I've been playing D2 for about 2 months, so I think that I'm now in a position to offer some feedback, having experienced everything D2 has to offer before Forsaken releases. Destiny 2 is a pretty great game, overall. No regrets. The majority of D2 players are good people who enjoy the game and want to help improve it. D1 and D2 both have strengths and weaknesses. Very few games are a 10/10, but this one ain't bad. The campaign isn't too demanding, and a lot of times you're going to get help from random guardians who just happen to be in the right place at the right time. You can solo, but it's more rewarding to make friends and team up. I wasn't having much success in the crucible at first, most don't. Don't feel bad. I'm still not very good, but that's ok. But I wanted to get better. Somehow I managed to actually do pretty well in my first Iron Banner event, finishing 1st or 2nd more often than not (whatever matchmaking mechanic they were using for it definitely worked in my favor - and I had finally gotten the Vigilance Wing, so that helped a lot). Don't give up. Keep trying. Crucible has a steep learning curve and there's a lot of ways to experience it. Don't worry too much about the level of competitiveness, there's only 2 possible outcomes; win or lose. Learn from every match and don't compare yourself to other players. Find what works for you and be the best at it that you can. Don't complain when you get wrecked. No one starts off as a one man (or woman, etc) army, and those who became one didn't do it in a day or a week. Set a personal goal, contribute as best you can. And when all else fails, just follow the best player on your team and try to support them - they might not need your help, but 2 or 3 guns are better than 1, and you can see a lot of different play styles first hand. (a "newbie" crucible mode for training, which doesn't contribute to stats or offer rewards would probably save a lot of headaches for players who want to learn the ropes while not dragging a strong competitive team down, and increasing rewards in competitive would really make a huge difference and even playing field while keeping new players out of the most demanding multiplayer mode) Yes, you will get crushed by the elite streamers who are just there to farm kills for their feeds, but that really only represents a small minority of players. I started reading the forums and articles about how to get better at PvP, and I was really shocked at how much toxicity, elitism, hate and anger there was from players. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of players that don't take the game so seriously, make positive contributions, help others and seem to be here to have fun. But if the community wants to grow, it really needs to tone down the negativity and make the game more welcoming and inviting. This is the kind of game that can get substantially better, or worse, when players voice their opinions. If there's something you don't like, it's ok to start a discussion, but do it in the most positive way you can. We want more players, a bigger community, more accessibility. Think about what you're posting before hand. Read it over before you submit, ask yourself if this article is going to help or hurt your fellow players, and don't feed the trolls. I want more loot. You want more loot. We all want more loot!! But I wanted the loot I couldn't get on my own as a casual/solo player. So I took a gamble and joined a clan. Best decision I've made since I started playing. A word of advice; don't just join any clan. Find one that suits your play style and your life style. I lucked out and got into a clan with people who are helpful, easy going, don't pressure or demand stats/level/gear requirements, and who have fun. A lot of the guys I've played with lately are dads, just like me, who have lives and responsibilities and understand that family comes first. There's a clan for everyone. You don't need to solo, and you don't need to settle. It's dangerous to go alone! Raids and other challenges you need a team for are really rewarding, if you have the right team. Take the time to find one. If it doesn't mesh with you, find a new clan. There are lots out there. Destiny players are passionate. Most seem to sincerely love the game and want to see it grow and improve. Don't buy into the toxic shenanigans some bring to the game, though. Some people will just never be happy no matter what. And that's ok. D2 brings a lot to the table, and not everyone is going to like the changes, nerfs, game modes, etc. It's going to happen. Relax and roll with the punches. The game is constantly evolving. The developers and programmers are people too, and yes Bungie wants our money (profit isn't a dirty word, folks) but they also want more players and a happy community that looks forward to jumping into the world they created. They've made good and bad choices for the community over the years (I won't bring up the D1 timeline here) but don't give them hell every time something changes. Share your opinions, give your feedback, but stop attacking people from behind your keyboard. A community is responsible for it's own culture, and this doesn't need to be a toxic one. Finally, have fun or don't play. Choosing to do something you don't like is a self-imposed torture. Doing something you love is rewarding. If you hate the game, put it down, uninstall it, move on to something else. If you enjoy the game, get connected with other like-minded players, contribute to the community as best you can. Make new players feel welcome. Destiny has an opportunity at a fresh start in less than 24 hours. That means new players, new friends, and more loot! At the risk of sounding sentimental toward the only character in the game I actually liked ( excluding Failsafe :D ), "Forget winning. Shoot for the stars, Guardian. Or just shoot. A lot. The winning will come.” This is especially true for new players. I hope this helps any new players just jumping in. All feedback is welcome, but keep it civil. These are just my opinions, and it's cool if you don't share em. You don't need to.