Be forewarned this is a [b]lengthy[/b] explanation of how Rewards and Scoring work in the new Portal system, starting with a set of clear definitions for Reward types: [u]Completion Reward[/u]: Displayed in the Activity preview screen as a generic white Engram, these will be awarded at the conclusion of the Activity. The number of Completion Rewards granted by an Activity are generally tied to the expected length of time required for completion. [u]Bonus Drop[/u]: Displayed in the Activity preview screen as a generic green Engram, these will award you an [i]additional[/i] drop at the end of the Activity. Additional Bonus Drops will be seeded to random Portal Activities whenever you complete a Daily or Weekly Challenge listed in the Seasonal Hub section of the Portal Menu. It appears that a [b]maximum of three[/b] Bonus Drops that can accrue to a single Activity at any given time. [u]Extra Bonus Focus[/u]: Displayed in the Activity preview screen as the Icon for a [u]specific[/u] Weapon or Armor piece, you will receive one guaranteed drop of this item for your first daily completion of the Activity; Earning a high Grade upon Activity completion grants [i]a chance[/i] of earning this drop again on subsequent runs. [u]Bonus Rewards[/u]: These are displayed in the Activity preview screen as a special Engram type based on the currently running Event, and naturally award Event-specific gear (such as Solstice Weapons and Armor). You will receive these upon Activity completion. [i]Note that the [b]quality[/b] of each of the reward types listed above is based on a combination of factors including your current Light Level, Guardian Rank, and your Activity completion Grade.[/i] - Next we’ll discuss how your Activity Score (and thus Grade) is determined for PvE content specifically: Your [b]Reward Score Forecast[/b] is a multi-bar meter accompanied by an [b]approximate[/b] Score total and Grade for completing the Activity. High Scores/Grades improve your chances of receiving drops of better quality as well as your chances to get Extra Bonus Focus drops as described above. Your Forecast is based upon your [b]Expected Team Score[/b] multiplied by both your [b]Challenge Multiplier[/b] and [b]Reward Multiplier[/b]. [u]Expected Team Score[/u]: This is a representation of the number of points available within the Activity (before Multipliers are applied). This is comprised of a set of scoring opportunities based upon the selected Activity. It is important to note that your Expected Team Score is used in the Reward Score Forecast while the actual Score earned within the Activity determines your final Grade and thus Rewards. • [b]Progression/Completion[/b]: Awarded upon progressing the Activity past certain required objectives as well as upon completion of the Activity. This is a major contributing factor to your score in Solo Ops (comprising roughly 50% of your base score) and the primary scoring method in Pinnacle Ops (roughly 75%). • [b]Bonus Objective[/b]: This is an [b]all-or-nothing[/b] scoring opportunity awarded upon completing an optional task which generally requires you to defeat a certain number of enemies in a given fashion. Solo Ops is the only PvE Portal Activity to offer this scoring opportunity. • [b]Combatant Takedowns[/b]: This is the primary scoring method in Fireteam Ops (roughly 75% of your base score), comprised of smaller point reward opportunities that are obtained each time an enemy Combatant is dispatched. Fireteam Ops is the only PvE Portal Activity to use this scoring method. • [b]Time Bonus[/b]: Active in Solo, Fireteam and Pinnacle Ops Activities, the Time Bonus is an [b]all-or-nothing[/b] scoring opportunity that is only awarded if you complete the Activity before the timer elapses. [u]Challenge Multiplier[/u]: Your Challenge Multiplier is based upon the relative difficulty of an Activity which is primarily reflective of the Power Level of the Combatants you will face combined with additional factors which can be fine tuned within the Customization menu. • [b]Difficulty Tier[/b]: Launching a Portal Activity without any customization will automatically set a Difficulty Tier (along with a number of Modifiers) with the aim of providing you a good opportunity to obtain rewards by earning high Scores/Grades. Within the Customization menu the Difficulty Tier can be manually selected, setting the [i]baseline[/i] Combatant Power for the Activity. Increasing Combatant Power will increase your Challenge Multiplier. • [b]Challenge Modifiers[/b]: These add detrimental effects to the Activity. Activating them will increase your Challenge Multiplier while also increasing Combatant Power in increments of 10 or 20. • [b]Player Stakes[/b]: These add additional detrimental effects to the Activity. Activating them will increase your Challenge Multiplier without affecting Combatant Power. • [b]Boons and Event Modifiers[/b]: These add beneficial effects to the Activity. Activating Boons will [b]decrease[/b] your Challenge Multiplier without affecting Combatant Power, while Event Modifiers typically increase your Challenge Multiplier while having [b]no impact[/b] on Combatant Power. [u]Reward Multiplier[/u]: Your Reward Multiplier is based upon a few factors. • [b]Light Level[/b]: Your overall Light Level, which is the average of the Power provided by the gear in your eight Equipment slots, will increase your Reward Multiplier. • [b]New Gear Bonus[/b]: New Gear and Featured Exotics have a blueish-green badge affixed to the upper left corner of their Icons. Your New Gear Bonus increases based upon the number of Equipment slots occupied by items with these badges, to a maximum bonus with all eight slots. This will increase your Reward Multiplier. • [b]Activity Score Boost[/b]: The Season Rewards Pass includes a series of stacking bonuses that boost your Score upon completing Portal Activities. There are five such boosts at 3% each providing a maximum 15% bonus (fully unlocked upon obtaining the Rank 89 reward). This will increase your Reward Multiplier. [i]Note that the variety of factors used to determine a player’s [b]Reward Multiplier[/b] means it is common to see a group of players in Fireteam or Pinnacle Ops Activities receiving different final scores and potentially Grades from one another.[/i] - In addition to the above, you should be aware that the Reward Score Forecast scales based upon your account-wide Light Level. The highest Power gear for each slot that is currently sitting in the Equipment menu [b]across all characters on your account[/b] contributes to your account-wide Light Level. As this increases, the total Score you will need to achieve in order to earn higher Grades (and as such better Rewards) will also increase. As a result you will [i]regularly[/i] need to reexamine the best way to maximize both your Challenge and Reward Multipliers (while keeping difficulty within a reasonable range) as your account-wide Light Level increases to ensure you are receiving sufficiently high Scores and Grades to earn Rewards more appropriate to the work you put in. - Hopefully with the above information in mind (as much as it is to take in all at once) you will be able to more accurately predict the range of rewards you will receive from Portal Activities. (΄◉◞౪◟◉｀)