Official Destiny Alpha Withdrawal Thread

I think I'm officially depressed. Had an amazing time playing the game. Took a whole shit ton of pictures but I love these two that I took while a fellow gaffer and I sat at the tower waiting for the Alpha to shut down. Thanks Snoshado for the awesome experience!

n4oiLiL.jpg


gfXABeg.jpg
 
Nice try but both of those are single player shooters. It wouldn't work in competetive multiplayer shooters, anyone serious about the pvp would be forced to get used to hipfire and hipfire only because ADS would be of too little use to warrant the extra button press when a split second can be the difference between life and death.

So not a win-win situation at all. The pros of ADS must be more significant and apparent to be useful in a competetive environment.
The method used by Bioshock and Wolfenstein would be perfectly fine for a MP shooter. You wouldn't be forced to use ADS to be accurate, but using ADS would still be useful for difficult, long range shots. If you feel like non-ADS shooting must be gimped for ADS to be implemented, then I don't have more to say, we can obviously never agree on this matter, as that's just bad game design to me.

The posters who referenced Halo like Dax and Overdoziz mention that improving accuracy from the hip would compliment the movement options we have. Unless I'm misunderstanding them, neither of them, nor anybody else, is saying that Destiny should be exactly like Halo. In Destiny, the mobility we're afforded is nullified by the fact that we can't hit shit until we use ADS. Using ADS in the air is still using ADS. The hip fire is better than most shooters, but it's still not accurate enough when moving. We can argue the difference between toning down the innacuracy or removing it entirely, but the whole argument is primarily directed towards the hip fire and mobility.
Actually, jumping in Destiny makes you very inaccurate even if you use ADS in mid-air. It is really jarring to see.
 
Discussing the merits of ADS vs. non-ADS is a valid topic as it has significant implications as to how the game plays. Saying it's a "downer" to talk about is trying to limit the conversation just because it isn't all rainbows and unicorns about the Destiny alpha. I've enjoyed reading the various points of view and arguments to support them. Personally, I can live with either system but the influence of Halo on this game really lends itself to having accurate fire without the need to ADS.

+1
 
That withdraw sucks don't it? The only thing helping me through it right now is that I picked up a Vita and some games in the PSN sale today.

yep - I'm playing borderlands 2 on Vita, and it somewhat helps, but I keep trying to double-jump.... its not the same....
 
Level design. The ability of the player to gain a non-static vertical advantage over AI that isn't designed to fire at target at that distance yet makes the exchange imbalanced. Peeking from cover, due to level design, would mean the player either has to be more exposed by being closer to the enemy spawn and more likely to be flanked by another spawn location or having to wait until the enemy reaches it's scripted aggression point. And Jump + ADS doesn't offer nearly the same offensive output as Jump + Accurate Hip Fire. The nature of ADS means you have a lowered ability to hit multiple targets during that time than you would with Hip Fire.

Level design is a fair point. What we saw in the alpha was open field in explore, and we were given high ground advantage in a lot of the one strike mission too. I'm particularly thinking of the mesh field defending against 3 waves.

I think you're overestimating the amount of damage that could be done in the instance a jump could give you a non-static advantage. In the explore field you can pot shot enemies from far away, and it doesn't really accomplish all that much.

In the strikes, the enemies are all closing on you anyway. How many jump shot opportunities could you possibly have? I'm not talking about laser perfect hip fire aim and no bloom, even the ADS has muzzle climb and spread. Just improved from what it is now to have some use in PvP. That shouldn't need a significant change, just a tweak, and I find it hard to believe it would break PvE in any way.

Withdrawal though. I just found myself watching my own video of a run through Devil's Lair. What kind of asshole even does that.
 
ADS is the worst thing to happen to shooters. Hindering player mobility for the sake of realism is like an artist only painting objects exactly as they are with no shadowing, extra color, etc. Why hinder something for the sake of bloody realism?
 
ADS is the worst thing to happen to shooters. Hindering player mobility for the sake of realism is like an artist only painting objects exactly as they are with no shadowing, extra color, etc. Why hinder something for the sake of bloody realism?

I think you have it backwards. The shadowing and extra color are the real part.
 
Look at Bioshock, or Wolfenstein, they implement ADS shooting without gimping non-ADS shooting. Why is that bad?
ADS still gives you a little bit more zoom (for wepons without scope) and increases your accuracy by reducing the sensitivity.
Seems useful to me, and it doesn't gimp the other shooting method. Win-win.

I don't want them to remove ADS, I just want them to remove the accuracy penalties tied with not using ADS and moving.
That approach would give you more options at any given time, and that opens up the gameplay, making it more interesting.

And I know Destiny isn't Halo, but I think removing the accuracy penalties (again, I don't want them to remove ADS) would fit the game better than the awful random vector approach they are using now.
It would greatly benefit the gameplay, especially given how many movement options you have, and the verticality of the maps.

Agree very much with this opinion.
You can have ADS and hip fire accuracy at the same time.
ADS is an aim assist mechanic really designed for difficulty in controller thumb aiming vs mouse aiming. Besides the slight zoom effect, using ADS slows the look speed, so a player can track long-range targets easier.
Using it actually comes with a slight handicap, that being the time to bring up iron sights (1/4 of a second or whatever.) I think also that aim assist strength while using ADS should be lessened as well.
I see no reason to gimp hip fire accuracy when including ADS; it would only serve to lower the skill ceiling. Being accurate while hip firing should be rewarded imo, not punished.
 
30 games, 11 hrs all in two days. Yeah I loved the alpha and miss my hunter. I was bummed about not playing much Sunday, but I did join a GAF tower that night. :)

Pre-ordered and ready.
 
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=117066827&postcount=1015

:)


Well, take into account I've been playing the game longer because Bungie has been very generous to me. It's part of the reason why I love them so much.

Well you got me there but still a week vs 3 days is still not enough to master a game IMHO.

I feel like the game is designed around co-op and the PVP is just a training ground to improve skills, it seems they are going for a more tactical feel instead of fast paced arena combat. Twitch reflexes are not as important as weapon/action choice. The little in game backstory we got so far says as much, the enemy is fierce and to be approached with caution

The long reload times, long grenade and super recharge timers and the accuracy vs speed dynamic all point to a more slow pace that would clash with no accuracy penalties.

If that's your thing fine but I find I don't have the reflexes I did when I was 18 anymore and I generally get crushed in those types of games. So a game with more depth to the combat is welcome. If I can win by positioning, taking advantage of reload windows, using my agility to retreat instead of attack that suits me just fine.
 
Look at Bioshock, or Wolfenstein, they implement ADS shooting without gimping non-ADS shooting. Why is that bad? ADS still gives you a little bit more zoom (for wepons without scope) and increases your accuracy by reducing the sensitivity. Seems useful to me, and it doesn't gimp the other shooting method. Win-win.


I don't want them to remove ADS, I just want them to remove the accuracy penalties tied with not using ADS and moving. That approach would give you more options at any given time, and that opens up the gameplay, making it more interesting.

And I know Destiny isn't Halo, but I think removing the accuracy penalties (again, I don't want them to remove ADS) would fit the game better than the awful random vector approach they are using now, and it would greatly benefit the gameplay, especially given how many movement options you have, and the verticality of the maps.
This, plus toning down the reduced turn speed while sprinting would make the game feel fantastic.
 
30 games, 11 hrs all in two days. Yeah I loved the alpha and miss my hunter. I was bummed about not playing much Sunday, but I did join a GAF tower that night. :)

Pre-ordered and ready.

Yea, I played it friday, saturday, and sunday. I got 22 hours in Crucible alone. I want to play right now so badly. I love that moon map.
 
I see ADS as a way to offer a tradeoff to the player.

It gives you the choice of trading mobility for accuracy.

You might not like that much, but I think it's just fine. I think it works particularly well in a shooter like Destiny, that will surely have a multitude of boss characters.

It requires you to micromanage movement and accuracy. You need to keep moving in order to avoid fire from the boss, but at the same time, you need accuracy in order to properly target weak points. Giving the player both movement and accuracy simultaneously could trivialize bosses.

Not every game needs to be exactly like Halo. I think Bungie made the right decision here.
 
Level design is a fair point. What we saw in the alpha was open field in explore, and we were given high ground advantage in a lot of the one strike mission too. I'm particularly thinking of the mesh field defending against 3 waves.

I think you're overestimating the amount of damage that could be done in the instance a jump could give you a non-static advantage. In the explore field you can pot shot enemies from far away, and it doesn't really accomplish all that much.

In the strikes, the enemies are all closing on you anyway. How many jump shot opportunities could you possibly have? I'm not talking about laser perfect hip fire aim and no bloom, even the ADS has muzzle climb and spread. Just improved from what it is now to have some use in PvP. That shouldn't need a significant change, just a tweak, and I find it hard to believe it would break PvE in any way.

Withdrawal though. I just found myself watching my own video of a run through Devil's Lair. What kind of asshole even does that.

I was thinking of the Mesh Wave Defense as well and though there is high ground advantage, it's static, so the angles provided by those vantage points have been considered and enemy pathing has been design with that in mind. I'm don't think I'm overestimating the damage that could be done, I'm considering the effect of 3 (or more in other situations) players all having that advantage. There are plenty of players that can headshot a moving target while in air at those distances.

I think though. that your clarification on the amount of hip fire accuracy is key in the overall discussion. While it seems that there are two stances on the topic, I think it makes clear that even those championing improved hip fire accuracy likely have varying degrees to which they think it should be improved. It makes the discussion a bit more difficult to really flesh out without a unified imperial measurement.
 
The problem you guys are missing is that both Wolfenstein and Bioshock are single player only games. They don't have to worry about the ramifications or consequences of making hip fire equally useful as ADS in multiplayer.

(Hint: If you make the hip fire just as good, there is no purpose to using ADS. If anything, it penalizes the player for using it in competitive.)
 
I see ADS as a way to offer a tradeoff to the player.

It gives you the choice of trading mobility for accuracy.

You might not like that much, but I think it's just fine. I think it works particularly well in a shooter like Destiny, that will surely have a multitude of boss characters.

It requires you to micromanage movement and accuracy. You need to keep moving in order to avoid fire from the boss, but at the same time, you need accuracy in order to properly target weak points. Giving the player both movement and accuracy simultaneously could trivialize bosses.

Not every game needs to be exactly like Halo. I think Bungie made the right decision here.

More accurate hip fire would only work for a certain range. You'd need to be closer to make use of it against bosses, which would still put the player at a disadvantage. That isn't suddenly going to make bosses easier. Sepkis's weak point is still difficult to hit consistently during the boss battle even with ADS. Hip fire is also more difficult than ADS. Rewarding the more difficult shooting mechanic raises the skill ceiling, which also increases its longevity.

The last comment is unnecessary. You could similarly say that not every other shooter needs to play like CoD. Destiny PvP is a very clear mix of both, so there's nothing wrong if it shares similarities with Halo.

(Hint: If you make the hip fire just as good, there is no purpose to using ADS. If anything, it penalizes the player for using it in competitive.)

More accurate hip-fire doesn't suddenly make your gun an impossibly accurate sniper rifle. You still need ADS in mid-range and beyond.
 
I think if people didn't know who the Dink is, they wouldn't have as much of a problem. He sounds fine in the trailer.

As far as ads, remove the penalties, whatever, just keep the animation and option there because I enjoy it. I like aiming down the sights at the head. If you get with in range, hip fire works fine. I will always associate the cheez of hip firing with the mp5 in call of duty 4. It's feels like cheating. You just aim in the general direction and fire.
 
One thing I noticed from the later pvp matches was the prevalence of being one-shotted either by shotguns around a corner, sniper rifles or supers.

Being able to start a match with weapons that are able to one-shot ruins a bit of the balance that the Halo games had established with those sorts of weapons being map pickups on spawn timers.

As for the supers, I understand Bungie tried to balance that with significant timers on super abilities but with 6 people on the enemy team there is a good chance you're going to get nuked by someone who pops around a corner while you're trying to cap a point. Maybe increasing the timer on the supers or having more armor will help to alleviate this issue but I can't really predict until we're able to level higher and acquire more powerful gear.
 
One thing I noticed from the later pvp matches was the prevalence of being one-shotted either by shotguns around a corner, sniper rifles or supers.

Being able to start a match with weapons that are able to one-shot ruins a bit of the balance that the Halo games had established with those sorts of weapons being map pickups on spawn timers.

As for the supers, I understand Bungie tried to balance that with significant timers on super abilities but with 6 people on the enemy team there is a good chance you're going to get nuked by someone who pops around a corner while you're trying to cap a point. Maybe increasing the timer on the supers or having more armor will help to alleviate this issue but I can't really predict until we're able to level higher and acquire more powerful gear.

I thought player level and gear didn't matter?
 
I was thinking of the Mesh Wave Defense as well and though there is high ground advantage, it's static, so the angles provided by those vantage points have been considered and enemy pathing has been design with that in mind. I'm don't think I'm overestimating the damage that could be done, I'm considering the effect of 3 (or more in other situations) players all having that advantage. There are plenty of players that can headshot a moving target while in air at those distances.

I think though. that your clarification on the amount of hip fire accuracy is key in the overall discussion. While it seems that there are two stances on the topic, I think it makes clear that even those championing improved hip fire accuracy likely have varying degrees to which they think it should be improved. It makes the discussion a bit more difficult to really flesh out without a unified imperial measurement.

But there is an imperial measurement - it's called minute of angle/arc (MOA). A good rifle from a benchrest has 1 MOA. 1" groups at 100 yards.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minute_of_arc

I would say hip fire in this game is about 100 MOA.
 
The problem you guys are missing is that both Wolfenstein and Bioshock are single player only games. They don't have to worry about the ramifications or consequences of making hip fire equally useful as ADS in multiplayer.

(Hint: If you make the hip fire just as good, there is no purpose to using ADS. If anything, it penalizes the player for using it in competitive.)

This isn't really true. The MP only game Loadout I think works as a great example of a game that uses accurate hip fire at close to mid ranges while still having viability for ADS/Scope in the mid to long range. Loadout is a very fast game that utilizes double tap dodging, jumps, boosted jumps, and rocket boot boosted jumps to increase mobility, making players extremely agile. This really does make the gunplay about out playing the opponent rather than first to ADS. However Loadout has no PvE, no campaign. It doesn't have to share a balance with a different aspect of the game.

That style of shooter works. It's fast and skill based. However in a game like Destiny, the PvE is simply more important than the PvP and that gameplay isn't suitable for that. In Bioshock's case (haven't played Wolfenstein so I can't comment), you are a single player that is the focus of every enemy in the fight. The hip fire accuracy is necessary there because you must keep moving to avoid dying to the onslaught of gunfire. Destiny has players in groups of 3 or more most often times. That means the AI splits it's attention between three targets. To balance it the way Bioshock is, there would need to be a larger abundance of enemies to keep that kind of pressure up and keep everyone in the fireteam constantly moving.

But there is an imperial measurement - it's called minute of angle/arc (MOA). A good rifle from a benchrest has 1 MOA. 1" groups at 100 yards.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minute_of_arc

I would say hip fire in this game is about 100 MOA.

I am in no way experienced enough with guns to be able to use a real unit of measurement like that in comparison to a video game's purported bullet spread. I meant an in-game measurement that can be compared that everyone can trust is accurate as it's been determined by Bungie.
 
It makes the discussion a bit more difficult to really flesh out without a unified imperial measurement.

It's all just opinion, and I think good natured? Who knows sometimes. But there isn't a real way to define imperial measurement other than what we think it is Bungie intended. I generally figure the devs have a vision, I'll accept a game for what it is.

I just think PvP could use a bit of tweaking in the relative effectiveness of hip-fire so that there is an interesting space outside of shotgun range, where you have to make a choice between ADS and movement. Even if they don't make any tweaks, it just means the movement is more for traversal and escape, and not an option in a PvP gunfight. Hip fire would just be what noobs do instead of switching to shotty in cqc.
 
The method used by Bioshock and Wolfenstein would be perfectly fine for a MP shooter. You wouldn't be forced to use ADS to be accurate, but using ADS would still be useful for difficult, long range shots. If you feel like non-ADS shooting must be gimped for ADS to be implemented, then I don't have more to say, we can obviously never agree on this matter, as that's just bad game design to me.


Actually, jumping in Destiny makes you very inaccurate even if you use ADS in mid-air. It is really jarring to see.

Oh come on! Its not being "gimped". When you have the two within the same game, thats just how it is. When a game does not have a sprinting mechanic (original halos) and suddenly gets them (later halos) you don't say walking got gimped because running was introduced. For all we know the hip fire accuracy could have been left "normal" and the ADS increased.
 
Yea, I played it friday, saturday, and sunday. I got 22 hours in Crucible alone. I want to play right now so badly. I love that moon map.

Yeah I played 19 games of Crucible, which can be addicting and quite fun when you have a solid team. As for maps, I agree the moon map was my favorite of the 2. Pike > Interceptor :P
 
Yeah I played 19 games of Crucible, which can be addicting and quite fun when you have a solid team. As for maps, I agree the moon map was my favorite of the 2. Pike > Interceptor :P

speaking of the crucible, I hope it's not too late to add more lines for the announcer like multikills and possibly even change the actor completely.
 
The whole "but it adds a layer of complexity!!" argument is the same thing that people used to say to advocate for bloom. The problem with that is that it's very clear in both cases that one "decision" is better than the other. You can play by "the rules" which slows the game down, or you can try your luck and introduce some random elements, which are almost never good in a competitive shooter.
 
The whole "but it adds a layer of complexity!!" argument is the same thing that people used to say to advocate for bloom. The problem with that is that it's very clear in both cases that one "decision" is better than the other. You can play by "the rules" which slows the game down, or you can try your luck and introduce some random elements, which are almost never good in a competitive shooter.

By bloom do you mean auto weapon fire getting less accurate the longer you fire?

Cause I like that too :P
 
I think i'm in the minority here. I played the alpha for three days and i'm not impressed. Don't get me wrong. The gameplay is solid but its nothing revolutionary. Its a HALO game with traditional and boring MMO mechanics (instances,questing,PvP,PvE,looting,leveling). Therefore it feels like a singleplayer game that's been watered down with MMO elements.

Playing the game I felt like a trapped rat in a skinner box. Shooting random things for random reasons in order to level my character and find better loot. I thought it would be a more story focused experience.

Maybe i have the wrong expectations. I mean It's just an alpha.
 
I think you're being unfair here. By that definition sure, my recommendation is selfish. But going by this logic, any sort of game recommendation is selfish, and you're saying I'm being selfish...why?

How does that particular suggestion not satisfy both groups?

I think you will be happy with the game once you can progress more. One of the upgrades to the arm bands / armor and gear etc.... is greater hip fire accuracy for your gun. It will let you make the choice of how you want to play. Most of the things people are complaining about, should become less of an issue once you start leveling up and tweaking your class. Be Brave!
 
The whole "but it adds a layer of complexity!!" argument is the same thing that people used to say to advocate for bloom. The problem with that is that it's very clear in both cases that one "decision" is better than the other. You can play by "the rules" which slows the game down, or you can try your luck and introduce some random elements, which are almost never good in a competitive shooter.

It's totally accurate that it added complexity, there is an additional thing that needs to be considered. You will usually lose the fight if you don't account for it, it isn't a decision, that's the mechanic. I think fans of particular games get very attached to the core mechanics of that game and I can understand if adding bloom was a controversial thing in Halo.

This is a new IP, and the point of a new IP is that it doesn't need to carry the same old expectations. If bloom and ADS are getting added to a Halo game, sure, people could argue that it deviates too much from what's traditional. I don't think it's valid to push the same expectations on a new IP.
 
I miss the game so much right now... I was so elated that they extended the Alpha, but sadly I only got less than an hour of game time on Monday, so that was a real bummer lol. And I was really looking forward to getting at least a few more hours in the Crucible! I was so blown away from this game, and I really didn't expect much from it, and I think that says a lot, because I was not big on Halo at all. I just absolutely love the feel of this game and I really miss rollin with my Warlock... I miss the heights! Going back to BF:H looked and felt like total dog shit after Destiny (sorry Visceral, please don't cry!). I wanted to claw out my eyes after looking down at my characters feet as I would jump, I was left feeling so depressed after that lol.

I have a question regarding pre-orders and amazon... do they charge up front or do they wait until the game ships before charing my card?

I don't get the Super hate on Crucible, yeah it sucks getting nuked, but everyone has one. Retaliate

Exactly! Don't playa hate... participate!
 
I miss the game so much right now... I was so elated that they extended the Alpha, but sadly I only got less than an hour of game time on Monday, so that was a real bummer lol. And I was really looking forward to getting at least a few more hours in the Crucible! I was so blown away from this game, and I really didn't expect much from it, and I think that says a lot, because I was not big on Halo at all. I just absolutely love the feel of this game and I really miss rollin with my Warlock... I miss the heights! Going back to BF:H looked and felt like total dog shit after Destiny (sorry Visceral, please don't cry!). I wanted to claw out my eyes after looking down at my characters feet as I would jump, I was left feeling so depressed after that lol.

I have a question regarding pre-orders and amazon... do they charge up front or do they wait until the game ships before charing my card?




Exactly! Don't playa hate... participate!

wait until the game ships before charging
 
I miss the game so much right now... I was so elated that they extended the Alpha, but sadly I only got less than an hour of game time on Monday, so that was a real bummer lol. And I was really looking forward to getting at least a few more hours in the Crucible! I was so blown away from this game, and I really didn't expect much from it, and I think that says a lot, because I was not big on Halo at all. I just absolutely love the feel of this game and I really miss rollin with my Warlock... I miss the heights! Going back to BF:H looked and felt like total dog shit after Destiny (sorry Visceral, please don't cry!). I wanted to claw out my eyes after looking down at my characters feet as I would jump, I was left feeling so depressed after that lol.

I have a question regarding pre-orders and amazon... do they charge up front or do they wait until the game ships before charing my card?
!


Amazon doesn't charge until it's shipped. Makes preordering so damn nice. And beaten. lol
 
I think i'm in the minority here. I played the alpha for three days and i'm not impressed. Don't get me wrong. The gameplay is solid but its nothing revolutionary. Its a HALO game with traditional and boring MMO mechanics (instances,questing,PvP,PvE,looting,leveling). Therefore it feels like a singleplayer game that's been watered down with MMO elements.

Playing the game I felt like a trapped rat in a skinner box. Shooting random things for random reasons in order to level my character and find better loot. I thought it would be a more story focused experience.

Maybe i have the wrong expectations. I mean It's just an alpha.

Yup.
 
More accurate hip-fire doesn't suddenly make your gun an impossibly accurate sniper rifle. You still need ADS in mid-range and beyond.
Close-range hipfire works just fine in Destiny... At least from what I experienced. What's the issue, here?
 
Close-range hipfire works just fine in Destiny... At least from what I experienced. What's the issue, here?

I don't really mind since I prefer aiming with the sights, but in my experience it seemed really inaccurate even at shorter ranges. It was usable, but didn't seem worth it unless the enemy was right next to me. Although I'm hardly a great fps player so maybe I'm just bad.
 
You guys are gonna think I'm nuts but...

I think JOFFREY (Jack Gleeson) would have been the PERFECT voice for the "Ghost". That thing needed a more snarky, arrogant "attitude" - not the calm, deadpan one that Peter Dinklage gave it.

(I love Peter - but whoever cast him as "Ghost", wrote that dialogue and directed the whole voice-over thing should be fired)

Bungie used Peter STRICKLY for his star power and nothing else it seems.

Jack's voice-overs, even if as drab as Peter's, would have invoked enough cynicism to make it work better and be taken more seriously as a legit part of the game.
 
You guys are gonna think I'm nuts but...

I think JOFFREY (Jack Gleeson) would have been the PERFECT voice for the "Ghost". That thing needed a more snarky, arrogant "attitude" - not the calm, deadpan one that Peter Dinklage gave it.

(I love Peter - but whoever cast him as "Ghost", wrote that dialogue and directed the whole voice-over thing should be fired)

Bungie used Peter STRICKLY for his star power and nothing else it seems.

I would waste all my ammo just shooting Joffrey Ghost and die to a Hive Thrall if this was the case.
 
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