Destiny 2 - Transmog

Limiting how good you can look.

Destiny 2's new Transmog (Armor Synthesis) system is ready to launch with Season of the Splicer on 05/11.

However, it's arriving with a heavy amount of community backlash following the 04/22 TWAB, which outlined the core system behind it, detailed limitations to how much a player can customize (for free) per season, the cost of Silver upgrades, a new currency system, and more. 

Cutting straight to the chase - I was very disappointed by the reveal of the system behind the limited Transmog/Armor Synthesis. I don't even want to call it a full Transmog system, because it feels like an artificially held-back version of what I had aspirationally hoped it would be.

Yet, I don't think an entire article breaking down my frustrations is all that helpful days before the new season launches - and it's already been covered at length on social media & from other content creators.  Instead, this article is intended to highlight my thoughts at various points in the upcoming season, as a way to both look back at my initial impressions and reflect up how the system actual is in actuality.

So, the format of this post is intended to reflect impressions at multiple check-in points. The plan is to do a "Triple Take" on Transmog/Armor Synthesis. I'll detail my initial impressions now, but will also circle back at different points in the next season, adding updates to this post.

Update Schedule: 

1. Initial Impressions - 05/08
2. Feature Launch Impressions - 05/16 (post-feature launch)
3. Late Season Impressions - 60-90 days into Season 14 .

1. Initial Impressions - 05/08/2021

Normally, I'm very understanding of Bungie's decisions in Destiny 2. Sunsetting, content "vaulting", Stasis in PvP - all things I find myself on the understanding side of the spectrum. Heck, on Press What To Join, I'm considered the "Bungie Defender" of the group when it comes to discussions.

However, this one really hurts. The news that Transmog will be capping the number of Synthweave you can earn per season is disheartening. Yes, I understand this is a business, but an Eververse-based Transmog system was never the vision projected in those "State of the Game" posts.

Those posts, where my initial expectations for this system started to form, led me to believe this was supposed to be freeing system. A system that let you openly customize and express your character design.

Reading the description below - I am stunned the decision was to set the cap at 2 full sets per season (or 10 Synthweave).

In comparison to the number of armor sets I've earned, it simply feels constricting. 

On one hand, part of me wonders if I had too idealistic a hope of what Transmog would be heading into this next season. There were very few specifics, letting me daydream that the system would be as freeing as being able to outfit your Guardian as you wanted. 

Admittedly, I began approaching armor collection prior to the 04/22 TWAB with the idea that I could make any number of armor sets I wanted to into these Universal ornaments. 

I went back looking through old TWABs looking for verbiage or text that would have indicated it was going to be the open/flexible system I'd hoped for...and found very little. Most of Bungie words about it are very straight spoken like, "This will allow players to turn their Armor into Universal Ornaments." 

They also encouraged people to delete old gear, stating they would be available if earned to create universal ornaments from - and while they aren't wrong - there was no mention I would be limited. And as a result, I ran with the idea that all would be available to me.

It's a shame they didn't try to get further ahead of this and better set expectations for players in the community, like myself. 

Instead, it appears they thought they had really gotten it right or knew they definitely didn't. In the 04/22 TWAB, they wrote that to "celebrate" the release of Transmog in Season 14, they were granting a temporary increase to 4 full sets or 20 Synthweave.

This increase feels like an admission they knew full well it's too restrictive.

And in general, it just misses the mark in calculating for the dozens of armor sets already earned. I can see the cap being fine season-over-season - as we usually only get 1-2 new armor sets per season anyway. But at its current cap, given how many sets ongoing players have amassed, the math is staggering just how long it will take.

My hail mary hope is that limit is strictly on what is earned for free-in-game, not the total number that can be acquired AND that there is a generous amount of materials (many full sets worth) ready for us as a starting point when S14 launches. If they intended on making this an incredibly scarce resource, perhaps it could also drop as rewards? 

However, its looking like that won't be the case, as there aren't any Synthweave in the Season Pass Rewards, and they haven't hinted at a bulk drop of these to start the new season. 

Heading into Season of the Splicer, here are some of the questions I'll be thinking on as I use this new system:

• How is the Synthweave system & new in-game currency
• How long will it take to max out the number of free Transmog upgrades?
• Is there a different limit between earnable (in-game) vs acquirable Transmog upgrades (Eververse bought)?
• Is this Transmog system overall an improvement?
• Do I actually find myself changing my style more because of it?
• Looking back, was the seasonal limit as big a deal as I believed it would be?
• Will Bungie announce or implement a change to the system following community feedback? 

This will wrap-up my initial impressions. I'll try to keep an open mind heading into the next season, which is just around the corner. 

2. Feature Launch Impressions - 05/09/2021

Plan is to check back the weekend after Season of the Splicer launch.

3. Middle-of-Season Impressions - TBD

Plan is to check back in 60-90 days into the new season.