Des2ny Reveal Anticipation Thread (Destiny)

by yakaman, Tuesday, May 16, 2017, 16:01 (2984 days ago) @ Harmanimus

Yes. I'd prefer factions to go deeper, and maybe close off other options/powers/equipment/builds. Would that mean a character committed to Dead Orbit would have no path backwards? Maybe. Good and bad possibilities here, but for me D2 would benefit from a clearer, more defined character identity. For others maybe this is a bad thing?

It is interesting that you bring this up. While I don't like the idea of set in stone for a game like Destiny (well, and living game really) making things more divided isn't entirely out of the question and would lead to some major choices. For example, the Exotic Faction Class Items are only available to you when pledged to a faction. Now, what if that applied to every piece of Faction Gear? Do you go for the New Monarchy Hand Cannon at he expense of the FWC Rocket Launcher? Maybe your best armor set is half Dead Orbit. What decision makes the most sense for your Faction Pledge this week?

I think greater distinction is also where some things have been headinng, but with more choice. While I like that all armor is basically potentially he same, weapons as your main interface have been getting more specialized. I haven't crunched numbers, but the variance in rolls for weapons seems to have diminished since vanilla, where if you had a class of weapons they all could get the same perks. Now what is available to one scout rifle arcihetype might vary between individual weapons. I want to see more of that, so that weapons do have more individual character.

And honestly, everytime someone suggests equipped sockets for armor I get excited. Would be nice to be able to fully customize armor from a gameplay perspective, so that I don't have to select armor I don't like for efficiency.

I'm interested in it to generate more unique gameplay identities. Which may or may not actually be a good thing for Destiny, I acknowledge. But just some random thoughts:

• In PvP, most players played the same to me. I don't recall changing tactics based on what class a player was; I was absolutely tuned in to recognizing supers popping, though..so maybe the same thing?
  
• As shotguns or fusion rifles or hand cannons rose and fell, so too would the player base cycle through shotguns, fusion rifles, and hand cannons. The closest thing to a drastic play-style difference was a Titan defender with bubble shield. The players were more the guns they used than anything else.
  
• In PvE, generally, one Warlock mostly plays like another, with some minor differences. Faction choices might be a way to differentiate between play styles within the same class.
  
• Customization of armor, especially for simple cosmetics, should be low-hanging fruit for Bungie. Or so I hope. I don't know enough to know any better, though.
  
• I swapped factions at the drop of a hat for equipment I wanted, based on how it looked, mostly. It doesn't seem like I should have been able to do that.

Most of this proposed deepening of identity can directly opposed to playstyle freedom, which was also one of the most appreciated things about Destiny I think? So people (and Bungie) will have good reasons for not going down this road.