After enduring some of the harshest criticism in Destiny’s relatively short history, Bungie finally responded to fans’ concerns last week, offering up detailed plans and (in some cases) timelines for a number of incoming improvements. Some fans believe Bungie’s newfound interest in open communication bodes well, but I have a hard time believing it can really transform Destiny into a standalone hobby, the stated goal in the studio’s “State of Destiny 2” address, without giving its full attention (and resources) to the game’s PvE offerings.
Players’ frustrations with Destiny have run the gamut the last three years, but few have been more frequent or consistent than the lack of interesting PvE activities. It was one of the most common criticisms of Destiny 1 and fans were stunned when Destiny 2 shipped with even fewer story missions than its predecessor. Even moreso once it became clear Lost Sectors and Adventures wouldn’t close the gap. Some players just want more loot and are otherwise content to continue exploring Earth, Io, Nessus and Titan (and soon, Mercury). Others wish Bungie would release new environments, raids and strikes at a steadier clip. The studio could deliver both if it would just abandon development of Destiny ’s least interesting component: the Crucible.
When Bungie outlined its vision for an endgame that saw players swapping stories about acquiring their most powerful gear, many assumed the studio planned to deliver something akin to “vanilla” World of Warcraft’s top tier loot. In the early days of Blizzard’s MMORPG, legendary gear was so rare crowds would form around those lucky enough to own Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker or Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros. Crafting the game’s strongest gear required a significant time investment, split between raids and hunting down rare materials. While those weapons were both eye-catching and a major force in any combat scenario, Destiny players have vaults full of exotics they’ll never use and shockingly few stories to tell about the acquisition of that gear. And that’s unlikely to change so as long as the game's scope is so large that it encumbers Bungie's ability to communicate effectively with D2 fans.
Making the game’s loot easier to obtain wouldn’t be a problem if there was enough of it to make drops as consistently enticing as Destiny’s core gameplay. Bungie may not be great at meeting its community’s demands, but they’re unrivaled when it comes to building addictive first-person shooters. The problem is that every new weapon and set of armor has to be balanced for both PvE and PvP, and that takes time. Longer testing periods mean less equipment is ready for each new patch/expansion. Balancing everything for PvP means the new gear won’t incorporate perks or abilities that could ruin the competitive balance. No matter how enjoyable they might be in a PvE setting. The need to balance for the Crucible even led Bungie to remove many randomized elements of the loot system that made it more difficult (and time consuming) to balance for the competitive environment.
Removing the Crucible wouldn’t just give Bungie the extra space needed to improve Destiny’s loot mechanics. It’s important to note that several of Destiny’s endgame activities are directly tied to PvP, whether it be the weekly Call to Arms milestone or the Trials of the Nine event that runs most weekends. I’d love to see both replaced by PvE activities, along with the Iron Banner, like a world boss -- not just another two-minute public event -- or a multi-week communal activity that culminated with the unlocking of content (like a patrol or raid). Don’t just fling open the gates to the Infinite Forest. Make the community band together to repel the Vex from certain sections, gradually unlocking new wings of the forest as humanity takes back Mercury’s core.
The Crucible has its supporters, but those players don’t have a shortage of other options. If you want small teams, there’s CS:GO and Overwatch. If you’d prefer bigger teams, Battlefield has you covered. Titanfall 2, Rainbow Six Siege and Team Fortress 2 each have unique gimmicks. And if you just want mindless violence, Activision’s been churning out one mediocre Call of Duty after another for a decade. And none of those games have to water down their base experience to accommodate the PvP crowd. Multiplayer feels like an addition in traditional shooters, a way to keep engaging with the mechanics after the story is over. But the whole point of Destiny is that the story isn’t supposed to end. There’s some downtime between each major release, but the narrative picks up right where it left off (or a little ways down the timeline). And that makes the Crucible feel more like an anchor than an asset.
Destiny 2 is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The game’s first expansion, Curse of Osiris, debuts Dec. 5.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more Destiny 2 news in 2017 and however long Bungie supports Destiny 2 in the years ahead.
