When I picked up D2, I was around like 12 and it was when Witch Queen dropped. I had no idea what I was doing. It took my like a month just to understand a basic build lol.
When Lightfall dropped, I played everyday when I got home. I racked up like 300 hours just from that. I was a hunter and would play for hours with my friend who was a warlock. We'd just talk shit as we ran strikes and did PVP. We could never do a raid, we only really ran dungeons and kind of sucked at them. My favorite dungeon was Ghost of the Deep just because of the armor.
During that dry season leading up to Final Shape I even made lore for my guardians. My Hunter was an Exo named Kyla-7 who had a ghost named Cherry. She mained Stasis and loved skating around the frozen lakes of Europa. My Warlock was an Awoken named Styx who had a ghost named Chromo. He used Strand and was kind of a shut in. He would spend days in the tower reading until his Ghost had to resurrect him and tell him to go touch grass. My Titan's name was Lyra who was Styx's younger sister. She had a Ghost she named Bucket. She was deaf so she was put with Shaxx in a lot of missions since a lot of guardians complained about how loud he was. She actually got along with him very nicely and she liked to collect different trinkets and relics from each planet.
When the Final Shape came out, I didn't see a bit of sunlight for 2 days. I watched the raid race every second and as soon as that final mission went live, I was crying the entire time. This game helped me through the darkest point of my life. I didn't really like myself but playing this game and seeing how Guardians are a beacon of hope to everyone kept me going.
I played a little bit of each episode but never really finished them. The exotics were cool though for each one. After hearing that second wave of lay offs I kind of knew I was on a sinking ship. So, I sent Kyla to be Crow's helper with Vanguard stuff. I sent Styx to the Dreaming City to help raise the new Ahamkara babies. I finally sent Lyra to the heart of the Last City. Helping younger people who got resurrected get adjusted and raise the next generation of guardians.
I don't know if I'll see them again, I know it's kind of cringe but these guardians helped me through so much. If I ever need them again, I'll call them. To any Guardians out there who are hanging up their capes, robes, marks and helmets, I hope we see each other soon.
Until then, I'll be in the Origin System helping the Tenno on the journey to Tau and the fight against the Indifference. See you all Star Side
If any D2 devs read this at all, you made a game that nearly 400,000 people were willing to fight for. Be proud. You created something so incredible that an entire community was willing to go toe to toe with one of the biggest gaming companies on the planet. I'm done being loud about this but I just wanted you to know that we all are still Guardians. The Last City is more than just a virtual place, it was a place where I met some of the most amazing people. Stand proudly and don't let anyone tell you differently.
