Destiny: House of Wolves - full gear set up to level 34 in PvP and PvE, upgrades, more
The Destiny: House of Wolves livestream this afternoon was chock full of information. Read onward for our full report.
According to Bungie, Petra Venj, who serves the Queen, is the main story agent who leads the player through the main series of quests. Players who complete bounties will be able to level up in her Queen's Wrath faction as they hunt down the House of Wolves.
Other characters will also guide players on their journey to hunt down those with bounties, and Bungie said there will also be more story elements in House of Wolves than in the Dark Below as the team has taken a "fresh approach to story telling."
As the player levels up they will be handed a new ship as well as shaders and armor along with emblems. Nothing has been announced on Grimorie integration.
Players will be able to earn a full set of Queens Wrath armor and gear from drops from both PvE and PvP up to level 34. These full sets are for all classes of Crucible and Vanguard through level 34 if you play enough of the endgame.
While there won't a "end game" Raid, Bungie has included "fun, end game PvP and PvE activities that will be challenging and varied." Each will require skill and will be different every time they are played."
One of the other characters who will guide players is Variks who is a Fallen vendor and a member of the House of Judgement. He plays as part in the battle arena mode Prison of Elders, and players will be able to partake in multiple challenges to get drops and turn into the barracks. Each week reaps different rewards with weekly resets like the rest of the game.
Fallen armor and weapons will also be equipable. Players will be able to preview the gear and there will be "secrets" inside the prison. All gear can be collected eventually, but in order to access the Prion of Elders players will need to finish the storyline.
Another new character is Brother Vance who is a a disciple of Osiris who players will come to acquire passage and new rewards earned in the new Trials of Osiris. Some of the gear makes you look like "an Egyptian King" according to the livestream.
Much like the Iron Banner event, Trials of Osiris will have consumables that effect how the event plays out and will run every Friday through Tuesday until the reset.
The Bounty Tracker Bot will also appear in The Reef, and players will be handed bounties similar to the Vanguard and Crucible bounties it hands out in The Tower.
Speaking of The Reef, that the postmaster and vault are also accessible from the new social space. All guardians are welcome in the area even if they do not buy House of Wolves.
Bungie said that players will still have reasons to visit the Tower, as it's the space where players will still outfit themselves and purchase new gear.
Speaking of The Reef, it is where the Awoken live and was described as a "dangerous place full of prates and derelict spaceships." One of the cool things about it, is that it's its very own self-contained marketplace. There is even room for expansion in the area, according to Bungie.
Players will be able to make use of the Bounty Tracker box, a post master and the vault while in The Reef. This doesn't mean there is no longer a reason to go back to The Tower. The Speaker, who is stationed there, will take your materials and exchange it. This includes Radiant Shards and Energy at varying levels which can be turned in for a charge of 50 Glimmer if the player wishes.
The Speaker will also have new armor and weapons for each faction and perks which will allow for a more streamlined and simpler economy. Using the aforementioned Radiant Shards as an example, these can be traded in for one Radiant Energy for said fee of 50 Glimmer. You can also trade Energy for Shards, and you can also earn 250 Glimmer for trading in one Ascendant or Radiant Shard. Want a Mote of Light? Give The Speaker two of your shards. I hope I didn't confuse you there.
With the expansion, Destiny, The Dark Below, and House of Wolves Legendary and Exotic weapons will be upgradable to full attack and defense. Xur is no longer required for this service, but not to worry: Xur will still pop up in House of Wolves, in "certain places with a bunch of stuff."
The Crucible Quartermaster also has new weapons for upgrade and every weapon and piece of armor in the game can now be upgraded now and Upgrade Paths will contain new materials.
For those still holding on to old armor or weapons because of their Exotic or Legendary status, House of Wolves will allow the gear to be max leveled using what's called Etheric Light. This new resource drops in the Trials of Osiris and Prison of the Elders experiences. Using the new resource along with Glimmer, Legendary weapons can be upgraded to 365 damage and the newer Legendary weapons in the expansion can be reforged by the Gunsmith.
Players will also be able to obtain Etheric Light as a rare drop during such tasks as the Iron Banner event. This means, as mentioned above, players will not need to buy House of Wolves in order to hit the level cap.
More will be revealed on House of Wolves in future livestreams which will take place each week at 2pm EDT. The next stream takes place on April 29 and will feature the reveal of Trials of Osiris.
On May 6, the Prison of Elders will be revealed, and come May 19, House of Wolves will be released.
Bungie said to expect a YouTube version of the livestream from today as well as more information in the next weekly update.
