As the title clearly states. I could think of no aesthetic more powerful than the war torn wastelands of the Dark Age in Destiny lore. Set roughly 50-100 years after the collapse, with small pockets of human settlements struggling to survive against the forces of the Fallen and War Lords (or does that sound too much like a 90's computer game?). We could explore the bleakest -and perhaps the most foundational- period in Destiny lore, helping to establish some of the earliest settlements, and arm what few fortresses were left intact after the collapse. Could have Fallen and Warlords as an initial threat, then suddenly flip things on its head with Crota's invasion, and introducing them into the story similarly to the flood in Halo.
The whole game up to this point has been about establishing a base and promising shelter to civilians, and now the Hive have overwhelmed your defenses, one base at a time. I wouldn't dare consider this to have a campaign length like Halo, no no. I propose a true open world game with rpg-like quests and side quests, allowing you to join one or more factions such as the Iron Lords, or War Lords for an evil playthrough. Meet some of the major icons in Dark Age lore, like Saint-14, maybe even let him be a companion - mold his character throughout the game as he goes on this roller coaster of emotions (starts at rock bottom, finds some hope as we fortify our strongholds, then gets crushed as the Hive and Fallen take them back. Set up his character arc when we meet him in the corridors of time).
Let these factions serve similarly to the 4 side factions in Skyrim! Better yet, what if each of these factions could occupy one of the outer lying strongholds prior to the Hive invasion (which would serve as the climactic final act). Maybe if you join the Iron Lords you could play wingman for Zavala and Zafiya, watch their introduction and how their relationship develops through that questline. Let that greater Iron Lord questline focus on a more isolated threat of the War Lords, with a small scale war that results in one faction being either wiped out or forced to retreat from their base depending on which side you choose when the time comes. Or alternatively, there could be a hidden third option that becomes available under certain conditions based on the choices you make during *both* faction quests, if you do them in [i]just[/i] the right order.
I'm really just throwing out ideas and concepts. I just love the Dark Age aesthetic so much and think it could work well as a single player spinoff. Let me know what you think of the idea, and leave your thoughts in the comments. Maybe Bungie will see this and get an idea, who knows.
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Bungie hates Solo Players. Won’t happen.