The less competitive fans of Rust can breath a sign of relief, because a casual mode is here. Facepunch Studios, the developer behind Rust, is now including a Softcore mode aiming at the more casual player base.
As a multiplayer-survival game, Rust is not necessarily for the faint of heart. The idea is that players must make their way in a harsh world full of hazards likely resulting in death. PvP is a large part of this, with fans being able to kill each other and steal loot. Though, for fans and streamers looking for less PvP stress, there is now a mode available on some servers.
In the main post, Facepunch acknowledges that the game is hardcore but wants to include casual players too. The team mentions that the majority of servers will still be hardcore, so there is no implication that Softcore will be the primary focus. One of the main changes coming for this mode ties into player kits. After death, the victims can reclaim half of their lost inventory from the spot where they died or a reclaim terminal. These terminals are found at Bandit Town and the Outpost, but the supplies will de-spawn after 2 hours so act fast.
Fortunately, players can now respawn at Bandit Town and the Outpost as long as they are not currently hostile. Those hoping to loot wounded enemies have a limit too, as they can only view the held contents. Facepunch is tweaking how group size works to make it less oppressive. If playing on the Softcore server, squads will have a maximum of four players. With 10 servers running the casual mode, the team claims how this is only the beginning for Softcore in its popular survival game.
Expanding on a game to be more inclusive to all kinds of fans is rarely a bad thing. It shows that the developer is willing to accommodate the needs of everyone supporting the game. Since Softcore mode is only taking up a handful of servers, those who prefer Hardcore should not notice much of a difference. Plus, the update is not fully changing the game but merely reducing frustrating aspects for those who make mistakes.
No doubt there will be plenty of players skeptical of the new mode, though. Rust touts a dangerous and ruthless world, so why the need to tailor development time towards casuals? There are plenty of other open-world survival games that are less punishing. That said, it sounds like Softcore mode will be perfect for those who have less time to devote.
Rust is available on PC, with PS4 and Xbox One versions currently in development.
Source: Facepunch