Encouraging multi-classing with class-specific quests & loot (Destiny)

by RC , UK, Monday, January 12, 2015, 15:54 (3401 days ago)
edited by RC, Monday, January 12, 2015, 16:04

Situation: the 'optimal' way to play Destiny in terms of progression/time_spent is to have 3 characters of the same class.

Evidence: the first players to 30/32 were all multi-char-ing with the same class. The first 32 even deleted and re-leveled that class over and over!

Problem: I think this is backwards. It robs players of the experience of the different movement modes, abilities, supers and playstyles that other classes afford the player. Destiny seems less diverse, less interesting, and hence less fun.

Solution: Introduce class-specific quests, class-specific chests & class-specific rewards. So the 'optimal' way to play is to have one of each.

Precedent: With Eris, there are class-specific bounties (e.g. Chain Hunter throwing-knife kills). Certain chests and jumps are already easier for some classes to get (by height or distance). Some strategies only work with some classes (e.g. Hunter going camo past enemies).

Class-Specific Bounties
We already have class-specific Vanguard mentor characters. Well, glorified check-out kiosks. Let's make them more useful. The Vanguards could take it in turns each week to offer a set of class-specific Bounties. Hunter Week, Titan Week, Warlock Week, repeat. Completion of which gives a randomized reward out of the Vanguard loot pool.

BUT, the weekly 'complete' flag for these is account-level rather than character-level (idea stolen from someone on this forum). Like that, if you had 3 of the same class, you'd only get an extra reward once every 3 weeks. If you had one of each, you'd get one every week.

Class-specific Chests
The most obvious place to stick these would be a Raid, but spicing up Story missions and Strikes would also be possible:

• Chamber with physical guards that can only be camo'd past by a hunter,
  
• Ledge that can only be reached by a Titan,
  
• Air-mined area that can only be floated through by a Warlock.

It's pretty easy to come up with crude ideas for this, I'm sure it can be done more elegantly. #NotAGameDesigner #OnlyAWannabe

Combinations of class-strengths and Exotic perks might be possible too (e.g Mida Multi-Tool or Patience & Time plus a Hunter), but would have to be treated carefully since Exotics are hard to come by.

Class-specific Rewards
This is where I start to get a little crazy. Let's say each Raid armour piece requires 3 different materials to fully upgrade. Let's call them: Sapphire Shards, Hadronic Shards, and Plasteel Shards.

RNGesus gives out all three to every class, but in a ratio more like this:

• Titan: 2:1:3
  
• Warlock: 1:3:2
  
• Hunter: 3:2:1

So if you only have 1 character, you can still get everything you need, but the most efficient way to gather them is to use 3 different classes, even if you eventually spend them on armour for just one of them. Armour drops would also dismantle in a similar ratio.

Doesn't make sense!? Does Hunters only finding Hunter armour on Crota's corpse make any sense? Private loot-stream, bros. Don't worry about it.

I'd also make Shards a bit more readily available, since you can share Weapons but not Armour between classes. It'd help re-balance the ease-of-completion advantage of having 3 level 32 Hunters vs. decking out a Titan and Warlock in 32 gear as well.

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I had 3 classes before but, I deleted my Warlock to make another Hunter. I couldn't bring myself to delete my Titan as well. I haven't played that much recently and am thinking about bringing the Warlock back for fun.