Destiny 2’s Contest of Elders Doesn’t Hold a Candle to The Coil

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Summary

  • Contest of Elders lacks exciting loot compared to The Coil.
  • The Tonic system negatively affects drop rates in Destiny 2 activities because base chances are lower to account for Tonics.
  • Bungie struggles to reproduce successful seasonal activities in Destiny 2 after The Coil.

As a seasoned Guardian with countless hours spent traversing the cosmos in Destiny 2, I must admit that the Contest of Elders has left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed, particularly when compared to the legendary status of The Coil.

As a film enthusiast might put it, not every seasonal activity in Destiny 2 can be compared equally from a design perspective – some are more straightforward and accessible for all skill levels, while others offer a deeper challenge with greater rewards. Over the years, there have been instances where certain seasonal activities failed to captivate players due to various factors. However, The Coil, introduced in Season of the Wish, is often hailed as Destiny 2’s finest activity. It offered secrets, loot that depended on score, hidden chests for players to discover, and multiple bosses. The Contest of Elders, while similar in many ways, differs significantly in one key aspect.

The Contest of Elders, modeled after Destiny 1’s Prison of Elders from the House of Wolves expansion, shares a similar structure with Season of the Wish’s The Coil, particularly in its design layout. Similar to The Coil in Destiny 2, the Contest of Elders features multiple rooms and bosses for players to challenge. Unlike The Coil, where modifiers persist throughout the entire run, the Contest of Elders introduces new modifiers after each encounter instead. Despite being one of Destiny 2’s finest seasonal activities in terms of gameplay, its loot drops are disappointingly scarce.

Why Destiny 2’s Contest of Elders Falls Short on Loot Compared to The Coil

In Destiny 2, it’s not just the Contest of Elders activity that’s the problem when it comes to its loot; rather, the issue lies in the fact that this should have been a primary activity at the game’s launch for Revenant, providing craftable weapons instead of just seasonal ones. The Coil has the potential to dish out some of the best loot in the game, including Ascendant Alloy, red-border guns for crafting, high-stat armor, and more. This could have significantly improved the player’s experience.

Contest of Elders Doesn’t Offer Great New Loot

In contrast, the Contest of Elders activity was introduced in Act 2 of Destiny 2: Revenant, significantly limiting the variety of new weapons it could potentially drop – only three to be precise. This reduction has dampened the overall excitement for players. Although Contest of Elders can still yield other Revenant weapons in Destiny 2, the standout choices from Act 2 are Noxious Vetiver and Scavenger’s Fate. Some of the refurbished Season of the Splicer weapons also offer a pleasant surprise. However, the issue lies in the fact that Contest of Elders awards minimal loot compared to The Coil, and its shorter duration doesn’t seem to compensate for this disparity. This is indicative of a larger problem with Revenant, particularly concerning the Tonics.

How Destiny 2’s Tonics Affected Contest of Elders’ Loot

The system in Destiny 2, known as Tonic, is intended to boost the chances of obtaining Revenant weapons, but unfortunately, it falls short because the amount of gathered ingredients is insufficient compared to the high cost of making the Tonics. To add to this issue, the Tonics have been plagued by bugs since Act 1 and continued into part of Act 2. Despite the promise of a higher drop rate for Revenant weapons from Tonics, it doesn’t compensate for the low rates from seasonal activities like Contest of Elders. Since there is little reward in the form of weapons or materials, even if Contest of Elders is enjoyable to play, it may not be worth investing time into compared to other activities.

In simpler terms, it can be said that the normal drop rates for Nightfalls in Destiny 2 are superior to those in the Contest of Elders, and the loot is more engaging too. For instance, the Rake Angle glaive from Destiny 2 can come with Replenishing Aegis and Chill Clip, making it an effective weapon for stunning Champions. However, Revenant weapons are not the best option compared to others, despite Bitter/Sweet and Noxious Vetiver being improvements over previous choices. This indicates that Bungie has yet to recreate what made The Coil such a fantastic seasonal activity, although Contest of Elders does touch on some similar points.

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2024-12-20 02:44