Category:
General
| Written By Daimyon
| Tuesday, February 3, 2015
| 4
| 20
This guide is written for those who are unfamiliar with raiding in Destiny and are interested in getting involved. It will cover things that most seasoned raiders will consider common knowledge, but may be new to unexperienced players. These are only hints or guidelines, not meant to be the standard one should follow, but rather a good starting point to get you on track to being a successful raider.
Section 1: Are You Ready-a. Time
-b. Patience
-c. Level
Section 2: The Raider's Checklist-a. Gear
-b. Consumables
-c. Peripherals
-d. Time
Section 3: Knowing The Content-a. Class
-b. Gear
-c. The Raid
Section 4: Finding A Group-a. DestinyTracker.com
-b. Chat Etiquette
-c. Replying
-d. Be Polite
-e. The Tower
Section 5: The Raid-a. Performance
-b. Communication
-c. Preparedness
-d. Moral & Attitude
ConclusionResources1a. Time: The most important resource you can have when deciding to raid is time. Raids are not like strikes, and can't be done simply by clicking on an in-game option and being set up with the proper team, not yet at least. Preparing, finding, and completing a raid all require time. You will find that perhaps some weeks it required more time than others, especially if you are running with a different group every time, but eventually you will find a static group to run with and the time investment will diminish.
1b. Patience: This can't be overstated enough. When you are raiding, you are with a group of 6, twice as many as a strike, so twice as many things could go wrong at any point. You have to have patience to be able to weather these setbacks and soldier on to get past it. This is especially true when dealing with a new group. Not everyone is of the same skill level, and they likely don't know each other's play style, so there will be a bit of a learning curve. Patience will see you through all this. After all, quitting prematurely will not only get you no loot, but also a bad reputation.
1c. Level: This is where your actual character comes into play. Each raid has a set level, and the lower you are from that set level, the more damage you will take, and the less you will do, so you need to keep that in mind when asking a group to take you. Some groups may be willing to take lower levels along if they are confident, but there are a lot of groups who won't, so be ready by properly leveling your character and gear. It's also important to remember to upgrade your weapons. Some weapons just aren't nearly as effective as they should be without being leveled up (ie. Gjallarhorn) and thus puts you at a disadvantage.
2a Gear: When you are looking to join a raid, make sure you stop by the tower and take out all the equipment you will need for the raid before you join. Some groups frown upon necessary downtime when someone has to go to the tower to pick something up they should have brought with them, or even worse, switch to a different character to grab something. Foresight is everything, and in a way, this leads into knowledge of the raid you are joining, which I will address later.
2b. Consumables: There aren't really any consumables in this game other than Ammo Synthesis, unless you count telemetries, which are irrelevant here (you shouldn't be leveling gear in a raid, it should already be done). And for the most part, the only ones you will need are Heavy Ammo. This can get costly as they are 950 glimmer each from the weaponsmith, and Xur only sells them on few occassions. They are, however, very important, especially on final bosses where damage output needs to be at it's highest. Make sure to spend some time before hand farming for some glimmer to help out with buying these synthesis ahead of time. Resources will be provided at the end of the guide.
2c. Peripherals: This refers to things you use outside of the actual game. Your controller and headset, in this case, are what I am referring to. A fact that some people tend to forget about is battery life. Make sure you have fully charged batteries in your controller if you're going wireless, or have a spare set handy. Having your controller die in the middle of an encounter is often very detrimental to the attempt. Your headset should also be a concern as it's your main way of communicating with the group. Make sure you have it, and that it works. Groups don't often like taking players who don't have a mic, their mic doesn't work, or it gives off annoying static or noise. If you are joining a group without a headset, make sure they know this ahead of time.
2d.Time: Once again, time is important. Don't start in a raid if you only have one hour or less to play. It's not guaranteed that everything will go according to plan, and it may take a few hours, especially if you're running hard modes. Having to drop in the middle of a raid is not only bad for you, but hurts a raid as they have to find someone to replace you, someone who probably doesn't care or need the raid up until that point, which is far more difficult than finding someone who wants to start fresh.
3a. Class: Being familiar with your class, subclass, and it's abilities will go a long way in a raid. Not every class and subclass can do the same things, and there is usually a use for every subclass (except maybe Striker Titans). Know that at any time, you may be called upon to do something specific to your class or subclass, or even be asked to swap subclasses so you have access to an ability the group needs. This also falls into the Level portion of this guide, as making sure you have access to at least all of the abilities of one subclass is pretty vital. A group will be expecting you to bring certain things to the table based on your class and subclass.
3b. Gear: Knowing what gear you have and the bonuses it provides is also key when it comes to raiding. There are a few times when raiders will swap out gear to get specific benefits from a different piece that helps with an encounter. If that piece of gear isn't completely leveled, it may lower your light level when you swap to it, so that is something to keep in mind. Also, knowing your weapons will better inform you on what to bring along before starting a raid.
3c. The Raid: Probably the most important part of raiding is knowing the raid. There are a ton of guides, videos, or forums dedicated to documenting content and explaining routes and encounters, so make use of them and update your knowledge. Also, knowing the content will better allow you to decide which weapons to take along so you know ahead of time which weapon combinations to use for which fight. Keep in mind that fights aren't the only part of a raid which requires knowledge of. Paths between encounters often have mechanics you should be aware of. Some groups are ok with explaining these things to new players, but don't expect all groups to be the same
4a. DestinyTracker.com: As this is where you are, we will start here. The LFG button at the top of the screen will take you to the chat for groups. This can be for just about anything you require a group in Destiny for. The two methods of using this section are the chat, and the post. Familiarize yourself with these two functions and you will be raiding in no time.
4b. Chat Etiquette: First and foremost, spamming is a no-no, it will get you banned faster than posting porn... or maybe the same rate, either way, don't do this. When you are posting for a group in the chat, provide the information required in an easily readable post. Myself will often post my level, what content I'm looking for, and my gamertag (ie. LV32 Titan | LF Crota's End Fresh | GT: Daimyon). Be specific, but not overly specific. A rule of thumb is if you have trouble identifying what you're looking for at first glance, don't expect others to give it more than a passing glance. Make sure to add your gamertag, not everyone is going to click on your name to find out if you linked your gamertag to your DTR account before they message you.
4c. Replying: If you see someone posting that they are looking for people to join a group for the raid you are looking for, send them a message and ask for an invite. It's usually helpful to add your class and level, and any other relevant information in the reply. Replying via Xbox Live is always quicker than any other form of communication as it allows the person to click on your profile and invite you to the group. The two best ways of doing this, since the Xbox One and 360 interface tend to be very slow when it comes to sending messages, is either use Live.Xbox.com and send a message through their interface as it's much easier to look up someone's name and send a message, or through the smartglass app for your smartphone. If you don't have SmartGlass, I highly recommend downloading it for free.
4d. Be Polite: Be aware that not everyone will always invite you 100% of the time, nor will you be the fastest to reply to a post and you may lose an invitation to someone who replied faster, or has a more suitable character than you. Don't take this personally, it's just the way raiding works. You will find a group, it's only a matter of time and patience. The more polite you are to someone or a group, the better chance you have of leaving a good impression on them, and people remember that more than they remember when someone is rude.
4e. The Tower: The last way, and probably the least effective way, I will cover is the tower. Not only does being in the tower give you exposure to other players, but it also puts you on the Recent Players list of anyone who enters the tower and leaves. Being in the tower sometimes gets you random invites to groups, even if you're not expecting it. This is more likely to happen if you are equipped with good gear, people generally don't invite you if you're decked out in greens and blues. While this isn't a trustworthy way of finding the raid you're wanting to do, it is a good way of meeting new people, who just might have a static raid group and will invite you in the future.
5a. Performance: Nobody is expecting you to be perfect 100% of the time, unless of course you joined a professional clan and are trying to get world firsts or world records. You are allowed to make mistakes. Just be sure to learn from your mistakes so you don't constantly repeat them. Most people will give you a break because we were all new to raiding at one point or another. You will get better with time and practice, as well with a good understanding of the points previously covered in this guide.
5b. Communication: This is key in a raid. Unless you are playing with the same group and you all know what to expect from each other, there will be bumps in the road, and someone may need to call an audible. Don't panic, just adjust and continue. If there is something you need to let the others know, make sure you let them know it. However, you don't have to let them know everything. Something that I've notice holds back a lot of groups is that too many people start talking and trying to relay information that isn't always important. You don't have to let everyone know that a thrall is punching you in the back, or that there is a ton of heavy ammo on the ground, this just clogs up the communication pipeline and makes it harder for people to hear vital information when it's called out.
5c. Preparedness: Be ready to start an encounter when you arrive at it, or spawn in. Another nail in the coffin of many raids is too long between attempts at an encounter. If a group is spending 5 minutes on an attempt an 10 minutes between each attempt, it will wear on morale and people will start to grow tired of it quickly. It's important to be ready to play, unless the group calls for a bathroom break or something. If you need a break to do something, or have to walk away for a moment, let them know. Destiny doesn't have a ready check, so keep your group informed.
5d. Morale & Attitude: Don't let dying or wiping break you. It happens to every group sooner or later. If one person starts getting down and starts talking negatively about wiping at an attempt, it will spread to others and they will start to feel the same way. However, if you are positive and make sure you let others know you are good to go, that usually translates well with the group. After all, just think of how much fun you will have with your new weapons or gear after you finally clear an encounter.
The most important thing when it comes to raiding is to have fun. This is a game, even sometimes if feels more like a job. If at any point you are no longer having fun, take a step back and have a breather. The goal of any game is to entertain, not frustrate. With time and practice, you will get good at what you do, you will find friends to run with regularly, and you will learn new things that make you a better player. Just never give up, and always be looking for ways to improve your game. See you in the raid!
Glimmer Farming (video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDWYBvPINysLight Level Check:
http://destinytracker.com/Forums/Post/4227/2/how-much-light-is-needed-per-levelDestinyTracker LFG:
http://destinytracker.com/destiny/lfgVault Of Glass Guide:
http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Vault_of_GlassCrota's End Guide:
http://www.destinygamewiki.com/wiki/Crota%27s_End
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