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https://blacknerdproblems.com/the-lingering-legacy-of-the-destiny-2-mission-exotic/
Back in Destiny 1, most of our prowess was generated from our weapons, and raid weapons in particular were an entirely different band of power. The classic examples were Fatebringer from Vault of Glass (although I’m personally partial to the Vision of Confluence as that was my first ever raid weapon) and Black Hammer from Crota’s End. Black Hammer in particular was notable for just being flat out better than any other gun in the special slot when it came to PvE because of its ability to generate infinite ammo for landing shots in a game environment where ammo synthesis packs were necessary to endure some of the longer encounters and most of the encounters were designed with long range precision engagements. It was in fact so powerful that after the gun had been left behind due to the power climb, when they brought it back it as an exotic, it was still one of the best guns in the game. You just couldn’t use it with Gjallerhorn anymore, which depending on the encounter was perfect.
The other notable thing about the reprisal though was the fact that Black Spindle was a reward for completing an alternate route of a story mission, something that would also be seen with the original iteration of No Time to Explain. These missions served as a precursor to what we call the “mission exotic” which is exactly what it sounds like.
During the original of Destiny 2, after a campaign that was well received, an endgame that was shallow, and a DLC that had us running around a very small circle, morale was low in the community. Things were on the upswing though as Warmind seemed to be a welcome shift, but nothing proved it more than the community discovering a Taken portal on Io during a public event. If you were lucky enough to be able to interact with said portal, you were greeted to an ominous arena and a ticking timer. With a jumping puzzle that tested your confidence, if you managed to work your way through, you were greeted with hordes of Taken in a density that had been unheard of up to this point.
The atmosphere was surreal, the music hypnotic, and what we thought was a dead Hive Worm God mocked your efforts. A brutal battle of attrition occurred in every room before you came to face to face with three tanky bosses and blights with minutes left. It took everything you got and then maybe a little more, but if you succeeded, you were rewarded with Whisper of the Worm, the heavy weapon evolution of Black Spindle.
And Whisper of the Worm in its original state was a beast: an infinite ammo sniper that you could just fire forever. The heavy thunk of the gun reverbed in every envious guardian’s ear and set a standard. This was Destiny 2 at its finest. A mission that tested you, a reward worthy of that investment. And since then, the mission exotic has been coveted on both sides: for being proof of your skill and for the potent reward.
Outbreak Perfected was the second mission exotic, and the formula was inverted. After working with Mithrax, our first Fallen, sorry, Eliksni ally (in combat. Variks was technically the first even though he did some stuff), we returned to the old Tower and the remnants of the Red War. Zero Hour started off with heavy combat, followed by jumping puzzles, an encounter with the terrifying TR3-VR, concluding in a hectic final boss room that would eat you alive if you weren’t focused. But the return of the former raid exotic proved once again, there was a reason you wanted to venture forth and claim the SIVA infused pulse. While the gun itself wasn’t immediately meta, it soon found itself a niche and MVP as a raid ready weapon being able to take down raid bosses consistently in lieu of heavy ammo drops.
However, after Outbreak Prime, the design philosophy changed. Once you had the reward and the catalyst, there was not really incentive to run the content again outside of the hell of it and helping others. Additionally, it was around this time that the community got aggressively good at data mining and secrets were getting leaked. With all the dev time that went into the missions, it made sense that they wanted it to have some replayability and keep the experience lively even if it was spoiled to a degree, and thus we saw that the next two missions pivot.
The first of these was Harbinger, which brought back Hawkmoon as essentially a new gun, keeping the energy of Luck in the Chamber with a randomized perk pool and the potency of a one-shot with a skill-based perk. And this was directly followed by Presage and Dead’s Man Tale, which while neat, broke the convention of exotics being fixed, and so soon after Hawkmoon had already broken this mold (like exactly a season had passed). That said, Presage stood out for being a welcome return to the horror genre as you crawled through the vents of the derelict ship.
It would be a while before the next mission exotic would enter the conversion. Season of the Risen with Witch Queen brought the Dead Messenger from Vox Obscura, which was a return to expectations. Timed combat, get a unique gun. Of course, while Dead Messenger had a unique design, it was very much outclassed by a legendary raid weapon that two years later is still the most powerful add clear weapon in the game, and Dead Messenger only just got Demolitionist recently. But the mission itself was not hidden. You were directed to a moderately challenging test. Witch Queen ended with Season of the Seraph introducing Seraph Shield and Revision Zero: the first exotic gun that actually warranted to be created in the crafting system. (Sorry Osteo Striga and Class Specific Glaives, your glorified stats changes and reason to eat ascendant alloys does not mean you needed to be crafted).
Seraph Shield was a long mission, but it was perhaps one of the most memorable due to the beautiful skyboxes and the reuse of raid mechanics. The forced repetition of the mission in order to fully unlock was not great, but at the same time, like with crafting, at least there was an end goal. But it is here that Bungie settled on what the modern mission exotic would be. Slightly harder-than-a-strike mechanics with a reasonable combat difficulty resulting in a crafting gun.
Come Lightfall, Vexcalibur came out of nowhere in week 2 and actually necessitated some secret hunting, but the formula had been set. During Season of the Deep, the craftable portion of the exotic was suspiciously missing, but given that the activity was embedded within another activity and not a standalone thing perhaps asking for multiple runs there was slightly unreasonable.
Now, the final season of Lightfall (and Destiny 2 as a whole as the nebulous episodes are slated to take them place) follows the familiar cadence of the modern exotic mission. The Wish-Keeper bow is not a particularly powerful gun, although it does offer an impressive amount of utility and I have a lot of fun using it. But the Starcrossed, even running for the first time with no information, it was apparent the design had shifted dramatically. Given the mission (like Seraph Shield before it) was mandated for story progression, the encounters can’t quite reach the same high-end difficulty that started the legacy and the rewards have been toned down (although props to Bungie to the fantastic lore behind the mission).
Currently, the missions are still plenty memorable. The rewards don’t quite give the same high as infinite heavy or embedded nanites, but it’s fascinating from a design and philosophy perspective to see how the dynamics have shifted in response to the community and Bungie’s internal discussions.
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The post The Lingering Legacy of the ‘Destiny 2’ Mission Exotic appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Back in Destiny 1, most of our prowess was generated from our weapons, and raid weapons in particular were an entirely different band of power. The classic examples were Fatebringer from Vault of Glass (although I’m personally partial to the Vision of Confluence as that was my first ever raid weapon) and Black Hammer from Crota’s End. Black Hammer in particular was notable for just being flat out better than any other gun in the special slot when it came to PvE because of its ability to generate infinite ammo for landing shots in a game environment where ammo synthesis packs were necessary to endure some of the longer encounters and most of the encounters were designed with long range precision engagements. It was in fact so powerful that after the gun had been left behind due to the power climb, when they brought it back it as an exotic, it was still one of the best guns in the game. You just couldn’t use it with Gjallerhorn anymore, which depending on the encounter was perfect.
The other notable thing about the reprisal though was the fact that Black Spindle was a reward for completing an alternate route of a story mission, something that would also be seen with the original iteration of No Time to Explain. These missions served as a precursor to what we call the “mission exotic” which is exactly what it sounds like.
During the original of Destiny 2, after a campaign that was well received, an endgame that was shallow, and a DLC that had us running around a very small circle, morale was low in the community. Things were on the upswing though as Warmind seemed to be a welcome shift, but nothing proved it more than the community discovering a Taken portal on Io during a public event. If you were lucky enough to be able to interact with said portal, you were greeted to an ominous arena and a ticking timer. With a jumping puzzle that tested your confidence, if you managed to work your way through, you were greeted with hordes of Taken in a density that had been unheard of up to this point.
The atmosphere was surreal, the music hypnotic, and what we thought was a dead Hive Worm God mocked your efforts. A brutal battle of attrition occurred in every room before you came to face to face with three tanky bosses and blights with minutes left. It took everything you got and then maybe a little more, but if you succeeded, you were rewarded with Whisper of the Worm, the heavy weapon evolution of Black Spindle.
And Whisper of the Worm in its original state was a beast: an infinite ammo sniper that you could just fire forever. The heavy thunk of the gun reverbed in every envious guardian’s ear and set a standard. This was Destiny 2 at its finest. A mission that tested you, a reward worthy of that investment. And since then, the mission exotic has been coveted on both sides: for being proof of your skill and for the potent reward.
Outbreak Perfected was the second mission exotic, and the formula was inverted. After working with Mithrax, our first Fallen, sorry, Eliksni ally (in combat. Variks was technically the first even though he did some stuff), we returned to the old Tower and the remnants of the Red War. Zero Hour started off with heavy combat, followed by jumping puzzles, an encounter with the terrifying TR3-VR, concluding in a hectic final boss room that would eat you alive if you weren’t focused. But the return of the former raid exotic proved once again, there was a reason you wanted to venture forth and claim the SIVA infused pulse. While the gun itself wasn’t immediately meta, it soon found itself a niche and MVP as a raid ready weapon being able to take down raid bosses consistently in lieu of heavy ammo drops.
However, after Outbreak Prime, the design philosophy changed. Once you had the reward and the catalyst, there was not really incentive to run the content again outside of the hell of it and helping others. Additionally, it was around this time that the community got aggressively good at data mining and secrets were getting leaked. With all the dev time that went into the missions, it made sense that they wanted it to have some replayability and keep the experience lively even if it was spoiled to a degree, and thus we saw that the next two missions pivot.
The first of these was Harbinger, which brought back Hawkmoon as essentially a new gun, keeping the energy of Luck in the Chamber with a randomized perk pool and the potency of a one-shot with a skill-based perk. And this was directly followed by Presage and Dead’s Man Tale, which while neat, broke the convention of exotics being fixed, and so soon after Hawkmoon had already broken this mold (like exactly a season had passed). That said, Presage stood out for being a welcome return to the horror genre as you crawled through the vents of the derelict ship.
It would be a while before the next mission exotic would enter the conversion. Season of the Risen with Witch Queen brought the Dead Messenger from Vox Obscura, which was a return to expectations. Timed combat, get a unique gun. Of course, while Dead Messenger had a unique design, it was very much outclassed by a legendary raid weapon that two years later is still the most powerful add clear weapon in the game, and Dead Messenger only just got Demolitionist recently. But the mission itself was not hidden. You were directed to a moderately challenging test. Witch Queen ended with Season of the Seraph introducing Seraph Shield and Revision Zero: the first exotic gun that actually warranted to be created in the crafting system. (Sorry Osteo Striga and Class Specific Glaives, your glorified stats changes and reason to eat ascendant alloys does not mean you needed to be crafted).
Seraph Shield was a long mission, but it was perhaps one of the most memorable due to the beautiful skyboxes and the reuse of raid mechanics. The forced repetition of the mission in order to fully unlock was not great, but at the same time, like with crafting, at least there was an end goal. But it is here that Bungie settled on what the modern mission exotic would be. Slightly harder-than-a-strike mechanics with a reasonable combat difficulty resulting in a crafting gun.
Come Lightfall, Vexcalibur came out of nowhere in week 2 and actually necessitated some secret hunting, but the formula had been set. During Season of the Deep, the craftable portion of the exotic was suspiciously missing, but given that the activity was embedded within another activity and not a standalone thing perhaps asking for multiple runs there was slightly unreasonable.
Now, the final season of Lightfall (and Destiny 2 as a whole as the nebulous episodes are slated to take them place) follows the familiar cadence of the modern exotic mission. The Wish-Keeper bow is not a particularly powerful gun, although it does offer an impressive amount of utility and I have a lot of fun using it. But the Starcrossed, even running for the first time with no information, it was apparent the design had shifted dramatically. Given the mission (like Seraph Shield before it) was mandated for story progression, the encounters can’t quite reach the same high-end difficulty that started the legacy and the rewards have been toned down (although props to Bungie to the fantastic lore behind the mission).
Currently, the missions are still plenty memorable. The rewards don’t quite give the same high as infinite heavy or embedded nanites, but it’s fascinating from a design and philosophy perspective to see how the dynamics have shifted in response to the community and Bungie’s internal discussions.
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The post The Lingering Legacy of the ‘Destiny 2’ Mission Exotic appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
The supreme Addams family member is coming back to our TV screens in two snaps. Well, not quite that fast. But soon enough, Netflix’s Wednesday will return for season two and we cannot wait to hear Jenna Ortega’s snappy one-liners once again. At the end of season one, Wednesday and her friends defeat Laurel Gates. Meanwhile, Tyler is set to escape his very short time in custody. Nevermore Academy is understandably closed for the remainder of the semester as a result of all the drama. But what will happen when the school opens up once again? Here’s everything we know about Wednesday season two.
Wednesday Season Two’s Plot
Of course, we don’t know much about Wednesday season two’s plot at this time. It’s pretty clear that Wednesday, Enid, Xavier, and others will return back to Nevermore. We also know that someone is watching Wednesday and threatening to kill her, based on a text message she received while leaving Nevermore. There are still some secrets in Jericho to uncover, indeed. During the 2024 Emmys, Jenna Ortega revealed that the next season of Wednesday will pack in lots of horror, have more wonderful quotes, and that each episode will feel like its own movie.
What I can say … [is] we’re definitely leaning into a little bit more horror,” the Scream actress teased. “It’s really, really exciting because all throughout the show, Wednesday does need a bit of an arc, she never really changes, and that’s the wonderful thing about her.”
Ortega previously stated this, saying the show will leave romance in the rearview mirror. As much as we love a good romance triangle, Wednesday is at her best when she’s investigating and verbally skewering people.
Behind the Scenes
Jenna Ortega will join Tim Burton and Steve Stark, and others as an executive producer. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar will continue as co-showrunners. It remains to be seen who will direct its episodes.
Wednesday Season Two’s Cast
Alongside Ortega, Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Jamie McShane (Sheriff Galpin), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley Addams), and Fred Armisen (Uncle Fester) will probably return. Uncle Fester is reportedly getting his own spinoff, so an episode this season could serve as a backdoor pilot for that show.
It’s also probable that Hunter Doohan’s Tyler Galpin and Christina Ricci’s Laurel Gates will also return as antagonists alongside some larger threat.
Last year’s TUDUM event revealed that we will meet a new Addams family member. Who could that be? We have a few ideas about which Addams family member could show up in Wednesday.
Wednesday Season Two’s Release Date
Wednesday season two will tentatively start filming in April 2024, so we can probably expect a 2025 release date.
The post Everything We Know About WEDNESDAY Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.
The first season of Star Wars: Andor ended in 2022, and fans have been patiently waiting to learn the fate of its lead character, Cassian Andor. Well, not his ultimate fate–we saw Rogue One, we know how it ends for Diego Luna’s rebel hero. But we are still dying to know how he got from where we left him off at the end of season one of Andor to the determined rebel warrior of Rogue One. Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming second (and last) season of Andor.
Andor’s Season Two Plot
The end of Andor’s first season saw Cassian finally embrace becoming a true fighter for Luthen’s cause. All putting him one step closer to the character we first met in Rogue One. Showrunner Tony Gilroy has confirmed that they will split up the second season into four three-episode installments. Each of these three-episode chapters would cover a 12-month period. A year that is crucial to the development of the Rebel Alliance.
In Andor season two we’ll see how Cassian met his trusty droid buddy K-2SO. We’ll also visit the Rebel Base on Yavin IV, a location familiar well-known to viewers of A New Hope and Rogue One. We also expect that early on in season two, Mon Mothma and Cassian Andor will finally meet face-to-face. Thanks to set photos, many fans believe Queen Amidala’s homeworld of Naboo will play a role in the second season as well. Ultimately, season two will cover five years, dovetailing right into Rogue One’s beginning.
Behind-the-Scenes
Andor season one creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy returns for season two, closing the chapter on Cassian’s story. Directing episodes in the second season are Ariel Kleiman, Janus Metz, and Alonso Ruizpalacios. Kleiman is directing six of the 12 episodes overall. Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy, Beau Willimon, and Tom Bissell are the known writers for the second season episodes. Delays from the SAG-AFTRA strike and the WGA strike caused the series to delay shooting for months. But shooting commenced as soon as the last strike ended.
Andor’s Cast
Of course, Diego Luna once again portrays our titular hero Cassian Andor. Joining him once more are Stellan Skarsgård as Luthen Rael, and Genevieve O’Reilly as Senator Mon Mothma. Benjamin Bratt is said to join the series in an undisclosed role. Rogue One actor Forest Whitaker returns as Saw Gerrera, as does Alan Tudyk as the droid K-2SO.
Even though it appeared his days were numbered by the end of season one, Andy Serkis has hinted that he’s returning as former prisoner Kino Loy. Also returning is Kyle Soller as Syril Karn, Denise Gough as ISB agent Deedra Meero, and Adria Arjona as rebel Bix Caleen. Faye Marsay (Vel Sartha), Varada Sethu (Cinta Kaz), Elizabeth Dulau (Kleya Marki), and James McArdle (Timm Karlo) round out the cast for season two.
Andor’s Release Date
Although originally announced as returning in the summer of 2024, thanks to various delays, it now looks like Star Wars: Andor’s second season won’t arrive till 2025.
The post Everything We Know About ANDOR Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.
(Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images) By Shelby Stewart & Okla Jones ·Updated January 15, 2024
Television’s biggest night has returned, and it’s been well worth the wait. Held at the Peacock Theater at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, the 75th Emmy Awards was truly special, and the entire world was fortunate enough to experience it.
Tonight’s ceremony aired about four months after its original date due to the SAG-AFTRA strike last year. Due to the long anticipation, there was a different feeling in the atmosphere, and all of the industry’s brightest stars were in attendance.
Hosted by Black-ish star Anthony Anderson, the 2024 Emmy’s opened in grand fashion. It featured a beautiful monologue from the actor, who paid homage to some of the great television shows of years past. With the help of an amazing–and hilarious—choir, Anderson recited the theme songs from classics such as Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Good Times, The Facts of Life, and Miami Vice.
Beyond being able to reminisce about our favorite shows and see some of our favorite characters reunite on the stage for “television’s biggest night of the year,” we also can celebrate the production’s showrunners, as the executive production team was a trio of industry veterans.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: (L-R) Tisha Campbell Martin Lawrence, and Tichina Arnold speak onstage during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) We got to see the cast of Martin onstage for a special cast reunion, and the four spoke about their run on Fox, Emmy snubs, and the gratitude for the opportunity to share this moment with the audience.
It was a stellar night for Black women, as Quinta Brunson won Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, for her role as Janine Teagues in Abbott Elementary. Brunson’s win makes her the first Black woman to win in the category in over 30 years — prior to her win, the last Black actress to win the award was Isabel Sanford for The Jeffersons in 1981. Similarly, Ayo Edebiri took home the Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series for playing Sydney Adamu in The Bear. Edebiri was also up against Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary) and Jessica Williams (Shrinking) in this category. She joins the ranks of fellow Black actresses Jackée Harry (1987) and Ralph, who won the award in 2022.
In her acceptance speech, Edebiri says to her parents, “thank you so much for loving me and letting me feel beautiful and Black and proud of all that. It’s probably not, like, a dream to immigrate to this country and have your child be like, ‘I want to do improv!’ but you’re real ones.”
Sam Richardson took home an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series for playing Edwin Afuko in Ted Lasso.
Presented by Brunson and five-time Emmy nominee Marla Gibbs, Niecy Nash-Betts won the Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Emmy for her powerful performance in Netflix’s Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. In what was a stirring acceptance speech, she thanked her cast, the streaming service, her partner, Jessica Betts, and herself. In a powerful moment, the Los Angeles native gave a nod to her oftentimes misrepresented counterparts.
“Finally, I accept this award on behalf of every Black and Brown woman who has gone unheard, yet overpoliced,” the visibly emotional Nash-Betts said. “Like Glenda Cleveland, like Sandra Bland, like Breonna Taylor. As an artist, my job is to speak truth to power, and I’m going to do it until the day I die.”
"I'm a winner baby!" – #Dahmer star Niecy Nash-Betts wins Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie pic.twitter.com/63IZ8Sqiq3
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 16, 2024After a great win by Rupaul’s Drag Race for Reality Competition Series, Anderson introduced Arsenio Hall, who presented the award for Scripted Variety Series, which went to Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. Later in the evening, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah received the statue for Variety Talk Series, a much deserved win for Noah and his team during his final season as the show’s host.
The show also included an in memoriam tribute, which featured Tina Turner, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Clarence Avant, Richard Roundtree, Harry Belafonte, and more.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: RuPaul, winner of Outstanding Reality TV Competition for “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” poses in the press room during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie Niecy Nash-Betts, DahmerMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, speaks onstage during the 75th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on January 15, 2024. (Photo by Valerie Macon / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Ayo Edebiri, The Bear, poses in the press room during the 75th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on January 15, 2024. (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary, accepts her award onstage during the 75th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on January 15, 2024. (Photo by Valerie Macon / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: Trevor Noah accepts the Outstanding Variety Series award for “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” onstage during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/WireImage) TOPICS: Black Emmy Award winnersThe post All The Winners From The 75th Emmys appeared first on Essence.