Light Increases Your Level

Published on: Jul 4, 2014 @ 14:08

IGN just released a small promo video for Destiny, which lets us know they’ll be covering it a lot this month.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGFvpxXqudU’]

We’ll be able to experience new subclasses at level 15, Bladedancer, Sunsinger, and Defender.

Warlock

Titan

Hunter

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They also sneak in that the level ‘cap’ is 20, but with your additional Light rating, it can be increased above 20. Motes of Light are also earned once you reach 20 from the XP you gain, used for purchasing cool gear among other things from the speaker. Once you’re 20, you need to use armor’s Light rating to raise your level. You’ll still earn XP, but this will not affect your level.

We see the same character as in the picture above, but due to his 118 Light, he’s level 29. Perhaps 13 Light is = to 1 additional level (after 20)?

Some further speculation from Reddit user angeleus09:

In a traditional MMORPG with a gear system like what Destiny has, hitting the numerical level cap is not the end goal by any means. In fact, hitting the level cap ASAP is often the first goal so that you can begin properly gearing your character in order to access the more challenging end-game content that is typically available.

Since all characters are the same level at end game, there needs to be an additional mechanic in order to separate new, weaker max level characters from veteran, stronger max level characters. Depending on the game you’re playing this statistic will be called something different but the idea is universally the same.

For example, in DC Universe Online the stat is known as Combat Rating (CR), in Final Fantasy XIV it is called Item Level (iLevel) and it is essentially a rating of all the gear that you are wearing. In Destiny, that rating is known as Light and this is the stat you will focus on increasing long after your character has hit the numerical level cap of 20.

How your Guardian’s Light Rating Should Work

Full disclosure, this is speculation based on examples in other games such as what I listed above but this is essentially how the Light rating should effect what you can and cannot do.

Bungie has already stated that there will be Strikes galore and Raids. Following the traditional MMO model not all of the max level events like this will be open to you as soon as you hit level 20, instead they will have a minimum Light rating requirement for you to enter.

There will be max level content available to you immediately and these are the events that will start dropping gear that increases your Light rating. So for example after you’ve run the first two level 20 Strikes a few times you’ve managed to pick up a few pieces of new gear and your Guardian’s Light rating is now at 25. This means you are now eligible to enter the next Strike and so on and so forth.

It is also probable with this system that there will be end-game PvP options that will require players to be sufficiently geared to participate in.[divider]

At least 3 more Crucible maps will also be available in the Beta on July 17’th. New Crucible game modes were revealed, but it’s been confirmed that the only one playable in the Beta will be Control.