This Week At Bungie - 05/19/2016 0h -

This week at Bungie we fired Cozmo.

Okay, okay... No we didn't, but that was the dare we issued to a Fireteam of our bravest Raid test pilots. Survive Oryx or clean out your locker! It was a joke, of course. Our goal was not to teach a clinic in tactical strategies under the most difficult conditions, but to pull back the curtain that conceals the way we create Raids.

The pinnacle of the Destiny endgame is born of a sprawling development process that spans almost every discipline on our team. On the live stream, a Designer and a Writer talked about how their teams meld gameplay and storytelling to create the most challenging and mystifying missions in your Director. If you missed your chance to join the chat, here it is, preserved in the clouds of the Internet.

Tune in next week for a walkabout on some of your favorite Crucible maps. Sure, they're built for war, but the arenas need love, too. We'll have some of the original architects in the hot seats to talk about the foundations that have supported countless battles between Guardians.

Rocket Science

Heavy Ammunition is a rare commodity in the Crucible, and with good reason! There are few defenses against a well-aimed Rocket that lands squarely at your feet. We limit the deliveries of purple crates to the battlefield to make those explosive moments the highlight of a match.

When we learned that some Guardians had discovered a way to earn unlimited rockets, we knew it was time for a bug hunt. Rather than punish players for playing the game in a way we didn't predict, we've been waging an investigation into our code. These things happen, so please don't panic. We're on the case - and we've slayed more dreaded bugs than these.

In the meantime, Trials of Osiris is cancelled for this weekend.

The thought of a Trials map being renamed "Rocket Town" sends a shiver up our spine. The esteemed Brother Vance will be ordered to stand down. Trials of Osiris will return of course - and that right soon - but we're going to ensure that we can restore the Heavy economy to its usual balance.

We know this will come as a disappointment to some. Our hope is that it won't be as disappointing as being denied a trip to the Lighthouse by an opponent with a Rocket Launcher that works like a clown car.

The same holding pattern applies to Iron Banner. Lord Saladin will be granted approach to the Tower once our work is done. Please watch this space for updates.

Pick a Fight

There were other conversations about the Crucible to be had this week. As always, matchmaking is a hot topic. The last time we made adjustments to the tech that introduces you to new and interesting people who want to blow you bits, it was back in March when we locked new settings in every Crucible playlist.

Our work on the Crucible is never done, but our goals remain the same: Provide every Guardian with a clean match against a worthy opponent. Lately, our Matchmaking Overlords (actual team name) have been looking into reports of longer than usual matchmaking times and increases in lag. This is part of an ongoing process that includes player feedback, user data, and our own experiences as players.

Effective immediately, we are making some targeted adjustments to ensure that all players are able to find a high-quality match within a reasonable amount of time. The intended result is to shorten matchmaking times and reduce lag.

This conversation is never over, so please stay tuned to it. We'll have more improvements to your Crucible lifestyle in the weeks and months to come. Keep playing and we'll continue to honor your competitive spirit.

Hammer Time

A healthy competitive ecosystem requires that we meet each other halfway. While we won't ban you for stumbling into a bottomless well of explosive ordnance, we will impose restrictions on players who compromise the overall experience - either willingly or unwillingly. 

It's never a thing we celebrate, but we're committed to protecting the game. The keepers of the Banhammer have beefed up their automated security measures to issue restrictions to cheaters as well as players with consistently bad Internet connections that break the Crucible.

Please play nice out there. To make sure you're getting the most out of your relationship with your Internet Service Provider (hint: plug it in), please see our Network Troubleshooting Guide.

Listening Station

If you talk to us on the #Help forum, there are people who are always listening. We call them Destiny Player Support. You call them when you need them. [Trivia: The dude who wrote this was a Raider on stream this week.]

DPS: We're currently investigating an issue impacting Rocket Launchers and Heavy Ammunition. This issue impacts both PvE and PvP Activities. We apologize for the inconvenience. When additional information is available, it will delivered via @BungieHelp.

With the latest Bungie.net and Destiny Companion App update, #Recruitment has been expanded to better allow players to recruit Fireteam members for activities in Destiny. When creating a topic in Recruitment, players will be presented with the built-in "Recruit Fireteam" option. When selected, "Recruit Fireteam" allows the author to fill out pre-determined criteria for the following:

• Desired Platform
  
• Activity
  
• Number of Players Needed
  

Optional selections for Guide Options, Fireteam Tone, Intensity, and Mic Requirements may also be set, but are not needed to create a topic.

We've prepared a few Help Articles to answer any questions faced when creating a Recruitment thread:

• Recruitment Forum FAQ
  
• Fireteam Recruitment Chats and Limitations
  
• Group Privacy: Preventing private group topics or recruitment posts from being publicly visible
  

If you encounter any issues when creating a recruitment forum post, or using the new fireteam selections, please let us know by making a post in the #Help forum. Make sure to let us know which platform you're experiencing this issue with the additional tag of #bnetissues, #ios, or #android.

Top Guns

Variks might give you Weapons and Armor, but this guy makes you famous on the Internet!

Cozmo: Last week, we rewarded close quarters combat, showering you with extra points on every successful melee kill. The judges have sent in their scores. Now let's go to center ring to hear the results. 

High Score - 232,885

• MorseCode206
  
• kajex
  
• ArianaXanadu
  
• MrMagicMike89
  
• FireBeeble
  

Second Place - 204,210

• gonzi_the_fox
  
• MANZUR
  
• EL_FUETE45
  
• gonzalimes
  
• El_legi-ESP-
  

Third Place - 167,545

• Irish Axeman
  
• Plemrat
  
• HAJI BAHBAH
  

If you're brave enough to rise up to the challenge this week, make sure your aim is true. Your precision will be rewarded. But don't rely too much on one weapon. Juggler is on so you will need to mix things up to keep the ammo flowing.

A hush falls over the crowd...

When he's not leading Fireteams on a Final Boss safari in front of a live audience, your other Community Manager is something of a budding art critic. How could we part with this guy?

Cozmo: It's show time! Every week, movies are submitted to our Bungie.net and we choose the winners. They'll be taking home this beautiful hand-crafted Emblem that really brightens up any Fireteam. I can already see the envy as you eye the prize. If you too would like to possess that fine specimen, submit your entry to the Creations page. You might find it featured here someday.

Movie of the Week: Nova bummed [click to play]

Honorable Mention: Sleepwalker

Honorable Mention: How Not to Be Seen

You might feel like you're hanging over a cliff right now. When will the rocket fix arrive? When is the next Iron Banner? Why would Bungie hire a guy to write the blog who is such a noob? We're working on answers to most of these questions.

And, we'll let you know when the answers are things we can make promises about.

Stick around for immediate updates on progress.

DeeJ, out.