Welcome to another Unofficial Weekly Update. While you wait for the real update to drop, here is something to pass the time.
Today's Poll: Are you taking a break from Destiny?
This week, I really wanted to do a whimsical interview with a character from Destiny, but I felt compelled to write something more serious as a result of a post that I had commented on earlier in the week. The topic was titled Destiny is on Life Support, and I wrote a lengthy comment about four of the things that were wrong with Destiny, and it stuck with me. Why? I'm not really sure, but when I was trying to come up with an interview, I could only think about that topic.
You see, I am currently on a short break from Destiny. Not because I hate the game; on the contrary, I love the game a LOT. Destiny has been one of my favorite games over the years that I have been playing, and honestly, it is for very good reason. I write my updates out of love for this game. I have been a supporter since the Alpha (you seriously should have heard my roar and seen my fist pump when I got an alpha code), and I continued through the Beta, and up until last week, Destiny was pretty much the only game that I played. I made sure that I got my weekly raids in, my Nightfalls done, and my Weeklies finished up with out fail. My very awesome and understanding wife knew that Tuesdays after work meant that I logged on to do my Nightfalls. Fridays and Saturdays were Raid or 35 PoE days. I had gotten into a Destiny routine, and it was a way of gaming life for me. And life was pretty good. Destiny had it's share of obnoxious and head scratching issues, but I was content with what I got, and was content with the time that I had invested. Except for Gjallarhorn. I couldn't get that damn gun no matter what I did.
Then, at long last, Xur sold Gjallarhorn again. Many of my friends knew my struggle to obtain the Holy Grail of Destiny as I had skipped it the first time because light level was more important than some exotic rocket launcher (seriously this was exactly what I said), and had spent every single day afterword regretting my stupid decision to buy a damn helmet. When Xur sold Gjallarhorn, my clanmates blew up my phone, one of them said, “Max. It happened.” I promptly logged in and bought three. It was the one gun in Destiny I wanted more than anything since I first saw it fire that week long ago, and to finally have it (which was also my last exotic to get), well I can't really explain how good it felt. This was the pinnacle of Destiny for me. That Unicorn I had chased for so long was finally mine and after I got it, it was the first time in I don't know how long that I turned over Sword duties on Crota. I wanted to be part of the team that fired for the first time in a long time. (Seriously, ask any member of my clan, I am a relic/sword junkie, and absolutely HATE to turn the duties over to anyone else.)
And then Bungie crushed me the very next week when they announced that not only would Gjallarhorn be getting a nerf, that it would not continue into year two. I was devastated. I read those words and my heart sank like a concrete brick in water. To me it was like the ultimate troll.
But like many of the Destiny faithful, I continued onward.
“This is Destiny,” I told myself. Think of all the fun you're going to have! Things change, but, Destiny will be Destiny. There's still fighting to be done, and Oryx needs his ass kicked.
For the next several weeks, the Rift Runners spent hours decimating every part of TTK. We downed strike after strike, nightfall after nightfall, and after a nine hour stint in one sitting at Oryx, we finally downed that bastard and claimed our just reward.
Mouldering Shards. That whole raid, all I got was a set of 300 gloves, and Mouldering shards. It felt like a total cheat to me. I had read the forums and seen people bragging about the new guns they got, and all I had was Mouldering Shards. Wasn't the loot supposed to be better this time around? I thought we were past all of this...
Still, like many of the Destiny faithful, I continued onward.
I leveled up my second Warlock, and brought my Titan up and we began to raid more. I eventually got a full set of gear for the Warlock, and I was able to get all of the guns. I began to start knocking out the exotics I was missing. I worked for the exotic sword, got my Black Spindle and Sleeper Simulant, got my No Time to Explain and hashed out the fragments needed to get Touch of Malice. Things seemed to be going so well...
Then came the Hard raid. I found myself trying to get as far into the raid as I could to try and boost my light level. I got some 310+ weapons, and a set of gloves, but as of yet, I can't get anything else to boost my Light. At this point, I feel like Forever 29 again, as yet again my level is tied to RNG, and not to the work that I have put into the game. Didn't Bungie say that they weren't aiming to do that to us again? Didn't they have some sort of smart loot system that knew what I was missing?
And still, like many of the Destiny faithful, I continued onward.
Figuring I just had wicked bad luck (I really, really do, ask anyone), I put two more hard raids under my belt (still haven't tackled Oryx on hard yet) and this last week, to my horror, I received absolutely nothing for drops in the areas that mattered most. I received nothing from the Warpriest, from the Sisters, and nothing from the Warpriest gate chest. Not even Mouldering Shards. Zippo. Nada. I was again crushed.
And like many of the Destiny faithful, I took a step back.
With the release of Fallout 4, I decided that it was time for me to take a much needed break from Destiny. I found that my mood was salty, and I had lost the drive to really do anything. I was burnt out, and beaten down by mind numbing patches, and arrogant, offensive communications that came from Bungie to the players. Into the Commonwealth I went. After spending many hours there, I discovered the Salvation for Destiny.
A few months back, I confided in a clan member that I was going to leave the game because I was tired of the grind. That Bungie's piss poor decisions for the game were wrecking the fun for me. He told me that he had all of the same issues that I had, but that he loved logging on and playing with his friends. He loved that aspect so much, that it kept him playing. Destiny is a game that is more about the experience than it is the game itself. Bungie crafted a game that was meant to be shared with friends first and foremost. I found that I, for a very long time, made Destiny more about the loot than about the experience, and as such I reached the point of burnout that I am at right now.
For the first time since Destiny released, I have gone an entire week without playing. I logged in for a few minutes the other night (for a possible raid) but other than that, I've been Destiny free. Wandering the Commonwealth is amazing. I personally believe that Fallout 4 is the natural Game of the Year we've all been waiting for. Bugs aside, the game is probably the best game to come out since Skyrim, and it is the first true next gen app. As I slaughter Super Mutants, tromp around in power armor, hoard garbage, and build settlements, guns and armor, I realized that one thing Fallout didn't have, was someone to share the experience with. Battlefront isn't bad for team play, but it's just missing that something that Destiny has when you play it with friends. In Battlefront, you are an expendable character, something to shoot at guys and be shot. Other than points, death really amounts to nothing in Battlefront because you can just spawn back in. In Destiny, a single member of a fireteam going down can completely alter the course of a firefight.
And that, has made me want to play Destiny again. I actually missed bullshitting with my clanmates in orbit as we wait for someone to finally join up so we can raid. I realized when I finally got my hands on a Telesto that I had two clan mates with me to share the moment with, and it made it that much better. I actually look forward to putting in another raid this weekend with the Rift Runners, because dammit, we have a great time doing it. The Rift Runners are the reason that I will still play Destiny far into the future. They are the reason that I will always come back to get screwed over again by a shitty loot system, horrible economy and awful patch decisions, because at least we can all have a good laugh about it. And they can push me off ledges while I'm AFK. Seriously, they do this to me.
Some of you may not ever come back. And that's okay too; sometimes it's just better to have a clean break and move on. I fault you not, nor do I really blame you. But for those of you weary hearted, those who love Destiny as I do but find themselves lost, looking for why they play, I say play something else for a while. Whore Fallout into the ground, #360NoScopeYoloSwagXX420Blaze some noob in COD. Crash a tie fighter into Luke Skywalker. It's not only cathartic, but it might help you realize (as it did for me) that Destiny with friends is greater than anything any of the above games can provide. Destiny isn't about the loot, it's about the people. We are Destiny. We are what makes Destiny great.
Anyhow, that's all we have time for this week Guardians! As always, thank you all so much for reading (this week is pretty different from my standard fare), and remember: keep those guns piping hot and those Strange Coins handy. I'll see you in the Wild!
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6 RepliesHas it been this long?
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Pretty sure I'm not coming back to Destiny.
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I've actually had to [i]adjust[/i] my Destiny... too much Destiny after I retired... what feels like too little after enrolling in collage. The forced break between exams and term papers has actually helped to keep things fresh; however, the limited Daily Event Quests (Sleeper Stimulant, No Time to Explain, Black Spindle) are the only things I seem to be missing on a regular basis. THAT is irritating. Iron Banner ALWAYS seems to suck me in, no matter what is going on... and now it's possible to get all three characters to rank 5 between Friday night and Sunday afternoon. I would probably be a bit more active on weekends IF I had more friends playing... but the field of players seems to be dwindling. I can't complete a raid without friends... and I've ALWAYS had horrible luck with LFG. The changes between Beta, Vanilla, TDB, HoW, and TTK seems to be never-ending... loot, packages, economy, leveling... the next weapons balance patch is just ANOTHER slap in the face.
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10 RepliesHoly -blam!- you have time on your hands. I don't think anyone needed to hear your life story or about a noob xurning ghorn. Only casuals had to buy ghorn the 2nd time around.
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Holy crap, that was intricate.
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Lol the problem with your poll is that probably 90% of the players that have left for good won't waste there time with these forums anymore. I say 90% because there is still probably about 10% of those who have left still here trying to fight for a better player experience because they do like the idea of destiny just not how bungie is executing decisions about it.
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Tried Fallout - Im in love Tried Battlefront - Wowed Saw CoD - Dont like it (like mostly) Left Destiny in case - two weeks ago (bored and still angry from supercutt, what you BUNGIE though) No we are not Destiny, destiny is just mediocre game without proper story (THX 2 Supercut) and im honestly sad i was one of these who heard the HYPE.
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I've left the game for good option on the games forums lol.....
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Well said!
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Great post man, as usual!!! You just nailed it !
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Beautifully said.
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Man, nail on the head this week! I too shared your journey. Halo, then Blops 3, then finally fallout. Now I'm back for iron banner cause I also missed my crew. I won't be playing as much as I completely love fallout, but I commend your decision. Mad respect max. Glad you're still among the guardians guardian.
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I vote to make you our very own Community Spokesperson....our Deej/Cozmo...maybe they will listen to one rational voice...there is always hope. "Hope is what you fight with when all else is lost" (God of War 3 I think..??) Every week you are very well written and this hit the nail on the head, although I still have not found reason to maintain the pace I once did in Destiny. To me, while the loot has always been great to chase and I don't mind the grind, the game has lost "satisfaction" which I look at as a combo of fun (excellent gun play mechanics) AND loot/rewards. Sometimes the fun makes it satisfying all by itself...but sometimes not... Like when our favorite pixel toys are nerfed to oblivion or when we lose something as simple as the the blue flame head on our toon from the nightfall... I quit chasing light level as it seems pointless at the moment and have been helping a noob (and not just a Destiny noob, I mean a video game noob LOL!!) friend that started with TTK...I even did IB last month for the first time looking for that spark... I'm glad you found yours... Keep up the good work!!!!
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Great post, 10/10. Ignore the haters. See you in the wild :)
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1 ReplyStill winning the Destiny forums. Thanks for continuing the updates.
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Edited by firstDead: 11/20/2015 7:18:46 PM[quote]...that Destiny with friends is greater than anything any of the above games can provide. Destiny isn't about the loot, it's about the people. We are Destiny. We are what makes Destiny great.[/quote] Love it! My first gaming buddy I made was when I was doing patrols way back in vanilla Destiny (has been missing since). At some point I randomly sent a message in the tower to another player to help with nightfall or something, ended up playing with him a little bit and eventually he invited me to a VoG raid....complete night and day compared to my first attempt; the so-called leader got annoyed at us noobs, claimed the his clan and himself could get it done in 45 mins, the usual stuff. They laughed when I got to the jumping puzzle, as I am handicapped (figuratively speaking) in jumping/plat forming. This second group was cool, explained everything in a calm manner, I told about my previous experience and completely sympathized with me. Ended up being a regular raiding group until HoW dropped and everyone went their own ways. Wish this group stayed together. That is what Destiny is to me, not that original group, but the ability join a random and him turning around and inviting me to a great group of people to share experiences with. What I just quoted from your post is the definition of Destiny.
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Even better than usual, thx for the read ;)
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2 RepliesAs you can tell by my characters I quit for good.
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3 RepliesAfter the talk we had the other night murdius, i think it's time.... #comeback
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I hear what you're saying...I can be AFK while sitting on top of the vault and my "friends" will find a way to push me from the tower. Good times!
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"they can push me off ledges while I'm AFK" THIS. EVERY. DAMN. TIME.
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Hello master [spoiler] ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) [/spoiler]
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Brilliantly written, I agree that it's not really the game, but rather the experiences and the players that make the game fun. Thanks for writing this, really helped to put words to the way I've been feeling about destiny.
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5 RepliesWho the hell has this much time to .... A) think about a game this in depth B) write an post this long C) read a post this long. Christ dude.... get a girlfriend or something
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I had this circumstance before HoW released. I had decided to take a break after the news dropped that there wouldn't be a raid and didn't come back until about a month into HoW. Played the Witcher 3, Shadow of Mordor and a whole lot of Borderlands. After playing those for awhile it dawned on me that any game with a lot of replay value is gonna have you doing the same things over and over at some point. The presentation is what matters and good games figure out how to mask the repetitiveness. I really thought Destiny had turned that corner with TTK but Bungie continues to make mind boggling decisions that just kill the satisfaction for a large portion of us who are willing to grind through end game content. I've been playing this week for Iron Banner and I still play Trials but next week I'll be back on Fallout or Halo 5. I'll still be in the forums and still be waiting for Bungie to have that moment of clarity and fix all that ails this game because I do enjoy it. A break is good though, in my experience it helps you appreciate the good things that Destiny has instead of being consumed by the bad. Hopefully someday, another developer makes a co-op shooter that can compete with Destiny. Fallout is great and it's one of my favorite series of all time but they really missed a golden opportunity by not giving it a co-op feature.