Meet the expansion

[mannon]

Considering the expansion seems to have intentionally nerfed VoG my guess is level 33 enemies would be a way to make CsE automatically quite hard, but automatically nerf the difficulty once the 2nd expansion is out and the level cap is raised again, especially if they follow the trend of this expansion and raise the level of vendor acquired gear by the same amount which would mean the next stage would sell equipment that gets you to 33 and the new max cap would be 34 with raid armor.

They may also be intending CsE hard to actually be harder than VoG hard was with a level cap of 30. Will be interesting to find out when it opens.

[wittyscorpion]

Dec 9, 2014 17:01:16 GMT -5 iw5000 said:

well, if you know, I want to know too lol. No point in being the only guy in the group that doesn't know.


So if CsE starts at level 30, does normal then end with what level? Are you saying the normal mode might end with 33? Or is that the spoiler, knowing the end level?

If you want to know, just check the 2nd to last post I just made in the XONE LFG thread. Highlight it and you'll see.

[wittyscorpion]

Dec 9, 2014 8:46:10 GMT -5 hebbnh said:

For anyone interested in buying new 33 maximum light armor from the tower vendors, either Vanguard or Crucible, be aware that prices have been raised by 10 marks on gloves, chests, and boots, in addition to needing commendations for some items. Here's a list:

Helmet: 120 marks + 1 commendation
Gloves: 75 marks
Chest: 75 marks + 1 commendation
Boots: 75 marks

BTW, weapons are still priced at 150 marks.

[iw5000]

When I said spoilers before, I mostly meant in regards to 'how to play'. Where to go, what to do, what enemies are coming. Talking about enemy levels, stuff published ahead of time, that's not spoiling.

From what I read online...this was published in Nov....

- Even though Crota’s End will have a starting difficulty of level 30, we do not have to be level 30 to enter.

- Crota’s End will have two difficulties: It’ll start at Level 30 (activity power 120), which is considered the Normal version. Luke Smith, Destiny’s lead raid designer, assured us that it’s going to be available 12/9:

- Based on the game’s database, the second difficulty will be at level 33 (activity power 156).

- Since we’ll only be able to reach level 32, you’ll definitely want to acquire the new Legendary armor and weapons in the normal version to make it a easier for you.

that still doesn't really explain what I was looking for. Which is how the CsE Raid ends, in terms of difficulty levels.

[wittyscorpion]

Looks like Mal still does not want to know, so I'll just private message you

[iw5000]

Dec 9, 2014 17:23:04 GMT -5 wittyscorpion said:

Looks like Mal still does not want to know, so I'll just private message you

Ok. I'm not really looking for gaming purposes...I'm trying to understand the whole leveling process stuff. Comparing how Bungie did it before, to how they are doing now. It feels like Bungie is being a bit more generous this time with allowing people to buy their way into the Raid, than before. But I am not sure.

Here's my thought process.

Last time, you could only 'buy' your way to getting an Exotic and three legendaries. 30 + 27, 27, 27 = 111. That put a player at level 29, one over the VoG max difficulty, ...which was opponents being 26 to 28. Hard went from 28 to 30. So one could buy their way to a total free pass in the VoG, but would fall short at the end of the Hard VoG Raid.

This time? It appears you can buy your way into getting an upgraded/new Exotic level 36, plus three vendor pieces at 33. That's a level of 135. That puts a player at level 31. So now a person is only +1 over the starting level of the Raid. So a person is well equipped to start, but is he equipped to finish? Before, a person was +3.

So maybe Bungie isn't being as generous as I thought, in regards to buying your way in?

[wittyscorpion]

I think you are correct. The relative leveling of CsE makes it significantly tougher than VoG, if everything else is equal. Players do have much beefier weapons at their disposal though, so that might make up the gap.

One thing I want to point out: I maintain my position that while it nerfs the players hard when against higher level enemies, it does not make a significant difference (if at all) for players to have higher levels against enemies. A player at level 29 against level 26 enemies is not that much better off (if at all) vs. a player at level 31 against level 30 enemies.

A player at level 31 does face significant challenge against level 32 enemies though, and a player at level 30 will be at huge disadvantage when against level 32 enemies.

[malgato]

Dec 9, 2014 17:23:04 GMT -5 wittyscorpion said:

Looks like Mal still does not want to know, so I'll just private message you

Oh, I'm not averse to knowledge. I just don't want things spoiled for those that want a surprise.

[iw5000]

I had fun tonight with the new stuff.

I got going and ended up doing the first five or six bounties that Eris gives. Did all of them solo and on the level 30 setting. They were fun. Some had similar/old locations with a different play through, while some of the bounties opened up new parts of the Earth and Moon. It was fun Reasonably challenging too, but not to terribly difficult to finish.

Then i teamed up with Aroc to do the Weekly Heroic new mission, on the level 30 setting. Wow. This was pretty brutal. It took a little bit of time to get to the end/boss fight, which was on a new part of the map. If you look at our Earth maps, it's a new area in the Jovian Complex. Pretty fun area and the boss fight is brutal. All in all, it took Aroc and I over an hour to get it done. The boss/wizard is a huge bullet sponge and it just takes time grinding it down.

Overall, it feels the enemy movements and AI is slightly buffed up. Spawns behind you, stuff like that to keep you on your toes.

I also got two new 330 Legendary weapons. I got the free Fusion rifle everyone gets after the 2nd/3rd bounty...the Murmur, which is a very cool gun. And then i got lucky and got a 330 Handgun, the ? 1969 gun, or something like that. So i already have two 330 weapons. I see no reason to buy any guns initially. Sit tight, see what you get for free.

All in all, the new stuff is good.And i am looking forward to Thursday night.

[markopolo]

Dec 9, 2014 12:42:51 GMT -5 wittyscorpion said:

1) Eris is selling some good looking emblems and shaders (Marko, be careful about her "charming" your currencies away );

After previewing them last night, Polo is not impressed. They made my ankles and wrists look fat.

[thebb22]

I ended up buying the new gauntlets yesterday, to get started on getting to 31. In the process, managed to get a legendary engram that turned into some new boots. And I also got a new arc sniper along with a new solar machine gun from the strike drops. Also, I thoroughly enjoy Murmur. All in all, a very fun and successful night.

[markopolo]

Dec 10, 2014 10:40:16 GMT -5 thebb22 said:

I ended up buying the new gauntlets yesterday, to get started on getting to 31. In the process, managed to get a legendary engram that turned into some new boots. And I also got a new arc sniper along with a new solar machine gun from the strike drops. Also, I thoroughly enjoy Murmur. All in all, a very fun and successful night.

Bravo!

[malgato]

I got two legendary armor engrams. I was stoked. Until Xur trolled me hard. Got a new legendary helm that has max light level... for a Hunter... which I do not have... Also got a new exotic helm for my Warlock... but it is not with the upgraded light, so same as old exotic helm...

Seriously, eff Xur.

Also got two legendary weapon engrams. One for a new pulse rifle (meh) and one for a new sniper (haven't evaluated it's worth yet).

Fun, but also disappointing. Better luck tonight, I hope.

Plus, what's with all the stupid blue rewards?! Wtf.

[iw5000]

Agree. I almost broke my 'x' button last night deleting the dozens and dozens of blue weapons and armor from my engrams I got.

It's really a bit stupid. Why can't Bungie just end that stupidity? Anyone playing the new DLC is not in need of a Level 12 blue armor piece, or yet another Shingen gun at level 180. Why keep dropping it? Even relatively new players don't need it.

[wittyscorpion]

Nowadays I just consider green & blue = glimmers + armor materials, need both anyway, especially former.

[mannon]

I dump a few blue down to my twinks, but other than that, yeah. The only difference between blues and greens is if I have no items I'm actively leveling I'll keep a blue for my bounty turn ins to max out it's XP to get more materials. I strive to have an item that needs XP in every slot for bounty turn ins just because I'm slightly OCD like that.

Other than that I dismantle blues immediately unless they are weapons. (Because I'm still not totally outfitted with legendary weapons for all elements.) On the other hand I have plenty of weapons that need XP so I'm not generally keeping any to level up purely to dismantle.

[markopolo]

I've got plenty of motes and strange coins from Blues.

I keep any bonbon and break it down.... that's why I'm almost a k or 2k from glimmer max all the time... unless I've gone Shader shopping

[wings]

Yeah but Motes are usually pointless. Bungie could have used them to upgrade attack values on legendaries or something.

[tooros]

Dec 10, 2014 10:07:04 GMT -5 markopolo said:

Dec 9, 2014 12:42:51 GMT -5 wittyscorpion said:

1) Eris is selling some good looking emblems and shaders (Marko, be careful about her "charming" your currencies away );

After previewing them last night, Polo is not impressed. They made my ankles and wrists look fat.

Haha. I bought the warlock chest armour from the vanguard and I look like Santa claus. Honestly. I put on 40lbs over night. Weird.

[tooros]

The sunset shader on warlock looks superb if you ask me. Who wouldn't like fluorescent orange warlock pants?

[markopolo]

Dec 10, 2014 13:53:36 GMT -5 tooros said:

The sunset shader on warlock looks superb if you ask me. Who wouldn't like fluorescent orange warlock pants?

Orange pants make your ankles weigh 10+ pds...

It's a fashion fact.

Ask anyone

[markopolo]

Btw.... the broadsword shader with the new Vanguard armour looks like you are a toad/frog/amphibian

[mannon]

Motes are good for Xur lottery and IB, plus we already know about Marko's shader addiction...

[markopolo]

Dec 10, 2014 14:26:02 GMT -5 mannon said:

Motes are good for Xur lottery and IB, plus we already know about Marko's shader addiction...

It's not an addiction... there have been several that I haven't purchased.....

yet

[mannon]

crap... That's all you had to say... I've been only buying ones I wanted when I had the spare chaching, but mostly just ignoring them. But now you've ignited my pokeshader fever and I know it's only a matter of time until I have to get them all... just like the exotic weapons... (and maybe armors too...)

Not a priority, though...

yet

[wittyscorpion]

Datto's recommendations on what new weapons to buy:

[n1gh7]

Datto's fucking dumb about auto rifles.

[qupie]

That, plus he is not mentioning the sapetiene(?) Rapier. I don't own it yet, but the stats look impresive

[wittyscorpion]

Dec 23, 2014 3:00:21 GMT -5 n1gh7 said:

Datto's Foxtroting dumb about auto rifles.

Which Auto Rifle do you recommend?

[qupie]

Bought the 2nd vanguard one. It is actually a really nice weapon! Steady, big mag, good range, goodupgradesa. The only problem I have is that I don't really like the irons/red dot/scope it has. Still figuring out which I like best.