Not to be a downer but: Destiny, Fallout 4, and power creep

In just about a week and a half, Fallout 4 will be upon us. I plan on playing until my retinas get screen burn-in. Which means I won't be playing Destiny. Which begs the question: Will I even want to come back after taking time off?

Destiny, now more than ever, seems to be full of very limited time events with very powerful rewards, missing out on which could easily leave you feeling left behind. While I actually think some limited time content is a good thing for MMOs, I'm concerned about the way that this limited time stuff in Destiny seems all geared towards power creep, and the feeling that I may not be able to recover my "edge" in PvP after a 2+ week hiatus.

I've taken time off before, during HoW, but that was totally different... I was burned out on Destiny and not having any fun at all playing it. Now I'm enjoying my playtime, but I'm concerned about the endgame state I'm approaching. The current pattern seems to be unlocking specific items or quests on specific days which any non-daily player will easily miss. Not just one time, but many times, as there's no calendar of unlocked quests or notifications of events outside of the game.

I'm truly concerned that this might lead to mass disenfranchisement of player groups as new games come out. They don't even need to be better games, just games that draw a large audience during the same time that Destiny has an event. That audience misses the event and bam - they feel disenfranchised.

So what can be done? Well, I think Bungie could do a better job of letting us know the calendar for events, especially events which were once, but no longer are, "surprise content" events. Let people know in advance when the next time Black Spindle is available, or the Sleeper Simulant, or No Time to Explain. Don't warn of us new things - let those be fun and surprising discoveries for the community - but please warn us of returning limited time events, just as you warn us of when Iron Banner or Trials are coming.

In general, I worry about video games which want all of my playtime. I think it's a bad model for that game and for the gaming industry in general. If I spend all of my time playing Destiny, then I'm not buying any other video games, period. That's hundreds of dollars of lost revenue, and I'm just one guy. This is a longer conversation, but I've felt for a long time like video games should be designed with natural rests in their gameflow to encourage players to pick up and try other games. Anyway, just some thoughts.

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I have honestly been thinking about the same thing recently. When I missed No Time to Explain the first time around I was a bit bummed and generally not feeling good about the way these events are being handled.

When I missed it the second time (voluntarily, I just didn't feel like playing), I realized that I'm not going to be keeping up with everyone and I let it go.

I hope that doesn't impact my long term enjoyment of Destiny. I hope what you're talking about doesn't happen. I'm actually really hoping that after some time passes, they'll make these limited time events more accessible in some way.

Either way, I'm bowing out of Destiny for a bit. Halo 5 is excellent, and it's multiplayer is very promising from the little bit of time I've spent in it, and there's a very real danger of it sucking me in in a way that the Crucible absolutely doesn't.

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If I were a game developer, "make a game that encourages players to go try games made by my competitors" would not be very high on my list of objectives. :p

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If I were a game developer, "make a game that encourages players to go try games made by my competitors" would not be very high on my list of objectives. :p

Not when you put it like that, though. But that's the point, designing games that ask you to never stop playing is ultimately harmful to your players and your longevity. He's right. At some point, if players go play another game, and they miss some cool events that only happen on a schedule they can't predict, and feel left behind as a result, they're more likely to just not come back.

But that's a problem all MMO style games struggle with, and it's not likely to change, as WoW seems to be doing alright and Destiny is to. So they have no incentive to change the way their games operate.

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New things to do are released while they are gone and... since they don't like doing things... they won't come back...? They had fun before. Why wouldn't they also have fun later?

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But that's a problem all MMO style games struggle with, and it's not likely to change, as WoW seems to be doing alright and Destiny is to. So they have no incentive to change the way their games operate.

But when you do stop playing, it's never going to be from a place of excitement or satisfaction. Your game should go out with a bang, not a whimper. That's ultimately why MMOs and the idea of constant everyday play is counterproductive in the long run. You never finish a game, you just quit. Give your players a great, tight, awesome experience that doesn't last a second longer than it has to, and they'll throw money at you for a sequel.

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But that's a problem all MMO style games struggle with, and it's not likely to change, as WoW seems to be doing alright and Destiny is to. So they have no incentive to change the way their games operate.

But when you do stop playing, it's never going to be from a place of excitement or satisfaction. Your game should go out with a bang, not a whimper. That's ultimately why MMOs and the idea of constant everyday play is counterproductive in the long run. You never finish a game, you just quit. Give your players a great, tight, awesome experience that doesn't last a second longer than it has to, and they'll throw money at you for a sequel.

Standard vanilla Destiny was $60. Dark Below + House of Wolves was $40. Taken King was also $40.

The take for Destiny's first 12 months was $140. They've essentially already sold a sequel without needing to burn 3 years worth of development expenses waiting for more revenue. If they make more than third as much on every year's DLC than they would on a full game, it's a no brainer-- they should do it this way.

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But that's a problem all MMO style games struggle with, and it's not likely to change, as WoW seems to be doing alright and Destiny is to. So they have no incentive to change the way their games operate.

But when you do stop playing, it's never going to be from a place of excitement or satisfaction. Your game should go out with a bang, not a whimper. That's ultimately why MMOs and the idea of constant everyday play is counterproductive in the long run. You never finish a game, you just quit. Give your players a great, tight, awesome experience that doesn't last a second longer than it has to, and they'll throw money at you for a sequel.

Standard vanilla Destiny was $60. Dark Below + House of Wolves was $40. Taken King was also $40.

The take for Destiny's first 12 months was $140. They've essentially already sold a sequel without needing to burn 3 years worth of development expenses waiting for more revenue. If they make more than third as much on every year's DLC than they would on a full game, it's a no brainer-- they should do it this way.

Yeah, but the numbers don't really work that way. It's doubtful that 100% of the folks who bought Year 1 also bought all of the DLC, while it's likely (or even probable) that a full $60 release in year 2 would have sold as many copies as Vanilla Y1 Destiny.

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In general, I worry about video games which want all of my playtime. I think it's a bad model for that game and for the gaming industry in general. If I spend all of my time playing Destiny, then I'm not buying any other video games, period. That's hundreds of dollars of lost revenue, and I'm just one guy. This is a longer conversation, but I've felt for a long time like video games should be designed with natural rests in their gameflow to encourage players to pick up and try other games. Anyway, just some thoughts.

That should be how it is, but that's not how Jason Jones envisions Destiny going by what he's said in videos and interviews. He wants Destiny to be a hobby. I'm not against long games. I'm against games being overly long. And I'm certainly against games that string you along and try to get you to play everyday.

Ask any of the PS4 crew, and I haven't been on much lately. I think I've only been on to give the hard mode raid a try, and to snag No Time to Explain in the last month. I too see the end game, and it's just not worth the effort for what you get back.

The Taken King is Destiny at its best, which means I can put it down. That might seem paradoxical if you haven't been paying attention, but it's definitely a positive.

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There's absolutely nothing wrong with putting a game down when you have finished its content. I think the error some are making here is assuming there will be no eventual draw to bring players back. Destiny is on a 10 year publishing agreement. Are players who enjoyed themselves then naturally moved on really going to stay away when the next big TTK style expansion drops all because they didn't get a Sleeper Stimulant? I, for one, highly doubt it.

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There's absolutely nothing wrong with putting a game down when you have finished its content. I think the error some are making here is assuming there will be no eventual draw to bring players back. Destiny is on a 10 year publishing agreement. Are players who enjoyed themselves then naturally moved on really going to stay away when the next big TTK style expansion drops all because they didn't get a Sleeper Stimulant? I, for one, highly doubt it.

Yeah, I agree with this. I think the tough part is wondering whether or not DLC/expansions take a major hit based on a microtransaction model that's designed to put out little bits and pieces that may be more grind-worthy and more about weapons than about actual story/plot development and progression of the universe itself. If it heads toward a type of F2P experience where Bungie attempts to get you to pay rather than play because of how mindnumbingly long a grind might be, that could make things worse. I'm not saying this has happened or is happening, but it could happen, and that thought does somewhat bother me.

And I think that a slow drip of content that's not entirely meaningful in place of DLC/expansions (assuming some of what Kotaku says is true) will absolutely turn people off. Just look at the next two weeks of gaming alone. Halo 5 is out, CoD is coming out, Fallout is coming out, and StarCraft 2's final expansion is coming out in the next two weeks. That's a ton of mostly solid competition that Destiny is facing.

On a personal note, I'm back to playing Destiny about once every week or two. I feel like I've done all I need to do, and this slow drip of random meaningless grindy content isn't gonna cut it. Luckily, I still enjoy Destiny, and it's still very fun to play. Taken King is a good thing. But the 10 year plan might be a big problem. The assumption that players will care for 10 years, especially after some of the mishaps in this first year. I can only imagine what MCC would have done to Destiny's population if it hadn't been an unplayable disaster. That won't happen this holiday season with some of the titles coming out. I hope Bungie knows what they're doing with this stuff.

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There's absolutely nothing wrong with putting a game down when you have finished its content. I think the error some are making here is assuming there will be no eventual draw to bring players back. Destiny is on a 10 year publishing agreement. Are players who enjoyed themselves then naturally moved on really going to stay away when the next big TTK style expansion drops all because they didn't get a Sleeper Stimulant? I, for one, highly doubt it.

Yeah, I agree with this. I think the tough part is wondering whether or not DLC/expansions take a major hit based on a microtransaction model that's designed to put out little bits and pieces that may be more grind-worthy and more about weapons than about actual story/plot development and progression of the universe itself. If it heads toward a type of F2P experience where Bungie attempts to get you to pay rather than play because of how mindnumbingly long a grind might be, that could make things worse. I'm not saying this has happened or is happening, but it could happen, and that thought does somewhat bother me.

And I think that a slow drip of content that's not entirely meaningful in place of DLC/expansions (assuming some of what Kotaku says is true) will absolutely turn people off. Just look at the next two weeks of gaming alone. Halo 5 is out, CoD is coming out, Fallout is coming out, and StarCraft 2's final expansion is coming out in the next two weeks. That's a ton of mostly solid competition that Destiny is facing.

On a personal note, I'm back to playing Destiny about once every week or two. I feel like I've done all I need to do, and this slow drip of random meaningless grindy content isn't gonna cut it. Luckily, I still enjoy Destiny, and it's still very fun to play. Taken King is a good thing. But the 10 year plan might be a big problem. The assumption that players will care for 10 years, especially after some of the mishaps in this first year. I can only imagine what MCC would have done to Destiny's population if it hadn't been an unplayable disaster. That won't happen this holiday season with some of the titles coming out. I hope Bungie knows what they're doing with this stuff.

Bungie's actual plans, outside of hearsay rumors, are as yet unverified. Not only do we not know if we'll get a new paid expansion ever again, we also still don't really know if Destiny will just always be Destiny or if we'll get a separate Destiny 2 and Destiny 3 and so on. My hope is the microtransactions go to fund the Live Team, new emotes, special one off missions, Crucible maps, funny hats, and holiday themed events while we get yearly TTK quality paid expansions. $40 a year + whatever you want to pay in microtransactions which given some around here might be quite alot!

I don't see Destiny's weak start having much impact on its future. Most everyone loves TTK, for instance. If Bungie can keep putting out expansions the size and quality of TTK on a yearly basis and throw in a few new features or a bit of a refresh for this gameplay system or that one, then I think the 10 year goal is "easily" achieved. If Destiny hadn't been Destiny and hadn't been the next Bungie title I think maybe it would have failed based on Year 1. Or, at least it would have struggled. Bungie may have dodged a killer bullet and Destiny may end up another success story instead of a forgotten failure in part because Bungie's previous decades of good reputation allowed it to weather it's weak start.

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Bungie's actual plans, outside of hearsay rumors, are as yet unverified. Not only do we not know if we'll get a new paid expansion ever again, we also still don't really know if Destiny will just always be Destiny or if we'll get a separate Destiny 2 and Destiny 3 and so on. My hope is the microtransactions go to fund the Live Team, new emotes, special one off missions, Crucible maps, funny hats, and holiday themed events while we get yearly TTK quality paid expansions. $40 a year + whatever you want to pay in microtransactions which given some around here might be quite alot!

I was firmly in the "I hope we get a clearly defined, separate Destiny 2" camp, but more and more I think I'm leaning towards just adding onto Destiny with TTK style expansions. I think doing that allows them to build the world in interesting ways and allows us to always revisit old locations and activities.

It really depends on the content trickle for me. It might not be a bad thing, but I'm not sure Destiny will keep folks interested for a full year without those HoW sized expansions, or at least one of those. I don't think random missions for Black Spindles and they like is going to cut it (Although Festival of the Lost is super cool, and I really hope we see a lot of neat stuff like that!).

I don't see Destiny's weak start having much impact on its future. Most everyone loves TTK, for instance. If Bungie can keep putting out expansions the size and quality of TTK on a yearly basis and throw in a few new features or a bit of a refresh for this gameplay system or that one, then I think the 10 year goal is "easily" achieved. If Destiny hadn't been Destiny and hadn't been the next Bungie title I think maybe it would have failed based on Year 1. Or, at least it would have struggled. Bungie may have dodged a killer bullet and Destiny may end up another success story instead of a forgotten failure in part because Bungie's previous decades of good reputation allowed it to weather it's weak start.

I started a thread about this once before and didn't get much response, but I think that's a mixed bag. Bungie being Bungie definitely helped keep people interested, I think, but on the other hand, it might have been better received if expectations weren't so high because they're the folks that made Halo.

I honestly don't know how it would have swung if some no name developers released Destiny. To people think it's great because it's such a technical achievement and plays so well, or do people hate it for all the same reasons they hated Y1 Destiny?

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Bungie's actual plans, outside of hearsay rumors, are as yet unverified. Not only do we not know if we'll get a new paid expansion ever again, we also still don't really know if Destiny will just always be Destiny or if we'll get a separate Destiny 2 and Destiny 3 and so on. My hope is the microtransactions go to fund the Live Team, new emotes, special one off missions, Crucible maps, funny hats, and holiday themed events while we get yearly TTK quality paid expansions. $40 a year + whatever you want to pay in microtransactions which given some around here might be quite alot!

I was firmly in the "I hope we get a clearly defined, separate Destiny 2" camp, but more and more I think I'm leaning towards just adding onto Destiny with TTK style expansions. I think doing that allows them to build the world in interesting ways and allows us to always revisit old locations and activities.

It really depends on the content trickle for me. It might not be a bad thing, but I'm not sure Destiny will keep folks interested for a full year without those HoW sized expansions, or at least one of those. I don't think random missions for Black Spindles and they like is going to cut it (Although Festival of the Lost is super cool, and I really hope we see a lot of neat stuff like that!).

Agreed. I can't imagine I'd still be playing Destiny regularly in Nov 2016 if all we got were a few themed holiday events and a few new Exotic quests. My guess, and hope, is that enough people like me spent $10 on low resolution silly masks that we, in effect, have accidentally paid for something at least on par with House of Wolves. And just think, if we get a Christmas event, and a Valentines Day event, Bungie will have more than enough money to fund just about anything they want to make! :p

I don't see Destiny's weak start having much impact on its future. Most everyone loves TTK, for instance. If Bungie can keep putting out expansions the size and quality of TTK on a yearly basis and throw in a few new features or a bit of a refresh for this gameplay system or that one, then I think the 10 year goal is "easily" achieved. If Destiny hadn't been Destiny and hadn't been the next Bungie title I think maybe it would have failed based on Year 1. Or, at least it would have struggled. Bungie may have dodged a killer bullet and Destiny may end up another success story instead of a forgotten failure in part because Bungie's previous decades of good reputation allowed it to weather it's weak start.

I started a thread about this once before and didn't get much response, but I think that's a mixed bag. Bungie being Bungie definitely helped keep people interested, I think, but on the other hand, it might have been better received if expectations weren't so high because they're the folks that made Halo.

I honestly don't know how it would have swung if some no name developers released Destiny. To people think it's great because it's such a technical achievement and plays so well, or do people hate it for all the same reasons they hated Y1 Destiny?

Maybe it's get a few fans but generally come off as something of a tech demo game? Like: "Yeah, Bungle made this great, beautiful engine... hopefully they'll license it to someone who wants to use it to make a full game."

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There's absolutely nothing wrong with putting a game down when you have finished its content. I think the error some are making here is assuming there will be no eventual draw to bring players back.

Finding a healthy balance of semi-completion-ism and sprinkling in other games is the key, I think. Like Cody, I think TTK is the best of Destiny, and that somehow made breaking with it easier.

I can't wait for D2, but until then there's other good stuff to try.

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In just about a week and a half, Fallout 4 will be upon us. I plan on playing until my retinas get screen burn-in. Which means I won't be playing Destiny. Which begs the question: Will I even want to come back after taking time off?

Destiny, now more than ever, seems to be full of very limited time events with very powerful rewards, missing out on which could easily leave you feeling left behind. While I actually think some limited time content is a good thing for MMOs, I'm concerned about the way that this limited time stuff in Destiny seems all geared towards power creep, and the feeling that I may not be able to recover my "edge" in PvP after a 2+ week hiatus.

I've taken time off before, during HoW, but that was totally different... I was burned out on Destiny and not having any fun at all playing it. Now I'm enjoying my playtime, but I'm concerned about the endgame state I'm approaching. The current pattern seems to be unlocking specific items or quests on specific days which any non-daily player will easily miss. Not just one time, but many times, as there's no calendar of unlocked quests or notifications of events outside of the game.

I'm truly concerned that this might lead to mass disenfranchisement of player groups as new games come out. They don't even need to be better games, just games that draw a large audience during the same time that Destiny has an event. That audience misses the event and bam - they feel disenfranchised.

So what can be done? Well, I think Bungie could do a better job of letting us know the calendar for events, especially events which were once, but no longer are, "surprise content" events. Let people know in advance when the next time Black Spindle is available, or the Sleeper Simulant, or No Time to Explain. Don't warn of us new things - let those be fun and surprising discoveries for the community - but please warn us of returning limited time events, just as you warn us of when Iron Banner or Trials are coming.

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In general, I worry about video games which want all of my playtime. I think it's a bad model for that game and for the gaming industry in general. If I spend all of my time playing Destiny, then I'm not buying any other video games, period. That's hundreds of dollars of lost revenue, and I'm just one guy. This is a longer conversation, but I've felt for a long time like video games should be designed with natural rests in their gameflow to encourage players to pick up and try other games. Anyway, just some thoughts.

First off, great commentary on your thoughts and the state of the game. I really understand where you are coming from, how Destiny can be a consuming game, and how having the best stuff can affect your experience.

My personal experience is that no weapon or armor has ever really changed the way I experience Destiny or has felt required to be competitive in either PvE or PvP. Having said that, I'm not in the top 1% of players in skill where these small differences matter most. I would also think that 1%ers play enough to get those items in most cases and play frequently enough to access those activities that lead to those rewards. I'm not everyone, and I can see how a person would feel left out and behind because they didn't stay in the loop.

I don't believe it will be detrimental to the Destiny player base in the long run though. The same things that may run someone away, may also bring others in or cause some to play more. This weeks Festival of the Lost is a great example. Its really just for fun while being time limited. Folks who were going to abandon Destiny for Halo were probably brought back in at least for a bit to check out the cool experience. I personally have enjoyed this as much as anything in Destiny so far. The ambiance in the Tower is amazing right now. The candles, the howling and screaming. The silly masks and candy. How better to relax a player base who's getting stressed about Hard Mode Raids and upcoming Trials than with some goofy masks and silly quests.

To boil it down, power creep will really only affect the most Hardcore of players IMO. Hardcore casuals like me, nah.

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I can see how a person would feel left out and behind because they didn't stay in the loop.

That's really the main thing for me, I think. I don't NEED No Time to Explain, Black Spindle, or Sleeper Simulant (and whatever is still coming!), but I certainly WANT them, and taking a few week break from Destiny can leave players (me, for sure) feeling like they're missing out on great content. I'm just hoping the events keep coming around often enough to make them easy to obtain. It seems like they have been.

I don't believe it will be detrimental to the Destiny player base in the long run though. The same things that may run someone away, may also bring others in or cause some to play more. This weeks Festival of the Lost is a great example. Its really just for fun while being time limited. Folks who were going to abandon Destiny for Halo were probably brought back in at least for a bit to check out the cool experience. I personally have enjoyed this as much as anything in Destiny so far. The ambiance in the Tower is amazing right now. The candles, the howling and screaming. The silly masks and candy. How better to relax a player base who's getting stressed about Hard Mode Raids and upcoming Trials than with some goofy masks and silly quests.

I seriously cannot get over how cool this event is. I may have to put some time into this weekend despite enjoying Halo 5 immensely. As a side not on the event, the cheesy Halloween music that plays in the Tower is so, so, so great. It reminds me of using Luna in Peggle 2!

For some reason, the way you put this swayed my opinion. I have previously decided to take things easy and slow in Destiny (I always had for the most part), but missing out on No Time to Explain was kinda bumming me out, but you really just put it back into perspective for me.

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I'm thinking about getting Halo 5. It's weird because that was never really something to ponder in the past. Halo has been a goto for 14 years now. Halo was life. Now Destiny is way more consuming but in a different way. Honestly, I miss playing Halo for a few months Hardcore and then putting it down. There was always some other game to fill the gap. CoD, RB6, Forza, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, Battlefield, Madden.... Now though more games are becoming investments rather than experiences. Its not really a problem, just a change.

This is the first time I've been pulled into an MMO style game with a long term consistent investment on my part. It's hasn't been bad per se, but I do want to play other games. I don't play them because I feel like I have to play Destiny, but because I really do like it, and it has changed frequently enough to feel fresh over the past year. I did play a little of Shadows of Mordor, and tiny fraction of Witcher. But I can't get into Witcher and Destiny at the same time. It's too much of an investment. Witcher has a complex RPG system and story that need continuity to understand and appreciate.

The one game coming up that I think will pull me away is the new RB6. I love that tactical shooter feel, the breach and clear, the strategy involved in rescuing the hostages. I always tried to play the old versions without dying or losing a squad member for each level. I've got high hopes for this new one.

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This is the first time I've been pulled into an MMO style game with a long term consistent investment on my part. It's hasn't been bad per se, but I do want to play other games. I don't play them because I feel like I have to play Destiny, but because I really do like it, and it has changed frequently enough to feel fresh over the past year. I did play a little of Shadows of Mordor, and tiny fraction of Witcher. But I can't get into Witcher and Destiny at the same time. It's too much of an investment. Witcher has a complex RPG system and story that need continuity to understand and appreciate.

Yeah, it took me awhile to get a groove with this. The FTB has helped me the most (thanks beorn) because now if I know I'm signed up for a Raid on Friday I don't feel as much of a need to play Destiny the rest of the week because I know I'll scratch that itch later. Let's me play other games or even do something in the real world (not the TV show).

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First off, great commentary on your thoughts and the state of the game. I really understand where you are coming from, how Destiny can be a consuming game, and how having the best stuff can affect your experience.

Thanks. As I read your response (which I deeply appreciate), another fear sort of crystalized in my brain. I'm not worried at all about the Destiny community leaving me behind. Rather, I'm worried about my friends leaving me behind. There was a period in HoW where 2 of the 6 regularly raiding members of my PS4 crew stopped playing. The result was only 4 of us were online any given night, so if I logged on and the other 3 were already in a PoE or Trials, I knew I wasn't doing anything that night. It sucked and it sucked hard. Taking a break from Destiny for any reason feels like breaking up with my pals. They will, simply out of necessity, find someone to replace me for raids and other activities. Which means that, when I eventually return, I'll be behind them in progression and I'll be out of the loop when it comes to forming fireteams.

That, far more than light level or weapon availability, is the real danger in time off, as far as I see it. I apologize that I hadn't realized this was the true boogeyman I was seeing under the bed during my first post.

My personal experience is that no weapon or armor has ever really changed the way I experience Destiny or has felt required to be competitive in either PvE or PvP. Having said that, I'm not in the top 1% of players in skill where these small differences matter most. I would also think that 1%ers play enough to get those items in most cases and play frequently enough to access those activities that lead to those rewards. I'm not everyone, and I can see how a person would feel left out and behind because they didn't stay in the loop.

I'm in the unfortunate position of not being in the 1% of skill, but being in the 0.1% of competitiveness. Serious FoMO (Fear of Missing Out).

I don't believe it will be detrimental to the Destiny player base in the long run though. The same things that may run someone away, may also bring others in or cause some to play more. This weeks Festival of the Lost is a great example. Its really just for fun while being time limited. Folks who were going to abandon Destiny for Halo were probably brought back in at least for a bit to check out the cool experience. I personally have enjoyed this as much as anything in Destiny so far. The ambiance in the Tower is amazing right now. The candles, the howling and screaming. The silly masks and candy. How better to relax a player base who's getting stressed about Hard Mode Raids and upcoming Trials than with some goofy masks and silly quests.

To boil it down, power creep will really only affect the most Hardcore of players IMO. Hardcore casuals like me, nah.

I'm really enjoying TTK and everything that's come with it (sans Sunbreakers... grrr) but power creep affects us all. If the game gets back to a broken Thorn or Hawkmoon only type state again, even for 2 weeks without some attempt at a patch, I'll probably bow out, and it probably won't be gracefully. Sunbreakers already make me not even want to bother with Trials this time around, simply from having faced a 3 sunbreaker team in elimination a few weeks ago.

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I agree with pretty much all of that. One of my biggest problems is that a lot of content is hard for me to solo at the rate new gear drops. I feel like a burdon trying to find people to essentially carry me through content that they've already played ad nauseum at levels that lack rewards for them...players like me literally get left behind.

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I agree with pretty much all of that. One of my biggest problems is that a lot of content is hard for me to solo at the rate new gear drops. I feel like a burdon trying to find people to essentially carry me through content that they've already played ad nauseum at levels that lack rewards for them...players like me literally get left behind.

While I truly understand feeling that like that . . . you shouldn't. People here love playing Destiny, and I have never played with anyone that doesn't enjoy going back to old content, especially if it's to help out another DBOer do something.

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I agree with pretty much all of that. One of my biggest problems is that a lot of content is hard for me to solo at the rate new gear drops. I feel like a burdon trying to find people to essentially carry me through content that they've already played ad nauseum at levels that lack rewards for them...players like me literally get left behind.

While I truly understand feeling that like that . . . you shouldn't. People here love playing Destiny, and I have never played with anyone that doesn't enjoy going back to old content, especially if it's to help out another DBOer do something.

I mean, that's not the only problem. One big one on my own end is lately I don't have a ton of time and its hard for me to plan when I can be on. Then if I get on spur of the moment, obviously people are online playing with people they had plans to play with/regularly play with and they usually don't bother responding to my messages. Hell, I doubt anyone even recognizes me online. lol I've lurked most of my last 12 years in the BO community, unfortunatly, so I've only got a small number who want to bother playing.

(Unintentional rant in-bound)

*sigh* Honestly, I stopped playing Destiny a few weeks after TTK came out because I realized I just didn't have the right combination of personal circumstances and fellow gamer support to make it through the content reasonably. Its just not a game that my life can support right now, I guess.

That and all my minor gripes with progression and the like. I've never been able to grow attached to a gun or my armor because I've only ever gotten a small handful of pieces of gear that are high enough level to carry me through. I DEFINITELY don't have the time to play enough to get enough gear to get even one piece of gear I like to a high enough level that I'm happy with it.

Meh. Maybe I just don't see the appeal? My biggest motivator is story. Destiny has a meh engage-able story at the amount of time I have to invest, and the shift toward gear acquisition as a focal point also doesn't pan out at my available time level. For a while I was lucky if I could log onto Destiny but one day a week.

I feel like a developer has failed their audience if their audience can't properly enjoy their game without jumping through so many hoops. I gave them my money, what more should I have to give to enjoy the product but the time I have?

Sorry. Didn't mean to rant.

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Not to be a downer but: Destiny, Fallout 4, and power creep (Destiny)

Very succint.