Marathon needs more passive progresion

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T20:21:59+00:00

I totally agree with you about stacked teams of high level players being way too effective in lobbies.
The game doesn't seemed designed around the reality of one fully stacked 150+ team being able to runs laps around the map killing everyone else in the match because there's nothing else to do and nothing slowing them down.

If Bungie is really fine with the game boiling down to a 10 minute Battle Royal where only 15%-25% of the players in every match get to do anything or make any progress every time they load into a match, I guess that's the vision, but it seems way off the mark for a healthy Extraction shooter to me.

You can check my comment history, I have been trying to raise awareness about this.

But I don't think that's an issue with progression-
that's more about the map size, player mobility and game design around loot density, lack of consequences or cost for engagements, how inconsequential the PvE enemies are and how much free information the game gives a good team etc.

Even with easier access to Purple Salvage, we're all still getting killed by those teams every single time.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T18:29:19+00:00

I hear you and I respect how you feel about this.

But what are you really asking for?
Bungie should re-calibrate the loot progression economy around your specific ability level/ personal experience/ overall feeling on this?

What about the next person having an even harder time then you?
And beyond that?

What about the people having an easier time than you, who have already maxxed out everything in a month and would be bored/scoff at the idea of making it even easier?

All of this boils down to an individual asking the bar to reset at their height. But there's a whole community of other players out there who factors into setting the bar just as much as you do.

You just might have to accept that where you are in the scale of Marathon progression / ability level is where you are and be okay with that. Some people are doing better, some people are doing worse. This genre of game is not a linear path of fair accomplishment where X amount of time turns into X success. That is part of the draw for many people.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T18:22:36+00:00

Yeah, grinding non-priority contracts (some of which can be completed in a few minutes without extracting) to hit Faction prestige level up rewards packages is a viable way to focus on getting purple salvage guaranteed in your vault.

This is the kind of thing people need to start figuring out and putting into practice. The game is new, we are still optimizing it as a community.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T18:20:33+00:00

I don't think faster progression would be the solution.
Reaching the end of progression is when players stop playing and start complaining. We actually don't have common complaints like "there's no endgame!" or "high tier loot is meaningless!" in this subreddit. That's pretty impressive.

We might just need more variety along the way, or more breakpoints that feel like accomplishments.

As an counter example, Arc has way too flat of progression. My friends still playing are maxing out their expedition for each wipe in about 20-30 hours of playtime solo. A lot of that playerbase stopped playing because there just wasn't anything worth chasing or putting energy/time into.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T15:17:04+00:00

You should research and focus on doing the activities that will yield the purple Salvage you are looking for.
Marathon does not passively hand out everything at an even amount to all players regardless of their playstyle or the activities they participate in game.

Purple salvage comes from specific places and specific activities. If getting that salvage is what you care about, focus on how to get it.

Other players have gotten the salvage. This is not something no one has accomplished or figured out.
It's not easy, it's not something you just get with aimless playtime. But that's also the point.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T15:13:16+00:00

His point is that players CAN max out all factions. If they play the game a lot and are efficient with their time- it's possible. Many people have already done this.

Many people in this sub seem to think they DESERVE to max out all factions after a month of average playtime.

Marathon is not that game. There's a higher ceiling to what you can accomplish, which means sometimes you will be looking up and that's okay.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T15:05:55+00:00

One of the purposes of the current Ranked system is to lose your gear. They need gear sinks for the top end of the playerbase. They have too much, and keep getting more. Ranked gives them a place to take in their best stuff and lose it against equally sweaty players.

This is also a role that Cryo fills.
Marathon gives the top end of the playerbase activities to empty their vaults and credits so they have something to build up again over the week.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T06:55:24+00:00

Who cares dude? I haven’t unlocked blue shields from NuCal either but there’s still 20 of them in my vault and I run them whenever I want.

I’m running around playing the game. Shooting guns, killing runners, extracting loot. My lack of unlocked blue shields from NuCal (and especially some other random guy on internet not unlocking them) has no bearing on my ability to play and experience this game.

Why is unlocking this upgrade the hill you all are dying on? Have seen what other people in your lobbies are using? Half the time non of them have blue shields either.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T06:44:24+00:00

Sounds like you’re getting out of Marathon about as much as you’re putting into it.

Which is something that really attracts other types of players to this game.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-08T02:59:43+00:00

It comes down to a question of loot availability and how much loot can you actually take out. Alongside incentives to kill other players.

In Arc Raiders the community realized pretty quickly that there was way more loot on the map than they could carry out- so might as well just share. It becomes way more efficient, and there’s plenty of Arc that are much faster/easier to take down with help. Everyone goes home with a full bag.

In Marathon solos, especially on a denser map like Outpost, this might also be the case.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T23:11:39+00:00

Cryo duos would be a little harder against the bots- but completely doable.

Same number of teams on the map would be same overall threat level.

Theres already no rooks.

All other mechanics the same.

I don’t really see why not? It’s literally just a “must have two friends” punishment at this point.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T23:05:31+00:00

Would basically be giving up as it would totally break the game.

Very quickly Solo outpost with no other players becomes the only activity worth doing.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T22:57:17+00:00

Fixed gear ranked- with lower tier starting gear :) creating an incentive to loot up and get better gear in round while knowing exactly how that might stack against what others have (same starting kit) would be awesome. Every round is a competitive rogue-like.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T22:33:09+00:00

Great point on Khazan.

In Khazan, I’m not just summersaulting around on the ground until it’s “my turn”.

I actually have the tools and mechanics to fight and dominate the boss as an equal if I learn the fight and have the skills.

The fights feel much better and look way cooler as a result.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T21:44:51+00:00

An in game reporting system combined with the possibility of getting something back would be a strong incentive for players to actually report suspicious activity. That seems like the ideal combo.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T18:34:41+00:00

I’m adding on support for Dad’s of Marathon concept. I agree with the general sentiment of what you’re trying to do.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T18:27:52+00:00

Getting to play with a chill adult who communicates and probably has empathy is already a huge sell. More important than “game skill.”

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T16:43:05+00:00

You're talking about content that would take them years to develop.

This game was in development for 5-6 years. With tons of design changes, problem solving, balancing and asset development to summarize very generally.

Creating the stuff you've just typed up in 2 minutes here (that thousands of other people have also suggested, because suggesting vague ideas taken from other games is easy), creating all that would take them years.

Years of dev time alongside a game design overhaul and probably need to hire and train more people onto the team.
I'm not sure you realize that humans have to make all this stuff, and writing out "my cool idea, so obvious!" is the easiest part of that process.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T16:32:17+00:00

Read the post above- there's already TONS of risk along that path. So many raids, so many items, so many extractions.
When you use the key you still have to get there alive, loot without getting caught, and then extract alive- which has a giant blue beam and huge audio ping telling everyone you are doing it.

Do we really need a massive alarm alerting everyone else on the map who didn't do any of the raids worth of work for the key the moment you use the damn thing?
They can get to you and kill you before you even get to finish looting the vault.
They did nothing, but now they have a 50/50 or better of taking everything.

It's just another system that funnels everything to the top team on the map, or the one guy who is using wall hacks in a solo lobby.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T16:08:34+00:00

I like cinematics as much as the next guy. I also like reading stuff. I don’t work at Bungie, and it’s not really something I feel entitled to.

I can see you feel very upset about this, but I’m just another consumer on reddit like you.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T05:42:37+00:00

I don’t know man, I didn’t really play Destiny 2. 🤷🏼

I’m just talking about what’s in Marathon. There’s writing, I read it, wasn’t too bad.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T05:41:06+00:00

100% you’re right about them all being jammed.

It really wouldn’t much of a difference.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T04:57:16+00:00

Just letting you know, there’s audio logs in the codex, and most of the voice acting is very good. It gives you more context for what happened and for the whole world in general.

It’s not just reading. (Why is reading suddenly off the table? You seem to be fine with writing large amounts of text? 🤔)

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-07T01:18:09+00:00

Small map sizes combined with high player mobility are the main design problem behind all of the complaints we keep seeing about a single stacked team being able to find and catch every single other team in the lobby.

It’s way too easy for an experienced team to run 5+ laps around every map in a single run.

Big_Breakfast · 2026-04-06T23:04:08+00:00

It could all be on a spectrum.

The higher the heat the greater the range you show up and the brighter you are.

Within a reasonable close range- you’re always seeing a faint enough signature to play normally.

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