Introduction
Destiny is an online persistent world first-person shooter video game in a "mythic science fiction" open world setting. It is developed by Bungie and published by Activision as part of a ten-year publishing deal. The game was released on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One video game consoles on September 9, 2014.
Creating a Character
Knowing the classes available is the first step in creating a character, subclasses will be gone into a little bit later.
- Hunter: The Hunter specializes in long range engagements, dispatching enemies swiftly with precision marksmanship.
- Titan: Titans are the brawly melee class of Destiny, they're highly mobile and the most durable of the three classes.
- Warlock: Warlocks are both support and damage ranged casters, having either the ability to aid allies during battle or becoming more of a mage.
- (Source: US Gamer Beginner's Guide)
Hunter
Hunters begin the game with both an auto-rifle and a sniper rifle. The sniper rifle is one of the the most powerful weapons early on in Destiny due to its range, stopping power, and mobility. The primary weapon you choose is ultimately a matter of taste, but for close quarters situations, a fully-automatic or semi-automatic weapon is ideal.
The Hunter’s two subclasses are Gunslinger and Bladedancer. Gunslinger is more of a ranged subclass, while the Bladedancer prefers to get into melee range with with knives and the Arc Blade Supercharged ability. The Gunslinger can also use blades, and once you gain the ability to throw knives in place of a melee attack, you can hit foes with the force of a melee attack at medium range.
Titan
The Titan is intended to be the game’s heavy, tanking class. The class begins the game with the same auto-rifle everyone else gets, but instead of the Hunter’s sniper rifle, a shotgun is the alternative. The shotgun boasts some serious firepower, but a very short range of effectiveness, whereas the Hunter’s sniper rifle can do more damage from much further away.
Titans have the highest armor rating of the three classes, but early into the game their survivability is similar to the other classes.
The Titan’s subclasses are Striker and Defender. The Striker is the offensive heavy of the game, while the Defender is all about soaking up damage for your squad.
Warlock
The Warlock isn’t the greatest offensive class, but in terms of effectiveness in combat, the intricacy of its kit makes it an all-around solid choice for support/mage players. Interestingly, the Warlock’s secondary weapon is also a shotgun, which is a bit confusing. It’s not a deal-breaker, but upgrading to a sniper rifle as soon as possible (at level 3) is recommended. If enemies are closing in, the melee skill is often much more reliable than the shotgun.
With the Warlock, patience is everything. Using cover and kiting enemies is the most effective way early in the game. Given the nature of the game, if you can be more patient than your enemies, it’s usually fairly simple to capitalize on one of their mistakes. If something goes wrong, always know that you can fall back and recover or rely on your Fireteam to back you up.
The Warlock’s two subclasses are Voidwalker and Sunsinger. The Voidwalker is damage-oriented, while the Sunsinger seems to be intended as more of a support character in a Fireteam.
General Tips
- You can have 3 characters per account.
- The second subclasses listed above are unlocked at level 15, after that point you can swap between them as you wish
- Don't sell items, disassemble them in your inventory, which gives you crafting materials and Glimmer, Destiny's currency
- There a specific and subtle audio cue when you near a chest, learn it well and you can find chests behind walls
- Items you store in your Vaults can be shared between characters
- Collecting Spinmetal Planets is very important (it looks like metallic coral). You can trade them for reputation and other equipment back at the Tower
- You can access the upgrade sub-menu by pressing Triangle on PlayStation platforms and Y on Xbox platforms
- By killing an enemy with a Supercharged ability, slain foes drop Orbs of Light which increase the recovery rate of your Fireteam’s Supercharged ability cooldowns
- Don't forget that vehicles are useful means of getting around
- Interact with other players by targeting them and clicking the right analog stick
Combat Tips
- Hitting the crouch button (Circle on PlayStation, B on Xbox) while running allows you to slide, this is useful for quickly getting behind cover
- While in cover, pressing the ADS (aim down sights) button, L1 on Playstation and Left Trigger on Xbox, allows you to peek out of cover
- Crouching in PVP situations means you pulse less on your opponents radar
Equipment and Weapon Tips
- Hold down R2 on PlayStation or Right Bumper on Xbox to compare an item in your inventory to what you currently have equipped
- Exploration missions net you Vanguard Marks to buy Vanguard gear. Participating in public events yields significant rewards and Vanguard reputation
- Encrypted Engrams can be taken back to the Tower to be decoded into equippable gear
- You gear can also level! Keep your best gear equipped to unlock new abilities. Also have any gear you're leveling equipped when you turn in Bounties for extra experience
Starter Tactics
Factions: There are numerous factions around your central hub selling expensive gear. Purchasing of their wares requires Vanguard Marks earned by performing specific tasks via the Bounty board.
Captains: Captains are stronger enemies who have extra shielding. They absorb a lot of damage while their minions harass you and your Fireteam. Make sure to target the minions before trying to engage a Captain
On the other hand, in the event your Fireteam runs into a Captain who has the ability to summon endless waves of support, you're better off making use of the environment to cluster foes together and give yourself opportunities to take shots at the Captain while remaining protected from the attacks from his minions
Enemy Support: While players may have the Warlock class for support, enemies also have a support class. You'll probably run into a fair few of the Fallen's Servitors, floating black orbs that fire plasma beams at you. While their attacks do pack quite a punch, their real combat value is in buffing allies — nearby Dregs and Vandals will become immune to your attacks while in close range of a Servitor's shields. Rather than waste your ammo on protected targets, it's better to take out the Servitor first.
The silver lining to this foe lies in its one weakness. If you can manage a shot right to the center of its "eye," your attacks will deal four times the normal amount of damage. The bad news? That same target will be pumping out multiple high-energy plasma bursts while you're lining up a shot
Flanking: As in most games involving combat of any kind, flanking tactics with allies can be extremely powerful in Destiny. NPC enemies typically lock onto one player at a time, making their behavior rather predictable. And with many encounters taking place in large, open spaces, flanking maneuvers are especially effective. Don’t be afraid to abuse them against NPCs in many situations.
Blind spot: Remember that enemies don’t have spatial or map awareness that players can have. If they’re hiding behind cover, it’s entirely possible that they can’t see you at all. You can use this weakness to approach them from the side or behind to inflict significant melee damage.
Positioning: Making as much space as possible between yourself and your enemy is always ideal when playing solo. Establishing a “killzone” to dispatch enemies from further away is always the safest soloing tactic.
In the excitement of combat, players should resist the urge to forget this tactic and should always remain aware of their surroundings. Another useful tip to remember is to always avoid low ground, high ground has held tactical superiority throughout the history of warfare and continues to do so in video games.
Supercharged: When in a Fireteam, your Supercharged ability is extremely important. Each class has two different Supercharged abilities - which one you have equipped depends on your subclass - but most players will stick with the generic default. The Hunter’s Golden Gun vaporizes enemies, the Titan’s Fist of Havoc is an awesome way to clear out a large area, and the Warlock’s Nova Bomb is capable of decimating an entire area. Again, as mentioned above, when enemies die to Supercharged attacks, they drop Orbs of Light that can be collected by your teammates to help them get to the Supercharged state.
Advancement: Your classes abilities are broken down into four categories: Grenade, Jump, Super, and Melee. When just starting out, you'll have access to the first abilities in each category. Once you’ve done that, you’ll start to unlock the second tier. When you have more than one ability in each category, you will be forced to pick and choose based on preference/effectiveness.
Example: The Hunter’s first ability in the Grenade category is the Incendiary Grenade, which engulfs enemies his in flames. If you’re playing as a Hunter, you’ll unlock that first and then you’ll begin to unlock the next ability, Swarm Grenade. Once Swarm Grenade is unlocked, you will have the choice between it and Incendiary Grenade.