EDIT: Thank you Bungie. I know there will be a tiny minority who will feel your recent changes have cheapened the rewards somehow, but you either worked around (early score lock-ins, reduced score req's) or fixed issues and accepted there were others that couldn't be addressed in time with a plan to make the event better next time. That's a fair win in a little run of similar wins redressing issues since EoF.
This kind of event has real potential for both engagement and fun. Just keep it on the good side, keep it fair, keep it reasonable. We all want this game to be the best it can be and one we can continue to enjoy as we have in the past, maybe even more. Again, thanks! <3
Original post:-
So many problems and errors with this event when it launched. Even though much was altered since then it's still deeply flawed, irritating and surely can't be doing much for the majority of the player base other than having them engaged, but in such an unhealthy way. This weekend it f'in broke me so hard I ended up here winging which I just never do. I just can't anymore.
One activity I can work on alone and test myself, Salt Mines, but I'm up against so much other than just playing efficiently:
1. The usual problem of Solo Ops: In the Portal it wastes my time with random score modifier challenges. They were obviously designed to add variety and a little interest to normal runs to help mix things up, but they create friction when, for instance, you're on an ability build and you're tasked with getting precision kills. It's annoying more than anything, but you can easily play around it in normal runs.
In CtA, when you're loaded up on every modifier possible and aiming for the most efficient run you'll ever manage on your meta build, it's an instant back to orbit and try again when the stars don't align. That's no good.
2. Exploits - if you're not running hammers Titan to cheese the boss through its immune shield with sunspots, you're wasting time & therefore points, not many builds can live with that so good luck staying in the top 1% if you don't join them. Other activities have exploits like a number of skips in Helio and using abilities through glass to save time. So it's cheat or be left behind at this point?
3. The big one - the RNG of the Vanguard's Most Wanted even spawning in. When it does spawn, it hanging around to be got or just TPing into the abyss never to be seen again. [i]I'm sure it's just me losing my mind at this point, due to the damage this activity has done to my reasoning and logic processes,[/i] but it feels like this spawn is on the same dice roll as getting 10 precisions kills, because that's the only time I see the little goober when I've already wasted time plinking my guns at matchgame enemy shields on an ability build run.
Solutions:
1. Have the random modifiers disabled for stuff like CtA or just blanket set to be selectable from the menu to avoid time-wasting and having your servers spin up instances that are doomed to be binned in seconds that does nobody any good.
2. It's easy to say "fix your game", "don't have bugs", "don't allow exploits or cheating" but that's not realistic. A better suggestion might be to just not directly pit every player against every other like this, leading to the inevitable scenario where exploiters and cheaters profit at the expense of those who play by the rules and within the lines. It wouldn't have been as exciting and would obviously come with an expense, but maybe setting realistic tiered targets that have been thoroughly tested and determined beforehand based on genuine play would have been a better solution than pushing and pushing the boundaries of what's reasonable, fun and in the spirit of the game.
3. RNG has its place in almost every game. This event is not it. The spawn is so rare and finicky that it's difficult or practically impossible to build into or around, to experiment with the best ways to deal with it, other than going to youtube and seeing what somebody else did. Such an event should be held on an absolute level playing field for all players. No matter how much it might be driving up engagement, IMO it's doing so at a real cost to a large portion of the last few remaining players of this game. Haven't spoken with anyone who is enjoying this event, just enduring it and becoming increasingly frustrated with it.
-
5 RepliesI agree with the point on exploit. Bungie clearly did not think it through that far. Especially in Hélio, people use Warlock and stasis to cheese the first arena instead of opening the 3 doors one by one. Since exploits are usually very niche, it becomes less about skills and more a “who knows about the bug” and “do you have the right build?”.
-
Edited by GPrime96: 11/21/2025 5:07:28 AMThe Portal being a terrible source of competitiveness (since it was never designed to be a competitive leaderboard area) would cause major problems immediately for this event right out of the gate. The amount of times Bungie changed the Portal just to make it work for this event is a example.
-
3 RepliesIt was ALWAYS going to be ridiculous as soon as they announced it was a "top 1%" reward system. Hey Bungie, the game plays VERY differently based on PC vs console. When was the last time a console team was competitive in a World's Fist Raid? PC has quick change builds, more key binding, scroll wheel, more fps, and an inherently more accurate aiming system. This is all BEFORE we mention cheats and hacks. Remind me, what percentage of Worlds First Raid finishers were OPENLY cheating? If it happened there, what makes ANYONE believe it's not happening here? Listen Bungo, your game is not, AND NEVER HAS BEEN, programmed well enough to be considered "competitive." You are a CASUAL play looter/shooter with RPG elements. You are Borderlands meets WoW. You are NOT CS Go.
-
1 ReplyEdited by Auronio: 11/17/2025 10:17:36 PMWell said. For me it's much easier. This event is twofold. Top tier loot, a lot of it, and very likely a title provided to everyone willing to grind his/her a.. off for two weeks and completing the event ladder. Everything required for the title will be auto completed anyway by that time. And then a gilded title, a desired ornament and an even more desirable emblem for a little minority. The math behind tells you that only players between 1% to 10% scores can achieve it. It's designed to reward only the small right part on the bell curve by purpose. It's mathematically ruled out everybody can achieve 100 points let alone 310. Hence from the very beginning this event is meant [b]Everyone against everyone![/b] Edit: I should add, it's a toxic intention from the very onset meant to alienate 90-95% of players participating. Imho. Take care and be proud of whatever you will have achieved in this "event"!
-
1 ReplyI have really enjoyed it. Of course being free to play this year I am about 340 light and my only challenge is to myself. Trying out different builds on all classes and such. I won't get an emblem. I likely won't get a flaming helmet. I find most of this years weapons pale in comparison to great loot I have. Just enjoying doing some runs of the event. The game has very little to offer now so I like to enjoy the little things that aren't a complete disaster
-
It is a little fun for me because I don’t care for the score stuff and really only go for the exotic ornament… a lot of players fell for that score hamster wheel which at the start of next expansion doesn’t matter and is no way worth that hemet ornament to get stressed over…
-
7 RepliesIf Bungie had just kept CTA as a means to get weapons from events that players missed out on (like we all thought this event would be) no one would have any issues. But apparently just keeping it simple wasn't good enough for Bungie. Instead they had to force this stupid ranking system that puts everyone against everyone and doesn't work at all.
-
I think it's how the rules of this event weren't conveyed well having a community competition is fine to show where you stand no different than guardian games...if you didn't play the game one can't expect to place very high on the leader board it's all cosmetic anyway so I don't see why everyone is upset...if you don't put in the work you don't get paid that simple... But Bungie should have set that expectation for the event well before it started and definitely should have eliminated any RNG variables to keep the playing field even and had at least 3 options for the solos to slow down burnout... Having the competition split between two weeks would have been a good thing too have everyone compete for a week lock in their prizes and then start fresh the next week to give everyone who couldn't score as well the previous week a better chance on the next week not counting any players who have claimed top rewards from the previous week and different modifiers for the activitys...
-
13 RepliesThe amountnof times ive seen People cry about weapons and armor locked behind hard activities, saying they 'wouldn't care if it was cosmetic only' otherwise its gate keeping. Now everyone's crying about not getting a cosmetic locked behind a hard activity. It sounds like no matter how much of a bone bungie throws you and how little of a bonus is behind a skill check y'all will still cry. Also that rng and a ~20sec cheese is what separates the top percent from the rest just shows how easy the game is on ultimate now. Its so easy now that very few people here are even being thwarted by skill. Top 1% should have way fewer competitors than it does.
-
1 ReplyThis event is participation only for most players. 40 drops is doable if you max out XP on your ghost and play at least every other day for 2 weeks. Of course you can pay money for the loot if you have cash to burn. At least some daily quests can be completed in regular patrols in EDZ or elsewhere. This event is all about chasing the high score with mods and builds. With lackluster security and bugs in this game, most will find it hard to maintain 30% or lower. What you gain is a shader, helmet skin, and title. The high score is not for me. There are more interesting drops in participation alone.
-
How are you gonna let a mediocre community event, with mediocre rewards, "break" you. It's time for you to play a different game if you're taking this -blam!- this seriously.
-
8 RepliesEdited by Dooodley: 11/17/2025 7:40:33 PMHere's what I dont get though, if the target score locks in a couple of days prior to the event ending, why are we, as a community, pushing the target score? We should have all sucked and had a max of 2,5M up until Friday. Would have been hella easy for everyone to get the 1 % score after that.
-
Stopped caring and went to play Where Winds Meet. Destiny is such a garbage experience right now.
-
I feel your pain
-
Well said
-
1 ReplyIt blows my mind that the pvp part wasnt Iron Banner. The whole 1% thing atm is shocking tho. They have done this before and then ended up changing it to 10% The whole rng to get high score in salt mines is pure rubbish by them
-
4 RepliesSpot on Guardian! Bungie marketed -blam!- and Iron as a catch up and preparation activity for Renegades. That suggests all abilities and power levels can jump in and be around a decent point for the Renegades launch. In typical Bungie fashion they manage to make a dog's dinner out of what COULD have been as advertised. Competition where a required score keeps changing rather than setting fixed thresholds to be aimed for. Unreasonable and unbalanced enemies. (Looking at you shield drone idea guy grrrrrr) Power being a factor in possible scoring. (Do you understand the term "Catch up" Bungie? No signs of testing and tuning as I'm pretty sure having 1 shield drone rather than 3 on enemies that can teleport. plus the bugs either retaining immunity or ducking into scenery would have not passed even a basic playtest given the stated intent of the activity. Catch up and preparation? More like fight tooth and nail in a sweatfest only to be frustrated by RNG or delayed spawn and having to reset.
-
26 RepliesAll I can say is D2 rewards persistance. And I've seen 1% score on all 3 characters! So, my advice, 71 yr old grandma, is learn to play all 3 characters plus keep trying! Each run analyze what held you back the practice and get incrementally better. You youngsters seem to give up pretty easy. Good luck, guardian!
-
1 Reply...A helmet cosmetic broke you?
-
The problem is the moveable feast of a scoreboard. Its not freaking golf where you are chase the best score! They had it right before, fixed score brackets for ranks, if you get platinum rank you pass the threshold end of.
-
Broke you. Come on
-
The biggest problem you have listed there and has been in this game for a while is exploits. In general, the cheeses and the addition of timers to every activity, which forces you to skip as much as possible are killing the game. But before you weren't forced to cheese/exploit. You could run the activity however you want. But the introduction of timers and the portal have put this problem on steroids.
-
1 ReplyDon’t care about being in the % Easy seal to get and free gear to increase my level
-
1 ReplyAt this point Bungie needs to lock in the scores at the reset. They've tweaked and changed things so much now and turned much of it into a speed run contest. They have apparently messed up the scoring so players are reporting 550 power gets lower scores than those at say 530 on the same runs.
-
I think most feel how frustrating the is game at the moment. For all your time spent in this feedback good effort. I've given up not even going to bother with the bs event. Probably get nerfed next reset to accommodate us whingers. lol
-
Edited by Cheat: 11/17/2025 1:40:38 PMI find it absurdly annoying that I make it to 1% on all activities (except crucible lol), call it a day and log off, and I log back on and I'm pushed out to top 10%. It's happened every day I sit down to actually grind. What this has done is cause me to not interact with the event anymore. Why expend all that effort doing the same activities over and over when the score target is moving? I absolutely do not enjoy competing against people for in-game loot. If this were a PvP event I would have stayed away; making it competitive PvE with the population so low is such a weird move.