If you care to read this please do so and comment your own feelings down in the comments if you agree with what I've written and how I feel or even if you disagree with what I have said. Of course, this is entirely how I feel and my entire opinion on how I see it, but if it seems interesting to you, please do read it and leave a comment below. Do be warned as well, but it is quite a read. Hope you enjoy! __________________________________________ [b]Trials of Osiris[/b] "[i]If you think you're ready, then you're ready.[/i]" - [b]Brother Vance, Disciple of Osiris[/b] [u]Year 1 Experience(Trials Crucible)[/u]: When Trials of Osiris first came out I grabbed a few old friends of mine and we instantly dived straight in headfirst, mindlessly entering into a domain which that none of us could have prepared ourselves for us. None of us could've thought what went down in Trials would change the way we thought, the way we acted, the way we prepared, the way we fought. It was a number of feelings relentlessly attacking at owns own emotions till one of two things happened; You either fought or you died. The Thorn uprising was coming up, Warlock's using Viking Funeral + Firebolt + Thorn became noticeable, Blink + Shotgun was constantly seen, Self-Res was always within a single game at least once. It was unforgiving, it was torture, it was madness, it was a slaughter; it was bliss. Through each Trial and Tribulations that it through, we Guardian's fought. Through each perk to each weapon to each "strat" that was seen as powerful and being abused as it was used was seen, it remained fulfilling. How you might be wondering? That's very simple, you see, it was the Victory. Having fought till you won, avoiding the grenade's and bullets, avoiding the Super's and calling out the plays. Just knowing that you won against those odds, battling against them as they could've sworn they'd be given an even easy win only to be shut down by your own skill, your own willpower, your own determination, your own strength, your own calls. Through each painful shot as the Thorn sucked your light to the Firebolt that burned your skin to boiling blisters, to Shotgun's that shredded through your armour and splattered your Light against the walls and floor, to the ear piercing screams of your Battle Cries, this was your victory, this was the start of your journey. It was fulfilling, it was bliss, it was extravagant, it was erotic, it was your [i]Legend[/i], no, your [u]Destiny[/u]. [u]Year 1 Lighthouse[/u]: The Trials was tough, the enemies kept coming, the battle's where hard fought, your cries did not go unheard, your shots filled the area, your Super's came swiftly and decisively. Now came this blazing hot place, with a Sun so bright towards the Horizon that it blinded those that it deemed unworthy as they looked upon its mighty rays. This Social Gathering for you and your friends as you finally finished your battling, finally could rest, finally could relax, finally could clear all thoughts, finally could leave your back open, finally you could get your [u]real [/u]reward. The chest that patiently awaited your arrival as you battled hard fought battles, as you conquered your foes and screamed your cries and pleaded to whomever would listen. The chest that waited as it could tell you happened to be stumbling upon deaths door time and time again, though you refused to cross into it. You stared death without fear, your eyes filled with determination. You would not accept death till Shaxx called your defeat. You would toss your enemies through those doors or you'd both fall through together as defeat was not an option and if that option became an option, it wasn't going to be your Team's option only. Why did you constantly do this though? Was it your fate that someone had engraved, or was it your Destiny that someone had created? No, it wasn't that. yYou didn't stick to what was written on stone as your [u]fate[/u]. You were a [b]Guardian[/b], and you [i]made your own fate[/i]. Though the chest did not guarantee you an exotic piece let alone a piece of armour it did guarantee you something else. It guaranteed you a weapon, one that you could hold, one that was your own, one that you fought for, one that you could accept. Through the Trial's you had to do this one was enough. This one weapon was yours, this one weapon was a marvel, was heavy, was beautiful, was powerful, was a fulfilling victory. Though it came with another surprise as well. The weapon that didn't always hold the same rolls did, however, come with the infusion of an elemental ability. Something not very many weapons had, but these did. It felt good, nor was it easy to obtain so it was yours. Yours to hold, yours to keep, yours to watch, yours to love, yours to destroy, yours to belittle, yours to conquer. [u]Year 2 Experience(Trials Crucible)[/u]: [b]Ting![/b] Guardian 1: "It's [i]Hammer of Sol[/i]! Move back, move ba-" Ghost: "[u]Guardian down![/u]" Guardian 2: "He's chasing us again! I'll lure him away, just stay ali-" Ghost: "[u]Guardian down![/u]" Shaxx: "[b]Last Guardian Standing![/b]" This was the majority of my time. Trying to counter this smoldering hot Titan that tossed its Hammer down with Power equaling the God of Thunder Thor's own furious Lightning, only these weren't bolts but instead were flames of rivalry and payback. Titan's rampaged as it was a chance for them to shine from the last two "backlashing" Super's. This one was more favorable, was more rewarding, was more easy, was more powerful. As quickly as this came though, did the God's deem this as too much. This power needed to be removed, and thus it was nerfed. Of course, this was not the end. As quickly as this mighty Super came did something else follow. Sniper's came out and The Last Word was seen yet again. Shotgun's may have been nerfed but that didn't stop them from being used but they where still less seen as Sniper's now took to the field and Mida was seen. Of course, Bad Juju, Red Death, Nirwen's Nercy, Suros PDX would still be seen towards the start, but it was quickly drowned out by this uprising. Trial's became not a battle of weapons and strategies that was more seen as "favorable" but instead resulted into the holding of a single position, sights zoomed in through the Scopes of Snipers and heads being pulled off. Many found this, as arguable as it as, as worse than even that of the Shotgun's. This [u]strat[/u] many found as more plausible than the Shotgun Warriors that ran rampant. From the well known Guardian known as Krafty and Broman to many others that found this usage, as arguable as it is, as more skillful. The Trials didn't feel like a fight any longer, instead, it felt like a [b][i]choir[/i][/b]. The victories didn't feel as fulfilling, and whenever they did they quickly dwindled and faded like the dying light of a ghost. The battles weren't easy, no. They just weren't fulfilling, weren't a fight, weren't a battle, weren't erotic, weren't blissful, weren't satisfying, weren't plausible. [u]Year 2 Lighthouse[/u]: The day had come, the Lighthouse awaited your return once again. It waited to hear your ragged breathing as your hard fought battles came to an end and it slowly eased back into a normal set of breath's. The Sun shined brightly behind you still, bathing you within its blazing hot rays as your foot crunched against the sand and thudded against the marble flooring. The chest that patiently had awaited your touch was prepared to be opened and give you your reward like you wished. Again it did not guarantee you an exotic always nor a piece of armour but it did reward you with another weapon. It as not, however, the same as before. It had been changed and remade. The fight up here, now, did not feel so rewarding. Your weapon which once had been infused with that of an elemental ability now no longer had such a thing. It was yours, yes, but it was not fulfilling to have. It was not rewarding, it was not satisfying, it was not heavy, it was not Light, it was not bliss, it was not powerful, it was not weak, it was [b]just a weapon[/b] and it was very bleak. You were a Guardian, and you battled to get your way to the Lighthouse, but was this it? Was this all it had to offer? Did the Vex alter history and change your fate that you had once created your own? Or was this, perhaps, some other force that had tampered with the fate that you, as a Guardian, was supposed to create? __________________________________________ For everyone and anyone that made it this far I'd just like to thank you for giving this a read. The way I wrote this might be confusing and I apologize if it is, but this is just how I feel about Trials and the Lighthouse now vs how it was before. I just don't enjoy it, I don't think it was entertaining to play anymore, granted yes, I still am playing it but not because I want to. I'm playing it for my friends and even then I feel so defeated when I do that I just want to quit playing it. If you'd like to leave a comment on how you feel about Trials I encourage you to do so. If you agree or disagree please feel free to comment below with why as well. Happy playing, Guardian's. May your Legend continue to grow! Edit 1: Although the Poll hasn't actually "closed" I am surprised to see how many people favor Y1 over Y2. I'm pleased that we haven't had many trollers in the comments as well but that can always change. Thank you to all that have voted and even went on to comment down below as well! Edit 2: I've created another Topic/Poll for those that are interested. (Not related to this Poll.) https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/190030647/0/0