Published on: Oct 12, 2015 @ 16:24
Aboard the Dreadnaught, in the Court of Oryx, one of the most entertaining & readily available challenges in Destiny sits waiting for any Guardian to approach at any time. But what about the rest of the public events in Destiny?
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No Reason to Explore
It’s been along time since anyone has felt like patrolling the Cosmodrome for the sake of public events or missions. Yes, some quests have required public event completions and yes, an occasional material run is necessary. But other than that, there’s no real reason to go on Patrol anymore. Thanks to repetitive challenges and barely any rewards, the incentive is all but gone.
Use What Works
Certain elements of Patrol have brought life into the universe in exciting ways, such as prowling Wolves and Blades of Crota. These invasions foreshadowed a coming battle, and made the Destiny universe feel like it was actually evolving and moving through time. Currently, it is believed that Bungie will not be releasing the same type of DLC throughout the year, so these foreshadowing-style events may not be replicated exactly – however, tying in the story or lore was what made these events seem special. More inclusion of the incredible story behind Destiny might make public events seem relevant, and expand the overall story – something Bungie has greatly improved upon already in The Taken King.
In the Court, there are many bosses to fight for as long as you’d like – provided you have the right materials to summon them. Each of these bosses have their own set of mechanics – an aspect that has drastically improved the experience of fighting an ultra-tier enemy. The bullet sponges of yesteryear have come and gone, leaving many to wonder if these types of encounters could eventually be replicated on other planets. Encountering a powerful enemy while gathering spinmetal or summoning a tier-three boss on Venus could make the rest of the planets just as engaging as the Court of Oryx.
Currently, there are too many activities that offer significantly greater rewards to make patrolling worthwhile. Another aspect of the Court that brings Guardians back for more is the fact that loot and rewards are directly obtainable and often worth the fight. Nowadays, a public event package is nothing to write home about; if the rest of the events across other planets could yield the same kind of rewards, then patrolling the remainder of the universe might actually be a good decision. When the incentive isn’t there, they start to feel unworthy of our time. Furthermore, when the time spent waiting for an event to begin is factored in, these activities are even less appealing.
Keep it Fresh
Though there is an incredible amount of activities available in The Taken King, sooner or later Guardians will begin to feel like they’ve experienced everything, if they haven’t already. One way to keep other activities feeling fresh is to ensure that players have incentive to experience every aspect of the game. If one activity is more exciting and yields better rewards, other options will slowly fall off the radar.
Aside from the Court of Oryx, many of the current Public Events feel generic. ‘World bosses’ that could scale in difficulty with the amount of players who enter the immediate area could give players an exciting raid-level encounter. Or how about a ‘Defend’ event in which enemies can damage an ally of the Tower, forcing Guardians to actively defend that person, rather than simply standing on an objective. Maybe even event-specific loot? These are only a couple suggestions, and we’d love to hear what you guys think about possible event types!
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Don’t Let Them Die
Public Events allow Guardians to join others outside of their Fireteam to fight for a common objective. Seeing the world go dark and anticipating what the next mission will be should feel satisfying and exciting. Perhaps with the increased revenue being provided to the live team, Patrols & Y1 Events might have their time to shine.