Bungie Weekly Update - 10/03/2014

This week at Bungie, we pulled the Cryptarch aside and talked to him about some of your concerns.

We're always reading the comments that radiate through the Internet. Even if your thoughts can't reach that lonely Tower kiosk of fear and loathing, you can rest assured that we're willing to pass along your feedback.

We assured him that you found his business practices to be a little cruel.

We delivered proof that imitation is not always a form of flattery.

We let him know that your confidence in him had been shaken.

We read him a poem that was anything but a love letter.

We told him that you don't like to haggle when the planet is on the line.

And, there were some other group photos that had been taken with him that we didn't have the heart to share. He is a man of science and dignity, after all.

You should have seen his face as the pain and anguish he had caused all of you became apparent. Rahool isn't a bad guy. He's just not as sensitive as we all are to the categories that demarcate the effectiveness of ancient weaponry. He gets caught up in the art of it all. Living a sheltered life away from the danger and excitement of the frontier will do that to a person.

If we could summarize what our prince of Engrams was feeling this week, it would sound something like this:

I never meant to cause you any sorrow.
I never meant to cause you any pain.
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing.
I only wanted to see you.
Laughing in the purple rain.
Purple rain, purple rain!

We think that captures the sentiment embodied by these Patch Notes, too. Give 'em a read if you're curious about the state of the economy in the Cryptarch's booth.

Early reports from the Tower indicate that your Engrams will be safer from here on out. Good hunting to all of you. May it rain purple upon you!

That's a lot of dead Vex.

What if, every week, we singled out one of you for some special attention?

It would have to be for a very good reason. For instance: None of you have raided as much as this Guardian.

Allow us to introduce you to Toxic Bubble. This Hunter aficionado has reached the end of the Vault of Glass 25 times. Each of his three Guardians in Destiny has faced Atheon and lived to reap the rewards.

There are more rare creatures out there with equally impressive statistics to share. We'll unveil another one next week, and another one the week after.

Gear up in Real Life!

New Destiny stuff is available in the Bungie Store. Go check it out.

You don't even need to gain reputation with the vendor. All you need is a sense of style and whatever serves as the equivalent to Glimmer in your corner of the real world.

Care to dance? Let's open the Sack!

Menty I would like the rumors to be addressed about...

Let me stop you right there, if I may. We've seen a lot of theories about Bungie on the Internet this week. I understand why that stuff is compelling. The drama of the rumor mill is a symptom of a greater issue: We all want Destiny to be better. The problem is that sifting through gossip in search of truth doesn't bring us any closer to a stronger game.

The launch of Destiny changed things for me at Bungie. Ever since you became a community, instead of an audience waiting for a game, I've been invited into a room where a dedicated team is talking exclusively about the next updates for Destiny. Through me, you have a seat at their table. I'd rather spend the precious time we have together coming up with ideas for how the game can better support us as a community. I'd rather we look toward the next update. There may come a time when we take a probing look back at the challenges we faced during the development of Destiny, but those won't be my stories to tell.

You have me to kick around, Guardians, but know that I'm focused on our future together.

Rob Raid matchmaking, please?

That's a really tricky topic.

You don't need to sell us too hard on the value of Matchmaking at Bungie. It's something we helped to pioneer. Yet, we understand its limitations. In the recipe of a Bungie game, Matchmaking has always contributed the ingredient of a team built to play one match of competitive multiplayer. As you've probably witnessed in recent weeks (or years), many of those fresh allies have failed to go the distance together.

The Raid was designed for solid teams of killers who have made a commitment to solve a dense and explosive riddle. Most of the raiding parties who have emerged victorious from the Vault of Glass have sworn that one weak link would have doomed their chain. There have been other stories, of course. We've heard tell of Guardians who met each other just outside the door that leads into that vault. Strange tales have reached our ears - tales of total strangers who have banded together to see the Raid all the way through to a triumphant finale.

Those stories surprise us, but the players of our games always have. The best I can do to answer your question is to let you know that you've been heard. We're having conversations about how Matchmaking might support the more challenging activities in Destiny. It's a start. Keep sounding off about it, and maybe someday some matchmade Fireteam mates will hear you, too.

ruckus393 When's the update gonna be released?

If you're asking about the update that restored the Cryptarch's integrity, the answer is: Last Wednesday!

If you asking about the next batch of enhancements, refinements, fixes, and tweaks, the answer is: Very soon.

We'll never clap the dust off our hands, push away from the digital workbench, and proclaim that our game is perfect. We're not capable of seeing anything in that light. In many ways, we're as jaded as the next gamer. That's why we created a world in which we could react to feedback and new ideas.

Call Me Mustard Why has this game consumed over 100 hours of my roommates and my time?

Only you can say. There must be something in there that you find to be fun. Why don't you tell us more about that? Constructive criticism is great for helping us to build on the experience, but intel for what you love helps us build in the right direction.

Subion If you would have known what you know now would you have created Destiny any differently?

We don't need a time machine to benefit from what we've learned during the explorations that lead us to Destiny. We're doing that right now. Players like you are a huge part of that, so keep telling us what we should know. So far, this is what the team has heard you say. For the near term, those are the beats to which we dance.

Lime Lyfe What is you process of finding and dealing with user feedback?

It's like filling a glass of water from a Firehose.

There is no shortage of conversation about Destiny online, and that's awesome. It rages on our website (you are here). It comes directly at us through social networks. It whispers on more private forums. We listen everywhere we're welcome to eavesdrop. Sometimes we even talk back.

The conversations we have inside our own house help us decide which issues spoken by one person or one group affect the entire community. Our goal is always to support everyone who plays Destiny.

AyeRayyy Is there any chance we will get private matches? One of the things my friends and I really want to do is be able to play against each other.

I totally get it. I want that, too. I'll keep bringing it up. In the meantime, I'll have some dares and challenges to issue to the competitive community. Keep your sights trained on us.

Erc0x27 Are you planning on fixing issues with the companion app?

We updated the Destiny Companion in a lot of ways this week, too. Don't feel silly for asking. You hit the Mail Sack before the Notes went live. The Grimoire got enhanced. Sharing the imposing stance of your Guardian is now a lot easier. The forum works a little better. It's all part of the process. There's a whole separate team devoted to working steadily on the Companion, so it will evolve and grow right alongside the game it supports. Be on the lookout for more updates over time. Also, be sure to tell us what else you want to have in palm of your hand.

Seven Destiny is so PVP heavy. Why can't the factions be opened up to PVE players?

Actually, every activity in Destiny is a chance to gain reputation with the Faction leader who holds the gear you covet the most. Just equip their Class item. My Warlock never leaves the Tower without his Dead Orbit bond. No matter whose ass I'm kicking (from the Cabal to some Hunter in the Crucible) I'm inching closer to that sweet belt-fed heavy.

action thaxten Can you explain why the Titan spoke to me in such irresistible tones?

It's your temper. All you know is brute force. You never met a problem you didn't try to solve with your fists.

A Deadly Sniper Why are Hunters the most graceful and most fabulous SOBs out there?

It's because they try so very hard to be. When you look closer, though, you can see that it's all an act. That cape is like a security blanket to shield them from terrors of the dark. And the gasmasks? You don't even wanna know.

Klushots What is it that causes us Warlocks to exude such magnificence?

I think it's that effortless sense of inner strength. And beauty. Warlocks are magnificent simply because their inner-light cannot be contained by the regal cloak that drapes from their sturdy shoulders.

I kid because I love, Guardians. Don't change a thing about your golden-gunning, blade-dancing, ground-pounding, dawn-warding selves. I'll just be over here basking in the glow of the Void.

We'll continue this conversation in all the places where it happens.

Enjoy your weekend.