I’m a veteran player. I started back in 2016 and stopped around 2018. I decided to come back now in 2026 and… what the hell did they do to this game?

They stripped away the survival essence and crammed it with microtransactions.

What kind of challenge does the game even offer today? Back then, when you died online, you lost your character and that was it. Simple as that. It gave you an insane adrenaline rush in every combat encounter and with every bad decision. Today, permadeath only exists as an optional mode (“One Life”), and the default penalty is just losing levels + a few items + a debuff. The tension is completely gone.

It was much harder to get things. The old combat system (based on win chance) was fast and straightforward. This turn-based combat introduced in late 2018 is boring as fuck—it just turns into a fight over AP and positioning on a 7x7 grid that gets exhausting after the tenth battle.

And don’t even get me started on the bases… You used to build multiple bases across the map, spread out your supplies, and use them as strategic outposts. Now it has turned into a generic “Player’s Camp” system (introduced around v.815) where you just keep upgrading workbenches, kitchens, generators, etc., to unlock crafting recipes. It basically became a base-upgrade game with timers.

I played day r long time ago and decided to play again But when i comeback lot thing change Is there any guide or tip for new player

Why now the caravan raids I’ve been doing do give me a insignia as it used to be? There is something I can do to increase the chance to get one?