The Summit Replaybility Suggestions
Optional Objectives
I've posted about this before in other threads, but I'd like to share what another game does with the concept of tower / dungeon game mode. If you know of any other game that has a similar mode, but is more feature complete, please do not hesitate to post screens / share.
The game I will be referencing is Ni No Kuni 2.
One of its DLCs brought about a labyrinth - a 100 floor dungeon that gets progressively difficult the further you go down. This is obviously what Summit is doing. The concept is not new by any stretch of the imagination, it's just that Division 2's attempt at the concept is poor in comparison.
Two things that Summit is missing are randomized floor challenges and player buffs / debuffs. Here are some screenshots below:
In this shot, you have the list of challenges on the side.
Spoiler: Show
1. Win without taking damage
Simple, although it's a matter of completing an encounter without taking damage rather than clearing the entire floor.
2. Use full-Zing skills six times
More specific for the game, however, consider this as only using a specific skill six times.
3. Smash a phantasm field foe in one blow
Again, game specific, but to generalize this: imagine killing a specific type of enemy in one hit / shot. One shotting NPCs in Division, especially in 4 man heroic might be impossible, but the overall concept of killing some type of enemy under certain conditions can still apply to the game.
Here is another:

Spoiler: Show
1. Win without using restoratives
Pretty straightforward. Win an encounter without healing
2 Win with a Ding-D combo strike (The second D word was censored)
Similar to number 2 above, you could consider this as only winning an encounter with a shotgun or SMG.
3. Win only using Bracken
Bracken is a character in the game, so win an encounter only using that character. Would be similar to number 2, or you can spin this into Win only using the Technician specialization, for example.
Summit should come with optional objectives that players can complete for additional rewards.
The most important materials in the game are:
Exotic components
Crafting / brand set materials
Faction keys
If Summit were to introduce optional floor challenges, like mentioned above with Ni No Kuni, these materials can act as rewards, along with a general loot reward. Say a set of 3 floors asks me to complete them with only an SMG (3-star). Upon completion, I get rewarded with one piece of targeted loot, 3 Hyena keys and some crafting materials. Or say I am asked to complete a set of floors with only a pistol and a shield, and without healing (5-star). The reward is a named item, two pieces of targeted loot, and 3 exotic components. Things like that. The point is not the type of challenge that would appear, but principle itself.
Obviously, you'd tailor the challenges based on difficulty, so that the more 4 and 5 star level challenges only appear in higher difficulties. Ideally, these challenges would only apply to the player, so that they don't have to rely on the entire group to complete them if they are in one.
Buffs and Debuffs
In the screenshots above, you will see "The Experience of a Lifetime" and "All Enemy Attacks are Critical." These are buffs and debuffs that increases the amount of XP that you gain from killing enemies, and making enemy attacks only do critical damage, respectively. Because Summit is considered a game mode, it should introduce a similar floor buff and debuff system.
The floors are played in a set of three. One set could provide a buff that grants all players unlimited special ammo. One buff could have skills always overcharged. Another buff could greatly reduce skill cooldown, like the firing range, or increased reload speed, movement speed, resistances, weapons have 100% accuracy, players do 10% amplified damage, etc. There are a lot of elements in the game that can be utilized as floor buffs and debuffs. Debuffs: increase enemy resistances, enemy electronics are immune to disrupt, every player weapon has a 5 second reload time, increase the amount of dust to obscure vision (kappa), etc.
Directives are already debuffs, but you can get more creative with having an entirely original buff and debuff system. Take inspiration from global events as well.
Buff / debuff system could be something like:
Floor sets will grant 1 Buff + 1 Debuff (give and take)
Floor sets will grant either a buff or a debuff (who knows what'll happen)
The intention of a buff is to grant the player some power that they can't get any where else in the game, mostly, while a debuff is a way to provide a challenge without increasing enemy vitality and damage. Whether the buff and debuff system is optional is up for debate.
The Chest: Make it a Focal Point Towards Replayability

The overall goal of Summit is "replayability", right?
I believe there is an issue with this goal, because it conflicts with two aspects of the game: seasons and low quantity of new items when new items are added to the game. I realized that what's not making the Summit replayable is appearing on the seasons reward track. Both the Momento and Backfire are appearing as exotics that players will eventually get for free. Meaning, things that could have been placed inside the chests in Summit, and ultimately sparking replayability, are being given out for free. By doing this, you've just taken away possible replayability from Summit
But this is also because Division updates don't come with a huge wave of new items. TU11 came with 3 exotics, 1 new gear set and 1 new brand set. Again, 2 of those exotics are free without much effort into one specific activity. The brand set is something you can get outside of Summit anyway, with the named chest piece being sold day one at the BoO vendor. That only leaves Ridgeway's Pride, which was the sort of grind that Division needs.
All the attention of what would make Summit replayable has been pulled away from it because of the season reward track and the low quantity of new items being introduced, in my opinion.
Point being: please put new exotics in the chests of Summit, and have it be their only source until they are obtained. The same must be done for new gear sets and named items. But this also must be parallel with having a huge quantity of items, so that you have a bunch to distribute to other parts of the game. Not every exotic needs a source. A general exotic drop of something new would be sick, but I've had Ninjabike drop multiple times in Summit. With having all exotics except the raid exotics, seeing the red beam is not exciting because I know it's something I already have.
To round out the exotic pool, Division 2 is currently missing:
Defensive Exotic Mask (Plsss be a revamed Ferro's Mask
- Vivian's Oxygen Mask or something)
Skill Tier Exotic Chest
Defensive Exotic Holster
Defensive & Offensive Exotic Backpack (Ignoring Momento)
Offensive & Defensive Exotic Gloves
Skill Tier Exotic Kneepads
Now, this is obviously not a hard rule to follow, but it was something that I noticed. If these items are ever created, please, for the sake of replayability, put them in the Summit chest, because I believe the chest is the focal point in making Summit replayable. These exotics can be difficulty specific, too, much like the parts of Ridgeway's chest is. Player buffs and debuffs would provide further support for making Summit an engaging activity. The challenge is there, with things being randomized, but after Ridgeway, much like the Diamondback, there will be no true reason to replay Summit except "because there's nothing else to do."
That's pretty much it. Not trying to make huge systematic changes to how the game mode is played, but more so suggesting things that can compliment what already exists.
11 people found this helpful