Why your high-level Guardian is dying in Destiny's Iron Banner
Despite advertising Destiny's Iron Banner as a player-vs-player event where - according to the official Iron Banner site - "power matters," it seems that developer Bungie may have left room for confusion regarding just how much it matters.
"The way we pitched Iron Banner did make it sound like a 'no-holds-barred' playlist. In reality, we delivered what we felt would be a competitive experience for everyone, not just players at the level cap," senior designer Derek Carroll wrote on yesterday's Bungie Weekly Update. "Your skill will take you 80 percent of the way to victory, but that last 20 percent will be a much harder climb without the gear you've been relying on."
How much harder? About seven levels' worth, according to Carroll: "To keep competition close and avoid unwinnable fights, the largest advantage you can have is around seven levels. So, if you attacked a target 20 levels above you, you'd have a fair shot at winning that fight." Carroll also notes that, while "time-to-kill" is the same whether a high-level player is shooting at their equal or a low-level foe, the opposite is not true, meaning lower-level players should have a harder time killing experienced combatants.
Destiny has had a bit of a rough go post-launch, with players exploiting its respawn system, tweaks to how often players acquired quality loot, and bugs revealing content related to upcoming DLC. The Iron Banner began October 7 and will conclude on October 14.
[Image: Activision]
