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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3 RepliesAfter the talk we had the other night murdius, i think it's time.... #comeback