[quote][b][i]I figured I should re-post this here since it's really the reason we are all here as a Collective....it's our Gaming "Star Spangled Banner"...so here is the Original post from the "Destiny In-Bound Events" Thread that started it all! I am also directing every new person I invite to our quickly growing Collective to this post FIRST....Because in so many words, it really does explain the mindset of the people our collective is made up of. None of us were looking for a group or clan either....that's what makes this one special.. We have one rule here - which has come to be known as the "Collective Rule"....and it's really pretty simple... RESPECT. Regardless of what games you like or don't....what system or system's you play on..how "old" or "young" you "physically" are....someone's PVP/PVE Skill level....RESPECT your fellow member's....as well as their opinions and choices.....AS A BROTHER OR SISTER OF GAMING.[/i][/b][/quote] Its funny how message boards and forums read....and the posts that are made... on any game - any platform - any genre...ever since I can remember years ago - once people figured out they can go online and invoke their right to free speech. For the 155 CONTINUED friends (many more have been added and deleted over time...lol) I have collected in the PC, PS and Xbox world over the past few years (YES - its ok to have all three) I must say we are all VERY MUCH pleased with Destiny in all aspects thus far. I started my relationship with "Bungie" as a young teenager who was amazed by this thing called Marathon. The story. The scary hallways of aliens. The AI's trying to kill me. Did it crash sometimes? yep. Did it glitch and stick me in a wall so that I died and had to re-do 4 hours of work? YEP. Does that EVEN MATTER? NOPE. IT was awesome.... IT helped create my love for gaming and it always will be remembered as such...regardless of flaws. Most of my friends and I are all Halo / COD / WOW / BF / GOW Veterans... hard-core...1000-2000+ hours per game ....."play it till you can pillage lesser entities with one eye closed - 2 Controller buttons sticking-oh crap its 4am I gotta be at work in 2 hrs" kinda folk. We love to game. and so far - we love THIS game. Like many here- Gaming is part of our lives. We have ended and started relationships and dated and married women and men...just because they get it....or at the very least are ok with the gaming marathons because they will tell anyone who doesn't understand.. "hey at least he's not at a bar chasing women." ...or " yeah ...she's a little tipsy but at least she isn't driving anything but that WARTHOG." Our kids (yes many of us have spawned our OWN minions) are GAMERS. Quality time is pwning your son endlessly in Gears....to the point of him almost crying. Its that moment when your brother / daughter / cousin / best friend etc...helps you lay waste to uncountable armies spanning numerous lands. Or the first time your Grandpa / Aunt / Mom / Dad that looks at the graphics and gameplay one day on that game you spent 3 weeks yelling at...and you see their eyes widen and their brain change in how they feel about your hobby. THEY FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHY YOU GAME. To BUNGIE and the city of people it took to make Destiny... Yes - We are the biggest critics of you. Any Developer / any game / and system / any size....but we are also the biggest fans. We understand it took you millions of lines of code. Years of art and script planning. Map making. Countless hours of testing and scrubbing. etc etc etc....to create this world we can all escape to and enjoy EVERY WAKING SECOND we are able. Destiny reminds me of how I felt about Marathon. Less than 5 games in my years of playing have ever reached that title.YOU SHOULD BE PROUD!!! ( Only ONE of the Halo's did...and NO IM NOT SAYING WHICH ONE...lol.) Has our fireteam been booted right at the end of a Strike after 45 minutes of gameplay battling a hoard of moon zombies? Yep. Did I pick up a blue engram and it not show in inventory? yeah - that too. Do we care? NO. Because we dont care we had to do it all over again. I dont care because I got 2 BLUE engrams on the next playthrough! Lets be honest with ourselves....and about the issues some are having...including our crew. Maybe your router connection took a dump or your connection at momma's house isn't that great and never has been. Maybe you aren't ready for the crucible because you HAVENT PLAYED ENOUGH TO BE GOOD. (So far - its been a challenge for all of us even with the veteran players...but that's why we LOVE IT..the challenge!) Maybe 15 minutes (what it took to get my characters face the way I want it) ISN'T ENOUGH TIME TO HAVE AN HONEST OPINION ABOUT A GAME!! SPEND MORE TIME PLAYING AND LESS TIME TROLLING!!! ITS A GAME. ENJOY IT. ITS NOT PERSONAL. ITS NOT PERFECT. BUT IT IS AN AMAZING WORLD OF GAME-PLAY AND THE EXPERIENCE and ENJOYMENT of PLYING IT MAKE THE HICCUPS WORTH IT. Plenty of people will never read this far down. That's fine. Plenty of folks who read this will never comment, or feel its even necessary...because you understand. You agree. You get it. To you - we will see you on Patrol and help you in blowing legs off that Spider-Mech...or maybe in the Crucible right before we shoot each other with that new blue shotty we just decrypted. To anyone else - well....just like the right to speak freely - you also have the right to not play! That's ok too...because I haven't found an empty tower yet. And we got plenty of friends to RAID with.