Which of These 6 Destiny Players Are You?

The Destiny Noob

Every video game has its noobs (newbie or new player), and Destiny is no different. Whether playing video games or doing anything else in life, if you want to try something new, then you have to start as a noob. It is the first, essential step on the path to becoming legend.

Since every player must start as a noob, this type of player is a complete wild card. TheDestiny noob may be a Call of Duty  veteran that dominates the PVP with ease, and yet flails like a frustrated Magikarp throughout the unfamiliar mechanics of a Destiny raid. The Destinynoob may be a noob to the entire world of video games, having just purchased her or his first console. The Destiny noob may be a quick learner, a nice person, or a domestic terrorist with a gamertag; but the point is that it’s impossible to know what you’re getting with a newbie.

In the Destiny world, as well as in the broader gaming community, noobs often receive criticism and ridicule. But if you’re the noob reading this, then don’t worry. We’ve all been there. Don’t take it personally. Take this as a chance to decide whether or not you enjoy this game. If you do, then just keep practicing. Time erodes all noobs.

The Lone Wolf

After surpassing the noob stage, many gamers become lone wolves. For some, this is yet another temporary and educational stage in the journey to becoming an elite gamer. They’ll only be playing alone for a short period of time before they get into their grooves and find themselves fire teams. But for others, the lone wolf style of gaming suits them perfectly. In Destiny, the lone wolf is somewhat of a rare and limited breed, however they do still exist.

While not every single person agrees on this one, let’s just go ahead and say that Destiny is an MMO, in that it incorporates important multiplayer experiences. If we accept this to be true, then we also accept that part of the core philosophy behind Destiny is that the most fun or optimal way to play the game is to fill up your fire team and tackle missions that are challenging yet possible with the right teamwork and coordination.

The Destiny developers have supported this mindset as well. This is why the lone wolf is a breed on the brink of extinction in the world of Destiny. They exist, but their experience is drastically different. They know that they are playing a game that is essentially designed against their style of play and continue to masochistically hurl themselves at the challenge rather than switching to a game with a better single-player mode or story.

Maybe these players bought Destiny back when Bungie was selling it as a game with a story mode. Who knows? But regardless, they’re definitely tough and for that, they deserve at least a few kudos.

The Enthusiast

Amongst those who don’t become lone wolves after leaving the noob stage, there lies a group of individuals who enjoy the game for its own sake, playing it with all of its quirks and intricacies. The core of the Destiny community is made up of enthusiasts. These are people who are passionate about playing the game and are looking forward to the long future that the Bungie developers have planned for Destiny.

While these people are passionate, that does not mean they are always content. The enthusiasts are the people who make up the majority of feedback that Bungie receives. So while the enthusiasts may end up being people who complain about the game, they are only capable of complaining because they are so immersed into the expansive world of Destiny.

Bungie understands and acknowledges this. Bungie’s Deej says:

I believe that, as the player, your emotional reactions to our games are never wrong. Those magical things that happen in your brain when you play are not things I would ever try to talk you out of. We learn from them. We listen to that because it’s valuable to us.

What I would say is that Destiny rests on a foundation, and we’re building on it. Many people are playing, and we’re working to honor that passion and enthusiasm by supporting the experience. There are always things we can do to make the game better, and we’re being aggressive about doing them. (reddit)

Enthusiasts know what they don’t like about the game because they so intimately understand what they love about the game. And they want to see more of that. They want to keep playing the game and they want it to be fun forever, if possible. These people love Destiny not only because the game is enjoyable, but also because they know that the developers make the players’ feedback an interactive part of the experience. The enthusiast has faith that if we keep telling Bungie what we do and don’t like, then we may one day be playing a perfect game.

The End-Gamer

While the enthusiast loves playing the game for the sake of the pure enjoyment it offers, the end-gamer might not even enjoy playing the game at all. Their motives as to why they play at all are sometimes questionable. The end-gamer is a person who plays the game for the sole purpose of reaching what she or he sees to be the “end” of the game as soon as possible.

This seems paradoxical. The end-gamer plays the game for the accomplishment and relief of completion. Often, the result of their end-driven play style is to find enjoyment in taking leave from the game, sometimes more than in actually playing the game.

There can be a range of motivations behind this frantic race to the finish line. Some people like to beat games quickly so that they can enjoy a large number of different games. These individuals may be going for quantity over quality. Others sprint to the end so that they can revel or gloat in their short completion time.

Sometimes in the Destiny world, the end-gamer can be a dangerous encounter. While this is not necessarily true of all end-gamers, many in the Destiny community are looking to complete the game’s objectives with an unmatched, aggressive speed. If you are the type of player that uses the LFG sites to complete raids with strangers, then you most certainly should be on the lookout for the end-gamer. You may accidentally find yourself in a fire team with this person and instantly regret joining as the end-gamer screams at you for dying, making a mistake, not having the right gear, not moving fast enough, not buying enough heavy ammo, etc. The end-gamer has no time for noobs and enthusiasts. He or she is looking to get in, get the raid gear and fully level it, acquire the most powerful or useful weapons, and get out.

If you’re an end-gamer that can manage your hot passion without laying waste to noobs as you go, then good looks. We appreciate it. But for the rest of you out there, we understand that you need to be the best and that you need to do it first. That’s okay. Just respect the people who have a little more time on their hands to enjoy the game.

The Collector

Exotics. For the collector, the most supreme pleasure and glory in the world of Destiny is to load up her or his vault, and gaze upon the glittering gold gear that is so coveted by the rest of the Destiny community: exotics. For the collector, completing this goal is no easy task. It takes hours upon hours of grinding every different type of gameplay to earn all of the exotic weapons in Destiny. 

This makes collectors versatile players. To achieve their goal, collectors must be cold blooded assassins in PVP in order to complete the strenuously difficult and tedious exotic bounties. They must also act as leaders, networkers, and communicators to optimize chances for exotics through raid and nightfall completions.

The collector must acquire as many strange coins as possible through weekly heroic missions, capitalizing on the precious once a week opportunity to purchase exotics from Xur. You can be almost certain that the collector will have the maximum of three Destiny characters, and if not, then two is guaranteed; multiple characters means multiple completions means multiplying chances for exotics.

Do not be alarmed if the collector takes on some of the characteristics of the end-gamer while in the zone, focused on acquiring the next exotic. This is natural and understandable. Without dogged and relentless pursuit, the collector would never be able to obtain all of the elusive exotic weapons that Destiny has to offer. So at times, this person may come off as dismissive or rude, but it isn’t intentional.

The collector is just passionate; and don’t forget, when the collector completes the grand collection, he or she will need something to do. Unlike real life, where collections lose value as you use them, Destiny collectors don’t want these weapons collecting dust. A collector wants to use these weapons, and at that point there is a good chance the collector will evolve into a sherpa (more on that next).

The Sherpa

Sherpas are the archangels of the Destiny community. In a way, they act as a sort of counter balance to end-gamers. By definition, a sherpa is, “a member of a people of Tibetan stock living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.” In the Destiny community, rather than guiding mountain-climbing expeditions, a sherpa guides new/unskilled players or people who could just use some help through the more challenging obstacles and objectives, such as raids and nightfall activities.

If you use the LFG sites, you can identify a sherpa’s presence through the use of these commonly used phrases “looking to help guardians,” “experienced sword bearer  – invite me to beat Crota,” “willing to carry lower levels,” “#sherpa,” “maxed gear will guide team through raid,” etc. Finding a sherpa may not always be easy, but it is definitely possible if you are patient. You can also be proactive about the issue if you need help getting through the game by joining Destiny groups on Facebook and other social media. One Destiny site called the100.io even has a page especially dedicated to sherpas.

While sherpas aren’t necessarily a completely new concept, their role in Destiny has certainly become more prominent than in many other games. The lack of matchmaking for hard activities forces players to communicate and band together, which is why we are now seeing this community of sherpas. There’s even a post on reddit about Destiny sherpa etiquette.

If you’re a sherpa, then good looks on being a good person. It’s awesome that you’re taking the time to help out other gamers. It’s clear you’ve not forgotten your own insufferable beginnings as a noob, and it is honorable that you travel backwards to bring forth those who struggle.