Trying to organize End Game

There is lots to do in Destiny's end game, but like any good MMO it's a little confusing and requires some thought and planning to ensure precious playtime isn't wasted.  Here is my first cut at how to herd these cats:

* #0 - Crucible - Complete easily achievable Bounties left over from previous session - Goal is to clear put bounty list to fill it back up
* #1 Get Vanguard Bounties
* #1.a One Public Event Gold Rating - Legendary Materials
* #2 Patrols for Faction Rep
* #2.a Complete Vanguard Bounties - Exp + Rep
* #3 Strike Playlist - Vanguard Marks + Exp + random drops
* #4 Get Crucible Bounties
* #4.a Beat Head against wall - Crucible Marks + Bounties

That's what I'm thinking right now...

It's official! Level 3!

17 hours to go!

I'm somewhat envious of those that have the game waiting for them on their hard drives already, as I have a number if hoops to still jump through.

I have to trust that the Best Buy store that didn't know it was doing a midnight opening just 3 days ago has everything in order: all the orders, all the physical copies, the copy I'm supposed to have,  etc. But if they do, I'll end up with my Limited Edition, a $10 off coupon, a free Destiny t-shirt (that'll make 3 that I have) and get to play 3 hours before PS downloaders would get to (minus travel time and Day 0 patching).

So I'm going to do my best to look at a half full glass today as the time ticks down to zero.

Destiny on Remote Play

This PlayStation Blog article marks the second I've seen about how well the Destiny Beta played on the PS Vita.  The first was right here at DualShockers and what inspired me to help out the economy by being a good consumer.  I consumed my way into a factory-sealed PS-1000 (I think it was actually -1010 because it was built for Region 4, Central/South America; fortunately the hardware is region-free), a case, a headset, a battery, etc. etc.

This is another reason that I am seriously considering making this my only game, because I'll be able to take it with me wherever I go: with my hotspot cell phone, I can link the Vita to either Wi-Fi or 4G LTE.  I plan to test this all out shortly after launch during some travelling to see how well Remote Play works outside of the home network.  Should be interesting....

Bungie makes my infrastructure upgrades look pedestrian

So in preparation for this game, I'm getting a hardline ethernet connection set up for my PS4 and a new TV for the console as well.  It's a Sony KDL-W700B, a stripped down version of the W800B, which has a great reputation as a gaming TV with very low input lag.  I was feeling a little ridiculous doing all of this, but I have justified this in a few ways.  First is that this could easily become the primary game/electronic entertainment that I partake in.  I say that now in the full throes of pre-launch hype, but the game concept is terribly appealing, having both FPS and MMO elements as core components, and is also a social experience, being on the console the clan plays on.

That rationale got me pretty close to feeling comfortable, but then I read this article about Bungie setting up bunkers and now I feel just fine. :)

Weekly update

Bungie has put out their latest weekly update here. A number of interesting tidbits are found in it, including:

• Bungie employees already have access to the game
• Reviewers aren't getting access until Tuesday like everyone else.  I really sympathize with their rationale and personally think that a game company shouldn't have obligations to allow reviewers to review their games on the reviewers terms.  Perhaps that is a price you pay for the privilege of being reviewed, but that seems silly to me.
• The Vault of Glass won't be open until September 16th, a week after launch to force players to enjoy the rest of the game.
• There are emblems that none of us will be able to get.
• And there are lots of other end game goodies that we can start worrying about in a few weeks.
• One final note, it seems that there are going to be Daily activities abound with rewards of some time.  We'll have to keep an eye out for what things we can or should be participating in.
• The real final note: Apparently Factions will have end game gear available, so picking a gear set early may have some advantages, in that we can help our faction along as we level.  Something to consider.

Lots of goodies!  Enjoy!

Planet View Reward and other (older) goodies

So the internet has already beaten the Planet View pinata and let free its goodies.  This reddit post has the details for those who are impatient.

In the comments of that post is a link to another set of information about codes that were given out a various times in 2013.  You can redeem them for vague promises on Bungie's website like the current code from Planet View.  Check it out here if you're interested.

Google Streetview for Destiny??

Destiny's latest YouTube video plugged an interesting online pseudo-game, Destiny Planet View.  It's actually made with Google tools.

Destiny Planet View - The Moon

I'm curious what happens when you get all of the points explored.  Hopefully something interesting.  I haven't tried this on a tablet and I seriously doubt this will work on a phone, but who knows? Maybe you can pull it off.

YouTube Video
Destiny Planet View

Raid Gear; Useful Links; and Server Open Explained

Looks like some of the raid gear details has already been ferreted out by the community.  In a reddit post, user cdmcnama listed out some of the details reddit link

Weapons

• Assault Rifle - Atheon's Epilogue
• Hand Cannon - Fatebringer
• Pulse Rifle - Praedyth's Timepiece
• Scout Rifle - Vision of Confluence
• Fusion Rifle - Praetorian Foil
• Shotgun - Found Verdict
• Sniper Rifle - Praedyth's Revenge
• Machine Gun - Corrective Measure
• Rocket Launcher - Hezen Vengeance

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Blue Vex Set (Normal)

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Blue	Hunter	Titan	Warlock
Head	Mantic Zealot Helm	Faceguard of Kabr	Cowl of the Hezen Lords
Chest	Mantic Zealot Cuirass	Kabr's Might	Cuirass of the Hezen Lords
Gauntlet	Mantic Zealot Gloves	Kabr's Defending Grasp	Grips of the Hazen Lords
Legs	Mantic Zealot Greaves	Kabr's Lifegiving Treads	Boots of the Hezen Lords

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Gold Vex Set (Hard)

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Gold	Hunter	Titan	Warlock
Head	Prime Zealot Helm	Battlecage of Kabr	Facade of the Hezen Lords
Chest	Prime Zealot Cuirass	Kabr's Wrath	Robe of the Hezen Lords
Gauntlet	Prime Zealot Gloves	Kabr's Brazen Grips	Gloves of the Hezen Lords
Legs	Prime Zealot Greaves	Kabr's Forceful Greaves	Tread of the Hezen Lords

You can check out some of these item's details at the Destiny Database Website.  This looks to be a good place for data, that will hopefully get support and updates when the game goes live.

Here is a short list of sites that look promising for post-launch info:

• Destinypedia - Wiki
• Destiny Hub
• And the aforementioned database, Destiny Database Website

In regards to the Server Opening, I thought it a little curious that Bungie promised to have everything ready regardless of timezone.  In a Pax Panel this weekend, titled "So Our Game is Called Destiny. Now What?", the developers let it slip that they will have early access to the game; before the 9th.  This makes their comments make a lot more sense.  Check out the video a little bit before the 39:00 minute mark for the slip.

2014 Bungie Pax Panel

The panel was an interesting discussion about how Bungie works from the perspective of three individuals, so if you're interested in that kind of thing, it may be worthwhile.  Otherwise, there wasn't much Destiny info.