WhileDestiny 2introduced some incredible changes to the game with Lightfall, one sore spot that has emerged is the difficulty in acquiring Exotic gear. Following Bungie’s shift in philosophy surrounding the difficulty of its content, the old methods for farming Exotics inDestiny 2have become a tedious and trying affair.
Now that the dust has settled andDestiny 2’s most recent expansion Lightfall has been out for several weeks, players have had ample time to digest the new content. The consensus appears positive, though not without its qualms, as Lightfall’s narrative elements fall somewhat flat compared to The Witch Queen. While the new zone Neomuna andDestiny 2’s new Strand subclassare both being praised by fans, Bungie’s current pass at balance for the difficulty of its encounters is also leaving some players feeling spurned.
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Exotic Farming in Destiny 2 is Too Tedious
In previousexpansions forDestiny 2, a consistent method for farming Exotic armors was through the completion of Legendary Lost Sectors. The bite-sized encounters could typically be completed in five or ten minutes and were a relatively simple way for players to grind out specific pieces of gear. With the introduction of Lightfall, the Power Level increase of mobs in Legendary Lost Sectors was tuned up, now at an imposing 1830, which is 20 points above the Pinnacle Power Level cap. Master difficulty was raised to a whopping 1840, making them inaccessible to any but the most seasoned Guardians.
While the Seasonal Power Level cap for Lightfall is 1850, most players are a long way off from being able to get their Seasonal Artifact to such a level, and it may be weeks until they can. Stuck 10-20 points under the recommended Power Level, Legendary Lost Sectors are beyond brutal, with even basic mobs able to gun down a Guardian in a split-second. While there are methods and strategies such asChampion counters inDestiny 2, all things that do help conquer these Lost Sectors, they are meticulous and leave little room for error, which drastically increases the amount of time necessary to clear them out. Since an Exotic is not guaranteed to drop upon completion, the result is an immense amount of effort with the possibility of a pittance in exchange.
Bungie recently dropped a hotfix with the intention of solving this issue, increasing thedrop rates of Exotics inDestiny 2’s Legendary Lost Sectors. While the change is a step in the right direction, its application feels like more of a Band-Aid than a suture, with players still struggling, and the odds still occasionally resulting in moot efforts. One change Bungie could make would be to buff non-Exotic primary weapons, which is another area of balance that fans of the game have soured on with the release of Lightfall. It could potentially solve two problems with one solution, bringing many players' favorite loadouts back to relevance, and giving them a wider array of tools to conquer the near-insurmountable challenge of Lost Sectors on Legendary and Master difficulties.
However Bungie chooses to address the issue, fans are hopeful that the fix will come in a timely manner. Whilethe studio has a solid track record of updatingDestiny 2at a solid pace, there are certain issues that do remain unresolved for extended periods of time, such as the years-long grievance from fans regarding higher frame rates being tied to taking more damage. Since the currently tedious nature of farming Exotics is tied to presumably easily-to-alter buffs and nerfs, and not a longstanding technical limitation, there is optimism that Bungie will get this solved sooner rather than later.
Destiny 2is so close to being in as good a shape as it ever has with the release of Lightfall. If Bungie can iron out these remaining kinks, the game will be in fine shape for the impending2024 release of The Final Shape, which will draw a close to the decade-spanning Light and Dark Saga.
Destiny 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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