So, I had about 9 days of pretty solid Destiny time.
About two weeks ago I was level 24, but had more or less just given up on Destiny. I bought the season pass at launch, so I had both expansions already.
It was a game that I enjoyed enough to play through the main story and did a lot of strikes, but had sort of written off doing raids. I had tried to level up my reputation with the Vanguard and buy armor, but in the end I just sort of gave up as I found it to be less than fun.
About two weeks ago, I logged back in for the first time in a very long time, and found the House of Wolves tweeks to really make the game much more playable. It seems my reputation earned much quicker, and I was level 2 before I knew it. On top of that RNGesus blessed me with an exotic helmet and some gloves, so all I had to do was purchase the chest piece and legs which I did in around a day.
Then my wife left town. My goal was to grind up a little bit and then try and run both raids. I found myself at level 32 on my own, and decided it was time to run Vault of Glass on normal so I could learn the raid. Instead someone invited me to the last room of a Hard run. I survived and got two random drops in the raid. Mostly legendary weapons, which I needed pretty bad.
Then I switched over to Prison of Elders so I could get my level up. I joined a group thinking it would be enough that I unlocked the prison of elders, then had to sheepishly back out and go play the lowest ranked version.
I really like Crota's end and Prison of Elders. I think they are super fun gameplay experiences, and led to a lot of people being super cooperative.
Vault of Glass I felt was not as good. The opening section is great, and I like the final boss fight alot. I thought the hall with the Gorgon's and the platforming section were a little bit off. One single player messing up would halt the entire group. Which I gather was the idea, but it led to one guy getting called out and sort of turned the camaraderie negative.
Long story short:
-I am now level 33. I've got a rocket launcher that I was told was good but not great (Truth), and have almost max leveled all of my guns.
-I've beaten both raids on Hard several times.
-I'm waiting on the weekly reset (and some free time since my wife is back in town) to run through 34 POE and level up to 34. Then I'll try my luck at Skolas.
Then I have to decide if I want to (or have time) to make 30 more public events to get the year 1 reward.
I was always on the fence about Destiny. I liked the core gunplay, but found it's leveling system too grindy.
-They have more or less fixed anything I didnd't like about the game before, with the exception of some of the social stuff. I still wish there were an in-game way to run raids. Even if they toned them way way down.
- I stuck at PVP in this game, Trials of Osiris is clearly not for me, and I don't really want to waste anyone's trip that week on this guy ruining everything.
- One guy was a super dick and invited me to his game, then inspected me and booted me from the fire team because I didn't have the weapon he wanted. My profile didn't say I had it.. That was my only real negative experience all week.
Destiny really shines at the end-game, but it feels like something of a members only club when it doesn't need to.
