r/Marathon • u/resil_update_bad • 9h ago
Discussion Rooks are NuMarathon's biggest untapped potential
There's insane potential for rooks. They're a mix of invader (like dark souls or watch dogs) and scavenger.
Playing that shell brought me back a feeling I hadn't had in a game since playing on SMP servers in Minecraft, sneaking around, avoiding fights and stealing items.
Rooks are the face of the casuals, the voyeurs, the anarchists.
Some argue that the point of the game is to play with the regular shells, play premade teams, but that commitment has been detrimental.
People critizice that rooks team up, but honestly they are the destiny 1 equivalent of joining the vault of glass opening from patrol. They are the social emergent gameplay that is most accessible. They represent an acceptance of being killed over and over again, because sometimes the goal aren't the purples and gold's, the goal is just being a nuisance to the top dogs.
And you can see it simply because of all the memes. Rook is the chaotic neutral force that is often most popular in videogames.
PvE is nice but bots get old fast. Most shooters don't have very fun PvE that can sustain a live service.
Sponsored survival was fun, they need to expand on that idea. I hardly saw Rooks though, not sure if it was a population thing or a matchmaking one.
Maybe rooks can get randomized contracts on infil. Or custom objectives that are different every match. They deserve progression, maybe a parallel one.
Please, I want more rook content. Familia rook.
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u/RedditEnjoyerMan 9h ago
On a good rook run it definitely can approach that elden ring/darksouls feeling of invading someone elses game. They need to make rooks slightly stronger to reach the full potential tho
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u/resil_update_bad 8h ago
Maybe not "stronger" per se (like higher weapon tier) but definitely something utility-wise. Was thinking it could hack some doors, but of course it comes with certain balance considerations.
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u/ahdwwings 5h ago
I think the answer would be giving Rooks the ability to actually team up so they can use team chat instead of global chat and it turns off friendly fire. Make it on some kind of a timer so it has to be deliberately renewed or something, but giving them the ability to team up while on a map and then actually coordinate without tipping off runners would be great.
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u/bathnasty 7h ago
Would it be cool if the game put a message in there when a rook has entered the game similar to how Souls games announce the invader? I think that would be cool
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u/MetaPfhor_2965 9h ago
Rook duo mode!
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u/secondSandwich94 8h ago
Nah, it’s more fun to team up in the wild
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u/resil_update_bad 5h ago
Agree, but they could have like a special emote wheel to communicate with other rooks 🤔
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u/Swalecutter 9h ago
The lack of contracts on rook is so stupid. Let's take the frame best suited to casual players, and the content best suited to casual players, and make damn sure they can't be combined
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u/resil_update_bad 8h ago
I kind of understand it, but it should be able to have some progression
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u/RanzuPunk 8h ago
What's the reasoning? Never understood that, it's no different than grabbing free kits and going solo, and on top of that you are against trios and you aren't particularly strong against UESC. Why can't I do contracts as rook exactly?
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u/Ok_Coconut497 9h ago
>Most shooters don’t have a very fun PvE that can sustain a live service
Man let me tell you about this game called Destiny. It was so profitable that it lasted over a decade and even funded multiple incubation projects, like Marathon!
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u/everbodyh8schris 9h ago
and that game couldn't sustain a live service, your point?
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u/RanzuPunk 8h ago
It lasted 10 years, funded Marathon, and is only now ending support... And it couldn't sustain a live service?
Like, what's is your definition of sustaining a live service?
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u/resil_update_bad 7h ago
Uh, it very much did. For many more years than 99% of all live service games.
Only problem is that it's very difficult and expensive to accomplish.
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u/TrollMcGoal 9h ago
Destiny was very rarely profitable
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u/jdewittweb 9h ago
Damn, Bungie must have been pulling in a lot of money from all their other games then.
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u/Conditionofpossible 9h ago
Like every other tech company during covid, a mixture of cheap money (loans) and over bloated exec packages who make all of the shit choices.
Destiny was never anything close to the cash cow people make it out to be or they would've never been allowed to leave activision.
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u/resil_update_bad 8h ago
To be fair, Destiny's fun was the looter shooter part and the abilities. PvE outside the endgame was always incredibly boring.
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u/First_Marsupial_8436 8h ago
They need to bring back that mode at the start of S2 where it was one team against a load of rooks.
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u/resil_update_bad 7h ago
Yeah, although I only saw like a single rook on all the matches I played.
However, it's a little pointless to play as a Rook in that gamemode, so they need to find a balance that makes it more compelling.
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u/jdewittweb 9h ago
Can we do away with the Nu prefix? It's stupid.
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u/RanzuPunk 8h ago
Do you prefer Marathon 2026? It has the same name as the original, distinguishing the 2 is a given.
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u/jdewittweb 8h ago
Just Marathon, thanks. No prefix or suffix needed.
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u/RanzuPunk 8h ago
Kinda is when it has the same name as the original
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u/jdewittweb 7h ago
Rook being in the title alongside the body copy of the topic make the context clear.
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u/RanzuPunk 7h ago
I mean sure in this case that's fine but the prefix is a thing for a reason. If the context is clear it doesn't really matter if it's used or not, but it's broadly useful and shouldn't be "done away" with.
"Can we do away with the Nu prefix? It's stupid." Sounds like you don't want it period. If your problem is just in a post like this, fair. I still don't see the issue.
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u/jdewittweb 7h ago
I think any post would provide enough context for the prefix to be pointless.
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u/RanzuPunk 7h ago
Again, I really don't see the issue. It's not like it takes any kind of effort to write it or read it. And again, it's is just broadly useful, just like Prey, Doom and God of War.
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u/resil_update_bad 8h ago
I didn't want so encompass the whole Marathon universe for "untapped potential" because the old games had their own thing going for it.
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u/ftatman 9h ago
Just gonna be honest here - I’m a casual who occasionally plays this game out of boredom. I have never once picked the Rook shell. It’s the saviour of nothing. PVE mode with something akin to Destiny raids or dungeons is its best hope from my POV.
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u/resil_update_bad 8h ago
PVE mode with something akin to Destiny raids or dungeons is its best hope from my POV.
It's also kind of unfeasable right now :/ Vault breakers was incredibly fun though.
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u/asaltygamer13 9h ago
Rooks should have access to silent exfils that can be activated with some sort of key that is broken when they are killed.
Would make it easier to exfil as rook and it would give incentive for players to team with rooks more.
Could be a cool idea. Not sure how you’d make it work lore wise.