It is possible to be both a casual and hobbyist Destiny 2 player. I should know, because I’m one of them.

The question often arises about what would make me quit Destiny. Honestly, I don’t believe that anything can make me quit. I’m starting to see myself as less of a true gamer, and more of a Destiny hobbyist. It can be difficult to invest in or even play a different game because of the appreciation I’ve grown for every facet of Destiny and what it accomplishes for me.

At this point I have played the Destiny games for over 3000 hours, with half of that being Destiny 2. So yes, I’ve played as much Destiny 2 in 1.5 years, than I have in the 3 years of Destiny 1. My investment in this franchise is clearly increasing. The point being that when you play a game as long as that, and have so many cherished memories, it’s inevitable to draw comparisons. I just hope that the differences I notice are ones to celebrate.

Cozy Habits

Games that appeal to my crazy unrealistic expectations are, of course, few and far in between. Overwatch was one of those games. It’s visually appealing, and exposed me to a new genre that I hadn’t experienced very much of. It featured a caliber of fit and finish that I had become accustomed to with Destiny. Most importantly, it knows what kind of game it is. It’s extremely confident in that.

I would switch between Destiny 1 and Overwatch a few times within the same gaming session. Overwatch served to appease my competitive PvP hunger, something I still have a struggle finding a groove in Destiny to this day. Overwatch gives me a role and a purpose within my team, and I can very clearly and visibly track my impact on the match moment-to-moment. This is something Destiny is lacking due to its shorter kill times. Destiny was my PvE game and Overwatch was PvP. Things were great. It was the perfect pairing.

In previous articles, I’ve gone over what Destiny means to me. I’ve outlined how Destiny is a hobby for me and many players out there, but it’s quickly affirming itself as a lifelong lifestyle choice, or at least for as long as the franchise runs for. With the future of Destiny now reinforced, not to mention completely under Bungie’s creative control, the decision (or realization to be more accurate,) is a much easier one to make.

Being a Destiny Hobbyist goes beyond the game itself. The development of the game and the game’s community is what I cherish most about this game, and the lore… The lore is pretty great. That means that even if I stop playing Destiny (short term or long), I’ll at least be following the game and will remain involved with the community.

Making the Switch

In March of 2018 I decided to invest more time in my PS4 version. I played D1 on PS4, and started D2 on PS4. However, wanting the ultimate experience, and wanting to invest more in Destiny content creation, I switched to the PC version when it launched in October 2017. However, around March, it became increasingly difficult to find a team to raid with on PC. The player-base was at its all-time low, and the clan I had found moved on to other games.

I decided to start playing PS4 again, so I worked my characters back up, and began raiding with pick-up groups I found on Reddit. The frame rate and field-of-view were difficult barriers to overcome, but I eventually settled back into the PS4 version. I found an incredible clan, filled with incredible human beings, and I never looked back at the PC version.

Until recently.

As some of you may be aware, Caitlyn and I started a new series on YouTube, where we play through Destiny 2, with it being Caitlyn’s first exposure to it. We decided to play on PC, and in order to not skew leveling, I recreated my titan and deleted every single weapon from my inventory and vault that would give me a power leveling advantage (all year 1 weapons that can be repurchased from the collections menu). Our playthoughs of the campaigns was the only exposure to the PC version I was now getting.

But Then Something Cool Happened

I began causally playing Destiny 2 on PC. It started as me booting up my Hunter to try out Gambit. The same hunter that abandoned progress in the middle of the Warmind campaign last summer. After taking some of the guns from my barely 400 power Titan, printing out a new Wardcliff Coil; I grabbed some bounties and jumped in.

I had a blast playing it on PC. It took some time to get re-accustomed to the feel of a mouse and keyboard, but the FoV and frame rate made it worth the struggle.

So now, I just play the PC version when I want to have some mindless fun for an hour or so here or there. I was surprised at how quickly I got to level 50 and breached 500 power off of just playing Gambit. Not having Gambit pursuits left to chase on PS4, (which is a whole different topic I wan’t to talk about very soon,) makes me feel productive to play on PC, but I’m not overwhelmed with things to do or chase, because… well…. I don’t care about them.

I am now a casual player on PC. I use every weapon I get and it’s a completely different experience than playing on PS4. While one experience doesn’t necessarily win out over the other, I was surprised that I can coexist in both.

This is a very unique situation to lead me to being simultaneously hobbyist and casual, but it’s a very interesting phenomenon to analyze and reflect upon. While I appreciate and fully support the franchise’s direction of appealing more to the hardcore and the hobbyists, it’s going to always be important to keep the game approachable and fun at its core. That’s the key to Destiny’s long-term success, and you can bet Bungie knows it.

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