Massive Anthem Patch Removes Respawn Restriction, Fixes Loot System And Audio Bugs
The launch of Anthem, the latest offering from BioWare and EA, has been anything but smooth. Players have complained that the game is riddled with bugs and is crashing their consoles. Anthem thankfully recently released a massive patch that removes respawn restrictions, fixes the loot system, and improves the overall stability of the game.
Anthem’s Patch 1.0.3 is rather extensive. First and foremost, the patch has “improved stability for all platforms”. The game had previously been crashing both Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles. BioWare's head of live service, Chad Robertson, noted that they had discovered a bug that would shut consoles down as if the power plug had been removed from the wall. The issue had become so pervasive that Sony offered refunds to some PS4 players. BioWare believes that they have finally resolved the issue.
BioWare has also removed respawn restrictions and respawn timers are now based on what activity the player is involved in. Crit-Path, Agent Missions, and other non-end game missions include a 10-second respawn timer, while Strongholds, Legendary Contracts, and other end game missions incorporate a 30-second one. Previously, players could not rejoin a fight unless their teammate resurrected them.
BioWare has improved loot drops, damage and item scaling as well. Players that are at least a level 30 will no longer receive “Common” (white) and “Uncommon” (green) loot drops. These are the most common and worst quality items in the game. Secondary damage sources are now scaled according to “Average Item Power”. This increases the scaling of Melee Damage, Combo Damage, Ultimate Damage, Status Effects, Item Procs. An item’s power will now be scaled based on its rarity. This fix has been applied retroactively to all items in the game.
Patch 1.0.3 has fixed several issues that could cause the audio to drop out. This includes improved audio when players are defeating a creature. There have also been a variety of updates and fixes for strongholds, creatures, masterwork items, inscription, and general gameplay.
Unfortunately, Anthem’s latest update will not solve every problem. Some players will not receive their level 20 Match Consumables, will receive the wrong javelin, and will be unable to dismiss inactivity messages. There are a number of remaining bugs that are particularly concerning for an only multiplayer RPG. For example, some players may be “unable to interact with any objects or players.” You can find an entire list of the patch’s fixes and updates on the Anthem subreddit.
EA’s other most recent publication, Apex Legends, has fared far better than Anthem. The game boasted more than 50 million active users in less than a month. Respawn Entertainment, the developers behind Apex Legends, have also maintained lines of open communication with their playerbase. Perhaps EA can encourage its other developers to take a leaf out of Respawn’s book.
Anthem’s Patch 1.0.3 is rather extensive. First and foremost, the patch has “improved stability for all platforms”. The game had previously been crashing both Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles. BioWare's head of live service, Chad Robertson, noted that they had discovered a bug that would shut consoles down as if the power plug had been removed from the wall. The issue had become so pervasive that Sony offered refunds to some PS4 players. BioWare believes that they have finally resolved the issue.
BioWare has also removed respawn restrictions and respawn timers are now based on what activity the player is involved in. Crit-Path, Agent Missions, and other non-end game missions include a 10-second respawn timer, while Strongholds, Legendary Contracts, and other end game missions incorporate a 30-second one. Previously, players could not rejoin a fight unless their teammate resurrected them.
BioWare has improved loot drops, damage and item scaling as well. Players that are at least a level 30 will no longer receive “Common” (white) and “Uncommon” (green) loot drops. These are the most common and worst quality items in the game. Secondary damage sources are now scaled according to “Average Item Power”. This increases the scaling of Melee Damage, Combo Damage, Ultimate Damage, Status Effects, Item Procs. An item’s power will now be scaled based on its rarity. This fix has been applied retroactively to all items in the game.
Patch 1.0.3 has fixed several issues that could cause the audio to drop out. This includes improved audio when players are defeating a creature. There have also been a variety of updates and fixes for strongholds, creatures, masterwork items, inscription, and general gameplay.
Unfortunately, Anthem’s latest update will not solve every problem. Some players will not receive their level 20 Match Consumables, will receive the wrong javelin, and will be unable to dismiss inactivity messages. There are a number of remaining bugs that are particularly concerning for an only multiplayer RPG. For example, some players may be “unable to interact with any objects or players.” You can find an entire list of the patch’s fixes and updates on the Anthem subreddit.
EA’s other most recent publication, Apex Legends, has fared far better than Anthem. The game boasted more than 50 million active users in less than a month. Respawn Entertainment, the developers behind Apex Legends, have also maintained lines of open communication with their playerbase. Perhaps EA can encourage its other developers to take a leaf out of Respawn’s book.
