Destiny Patch To Rework Loot System

Patch 1.0.2 is on the way and with it comes a number of changes to Destiny’s loot system. Since launch, players have been gathering Engrams from the field, taking them back to The Tower where the Cryptarch turns them into weapons and equipment.

It’s a nice feature and one that adds a certain element of surprise to the regular loot haul. However, higher level players have been complaining about the Engram system and how it’s taking them ages just to find the gear they need to get ahead in the game. This exhaustive grind has led many to seek out “loot caves” and other exploits to boost their chances of getting rare items. 1.0.2 is offering the following fixes:

Cryptarch Changes

  • Legendary Engrams will always produce Legendary or better quality items, including Materials or Exotics
  • Rare Engrams will always produce Rare or better quality items
  • Rare engrams will have an increased chance to produce Legendary quality items
Activity Changes
  • Daily Heroics, Weekly Heroics, and Vanguard: Tiger Playlist activities will include Rare and Legendary Engrams in addition to their existing rewards
Item Changes
  • Ascendant materials have been promoted to Legendary to closer associate them with the gear they are used to upgrade
  • Legendary Engram items that exist in your inventory will be demoted to Rare quality when the patch goes live, so decode them while you can. But let’s be honest–even if you don’t, we all know they were blues already…

Source: Bungie

25 Comments

  1. The loot system, weapons and progression in this game are a bit of a shambles IMO – which is a concern given the campaign is so short and the DLC is looking horrendously overpriced. To be honest I’m enjoying this a bit less than Warframe and Defiance, neither of which I’ve spent a penny on – and despite Defiance looking fairly terrible in comparison the map is open-world, always has loads to do and is always busy with other players.

    Also – if you’re going to patch anything Bungie, fix the loading times…. jeeeeezus…

    • I think the loading time issue is deliberate – it “encourages” the player to browse through that Destiny app on their phone while waiting. I don’t think I’d look at it otherwise!

      • Well it’s not just loading but matchmaking you to a populated instance, since you’re always being dropped in and out of them it seems they don’t know how to matchmake smoothly or quickly.

      • Surely its not loading, but searching for a lobby. Some times are longer than others.

        So hope this sorts out the reward system. I’ve ground the hell out of this, taken every bit of advice I can find on the net and just crept over level 23 yesterday. Don’t seem to be able decode/find anything higher than ‘blue’ Even got the cryptarch up to level 5, nothing… Still fun tho :)

        Struggling to find people to do high end missions with (queens wrath, weekly strike etc) if anyone fancies joining me….?

      • To dirtyhabit,yeah I’m up for doing some weekly strikes and what not. I’m currently level 27 hunter.

      • @DirtyHabit – See how the chips fall after this update, but your best bet could well be to level up your Vanguard/Crucible/Faction rank (Factions are easier because they take any points that would’ve gone to Vanguard/Crucible) and just buy your armour from the people in the tower.

        Also, save up those strange coins, because you can spend them with Xur to get some exotic gear, when he occasionally appears in the tower…

      • @DirtyHabit I’d also be up for doing some of the top level missions. Drop me an add on PSN (same as on here) and we’ll see if we can sort out a time.

      • Do the Queens bounty missions, they reward purple every time.

      • Cheers Guys I’ll friend req you later. :)

        Guess I’m just unlucky with the engrams. Was on Venus yesterday Grinding Vex with a glimmer booster. No kidding I got 3 blue engrams in less than 2 mins. I thought ‘here we go’. Went to get them de-coded, two greens and a blue lesser than I already have!!

        @Stefan. I’m about 1.5 vanguard. Plan is to grind that next. Went to find Xur armed with 9 strange coins, turns out I was only 14 coins short of a purchase!

        @Tony. Are you sure? I’ve done 7 Queens bounties and have 2 open right now, they’ve only given me rep, But I’m yet to do the queens wrath mission.

      • @DirtyHabit I’d also be up for some destiny strikes of the higher end variety. My psn is zillah so add me if you’re interested and playing on a ps4. I’m on at some pretty random times though.

      • @dirtyhabit and anyone else who is looking for fireteam members, give us a shout my psn is the same as my tsa id.

      • Yes I’m sure, I’ve done many Queens missions and been rewarded with purple armour each time. Doing the bounty doesn’t give you the armour, doing the bounty gives you reputation with the Queen but gives you access to a mission to do for her. Complete that mission, get the armour. Be warned though, they’re not easy (but not that hard). You’ll need a fire team of 3 people who work well together to do them.

  2. Whilst we’re on Destiny, I really REALLY need some help with the final part of the Thorn Exotic Bounty. My cousin and I have been trying to do it for a few days now, but the two of us are getting creamed. Any chance that one of the kind TSA-ers would be willing to lend a hand at some point? I’d also be interested in meeting up with people keen to do the higher level content on a relatively regular basis. I’m on PS4 and my U/N’s Shaklyn. Send me a friend invite if you can help me! Thanks in advance…

    • Will request you later. Worth a go.

      My PSN is Infa-Mouse

      • Awesome! I’ll give you a shout when I’m next about. I’d like to get a little TSA group together to try the raid as well. Maybe this could be the start of something special! Thanks DH, I really appreciate it.

    • Hey, yeah id be interested in joining ye’s for the raids or anything else once i get past level 22 :) psn same as tsa id.

  3. @eldur I’ll give you an add as well,it will be good to play as a group finally :-)

  4. I wouldn’t mind a piece of that action guys,currently i’m playing on the PS3 and would love to have a go at the high-end Raids/Strikes.PSN ID is Sm8ckhead.Thanks lads.

  5. Can’t we use thesixthaxis Destiny clan to match up? I don’t really understand how it works!

  6. I’ve enjoyed this game as much as I can I think. I’ve replayed almost every mission and strike at lease 7 or 8 times, all that is left is for me to upgrade my legendary armour. But i’ve never been one for collecting every last little item in the game. Going round grinding to collect helium filaments isn’t all that fun and a bit tedious. Unless the dlc adds vast amounts of missions I don’t think I will bother, £35 for two dlc seems rather steep.

  7. This is good news for me as I have only progressed to light level 21 thus far & am about to start participating in strikes (done the earth one, but no others) & want to get into some of those higher tier missions, which I need better gear for.

    I may even try out the crucible soon, but I don’t pin my hopes on actually being any good at it.

    Do we know when this patch is supposed to go live? I have seen a couple of people mention Tuesday in other places, but I suspect that’s just guesswork or trolling. Has there been any mention of when we should be expecting it?

    • The crucible is fun mate. I was awful the first few times,but soon got the hang of it.
      Also I used my crucible marks to get some legendary armour, So it’s worth playing :-)

      • Yeah, it’s only really due to a misunderstanding as to how it works that I haven’t tried it as yet. I thought that I needed to be over level 20 to not get annihilated by other level 20 plussers, but it seems it scales all damage etc so that it is a level playing field. I like that, but I only finished the story yesterday, so thought I may as well leave pvp stuff until I was done with that.

        It may well be that I am terrible at it as I prophecised, but am certainly willing to give it a go.

        However, as I have strikes & raids still to do, this news is also good for me – Just would be great to know when we are expecting it to hit is all. Especially after the disappointment of yesterday that was decoding a purple engram just to get a blue item of a lesser value of the one I was already carrying! Bloody cryptarch! Glad he’s been given a damn good seeing to!

  8. This game has a lot of potential but at the first hurdle missed a few important small details. Hopefully over the coming months it will clear them up. One of the more obvious ones is only being able to do the heroic weeklies, dailies queens bounties with friends and not via matchmaking like strikes.

    If anyone is interested and wants to join forces then please add me my PS tag is subotaii. I will add some of you as well. First playstation since the original so I’m lacking RL online buddies. Level 25 hunter.

  9. I’m looking for fire team help on all high level missions but mainly ones that reward strange coin. I’m at level 26 hunter & a level 16 warlock whom I only play when I’m bored. I’m on xbox one my screen-name is ChaoticMofo. Anybody intrested I would really like to do every mission & exotic bounty this game has to offer I’ll be on most of the day wed n Thursday & Friday probably I gotta get another 9-12 strange coin before xur returns. Anybody interested please message me where u heard from me as I’m blogging a lot & request me & we’ll get started asap. Thnx guys happy hunting…

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