Destiny End Game and You

Some say life after 20 is downhill, in Destiny’s end game you’re just getting started. When you reach level 20, Destiny turns down the familiar MMO road of grinding. Now this might put you off, but let me assure you, it’s not as boring as it is in other MMOs.

Level 20 soft cap:

Yep, level 20 isn’t a “hard” cap!  To achieve the levels needed to enjoy the end game raid and strike modes you will need to collect gear with +Light. The fun part is +Light gear can only be obtained once you’re level 20, through drops or various missions and strikes or reputation.

So how do you gain XP you ask?  I’ve listed for you all the ways you can gain those valuable Motes of Light, so you can truly unlock Destiny’s endgame.

How to gain reputation:
Like most MMOs nowadays, players have to do more than just kill to gain reputation; this can include, but not limited to harvesting resources for specific factions. With Destiny players are doing the same, except more killing than harvesting. To gain reputation in your chosen factions, you will have to wear the faction specific class item (note Vanguard is the default reputation).

Rare Materials:
While running around for patrols and missions you will come across random materials, collect 50 and hand them in for reputation and marks.

• Earth = Spinmetal
• Mars = Relic Iron
• Moon = Helium Filaments
• Venus = Spirit Bloom

Bounties:
These are missions available in the tower.  Missions can be anything from “Collect 9,000 experience without dying” to “Kill X boss in this place.”

Crucible:
Destiny’s name for the PVP zone. While shooting and killing through the modes you will be able to gain Crucible Reputation and Crucible marks for those purples.

Patrol Missions:
In each area there is a Patrol Zone, this zone is where you will be completing your bounties (if any) and any missions available in the zone.

Weekly Strikes/Strikes:
At level 18 you unlock the strike play list. At level 20, you will stop gaining experience and you will solely be gaining reputation of your chosen faction. PVE related events will also be granting you Vanguard Marks, along with reputation.

Daily Heroics/Heroics:
Similar to Strikes, Heroics are story missions on Heroic Mode. Each day there will be a Daily you can accomplish for Vanguard Marks and reputation.

In addition to this, at level 20, weekly/daily heroic strikes are also unlocked. These highly customizable weekly strikes are reset every week on Tuesday and reward 3 Vanguard marks and 3 Strange Coins upon completion.

Raids:

The first raid is named Vault of Glass and can be found on Venus. There will be no match making and meant for a team of 6.

How do I get my sweet gear?
Bungie has made it that you can only farm 100 Vanguard and Crucible marks a week, so you will have to be smart with the gear you will be looking to get your hands on. Now to buy guaranteed Legendaries you will need 65 Marks for your boots, gloves, chest or 120 Marks for your head. Weapons are 150 Marks. As for being smart, the key stat here is +light, the more of it you have, the higher level you will be and in turn get into the higher level raids and get higher level gear – the circle of life.

Between you and I
I would avoid spending any marks on items like Cosmetic items, Motes of Light, Coins etc… You will find those eventually, the key here is to gear up. Purples are the goal.

Factions

Currently there are 7 main vendors/factions, and 1 sneaky vendor. The special ones I’ve listed below, the others are defaults that you’ve been talking to since you started at level 1. To gain reputation in the various factions you will need to buy the faction specific class item.

Future War Cult // location : Tower Hanger Sells Armor and Weapons Future War Cult reputation Crucible marks

Dead Orbit // location : Tower Hanger Sells Armor and Weapons Dead Orbit reputation Crucible marks

New Monarchy // location : Tower Hanger Sells Armor and Weapons New Monarchy reputation Crucible marks

Xûr (Xur), the Agent of the Nine // location : Random ( only available from Friday to Sunday ) Sells Armor and Weapons Strange Coins

Xûr, destiny’s version of the trench coat man : http://t.co/OTZtYVNzjW — \\dale\\ (@Geekpr0nDale) September 12, 2014

So you can see, life isn’t over at level 20.

I’m a bit surprised that you can’t use vanguard marks for the other vendors, so PVP will be my world for a bit as my goal is to be a big nasty Titan tank and New Monarchy seems to have what I am hunting for.

How about you?

Tell us in the comments how your character is shaping up!

[ update ] Thanks to the comment below, we now know Xur spawns every weekend in a random location in the tower.