When Bungie announced a new leveling system being implemented inDestinyto allow people to reach 40 through nothing but XP grinding, the news was celebrated by fans and detractors alike. Promises of players now being able to “max out” at 40 just by playing and earning XP seemed like a positive step forward at the time. Yet during interviews leading up to release ofThe Taken Kingreveal videos, Bungie community manager David “Deej” Dague has made interesting comments, stressing that light level would still be “very important”.
His comment makes me wonder if Bungie’s announcement is actually just a semantic distraction from the fact that this new level system isn’t changing Destiny as much as people think. Bungie has admitted that their light-based leveling system is confusing. Information on the new XP-based system seems like a logical correction. However, if light level is still “very important”, what impact will it have on on each player’s ability to prep themselves for endgame content? Assuming light level will continue to increase attack and defense ratings, and since acquisition ofgearis RNG based, players may reach level 40 but still find themselves caught in a persistent loop of running repetitive content in hopes of better drops. Essentially, the XP-based level of 40 may be ultimately irrelevant, since without premium light-based gear, some level 40’s will be less effective than others. I can’t help feeling suspicious that this may be part of Bungie’s same old sleight-of-hand marketing, the sort that carefully frames changes being made to the game in such a way that players assume they will be revolutionary improvements.
All of this is speculation, since no one knows how light levels will work within the new level cap. There could be other factors, like Bungie making better gear available through newbounty quests, etc, which would at least mitigate some of the random chance that has plagued the game up until now. Yet, in a worst case scenario, a level 40 player lacking gear with significant light-based stats might be the equivalent of 3 or 4 actual levels behind a friend who is pimped out to the hilt. Both players may be level 40, but in combat situations, the friend with basic gear may feel hamstrung, with lower attack and defense ratings. His or her only choice would be, again, to grind through limited content in hopes that RNG gods show mercy.
If this turns out to be the case, The Taken King will be under even more pressure to deliver extensive top-tier content, or else that same repetitious cycle will kick in again. During a coop session of Elder Scrolls Online recently, a friend and I had a long conversation about Destiny. He gave up playing after level 20, realizing he was going to be playing the same handful ofstrikesin order to acquire better loot. While he acknowledges that ESO also requires a search for better gear,he feels the two games go about this differently. In ESO the process is incidental, occurring naturally as players complete new quests in new environments. He summed it up by saying, Destiny’s entire purpose isn’t to quest and explore. It’s like a slot machine. The sole purpose for playing is to get loot, not to enjoy quests. And that’s where the game lost him.
Bungie devs do a lot of the talking in interviews about upcoming content, but most of the information I’ve heard aboutThe Taken Kingsmacks of Activision’s marketing department. It seems cleverly crafted to be both vague and informative at once, and targets many of the loudest complaints aboutDestiny. Yet, I can’t help feeling much of it is window dressing for a game with both potential and flaws in equal measure.
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