JehutyRunner
Banned
Few games in recent years have generated the same degree of debate as Bungie’s Destiny. Whether it’s fervent enthusiasm or harsh criticism depends on your perspective. Some of the harshest critics work at Bungie, striving with each passing update and expansion to hone the existing content while adding meaningful new adventures into the mix. Upon visiting Bungie, we expected to find a game that continued the process in incremental steps. Instead, we found a robust reimagining of everything that has come before, along with the largest influx of new missions, maps, strikes, gear, and storytelling yet seen. We spent two days playing The Taken King and speaking with its creators, and this month’s cover story has the scoop.
Following on the heels of two smaller expansions, The Taken King is set to arrive almost exactly a year after the original game launched. In that time, a lot has changed about Destiny, but The Taken King is a more fundamental restructuring. A revamped quest format adds story context and a natural progression path to old and new content. A newly recorded actor plays the Ghost from the beginning of the story to its conclusion. And the entire leveling system has been restructured for a seamless and deterministic path from levels 1 to 40 (the new level cap).
As for new content, the focus is on deeper and more meaningful storytelling. Cinematics are interspersed through the story missions, offering increased insight into previously paper-thin characters. The Ghost is a deeper and more involved character, played by a new actor. An initial set of new story missions is just the opening act of a larger set of narrative-focused events. New subclasses have dedicated story sequences in which you learn about their use. New weapons have more involved lore and storytelling behind them, and increased power levels that move them beyond existing gear. Even quests in the Crucible have a narrative angle.
For the cover story, we went hands on with the new systems, missions, and game modes to discover the details veteran players are eager to learn. Equally important, we grilled Bungie about the ways in which Destiny is changing to invite new players into the experience, and even draw back players who may have disliked it the first time around. Our 14-page blowout also features more than 20 new screens from The Taken King.
We also have a full month of online coverage planned in the lead-up to The Taken King’s launch, including a detailed look at one of the new exotic weapons, a video walkthrough of one of the new Crucible maps hosted by the level’s designers, and extensive interviews with the development team. Watch our coverage trailer for a hint of what to expect.
Link
And the new ghost is voiced by Nolan North.
Modedit: additional info from the various Destiny threads today:
•progression has been reworked entirely since the game launched. Leveling from 1 to 40 is now based entirely on your own actions.
•A new behind-the-scenes reward system pays attention to the gear and weapons you already have, and not only attempts to avoid giving the same reward multiple times, but targets you for new loot that will be valuable for progression.
•You can carry more bounties at any one time, and turn them in without returning to the bounty giver.
•the Cryptarch more reliably provides rewards that match the engrams you give him.
•Quests provide meaningful story progression, and clearly trackable paths through all the game's content, thereby lessening the grind.
•The Crucible has improved matchmaking, and a mercy rule ends matches early when any given contest is dramatically misbalanced.
•Crucible heavy and special ammo drops and economies have been reworked to be more understandable and useable.
• Weapons have been balanced across the board, with the aim to eliminate the dominance of just a few weapons, and make every weapon type a compelling choice.
• Whether your gauge is number of Crucible maps, exotic weapons, or playable mission, Destiny now has more than twice as much content as the original release. While Taken King introduces the first fully explorable new gameplay area, the new story mission zones, raids, and arena add substantial real estate to uncover.
Player UI/UX
Intelligence, Discipline, and Strength abilities now have numbered tiers to strive toward. Tiers are digital thresholds that you cross to reduce the cool down on your core three powers. Instead of a percentage, we want to tell you the time in secnds that your ability is going to come back in.
Music
Newly composed music was made for the early story missions.
Gear (Ghost Shell Hype!)
Weapons, armor, class items, and even your Ghost shell all offer perk customization as well as increased power and light for your hero.
Gunsmith and Armsday
•The Gunsmith has his own reputation meter.
•You can test weapons by borrowing them.
• Hit a certain reputation level and he will open Armsday purchase. You can pay glimmer once a week to order a new legendary weapon. W/ random sets of perks.
It's still bizarre to me that people were so insanely hung up on the Light system, or that this change is the thing that makes them want to come back.
The best details about the expansion are actually buried in the Game Informer print article:
-- gain weapon upgrade materials by dismantling old weapons (sounds like an enchanting/jewel-slotting type system, or maybe just the replacement of Ascendent Energy)
--No more class based armor materials (Hadronic Essence, Plasteel Plating, etc). There will be one armor material that can be used by all classes
--Special vendor that lets you pick up any shader or emblem you have already acquired on your account (no more wasting vault space on shaders). Further vault/storage solutions on the way
--Green/white weapons will be more powerful than your current legendaries
--Details about Exotic Weapons -- auto rifle that shoots chain lightning, sniper rifle that blinds enemies on a headshot, pulse rifle that reloads magazine when you land precision shots, fusion rifle that counts as a heavy weapon and acts as a portable rail gun
--Exotic items now have their "defining perk" immediately unlocked (eg You can do a blinding bubble as soon as you acquire Helm of Saint 14, no need to level it up)
--Crucible will have questlines that introduce you to Shaxx and the various faction leaders
- auto rifle that shoots blast of chain lightning
- a sniper that blinds nearby enemies on precision hit
- Pulse Rifle called No Time To Explain
-exotics come with an intrinsic perk upon acquisition
- many are tied to involved quest lines
- one such quest line has you explore the Dreadnaught and looking for hidden pieces sorta like Dead Ghost Hunting.
-Sleeper Simulant, a fusion rifle that takes up heavy slot. Quest Line exotic.
New Taken Enemy Abilities
Captains have a solar shield. Throw blinding orbs.
Knights have AoE scorch.
Centurions fire tracking shots that track around corners.
Wizards summon thralls.
Psions split in two.
Vandals have a bubble shield they can shoot out of.
Phalanxes have an AoE that push you backwards.
Thrall can teleport.
Some more goodness
Crucible:
-ToO bounties
-Week long Crucible bounties (with a 6th for completing the first 5 and a big reward, legendary/exotic)
-Eight new PvP maps
-Zone Control (control without kills for points)
-Rift (steal the bacon game type)
-Playstation exclusive map has platforms in center to create jumping gun battles
-Vex map with a one-way teleporter (hah)
