The way I see it is that many solo players are acceptable losses for a business strategy. The aim is to make life as difficult or unrewarding as possible, sufficient that you'll either be pushed into bringing your friends in to pay up and play or join a clan and so tie everyone into playing more. The balancing act is for them to try to make it just tolerable enough that you don't just quit outright yet are overwhelmingly denied enough that you simply can't do without co-operative teams. This is why the game barely scales to the number of players. The more players, the easier it gets. This is why the drop rates on RNG loot up to Heroic NFs _ the highest matchmade level - is abominable, yet is guaranteed for co-op. This is why the best mods in the game - "Big Ones" - and the best customisation from Adept weapons are simply not available to any soloplaying or match-made players. This is why virtually all the best in slot weapons are Raid or Trials exclusive and not available via any other route at all. This is why Harbinger and Hawkmoon is prohibitive for soloplaying, without basic game scaling. This is why the catalyst for DMT is prohibitive, without basic gamescaling. This is why game materials are thrown at clan members. This is why Pinnacle sources are far fewer for solo and match-made team players. And when you suck out all the best goodies, new quest weapons, raid weapons, Trials weapons, Adept weapons, non-Adept NF weapons, you've crossed over into 'Not Worth It' territory. Not that this isn't widely used across the gaming industry, Stronger together, as Anthem used to spin it. But, from someone who has played a VERY long time both in and out of clans, I'm not sure Bungie have recognised just how impoverished they've currently made the game for a significant portion of their customers.