Interesting. (Destiny)

by EffortlessFury , Sunday, December 10, 2023, 01:10 (352 days ago) @ Cody Miller
edited by EffortlessFury, Sunday, December 10, 2023, 02:02

Grinding repetitive content, ala Diablo, Destiny, or many other games of their nature, are appealing to folks even if they do nothing "new" for months at a time, because any amount of boredom that might set in is offset by the investment value of that playtime. Even if you're running a Strike for the 1,000th time, you're getting loot that you can use in future new content, you're gaining BP levels that gain you materials and loot you can use to strengthen yourself for future new content, etc. You're always investing in the future, so it's not time wasted, even if it's not always time 100% enjoyed.

How is that any different than playing a single player game with a definite end? I play level one to invest in my future of seeing the ending, and enjoying all the future levels while getting there!

I somewhat agree with your point, but there is still a difference, in that the game is set up to sustain long-term play through continuous updates. That means there are still some of these types of incentive systems, daily login/quests (very minimal though), and so on that underpin a long-term game. And, regardless of whether or not these systems exist to further strengthen this implication, the implication is that the game will continue on a regular basis. Depending on your outlook, you're not just playing to the end of the present story, you're playing with the expectation that you're going to have more to play. When more does not come quickly enough, or what comes does not satisfy you, you could turn to other games that are more fulfilling more regularly.

But you're right, if one were to approach the game with as much of a classic, single-player, one-time game attitude and just look at updates as much faster, bite-sized releases than sequels tend to be, it's suddenly the best shit ever, IMO. As I've said before, it feels like the fulfillment of the promise of episodic narrative; the ability to partake in an on-going story that updates several times a year rather than having to wait years for a chunked release. But, the implementation of such a concept blurs the line with the current live service model, and so players' expectations have been set by the live service status quo, where in that regard it fails. I think that failure is its strength, because the status quo live service model sucks, but to those who have been conditioned to expect its trappings, and even like them, this idea falls short.