Loooong answer, check the spoiler :) [spoiler][b]Level[/b]: 20 is the highest level you can get to by experience alone. After 20, your level is determined by the Light stat of your gear. If most efficient way to level is to grind the strike playlist or crucible for rep and marks to buy your gear from the tower vendors. Buying gear from factions will currently get you to 31. Depending on lucky drops will just frustrate you and get you no where, they are nothing more than bonuses. [b]Factions[/b]: Vanguard, Crucible, New Monarchy, Future War Cult, and Dead Orbit are different factions. You need to rank up in the faction by doing activities that award rep in order to purchase gear. The strike playlist, pvp, bounties, patrols, etc are things that can earn you reputation. Vanguard and Crucible are ranked up by default by doing PvE and PvP respectively. The other factions are ranked up by buying a class armor from them and wearing it. It will cause all rep to go to that faction instead of Vanguard or Crucible. [b]Faction Rank[/b]: Starting at rank 3, you'll start getting random packages from the faction. It may contain faction guns or armor, motes of light, strange coins, ascendent material, etc. It will always give you a commendation. Vanguard gives you Vanguard commendations, every other faction will give you a Crucible commendations. Commendations are needed to buy guns, helmets, and chest pieces. [b]Marks[/b]: You also need the appropriate marks to buy gear. Vanguard marks are the easiest to get just running the Roc playlist earns 5 marks per strike. Crucible marks are only obtained by playing PvP, 3 per win, 2 per loss. You can view how many you have on the Inventory page beside your glimmer. You can only earn 100 marks of each type per week and hold 200 marks of each type at once. [b]Exotics[/b]: Save your strange coins and motes of light to buy exotics and exotic engrams from Xur. He will appear somewhere in the tower starting Friday 4am EST and stay til Sunday 4am EST. Do NOT use his upgrades unless you get an exotic that only has a maximum of 300 atk/ 30 light, they are for increasing the max atk/ light of these old exotics to 331/36. You can also use them to get a better stat roll on exotic armors if the upgrade has better stats than the one you have. Exotics also have a chance to be awarded as prizes from raid chests/ checkpoints, Nightfall strikes, and legendary engrams. [b]Damage Reduction due to Level Difference[/b]: Being a lower level than an enemy causes a decrease in the damage you deal to them and and increase in the damage you take from them. If you are: - 1 level lower = 32% - 2 levels lower = 45% - 3 levels lower = 53 % - 4 levels lower = 100% (yes, you literally cannot hurt them at all) Keep this in mind when deciding if you are ready to attempt end game content. *This does not work in reverse if you are higher than an enemy. A level 2 dreg can still kill a level 32 guardian. [b]Raids[/b]: Vault of Glass -> I suggest waiting until you're 27/28 before attempting your first run unless you can find a good team to teach you at 26. Normal mode is set at 26 but the enemies are 28 by the end. Having a good void heavy and/or special weapon is essential to kill minotaurs and praetorians quickly. Exotics will be the 331 atk versions. Even though their atk is capped at 300, legendary weapons from the VoG are still extremely useful and are still commonly used for Crota's end and Nightfall strikes. The legendary armor is worse than what the tower vendors sell but can be used until you have enough marks to buy tower gear. Crota's End -> I suggest waiting until you're at least 30 before doing your first run. Enemies by the end are 32. You need weapons that can clear mobs of enemies quickly, and a good sniper and rocket launcher are helpful too. Do not be in a rush to raid. Just because you can access an activity does not mean you are ready to do it. If you actually want to be useful and not just carried, it will save you and your team a lot of frustration if you wait til you're properly equipped.[/spoiler] If you've got any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them.