Bungie; I want to play this game for a long time. I want to put a lot of time into this game, while I'm playing it for a long time. I want that time to matter in some ways that really add up. Now you know my wants. Here are my suggestions: [b]Time. Is on my side...[/b] So I've got this buddy. He's in my clan, he's a Titan, he's a striker, he's a bit of a derp. If the options are something lame like [i]stay in position and shoot the things so they die and you don't[/i] or [i]run up and punch the crap out of the things until they die or you die and get yelled at for trying to box a Praetorian again[/i] he is almost always going to take the second option. I preface this to tell you that he is not really the most exceptional Titan ever. He needs work. In his possession, though, is one of the most hilarious oddities I've seen in the world of Destiny. He has been rocking this same [u]Silvered Hushwind-D[/u] since late October. The same rare, in all its blue glory, because he can't seem to find a weapon to replace it. Has he gotten legendaries? Yes. He even has an exotic primary or two. But his love, for better or worse, perhaps as inadvisable as his penchant for attempting to melee Oracles, is this Silvered Hushwind. This Silvered Hushwind has played hundreds of Crucible matches. It has slayed SUROS users, Universal Remote users, Vex Mythoclast users. It has braved the Iron Banner against all of the above. This Silvered Hushwind has fought in every strike, at every level, numerous times. This Silvered Hushwind has fought through the Vault of Glass, it has killed Templars and Oracles and Atheon. This blue. This rare. Has been part of slaying a Gorgon. This is one badass blue. Is it actually special? No. It's a piece of crap. But that's my point--- if someone is willing to burn their hours in the game with a weapon they just plain love, it should be able to evolve. Would that take the uniqueness of Exotics and Legendaries and such out of the game? NOT AT ALL! Because an exotic comes super special, a legendary comes super strong, but if you want to pour days of gameplay into using a blue it should be able to grow up with the user. The new generations of blues are almost-300 attack at their max. I think this is cool. But I can't keep myself from thinking [i]damn, even with the slowest scaling in the world I bet Wally's Hushwind would be there by now[/i]. Yes, all weapons in the game develop with use, because of the experience and nodes. I just feel as though Bungie [i]had[/i] an idea for progression, and then sort of knee-jerked because players might not have been able to handle it. Bungie. We can handle it. Look at the hours played. People pour time into this game. It is great. Progression that takes[i] months[/i] is a-okay. How can this be done? I'm thinking this. Keep the current nodes. They do their job. But add an extra line, over to the right. These nodes, they build very...very...very slowly. I'm talking the TOTAL EXP needed to fill ALL OF THE NODES fills one of these things. And in it, you can choose something. ONE THING. And you cannot change it. It can be a perk, a scope, a something, a something else. Or if you just want this weapon you love so much to be able to keep up, you [b]can add attack damage.[/b] It'd be time consuming. It'd be tough. But I would love getting killed by that Khastov that someone just stuck with, which four months in is now sporting a purple background---or it isn't, but there's some system to see 'Oh -blam!-, that is a five node Khastov. That girl/guy spent months using that thing. They are a boss. That gun is a boss.' There are a LOT of guns in the game, but it seems as though the only valid ones are purps and yellows. I really think this would solve that problem. Exotics get weird abilities. Legendaries come ready-made for raid level stuff. Essentially the 'earned' through grinding, but lazier pick. That piece of gear you just used to death so now it's great? That's your signature. That's where legend starts to happen. I know it would take some doing, and some balancing. I just look around the forums, I see a lot of complaints, and the vast majority of them seem to one way or another connect to a lack of feeling of [i]investment[/i] by the player. Why am I doing this over and over again? If the progression long term, but [i]real[/i] and is in fact so long term that [i]very few people are going to have what I have as awesome as mine is[/i] then that solves the problem. Yes you can still buy things. Yes you can still strive to get what you want through drops---but you want it, and are trying to get it, so you can stay with it. [b]Won't this make the game favor those who play more?[/b] No. Or at least, it doesn't need to. It could be time based, at least loosely. The evolution continues as long as it is equipped, or at least in the inventory of a character. It INCREASES when used, but carrying it on a character adds to it over time regardless. It's better if you use it, or is equipped to a character you are using. It's still good if you hold onto it. [b]Perks and... such. What do you mean?[/b] Biggest one for me would be attack damage. Just to allow the weapon to keep up on a basic level. Second one would be different scopes/sights to use. But you guys like your RNG. WHAT IF each unlock had the things you can always put into it, but a chance to unlock a 'special' perk? We're talking exotic style chances. Not likely. But maybe. And if you use it long enough, probably. You can only add one of these perks, so use it wisely. Overpenetration, explosive rounds, mulligan, something to keep it interesting. Not everyone will have it because of chance (which is your thing) and few people will get the same thing or exactly what they wanted. But they will use it, and learn to love it, and that weapon by being their go-to will become legend. [b]Won't that make Legendaries/Exotics obsolete?[/b] No. But it WILL be a real evolution on the tired old 'ranking' of game gear. Consider this: people complained (and still do honestly) about Xur. Because you could buy things that others feel they 'earned' through...whatever process. It was purchase versus drop. So that complaint is already there. You have this system for people to play though, get these nodes, maybe get an exotic perk, or just have an evolving weapon OR this choice for people to buy a weapon that is neato but they're all the same. Some people will complain. But awesome will be had across the board. [b]How long do you think this should take?[/b] You guys are the developers. I'm just some fool giving suggestions (and doing so for free, so I can't be that brilliant) so you know how it would work into balance of game and user experience. My idea for it, on ground level, is that the progression would take four-ish months from green-ish to purp-ish WITHOUT FREQUENT USE. So that automatic, over time evolution takes four months. If you start from common it's even longer. Definite diminishing returns as you get higher. Common to rare could be relatively quick. Rare to Legend, not so much. And Legend stays Legend unless you get that lucky Exotic node, which requires you continuing to use your Legendary or else the automatic gain would only unlock a node somewhere on the order of once a year. Real giving incentive for [i]using[/i] our favorites. ...that's all I've got. Fellow Guardians, feel free to comment, disagree, add or what have you. Bungie, I'll be pretty honored if you even read this. I think it could really invigorate the experience for players, and provide some of that longevity and staying power both you and the fanbase are hoping for. Not the silver (SILVERED? YEAH?) bullet, but a start. Thanks, ~Ricochet EDIT 1: People seem to be liking the idea! But I'm told it's a bit long. I'll work on a TL:DR