In the MMO shooter Destiny the new Destiny patch 1.1 was released on Monday evening our time, and it has a lot to offer: Exotic armor and weapons no longer require Ascendant materials to be upgraded. Instead, they need a new shard, which can either be obtained from the black market trader Xur or can drop from dismantling exotic weapons.
This is quite a change: The current patch 1.1 alters the entire behavior of exotic weapons and armor in Destiny. A significant rebalancing is taking place. Ascendant materials are no longer required for exotic weapons (but still for legendary items). In their place, a new material is introduced, which one can either obtain by dismantling exotic equipment or from Xur, the old noodle face. This new material is necessary to unlock a “final upgrade node.”
The normal planetary materials will still be needed by players – also for exotic weapons. However, they can now be purchased directly for Crucible or Vanguard marks. The exchange rate is 10 marks for 20 materials. Players now also receive materials when completing the daily Heroic. Patrol bounties will now also provide materials.
The new exchange rate is 10 Marks for 20 upgrade materials. See the Vanguard or Crucible Quartermasters to trade. pic.twitter.com/kPTO2t8xSx
— Bungie (@Bungie) December 1, 2014
Among the exotic weapons, the Suros Regime takes a small hit, while the Vex Mythoclast and several other exotic weapons (like Bad Karma and Thorn) that were considered weak can look forward to a buff. How this will impact the game and whether the boost is sufficient to disrupt the previous power dynamics of exotic weapons in Destiny will be revealed in the coming hours.
Additionally, an exploit in “The Glass Vault” is closed: The Templar in Destiny will likely not be as easily cheesed as before.
Here are some highlights from the patch notes for you. You can find the full patch notes in the original, that is, in English, here.
- In preparation for the DLC “The Darkness Looms,” exotic weapons and armor no longer require “Ascendant” materials to be upgraded.
- To reach the final upgrade of exotic gear, only an “Exotic Shard” is needed.
- Exotic Shards can be obtained in the following ways:
- by dismantling unwanted exotic gear
- by purchasing from Xur for 7 strange coins
- Exotic weapons now begin with an increased base damage value and thus have fewer options for upgrade possibilities.
Traders
- Engrams now provide reduced reputation with the Cryptarch, in return, the chance that reputation reward packages from the Cryptarch will hold legendary engrams has increased.
- Players can now use Vanguard or Crucible marks to purchase planetary materials from the Vanguard or Crucible traders: Ruinous Iron, Ghostflower, Helium Filaments, and Spinmetal.
Update: The official German patch notes have now been released, which many have been waiting for, with all the changes to Thorn, Bad Karma, Hawkmoon, Extremely Good Advice, the Suros Regime, Icebreaker, Bounty, and whatever else they are called. Here you can find them in full.
