One-time use
Bungie is holding its ground yet again after another player outcry.
This time it’s shaders, which have gone from the lovely, unlimited use customization items they once were, into the consumable, loot crate driven items they are now in Destiny 2. The game’s director, Luke Smith, attempted to address the issue over Twitter this week, downplaying the nature of the new shader mechanic and attempting to explain that it’s actually good for the game.
Smith retorts that players should be “flush with shaders,” while playing, that they drop more often at 20, that it’s a “unique reward” for playing (hey just like the old shaders), and that you’ll want to repeat events to get more shaders.
It’s an impassioned plea, but likely Smith has his hands tied and shaders are here to stay. The new system simply encourages more gambling, as players will feel the need to spend more money on the Eververse, which provides players with Bright Engrams that can provide unique shaders as well as dust to buy select items outright (ha, there’s so many Blizzard amalgams in the sequel, including the Hearthstone dust reference).
Naturally I’m not really buying it. The decision to tie so much to microtransactions day one, when the original game didn’t even do it when it was eventually eased in during an expansion, isn’t healthy for the game. And it’s not the shaders that bother me so much, it’s the item mods that can buff items are directly linked to gameplay. Let the premium $60 purchase (plus season pass cost) speak for itself and keep micros cosmetic.
Luke Smith [Twitter]
