Top Tens: Year of the Trump Edition

[novicius]

You might brush them off as being pointless extras, but I take umbrage to them because Bungie tied them to the doling out of end-game XP

...end game XP that is spend 99.95% of the time on cosmetics. If you grind even a little bit weekly, you'll get all the mods you need in the game -- hell, there are people on Reddit complaining that Bright Engrams give out too much stuff.

Further, this doesn't even impact either you (the General Gaming Public) or Bungie -- they're after the Whales of in-app gaming purchases.

Ergo, it's unfair to write-off a game that you admit feels good to play AND looks epic, just because you don't like how Activision/Bungie is courting the <10% of Destiny gamers.

Just sayin'.

[Rare White Ape]

You’re making it sound like what Bungie/Activision did up until last week is all okay. It’s plainly not. Don’t forget that. But I also see that you’re not defending the other major culprits of 2017, those who pushed the loot box/microtransaction envelope far enough over time that it eventually led to outside attention being brought down from governmental levels. This is about the greed, not the sometimes good games buried under those layers of greed. I’m not pointing sticks at Destiny the game, I’m pointing sticks at Destiny (and others) as a package. It’s the major story of 2017, and it took the shine of an otherwise fantastic year for gaming.

I can somewhat see where you’re coming from, though. You obviously love the game, and you’re emotionally, temporally, and financially invested in it, possibly more invested if you paid for the special edition/season pass/early access/day 1 DLC, etc. You wear your love of Destiny on your sleeve as I do with Zelda and all things Nintendo, so it might be reasonable for you to let it cloud your ability to make a well reasoned argument here. And I guess it’s the reason I never brought myself to bring it up directly in the Destiny thread and respectfully stayed away, you love the game as much as I love your haircut

Now, to address your post directly:

Cosmetics or not, loot boxes simply take away much of the enjoyment of progression in a game. IMO, and that is even before you get into the money spending aspect of the things.

Whales ARE members of the general public, they’re more vulnerable and compulsive than the rest of us and they’re shamelessly targeted and taken advantage of by publishers and their shareholders who are after the insides of their wallets. The term applied to them dehumanises them and makes the rest of us feel in our mind that they’re just “other people” who are silly enough to fall for the psychological tricks that these games play on them. Don’t fall for that.

It totally is fair to write off Destiny because of its microtransactions. 1) because it’s my list, and 2) because I don’t want to play full price AAA games that ask you to pay more for extra things even though you’ve forked over $60 to get the base experience.

And finally, you’re possibly labouring under the impression that a Destiny without microtransactions would actually be good I have too many Zeldas and too many Sonics and too many Pokémons at hand to worry about that friggin game

[JSGeneral]

I should also say that anyone who has a top ten things from this year they want to list, go for it! You’re more than welcome.

No list per se... but was wondering why Knack was there, but Mario/Rabbids or Splatoon wasn't. Is the Knack listing a joke? I haven't played it but the video posted seems to indicate as such.

[Yw-slayer]

Hardcore Beluga for Marvel Future Fight here, yo.

[novicius]

You wear your love of Destiny on your sleeve as I do with Zelda and all things Nintendo, so it might be reasonable for you to let it cloud your ability to make a well reasoned argument here.

Oh believe me, I've made my well-reasoned argument. I've even provided links for proof.

For my part, I'm still waiting for your equally well-researched reply, Mick.

It totally is fair to write off Destiny because of its microtransactions. 1) because it’s my list, and 2) because I don’t want to play full price AAA games that ask you to pay more for extra things even though you’ve forked over $60 to get the base experience.

But you can get *everything* that the Eververse Store sells just by playing the base game...

You're hurting my head.

[GreatScawt]

His argument in the case of Destiny 2, is that they developed a system that tries to manipulate people to spend money. Not necessary forcing them. Which I get to an extent.

I generally don't have issue with it, though. I use to. If gamers want to spend the money that's on them. Put it on the game rating comments if it's an issue, so they can avoid it. In an industry where game prices aren't rising, but game budgets are exploding, if developers have to sell some loot boxes that the 1% will dump huge amounts of money helps sustain them, then do it. As long as it's implemented correctly, and doesn't fuck with gameplay balance (especially PVP), I'm good.

In fact, if I like a game enough, I would gladly put a few more bucks in via loot boxes, just as I had done with PUBG.

[novicius]

I understand the perception but I'm complaining about the fact that D2 has to be the weakest loot box ever implemented -- ergo it might as well not even exist.

Pay-to-win doesn't exist in D2, it's not even the equivalent to the original "Horse Armor" since you can get everything (cosmetic & functional) included in the base game.

Hate on D2, that's fine but damn! pick something legitimately bad 'tis all I'm saying.

[dodint]

Yeah, like Forza 7.

[21Kid]

Hate on D2, that's fine but damn! pick something legitimately bad 'tis all I'm saying.

Like the nonsensical story?

This One Guy got his powers back and can save us all!!!
Hey guys, I brought my two friends with powers too! Go team!!! Cutscene shows one guy...
This is super easy...

And don't mind all these other guys/girls running around the world with the same powers! The cutscene said only I had powers!!!

Those leaders must be super lame that they don't know how to get their powers back. All my friends did.
They just have to go to the shard and boom, powers! Thousands of people have done it. JUST TOUCH IT!!!

[novicius]

Yes exactly!!

*So* much more to slag in D2...