Annual Pass?

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#1 Thu, 11/29/2018 - 06:52
DarthTabasco's picture
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Annual Pass?

I know there are very few of us left that check-in on 2o2p. However, I was wondering how many of you pulled the trigger on the Annual Pass?

The new Annual Pass content launches next week. I must admit that I have been somewhat out of the loop with all the new content, so my interest is actually pretty low. Perhaps due to my increased work schedule, resulting in less play time or that the majority of my play is solo - I just don't feel the excitement that normally comes with new content.

Obviously I do not have the pass. I was just curious how many of you have the pass or plan on a purchase.

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Thu, 11/29/2018 - 08:36
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I just bought the annual pass this week. $35 for 3 expansions is fine by me. Plus they seem to be packing more content into each expansion now. I am still enjoying the game and playing it everyday.

Thu, 11/29/2018 - 10:14
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I bought it with Forsaken.  My only regret so far, which is true for Destiny 2 in general is not clearing the raids.  Having said that there is plenty (of diversity) to do to get to max LL which is fun to do, solo or with fireteam. The new content coming out next week is time perfectly for me.

Thu, 11/29/2018 - 14:47
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I don't yet have it, or Forsaken. I still play a bit weekly and still holding out for a Forsaken+Annual Pass package that virtually reduces Forsaken to $0. My playtime should pick up then. I'm simply not into the "perfect team mechanics" and "stand on plate A until light B turns green" thing. If I see one more activation plate sequence I'll scream. I don't like Gambit either.

Fri, 11/30/2018 - 06:19
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I have it. Very interested in what the new approach to expansions (no new campaign, focus on keeping the game interesting for those who want to play every week all year) will feel like. There's been way more to do than I've had time for, so I skim the cream. I like most of the content, but I find my tastes run more and more to the PvE side. I really like the team raid mechanics. Everyone has an important job to do, and contributes something essential to the team effort. It can be frustrating sometimes, but it's a beautiful thing when it works well.

Fri, 11/30/2018 - 06:53
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Thanks for the feedback. I expect I will pick up the pass. However, RDR 2 is really tempting, so I am not 100% sold yet. 

We'll see.

Tue, 12/04/2018 - 07:31
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I haven't found a SKU on XBox.com that let's you just buy the pass, and I don't think I want to spend $70 (having just spent $40 for three months worth of content) to keep playing a game I've already bought twice ...

Wed, 12/05/2018 - 06:59
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I think the pass alone is $35, but that "should" be for a year's worth of content. 

The main issue I see people fussing about with the new content is that the new Forge is 620 power. Thus, having to slowly grind just to play this new content. This will be slow enough for those of us already at 600 power. If you are below 600 power, the grind will be even slower.

I get not wanting people to blow through the new content on the first day, but this is not a good design. Again, it's especially punishing for those that haven't been steadily grinding during Forsaken. 

I am immediately put-off by this, so I am curious how those that have the pass feel about this new content. 

Wed, 12/05/2018 - 08:08
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I haven't seen much new content yet. There doesn't seem to be a new destination to explore with this expansion. I'm just grinding for powerful gear right now. I haven't got any new weapons or armor so far. I only met Ada-1 in the Tower and she doesn't seem to like me very much, but whatever. So far it's been same stuff, different day. But apparently they are revealing new content at a slower pace now(?)

I know we are getting a new Raid (Raid Lair?) this Friday, but I probably won't be attempting that for a while. Will there be some new strikes at least? I haven't heard anything about new strikes. I will need to check out the new Forge soon.

Don't get me wrong, I think that Forsaken is a really good expansion and well worth the money. However, I'm not too impressed with what I've seen of Black Armory so far.

Wed, 12/05/2018 - 08:43
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I've looked for the Pass on the website and XBox store and also clicked the link you get when you finally in the Black Armory and they all have now idea how to buy just the pass, so I guess they just want to frustrate people :)

Wed, 12/05/2018 - 09:15
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Cyclops, you are right. I don't think there is a new destination, just the new Forges that will launch at various times. 

Check out last week's update by Bungie about the roadmap. This will give you an idea of what kind of content is available:

https://www.bungie.net/en/Explore/Detail/News/47478

 

Wed, 12/05/2018 - 14:53
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I must admit I am concerned about what Bungie is doing with Destiny 2. When I completed the Last Wish raid I got an achievement, and it said that less than 2% of the D2 population has completed this achievement. That's only a tiny portion of the player population actually doing the raid. So, it seems to me that Bungie is putting a lot of time and effort into activities (i.e. Raids and Raid Lairs) that most D2 players will never see. It doesn't make much sense to me. I really wonder if D2 can sustain a large enough population by catering mainly to the most hardcore Destiny players.

Wed, 12/05/2018 - 16:36
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With what I see here and elsewhere, I too have become somewhat disappointed and less than enthusiastic with the new content.  Instead of diving into the new content right away I have been binge-watching "The Last Kingdon" on Netflix.  Pretty entertaining.  I have Netflix -- might as well use it.

Wed, 12/05/2018 - 16:39
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All this is what I was concerned about and why I didn't jump into Forsaken. If Forsaken wasn't it's own charge but part of the annual pass, conceptually and financially, i would have been more willing to consider it. As it stands, I share many of Cyclop's concerns and do not regret my decision, all while I miss the game and playing with you all.
Thu, 12/06/2018 - 09:51
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Poor Bungie can't catch a break. They need to devote all their energy to pleasing the hardcore players. And the other 100% of their resources should go to please the casuals. They should put all the content up front and visible so people know what they're buying and can have a great time on release day. But also keep the content hidden, so we can have deep surprises like the Whisper mission. 

Here's my thought: Forsaken was a fantastic experience. Why not wait a bit and see what they have in store? The annual pass is $35 for three content drops, i.e. $12 apiece. How much do you expect for $12?

From what I read, the link below should work to just buy the annual pass if you already have Forsaken, but you'll need to be logged in for it to work: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/destiny-2-forsaken-annual-pass/c2ckz01...

Thu, 12/06/2018 - 07:27
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Forsaken is definately worth the price of admission. I think it really turned the game around - Hammer, you can buy Forsaken without the annual pass. I can log-on every day and have stuff to do. 

The challenge though is mainly with the leveling and how long it will take those of low power to be able to play this new content. I just recently got all three of my characters into the 600 power range. Granted, I haven't hit the grind every day, but it was a fair amount of work to get them all leveled-up. This is what is putting people off with the Black Armory.

Consider how long it's taken us "casuals" to get to 600. Now imagine you played through Forsaken and quit around 550, but still bought the annual pass. You log-in on launch day and see the new Forge is 610 - 630. Yeah, you won't be playing that new content any time soon. I mean, the people that play this game as a "job" are just now completing the new Forge, so what does that mean for us "casuals"? 

This is similar to what happened with Escalation Protocol. The original content was just too punishing with the power level requirements. Bungie backed the power level down and now it's in a really good place. Still challenging encounters with interesting mechanics, but not artivically difficult due to power level. The Blind Well is also a good example of difficulty and power level requirement.  

I just think that if new content comes out and I have to continue grinding the "old" content just to START the new content - that is a problem. Especially for people that already paid for the pass and are not hardcore gamers that play every day. 

Thu, 12/06/2018 - 10:00 (Reply to #16)
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I feel you, Darth. It didn't feel the greatest to have to gind the old content to get to the new. And I guess lowering the forge recommended power indicates that Bungie concedes this point. But at the end of the day, all these little content drops were intended to be, as I understood them, was a reason to keep playing Destiny, which will still be mostly the old content.

Fri, 12/07/2018 - 10:09 (Reply to #17)
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DarthTabasco wrote:

Forsaken is definately worth the price of admission. I think it really turned the game around - Hammer, you can buy Forsaken without the annual pass. I can log-on every day and have stuff to do. 

...

 

Don't get me wrong, I know I would enjoy Forsaken and the game at this point, it's more of a moral statement.  I don't like what Bungie/Activision has done in general with Destiny 2 and am voting with my wallet.  I get that Forsaken fixes many things, but not enough in my opinion.  I'm enjoying a TON of other, different games for the time being and am super anxious for Anthem.

Thu, 12/06/2018 - 07:31
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LOL...here is what Bungie posted on their website about Black Armor updates: https://www.bungie.net/en/News/Article/47501

They are dispatching a server-side change to bring the power level down by 5 as an initial change - with more changes coming soon.

Thu, 12/06/2018 - 09:45
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You guys may not be aware of it but your starting to say the very same kind of things I was saying before Forsaken came out. Bungie has created an absolutely beautiful game that has unattainable goals for a huge segment of its consumers.

It's going to bite Bungie in the ass. People are starting to figure out they only have to wait six months to get what they are capable of playing, for near free. Being on the bleeding edge of each new release has absolutely no payback for me. I am so blind on the latest raid, it'll still be news to me in a year. 

Same sort of thing is happening with major movie releases. Why go to a new release at the theater when it'll look and sound nearly as good at home in 6 months or even less.

Thu, 12/06/2018 - 10:07 (Reply to #20)
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DEEP, as someone who only recently started buying games on release, I feel that I understand something of what you're talking about. For single player games, I was always perfectly happy to wait for discounts, and it worked fine. But for me, multiplayer games are an entirely different story. For multiplayer, I want to be playing the game while it's fresh, because that's when there is a large and energized community out there to play with. And to help me when I'm stuck, and who can benefit from my help. I buy multiplayer games for the social experience as much as for the game.

Thu, 12/06/2018 - 12:31
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Both good points by DEEP and Krak. Good discussion. As DEEP pointed out though, it seems like a broken record ever since Destiny started. We keep having the same conversations. 

I suppose the thing that surprised me with this current situation is Bungie has been fixing the game and responding to criticisms. Black Armory launches and feels like we are back to square one. 

I suppose "end game" means different things to different people. I don't subscribe to the idea that end game is just for those a max level. I am find with max level content, but give us scrubs something to do too.

Thu, 12/06/2018 - 14:15
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Well, I like being on the bleeding edge. I spend a lot of time playing the game, so I don't mind paying for it. I'm just trying to figure out what all we are getting with Black Armory. Here is what I know about so far:

4 new Forges + Forge armor set

New Raid (Lair?) "Scourge of the Past" + new raid armor set

New exotics (don't know much about these; Last Word?)

New Pinnacle weapons (Breakneck, Loaded Question, The Mountaintop)

Also, there will be some new weapons from the Forges including a machine gun and a sniper. I don't know how good these will be. The Breakneck looks like it will be the game-breaking item this season. I need to get that. It seems like every expansion has at least one game-breaking weapon in order to get players to play it.

The Dawning starts next week, but everyone gets to participate in that event. There will likely be a new armor set for that too. Plus you can throw snowballs. I enjoyed it last year. Also, everyone can participate in Crimson Days in February.

There may also be some other surprises that we don't know about yet....

 

Thu, 12/27/2018 - 17:05
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I pulled the trigger on the Annual Pass for Christmas. I went into the first forge around 610 power and it was a bit of a challenge. I finally beat it after a handful of tries due to randoms loading in that were higher power. 

I now have the first two forges unlocked and hope to work on the 3rd forge soon. I am a bit bummed the Forge unlocks are not account wide, but by character. So I have to grind out each Forge for all three of my characters. Well, I guess that will keep me busy.

Overall, the Forges and weapons are cool. We'll see how long it holds my attention.

 

Fri, 12/28/2018 - 06:20
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I suppose the forge activity by character has been developed like the Dreaming City activities -- Ascendant Challenge and Blind Well, etc.  As LL rises and one goes thru multiple iterations, they become easier.  I actually like those activities.

What has become frustrating is the lack of opportunity for raiding.  The fact that I have no clears in ANY of the D2 raids which are the pinnacle of the end game is a major point of irritation for me and starting to turn me off to the game.

Fri, 12/28/2018 - 08:43 (Reply to #25)
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OldnAchy wrote:

The fact that I have no clears in ANY of the D2 raids which are the pinnacle of the end game is a major point of irritation for me and starting to turn me off to the game.

I'm fairly sure you are capable of doing the end-game stuff and it's a shame the opportunities aren't there for you. The shame should fall on Bungie's head. They created a mess that dissuades casual style players from staying in the game. I find it exceedingly annoying when a developer dangles some it's best content in your face while making it near unattainable. While I like the exhilaration of completing a Raid, it's barely an adequate salve for the bruising effort it takes to get there.

Fri, 12/28/2018 - 08:30
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I've opened one forge (Volundr) on one character so far. That's it. So, I have not done much Forge yet. I've been focused on ranking up and I got my Warlock to 648 this week. I'll be able to spend more time on the Forges now that I'm ranked up, and that will make completing them easier also. I've heard that you can get some good weapons from them.

Fri, 12/28/2018 - 22:10
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I understand your frustrations Achy. I've only completed the first 2 raid activities, but not the other 3. I have on been into Spire of Stars once and no attempts at Last Wish (and obviously not Scourge since I just got the content). I know a big issue for me lately has been availability. Also, we used to have a regular group here that raided in D1 and they are all gone. Nowe we have to go elsewhere to organize activities. 

I find the complexity of the encounters seems to increase to appease the hard core players. Us "casuals" are left with other endgame, non-raid activities.  

I really enjoyed raiding in D1, but the two D2 raids I have completed just feel different. 

I do anticipate trying to raid more as my availability improves. However, I also have my eye on other upcoming games, so we'll see what really happens with my Destiny play. 

Tue, 01/01/2019 - 09:09
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I never got to complete Spire of Stars either, so that's disappointing. My complaint about Black Armory is that if you're not raiding there isn't much stuff to do that's actually new. No new destination, campaign, or strikes. However, I still have weapon quests and catalysts from previous expansions keeping me busy. I plan to do some more Forge stuff also. So, I still have things to do for now.

It looks like the next expansion in March won't even have a new raid lair according to the D2 roadmap, so I wonder what reason we'll have to level up for that one. Will it have enough new stuff to keep me engaged?

Tue, 01/08/2019 - 08:18
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If you guys want another shot at Spire of Stars, I'm game. It would be cool if we could get a group of 6 together for that sometime. I bet Thunderlord would be good there.

Argos should be no problem now with Whisper of the Worm. I always liked that one. I could lead a group through it, if necessary.

I could help with Leviathan also, but someone else would need to lead since I don't know my way around the ship well enough. I always get lost in there. Plus I have not done all of the mechanics of it myself. I've never done crystals on Dogs, or been a runner on Gauntlet, or shot skulls in the shadow realm on Throne.

Tue, 01/08/2019 - 09:44
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I'd be happy to join if this becomes a thing. Have never finished Spire, and have never done Leviathan front to back (though I have completed all the encounters on different runs).

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