r/Wonderlands • u/Amazing_Sample1398 • 1h ago
๐ [ Game Feedback ] Tiny Tinaโs Wonderlands 2
Hey everyone, Like a lot of you, I jumped into Borderlands 4 right at launch, but I quickly got completely burned out on it. The game falls into the exact same trap that ruins the momentum of these shooters: it forces you to spend massive chunks of time driving a hoverbike through empty "dead air" space just to get to a location far away, only to make you turn around and do it again somewhere else. To make matters worse, when you finally get to your destination to do a story quest, you aren't even playingโyou're just standing there passively watching NPCs talk to each other through endless, unskippable dialogue segments. Aside from the boss fights, you're just driving through empty space and listening to monologues while fighting the exact same repetitive enemy variants over and over.
Because of that, I went back to thinking about Tiny Tinaโs Wonderlands. The first game had a creative story and a fantastic, colorful art style, but it felt like a massive wasted opportunity. It didn't feel like a real D&D game with guns. It felt shallow because our playable character was just a generic human with cosmetic cat ears and stuff, the classes lacked true identity, and the point-cap locked us out of actually using our multiclass trees.
We need Gearbox to hear us. If they take the fast-paced, first-person cooperative shooting we love, cut out the boring padding from Borderlands 4, and actually lean into real tabletop mechanics, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands 2 could be an absolute masterpiece.
Iโve mapped out a concrete blueprint for how the sequel could look. Let's look over these features and see what you guys think:
- Advanced Character Creation, True Playable Races, & Deep Customization
The first Wonderlands featured a limited character creator where "races" were just cosmetic sliders (like adding orc tusks, elf ears, cat ears, or scales to a human) that had zero impact on gameplay. Furthermore, the arbitrary level cap meant that after maxing out a primary class, we ran out of skill points entirely, leaving the secondary multiclass completely empty and un-activated on our character sheet.
โขMechanical Fantasy Races: For example, the sequel could introduce true playable fantasy races with permanent native starting statistics and passive traits, allowing heritage to interact directly with your character build:
โขElf: For example, granting inherent bonuses to movement accuracy and natural ward regeneration.
โขDark Elf: For example, featuring increased movement speed while crouched, faster spell cooldowns, and a higher base critical-hit multiplier.
โขDragonborn: For example, built with native elemental resistances (Fire, Corrosive, Lightning) and a universal bonus to overall weapon handling (such as faster reload speeds and less recoil across all allowed weapon classes).
โขOrc: For example, granting massive native boosts to maximum health, melee impact, and physical damage reduction.
โขTiefling: For example, providing permanent efficiency bonuses to Dark Magic and status-effect durations.
โขDwarf, Halfling, Human, etc. (leaving the floor open for an expansive roster of traditional tabletop options).
โขDeep Facial and Visual Customization: You should still be able to completely customize your character's face, features, and tail if their chosen race natively comes with one. For example, if you choose a Dragonborn, you can fully customize the shape of their face, skin texture, color palette, and select exactly what style of horns and tail you want to have.
โขLoot-Based Customization Unlocks: We should be able to find new aesthetic options by defeating major bosses and looting chests, featuring both universal and race-exclusive cosmetics. For example, if you find a rare nose ring customization drop, you can equip that onto any race in the game. However, if you find a rare set of spiked dragon horns, that item should be strictly locked to the Dragonborn race creator menu.
โขPrimary Class Focus: For example, players should have the option to fully commit to and master their primary class tree, ensuring their skill points feel impactful without being forced into an empty secondary class.
- The Definitive Necromancer Class Overhaul (Graveborn Evolution)
The original Graveborn class missed the mark by forcing us to constantly sacrifice our own health bar just to get a gun damage buff. Minions were also incredibly limitedโfeaturing just a single floating skull that spit projectiles rather than a varied army that controlled the battlefield.
โขAbolish Self-Damage: For example, completely dump the health-sacrifice mechanics. A Necromancer's power should come from battlefield control, not hurting themselves.
โขDiverse Minion Roster: For example, replace the single floating skull with an active summon wheel. We could summon squads of skeleton archers for ranged support, flesh golems to tank, or wraiths that actively inflict a "Fear" status effect, forcing enemies to drop their weapons and run away in terror.
โขThe Exact Enemy "Raise the Dead" Progression Loop: Introduce a progressive skill tree where resurrected allies always feature a visible health bar. Instead of turning a defeated monster into a generic human zombie, the ability should reanimate the exact creature or mini-boss you just killedโgiving that specific monster model an undead, or zombie-fleshed look while keeping their signature animations, traits, and combat moves:
โขEarly Game (Levels 1โ15): Defeating an enemy allows you to temporarily reanimate them. For example, if you defeat a dog-shark, it rises directly as an undead-looking dog-shark to use its exact lunging and biting attacks on your side. It features a visible health bar while a 20-second countdown timer runs, collapsing whenever the timer expires or its health hits zero.
โขMid Game (Levels 16โ30): Unlocked mid-tier skills allow squad kills to add +5 seconds to your active undead minion's countdown timer, helping keep their health bar active in combat through team synergy.
โขEnd Game Capstone Upgrade ("Eternal Thralldom"): Reaching the bottom of the skill tree completely removes the countdown timer. When you or your squad defeats an enemy or an elite mini-boss, you can reanimate that exact enemy or mini-boss model into a permanent zombie or undead puppet. The countdown timer is completely gone, and they will wander open worlds and travel into new boss arenas right alongside you, utilizing their unique abilities indefinitely until their health bar is fully depleted by enemy attacks.
โขAutonomous Minion AI: Resurrected bodyguards should operate completely on their own intelligence. For example, they target threats, use their signature enemy abilities, and draw aggro automatically, leaving our buttons free so we can focus 100% on sprinting, sliding, throwing grenades, and shooting.
- Active D20 Dialogue Checks & Branching Storylines
Instead of the boring, overlong "stand and listen" segments, talking needs to become an active, chaotic part of the gameplay loop using actual tabletop mechanics that fully respect player choice.
โขVoluntary Dialogue Options: When interacting with an NPC, enemy, or a boss, we should never be locked into a forced roll. Instead, we should be presented with a voluntary menu list of things we want to say. For example, you can actively choose an option to attempt an Intimidation check, or choose a separate path to attempt a Persuasion check, with both utilizing the specific bonus stats you have unlocked from your character race, base class, or upgrades added from leveling up. Alternatively, you can choose "None" to pick a completely safe dialogue option and continue on normally without risking rolling below the required number.
โขD20 Result Outcomes: Selecting an active check rolls a real-time 20-sided dice. For example, rolling a successful Intimidation check against a major boss before a fight could inflict a permanent "Intimidated" debuff, lowering their maximum shields. Rolling a critical failure (a 1) could cause something bad to happen to you and your squad instead.
โขBranching Story Consequences: Our choices must permanently rewrite the campaign state. For example, sparing a boss via a high Persuasion roll turns them into a recurring ally who helps your squad during massive endgame sieges. Choosing to execute them rewards the squad with their class-exclusive legendary weapon, but causes their loyal factions to trigger deadly revenge ambushes in later levels. Faction alliances will actively rewrite the world map, turning enemy fortresses into safe trading havens or vice versa.
- Eliminating the Padding: The Tactical War Room Hub
The bobblehead Overworld map from the first game was a massive pacing killer. Walking a miniature avatar across a cardboard map created severe pacing issues, made worse by annoying random encounters in tall grass and exhausting hidden collectible hunts (like Lucky Dice) just to get basic stat boosts.
โขThe Interactive Map Table: Completely eliminate the bobblehead Overworld. The squad gathers inside a central hub tavern or war room. On the center table sits a physical tactical map (or hanging on the wall) that the host interacts with.
โขInstant Destination Drop: Selecting an unlocked dungeon or region from the map table instantly spawns the entire cooperative team directly into the first-person action zone, completely bypassing empty travel padding and random grass ambushes.
- Cooperative Team Roles & Modular Class-Specific Armor Loot
Class identity in previous games blurred because every character could use every gun, resulting in players ignoring their archetype to just use whatever gun had the highest base damage. Furthermore, "armor" was reduced to an invisible shield bar or a lazy full-body cosmetic suit.
โขClass-Exclusive Weapon Classes: To force true squad teamwork, restrict specific weapon classes to certain archetypes. For example, only Necromancers can wield Cursed Spell-Rifles; only Warriors can handle heavy Chain-Guns and Rocket Launchers; and only Rogues can use high-caliber Sniper Rifles. If a legendary Spell-Rifle drops from a boss, your teammates cannot ninja-loot itโthey must hand it to the Necromancer or sell it.
โขModular 5-Slot Armor Loot with Skill Modifiers: Replace invisible shields with a physical equipment system consisting of separate loot slots for Helmets, Chest plates, Leggings, Gauntlets, and Boots. Every piece dropped by a boss, chest, or enemy changes your character's physical appearance on screen while providing deep, RPG-focused defensive statistics, physical damage reduction, and elemental resistances.
โขClass-Matching Mechanics: To preserve the core armor mechanics of the franchise, these individual pieces should roll with specific class skill modifiers. While any archetype can wear a piece for base physical protection, we must hunt for drops that actively match our specific class profile to unlock powerful, tree-altering skill boosts.
- Fantasy Magitech Vehicles, Living Mounts, & The Knockout System
Instead of out-of-place sci-fi cars driving across empty terrain, the sequel should replace sterile garages with a stable of unique fantasy rides that can be used freely to wander open-world environments.
โขPre-Built Kit Vehicles: Introduce rugged, coal-fired iron battle wagons and crystal-powered magitech chariots. These vehicles do not use loose weapon drops; instead, they feature fixed, unique signature weaponry tailored to their vehicle class (e.g., dual steam cannons or rapid-fire arcane side-turrets).
โขLiving Combat Mounts: Introduce rideable mythical creatures that function as living mounts. Players can ride, for example, a Pyre-Drake that automatically breathes fireballs at ground troops, or an armored Siege-Beast that rams enemy targets using a heavy ballista strapped directly to its back.
โขThe Combat Knockout Mechanic: When a magitech vehicle's health drops to zero, it breaks down and smokes out. When a living creature mount drops to zero health, it doesn't vanish or die. Instead, it faints and falls to the ground knocked out, showing realistic signs of lifeโlike visible breathing, slight movements, or swirls in its eyes. You are instantly dismounted to handle the rest of the gunfight on foot.
โขThe Summoning Circle Network: To bring your broken vehicle or knocked-out mount back into action, players use a network of ancient, rune-carved Summoning Circles placed dynamically throughout the areas. For example, these circles are conveniently located right near hubs with ammo/gun vending machines, shops, and safe base camps so you never have to run across the map just to respawn your ride.
โขBlueprint Upgrades & Equippable Skins: Players hunt down hidden chests and defeat major dungeon bosses to find modular structural plates, engine cores, and stat upgrades to maximize their ride's speed, defense, and stamina. Furthermore, bosses and chests will drop rare, equippable skins allowing players to completely customize the aesthetic texture, colors, and visual flair of their favorite vehicles and living creatures while wandering the world.
What Gearbox Actually Said About the Sequel
If you are wondering why we need to get a feature list like this moving right now, it is because Gearbox is actively working on the franchise's future.
The studio officially confirmed that Tiny Tina's Wonderlands heavily shattered all of their internal financial targets and outperformed the original Borderlands launch, leading publisher 2K to officially classify it as a permanent, standalone franchise.
When asked directly about where the series goes next, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford put it in these exact words:
"Oh, I feel like we're just getting started there. I love fantasy, and we have a whole team of people that love fantasy... [The first game] was a beachhead at the start of an invasion."
The team is already building what comes next. Let's make sure we talk about what we want so they don't repeat the flaws of past games and can give us the masterpiece we deserve!
