By now, you’ve probably bought at least 1 Exotic from Xûr. For some, this is the only feasible way they’re able to acquire Exotics. For others, they feel he cheapens the Exotic experience.
Do you feel Xûr is a detriment to the game, or a boon? This article will explore both sides, and will discuss how he affects Destiny.
Click here to see all of the new Exotics coming in The Dark Below & House of Wolves.[divider]
Cheap Exotics?
Before we talk about Crucible balance, how do you guys feel about Xûr selling Exotics in general?
There’s many people who enjoy the fact that Exotics are sold, since getting them randomly could take an extremely long time.
On the other side of the (strange) coin, many others feel that because they’re sold, those weapons feel less special and rare.
I think it’s safe to say that the majority don’t have an issue with armor being sold, but when it comes to Exotic weapons, some of them can change the entire dynamic in the Crucible. This article will focus on Exotic weapons.
What does “earning” mean?
Technically, the definition is to receive as return for effort.
You’ve probably heard countless times that if someone buys an Exotic weapon from Xûr, they haven’t rightfully “earned” the item. But is that true?
Acquiring the Strange Coins by completing the Weekly Heroics/other activities and buying the weapon still takes time/energy, and in my opinion that doesn’t deserve the negativity.
Of course it can still be argued either way; being randomly rewarded with an Exotic might have taken days or weeks, whereas doing a Weekly Heroic mission per character can be finished in 1 day.
Many would say that completing an Exotic Bounty is almost the definition of “earning” an Exotic (those are being buffed soon, thankfully).
Here’s a better question: Does it matter? It’s ultimately irrelevant if someone has “earned” the Exotic or not, whatever that means, because it doesn’t change the fact that the person now owns it.
[divider]The Underlying Frustration
Let’s use Xûr’s weapon from last week, The Last Word, for example. Call me crazy, but I don’t think people really care about how you got it.
But, “Then why are people telling me I haven’t earned it!?”
Crucible Woes
Many people are frustrated that so many people have The Last Word, and don’t feel it’s balanced. Those people belittling your Exotic ownership aren’t concerned with you, but with the Exotic weapon that you and so many others own via Xûr.
People equate buying an Exotic, which leads to mass-ownership, to not rightfully earning the Exotic.
The real issue: it’s so effective in the Crucible, which causes people to get annoyed with the mass-ownership, thus resulting in those same people belittling ownership out of frustration.
Feeling Unique
The other reason people may be annoyed with the influx of X weapon is because they no longer feel as special with it.
Hypothetically let’s say the weapon is perfectly balanced, so there’s no worries about Crucible balance, people will still be discouraged that more people will have ‘their’ weapon.
But what Exotic is perfectly balanced? People use Exotics because they aren’t, and the strongest Exotics are generally used the most.
[divider]Weapon Testing
Could selling Exotics to the masses be Bungie’s way of testing a weapon? No doubt you remember when the SUROS Regime was being sold, the Crucible was filled with them.
Now that The Last Word is being used in the Crucible much more than it has been previously, Bungie can take the feedback from the community & all of the Crucible statistics, and better analyze just how good (or too good) it is.
[divider]Your Thoughts
How do you feel about your fellow Guardians obtaining an Exotic through Xûr?
Is Xûr a necessity, or should the elusive vendor be altered in some way?
Are you concerned about how the Crucible changes once the Agent arrives?
Wish List
If you could add or change something about the Agent of the Nine, what would it be? Maybe you’d like him to come every other weekend, or perhaps slightly increase his prices?
I’d love if he sold a Tempering-like buff for Crucible/Vanguard/Faction XP!