Tips For Coming Home To The Tower: My Return To Destiny

I have rarely had a relationship with a game like the one Destiny has engendered. Through the campaign and the early strikes, I reveled in the experience, taking in as much as I possibly could. But something changed.

Once I completed the story missions, I was stuck. I still got up every morning and ran my daily mission before work. I winced every time I approached that dastardly Cryptarch. I accidentally wore the wrong class item and stunted my Vanguard progress. It was all part of the learning experience.

But as the days wore on, I stagnated. I was stuck at level 20 for too long and couldn’t score the loot drops I needed to push past it. The random number generator was unkind, and in response, I threw my hands up in the air.

I love the gameplay, the weapons are enjoyable, and playing with friends doesn’t get old. But I was stuck. I couldn’t participate in higher level strikes, and The Vault of Glass raid felt far enough out of reach that I was convinced I’d never get there.

As the fall rush continued and more games demanded my attention, I walked away. It wasn’t until I started reading up on The Dark Below expansion that I got the itch again. 

I figured I would jump in, play a little bit, maybe level a bit more and run Vault of Glass, and that would be it. I had ambitious plans for the weekend. “A little Destiny and then Dragon Age,” I promised myself.

What I found when I came back was an experience that had changed just enough to fix the things that drove me away. I signed in and didn’t end up moving on to another game, spending hours bouncing around the solar system all weekend. And with today’s release of The Dark Below, I don’t think I’m leaving any time soon.

If you’ve been playing Destiny, or at least following coverage of it, you know the tales of the Cryptarch. He used to be unforgiving, but has since mellowed a bit. Decoding engrams (loot drops that contain a random item) used to be a parade of disappointment.

Things are better now, and you’re more likely to get something you can use, or at least turn into valuable materials. You’ll also find that daily missions and patrol bounties now reward you with upgrade components. This small change goes a huge way to speeding player growth and curtailing mindless farming.

Bungie has also increased the frequency of public events. These are more intense (and enjoyable) occurrences on each planet that yield useful rewards and experience.

All of the tweaks and massages that have been implemented are individually minor, but in total create an experience that smooths progression. This, in turn, allows players to access higher level content without feeling held back. I feel like my Guardian is mine again, now that I have choices about which weapons to use, gear to wear, and missions to pursue. 

You’ll still need to grind. You won’t just waltz through the most difficult encounters, but you’ll have the tools to grow your Guardian, which alleviates the feeling of helplessness that drove me away. 

Now that The Dark Below is available, you’ll also find better gear at vendors around the Tower. While you’ll still find the best items in the raids, growing your rank with the different factions and spending “marks” can get you armor necessary to access the new strikes and raid.

If you’ve been away for a while, here are some tips for maximizing your journey to The Dark Below’s end content.

1. Run your daily mission, and do so at the highest level possible. This will maximize your rewards. It seems obvious, but this should be a stop in Destiny each day, even if you do nothing else.
2. Make sure to run your weekly strike. You can earn up to nine strange coins (a currency used by the weekend vendor, Xur, who sells exotic weapons and armor). If you can get a party together to get this done, you’ll be better equipped to take on heavy challenges.
3. Run the nightfall strike, and if possible, have a group willing to take you through before you’re leveled enough (though we don't recommend being more than one level lower than recommended). There are great rewards from this difficult endeavor. Destiny is a social game, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
4. Absolutely run The Vault of Glass. Not only are there the best drops in the core game, but it’s the best piece of content available before The Dark Below. The raid takes off the training wheels and puts you in complex encounters, requiring you to solve puzzles and survive wicked enemies.
5. If you don’t have higher level players, plan to be about level 27. If you do have some 30s, you can get away with doing it at 26.
6. If you find yourself stuck between levels 20 and 25, this is Bungie's subtle hint that you might want to start a second character in another class. Chances are you'll have loot drops and weapons that you can put in your vault to speed your alts toward the endgame. By the time you have three characters, you'll always be able to use whatever the Cryptarch decodes for you.

Destiny isn’t a perfect game. The story doesn’t make much sense, and what little there is of the lore exists in a companion app and not on the console. But despite its problems, it has a strong blend of action, social features, and loot that are worth exploring. 

It’s far too early to tell if I’ll fall off the bandwagon again before the next expansion arrives. For now, I’m just enjoying my return trip as I look forward to The Dark Below.