Helldivers 2 Game Master Joel works to fix "inconsistent" liberation results, but lacking in-game communication tools is the bigger problem
Liberating planets should automatically affect nearby ones, but the system doesn't "have the functionality yet"
Liberating planets on Helldivers 2's galactic war table should affect other territories linked by invisible supply lines, a system that one dev admits can be "inconsistent," but that's not the game's most pressing issue right now as a lack of in-game communication tools means more casual divers are left out of the loop.
The ongoing Major Order sends divers to successfully defend at least 10 planets over the next four days, against both bots and bugs. Earlier today, players were hammering away to liberate the planet Martale, which at one point was 95% free. Doing so would have simultaneously ended the Charon Prime defense event, but community manager Spitz admits the "system does not work that way" yet.
"Capturing Martale will not automatically end the Charon defense event, the system does not work that way," the community manager reveals in today's note to the shooter's Discord channel. "But [Game Master] Joel can award the win manually, and if the Martale gambit is successful, he will honor that commitment by granting the win on Charon."
Spitz explains that the team's "galactic war systems are meant to work that way, but don’t have the functionality yet, and so a lot of it has to be done manually" by cosmic overseer Joel, which can be "inconsistent" unless "one of our teams notices it." You can read the full note below.
helldivers from r/Helldivers
Of course, an inconsistent war table system wasn't the most pressing issue, as both the liberation of Martale and the defense of Charon Prime failed. You see, Martale fell at 95% liberation because its supply line was connected to closeby planet Marfark, lost in a defense event, thus shutting off access to Martale too. Helldivers have only defended one planet so far.
Redditors in several threads have been pointing out that there's no way to access supply line information in-game, nor a way to properly mobilize casual divers who aren't keeping up to date with Discord messages.
"There are no tools in-game," Teamerchant comments. "Anything over 2 or 3 objectives will be impossible to complete efficiently until that is resolved." Many other players pointed out that there are multiple out-of-use screens/computers on the Super Destroyer, which could instead display High Command messages, an explainer, supply line maps, or a way to organize divers.
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Regardless, a Helldivers 2 dev revealed that we’re “intentionally going to lose ground” on the Automaton and/or Terminid front either way.
Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.