Bungie Defends ‘Destiny’ Economy Nerf, Iron Banner Rewards
The Destiny 2.0.1 update was surprisingly controversial for PlayStation and Xbox players. Bungie fixed a number of issues with the game, while also turning the switch on for this week’s Iron Banner event. However, it brought some unexpected changes to the game’s economy. A move that was baffling to many in the community. Additionally, the rewards for the aforementioned Iron Banner did not seem as plentiful as originally suggested. The developer addressed the economy nerf and Iron Banner concerns in the Weekly Update along with other questions the community raised about the update.
As previously covered, the ability to earn Strange Coins from Faction Rep packages has been reduced from five coins to four and the chance to earn them from completed bounties has been reduced by 50 percent.
Additionally, Weapon Parts have been reduced by 25 percent when dismantling Uncommon and Rare weapons. Since Rare weapons, in particular, are a primary source of Weapon Parts in Destiny — and they are now being used up at blistering rates to Infuse and upgrade weapons — it is a confusing move since it causes bottlenecks as players attempt to improve their characters.
Both the Weapon Part and Strange Coin nerf appear to be in response to players who spend hours a day on Destiny or those who have already upgraded all the weapons intended to be upgraded and are hording materials at this point. Unfortunately, the change is a net negative for the more casual players and something Bungie is aware that it needs to balance.
In the Weekly Update, we’re talking Oryx, Osiris, and other questions you’ve asked lately. https://t.co/1xy9k7BeRg pic.twitter.com/HBRjS5sTGH
— Bungie (@Bungie) October 15, 2015
“In Year 2, we took steps to streamline and simplify the economy for players, with hopes that providing more direct paths to gear and the stuff you needed to upgrade that gear would just be more satisfying across the board. Changes to economy of the game are made in the interest of preserving the value of the items in your inventory and ensuring that you have good uses for the things you’re saving,” Bungie wrote in the Weekly Update.
“Weapon Parts, specifically, have been particularly vexing. Some players use a LOT of Parts, whereas others use almost none. Still, we are very aware that this is a choke point for some players, and further adjustments may be in order.”
Meanwhile, Iron Banner has not seemed as rewarding to Destiny players. There are several reports from players in the community, found in the Destiny Reddit group and elsewhere, who are getting little to no rewards. In particular, this post by Conrad-W claims he did not receive a single drop during his journey from Rank 0 to Rank 5. Others in the same thread claim they’ve only seen one to two drops in their time reaching the max rank.
The issue Destiny players have with the current state of Iron Banner rewards is that it is not up to par with what has been promised. The update notes clearly state, “Game completion rewards have been reworked to be a more valid source for Iron Banner rewards,” with weapons and armor being part of those match completion rewards.
Bungie noted in the Weekly Update that rewards should drop once Iron Banner Rank 2 is reached and should expand with each subsequent rank. However, that doesn’t explain the disappointing lack of drops many Destiny players are reporting.
“Iron Banner has been both a test of skill and your best gear, as well as a way to get a new set of gilded armor and weapons. Legendary items won’t drop until you reach Rank 2 with Lord Saladin, and the pool expands as you continue to climb the ranks,” Bungie wrote.
“The premiere items we believe you’ll want to obtain are also available for purchase from Lord Saladin himself. Subsequent Iron Banner events will include additional pieces of gear.”
What do you think about the changes to the Destiny economy? Have they affected your ability to upgrade characters? Sound off in the comments below.
[Images courtesy of Bungie]
