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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All guardians assemble to the tower walls! Protect the realm! Protect, humanity! I love it! When I read your post, I had visions of the massive LOTR battle in return of the king. I got so pumped up! Awesome idea. Give this game meaning, Bungie. Please!
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Two beers I must say you are the Steven King of the destiny community bud.. I bet after writing that you were up to 9 beers!
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Very well put dude, agree 100% on everything, I just am still clinging to the hope that they "listen" to us and make it better
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Very well thought out. Destiny has the potential to be the top FPS adventure on console but is falling short...horribly. I hope that someone at bungie has read this comment and takes to heart what you have to say. I look forward to the day that I can stand shoulder to shoulder with guardians on a battlefield where we know we have something to lose if we cannot drive back the darkness and lay claim our own Legend.
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Have you sold the game yet ? Do it and delete this app you pussy
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Quit trolling....
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Lol I'm not trolling obviously this game had a pretty big impact on this persons life that he had to write freaking 3-4 paragraph on the game. If you dislike the game so much sell it and delete this app. Yeah we are all entitled to our opinion but cmon this guy writes that much for a game he still owns when he can sell it and delete this app and carry on...he's making life hard for him lol
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That just shows you were too stupid to read it
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I'm not stupid I've read plenty of forums that basically say what this person said its all the same with people that are unhappy with the game they complain about the same thing so what's the point of reading if by the first sentence I can already tell what it's gonna be about. People aren't stupid if they dislike the game so much that they have to pretty much trash mouth bungie not say this person did, but if you're gonna act immature and call bungie names and bad mouth them WHATS that GONNA do ? They're gonna ignore you straight up. I'm done with you guy lol you're just one of those people that Looks at things from one side B-)
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You read one sentence of what he put and presume to know the whole thing. Try reading the entire post before saying something stupid.
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Yeah I did :-) bro let me buy you a drink you seem stressed man
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Not even remotely. I have to deal with people as dense as yourself constantly so its nothing new.
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Harsh.
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Nicely put completely agree
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Very eloquently put.
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Thank you!
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Edited by TheKratken: 10/30/2014 6:57:41 AMMy sentiment exactly, very well written! Day two of the week and I've done nightfall on both characters, weekly heroic on 28 on both characters, normal raid on both characters, and halfway through hard on my main! Bungie, you've done a great job at making us think we've got our money's worth, but the reality of it is, most of the time it's grinding. More so then I ever did on any other MMO. I think you have (or maybe had at this point) the potential, but the small initial launch material and limited releases you have planned, there's no way this game will make your ten plan. I honestly feel like I'll be looking back on this game in a year wishing it had lasted longer.
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Thank you fore this post.
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Absolutely!
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Shut up
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Sorry man, didn't mean to be a bother. Just sharing some thoughts I've had for a while now! Have a good one.
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Pftttt this -blam!- ....
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Absolutely true. I've shared literally 95% of these concerns since launch. So many of us have voiced these concerns, and every interview I've seen with Bungie just skirts around the important issues instead of actually listening. I understand it's about making money to them, but it would really be nice if they listened to these very prevalent concerns. Please pay attention to this post, Bungie. Destiny could actually be something memorable.