Nah you don’t necessarily need water, you can just throw it like a coin and the target will get electrocuted if they pick it up. So it’s pretty much a guaranteed electric accident provided you can distract a target with it, hence why I think it’s like a more balanced “2.0” electric phone.
Besides I don’t think the electric phone was OP since it was still single target, and wouldn’t help you in any way for a contract that didn’t require any electric kills. It would have been pretty strong against ETs (which is probably why IOI removed it since they wanted to re-run them for H3), but not that much more than the fart bomb or the propane + breaching charge combo already are.
And therein lies the risk. If the wrong person picks it up, you’re toast.
The E-phone was OP because of how simple it was to any player to use, to the point that every other kill method was more complex by comparison, which is not a good sign of item balance. There has to be some kind of complexity. Even Lethal poison requires some setup and only work on food, drinks and, in the case of syringes, semi-isolating the target.
And the Kalmer/ Sieker requires learning the projectile of the dart gun, and also won’t work everywhere, not without cover or a bush to hide in. There’s a learning curve, albeit a short one.
As for that second part, It was very useful for basically any contract; specifically because of how versatile and risk free it was to use. It trivialised contracts mode (why create this elaborate puzzle contract when you can throw a phone at someone and cut the knot), and it trivialised ET’s, which is part of the reason it was a popular strat in the community. IOI didn’t give any specific reasoning for its removal, though If I were to speculate, I suspect its controversy it generated is the reason why, and not the ET’s rerunning.
Again, if the phone were to return, It’d need rebalancing, and I think IOI is well aware of that fact.
Anyway, this is de-railing the conversation, so imma end it here.
If the wrong person picks it up you’ve just used a tool for nothing and killed a non-target (which isn’t as harmful in Freelancer as it would have been in a contract). It’s not suspicious to throw so there’s not much danger in using it.
It didn’t trivialize any contract that didn’t rely on a complicated electric kill. As far as I remember the only featured contract I played where the electric phone would have helped me a lot more than tasers was “A Frosty New Year in New York”. It wouldn’t have helped me at all for some nightmares like “Attack of the Red and Black” or “Houdini’s Great Escape”.
Hard to answer definitively without delving into leaks, but I’ll try to keep it spoiler free. Also keep in mind, ioi HAS dumped planned content before (unused stuff found in the game files that never came out) so that could also derail this theory. But based off of NEW unreleased stuff that data miners have found, it looks like there’s still A LOT of content still coming to H3/WOA. New outifts and challenges.
And then there’s also spoiler-free stuff like the safe house trophy wall having 6 Syndicate trophies on one side and only 2 on the other (suggesting 4 more NEW Syndicates/trophies to come).
It’s been such a great six-year period for Hitman content that I don’t want it to end…but at some point it has to. Freelancer is a nice, final cherry on top for the World of Assassination and I’m not expecting anything major like a new map (but that doesn’t mean I’m not still wishing for one!)
It’ll be a long time until the next Hitman game, but we have been quite spoilt lately. Especially compared to being a Hitman fan during 2007-2015. shudders
It has been a wild ride. I became a fan with H2016 when I played the training level demo they put out so I look forward to seeing what happens next.
I’ve also since gone back and played all the old games. Had to drop C47 and Hitman 2 as they were basically unplayable but Contracts onwards are great games.
I personally think Freelancer was the last big update for WOA trilogy before IOI gradually move their full focus onto Project 007. Freelancer is a nice game mode showing 47’s brief post Hitman III whereabouts within the Safehouse before we see him make his full epic return in the next big AAA game.
I still think we’ll get regular elusive targets reactivations etc, but I think post game updates/patches will evolve around Freelancer.
I hope the Christmas Tree and the Halloween decorations are still in there for Freelancer?
That came directly from ioi themselves, so it would be really weird if they decided to dump that. I know things change, but then why bother showing it!? So I think we’ll be getting those Holiday themed updates for sure.
A LOT of new content, meaning possible future escalations, etc? If there was a grand plan for new content after Freelancer, IOI would have told us by now.
As a business based on player engagement of your video game, you tell your content users up front of the roadmap for future content, to keep up interest.
It has been an information desert from IOI, since Freelancer’s release in January.
IOI website is now less Hitman centered now than it was before.
I don’t think that there is anything coming. I would like to be wrong on this.
Yeah, there’s been quite the silence on anything Hitman related for a while. Maybe it’s their move, maybe it’s due to that new thing they’re working on, or maybe they’re finishing with WoA content for now outside of a patch to sort some stuff out.
It would be a real shame if they did, as I think adding in map variants and extra objectives would be very welcome. Extra potential targets too, if possible, since I’ve now started to know who my target is just from a quick glance of the map!
It’s been six weeks since Freelancer released and the World of Assassination bundle/rebrand was made. And I mean that in the opposite as other here : it’s been just six weeks.
Freelancer popularity, new players, and retention is something IOI just start to be able to measure.
On purpose there was no written plan for “Year Three”, it was Freelancer, and then assessment and decision. The entire game structure was changed.
Whatever it can be, it will have to be pondered and justified.
Do they continue for a weekly release or not.
Do they use ETs/old content to generate most of it, or do they produce new ones.
Do they focus on Freelancer, or not…
There could even be a question about continuing the old way of FOMO based ETs, or aiming to create a long term, long tail sell game that would be complete for players even if they buy it in the years to come, with no regrets and a long list of missed chances for them.
(personal opinion : they should)
I expect some communication before spring, and with them content, but I don’t expect some great old hidden plan to be revealed.
Personally I want only two things : an ET tab, where I can access the targets individually, not by grinding trough the arcade contracts. (until then, I’m using the mod)
The second thing, is a finetuning of freelancer, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m fine with it. (except the recreation room, where EVERYTHING is locked behind the deluxe pack; for which I will still not pay 35 euros. A few escalations with some reward + ost does not worth it.)
Lastly, I think there will be packs, that could essentially expand the arsenal we got.
We have already two pack, with extra furniture, with suits and weapons. I can see them popping out a few more , potentially expanding the safehouse itself; maybe giving a little more interactivity to it.
Sounds like IOI have plans for Freelancer updates and new customisation items planned, but they’re waiting to see what feedback they get from us players first.
For me and from what I’ve seen so far, everyone seems to be loving Freelancer!
(1) In the end it is a business decision. IOI only have so much time and money, and IOI’s future depends on executing on their plans for Project 007, which is the big franchise money winner.
(2) Hitman is the iconic franchise on which IOI is built, and they want to give fan service to their dedicated fanbase, regardless of future profits.
(3) IOI are planning novel mechanics for Project 007 and IOI can beta test them using Glacier engine within Hitman, such as destructable environments, snowmobile driving mechanic, downhill skiing while shooting targets, etc.
(4) IOI have hired a lot of new talent for Project 007. IOI can train new employees on Glacier engine within Hitman DLC, which is much easier than within the framework of a new IP.
Big franchise money winner!? The last 007 game was back in 2012, and it was a financial bomb that led to Eurocom (the developer) going out of business. And the last movie lost money as well. Based off that, no idea how you or anyone else could think James Bond is a hot property right now, especially when it comes to video games.
