‘The Division’ Has A ‘Destiny’-Like Leveling System, Plus Daily And Weekly Missions

Information about The Division continues to be data-mined by fans just ahead of the game’s launch for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The mission count and weapon list was discovered last night, while more similarities to Bungie’s Destiny was discovered Monday.

Comparisons have been made between The Division and Destiny for quite a while now, and the information mined by Reddit user ChristianRiesen brings the two games even closer together. The Division has a level cap of 30, at which point players will continue to progress using a separate leveling system called “Gear Score.”

“Compare the Gear Score of the most powerful items in the game to know which one is the best. Increase your average Gear Score to gauge your chances against high end content and display your prowess in the Dark Zone,” a file from The Division states.

“Every non-vanity gear piece that can be found when your agent is level 30 has a Gear Score value. The higher an item’s Gear Score, the stronger the item.”

If you are thinking this sounds like Destiny, you would be correct. Bungie’s shooter had a soft level cap of 20 when it first launched. Player’s then progressed by collecting weapons and armor with Light levels to progress further. The system has been overhauled since then, but the concept is still much the same.

“The overall Gear Score of your agent can be seen in your main menu next to your player level. Gear Score indicates the advancement of an agent,” The Division file continues. “Other agents’ Gear Scores are displayed next to their health bars.

“Improving your gear and increasing your overall Gear Score will grant your agent access to the most dangerous high end challenges. Your Average Gear Score can be found in the main menu and is visible to other players. It is the average value of all equipped gear pieces.”

Another Destiny-like aspect revealed by ChristianRiesen’s efforts is the inclusion of Daily and Weekly missions. There are some key differences with The Division, however. There is more than just a single Daily or Weekly mission to complete in Ubisoft’s online shooter and they come in four different categories – Combat, Dark Zone, Crafting, and Main Missions.

Crafting and item trading is also another key differentiator with The Division. Details on how crafting works in the game haven’t been revealed yet, but item trading was previously confirmed by Ubisoft to come in the game’s first content update scheduled for April. The datamined information provides some additional details though by stating items dropped by enemies can be shared with other players in your group for a limited time as long as they were in the group when the item was dropped. Trading is done in the more traditional method of simply dropping them from your inventory.

The final differentiator between The Division and Destiny revealed in the datamined information is the addition of Gear Sets. These have been used in previous games like Blizzard’s Diablo and grant players powerful stat bonuses and talents. The bonuses and talents are different, however, so players will want the one that best suits their style. Here are the Gear Sets revealed by the data mining so far.

• “Tactician’s Authority” – enhances electronics and support capabilities
• “Striker’s Battlegear” – provide bonuses for assault capabilities
• “Sentry’s Call” – enhances marksman capabilities
• “Path of the Nomad” – provides bonuses for lone wanderers

The Division launches at 12:01 a.m. local time Tuesday, March 8, for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. PC players will have to wait a little longer into Tuesday morning for the game to launch. The game will feature two free updates beginning in April. The first adds loot trading and an end-game activity called “Incursions.” The second free update arrives in May and brings another Incursion with it. This time, players will explore New York’s Columbus Circle.

The three paid expansions will kick off in June. “Underground” comes first and takes place in New York City’s maze of tunnels and subways, as the name suggests. “Survival” is a different spin on gameplay, by challenging players to survive as long as possible by scavenging when it is released this summer. Finally, “Last Stand” will be out during the winter, and there is little detail beyond that.

These dates for the first two paid DLC releases are for the Xbox One, however, since the console has a one-month timed-exclusivity arrangement for The Division. PlayStation 4 and PC players will have to push their timelines back a bit.

The Division has received a day one patch. Ubisoft has the full details of patch 1.01 available to view on the game’s official forums. It does include various visual improvements to the title along with new tutorials that can be turned on and off. Numerous fixes were made as well based on feedback from the open beta. Most notably, the Deployable Turret will no longer target non-rogue players in the Dark Zone, and it will not accidentally damage neutral players as well.

[Image via The Division]