Good to have you back, Ocean, and thanks for the long write ups, great reads.
It's been interesting taking in all the differing opinions about TTK's new systems and endgame structure. For everyone who finds it improved, someone thinks it's awful and we need to go back to the HoW island. I think a big part of it comes down to how and what people play in Destiny, but I do think there's an underlying set of different expectations about the new leveling systems.
This is probably the biggest point of contention I've seen so far:
I was smiling as I read this section, because you (and lots of others) hate is what I think of as one of the best changes to Destiny with TTK.
For the first time in Destiny, we can be over-leveled for peak endgame activities. Pre HM KF, the theoretical max light was 310, but the highest level enemies in any activity was 300. The new loot system aligns engram and weapon drops to cluster around our current light level, sometimes lower but often higher to nudge us forever upward. The progress slows near 300, but it's designed so we don't require a max light level gear to run max light level activities on an even playing field. Fyre described this as a "crumple zone" for the RNG systems and I think that description is apt.
My goal is to hit 300 light, not 310, because that's how I think the system was designed. It's not communicated though, and we're all hardwired to want the bigger number. I had a fascinating exchange with someone on the Gaming forum a week or two ago about this when on this same subject. When I explained that you don't need 310 light in KF, just 300, to be a parity, the response was, well yea. But 310 is bigger! It was like that scene from Spinal Tap where there's a debate about the benefit of speakers that go to 11.
At any rate, because my goal is to hit 300 light, I'm a happy camper as I inch toward it because I do so in lots of different ways. Which brings us to the next topic, which I'll start with something you also said above:
This is interesting and revealing of how people play Destiny differently, and highlights issues with HoW vs. TTK because this is so not a true statement for me, and I played the living hell out of the House of Wolves. I began TTK with two spare Etheric Light in my vault, and there were only there because I stopped infusing gear and set Destiny aside for a few weeks pre-TTK.
With House of Wolves, the progression path narrowed dramatically for a non-PvP player like me, and it ran primarily through the Prison of Elders. Aside from the random (and frustratingly rare) Nightfall drop, I could only progress to 34 through a throttled number of challenge modes each week, for Etheric Light drops. I never did get all of my gear to 34 - not even all my favorite gear. The HoW era was one of perpetual frustration for me as I got my gear up to speed over the course of months.
Last night, I improved four pieces of gear on my level 293 Hunter through engrams dropped in the daily story mission and running patrols of all things. I can progress to higher light by running story missions, patrols, the strike playlist, Nightfalls, the heroic strikes, the daily crucible game (which I do play now) and of course, the Raid (where we can finally earn XP, do bounties, and get engram drops).
To me, this is a near-miraculous improvement over House of Wolves because suddenly all of Destiny is relevant to me when I'm high level. This is what I wanted through all of year 1. (Patrols are fun now, and the patrols on the Dreadnaught are a big part of my endgame activities - lots of XP, relevant engram drops, glimmer and the weekly events on the ship).
To me, the endgame has expanded dramatically to include literally every activity in the game. (I'm not in the peak of Trials and HM KF gear.) This is what I wanted from TTK and I'm so glad Bungie pulled it off. I'm playing much more variety now and still progressing than I ever did in year 1.
At any rate, I won't go point by point as those were the two biggest areas where I disagree with TTK. I totally understand your perspective, just wanted to offer my thoughts on those subjects since they're very things I really enjoy about TTK.
Welcome back!