MWA-1
Storyboard Text
- In October 2015, about a year after Destiny was released, a close friend of mine asked me to join him to in Destiny. He was gravely ill and asked as a favor. We were both older, and likely didn't fit the target group for this game--at least that's what we initially thought--and he didn't want to play alone.
- ?
- I had very little gaming experience, and was worried about stereotypes associated with those who game. I decided to join him, but I'd keep my participation a secret to others.
- I stink at this game...
- I did some research on the game, purchased a PS4 Pro, a headset, and the game itself. The game was relatively user-friendly, and my friend tutored me on the basics of the game.
- What is Destiny? It's an MMORPGFPS (Massive Multiplayer Online, Role-Playing Game, First-Person Shooter) developed by Bungie and released in 2014. You share the world with other players. The game has strikes, player vs player events, free-roam, special events, and 6-player raids...
- Destiny is set 700 years in the future. Destiny's genre is science fiction. In its future, mythical setting, humans have colonized much of the solar system, and battle alien species such as the Vex, Fallen, Taken, Hive, and Cabal. The game is a looter-shooter, so you can improve your character's power by getting ever-better loot from the most difficult encounters the game offers.
- When I was asked to join this game, my world was mostly encompassed by teaching, prep and grading, my own coursework for professional development, and my wife and cats. I had little to no interest in gaming, and I didn't have time for it. I knew gaming was a huge and growing pastime in the US, but my plate was full...
- We finally got rolling in October of 2015 together. He had already been playing. I joined him every-so-often in the evenings. I was a terrible player.
- Thanks for joining me!
- This is basically how your character looks at the start of the game. White-level (lowest) gear, few to no perks on armor or weapons, and few abilities. You play a guardian. Starting guardians are pejoratively referred to as kinderguardians, and few people want anything to do with you. Invites and requests most often go ignored...You're largely alone...
- You can choose from 3 different characters: A titan, warlock, and a hunter. I generally mained a titan to play support with a protective bubble. The bubble also can give health and weapon buffs and provide safety in the game's harshest moments. In difficult play, players are always thankful a maxed-out titan is on the field. (Here is my end-game titan...)
- A major goal of Destiny is to gain power. This is achieved by acquiring stronger gear with more synergies and perks that create a build. Having legendary (purple quality, here pictured) or exotic gear is often the difference between success and failure, especially in elite-level content. Guns come with different rolls (perks). Finding your perfect roll can take even over a year of hard searching. Here is my main gun, a scout rifle with tremendous hitting power.
- As I've alluded to earlier, when I first started playing this game, I was awful. I very often failed in any higher-level content, letting my friends down. It was frustrating. I couldn't get decent drops. Time was sacred. I was told, as they often say in gaming, to pray to RN[J]esus for more helpful gear. (RNG...Random number generator). I simply didn't have the experience or time others did...
- Your rank is too low!
- When first starting Destiny, for the mass of players, gamers are gate-kept from the premium content. If you don't have strong enough gear or rank (Grimoire score), you'll likely be rejected from raids and to a lesser extent, Nightfalls. Discouraged, many will eventually stop playing after hitting this social wall. Leveling up for premium content without a talented support group is extremely difficult. I experienced this issue for many months, especially given that I started a year late.
- Youstink!
- No peasants!
- Boo!
- How about no?
- Many frustrating months flew by. At night, Mike and I occasionally met online and fine-tuned our characters. Still, we were at an impasse. We could not secure invites to a raid, even though we were in the ballpark build-wise to participate in a raid. Finally, in February of 2016, we finally got to participate in a raid, after all our hard work...
- My friend Mike was offered two seats for the new King's Fall raid on the weekend. For days, I studied videos so I wouldn't be a burden for our raid squad. I would soon learn study was no substitution for actual play...
- Never again!
- Long story short, when I got to the raid, we were able to complete everything until we got to Oryx, the final enemy. The boss was 320+ in power. I was at 301, over five deltas below the maximum power level. I was feeling it. The raid boss was complicated. The videos were little help. I simply couldn't stay alive. Frustrated, the team kicked me, some cursing me out. They found a 6th player and finished without me. I felt very defeated. Some players even blocked me.
- You are kicked!
- Looking for redemption, several players that I had met who were very chill formed a clan. They nominated me to be the clan Founder. We practiced and practiced the raids for weeks. Playing with supportive friends made all the difference. We were finally able to beat the raid, and went on to beat all the others raids in the game. Not just beat them, but mastered them...
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