Ah Destiny…how far have you come. You actually looking like you’re giving us the game you initially promised!
Now, I’m sure in light of recent announcements and general (improved) reception of the game, many of you are looking to dust off the game disc and get back into it, or jump right in with the Taken King bundle (which is actually one of the best possible deals to get on this game right now) when it is released.
Putting aside some of the glaring problems the game still has (that’s a topic for another day), there’s still one particular problem which is unfortunately preventing a lot of players from accessing more than half the game’s content.
I am not a very social gamer…not too social of a person, either, if I think about it. Because of that, I was ‘locked out’ of much of the PvE content of Destiny back when I first bought it. The game has improved a lot from year 1 – adding matchmaking for Heroic Strikes was a god-send to me. I’m practically swimming in Strange Coins now, something the younger me would’ve looked at with envy.
But that’s not enough. I wanted the good stuff, but I also wasn’t too keen on meeting people for the sake of getting into a guild. Most of the friends I have do not own a gaming console and/or don’t play Destiny, so I was left in the dust.
I know I’m not the only one. I’m sure there are at least some of you out there playing this game and facing the same problems I am. So…until the day comes when Bungie incorporates matchmaking for Nightfalls, Vault of Glass, Crota’s End, etc, let me share some of the ways I’ve found to obtain the good stuff without having to spam forums everywhere and fighting tooth and nail to get into a raiding guild.
Disclaimer: You can’t be a total outcast if you want raid gear though. Sorry.
The Crucible > Strikes
I know that Strikes are easy enough to spam over and over again. But given the amount of time you have to spend completing them as opposed to the amount of time it takes to finish one control/clash/skirmish match in the Crucible is insane. Each match in the Crucible takes roughly five minutes. A strike could take you anywhere in between 10-15 minutes, what with matchmaking, travelling to the Strike zone, navigating through it, beating the boss, etc. You could finish the strikes faster, but only if you got matched with high level players who’ve run that particular Strike hundreds of times before.
You roll for loot at the end of each activity. Comparing the time it takes to complete one Crucible match over a Strike, spamming the Crucible is the better choice. You have just as high of a chance of getting a legendary engram/weapon as you do in a heroic Strike (forget the normal ones, their rewards are non-existent unless you’re fresh off the level cap).
So…
- Step One: Spam Crucible
- Step Two: ???
- Step Three: Profit
I don’t know if it’s just me (I’ve had people tell me I have stupidly high RNG luck in video games), but I could spend about an hour in the Crucible and come out with at least 3-4 different legendary weapons and/or engrams. And It’s extremely rare that I reach the end of a Crucible match without seeing at least one person receive a legendary.
Also, due to the amount of time it takes to spam Crucible matches, you will reach the Crucible marks cap way sooner than you will reach the Vanguard one. Those marks translate into legendary gear from vendors (grinding reputation is a breeze in the Crucible as well) so…I really fail to see the downside here.
Oh…and, don’t worry about not being good in PvP. You still have as much chance of rolling for a legendary/exotic as that guy up there with a 4.0 KDA.
I remember myself being at a measly 0.74 ratio back when I first played Destiny and rolled for a Suros Regime. (It used to be awesome.)
Complete Public Events
I used to ignore these a lot, preferring instead to go farm materials. (I played this game back when we had to do that stuff – newer players don’t know how lucky they are).
But seriously, do ’em. Once you do, you’ll find a package sitting in the mail for you. And more times than not, it’s filled with goodies.
Other than that, they reward you with experience and reputation as well, so you don’t lose anything. Plus it’s weirdly satisfying zooming around on your sparrow trying to complete them.
Use the app, ‘Destiny LFG’ if you’re a smart phone user
Or any of the other destiny LFG sites/apps available out there. So far I’ve had a lot of success with Destiny LFG that I downloaded for my iPhone, so that’s one of the things I can safely recommend.
It’s quick and easy. Literally all you do is add your character info, whether you use a mic or not, which raid/strike you’re looking to form a group for, and you’re good to go.
It’s efficient in the sense that you know what you’re going in for, and everyone who enters your group or vice versa know what they’re going in for. There’s no conflict in interests, so use it.
Keep in mind, though – Bungie did not implement matchmaking for raids and nightfalls for a reason. They do require more coordination than your run of the mill Strike. Especially if you’re trying to do the Vault of Glass or something similar, so having a mic and politely asking your temporary party members for help is always good. (See disclaimer at the beginning).
(Try doing this without communication)
So there you have it. We can’t be lone wolves if we want to get the best items Destiny has to offer, but we also don’t have to reach completely outside of our comfort zones to do so.
Happy hunting, Guardians!
