Dear Bungie,
Destiny simply isn't what I expected. I've had great respect for the work you guys do from the first time I played Halo with my friends, and I followed the Destiny buildup until its release with edge-of-my-seat anticipation. To me, there's no story more compelling than that of humanity's very survival, and no pursuit more noble than fighting for the preservation of our species. It's what drew me to Halo, and what drew me to Destiny. It's teams of artists such as yourselves, who recognize the inherent nobleness of this concept and seek to bring it to millions, that inspire me, that give me something to look forward to after a long day at the office, that offer me the chance to escape a reality where the difference I make is marginal at best, and enter a reality where I have the chance to make a difference that feels like it matters, if only for a couple of hours every night.
You brought me that sense of purpose and inspiration with Halo. But I don't feel this anymore. In Destiny, with a full loadout of legendary and exotic gear and having played through the full story, experiencing what the Crucible has to offer, battling my way through countless strike missions, finishing every bounty 100 times over, and exploring the complete extent of every map, I'm...bored. But it's worse than being bored. I don't feel anything. I've stuck with the game all these hours, whole days, desperately seeking to feel what I expected to when I first read about Destiny so many months ago. It isn't there.
Although I initially thought that the lack of story was the problem, I've come to realize that the lack of story is only the tip of the iceberg. It's the part that's visible, that every Guardian who's also searching for that sense of purpose and fulfillment in Destiny can readily point to and say "That must be it". And it's a very valid concern. But the core problem with Destiny runs much deeper. The core problem, as far as I see it, is that you're utterly alone in the game.
I'll attempt to expand as best I can. The reason the raid works so well (and is arguably the most successful part of the entire Destiny endeavor) is that it requires massive amounts of teamwork. It provides, upon beating Atheon, a sense of reward and togetherness that no other part of the game currently gives you as a player. I feel as though the team at Bungie would like to bring this experience to the wider majority of the game, but is confused as to how to do so, or is otherwise very conflicted as to how to go about doing so. I want to assure you that doing this would be exceptionally easy, and would make Destiny the game you want it to be and the game that we, the players, want it to be.
My suggestions operate on the assumption that most Destiny players care about the notion of fighting for humanity. It is the premise of the entire game, the reason anyone who enjoys PvE wanted to become a Guardian in the first place. With that in mind, Bungie needs to begin addressing the issue of feeling alone in the game by giving players a shared experience outside of the raid. Sure, if you have enough friends with the game, you can link up a fireteam and do some of the same 4 strikes (now a staggering 5 strikes for only $19.99 on Xbox) you've done 5,000 times over, but the only emotional appeal to this is that you're doing something with your friends for a while, until you get bored, and let me assure you, killing the Archon Priest for the zillionth time is boring - boring enough that the friends I used to play with have quit the game. I feel that many can relate to this situation. In order to make your players feel something deeper and continue to invest in Destiny, we need to be able to actually fight for the very survival of humanity.
Other people have left comments regarding this, and I'm mirroring their ideas and sentiments and not claiming them as my own, though I've had the very same thoughts as them for some time now. Bungie needs to actually put humanity on the brink. As Guardians, we need to be able to get an alert from The Tower while we're out collecting Spinmetal that The City is under a massive attack by The Fallen. We need to be able to see all the players around us disappear, heading to orbit just like we are, mashing our controllers to take us all back to defend The City. Upon arriving, we need to see droves upon droves of enemies marching to the walls, and have a way to get out in front of the walls to fight them in the plains before they reach the gates (troop transport ships on a loop that fly you over the city and drop you into battle, anyone?). We need to see dozens of other Guardians fighting tooth and nail to defend the last bastion of humanity alongside us, and we need this on at least a weekly basis. These kind of encounters can play out all over the solar system, and last a day at a time, giving many players the chance to enter the fight. Ground must be gained and lost, territories threatened, The City seen teetering on a precipice before you and your fellow Guardians prevail (or don't, which leads to many other, ridiculously interesting options for the game, and opportunities to fight for what is lost).
Again, I don't claim such ideas and sentiments as my own, but I wanted to articulate them here in the hopes that someone with a voice inside Bungie HQ might raise these ideas that I very much believe thousands of players yearn for. If ideas like this were baked into the game, this crippling sense of solitude that one often feels while playing would effectively disappear, because we'd all be fighting for something together - something tangible, that we could see and feel and believe in.
While you, Bungie, continue to release patches nerfing hard-earned exotic weapons, killing loot caves, restructuring the raid to prevent players from beating it with human ingenuity, and announcing DLC content that is quite honestly very lackluster and addresses none of the deep, even psychological ineptitudes within the Destiny universe, I assure you that even if the current numbers say otherwise, you are not building a 10 year franchise. Or a 5 year franchise. I'll be curious to know what those numbers reveal once other games are released through the holiday season. Somehow, I don't think they'll be very promising. Not considering what you gave us at launch, and how little you continue to give us. Destiny was a promise of something incredible that never was and still isn't. It could still become that, but my hope is waning, and that's a real shame, because this world you made for us, this repetitive, empty world - it's very pretty.
Thanks for your time. I hope I get the chance to thank you for your efforts in the future.
English
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Bump!
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Bump baby bump it up!!!
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That that right there just captured me I mean I've always been a solo kind of savior due to a variety of reasons and this just made me want to truly engage this game and hell even others with people I truly call a friend to feel the bond the brotherhood that playing games together hasn't gave me in years and this honestly put me at loss of words its truly incredible sir you are a wonderful writer gifted this brought emotion for to a game that well felt dead or as I felt dead playing in this void of space and time we have as I game which is great but the sincerity and emotion that came to me from this post and brought life and excitement to me is wonderful feeling as I want to say thank you sir this was amazing.. and as you stated being on Xbox one I gotta say I'd be honored to call you a friend and companion if you wish to add me my GT is my name here to help you in whatever you need thank you and good day good sir.
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Nailed it
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Cool story bro... When's the sequel coming out???
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Seeing as Destiny 2's release date is TBA, you'll have to stay tuned.
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It looks like I won't be the first to say well done!
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bro that's beautiful it's like you capture what a lot of us want from the game and how we feel about! bump
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Thanks a lot man, I did my best. Really appreciate your support.
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Email this to bungee so they can see how many people agree, I love the whole idea of masses of us can get together and defend the tower, I think that there response to that was public events
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I will absolutely do so first thing in the morning, if you think it will help. I already tweeted it to Deej, but I'll do more.
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Yea go for it man hopefully they will listen, and masses of us playing is a great idea maybe 8-16 players and once like the crucible but instead fighting waves upon waves of enemies
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great post, agree 100%
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TL;DR
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Edited by Cash Bacsi: 10/30/2014 9:49:55 AMTrue ... TRUE ... every character, word, sentence and thought !!! How beautiful would it be, if anyone would give a flying shit about it !!!
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Wow. Just...Wow. Your style of writing. Its amazing. You captured your readers, thats for sure. This is something that musnt be overlooked. Its a shame you play on the Xbone. I'd have added you to my friend's list by now. You are the world's most interesting man. Keep up the good work. I support this message 100%.
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I wish we could game together too man, and I really appreciate the kind words and your support. Have a good one!
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Bump bump bump bump!
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I endorse this. Bump to a great idea, bro!
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Well written, this one gets a BUMP!
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Bump.Wow just wow that was amazing at first when i saw your post,I said to myself this is too long but,instead I read it and saw how you addressed Bungie in a calm and sophisticated manor instead of swearing and down grading them.Sir you are really a(n) amazing fan and devotee and I hope you continue what you are doing to help benefit us gamers world-wide.Thank you for what you are doing and please keep doing it.
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I've never posted to any gaming forum before, and wrote this on a whim, but the response has been truly astounding. I will absolutely continue. Thank you so much for your support.
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Imagine flying across your screen no matter what your doing in the game..... The hive are trying to take control of the outposts on the moon! Or The fallen are on siege at the city walls! Or The cabal are trying to take over the tower! Or ???????? The only problem with this concept is that each server can only hold 16 players, so instead it would have to be like a 16 player 'mission/strike'. Kinds like the nightfall where if everyone does the you fail and have to find another group. There would obviously have to be some voice communication between players though