Not all players are satisfied with the new Armor 2.0 system in Destiny 2 . Bungie wants to change that soon. Read here how the changes will look and why they are coming.
This is how mods work in Armor 2.0: Armor 2.0 aims to give Guardians more freedom than ever before in assembling builds. This includes how your armor looks but also how your gear can be assembled for combat.
What is the problem with Armor 2.0? While the promised customization for a personalized fighting machine is not as extensive as some hoped. While it is possible to create some powerful builds thanks to Armor 2.0, the freedom is still smaller than previously advertised. The reason for this are the restrictions in mod selection.
Not all mods can simply be used in every piece of armor or slot. All armor pieces are assigned to an element (Arc, Solar, and Void). This element determines which mods you are allowed to choose at all.
For example, only Arc armor pieces offer support options for shotguns. Solar and Void armor are therefore not interesting for shotguns. On the other hand, you will only find suitable traits for SMGs on Void armor (like the powerful Recluse).
Players complain that artificial restrictions have been imposed and that the promise of free combinations is not really kept.
The Bungie development team comments: In the current TWaB – Bungie’s weekly message to the community – it is explained what ideas are behind the decisions regarding Armor 2.0 and what changes players can expect soon.
These are the three principles according to which Armor 2.0 was designed:
- Creativity: The costs and elemental affinities should make the player think. Guardians should decide which mods are most important to them and then create combinations creatively.
- Balance of strong and weaker mods: Weak mods can also be useful for builds, as they cost less. If all mods cost the same, only the strongest mods will be selected.
- Clarity: If every mod is available for every piece of armor and independent of elemental affiliation, it quickly becomes confusing. Internal tests have shown developers that it is more player-friendly when not overwhelmed by the variety of mods.
This is the idea behind elemental affiliation: Bungie wanted to create thematic groups or connections with the affinities. Guardians should have a connection between the different weapons and elemental armors. It was considered in the assembly:
- Ammunition: Each element should cover a good mix of primary, special, and power weapons.
- All ranges: Melee, mid-range, and long-range should be covered.
This is changing with general mods: These mods can be used regardless of the element. However, they cost significantly more than specific mods. According to Bungie, players should also actively weigh up what is important for their build here.
Developers note that there are not general variants of all mods. As an example of why this is the case, they cite ammunition gatherer mods. The “Scavenger mods” are special because some weapons use ammunition that is difficult to assign to the normal archetype.
Examples include the grenade launcher “The Mountaintop” (Primary slot), the hand cannon Eriana’s Vow (Special ammunition), and the sniper Whispers of the Worm (Power ammunition).
With the start of the next season in December, there will be general variants of the ammunition gatherer and finder mods. These will then be automatically unlocked and can be creatively combined immediately. Bungie still needs time until then to fine-tune the ammunition economy.
Further adjustments to mods
Stacking identical mods: Starting next season, you will be able to stack two identical mods – that is, equip them in parallel. For example, it is possible to use the “Hand Cannon Loader” mod twice to reload even faster.
However, the bonus effect when stacking does not increase evenly. The second mod will give about half the bonus of the first base mod. Two identical mods thus achieve the value of an “enhanced” variant.
Mods in the collection: Players will soon be able to see which mods they already own and where to obtain missing ones. The collection will also display elemental affiliation and energy costs. This change is coming with the next update on October 29.
The Community’s Wishes
This is what players demanded: Since the launch of Shadowkeep, Guardians have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the Armor 2.0 system. For example, a corresponding Reddit thread already has 13,000 upvotes and almost 1,000 comments.
The post urged Bungie to completely remove the elemental affiliation of armor and mods.
As one of many, Redditor suenopequeno stated: “I just don’t see any value in the affinity system.” Many users, like Greaterdivinity, agree and add, “It’s just an additional grind and luck” because in addition to the desired stats, the armor piece now also has to have the matching element.
While some admit that Bungie wanted to curb overpowered combinations, this is clearly the minority in the comments. Many players feel limited by the promised freedom. This should improve at least a little with the announced adjustments soon.
What do you think of the planned changes – is it enough adjustment or are you still not satisfied?
