Although claims against Destiny's repetitive nature are not entirely unfounded, there is still plenty to do and many hours of gameplay available in Bungie's new shooter. Much of this comes from the competitive multiplayer section of the game, the Crucible, which is a different beast entirely from the missions.
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The Crucible offers your standard deathmatch and objective-based game modes, but there are many variables that go into whether or not you succeed. We've put together some tips to serve as a guide, which will hopefully help you Guardians out there.
Weapon Damage Is Made Equal For All Players, But Your Selections Still Matter
Everyone's primary weapon will do the same damage in the Crucible, disregarding the different stats to level the playing field. However, your weapon choice is still important: the rate of fire, accuracy, and recoil on a gun will carry over, and some are definitely better than others. Pick a weapon that can help you quickly finish enemies at close and medium range, because (especially when facing high-level players) your opponents will be doing the same. On a similar note...
Stick To Auto Rifles
There may be some out there who find success with Scout or Pulse rifles, and that's cool. But by and large, the Auto Rifle weapons are easily the most effective against other players. The jump in efficiency of these guns when you get towards level 20 is huge, and the better ones can kill off enemies in seconds while remaining accurate at a high rate of fire. You can always have a sniper on hand to serve as your long-range alternative, and nothing is quite as good in most situations as a trusty Auto Rifle.
Use The Radar, And Beware Shotgun Campers
I'm of the belief that the presence of the radar makes competitive multiplayer much worse as it removes the effectiveness of clever map movement and unexpected approaches, but there it is in Destiny nonetheless. As such, you might as well use it to your advantage.
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Don't keep a constant eye on it (you'll probably end up running right into an enemy while not paying attention), but be sure to check it frequently. In particular, if an enemy is nearby and seems to be around a corner, don't go charging in. Players seem to love baiting opponents while they lie in wait with a shotgun, and that's not a winning proposition for you at close range.
Save Your Super For Good Situations, But Don't Hold Onto It Forever
It's tempting to keep holding on to your Super attack for that ideal moment, and it is in fact a good idea to try to maximize the damage you deal when you use it. However, you can end up waiting too long and only using once per match, or thinking you have the perfect scenario lined up before missing the enemy entirely and wasting it after all that time. Your super will recharge and is not permanently gone after a single use--it's sometimes okay to only get one or two kills rather than fantasizing for the moment you can take down the entire enemy team with one attack.
Sniper Rifles Are Really Effective
This one is pretty straight forward, but if you're any good at aiming a sniper is suggested. Headshots are instant kills, and two to the body (or likely one to a weak opponent) will down an enemy as well. Carrying one is recommended--even though there are good cases to be made for the Shotgun and Fusion Rifle--particularly because of their range advantage. Below is a clip of a triple kill I pulled off (from the beta) using a sniper; they can be quite efficient.
Try To Play Intelligently In Objective Games
It's tempting to run around the map and get kills while assuming your teammates will handle the rest, but you should really consider the objective as you play. When everyone runs to the same point in Control, it leaves the rest exposed. Map control is crucial in any competitive shooter, and sometimes smart movement and positioning at one choke point or objective can be much more useful to your team than running around picking up a few kills. Don't assume someone else will play the objective role--help your team as a whole, or the score will suddenly be pretty lopsided.
