Destiny 2 is an MMO RPG. Some of you will disagree with that statement, however in a game that requires you to be online to play, a game that drops you into “zones” with other active online players, and of course there are dungeons and raids you must play with other real people to get gear to make your character stronger. Bungie can avoid that term MMO, and keep calling it a “Boots on the ground shooter” (No, really that’s what all their PR and marketing called it during its release) but the constant removal of older content has to stop.
I’ve played Destiny and Destiny 2, I’ve also played a lot of World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy XIV, and a few others. The one thing most of these games offered was the ability to playthrough old content. Even if that content is over 10 years old. It adds options for players to experience the game in a way they want. Both Elder Scrolls Online and World of Warcraft do this in an amazing way. Allowing the player to level up through old content, or simply walk around and enjoy the areas and environments that make up these massive online worlds. Destiny 2 is a very odd game, instead of expanding locations, dungeons (Strikes in Destiny 2), or Raids, they permanently remove older content to be put into what they call “The Vault” and you can no longer do quest, earn rewards, do dungeons, or explore these areas, they are, once again, permanently removed from the game.
PRE-ORDER NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Now why does Bungie do this? The answer is actually very simple. File Size. While Massive MMOs usually have a install size of 60-80gigs (World of Warcraft currently sits at a 71gig file size) Most players do not like to have a single game take up so much space on their PC or Console, but removing content that players paid for, out of the game isn’t the answer either.
As a MMO you want your world to grow and expand to feel like a real place, with locations, cities, and characters. When you remove content, paid content especially, it cheapens the experience and locks many new players out and dissuades them from playing your game. This is not to be confused with “Limited time events” like you’d get during a US Holiday like Halloween, or what not. These are full DLC’s being removed and it’s not a good way to do it. How can Bungie make this better?
The answer is simpler than you think. Allow players to choose which DLC/Content pack they want installed, if some players would like to grind, re-visit or explore the Wiar mind DLC, let them. You could also allow players to do old raids and strikes via something like World of Warcrafts “Time Walking” Dungeons, which allow you experience old Dungeons & Raids that give you relative rewards for your characters current level. Every time Bungie removes old content to “Make room” for the latest and greatest, you just end up keeping newer players out, ripping off players that originally paid for a certain DLC/Expansions pack, and it doesn’t add on to the games world or make it feel more alive, in fact it makes it feel small and empty. Please stop removing content that players paid for. Some players maybe didn’t have time to playthrough the Trial of Osiris or just maybe want to ride a sparrow to enjoy the sites and explore a familiar area again. If World of Warcraft & Elder Scrolls Online can do it, Bungie certainly can to.
