Crucible is this game's saving grace. It's far from perfect, but it's the one mode in this entire game that actually WORKS on a fundamental level. I enjoy PvP enough that I'll probably keep playing it for the foreseeable future, but the rest of the game severely lacks replayability. The loot grind is super boring. Patrol mode, which was initially my favorite mode, feels very repetitive now. I only play it when I'm in the mood for some free-roam shootin', which isn't very often, and never for very long. I don't use it for its intended purpose (grinding). The story missions are extremely repetitive, and since the story itself is so unremarkable, I have no incentive to trudge through any of them again, except for the sword one because it actually offers something unique for me to do. The strikes are also repetitive and every boss battle is tedious, but I am partial to one or two of them despite myself. I'll probably replay those occasionally. (But I'm never touching the Moon strike again. FUCK PHOGOTH.)

I'm nowhere near where I need to be for the raid - it will probably take me weeks to grind to level 26. Why should I have to slog through weeks of boredom just to play something I want to play? At least it's not going anywhere... unless Bungie decides to lock it again, which is entirely within their capability. I don't see why they would, but just knowing that they COULD if they wanted to is unsettling to me.

I can see myself playing this six months from now, but only when I'm in the mood for it. This will never be a seven-nights-a-week game like Halo was.

In WoW previous content was made easier to access and/or play so anyone, not only hardcore raiders, would get to actually experience it. Meanwhile a new content wall was put up at the end of the new content, naturally. If Bungie plans to deliver content in the same way, and you're not into seemingly endless grinding, it might be sensible to just not play the last content until the next game expansion :)

That said, I have not played the actual game yet... guess I'll wait for a PC version.

Was it worth it? :D

I'll let you know on tuesday.

I did it and grinded it out. Level 26. Raid, here I come. If anybody here makes it to 26 before tuesday let me know so I can start putting together a raid crew.

PSN - D_P_Roberts

contact @ codymiller dot org

I'm getting there. Why did you have to go with PS4, Cody.

Was it worth it? :D

PSN - D_P_Roberts

contact @ codymiller dot org

It'd be nice if there was a vendor that sold these, or something. I feel ya. If I continue to play the game, I'll eventually collect enough, but it would take a lot of story missions before I naturally come across enough helium filaments.

Right, and down the line some armor requires really weird things like ascendant motes or ascendant energy in batches of 8. At least with relic Iron or helium you can gather it in patrol, but how you get some of this stuff is beyond me. It pops up occasionally when you level up your cryptarch or very rarely as a story mission reward.

But the kids are idiots in your story.

What does that then say about players who like investment system progression and rewards? :-p

Wasn't sure where exactly to drop back into this thread, but I finished the campaign last night. I have some cool Legendary boots but I need 16 helium filaments.

It'd be nice if there was a vendor that sold these, or something. I feel ya. If I continue to play the game, I'll eventually collect enough, but it would take a lot of story missions before I naturally come across enough helium filaments.

That's what 'patrol' is for. Jump on the moon and run around the moonbase area - you should have a dozen helium filaments in a matter of minutes.

Last night I needed 4, it wasn't a big deal to jump to the Moon and find them. But when I need a large quantity of something, it isn't going to be fun, and if it isn't fun, --that's what I consider a grind.

I like story missions, I like public events. Once public events start happening with the frequency that they did during the Beta, I'll probably spend more time in Patrol and use the Patrol missions and item hunts to pass time between Public events--but Patrol missions and item hunts are not things I like.

They also glow at "night" on the moon.

What do they look like when theyre just lying around? Its entirely possible Im seeing loads but not realising what they are.

Wasn't sure where exactly to drop back into this thread, but I finished the campaign last night. I have some cool Legendary boots but I need 16 helium filaments.

It'd be nice if there was a vendor that sold these, or something. I feel ya. If I continue to play the game, I'll eventually collect enough, but it would take a lot of story missions before I naturally come across enough helium filaments.

That's what 'patrol' is for. Jump on the moon and run around the moonbase area - you should have a dozen helium filaments in a matter of minutes.

But it's pretty important to remember that the game was released 4 days ago - and to have you complaining that it's too much playtime to level up is pretty surreal. Maybe... I dunno... you're playing it too much?

It is not the time per se. I have put hundreds of hours into many games that I don't regret. It is the fact that the time required is wasted time, empty time, where you do boring grindy stuff. You are not accomplishing anything meaningful. This grind is between me and the raid, which is supposed to be cool.

When you do play, you will have fun up until you do all the missions and strikes. Then you will see what I mean.

The game is basically fighting me. I want to try it, but it doesn't want me to.

Wasn't sure where exactly to drop back into this thread, but I finished the campaign last night. I have some cool Legendary boots but I need 16 helium filaments.

It'd be nice if there was a vendor that sold these, or something. I feel ya. If I continue to play the game, I'll eventually collect enough, but it would take a lot of story missions before I naturally come across enough helium filaments.

I agree, though. My argument definitely did not account for the time vs. personal growth thing you mentioned. I think up until a point, Destiny does encourage growth, but it stagnates after that.

When I got that visor it tasted of ashes. I stopped playing Reach after that.

I did stuff that didn't interest me for a very long time to get something that should have been included in a character build screen at the start of the game. I thought that the black visor fitted the character's backstory therefore it felt like a character build decision.

Point is: the victory was pyrrhic: I lost interest in playing the game.

Look: how long will the raid hold your interest? How long will it take you to beat it?

Then what?

Are you suited to this game?

Are you playing with friends? Does that interest you? Do you like to disengage your brain whilst talking shit with your pals and breezing though some stuff about a giant priest who walks about stomping guys. Do you laugh when you kill yourself for a stupid reason. Do your pals laugh too, revive you and rib you mercilessly about it?

Do you forget to take the time to select the correct weapon set for the next encounter because you were too busy chatting about whatever to remember? Or do you take your gaming too seriously for that?

What is college? College is like Destiny pre-20. You're doing new classes each semester, working towards a goal, building accomplishments. Then, out of some sense of masochism, you pursue grad school. Then it's the same classes you took before, just more brutal. This is Destiny after level 20. But the enticement of further accomplishment (high level gear) spurs you to keep going, despite not wanting to--because the activity itself has lost its appeal, whether from difficulty or the sheer amount of time spent. So you go for the PhD. So you can, what, teach? You go through that to limit your prospects? But... but... it's the measure of success! Right? We all want that full set of Exotic armor. But what will that REALLY take?

First of all, going to college nets you REAL valuable skills and knowledge. Knowledge and learning are incredibly valuable, and your job prospects are much better. Most 'grinds' in real life actually net you a positive, such as learning a skill, working out, practicing an instrument, etc. Learning and getting better is satisfying, and tackling new challenges is what life is all about. Most mature people enjoy challenging themselves.

Destiny does not do that, because 1. You don't get anything worthwhile, 2. it's not fun and games should be entertaining, and 3. what you have to actually DO to grind doesn't require you to grow or learn, but simply put in time. The illusion that time spent automatically means accomplishment is alive and well with Destiny.