So I'm combining chapters to make a decent 5000 word count a chapter. If I've added a Codex Entry to the bottom of a page, that entry does not count to the total.
-Edited info and plot in this chapter.
-Made easily spotted changes to Revan's arrival into the game.
-Added another astartes player; varied their specialization. More to come.
-Changed Leah/Leandra's intro.
Tell me if I screwed anything up, parts seem strange or you have any questions in a PM or review!
"Show me a fortress, and I'll show you a ruin."
Chapter 1 – Link Start: Astartes – Part 1
"…today's date is March 23rd, 2018 and thousands of gamers young and old are returning to their homes with Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online and their personal NERVE Gear. I've been told that the Astartes/Sororitas rumors have been confirmed and just six hundred NERVE Gear helmets, regardless of the edition you purchase, will have the Astartes – that is, the Space Marines – unlocked for Imperial and Chaos players. And just only three hundred helmets will have the Sororitas race unlocked for the Imperium. And I'm getting an update from Jenny who is on location at Akihiko Corp America in San Jose, California that Chaos players won't be able to play 'corrupted' Sororitas but have more Chaos Space Marine content, such as Traitor Legion Banners, the ability to gather large bands of Cultist NPCs, Chaos Marine NPCs and…oh, I'm not supposed to say anything else. We'll be moving to Jenny on the other side of the convention; take it away Jenny!"
Screen changes to show a pretty redhead smiling in a large convention room filled with people and Warhammer merchandise.
"Hey there Leslie, I'm here at Akihiko Corp America, San Jose, California and the convention room is packed. Over three hundred players, reporters and 40K fans are here to see some live-gameplay of Destiny Online, buy some wicked 40K gear and meet the design and development team of this phenomenal game. Over to my right are three life-sized Space Marines. From what I've been told, each one is from a different clan of Astartes, called Chapters, or in one's case, a Traitor Legion. Going from left to right, these are an Ultramarine, a Grey Knight and a Black Legion Traitor Marine. And I-OH My GOD! Sorry, folks but it turns out that there are actual people beneath what I now know is a costume. (Jenny smacks the laughing Black Legion Astartes)."
Screen pans left, following Jenny as she walks over.
"And here on my left is the man who made this all possible Kayaba Akihiko! Hello Akihiko-san, can you tell me anything at all about Destiny Online that you feel our viewers at home should know before logging in tonight?"
[Kayaba] - *smirks* "Well I'd just like to say that Destiny Online will be the ultimate experience in gaming history. The truly immense game world won't just be limited to the planet Ageria, but will span the entirety of Subsector Regulus. Subsector Regulus initially has five planets: Ageria, Orion, Cyrax, Dur and Cerberus. And I'd like to announce that for the first three months, all Imperium players will be restricted to Ageria, Eldar players to Cyrax and our Chaos players to the planet Cerberus on the other end of the Subsector. This will allow players to settle into the 40K Universe and really feel the separation of ideologies of Chaos, Eldar and the Imperium. After those first three months, I'll be revealing the two main methods of transport between the planets. There will be many more surprises in the days to come so be sure to log in on time so you won't miss out on the exciting world of Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online."
[Jenny] -"And what about the established Astartes/Sororitas rumor? Any comments on that?"
[Kayaba] - "As we've stated earlier today, only six hundred Nerve Gear helmets will have the Space Marines and three hundred for the Sisters of Battle unlocked."
[Jenny] - "But Akihiko-san…"
[Kayaba] - "Call me Kayaba, it's much easier."
[Jenny] - "Kayaba-san. But doesn't that unbalance the game by having a whole race and set of classes exclusive to the Imperium?"
[Kayaba] - "You might say that, but in fact, the inclusion of Sororitas characters balances everything out. Remember that everyone in the 40K Universe can turn to the Chaos Gods. Adding to the fact that players have the choice to stay true to their initial alignments or turning to the other side, you have the chance to add whole new dimensions to the 40K Universe."
[Jenny] - "But isn't a Sororitas falling to Chaos completely against the lore of Warhammer?"
[Kayaba] - "No, not really. According to my colleagues in Games Workshop, there has been only one case in the lore of a Sororitas turning to Chaos. And after several months of negotiation by Bioware and myself to give players that freedom of choice, Games Workshop has decided to allow Sororitas players to turn to Chaos."
[Jenny] - "So players that want to play as a Chaos Sororitas have to first start off as an Imperial then turn to Chaos? Isn't that a little drawn out?"
[Kayaba] - "Yes, but sometimes the lengthy path to your goal makes the end more worthwhile."
[Jenny] - "One more question; is it true that three weeks ago, the original Alpha and Beta testers were let in early? Isn't that a bit unfair? With a three week headstart, those players will have most likely taken the best gear, leveling areas and titles; giving them a supremely disproportionate advantage over the rest of the world."
[Kayaba] - *Clears his throat and explains when all around him, fans and gamers where shouting their agreement with Jenny* "Indeed. Despite my colleagues at Games Workshop and at my own company's arguments, I along with Bioware decided to open Destiny Online to our Alpha and Beta testers in thanks for all their hard work. In the three weeks since their 'headstart', the Founding players have already risen up and reestablished their former seats of power. We've already witnessed the return of several major guilds on all three starter planets. All of them major nexuses of information and feedback during our Alpha and Beta stages."
"On Ageria, four Imperial guilds are present; two on the largest continent and one on each of the two smaller continents. The largest, the [Agerian Planetary Defense Force] is based in the beginner city, [Algeron] while the smallest guild, the [23rd Agerian Orkbuster Regiment] is based far south of [Algeron]. Their base is the only wall standing between the relatively peaceful starter areas and the savage lands inhabited by the largest Ork Clanz."
[Jenny] - "And the other two guilds?"
[Kayaba] - "A surprise for our players, Jenny-san."
[Jenny] - *Sighs dramatically and asks about on the Eldar planet Cyrax and the Chaos-infested planet of Cerberus.*
[Kayaba] - "Currently there are only two guilds on Cyrax and a single guild on Cerberus. On Cyrax, the jungle world is mostly wild and untamed. Both guilds are based in the starter city, [Cathair Breithe]. The [Vengeance of Dynoc] and [Isha's Salvation] are both rather small in number compared to both their Chaos and Imperial rivals but I have high hopes for their potential. The only Chaos guild, the [Dread Legion] is based in the starter city, [Shadowed Intent]."
[Jenny] - "Kayaba-san, what does the establishment, or reestablishment, of guilds have to do with the early entry of the Alpha and Beta players?"
[Kayaba] - "The information they've gathered on the new and updated game will help ensure everyone has a very good shot at surviving the coming weeks."
[Jenny] - *Looks confused by the 'surviving' comment.*
[Kayaba] - "There is much more ground to cover. I invite you and everyone across the world to go to the official website for further information and insight into the game."
[Jenny] - "Well thank you for your comments, Kayaba. This is Jenny here at Akihiko Corp America, back to you Leslie!"
Screen turns back to Leslie, now standing right next to a stage surrounded by screaming fans and gamers.
"Welcome back! Now I'm here standing in the crowd as a band made entirely of Beta Testers for Destiny Online has just finished performing one of the original songs they made after being so inspired by their experiences in-game! Let's take a look at these clips from their performance."
"Bring your bolter,
Ready your gear!
The time has come,
The battle is here!
Raise your voice,
Shout to the night!
Fire your lasgun,
Stand and fight!"
…
"On to the battle,
We sound your doom!
Here come the Noize Marines,
We bring the boom!
Run you cowards,
Beware our reign!
For long shall be your suffering,
Joyous your pain!"
"As you can see, the 40K universe is all around us and even now the crowd is calling for more and more. Now we get ready for the most anticipated countdown in history since Apollo 11! Here we go!"
Leslie turns and stares with the crowd at an enormous screen bearing a countdown timer; less than ten hours until the servers opened to the inevitable flood of gamers.
Screen fades out…
Warhammer 40K: DO had been out for a good three weeks and finally, James finally picked up his pre-ordered Silver edition of the VMMORPG. Every Alpha and Beta player were gifted their own Gold Collector's Edition and a random selection of one thousand pre-ordering gamers the opportunity to enter the game three weeks ahead of everybody else. Needless to say, Revan was completely jealous of those lucky enough to have been chosen.
Already, thousands of screenshots and action vids had been posted all over the web. Each shot and sequence was so amazing that the whole world had been biting at the bit to get into the game…
"…ten…nine…eight…seven…six…"
He sits in his room staring at his clock, Nerve Gear helmet in place…
"Five…four…three…"
He saved so much money to buy the Silver edition and now after four years of waiting, the time had finally come for him to enter the grim dark future.
"Two…one…"
'Heh…I'm ready.'
"Link Start!"
His vision fades to black and he finds himself in a dark void. All around him shines countless stars and nebulae; one glance and he realizes it's the 40K rendition of the Milky Way… James smirks and sees in front of him are two towering Astartes, one a Loyalist Ultramarine and the other a Traitor of the Black Legion. Above them is the shining battered-steel logo for Destiny Online and he can faintly hear hymns sung by a choir echo throughout the void.
"Love the Emperor,
For He is the salvation of mankind.
Obey His words,
For He will lead you into the light of the future.
Heed his wisdom,
For He will protect you from evil.
Whisper his prayers with devotion,
For they will save your soul.
Honour His servants,
For they speak in His voice.
Tremble before His majesty,
For we all walk in His immortal shadow."
A beautiful voice echoes, asking,
"Welcome to Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online. You are about to enter a grim dark future where there is only war. The Imperium of Man stands alone against countless foes bent on their destruction. The Eldar Craftworlds are slowly dying out; extinction is inevitable. And just beyond the Eye of Terror, the legions of daemons, traitors and heretics of the Dark Gods await their moment of triumph.
You have entered a time of terrible strife and danger. This universe is not for the faint of heart. Would you like to begin?"
James inwardly cheers, saying "Yes". The two Astartes disappear and a pillar of light takes their place. The galaxy expands rapidly, dragging him to a specific portion. In mere moments, James finds himself floating before the pillar in the midst of Subsector Regulus.
"Step into the light so that the system may identify you for maximum interface. Do not exit the light until the process is complete. Failure to follow these instructions will result in the loss of your right to enter the game."
Stepping in, James feels like a wave of heat surges down on him. It starts off as pleasant warmth, the kind you get as you bask in the morning sun. Then heat built up to the same temperature as standing right in front of a blazing fire. The pain is almost unbearable, but then it quickly subsides, leaving James feeling fairly overheated and sweating (digitally). An ancient-looking ship appears, swallowing him whole. James finds himself standing in the hangar of the space ship. He glances around and a console appears to rise from the floor. Upon it is a single passage:
Enter Name…
Seeing the instructions, James sets his screen name as [Revan] and luckily, it is accepted. The voice returns and says,
"Profile saved. Hello [Revan], you will soon step into the grim dark existence of the Warhammer Universe. The next phase is character creation. Are you [Male] or [Female]?"
James, or rather [Revan], chose [Male]. He didn't really see the attraction of playing as a girl…he had enough trauma from his last MMO experience, thank you very much!
"Next, [Race]. Are you [Human] or [Eldar]?"
Picking [Human] as he thought the [Eldar] guy looked too much like a girl, Revan was then presented by a mirror image of himself, clothed in plain brown pants standing on just the other side of the console. His other self stands eerily still, its eyes closed. A low hum fills the air he's presented with a bright, shining two-headed eagle cast in gold, an [Imperial Aquila] and a cast-iron, eight-pointed star, [Symbol of Chaos] floating on either side of his avatar. Not even waiting to be asked, Revan quickly chooses the Aquila and is next presented by not three, but four classes to choose from! Arrayed around him are four version of him going about their business in the hangar bay.
One wearing the flak armor of an Imperial Guardsman was beside a Leman Russ tank, leaning against the side.
The one in the red robes of a Tech-Priest stood nearby, taking apart the Russ' left treads and examining the axels closely.
A third wearing the simple garments of a Citizen was huddled against a pile of crates, a rucksack at his feet.
And lastly, a towering [Astartes] in plain white armor stood farther away, examining his combat knife.
'No…freakin'…way…'
Not even giving the voice time to speak, Revan rapidly jams the console as hard as he can, choosing the [Astartes] class. He's practically giggling at his unbelievable luck. What were the chances of actually picking one of the six hundred Nerve Gear helms with the astartes option unlocked?
Stifling his glee, Revan remembers the voice is still speaking…
"…if you decline to edit your appearance, simply choose the Chapter in which you serveand your journey may begin. Remember, the Chapter you choose will decide the very path you may take on your journey in the grim dark future of Destiny Online."
Mildly confused about the lack of further instruction and the ominous message, Revan chooses his favorite Space Marine Chapter, the Blood Ravens. He watches in awe as his character's armor took on the blood red and bone white coloring of the Blood Ravens. The armor also seems to gain some scratches and battered parts…
Suddenly, his counterpart's eyes open and Revan finds himself in a dark enclosed space…accompanied by the feeling of rapidly falling…
"…rother Revan…Battle-Brother!"
'Huh? What the hell?'
Revan's vision blurs for a moment, then a HUD of all things appears before his eyes. On the bottom right corner of his HUD, a box with a sound wavelength graph appears; the graph appears to change as the voice speaks. A half-second later, he's suddenly aware of who it is talking to him…
"Yes, Brother-Sergeant Tyrus?"
The disembodied voice of the sergeant echoes in the confines of the drop pod he is in, informing him of the situation.
"Brother, you have been knocked off course by the orks' anti-air defenses. You will impact half a mile west of Sergeant Gremory's position."
Revan nodded and noticed a countdown timer appearing on the top left of his HUD. Less than five seconds…four…three… He braced himself just as his pod hit the ground hard enough to knock his breath away.
"Oi, iz wun of dem beakie boyz' metal roks!"
"Lez stomp 'im boyz!"
Revan's pod slammed open and he found three ork boyz armed with crude axes staring menacingly at him. Knowing that he had little time, Revan yanked out the bolter uh, bolted to the pod's struts and open fired on the orks. He managed to blow the arms and heads off of two just as they charged his pod. The last ork boy got too close and his axe's upswing knocked Revan out of the open pod. He slammed to the dirt and a box of text appeared, blocking the ork from view. He rapidly read the information as the ork had resumed the attack; his savage swings managing to dent Revan's vambraces.
Revan scrambled to reach his bolter and just as he grabbed it, the ork boy exploded into a shower of flesh and blood. He stared for a moment and recalled the text box that had blocked his vision just a second before…
[Tactical Marines carry a number of weapons on their person as they enter into battle. Usually their main weapon is a bolter but they always bring along a sidearm such as a boltgun or plasma pistol magnetically locked to their left thigh. They also always bring a combat knife that is either strapped to their right calf or lower back.]
He groaned, rubbing his forehead and glanced around for his savior; it took him a moment but his HUD picked out the Imperial Fist Sternguard Veteran that had killed the ork boy. He had just dragged himself to his feet when the Veteran slammed in front of him. The other astartes took out a few more orks with his [Stalker Bolter] before speaking.
"Hey, the name's Jarek. Lucky I found you, newbie, elsewise those orks woulda ripped you to pieces. *shots ricochet off his armor* One sec…*returns fire*…so you're a Blood Raven. You gotta head up that ridge, alright? Careful though, the bloody orks are playin' smart and hidin' in the wreckages. See ya!"
Revan didn't even have a chance to reply before the Sternguard Veteran, Jarek leapt out of cover and charged off. Revan stared at the back of the charging player and sighed. So far he was already being a complete idiot and he hadn't even started the tutorial. He sighed again and hefted his bolter. The bolter, once in his hands, was suddenly highlighted in yellow on his HUD, along with his other two weapons. A mere glance at their highlighted outlines gave him the relevant information about his weapons:
[Bolter]
Astartes Mark Vb Godwyn Pattern
Standard .75 calibre, rocket-propelled fragmentation rounds
-No History-
[Bolt Pistol]
Astartes Mark III
Standard .75 caliber, rocket-propelled fragmentation rounds
-No History-
[Astartes Combat Knife]
50 centimeter blade
-No History-
A little depressed at the lack of any way to tell how strong his weapons were, Revan set off to the Captain's location. No way in hell was he logging out before he finished the tutorial!
Back in time, three weeks back…
"So players that want to play as a Chaos Sororitas have to first start off as an Imperial then turn to Chaos? Isn't that a little drawn out?"
"As you can see, the 40K universe is all around us and even now the crowd is calling for more and more. Now we get ready for the most anticipated countdown in history since Apollo 11! Here we go!"
Leslie turns and stares with the crowd at an enormous screen bearing a countdown timer; less than ten hours until the servers opened to the inevitable flood of gamers.
Screen fades out…
Leah sighed as she returned to her sprawling townhouse…empty of all but her butler Gerald. Her mother and father were out and about being the top socialites in the city…just like they'd been doing all her life. She removed her hat and scarf, letting her black, shoulder-length hair loose. Her hazel eyes barely took in the expensive and lavish home décor and furnishings; she cared little for the fancy ways of saying 'Richer than you'.
"Ah, you managed to get your new game, young mistress? I'd have preferred to have retrieved the - ah, NERVE Gear in your stead. It has been quite chilly recently."
Leah turned to find Gerald as uptight, dignified and worried-looking as ever. Leah was sure that his white mane of hair was the result of her many past misadventures as a child…and her more recent ones. He hurriedly took her coat, hat and scarf, hanging them in the closet. The loose snow that had fallen on his impeccable black suit was easily swiped brushed away in favor of the young woman before him.
"I'm fine, Gran'da. 'Twas a little nippy and the cold air made my walk quite refreshing. And didn't I tell you to stop calling me 'young mistress'? You practically raised me after all…"
For a moment, Gerald became the kindly old man that she had called 'Gran'da' for half her life before returning to his usual expression. Wouldn't be proper to be so close; especially after that scandal down the street…
"Be that at it may, I'm still under the employ of your…parents and I-"
Leah interrupted him.
"See?! Even you pause when calling them that!"
He sighed and hugged her gently, her petite form engulfed by his once bear-like build. It was the same argument for the past several years after her parents had come into even greater wealth. Her parents had been two mid-level executives in Akihiko Corp before Kayaba had unleashed the Nerve Gear. Their relatively well-paid position as a marketing executive and business liaison skyrocketed to some of the highest paid positions in the company. Before the newfound wealth, they had been somewhat distant yet loving parents, but afterwards…
…genetic donors, surrogate and legal guardians had become the extent of their titles in regards to the young miss as far as the two socialites were concerned.
"Don't fret my dear. One day…someday soon they'll realize what an amazing young woman you've become and tell you how much they love you. But in the mean time, why not try out your new device while I whip us up some treacle tart?"
Leah smiled fondly at him and headed up to her room…well, her special game room that remained locked to all but Gerald and herself. Inside was a plethora of Warhammer figurines and memorabilia, ranging from a small diorama of the Death of Sanguinius to a wall-spanning mural of a great battle featuring Tanith's First and Only against a legion of Orks. Leah smiled widely as she entered the one place where she could be who she wanted and none but Gran'da Gerald knew existed.
She quickly changed her warm dress to one of her most treasured possessions, a set of completely accurate to-the-very-last-detail Commissar Regalia she had commissioned months ago after reserving her Gold edition NERVE Gear Helmet and Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online. Giggling softly, she set the Commissarial coat upon her shoulders, a decorative Power Sword at her hip and a reproduction Bolt Gun in her left hand. Placing her hat in her lap, Leah settled into her comfy recliner and fitted the Guard-style Nerve Gear on her head.
Taking a deep breath, she said,
"Link Start"
Greetings [Leandra]. Would you like to [Load Beta Data] or [Create New Profile]?
"[Load Beta Data – Commissar]"
I'm sorry, but your [Beta Data – Commissar] is in need of updating. Please view your character to make necessary adjustments.
Leah frowned but did as instructed. Her original character, an older and taller, blonde version of her stood. Amazonian in build, left eye covered with an eye patch and wearing full commissarial regalia, her game self was certainly the perfect picture of an Imperial Commissar. A pillar of light encased both her 'real' body and character. The almost burning sensation briefly surged before abruptly ending. Breathing deeply, Leah blinked and noticed that her character had lost the horribly boxy, pixilated features and very unrealistic body proportions, becoming more streamlined and life-like.
'So that's what the game meant by 'updating' my character...'
A largish text box appeared before her, displaying her [Skills]. A new skill had been added, giving her four default [Skills] instead of the original three. In the Beta, there had only been the [Melee], [Ranged] and [Light Armor Expertise] for her character; now there was a new one, called [Leadership].
[Leadership]
The newest and most essential skill in Destiny Online. [Leadership] signifies your character's authority over other troops of similar or lesser skill. [Leadership] also modifies the variation of the troops you can train, recruit and promote. [Leadership] also controls the amount of troops you may command; characters with the highest ranking in this skill can command any and all troops your class canonically commands.
[Leadership] also confers bonuses to NPCs or other players that are in your [Party] or follow your commands. At the highest ranking, your tactics and orders are near-infallible and your troops use their skills and expertise to the maximum of their ability. Their [Morale] is also very enduring and easily restores at the slightest effort. Actual rank names vary according to class/race.
At the [Basic] rank, you are only able to command troops that your class leads according to 40K lore. For example; at the start, Imperial Guardsmen have completely zero authority to command troops and offer no bonuses to comrades or mission-specific followers. A Commissar on the other hand, at the [Basic] rank, can command a wide variety of troops but their troops operate at the bare minimum of efficiency. [Morale] for all troops commanded by any class at [Basic] rank is very fragile and prone to breaking at the slightest sign of heavy combat.
-You can issue the following commands to NPC troops and followers under your command with no repercussions or debuffs: [Follow], [Retreat], [Open Fire] and [Patrol]. Any other command will suffer from anything from insubordination to desertion depending on your class.
At [Superior] rank, you are able to command an increased number of troops and gain the ability to promote NPC followers to any rank below, but not equal, to yours. [Morale] becomes harder to damage, easier to restore and your troops will be more likely to stand their ground in the face of a force equal or larger to your own. Other bonuses may be revealed at a later update to the guide.
-Commands issuable without repercussions: [Follow], [Retreat], [Open Fire], [Patrol], [Escort], [Hold Position] and [Form Ranks].
(It is unknown what ranks exceed [Superior] and what commands and bonuses are conferred by achieving such ranks. Information to be published at a later date.)
…ah so [Leadership] signified the number of troops she could recruit, command, train and promote.
Looking again, Leah also found she had three empty [Secondary Skill] slots, another new feature. But she also had to redistribute her [Skill EXP].
Fixing up her [Skills] for free thanks to still being in the [Character Creation] phase, Leandra set her [Ranged] and [Light Armor Expertise] to their previous stages ([Superior] and [Relic]). For the remaining [Skill EXP], she set her [Melee Expertise] to [Basic] and set her [Leadership] as high as she could.
For her Commissar, the [Leadership] skill had [Commissar], [Commissar-Captain], [Colonel-Commissar] and [Lord-Commissar]. Thanks to her remaining [Skill EXP], Leah reached the perfectly respectable [Commissar-Captain] rank, which let her command at up to two squads outside missions and requisition IG NPCs from a base, town and/or city's [Infantry Command Bunker/Center]. Luckily, the standard [Commissar] rank had let her keep the [Execution] ability that made Commissars a major favorite…and bewared opponent. [Execution] let a player shoot a useless, rebellious or cowardly NPC trooper. The result was completely restored [Morale], temporary [Morale Damage Immunity] and roughly fifteen percent increase in ranged accuracy; though that last one was only through vigorous testing and experimentation by the Beta testers. Who knows if that had changed since the release…?
[Skill EXP] is gained after gaining enough relevant experience from killing enemies, completing tasks and missions and finding hidden areas. Certain actions such as headshots from afar, driving certain vehicles and commanding troops in battle all grant experience to your [Skills]. It is unknown how much effort and time it takes to rank a [Skill] above its current level or the algorithm/formula used to determine when your character is sufficiently 'skilled' enough to rank up. Also, unlike traditional RPGs where a player's character levels up periodically, following a proportionate numerical value system, DO has no such system.
Destiny Online uses a brand new system called the 'True Life System', where taking [Damage] such being hit, falling from a great height or being poisoned mirrors real life action and reactions. So you will feel bruised, battered and fatigued in DO as compared to previous games where your [Health] and [Energy] are numerical values that increase as you level and decrease as you take damage. No longer do you get shot in the head and lose a measure of health in a HUD meter. No longer do you sprint massive distances because you leveled your [Sprint] skill so high that it takes such negligible energy.
Using the 'True Life System', gamers feel the real limitations of their characters' bodies. You feel the hits you take, taste the food you eat, quench the thirsts you have… The 'True Life System' was the ultimate in virtual gaming.
Back to [Skill EXP]. After you've gained a varying amount of experience in a certain skill, you can ascend to the next stage of competency. One example would be with [Melee Expertise]. Using a single type of weapon, such as a one-handed sword would get you [Melee Expertise]…for that specific class of weapon. Suddenly switching to a one-handed axe means starting from the beginning in [Melee Expertise] for that specific weapon type. You'd also have to see the [Skill Mentor] for that weapon type to redistribute your [Skill EXP].
Only by wielding weapons of similar make, technique or method of dealing damage can you use 'different' weapons without having to start over.
Examples are:
[Melee]
-chainswords, power swords, combat knives, swords
-axes, chainaxes, power axes, mace, crozius
-power fist, chain fist
-thunder hammer, power battleaxe, power maul
-claymore, power claymore, zweihander
[Ranged]
One-handed – bolt guns, plasma pistols, lasgun, autopistol
Two-handed – bolter, plasma gun, lasrifle, autogun
Heavy – grenade launcher, melta gun, storm bolter
Assault (Setup required/Shoulder mounted) – heavy bolter, plasma assault cannon, lascannon, autocannon, rocket launcher
(For more information, please refer to the in-game player guide [Codex Destiny].)