Bungie Weekly Update - Feb 19 at 8:52:14 PM

This week at Bungie, we're taking final steps to make Destiny Update 1.1.1 a reality.

That's the one we've been talking about for a while now. We know you've been waiting, but we're also keenly aware that you've been asking for more insight into what you can expect from our team. So we've been sharing their ongoing efforts to prioritize and deliver tweaks, updates, and features based on your feedback. While the team has been plugging away, I've been eavesdropping - even hovering over shoulders, carefully leaning in to whisper softly into many an ear.

Before I get into the new intel I've gathered, here's a quick summary of our ongoing conversation (in case you missed it).

When the bits from 1.1.1 stream into your drive, we'll be (finally) fixing a heavy ammo bug, applying some newfound balance to the weapon sandbox, and enhancing the view into your ever-growing reputation.

Assuming you're caught up now, or already were, you can scroll down to find even more 1.1.1 goodness that the team is excited to share.

Move to Strike!

If you didn't know anything about Destiny, I'd look earnestly into camera, cock an eyebrow, and tell you that Strikes are one of the primary cooperative activities in Destiny. Kick some alien ass. Earn some rewards. Do it all in the company of friends or complete and total strangers via matchmaking.

But you don't need to hear that from me. You've played your share of Strikes. Your alien ass kicking comes with a side of gameplay modifiers and Strange Coins. All the while, to ensure you've been fighting alongside Guardians as battletested as yourself, we suspended matchmaking.

Until now...

As part of 1.1.1, we're changing the Weekly Heroic Strike to be a matchmade activity. Why? Let's ask Design Lead M.E. Chung.

M.E. We wanted the Weekly Heroics to be a challenge that pushed you and your buddies, but what we observed was that these strikes don't demand the same cooperation of a cohesive pre-made group. The overwhelming community response was such that many players didn't have the numbers on their friends list to experience the activity on a weekly basis.

Can I still solo the Weekly Heroic?

M.E. No, this change applies to all levels of the Weekly Heroic.

What about the Nightfall?

M.E. No change. Since players are kicked to Orbit on team wipe, we want people to be able to preserve that group so they could give it another go.

So, no matchmaking for Raids neither?

M.E. No, but we are keenly aware of the issue. We think good Raid sessions rely on groups of communicative players who are invested in each other, but we know that it's challenging for many players to find groups for Raids and Nightfall today. We are thinking hard about how we can help make that an easier experience in future releases.

Beyond this update, we'll talk more about M.E.'s team and how they work. Supporting a live game like Destiny is a job that's never finished, and they have plans for the update that will follow 1.1.1 that I think you might find exciting.

Bullet Time

Now you're asking, "When can I have the bits I so richly deserve?"

I'm still getting the answer I expect. "When they're ready!"

I'm still placing my bets on "before the end of February." Even though it's the shortest month of the year, I'm feeling lucky.

In the meantime, here are some of the other things you'll enjoy when we deliver fresh bullet points to the Updates blog:

• Xûr will stop forgetting to bring his Exotic engrams when he visits us from... wherever Xûr is from.
  
  
• Iron Banner will work as previously promised, with a greater variety of maps in rotation as well as a couple of new Bounties that give you more control over which weapon you can use to complete them - and we were hoping that one would have arrived before the current event.
  
  
• Strikes and Crucible Maps will be less likely to repeat themselves when you stay in a matchmaking playlist with your Fireteam.
  
  
• Grimoire Cards will drop when you expect them to.
  

There's also some other stuff that we'll detail out for you once we're go for launch. Soon^TM.

With the Community, for the Community.

The Destiny Operations Center was built to keep an eye on the network that supports Destiny. They also keep an eye on the #Help forum on Bungie.net. Along with some fearless volunteers from our community, their mission is to provide the information you need to keep playing, and help us all react to players issues are they are reported. This is what they would like for you to know this week.

Update 1.1.1 is approaching, and we'd like to help prepare you for any troubleshooting needs during patching. The most common issue players experience with patches are slow download speeds or patches ceasing to download after a certain percentage of completion. This issue can typically be resolved by maintaining a wired connection during patch installs. To do this, simply plug your console directly into the modem and configure your console to run on a wired connection while you are patching. You can go back to playing wirelessly after the patch has finished installing.

Another common issue on patch days is players encountering issues with joining friends in a Fireteam. If this issue occurs, ensure that you and your friends have all installed the patch. Be on the lookout for the 1.1.1 Patch Notes.

We're also very excited to make an announcement about some Guardians who have been promoted to the rank of Mentor on Bungie.net. They have accepted our challenge to join the team that helps Guardians play games. They're probably just as a surprised as you are.

Please join us is welcoming the following to the Welcoming Committee!

Lime Lyfe
Anidien
Jopstar 13
VENOM MDK
YapperFlapper

If you're curious how you can get involved, just do your part on the #Help forum. You don't need a badge to be nice to a fellow player. Providing a service to the community is how these people caught our eye in the first place. They're joining a proud Bungie.net tradition of a community that tends to its own garden, and we're thrilled to give them a green thumbs up.

And... Action!

We're making legends and passing out emblems up in here. Share your videos with us on Twitter. Tag them with #DestinyMOTW. We'll make you famous!

Winner: For deadly sleight of hand and ironic tastes in music, we celebrate MTashed.

Knife Juggler - Destiny Hunter Throwing Knives Mo...: http://t.co/mYg180dt8K @Bungie #DestinyMOTW

— Michael Tash (@MTashed) February 12, 2015

Honorable Mention: For musical stylings and Swift justice against the enemies of humanity, we recognize HereticInHD.

Crotas End - 'Blink Strike' a 'Blank Space' parody! http://t.co/37Z8a9651d @bungie @DestinyTheGame @DattosDestiny @MoreConsole #DestinyMOTW

— Dustin Ellis (@HereticInHD) February 17, 2015

Honorable Mention: For outstanding achievements in wielding the Fist of Havok, the award goes to Shay.

@DeeJ_BNG https://t.co/4uQxQwVS6T #DestinyMOTW

— David Sinclair (@ItsSinclair) February 11, 2015

Oh, and did you see this unfortunate turn of events??

Please be careful out there, kids. Bungie has some ideas for how we can make regrettable deletions like these less permanent. While we plan the right course of action (and build out new game features), protect your Guardians from sleazy online jerks - or dogs that step on your controller.

That's all the news for this week. Thanks for stopping by. And don't forget to check in with us tomorrow, as we explore Mars in search of art and science.