Destiny gets a huge weapon tuning update, but what’s been nerfed?

A huge Destiny weapon tuning update has been detailed by developer Bungie, with the tweaks made to base and exotic weapons sure to affect how you play the online shooter.

“This update has been a long time coming, but I’m very happy to be here again to talk about some pending weapon changes,” wrote Destiny sandbox designer Jon Weisnewski.

He added: “First and foremost, I want to personally acknowledge the community for their resounding feedback on a variety of the items that we plan on addressing here. At times, we looked into rolling out one or two of these changes in advance of the 2.0.0 update; addressing Shotgun perks when Felwinter’s Lie became popular, addressing Thorn when it became the popular choice for Trials of Osiris.

“We heard your voices and we felt your pain, but plucking a few meatballs out of this massive plate of spaghetti proved to be very risky. These changes are all very dependent upon each other to be successful, and after careful consideration we decided the best road ahead was to present them all together as a full update.”

In the Bungie blog you’ll find a detailed analysis of every weapon being tweaked, from the base guns such as Pulse Rifles, Auto Rifles and Scout Rifles, to exotics including the all powerful Gjallarhorn.

Speaking specifically about Gjallarhorn Weisnewski wrote: “If Destiny had a nuke it would be the ‘Ballerhorn.’ We definitely intended to have a high damage Heavy Weapon that was ideal for PvE destruction. What we did not intend, and what we unfortunately saw, was pick up Raid and Nightfall groups gating participation based on whether or not players had this weapon. Gjallarhorn was so strong that for many people it had become the only answer to getting through tough encounters, and therefore they were less willing to spend time with other players that didn’t have it.

“We strive for Destiny to be a place where a single weapon or strategy does not dictate how, or with whom, you spend your time. In the new world Gjallarhorn is still worthy of its legacy as an exotic Heavy Weapon, but we hope it promotes inclusive behavior rather than exclusivity.”

With the Gjallarhorn Wolfpack Rounds now inflicting less damage the hope is for players to give other exotics a try.

Weisnewski concludes that Bungie will be monitoring player’s reactions to the changes.

“We playtested these changes every day, multiple times a day, in all activities, using all kinds of weapons. We feel pretty good about them,” he explained.

“However, the total amount of time we as a studio can spend on a given build of Destiny is a shred of a fraction compared to the first hour this update hits all of you. As always we are excited (and slightly terrified, to be honest) to see what comes of this update in your hands. We are reading forums, watching streams, listening to podcasts, at all times devouring your impressions in an effort to make this game better. We’re even reading the comments (shudder). Heck, some of us might even be the random Guardian in your pick-up Fireteam.”

Source: bungie.net