Many players in Destiny 2 have often floated wishlists of quality-of-life changes that they’d like to see implemented for a while. This fall, some PvP changes have become a reality with the rework that was done on the Trials of Osiris mode, making it more accessible to players that may prioritize the PvE aspects of Destiny 2. As great as these improvements are, there are still parts of Destiny 2 that could change for the better to create a smoother player experience going forward.
In this week’s TWAB, Destiny 2 announced even more steps in this direction that should simultaneously address some player concerns about recent alterations to abilities and cooldowns. While the masterwork system needs to change in Destiny 2 after the recent announcement of differentiated cooldowns, the removal of glimmer costs for armor mods is beneficial to all players. Glimmer has been one of the many aspects of Destiny 2 that players have commented on since the early days of the game, with many players focused on the need for the cap to be increased or removed. As fans hope for one of these options to become a reality, there are other facets of Destiny 2 that should be eyed for improvement as well.
Machmaking in Destiny 2
Possibly one of the most desired changes by New Light players and veteran Guardians alike is the addition of matchmaking for all activities in Destiny 2. As a team-focused title, the solo player experience can be lacking in Destiny 2, but there are still activities critical to the game that don’t have matchmaking built into them. Even though there have been beta tests for options like the Guided Game systems in Destiny 2, they are only a partial solution to a problem that needs to be tackled head-on.
As it stands right now, endgame activities can be difficult to get into and participate in because of the lack of matchmaking. Raids, dungeons, the weekly Nightfall strike, as well as the Grandmaster Nightfall strikes, could all use attention in this area. While the Nightfall strikes are a step ahead of other activities, once players want to participate at higher Light levels, they still need to have a premade fireteam, making them roughly as inaccessible as the other higher-level endgame PvE content that doesn’t have matchmaking enabled.
While there are legitimate concerns for those participating in difficult matchmade PvE content, that doesn’t mean not having matchmaking at all is the best option. Destiny 2 is at its best when players can enjoy the game’s different activities together, and these moments can directly contribute to how strong the game's community is. While players might disagree about the Trials of Osiris experiments in Destiny 2, many at least see the lack of matchmaking for all activities in the game as a greater handicap than it is an advantage.
Destiny 2 Armor Mods and Weapon Perks
Building off of the recent changes to glimmer cost with mods in Destiny 2, the perks for armor also need to be addressed. Right now, what’s shown regarding the different pieces of armor and their perks in Destiny 2 is lacking. This isn’t only armor either, with weapon perks often being equally as vague when describing what benefits they provide. With builds becoming the focus in Destiny 2 it will be integral that as the game continues to evolve so players can get a detailed understanding of what benefits they’re getting from the different perks that are available on their desired pieces of gear.
Letting players know exactly how much extra super is being generated by perks like Thresh or how much faster their super energy will refill and for how long with elemental well mods is only going to become more important following the December update for Destiny 2. It might not seem like much, but differentiated cooldowns will lead to players wanting dedicated builds, with even more Guardians looking over exactly what mods and perks are going to best suit them.
Making these easier to understand directly inside Destiny 2, rather than players needing to look for outside guidance, could easily help newer players understand how to build around their playstyle, as well as veteran players.
Destiny 2 Voice Chat
Another part of Destiny 2 that has come under more scrutiny following recent changes to the game is the need for better in-game voice chat feeling more and more prevalent. Right now, many players opt for third-party solutions when it comes to voice chat in Destiny 2, and while services like Discord are a great alternative for many, their need has become somewhat of a hindrance. Just like the need for matchmaking to be added to all activities, the game also needs to look into improving its voice chat feature to facilitate crossplay in Destiny 2.
For PC players, the Discord app can be a natural solution, as many fans use it for games outside of Destiny 2 as well, but for console players Discord can become another obstacle for them to try and get past. The use of the PlayStation and Xbox voice chat parties can often result in miscommunication between players on different platforms trying to create fireteams from the Bungie LFG page. On top of this, these parties are exclusive to their platforms, requiring players on different consoles to find workarounds if the voice chat quality in Destiny 2 isn’t up to par.
An option was able to be implemented for adding friends with crossplay in Destiny 2, and next up should be finding a way to improve the game's voice chat quality. It might not be the most-needed quality of life change, but like many requests that Destiny 2 players have made in the past, it can benefit everyone. Especially since crossplay will continue to be an important feature when it comes to cultivating the Destiny community in the future, the need for better voice chat is one, that should be tackled sooner than later.
Destiny 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.