quote:

---

Love playing this game, but constantly feel like at several of the head designers must be totally clueless.

---

Can someone at Bungie get Blizzards number from Activision? They went through all of this with Diablo 3 and finally got it straightend out.

What blows my mind is that, within moments of any news of updates, etc., the folks on Reddit have pointed out what the problems are (if any, and the most recent patch was pretty darn good) FOR FREE. Yeah, you have to wade through some stupid comments, but the best stuff is quickly upvoted.

Bungie is paying people good money to not think this stuff through. They even recently told people that they play their own game and internally complained about the RNG VoG armor. They can't even listen to each other?

How about this: Post your big design changes to a company forum, similar to Reddit, and let your employees tell you what's good and bad about them. I understand you don't want to do that with the public, but there have got to be some smart people somewhere in there.

Bryan, it's kinda like wanting to date a girl you can't get. If you feel like you can get her but you just can't, you keep trying. If you get her on the first try, she seems easy and you lose interest.

Not saying there isn't flaw, but I believe to degree, flaw or randomness is part of the draw to MMOs.

quote:

---

Honestly a little surprised so many are still grinding through this. The repetition really hasn't become boring? It did for me a long time ago. Was interested to hear the reaction about the new DLC.

---

Coming from too many years as a pretty hardcore raider on WoW - Hell yeah the grinding is boring, but that's never stopped me from getting addicted to it.

Former WoW raider here as well. I wouldn't call WoW a perfect game, and I haven't played in years, but their design has been evolving for years. The issue with Destiny is that they don't seem to have looked at the years of progress in evolving MMO design and adopted the best practices.

quote:

---

Former WoW raider here as well. I wouldn't call WoW a perfect game, and I haven't played in years, but their design has been evolving for years. The issue with Destiny is that they don't seem to have looked at the years of progress in evolving MMO design and adopted the best practices.

---

I would agree. However I think that might be an identity crisis. Is it an FPS? An MMO? And MMOFPSRPG? I think they are trying to transcend the norm so much that they are tripping over themselves in certain ways.

I think it's somewhat of an identity crisis, but just based on reading through patch logs to get an idea of how things have progressed, there's clearly some change-policy/management issues in development. But I'm not paying $15/mo to play Destiny, so I don't expect to see the same investment of time and energy from Blizzard as I did with WoW to try and balance things between PvE/PvE. If they can figure out a better picture for how they want to handle equipment upgrades in future expansions, then they'll have it made.

I have wasted 3 exotic shards this week already. Stupid Bungie

quote:

---

A number of people on Reddit are PO'ed that they already upgraded exotics using exotic shards, only to learn that in order to upgrade them to 323 or whatever they're going to have to completely reset their progress and invest another exotic shard.

I know I'd be annoyed. I was looking at buying 3 exotic shards this Friday and finishing upgrades on two helms and the Mythoclast. Won't be doing that now; avoided wasting 3 exotic shards = 21 Strange Coins.

Love playing this game, but constantly feel like at several of the head designers must be totally clueless.

---

I've been reading about this, and I can't decide if it's a good or bad strategy for handling high-level gear. It's almost the same as being able to get new gear in Raid patch releases in WoW, but instead of getting something new you get to keep the old model that you may like and bring it up to date with the current highest tier.

That process of upgrading shouldn't be free. Even when I got a new raid drop in WoW there were reasons to hold off on equipping it - needed to grind/earn mats for enchants, needed to modify with gems, may have needed another set piece to make it worth it, etc. A lot of new gear came with a grind to follow until one day, when the next big patch was ready to drop, that gear that you grinded to max out becomes accessible by people who don't/can't invest as much time while you get new gear to start grinding on, and the cycle continues.

MMO's are a time suck, and grinding to re-maximize gear has usually just been part of the vicious cycle.

Though I dislike the regrdinding of current exotics, Im more irritated about having to go through Xur to do it.

It could potentially articially limit your progress. In other words, if he doesn't sell Icebreaker and G-horn upgrades, then I will be exceedingly irritated.

Bungie can manipulate the flow of what exotics they want used by picking what exotics to be available for upgrade any given week. And they can potentially nerf certain end-game exotics without nerfing them.

Any XB1 people want to help me and some buddies do the raid sometime this weekend? They are both 28 and I'm 27, not sure if that's a high enough level but we also have never done it before. Want to give it a shot if some ags wouldn't mind guiding us a bit.

28s and 27 are plenty high enough to do the Normal mode VoG.

If i'm on I would help, what time are y'all thinking

XB1: The After1ife

I'd be up for it if the day and time works out as well. I'm also from the H.

quote:

---

I'm also from the H.

---

LAN PARTY!

Just kidding, you people scare me.

if you are working on any exotic bounties, don't turn them in until after the 9th. you will get the updated version of the weapon, thus saving yourself 1 exotic shard

LAN parties; those were the days.

So my basic feeling...

1) Stop upgrading my current exotics now
2) Use marks to buy materials

umm..tell me how else to feel.

quote:

---

So my basic feeling...

1) Stop upgrading my current exotics now
2) Use marks to buy materials

umm..tell me how else to feel.

---

Don't use your marks at all until next week, imho. And again, don't hit a new rep level until next week - throw on a class item for a new (to you) faction instead, if necessary. You want to be close to a new rep level without going over if you want to receive your first Commendation quickly.

That last bit is especially important for the under-30s out there. If you only need one piece of armor to hit 30, you can buy it on Tuesday and then level it up in a day or two and be raiding by the weekend.

For 30s, most likely what we'll use our first commendations for will be new primary weapons that can hit the new Attack cap (323 or whatever it is). Those weapons will be better in the new raid than anything other than Vex Mythoclast or newly reXurbished exotics. They are especially desireable in that Crota raid primaries won't drop until Hard Mode, so for many these weapons will be useful until (possibly) replaced by Hard Mode drops in January or beyond.

The advice for 29's is solid and is my plan. Maxing out your marks for the week is a good plan. Just don't buy anything. Wouldn't be surprised if they erased the reputation ranking for the week though...but it wouldn't hurt to get close if you can do so without too much grinding. I would stack all the 100 reputation 5000 xp bounties in your 10 slots and have them all completed and ready to go on Tuesday. If you have alts, do it for those as well.

As for 30's there are two schools of thought IMO. Sure, you can pick a new primary out if one is calling your name...and still go raiding. (29's can too, but you have to be with a 30). This is assuming that comendtions work as a consumable and allows you to purchase either weapons or armor. (see below)

However, my bet is on that the new gear will get you to level 31. So, it will set you back a bit in hitting 31 the fastest. (Or you get really lucky with raid drops...which is possible for some, but has never worked for me).

Also, it is not clear how comendations will be used. Are they a consumables? Only one weapons/armor per commendation? Is the commendation guaranteed for each rank up? Does it work like the rank system in which if you hold 1 comendation you can buy armor for marks...hold 2, you can buy weapons for marks...

None of this is clear at the moment.

I believe we were thinking Sunday evening some time.

Is there any added benefit to having one character in each class? Other than flexibility of play and sharing resources?

Playing different classes is something you do to experience the whole game and have fun.

Having multiple characters of the same class is for trying to get more armor drops for your preferred class.

Having just one character, that's fine, too.

Any time in mind for Sunday? I'm interested but work until 6pm Eastern and have to be at work at 6am the next day. Lvl 28 hunter who has done the VoG twice but both times, had to quit before finishing the last boss due to time (having a 1 year old makes it tough for marathon gaming)

I think we are pretty flexible. Would 6 or 7 ct work?

Probably 7 but I can't guarantee that I will get off work on time

Xur gear this week

Plan C
Light Beyond Nemesis
Exotic Warlock helm
Young Ahamkara's Spine
Exotic hunter gloves
Helm of Inmost Light
Exotic Titan Helm
Cryptach's Engram Is Gone
Pulse Rifle experience booster
Hand Cannon experience booster
Machine Gun experience booster
Heavy ammo synthesis
Sparrow upgrades (speed and durability) Red and Purple
Exotic shard

So now that i'm looking for my first exotic gear/weapons, I need to just grab hunter stuff he brings? Should I hold out for anything in particular, or just grab exotics that fit my class?

quote:

---

So now that i'm looking for my first exotic gear/weapons, I need to just grab hunter stuff he brings? Should I hold out for anything in particular, or just grab exotics that fit my class?

---

Depends how many Strange Coins you have. If you've got enough, I would start collecting one piece of armor for every slot for the class or classes you play. That way, you only have to get 3 raid armor drops from the new Crota's End to hit 32.

I'm excited for the new DLC to come out. The grind of doing a daily heroic mission and all the other daily stuff had gotten dull.

quote:

---

I'm excited for the new DLC to come out. The grind of doing a daily heroic mission and all the other daily stuff had gotten dull.

---

I had stopped doing any of that stuff and was just trying to get my VoG runs in every week. Occasionally I did a Nightfall or Heroic Weekly Strike when a friend asked.

Probably going to be doing more Weeklies now that it seems we're going to need more Strange Coins for a while. I've got over 40 in the bank, but I'll need a bunch to reXurbish the exotics I've already got.

Is it worth buying exotic shards before the DLC?

quote:

---

Is it worth buying exotic shards before the DLC?

---

I think so, just don't use them until after the new DLC or you will waste them. Build them up in your inventory since you will only have limited times to get them (from xur weekly)

quote:

---

quote:

---

Is it worth buying exotic shards before the DLC?

---

I think so, just don't use them until after the new DLC or you will waste them. Build them up in your inventory since you will only have limited times to get them (from xur weekly)

---

I agree that many players will want one or two hanging out in their inventories, but don't go crazy buying them for every exotic you own. You only need any shards this week if you intend to upgrade current exotics to their current, nearly obsolete stat caps - or if you figure a new exotic might drop for you in the new raid on Tuesday, or are waiting to complete an exotic bounty next Tuesday, etc.

For the new, reXurbished versions of exotics, the same guy who sells those sells the shards. You can just buy them at the same time.

For example, I have two maxed exotic weapons I use regularly: Icebreaker and Gjallarhorn. I don't need shards for them until Xur offers the new version, at which time I can buy both the new version and the shard. Same goes for my maxed Warlock helm.

I also have a few interesting exotic items that aren't maxed, including a Mythoclast. I might choose to go ahead and max that because it's allegedly useful in the new raid, which starts Tuesday. I have a Warlock exotic chest that I want to use for PvP that I have no need to max until the reXurbished version is available, because it only exists for PvP (doesn't need to be all the way maxed) or for hitting 32 (which it won't help with until I trade it in for the new version).

The guy who really, really needs to buy shards this weekend is someone who is still gearing up for level 30 raiding. If you're a 29 Titan or Warlock who has been waiting on an exotic helm to hit 30, buy the helm Xur is selling today as well as a shard and max it immediately so that you can raid Crota's End next week, because Light Level is so overwhelmingly important. Likewise, if you have a Gjallarhorn that you want to point at the Hive next Tuesday, it might be worth maxing that.

For everyone else, I'd buy a shard or two just in case a new and improved Exotic drops for you next week and you don't want to wait until the following Friday to buy a shard - but you don't need a ton of them.

Anyone want to raid on easy? Ps4 here Aggie21251

Still looking for people, just sent friend request -Saxsoon