Why does 10-20 power make so much difference?

[rees]

I am a tad confused. I beat destiny 2 on launch, made it to 750 when I was done and just recently got back into the game cus of the break. In any case over the last couple days ive gone from 750-860, on track to hit 900 soon. I see many people at like 1000 power and occaisonally some at 1008-1010. After you hit the 4 digits range why is the extra power so hard to get? When will power start getting really hard to get? Did me finishing the base game's story when Destiny 2 first came out mean nothing?

[Nakos]

It's a looter-shooter, so, yes, you finishing the game's story when Destiny 2 came out now means nothing.

But that's not the point. It's entertainment. Were you entertained at the time you did it? If so, then you won.

However, that doesn't mean you get to be on top forever, it's just not that kind of game. Every new season, there's a climb to make. It's just how these sorts of action games work. Make the climb (again) if you're having fun. Skip it if you're not.

But if you come back in a year from now, expect to be at the bottom again. Victory in these sorts of games is possible, but transitory.

[rees]

Originally posted by Nakos:

It's a looter-shooter, so, yes, you finishing the game's story when Destiny 2 came out now means nothing.

But that's not the point. It's entertainment. Were you entertained at the time you did it? If so, then you won.

However, that doesn't mean you get to be on top forever, it's just not that kind of game. Every new season, there's a climb to make. It's just how these sorts of action games work. Make the climb (again) if you're having fun. Skip it if you're not.

But if you come back in a year from now, expect to be at the bottom again. Victory in these sorts of games is possible, but transitory.

I’m just very confused? Does power level reset after each season back to 750, and people work their way back up?

[GrandTickler]

because the light level is a joke and means nothing. theres no depth to it since enemies level up with you. those 10 points just switches the game from normal, to easy mode

[GodWreck, Wrathful Mind]

no. max power this season went up considerably. but thats not always the case. Most of the time its just 10 lvlup. Max power this season is 1010 ( artifact power will reset after this season ). Most probably max power next season will be 1020. so you just gotta lvlup 10 lvl next season.

[majzerofive]

That's mmorpg's logic. Take it or leave it.

[GamingWithSilvertail]

Originally posted by Rees:

I am a tad confused. I beat destiny 2 on launch, made it to 750 when I was done and just recently got back into the game cus of the break. In any case over the last couple days ive gone from 750-860, on track to hit 900 soon. I see many people at like 1000 power and occaisonally some at 1008-1010. After you hit the 4 digits range why is the extra power so hard to get? When will power start getting really hard to get? Did me finishing the base game's story when Destiny 2 first came out mean nothing?

Softcaps. Certain light levels have lower softcaps.

I am not sure how that goes right now as to what the number is but theres tier 1,2 and pinnacle caps.

[Nakos]

Originally posted by Rees:

I’m just very confused? Does power level reset after each season back to 750, and people work their way back up?

No (not technically), what they do is boost the level cap. So the top of season 8 is the bottom of season 9, etc. Every season, you have to work your way up another block of levels, I think it was a bump of 40 levels for Season of the Worthy.

Of those levels, the first 10, 20, 30 are fairly easy to get, but the higher you go, the more slowly you go and the softcap for this season is 1000.

750 is where new players start, but catching up to the bottom of the current season is usually pretty quick.

[Stargazer]

As destiny has added new expansions, the dev team has increased the maximum light level over time. This season, the maximum light level is 1010, soft-capped at 1000. You will gain light levels from all sources until you hit 1000 light level- at that point, only pinnacle gear can advance your light level to 1010.

From light level 750 to 1000, most legendary gear you get will be within a level or two of your current light level. Any basic legendary engrams you get from enemies or chests will be within this range. Make sure to keep good gear that's above your current light level, as engrams read your current (equipped or held in your inventory) gear's highest light level when calculating what level gear to drop; if you are level 800 and pick up a 801 weapon, hold onto it since it raises the light level calculated when gear drops, making it more likely for you to find a 802 light level drop. On the flipside, if you're light level 800, you may also pick up gear that's light level 799 or 798. If it's not a good stat or perk roll, you can shard it since it doesn't increase your light level. Some gear that's below your maximum light level is worth keeping, since it can have it's light level increased with upgrade modules, once you hit the cap and have plenty of 1000+ gear to dismantle for infusions.

Prime engrams are a special kind of legendary engram that drops at a guaranteed +1 light level if you are below 1000 light level; at 1000 light level, prime engrams will only be decrypted into gear with 1000 light level. Additionally, armor that comes from prime engrams has been modified to drop with higher over stat totals and spikier distributions; you'll have more points in each stat category, and more points in specific categories to boost those abilities.

Powerful gear rewards still exist in a limited form with different challenges for activities- these drops will be +3 for Tier 1, +4 or +5 for Tier 2, and +6 for Tier 3. However, these gear drops will not increase your power past 1000 light level; only pinnacle drops can increase your light level from 1000 to 1010.

In addition to legendary, prime, and powerful engrams, the different tower vendors offer pinnacle gear drops for completing their weekly challenges. Pinnacle gear is guaranteed to be a +2 power drop, regardless of whether you've hit the soft-cap; if you're light level 1000, your pinnacle drops will be 1002. Once you hit the 1000 light level soft-cap, pinnacle gear drops are the only way to increase your light level to 1010.

Zavala/Strikes will drop pinnacle gear when you complete 8 Vanguard bounties in a week, and upon completion of three strikes with the subclass of the currently weekly singe equipped. Shaxx/Crucible will drop pinnacle gear when you complete 8 Crucible bounties in a week, and for 4 completions of regular or rotator matches (Mayhem, Team Scorched, Momentum Control, Iron Banner, etc.). The Drifter/Gambit will drop pinnacle gear for completing 8 bounties for Gambit in a week, or upon completion of three gambit matches (prime or regular). Pinnacle gear also drops from the four Iron Banner bounties Saladin offers, and some Raids and Dungeons. Without looking, I'm pretty sure that only the Garden of Salvation raid and the Pit of Heresy dungeon have pinnacle rewards on offer.

An important thing to note is that once you're at least light level 1002, all non-pinnacle drops should be at light level 1000. If you've saved any great stat or perk rolls for infusing up to a higher level, you'll need to gauge whether or not you want to infuse it to a basic 1000 light level, or if that piece of gear is worthy of taking on a pinnacle drop light level.


Finally, we should address the seasonal artifact and its interaction with light level. Seasonal artifacts are pieces of gear that increase your total light level based upon how much EXP you've collected in that season. The higher the artifact level, the higher your effective light level. If your gear's light level is uniform at 900, for example, and you've leveled up the seasonal artifact to level 10, your effective light level is 910. "It's easy math, Guardian-" gear level + seasonal artifact level = effective light level.

Notably, the seasonal artifact doesn't have a cap for how high its level can be raised (however, each level for the seasonal artifact takes more EXP to complete than the last, making the grind from +19 to +20 longer than the grind from +18 to +19, for example). Back in Season of the Undying, a guardian made history when they solo'ed the Shattered Throne dungeon at 999 effective light level, which required them to grind millions of EXP to raise their effective light level from the current hard cap of 950, at the time. This was done in pursuit of fulfilling a prophecy as written in one of the lore books, but it was revealed that the Darkness had created this false prophecy in order to test the skills of guardian-kind, ostensibly to be better prepared for the inevitable war between us.

Welcome back to Destiny 2, friend! I know this was a lot to read, but I hope it was helpful for you. :). Please feel free to PM me if you have any other questions- I'd be happy to help!

[rees]

Originally posted by TheLonelyDonut:

As destiny has added new expansions, the dev team has increased the maximum light level over time. This season, the maximum light level is 1010, soft-capped at 1000. You will gain light levels from all sources until you hit 1000 light level- at that point, only pinnacle gear can advance your light level to 1010.

From light level 750 to 1000, most legendary gear you get will be within a level or two of your current light level. Any basic legendary engrams you get from enemies or chests will be within this range. Make sure to keep good gear that's above your current light level, as engrams read your current (equipped or held in your inventory) gear's highest light level when calculating what level gear to drop; if you are level 800 and pick up a 801 weapon, hold onto it since it raises the light level calculated when gear drops, making it more likely for you to find a 802 light level drop. On the flipside, if you're light level 800, you may also pick up gear that's light level 799 or 798. If it's not a good stat or perk roll, you can shard it since it doesn't increase your light level. Some gear that's below your maximum light level is worth keeping, since it can have it's light level increased with upgrade modules, once you hit the cap and have plenty of 1000+ gear to dismantle for infusions.

Prime engrams are a special kind of legendary engram that drops at a guaranteed +1 light level if you are below 1000 light level; at 1000 light level, prime engrams will only be decrypted into gear with 1000 light level. Additionally, armor that comes from prime engrams has been modified to drop with higher over stat totals and spikier distributions; you'll have more points in each stat category, and more points in specific categories to boost those abilities.

Powerful gear rewards still exist in a limited form with different challenges for activities- these drops will be +3 for Tier 1, +4 or +5 for Tier 2, and +6 for Tier 3. However, these gear drops will not increase your power past 1000 light level; only pinnacle drops can increase your light level from 1000 to 1010.

In addition to legendary, prime, and powerful engrams, the different tower vendors offer pinnacle gear drops for completing their weekly challenges. Pinnacle gear is guaranteed to be a +2 power drop, regardless of whether you've hit the soft-cap; if you're light level 1000, your pinnacle drops will be 1002. Once you hit the 1000 light level soft-cap, pinnacle gear drops are the only way to increase your light level to 1010.

Zavala/Strikes will drop pinnacle gear when you complete 8 Vanguard bounties in a week, and upon completion of three strikes with the subclass of the currently weekly singe equipped. Shaxx/Crucible will drop pinnacle gear when you complete 8 Crucible bounties in a week, and for 4 completions of regular or rotator matches (Mayhem, Team Scorched, Momentum Control, Iron Banner, etc.). The Drifter/Gambit will drop pinnacle gear for completing 8 bounties for Gambit in a week, or upon completion of three gambit matches (prime or regular). Pinnacle gear also drops from the four Iron Banner bounties Saladin offers, and some Raids and Dungeons. Without looking, I'm pretty sure that only the Garden of Salvation raid and the Pit of Heresy dungeon have pinnacle rewards on offer.

An important thing to note is that once you're at least light level 1002, all non-pinnacle drops should be at light level 1000. If you've saved any great stat or perk rolls for infusing up to a higher level, you'll need to gauge whether or not you want to infuse it to a basic 1000 light level, or if that piece of gear is worthy of taking on a pinnacle drop light level.


Finally, we should address the seasonal artifact and its interaction with light level. Seasonal artifacts are pieces of gear that increase your total light level based upon how much EXP you've collected in that season. The higher the artifact level, the higher your effective light level. If your gear's light level is uniform at 900, for example, and you've leveled up the seasonal artifact to level 10, your effective light level is 910. "It's easy math, Guardian-" gear level + seasonal artifact level = effective light level.

Notably, the seasonal artifact doesn't have a cap for how high its level can be raised (however, each level for the seasonal artifact takes more EXP to complete than the last, making the grind from +19 to +20 longer than the grind from +18 to +19, for example). Back in Season of the Undying, a guardian made history when they solo'ed the Shattered Throne dungeon at 999 effective light level, which required them to grind millions of EXP to raise their effective light level from the current hard cap of 950, at the time. This was done in pursuit of fulfilling a prophecy as written in one of the lore books, but it was revealed that the Darkness had created this false prophecy in order to test the skills of guardian-kind, ostensibly to be better prepared for the inevitable war between us.

Welcome back to Destiny 2, friend! I know this was a lot to read, but I hope it was helpful for you. :). Please feel free to PM me if you have any other questions- I'd be happy to help!

Literally just what I needed! Thank you so much!

[vega]

i looked at a few people in tower and they had item lvl of 1020