones, empty and actually have very few options when people are able to approach them in anyway they want - which runs out of steam very quickly.
The puzzle just added another layer to make it more interesting and would’ve been a different puzzle each time the target reappeared in the Arcade because of the differing complications. But sadly people moaned, changes were made and now the mode has become a complete bore because it is full of pointless duplicate missions/targets constantly reappearing that can be played the same way and people seem to just be over it at this point (basing this on the PS4/5 leaderboards and the number of players on them - each batch has had less people finish them than the batch that came before it).
The sooner IO can get all the ETs in the Arcade and they can just leave the mode behind to quickly be forgotten about, the better tbh.
Yeah, perhaps that was a bit harsh, but I’m not exactly in the best of moods over this right now, am I?
Already covered that one.
Then, to use a phrase I’ve heard only a few times, touch some grass, and calm down before replying. Nobody likes a jackass, and any good argument you make can be instantly tainted by that behaviour.
Personally, I dislike the restrictions… I like to choose my own strategies and my own constraints.
Moreover, on PS4, ETA is still the unique way to play ET missions.
I really enjoy the last change in ETA with non-mandatory restrictions. I personally don’t care about 5-star rating. Only SA matters.
Therefore, I can make runs that I wouldn’t try before.
Yesterday, I achieved SASO FW-only runs on the Rage and The Liability. Kill with accidents the Procurers. But I’ve got a new challenge, try to figure out how I can make SASO run with the Procurers before looking for FW kill. Additionally, with the non-mandatory restriction, I can run “fast” the previous levels if I want to restart a specific ET (e.g. for 5-levels escalation, it saves some time).
I can also try strategies before testing them on actual ET missions.
Will see which kind of runs I can do with the other batches.
Finally, it’s the return of the Pharmacist. I did it a long time ago during the H1 reactivation… Would be completely blind with this one. With the restricted loadout, will be very tough. The Deceivers is also a good mission: I always use a safe strategies for ET. Now, I can test other types of runs.
So, be mad at the messenger for how he delivered, rather than focus on what the message says. 
Oi. “It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it”; one of the sanctified refuges of the person with no answers and no argument. Not talking about you specifically, just that overall mindset. I swear, sometimes I just can’t with western society’s little social contracts.
That being said, and to take my own advice of following the point rather than its presentation, I get what you’re saying and I’ll dial back the arrogance. I’ve got no beef with anyone on here and certainly don’t want to stir up any shit with anyone.
My apologizes, everybody. Those who are enjoying these challenges, enjoy them. I’ll keep my grumbling low until the re-release comes.
I love ETA because it balances the high-stakes tension of an Elusive Target without the actual stakes because you can just re-do it in 12 hours. You get that one-shot rush without your mistakes actually mattering. This allows for both more casual gameplay and more self-forgiveness when things go south.
And yes I still occasionally kill myself like a dumb dumb.
I agree. I enjoyed the challenge of increasing restrictions and having to change my play style. Now I find my runs are similar depending on the restriction used.
I get the need for some people to try different things by continuously replaying the ET without restriction, but I found the first one batch in January challenged me compared to what I did previously with the restrictions.
I’m in the camp of wanting all the ETs to be replayable with no restrictions at any time now, but I had lots of fun with The Cliches and I’d love to keep Arcade as it is with the “ET Free-Play” as a separate additional option from the main menu.
The very existence of Arcade mode virtually guarantees that every ET that can still be made available will be playable on its own, with no restrictions, at some point in the future. Since loading up endlessly replayable ETs is possible in Arcade mode, and IOI is simply putting them back-to-back and with restrictions, it’s therefore completely possible for them to set them each individually into the mode with no restrictions, and I’m thinking they’re gonna do so once Arcade mode and standard ETs have run their course, probably after this year, when the final map and Freelancer are already out. Unless they are planning more content for a Year 3 (possible but unlikely), once all the promises of Year 2 are fulfilled, permanent ETs is all they’ll have left to do.
