Destiny Alpha on Anger, Sadness & Envy (Destiny)
by narcogen 
, Andover, Massachusetts, Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 04:59 (3601 days ago)
We're doing a few videos this week about the Destiny alpha; Cody Miller played the game last week on PS4 and recorded some footage of multiple gameplay modes, and afterwards we chatted with him about his experiences.
The first episode covers character creation, the story mission, and the Tower:
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
by scarab , Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 11:19 (3601 days ago) @ narcogen
Look at the meaning of the word. It is the people who go out into the world to explore, fight enemies and bring stuff back to the City.
The Hunter, Warlock, and Titan Vanguards are more like house mothers or representatives for each class. Perhaps they should be seen as mentors or class specific shops :-)
Vanguardness is class based not faction based. Vanguard and Faction are orthogonal.
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 11:22 (3601 days ago) @ scarab
Look at the meaning of the word. It is the people who go out into the world to explore, fight enemies and bring stuff back to the City.
The Hunter, Warlock, and Titan Vanguards are more like house mothers or representatives for each class. Perhaps they should be seen as mentors or class specific shops :-)
Vanguardness is class based not faction based. Vanguard and Faction are orthogonal.
We realized that was wrong, but Narcogen apparently forgot to edit it out :-p
DOH!
by scarab , Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 12:11 (3601 days ago) @ Cody Miller
It was funny watching Narc and Blackstar trying to get what the game was about from listening to your description of it. You don't really get the game mechanics just from hearing about them. You can't understand them through intellect alone - you have to play the game to understand what it's like to play - how the mechanics come together and how they work.
The 1 and only grenade has a cooldown? eww
You loose ammo if you switch weapons from your inventory? eww
I thought Halo had killed the bag of holding. eww
Yet when you play the game you don't mind that it isn't Halo. It is its own thing.
It was funny watching Narc and Blackstar trying to get what the game was about from listening to your description of it. You don't really get the game mechanics just from hearing about them. You can't understand them through intellect alone - you have to play the game to understand what it's like to play - how the mechanics come together and how they work.
The 1 and only grenade has a cooldown? eww
You loose ammo if you switch weapons from your inventory? eww
I thought Halo had killed the bag of holding. ewwYet when you play the game you don't mind that it isn't Halo. It is its own thing.
That's just blackstar. I think the only things I don't like are the teleporting enemies, and that's not because they weren't in Halo, I just don't like them.
I'll play and judge for myself the instant it is at all possible. Last week it wasn't.
I think the only things I don't like are the teleporting enemies, and that's not because they weren't in Halo, I just don't like them.
They mess with movement planning and feedback. With how they tend to be implemented, the player can't be expected to meaningfully anticipate or react to them. From the player's point of view, it's effectively a mechanism that randomly interferes in random ways with the core gameplay. And for what benefit? I have no idea; I've seen loads of people criticize these mechanics (and those of Prom Knights in Halo 4), and almost nobody defending them.
That's just blackstar. I think the only things I don't like are the teleporting enemies, and that's not because they weren't in Halo, I just don't like them.
The teleporting enemies didn't bother me at all.
There are only two units that do it from memory: the Fallen Captains and Sepiks Prime. The Captains only go a short distance and only seem to do it at range so they're often still on your screen. They seem to have the same kind of ability you can upgrade your Warlock's 2nd jump ability to.
Sepiks Prime was slow, and made plenty of noise as it entered and exited the teleport. Often it would be another area out in the open that you were still covered from. Occasionally it would be over your head if you were in some locations. Most of the time you'd have the opportunity to run away, even if you did take a few hits.
It certainly ain't the Halo 4 Promethean Knights.
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
by narcogen , Andover, Massachusetts, Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 20:38 (3600 days ago) @ Cody Miller
Look at the meaning of the word. It is the people who go out into the world to explore, fight enemies and bring stuff back to the City.
The Hunter, Warlock, and Titan Vanguards are more like house mothers or representatives for each class. Perhaps they should be seen as mentors or class specific shops :-)
Vanguardness is class based not faction based. Vanguard and Faction are orthogonal.
We realized that was wrong, but Narcogen apparently forgot to edit it out :-p
Not exactly. I read one thing that seemed to indicate it was clearly wrong, and I was going to edit it out.
Then I read some more things and realized that the precise meaning is apparently either still open to interpretation and speculation, or that at least the confusion has not been decisively cleared up by a direct statement from Bungie, and since you qualified the statement by saying "I think it's a faction" I decided to leave it in.
Yes, it's probably wrong, but it wasn't too far off the best speculation available around the time. If you look at fan wikis they're still just guessing. Some say it's a class, some say it's a faction, some say it's a play mode.
It's not listed at the official site as a play mode, but there is an unidentified icon there.
It doesn't appear to be a class, because there have only ever been three.
The official site doesn't detail all the factions yet, and since "vanguard" is still used in what looks to me like more than one context (Hunter Vanguard, Vanguard Quartermaster) it's still unclear to me. I just don't know whether that's because I'm misunderstanding it or because it hasn't yet been made clear.
The existence of a "vanguard" for each class certainly makes sense, but then the "vanguard quartermaster" doesn't seem to. Why would vanguards need their own quartermaster if vanguards are not player characters? What would vanguards of different classes and, presumably, factions have in common that would lead them to share a quartermaster?
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
by ZackDark , Not behind you. NO! Don't look., Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 21:25 (3600 days ago) @ narcogen
IMHO, "Vanguard" is the collection of Guardians, period. The whole "force", if you will. Whoever resides the Tower as an undead.
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
by scarab , Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 23:56 (3600 days ago) @ ZackDark
IMHO, "Vanguard" is the collection of Guardians, period. The whole "force", if you will. Whoever resides the Tower as an undead.
I think that it's something along those lines only its not about hanging around the tower where its safe, it's those people who go out there into the wild: for the city.
I think the confusion is caused by a double use of the word.
- Vanguard (plural): the collection of those who take the lead and go out there for us
- Vanguard (singular): a class "mother" - a class representative - the three characters we see around the table
Then there is the Vanguard Quartermaster who sells stuff to us Vanguards who are going out there and putting ourselves on the line: for the city.
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
I think that it's something along those lines only its not about hanging around the tower where its safe, it's those people who go out there into the wild: for the city.
I'm going pure speculation here but I still anticipate the Vanguard to present as your Elite-Tier Guardian. What the criteria are I have no idea but perhaps it manifests as access to a (single?) skill progression from one of the other classes to the one you are playing as? This way you would be demonstrating the deep wisdom and knowledge you have gleaned over the course of your long struggle. Haven't we seen Hunters using "blink" in a few videos and yet it's not a part of their available skills (see here).
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
by narcogen , Andover, Massachusetts, Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 09:21 (3600 days ago) @ scarab
IMHO, "Vanguard" is the collection of Guardians, period. The whole "force", if you will. Whoever resides the Tower as an undead.
I think that it's something along those lines only its not about hanging around the tower where its safe, it's those people who go out there into the wild: for the city.I think the confusion is caused by a double use of the word.
- Vanguard (plural): the collection of those who take the lead and go out there for us
- Vanguard (singular): a class "mother" - a class representative - the three characters we see around the table
That would seem to indicate that there could be someone who would be the Vanguard Vanguard.
If that's the case, they really just need to pick another word.
What's the use of calling all Guardians "the Vanguard" if there are no Guardians that are not part of the Vanguard? Isn't "Guardians" just as descriptive, then? Or else don't also use that term for the den mother position.
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
by TTL Demag0gue , Within the shadow of the Traveler, Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 09:44 (3600 days ago) @ narcogen
I've kind of looked at the Vanguard as the Guardian leadership -- sort of like a faction but more central the City's goals and efforts.
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
by ZackDark , Not behind you. NO! Don't look., Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 10:50 (3600 days ago) @ narcogen
IMO, Vanguard sounds classier than Guardians
I don't think Vanguard is a faction
by scarab , Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 11:22 (3600 days ago) @ narcogen
In a sense all Guardians are Vanguards (it's the job description) but I think that Vanguard is a measure of how much you are doing for the City - its a measure of commitment - you get the nicest clothes by being at the forefront of Guardian efforts.
About the Sparrows...
by Xenos , Shores of Time, Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 13:48 (3601 days ago) @ narcogen
Nice video. It's amusing hearing you guys try to understand the game without playing it, it's a really hard game to understand without getting your hands on.
One thing I wanted to point out is their are things the upgraded Sparrows have aside from just durability. For example the one you start with only has boost, but the ones you can buy from the Shipmaster also have an advanced airbrake that make it easier to turn while going fast, and the ones you can buy from the Crucible quartermaster have a juke move so you can juke sideways.
About the Sparrows...
One thing I wanted to point out is their are things the upgraded Sparrows have aside from just durability.
This is something thats been bugging me, upgrades aside, the point of vehicle collection. Is there any reason to have a brace of sparrows and ships (as it seems to me) in your inventory. Are there decent rewards for a dismantle? It strikes me that the in-game economy may come up short here. Caveat, I'm aware that there is a good chance that that part of the game was just left out of the alpha. Thoughts?
About the Sparrows...
by scarab , Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 15:13 (3600 days ago) @ DaDerga
I collected a lot of weapon parts - there must be some use for them that we didn't see in the Alpha.
Cool
- No text -
About the Sparrows...
by TTL Demag0gue , Within the shadow of the Traveler, Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 18:10 (3600 days ago) @ scarab
there must be some use for them that we didn't see in the Alpha.
That was my conclusion, as well. I think the description even said they are used for upgrades, so my guess is that at least some types of upgrades will require you to have spare parts at some point -- maybe for exotics.
You can see the prices for upgrades
by Xenos , Shores of Time, Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 18:21 (3600 days ago) @ TTL Demag0gue
there must be some use for them that we didn't see in the Alpha.
That was my conclusion, as well. I think the description even said they are used for upgrades, so my guess is that at least some types of upgrades will require you to have spare parts at some point -- maybe for exotics.
Yeah actually you could see the prices for upgrades for the guns and armor in the shops. So some of the upgrades just cost glimmer (like the uncommon weapons we got in the Alpha) but some will cost glimmer and weapon parts, and I think some even cost a mote of light for the last upgrade on legendary items, but I might be mixing that up with something you could buy from White Face.
You're correct...
by TTL Demag0gue , Within the shadow of the Traveler, Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 18:47 (3600 days ago) @ Xenos
Motes of Light are definitely another type of currency/material/consumable good/what-have-you that's required for some upgrades. No idea what the motes are, of course -- they weren't in the Alpha -- but a nice hint of things to come, at least. :)
You can see the prices for upgrades
there must be some use for them that we didn't see in the Alpha.
That was my conclusion, as well. I think the description even said they are used for upgrades, so my guess is that at least some types of upgrades will require you to have spare parts at some point -- maybe for exotics.
Yeah actually you could see the prices for upgrades for the guns and armor in the shops. So some of the upgrades just cost glimmer (like the uncommon weapons we got in the Alpha) but some will cost glimmer and weapon parts, and I think some even cost a mote of light for the last upgrade on legendary items, but I might be mixing that up with something you could buy from White Face.
Ah okay, that clarifies somewhat, thanks all.
Destiny Alpha on Anger, Sadness & Envy Pt 4
by narcogen , Andover, Massachusetts, Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 09:22 (3600 days ago) @ narcogen
This time, Blackstar and Narcogen watch Cody Miller try out the Destiny Alpha's Exploration mode.
Blackstar's grenade question
by scarab , Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 11:34 (3600 days ago) @ narcogen
They definitely jump away from grenades on harder difficulty but ask Cody what grenade type he was using. The pulse grenades seem (to me) to do more damage. Maybe his grenade wasn't scary enough.
On a Legendary strike an entire group can practically teleport away from genades ;-)
The Titan pulse grenade is VERY good at trapping enemies that have spawned in a corridor and are rushing into the room. A well placed grenade will have them standing in the corridor like pillocks just waiting for the grenade to stop. They are easy pickings, well they would be if there weren't snipers harassing you from other directions.
Multiplayer - Destiny Alpha on Anger, Sadness & Envy
by narcogen , Andover, Massachusetts, Thursday, June 19, 2014, 08:30 (3599 days ago) @ narcogen
Cody exerts control in the Crucible in the @DestinyTheGame Alpha's multiplayer moon mode.