that's gotta be where I'm at too, because the last couple times I've played there has been nothing to raise my level--which is still 269. all of the dropped legendary engrams are all 265 or so.
I don't remember what the flashpoint netted me when I returned to Cayde at the tower, but I don't think it was anything exotic. I did grab an exotic weapon from Xur on Nessus (super random spot btw) and it was worth finding him. Also, I keep doing the 3x challenges on each world but what exactly do those do?
Until power 265 everything will boost your level. 265-275 is a weird time, since vendor rewards are "stuck" at 265. 276+ is the slow part - blue stuff will drop at 10 levels below your max power. Legendary and vendor also will drop at -10 levels, but with a legendary mod you can make that to -5. Exotic engrams will drop at -5 (so will match your level with their legendary mod). The only way to increase your power level will be :
1) powerful gear milestone rewards - they are matching your level (so with +5 mod are over it). You'll be getting two items per reward, so with a bit of luck that's +1.5 levels each reward (each power level is around 7-8 light). If you roll an exotic, that's +5 light more. Examples - if your power level is 288 when getting a powerful gear reward, legendary items will be 288 from it (293 with a legendary mod) and exotic items will be 293 (298 with a legendary mod)
2) exotic quests - their legendary prerequisite (drang or miditool smg) will roll at your level (so +5 over with a legendary mod) and the exotic itself will be +5 (so +10 over your current power with its legendary mod). However, if items go over 300, it slows down even more (by around 1/3). Example: your power level is 289. Minitool SMG will be 289 (294 with leg mod), midi tool scout will be 294 (299 with leg mod).
3) infusing legendaries with exotics (to match your current power level on the legendary item) - not on their own, but they will add more light to your power level overall and help it go up with the other powerful gear you get from milestones.
Some tips:
- just play the game spend bright dust on fireteam medallions and do stuff (public events etc). You'll be getting exotic drops now and then
- don't worry about losing exotics - if you want to switch your build, rebuy it from the bank and infuse with the item you're currently wearing but won't in the new build
- gamble glimmer on blue mods from the gunsmith. Keep around 20k glimmer around, rest spend on gambling
- exchange 3 blue mods into a legendary mod
- items you wear don't matter for your current power level and drop level. Only max of what you currently own and can wear across all your characters does (that you can equip - hunter armor doesn't count for titan for example)
- before 280 your mods matter the most, so check every legendary item you get and if it rolls with a legendary mod, keep it maxed with infusion (you don't have to use it, you can keep it in the bank if it's not for your sub class for example - but the mod doesn't matter much, so best to use the item)
- infuse exotics into legendary items even if it's a minor boost - that's the only semi-reliable way to bring items to your current power level (and with powerful gear going over in other slots, it will increase your overall power level by quite a bit, even if the current item will "just match" your current level)
- even if you gain a single power level, check which items are lower than -5 vs it. Find blue gear to max those items before picking any more powerful gear rewards - often you'll be on the verge of another level after last powerful gear boost, so you'll be losing a lot of power up chances if you pick all rewards at once.
Over 300 things slow down even more outside of the raid. Everything still drops at -10, exotics at -5, but exotic rewards from quests drop at +3 (+8 with mod, vs +5/+10). For example - if you're 295, you're getting 285 blues (or 284 - they've added a chance to get it lower to slow down infusion a bit), 285 (290 with mod) vendor rewards or legendary engrams, 290 (295 with mod) exotic engrams, 295 (300 with mod) legendary quest rewards but 298 (303 with mod) exotic quest rewards. I don't know about legendary behavior over 300 (from quests or powerful rewards), I'll know after Tuesday reset
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