IIRC, I Fusion Rifles were my go-to when taking down shields, so I bought one of each element ASAP. Hell, those Wizards were impossible without a Solar FR...

I've had similar thoughts myself. On the one hand, I think it would make high level end-game stuff more interesting. But it would make low-level missions unfairly challenging, at least as they are currently designed. Remember, all special and heavy weapons have elemental damage. New players might only have 1 sniper, or 1 rocket launcher, meaning they wouldn't be able to do any damage to certain enemies except with their primaries (which are all kinetic at that level). Seems a bit too punishing to new players, IMO.

It doesn't have to be that way going forward. Bungie can have any number of kinetic secondaries and heavies in the Taken King, just like there are plenty of kinetic greens and whites currently.

Shields can only be damaged by either kinetic, or their element.

That means you can only take out a captain's shields with a kinetic or arc weapon, a Wizard's with a solar or kinetic weapon, etc. Attack a Captain with Gjallarhorn? No damage if his shields are up.

This would allow elemental primaries to be ubiquitous, but give them a downside of not being able to damage some enemies at all. This would encourage special management so you had the appropriate element. And if you simply don't have a void weapon to damage minotaurs? Then you use kinetic as a fallback.

Bungie could design strikes and raids so that there are two or three shield types per strike, so that you either co-ordinate as a team with splitting up your elements, or you do the jack of all trades kinetic if you want to be safe. This encourages strategy, teamwork, gives kinetic weapons a benefit, encourages a wider variety of secondary and heavy weapons (Gjallarhorn would be replaced with other weapons more often), allows for perhaps useful kinetic specials and heavies, and still allows for the powerful feeling on burns since not all enemies have shields.

But they really do need something to set them apart.

As far as I know, there aren't any modifiers that increase the strength of kinetic primaries without nerfing other weapons (as Small Arms does). So fighting bosses with more than average health will take longer with a kinetic primary than with an elemental primary (I can't tell you the number of times I've had no ammo left except primary when fighting in long boss battles). This just drags out the fight - I'm not a huge fan.

I learned to stop using primaries on bosses a long time ago for that very reason. Synths and drop from ads are usually enough to keep special full.

I don't play that game. I enjoy having options - and I'd be sad if those options were limited just because some people feel that those options keep them from trying other things.

I feel like removing elemental primaries would open up MORE options actually. Specifically, content would be balanced around kinetic primaries, so your choice of primary, special, and heavy would be no only more meaningful, but have more variety. If you are doing something very hard, and an elemental primary would help, there are fewer options because there are fewer of them, than if you were doing something hard, and there were only kinetic primaries, of which there are a lot.

As far as I know, there aren't any modifiers that increase the strength of kinetic primaries without nerfing other weapons (as Small Arms does). So fighting bosses with more than average health will take longer with a kinetic primary than with an elemental primary (I can't tell you the number of times I've had no ammo left except primary when fighting in long boss battles). This just drags out the fight - I'm not a huge fan.

I don't play that game. I enjoy having options - and I'd be sad if those options were limited just because some people feel that those options keep them from trying other things.

I feel like removing elemental primaries would open up MORE options actually. Specifically, content would be balanced around kinetic primaries, so your choice of primary, special, and heavy would be no only more meaningful, but have more variety. If you are doing something very hard, and an elemental primary would help, there are fewer options because there are fewer of them, than if you were doing something hard, and there were only kinetic primaries, of which there are a lot.

Also, I just found out about the boxes area in that strike a few weeks ago. It was without a doubt the worst Destiny experience I've ever had. It's so boring. And honestly, I think it takes longer because half the time you can't even see him from back there. Yeah, it's safe, so if you don't mind wasting a whole bunch of time, it works. But jesus, I have never cared about any reward Destiny can offer me enough to play a strike like that.

To me, the difference in the weapon swap game is like passing with a slow car vs a normal car. On my ex's standard Cavalier, I'd have to think "All right, going to downshift, gas it, and get over after those cars." Then I'd wait for a massive break. On MY car, I just think "Go time." Floor it, and I'm fine.

In much the same way, appropriate changes do happen in gun usage on the 360. But it's almost never in the most efficient way possible.

Note: I do not think I have been colored by playing on the 360 too much. I used to use fusion rifles and sniper rifles exclusively, never shotguns until the buff, and I would often find myself thinking "Well, I could get that guy with a sniper, or slowly kill him with the Suros so I don't have to swap out my fusion rifle," but still making the changes when necessary, like the boss part of Aksor. I would just have to hide somewhere, when now I don't.

So, in short, I now never use fusion rifles.

A couple of weeks ago, both Brawler and Lightswitch were on - and I thought it was fantastic. I was suddenly faced with a choice I am rarely faced with: should I do what I normally do when Lightswitch is on, and hang back and play the long game, or should I take advantage of the super-fun Brawler modifier and run in there for some close quarters combat, hoping I can either kill with one punch or at least stun so I can dance away from danger?

I've always thought Modifiers should be consolidated. Brawler and Lightswitch should be the same modifier. Same with Airborne and Grounded. Catapult should also be like Halo's Catch skull. Small Arms and Specialists should also work for the enemy weapons (although they would have to go through and make it clear which enemy weapons would qualify as a "primary" and which as a "special", but for the most part those seem pretty obvious). I love when those double modifiers happen. It adds a great risk vs. reward dynamic, just like you mentioned.

In an evolving game, some features have to be cut if they have a negative effect on the game, or if you plan to improve them later.

Well said.

Sometimes I wonder if the fact that I play most of the time on a 360 doesn't actually change my playstyle. Since changing weapons is pretty much impossible in the heat of battle on that platform, I have to choose the best ALL-AROUND weapon for a given class before the fight starts; I don't have the luxury of, say, hitting a Wizard with a fusion rifle and then swapping to a shotgun for up-close damage. I have to pick the weapon that will do the most damage to the most different groups - and fusion rifles are pretty much NEVER the right choice.

I'll often swap weapons between sections of a raid, and rarely in the middle of a section (usually it's when I forgot to swap during the break). So, I don't think we play any differently as far as that goes.

I'll use a sniper, and you can use your FR.

I would definitely take that. Although the Death Singer is not your typical Wizard, I still think killing her with Praetorian Foil would be faster than with a sniper.

I meant against the two bodyguards

My odds just went up then!