"Destiny" players have had quite the adventurous ride with the popular franchise over the past three years. From the days of "Destiny" with their infamous Loot caves, and over-exuberant focus on grinding, to "Destiny 2" where the focus has been mostly on a much bigger story, less grinding, but better rewards and scheduled gameplay.

That's right, "Destiny 2" has gotten rid of the infamous loot caves from the first game. Caves chock-full of low-level enemies and sweet rewards. Gone. Well, gone until some players discovered a similar type of loot Cave in the new "Destiny 2," though no doubt that loot cave will soon, if it hasn't already, face the fate of its predecessor from the first game, and be patched into oblivion.

The fate of the loot cave

Back in August, before the release of "Destiny 2," WIRED interviewed Bungie's Luke Smith who had this to say about the loot cave from the first game, "The loot cave was a pretty fun time in 'Destiny 1.' What it showed us was that the game we shipped in 2014 was a game that people wanted to play, and that it also wasn't rewarding enough. What we've tried to do with 'Destiny' and now 'Destiny 2' is make the game feel pretty rewarding so that standing in front of a cave, shooting into it, isn't the best way to play it."

And so, that was the end of the loot cave for the "Destiny" franchise. Or so players thought. Some players did manage to find a loot cave in "Destiny 2," however, there was no way to know if the cave was a sanctioned feature of the game or a glitch to exploit.

Either way, players weren't looking a gift horse in the mouth.

But, Smith's assessment of the loot cave seemed to be true. The rewards didn't seem to provide any type of satisfaction for players. Sure, there was a quick power up to 256 power level but that was as high as one could go. Luckily for players, Bungie has other plans to provide a more rewarding gaming experience for players with actual rewards.

Bungie's future for 'Destiny 2'

A major difference in gameplay between the "Destiny" games is what appears to be an appeal to casual gamers. The original game was extremely heavy on grinding -- requiring players to spend hours completing patrol missions in order to prepare for a raid or strike, all with very little story.

It's predecessor, however, has focused heavily on story and earned reports of players being frustrated after only a few weeks of playing.

"Destiny 2" features milestones, public events, and strikes which reset weekly. Essentially, players can keep powering up and finding more challenges with only roughly five hours of gameplay a week.

This is great for the casual player who got frustrated with the first installment of the franchise due to the constant need for endless grinding, and hardcore gamers running the game. Trials are still available for the hardcore gamers of the franchise, but the casual player certainly wins out more, meaning the second installment of the franchise has the potential to last longer than the original when it comes to replay value.

Fight on, guardians!

Some players may be frustrated with the lack of continuous challenges after only a few weeks worth of gameplay, but from a business standpoint, it's smart.

Players can play at their leisure without worrying about falling beyond, dedicating hours of time they may not have just to keep up with the rest of the community.

There seems to be a method to the madness, and that madness seems to be keeping people anticipating what comes next, what challenges are waiting around the corner, and it keeps everyone, regardless of skill level, ready and able to take on those challenges with equal in-game power levels.

Rise, guardians, join the fight, take back your planet, and rescue the traveler and the speaker. The war has just begun, and, like all wars, there is still much left to do. Fight on, guardians!
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