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Reader Discussion: Are "Farming Exploits" Bad?
Bungie's latest patch may have removed Destiny's hallowed "treasure cave," but tenacious players have already found a new location to farm engrams. Are these types of farming exploits really a bad thing for games?
I haven't taken advantage of any of Destiny's "treasure caves" (which, on a side note, sounds like a really inappropriate euphemism), but that doesn't mean I'm necessarily against the practice; sometimes finding an exploit in a game (especially grind-heavy ones like Destiny) can be extremely rewarding, even if they aren't condoned by the developer. In fact, I may have opened several ill-gotten Horadric Caches in Diablo III that were sent to me by an unscrupulous coworker without a tinge of guilt. So my first inclination would be that Bungie should let gamers play the way they want to, and instead focus their energy on tweaking other aspects of the game like loot drops (which thankfully they appear to be doing).
On the other hand, I can't blame Bungie for wanting to "fix" these farming locations. The developer has put a lot of effort into trying to make a fun experience – it's only natural that they'd want to discourage players from engaging in Destiny in such a mindless and boring way. It's also an easy trap for gamers to fall into; sometimes pursuing gear or experience in the most efficient way possible can blind us to whether we're actually having fun while doing it. Apparently, Bungie saw fit to remove that temptation, hopefully encouraging players to engage in more entertaining activities to acquire better gear. If they can further incentivize playing "correctly" with future updates, then I'm all for it.
What do you think? Are farming locations and exploits good or bad? Should the decision to farm be left up to the gamer, or should developers try to curb players away from habits that make the game less fun to play? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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