Why is Destiny so Compelling?

30 sec(or was it 20 or 10?) Halo gamplay loop, with added depth.
Great polished presentation.
Multiple classes/characters
Unlock/loot carrot dangling,
Level/upgrade grinding,
Online co/op and multiplayer,
Vehicles/mounts,
Varied enemies with pretty good AI,
Exploration on pretty big worlds(which can be pretty rare for fps)
Interesting story setup

Its got a lot of things from several genres implemented pretty well into a single seamless package.

Additionally it has a lot of peoples imagination's piqued. You can definitely see potential for expansion in gameplay, items and destinations.

Is there some aspect of the loot that I'm missing?

In Borderlands (which I thought was good, not amazing), I found shotguns that shot rockets and machinegun snipers IIRC.

In Destiny, for my main weapon I found an AR, a BR, and a DMR (hand cannons blow). Then, I found another AR with an element attached. Oh, a DMR with a slightly faster reload stat. None of the variations felt very distinct. I was never excited for loot. Is it because it was beta, I had bad luck, or is this how it's supposed to be?

you can level and upgrade many of the guns, that can have considerable change to the guns. Though the stuff in the beta is limited in this aspect.
 
Lol the biggest complaint I've seen about mmos in general are about the repetitive and meaningless quests which this has in spades.

We really haven't seen much yet. They dropped a bunch of quests in the beta on us, but are we for sure that is how the game will play out? Do you even need to do those side quests when level 20 is max level?
 
Also how many FPS have jetpack-like abilities? It really changes the way you think about the battlefield. Adds a ton of verticality to movement.

It was my favorite thing about Halo Reach and I'm glad Bungie has kept it in for Destiny.

Titanfall, and it's glorious to see verticality taking off this gen between these two games.

Big reason why I was glad to hear about verticality in Doom.
 
We really haven't seen much yet. They dropped a bunch of quests in the beta on us, but are we for sure that is how the game will play out? Do you even need to do those side quests when level 20 is max level?

I guess if you think that destiny will have really interesing quests with great writing and meaningful choices etc etc then believe that I guess.
 
But it's nothing like Planetside. Planetside is an MMO with a static planet that everyone fights over. Destiny is NOTHING like that and is not an MMO at all. You have what, 12 people at most in an instance?
Clearly you know tons about this game. So what's the end game like? Can you "beat" the game? Or is endgame a bunch of high level instances for more loot?

I generally don't know and only have exposure to Dentistry through Giant Bomb.
 
I guess if you think that destiny will have really interesing quests with great writing and meaningful choices etc etc then believe that I guess.

No, what I'm saying is that there will be plenty for you to do where you won't even have to do the shit side quests. If you play through the story, reach max level, then do a bunch of PvP, maybe play through the story again at harder difficulty, etc. Do you even have to touch the really repetitive fetch quests of the free-roam mode?
 
I think a large part of it is simplicity. Point, shoot, super attack and grenade. The ability upgrades seem to be quite linear and clean. No convoluted menu's/trees etc. Although the worlds look to be big, getting from point A to B with glide jump or the jedi bike is relatively easy. Nothing seems to be a chore. Even the respawning enemies are in pockets small enough to be manageable and not offensive.

Honestly, I've been surprised how much I like it. I wasn't expecting to, but right now I'd quite happily stop playing BF4 in favour of it asap. Roll on release date.
 
Clearly you know tons about this game. So what's the end game like? Can you "beat" the game? Or is endgame a bunch of high level instances for more loot?

I generally don't know and only have exposure to Dentistry through Giant Bomb.

You compared the game to Planetside which is thousands of people fighting over one persistent world while Destiny is max 12 people per instance. I was only disputing the fact that you called Destiny "an MMO like Planetside" and just the basic way the game is designed is completely different from Planetside. I'm not a "destiny expert" but I certainly know the differences between these two games, and they are vast.
 
Never a fan of halo, think I just don't like the open world style of halo

Have the beta to try from tomorrow so here is to hoping it grabs me :)
 
No, what I'm saying is that there will be plenty for you to do where you won't even have to do the shit side quests. If you play through the story, reach max level, then do a bunch of PvP, maybe play through the story again at harder difficulty, etc. Do you even have to touch the really repetitive fetch quests of the free-roam mode?

And what I'm saying is that the main story quests won't be much different.
 
Absence makes the heart grow fonder

If you are saying that people only care because the Beta is gone, I think you're wrong. If you're saying that people missed the Halo type gunplay, then you may be right. The game is a legitimate experience, there is tons to do, and according to bungie, the alpha was less than 10% of the game, and the Beta hasn't added much, so... we've maybe seen 15% of the game, yet it has it's claws into most everyone who has played it. Can't wait to see the full game. I love the PVE, it has just enough story to keep me interested, and plenty of loot and encounters to scratch my loot-whore itch. I'm not the best at PVP, but I always feel that I'm helping my team, and that my team has a chance to win. It's a well rounded mix of both, and I feel that a lot of players can get into it.
 
People gushed over how much fun Titanfall was during the Beta as well. Will the full game have the longevity that people crave, or will it start to feel repetitive?

Titanfall was competive multiplayer only. While Destiny has that, plus story and "open-worldish" exploration, with some missions lasting up to an hour. There really isnt a comparison. but we will see.
 
It's fun. A lot of fun. Nobody is talking about how it's the second coming, or how it changes everything. Because it doesn't at all, and never had such pretensions.

It simply aims at being fun and it does that one thing right.
 
But it's nothing like Planetside. Planetside is an MMO with a static planet that everyone fights over. Destiny is NOTHING like that and is not an MMO at all. You have what, 12 people at most in an instance?

Just wanted to say I support your correct definition of MMO. I cry a little ever time its misused.
 
And what I'm saying is that the main story quests won't be much different.

Ok fair enough. If you found the story that was presented to be really repetitive and boring, then this game will definitely not be much different in the final. I thought you were referring to the really repetitive free-roam mode where you find random fetch quests to perform over and over.
 
Manufactured Hype?

The media was never in love with Destiny. It hasn't won a ton of awards, although it obviously hasn't been ignored. There were also a number of negative previews before the alpha released. The hype for Destiny is pretty much entirely player driven. There's a good chance that the beta will go through two full OT's, and many full hyped games don't even manage to go through one.
 
I thought the first level was neat, but not overly amazing.
The gunplay/skills are pretty great.

Character Creation was garbage.
The subsequent quests weren't anything special.
The game doesn't set off those must have that loot signals. The equipment looks way too similar.
 
You compared the game to Planetside which is thousands of people fighting over one persistent world while Destiny is max 12 people per instance. I was only disputing the fact that you called Destiny "an MMO like Planetside" and just the basic way the game is designed is completely different from Planetside. I'm not a "destiny expert" but I certainly know the differences between these two games, and they are vast.

So no idea about end game?
 
Ok fair enough. If you found the story that was presented to be really repetitive and boring, then this game will definitely not be much different in the final. I thought you were referring to the really repetitive free-roam mode where you find random fetch quests to perform over and over.

Yea that, but I didn't find the other quests to be any more compelling either personally.
 
I break the game down in my head and don't really find myself caring for it a whole lot.

But then I end up having an 8 hour stint co-oping it with a friend where the time flies and it's suddenly night out. Now I find myself jonesin' for it as the beta's down.

I guess I do like it.
 
A...are we all playing the same game? I find this game so boring. You run forward and shoot. Then you go back to town and buy boots or something. Then you go back to Russia and shoot guys. I've done this same thing in about 40,000 other games. Sometimes it was hitting guys with swords or fireballs, but it's all the same.

What am I missing? I'm a level 5 Warlock. What happens that everyone is loving this game so much? Do I need to give it a lot more time? "The Darkness" isn't doing it for me as an antagonist, also. Do they explain more and give me a reason to care?

It's just the beta, man. We don't know exactly how much content will be in the final game but I'd reserve your full judgment until you play the finished product.
 
I'm actually kind of surprised how I found it to be the opposite, as pumped for Destiny as I was pre-alpha. But I'm not feeling it and I'm at a loss why others are raving about it so much. But that might just be the result of the lack of single player missions in the beta, those are all I want to play. The co-op stuff was ok, nothing special imo, and the multiplayer was dogshit.

But let me ask you guys something. Bungie has a 10 year plan for this game. 10 friggin' years. Do you see a game like this compelling enough to last that long? I sure don't.
 
Destiny hits (mostly) all of the right points.

-Character building
-Explorable world
-Persistent social world so you're always connected to others
-Bragging rights opportunities
-RPG elements
-Loot game that isn't over-saturated
-A focus on story and world building
-Extremely tight gunplay and gameplay mechanics
-A beautiful, consistent art design.

It's hard to tell how worthy some of these things will be in the long run just from the Beta alone, but it shows great promise.

Edit: Sorta beaten by Zakaiwe.
 
Combat encounters that have Halo's "30 seconds of fun," combined with a pretty nice loop for improving your skills and gear.

I also feel the attention paid to the UI and general look+feel helps a lot.
 
I guess it depends on the person. It's not compelling in the least. Who has time for reptitive mmo style quests wrapped up in an fps?

You make it sound like Explore Mode is the main component of the game, which it is not. You get very little XP for doing the "quests" in that mode, and they are only there to guide you to new areas. That's why they are completely randomized and very easy to complete. Explore is there for you to take a deeper look at the environment, without being bound to main objectives.
 
-Shooting mechanics
-Exploring
-Loot
-Co-op
-PvP
-Strikes
-Setting/Lore

All of them.

I agree with all of this and I think most importantly it's the atmosphere of the game. The sense of wonder and the unknown within the game world. The setting and exploration... so many dark secrets to be found and revealed.
 
So no idea about end game?

Not sure how I went from describing the differences between Planetside and Destiny to being asked what the end-game is like. What does that have to do with calling Destiny "an MMO just like Planetside"?

Will you ever be fighting over a plot of land or a base against more than 12 people at a time in Destiny? Will your faction taking over a base have any effect on the rest of the server at all or is it an isolated instance that has no persistent effect on the world?
 
It's fun. A lot of fun. Nobody is talking about how it's the second coming, or how it changes everything. Because it doesn't at all, and never had such pretensions.

It simply aims at being fun and it does that one thing right.

This. It is a fun game. For me, one I was waiting on. A game I can go to just to have fun like I did with Call of Duty 4. I wasn't expecting much but playing the alpha made me want to preorder to play the beta. It doesn't feel like anything new but feels like it was done right. Can't wait for the maintenance to be over.
 
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Destiny has equivalents to Halo's gunplay, standard sci-fi space enemies, and absurd, pompous lore. Some people love that.

Personally, I'm a fan of the advancements from Halo, such as the RPG and MMO elements. I think Destiny is fun but nothing too revolutionary. It stands out because of the lack of quality games currently on the market for PS4/XBO.
 
So no idea about end game?

Not sure how I went from describing the differences between Planetside and Destiny to being asked what the end-game is like. What does that have to do with calling Destiny "an MMO just like Planetside"?

Will you ever be fighting over a plot of land or a base against more than 12 people at a time in Destiny? Will your faction taking over a base have any effect on the rest of the server at all or is it an isolated instance that has no persistent effect on the world?

I'm not making any comparison to Planetside. I just want to know what the end game is going to be like. Any ideas?
 
I dunno, I liked most of the halos, but Destiny bores me to tears. Then again, I don't really like mmos either, so that may explain it.
 
When I was a kid there were no video-games as we know them today. I grow up reading books and watching cartoons and movies, mostly loving westerns and contemporary mystery.

I loved Winetou and all Karl May's books and Sherlock Holmes was my hero when I was 9-10.

In the same time I discovered comics. Not kid's comics, but proper comics. And since I was living in the Europe, the vast majority of comics were European ones, French and Belgian most notably, but also Italian and Yugoslavian ones - Yugoslavia had amazing comic-scene back in the mid-80's and many comic authors from that age later made astonishing careers in Europe and USA.

Among all genres - I adored Captain Blueberry and Alan Ford - the science fiction genre was highly prominent. European SF comics were amazing epic stories, both narratively and graphically and I instantly fell in love with the genre. When I think back, it was clearly Moebious's work that caught my imagination, followed by domestic masterpieces of Enes Bilalovic (who will later became famous by his name Enki Bilal), as well as work of Igor Kordej and other Yugoslav authors.

There were no US-centric "superheroes" comics backthen, because Yugoslav comic-culture was not so fond of Superman, Batman, IronMan and other guys. American authors were represented through epic works of John Buschema with Conan and his other masterpieces, as well as through heavy adult-SF anti-heroes such as Den.

I can hardly remember all those comics I have read and loved when I was in my early teenage years, but I remember amazing Zetari, Axa (spectacularly drawn by Romero) and numerous standalone French and Belgian SF stories, with unbelievable work of Italian genius Paulo Erteri Serpieri - Druuna Trilogy - that is still one of the highlights of the European SF I have ever read.

And at the very end of my teenage years, the Star Slammers were published for the first time and it was damn amazing to read and to enjoy. Look below for the Star Slammers and see the Destiny, only 30 years ago.

All above combined made a classic SF my favorite genre of the childhood.

And that is waht makes Destiny so amazing for me.

It is my childhood dreams and fantasies, living in front of me on the big full-color screen, interactive, beautifully crafted and made to play with my (today also pretty old) friends.

For the memories.

 
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