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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A purpose for my guardian? An actual feeling of making a difference in Destiny? Player dependent evolution of in game development?Something worthy of a DLC? Much awesome. Such wow. Much want.
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well to whoever posted that "most gamers are at least 30" no sir.. they are not. the intended audience for this game rated T.. for TEENS is actually TEENS.. imagine that man.. just because you still play games, doesn't mean more 30 year olds than 15 year olds play games.. youre in denial. you need a wife, or friends.. or if you have those and destiny is still this important to you, you need a new wife. and new friends. seriously the intended target audience for video games is not 30 year olds.. regardless of how big a loser you still are.
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Just like all PG-13 movies are mostly watched by teenagers....
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Silence Child! Tell mommy to buy you the next hyped up game. We the 30yr olds have been playing games since you were a tadpole swimming in your absentee fathers' nuts.
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Edited by DevinTheNinja504: 10/30/2014 3:14:03 PMAverage age nowadays for most games are in their 30s. This is the core group that grew up when video game consoles were just coming out. Do not go of the rating system because that is in place for parents to know which games are to much for their kids.
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Who said that you? I could easily say the "core" are in their 20's. In fact you shouldn't whine as much cause compared to pong this is amazing.
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Pong is about the only game Destiny has bested.
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This average is not only coming from console gaming, smartphone gaming is also included and has effected that average.
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The intended target for this game is NOT teens, it's geared towards everyone, casual gamers in their thirties and children ages 8+. That's the reason it got a T rating- so they could include children. Why do you think there's no in game chat unless you are on a fire team? Because they don't want parents to be turned off by the fact that the average player is older and has a vocabulary of a sailor on the high seas for 2 decades
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these forums are useless.. honestly bungie whats the point in telling me that someone responded to my reply on this post.. without actually BRINGING ME TO THAT RESPONSE when I click on it.. I got sift through 1000s of other replies just to find my reply .. and the response to it? -blam!- that.. -blam!- your stupid waste of time game.. and your stupid waste of time forums.
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There's problems with their app too
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A new and improved expansion app is arriving soon, for the low, low price of $20, the Xbox version will be out Fall 2015
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This guy is so accurate it's not even funny! Even the part where his friends eventually left because the game was getting boring, I can relate to that because my friends stopped getting on this game since last Monday and now I don't have my fire team anymore, if the game was promoted and advertised like it was in the vidocs and trailers then this wouldn't have happened. BUMP!
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Also bungie here's an idea I complete the bounties in like 30 min and then I'm bored. what should be done is we can reset the bounties for 1 mote of light then 2 then 4 then 8 and so on because xur always has garbage for the things you can buy Mote's of light with thanks I know you will try your best to continue to make this game even more amazing
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My friend, you have nailed it right in the center! I really hope Bungie receives your thoughts for it speaks for millions of us dedicated players. Destiny needs that improvement if they ever want to reach a Halo category. I love this game, beautiful, awesome gun play, but im trying to hang on and give Bungie the benefit of doubt that it can change. Bungie from the bottom of my heart and millions of awesome players out there, please consider TWOBEERSMEARS idea, hire him him if you have to, but make it happen. Make Destiny the ultimate shooter game ever!
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Edited by cabinny00: 10/30/2014 2:42:28 PMBump. And while we are at it lets have new patrol maps, lvl 20 patrol maps, let retake all of earth not just russia. How about a large procedural map called The Wild, one that changes daily.
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In the future earth is just russia i suppose
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I kinda like that its not all USA shoved down our throats anymore. Its a global thing... And the fallen must a wiped them out first lol
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I understand that there are limits to what can be done. But honestly either expand the current maps alot or make new ones. Would even say reshuffle the spawn points, make the devil walker show up in the mothyards randomly or something.
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Bump!
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What's the point in bringing need weapons in the game. You're going to make us go through hell and back to get them and as soon as we do, you nerf them. Why? Why wouldn't an exotic be better than a legendary, stronger than a legendary, more aesthetic than a legendary. Why would you make it an exotic if it is just another regular piece of s*** item after you get done with it?
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Edited by hunter4life: 10/30/2014 2:46:40 PMYou know exactly what youre talking about my friend. Been feeling the same way lately, but I continue to play because I just love the gameplay and the long play times I can get in, but there's are many things that can/ need to be improved, and that idea of fighting invading enemies to the tower is awesome. BUMP
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Agreed x100. Granted it is still a 'good' game but it fell well short of it's potential. It had the chance to be epic, to be on the level of halo2 and knights of the old republic but it's more than just a step down. Please give us an storyline in the DLCs and quit dumbing down your content for children, you are ruining The game by doing this
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