Dauntless: To Boop or Not to Boop
There are times when different games suit a certain mood. So when GmaFog just wants to go hit something, find friends for hunts, or fly through the air, Dauntless is her choice in games.
Dauntless is a cross-platform, free-to-play Action-RPG. The game uses Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The hunts are up to 4-players but you will see multiple players in Ramsgate. It is a fairly easy game to follow because the tutorial illustrates the surrounding areas, goes into a monster hunt, then each quest will teach a bit more information to move the character along its way. Getting used to the weapons and making the armor to match the weapons is the most intriguing part. At first, this can be very confusing, but Gma tries very hard not to stress and just play with friends.
Dauntless makes crafting necessary for slaying bigger, meaner monsters. As your character grows by crafting and hunting, the progress will help for your survival with tougher beasts. GmaFog’s first experiences going into a hunt with our guildies, was fighting bigger monsters with higher level players. She spent most of the time being rezzed by the other players, but soon understood what was needed to stay alive.
The team kept talking about “The Boop” and she finally had enough courage to ask, “What the heck is a Boop?” Her newbie definition of the boop is when the behemoth has white or orange flash lines on his head and he is running straight at the hunter. Using a heavy attack skill, smack him before he smacks back. This will stun him and the beast falls over. This moment is a great time to attack the behemoth over and over before he can get up.
Let’s get into this a little deeper, shall we?
First, learn the basics by pressing the Esc key. Pressing this key, will open up the screen (below) with the following options: Mastery [N], Quests & Bounties[U], Hunt Pass [P], Map[M], Equipment [I], Personality [K] and Move List [tab]. The letters next to the titles are your quick keys for that specific page. Here are the nuts and bolts for each title:
Mastery shows your slayer level, weapon affinity, and behemoth kills with a list of reward objectives for each type of kill. This page has a list of behemoths and weapons on the left side. Just click on the tab of interest and the right side of the page will show what and how close you are to completing associated objectives.
Quests & Bounties will show your main and side quests with another tab for Bounties.
On the Quest tab, the title of the quests, the description of the task, and the objectives needed are apparent. Main Quests and Side Quests are on the left. Descriptions, objectives, and rewards are on the right.
When clicking the Bounties tab, there are 4 cards to accept. These cards when chosen are worth Hunt Pass XP when completed. For example, the card, “Draw your Sword,” requires the character to complete 6 patrol hunts with a sword to be rewarded 20 XP.
Hunt Pass is an area to buy loot with Hunt Pass XP. Not much to say, this page is self-explanatory.
Map shows the Patrols, Pursuits, Escalations or Trials that you can take. Clicking on one of the types will give a list of behemoths you can battle. If there is an exclamation point on one tab, it means that one of the quests entail a certain beast to fight. Please note that an Escalation is a series of 4 fights, some with two behemoths at once. Whatever gear that has been designated on the character should be good for all types of beasts because there is no switching in mid-fight.
The Equipment tab lets a person choose and equip the armor, weapon, consumables, and lantern of choice. Because there is no way to change the choices in a hunt, make sure everything is ready before your pursuit begins. It is a good thing to double-check the modifications on each item and select the power and defensive cells before going into a hunt.. On the right-hand top corner of the image below, there are 3 slots. These are builds used for specific behemoths. Gma’s #2 slot has neutral armor and a neutral weapon. This is great for players new to the game and don’t have the upgraded equipment to kill and survive a specific behemoth.
Personality is a place to pick what you like in each area of these options: Hunt Arrival, Emotes, Signal Flare, Slayer Appearance, Quick Chat, Quick Emoji, Sigil & Banner, Title and Head Accessory. Personalize your choice by picking items or buying locked items with platinum.
The Move List displays the button combos of different fight skills for a specific weapon. Below are the combos used for a sword. Master the weapon to level up your skills and gain affinity. Heavy attack skills are important for the Boop.
Miscellaneous Buttons at the bottom of the page are the last options for this window: Quit to Desktop, Help, Options and Back. These are useful tools to escape a hunt if there are questions or need to change any gameplay options. The back button escapes the screen.
At this point, you might be asking how you level up your armor or weapons?
Head over to Wils Bormen for weapon crafting or Moyra Heigsketter for armor crafting. The image below shows the crafting page for weapons. Armor is very similar. On this page, there are multiple buttons to play with. First, pick the type of weapon to craft in the top left of the window. Then choose which weapon you want to make in the list on the left. In this screenshot, Stalker’s Strike Sword was exhibited.
The right-hand side of the page explains what power it fights against, perks, cell slots available, and if scrolled down on the right side, it also shows the required materials. In the list of required materials, it will define what behemoth, and what level is needed to acquire them. GmaFog suggests making and building one at a time, maybe a neutral that works on all behemoths. That way as you go on hunts for materials, you still have a good weapon to use.
Now that the basics have been covered, let me answer the original question: Boop or Not to Boop? I would say Boop to your heart’s content! Each stagger will get the team closer to defeating the behemoth. The more you practice the more fun it will be.
Dauntless is a crazy, fun and a great place to make friends. With voice chat available, it makes it even easier. I love learning different fight skills and trying to slay the beasts. Put your best gear on and join the fun with your friends.
About the Author
GmaFog
Senior Editor
As GmaFog loves to adventure in life, she gets excited about everything surrounding her. In addition to working as a Web Production Assistant for Franchise Update Media, she voluntarily writes and edits for Gaiscioch Magazine. She attends Westside Christian Church and loves going on missions trips to Rwanda with Africa New Life Ministries. In her spare time, Gma plays games with The Gaiscioch [GSCH] Family and grandsons; dabbles in photography; and explores crafting ideas. You can always ask her questions, as she enjoys helping others, in-game and out.
About Dauntless
Co-op, action RPG coming to PC in 2018. Band together to take down the savage Behemoths threatening our world. Claim their power and forge your legend.