By Jenna Brown
This article was originally posted on 2014-09-25 13:05 MDT. It was updated on 2022-05-28 for clarity and to provide additional details.
Bungie has rendered the famed “treasure cave” at Skywatch on Earth effectively useless with Hot Fix 5, an update file released to consoles this morning. The patch notes indicate that the spawn time of every cave on Earth was increased to 40 seconds. For comparison, treasure cave monsters previously spawned every six seconds, the shortest on Earth. Three of the other four caves respawned every 10 seconds. The cave with the longest respawn cycle was in the Barrens at 20 seconds.
According to their Dev Notes, farming for loot does not align with Bungie’s tenuous "dream for how Destiny is played." One of the most compelling aspects of video games is when users find new ways to play a game and make it their own. Gaming becomes infinitely more fascinating when a game evolves into something other than its hardware and mechanics, providing a backdrop for a community to grow and greater entertainment value outside the campaigns and arenas.
For as much as Bungie claims that Destiny is a social experience, they certainly make it difficult to socialize. There's no proximity chat to help gamers group up and fight together while casually patrolling the open areas, and the "social" Tower area provides no method to communicate either, besides gestures and dancing. Loot farming was a great way to find a group of people to interact with while picking off the runners and hoping for Legendary drops.
Other popular farming method “waking the Hive” was nerfed with the Sept. 22 Update 1.0.1.4, but clarified with the rest of today’s Hot Fix notes: the engram drop rate is now temporarily reduced after a hard wipe, meaning you will have to wait longer between rounds of waking the Hive if you want any of your kills to drop loot.
Perhaps I'm being too emotional, but this update has certainly made Destiny less appealing to me. In my irrational fervor, I almost feel like organizing a protest, like a sit-in at the cave, or picking a day where no one plays Destiny as a kind of walk-out.
What do you think about the updates? Still in love with Destiny? Were you ever in love with Destiny to begin with? Let me know!
Showing posts with label console. Show all posts
Showing posts with label console. Show all posts
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Microsoft's Xbox One Reveal
This article was originally posted on CharmingOrangutan.
It's big, it's black, and it's sexy! Ladies and gentlemen, Xbox One, the new console from Microsoft, has been revealed.
It's powerful, and it does a lot of things. You can read all about the tech specs on IGN, cnet, Gizmodo, Forbes, NBC, you name it. You can read the Microsoft release (though as of 1:30 MST, the server is waffling between slow and broke).
But just look at it. That beautiful box may not read "sleek" to everyone, but its prismatic and sharply angled design brings to mind high-horsepower muscle cars, a fitting comparison considering that Forza 5 was the first game announced for the console.
It's not all about the console by itself either: the new Kinect, which will be included, has a 1080p camera that can supposedly measure a heartbeat and works in tandem with the controller. Speaking of the controller, it will have better sensitivity and is designed to be more ergonomic.
Xbox One is definitely not just for gaming: it will be seamlessly integrated with television and apps. The demo on-stage during the reveal shows that you will be able to control everything from the guide to fantasy sports teams with your voice. The console is "always ready," meaning you simply say "Xbox on" and it turns itself and the TV on. I'm no technophobe, but I am wary of how many aspects of my life and living room that the Xbox may take over.
Now, I've never been one to feel the need to buy a console as soon as it comes out, but I am already pretty giddy about this. It is one fine and impressive piece of machinery so far. I can't wait to see how Xbox One does at E3 in just a few weeks.
What are your impressions of Xbox One so far? Love it, hate it, still unsure? Let me know in the comments!
It's big, it's black, and it's sexy! Ladies and gentlemen, Xbox One, the new console from Microsoft, has been revealed.
 |
| Photo credit: Microsoft |
It's powerful, and it does a lot of things. You can read all about the tech specs on IGN, cnet, Gizmodo, Forbes, NBC, you name it. You can read the Microsoft release (though as of 1:30 MST, the server is waffling between slow and broke).
 |
| Photo credit: Turn 10 Studios |
It's not all about the console by itself either: the new Kinect, which will be included, has a 1080p camera that can supposedly measure a heartbeat and works in tandem with the controller. Speaking of the controller, it will have better sensitivity and is designed to be more ergonomic.
Xbox One is definitely not just for gaming: it will be seamlessly integrated with television and apps. The demo on-stage during the reveal shows that you will be able to control everything from the guide to fantasy sports teams with your voice. The console is "always ready," meaning you simply say "Xbox on" and it turns itself and the TV on. I'm no technophobe, but I am wary of how many aspects of my life and living room that the Xbox may take over.
Now, I've never been one to feel the need to buy a console as soon as it comes out, but I am already pretty giddy about this. It is one fine and impressive piece of machinery so far. I can't wait to see how Xbox One does at E3 in just a few weeks.
What are your impressions of Xbox One so far? Love it, hate it, still unsure? Let me know in the comments!
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