Bungie Weekly Update - May 14 at 10:20:55 PM

This week at Bungie we're preparing to release a full house of wolves into the wild.

You need something new to hunt in Destiny. Your new prey will put up a good fight. We know you're waiting, and we can't wait for the games to begin - but this is dangerous work.

Two separate updates will pave the way for you to experience Expansion II. I've been told that the best time to apply a patch to a game is not only when it's ready, but also when there are a lot of smart people in the building to make sure it lands safely. We're in the final phases of testing and approval for the first update. Confidence is high. As soon as we're ready, we'll let you know.

Currently, all signs point to tomorrow (Friday) morning (Bungie time). It will be a game-time decision, so stay tuned. Patch Notes will immediately follow, and all of your questions about the world changes to come will be answered. We have a forum thread to monitor and a Twitter account that signals new information.

Stand by, Guardians.

Teamwork

While you wait to download game updates, the real world continues to hurtle through space on its delicate trajectory through the universe. While we may be just a tiny speck in the cosmos, we have the power to change the events of our world when we band together. According to Bungie Foundation Manager Christine Edwards, the Guardians to the Aid of Nepal initiative has exceeded all of our wildest expectations.

CE: Two weeks ago, after Nepal's devastating earthquake, we called on you to come to the aid of those in need. You have done just that. Together, we've been able to raise $750,000 to provide much-needed medical supplies and support to those affected by the earthquake. This number is astonishing, and it is because of you and your generosity. 100% of the profits generated by this fundraising drive will be donated to the efforts of Direct Relief in Nepal.

Our friends at Activision have also taken notice and have just pledged an additional $50,000 to duplicate Bungie's donation matching from last week.

If you have not yet purchased a limited edition Nepal Aid T-Shirt, you still have time to act!

Deadline: Sunday, May 24th at 11:59pm PST
Where to Purchase: www.bungiestore.com
Questions? Check out our Nepal FAQ.

This is not the first time Bungie has leveraged the power of the players for charity. Very quickly, this has become one of our most effective fundraisers. Like your community, you make the world a better place, Guardians. We thank you - and so do the people you are helping to recover and rebuild.

Keep Your Feet On The Ground...

"...and keep reaching for the stars," is how the old saying goes. How appropriate, in this case. House of Wolves won't just populate the world of Destiny with more bad guys that need killin.' It will also help you stay rooted in the action. The solution is something we're calling "Connection Recovery." To explain it all, Damian Frank is the Matchmaking Engineer with the plan to keep you grounded in the fight against our enemies.

What's the basic issue you're addressing here?

DF: If you've played for long enough, you've probably been kicked back to orbit at some point. This happens when basic network problems occur on the Internet. If you can't talk to our servers because some network router somewhere got too busy, you may be kicked to orbit. We've been working hard on improving this aspect of the player experience.

Tell us a little bit about Connection Recovery, in that case.

DF: If you encounter the most common kinds of networking problems and lose your connection to the game you're playing, Connection Recovery will leap into action and attempt to reconnect you. It won't always work, because the underlying networking problem may be too severe, but it gives you a fighting chance at rejoining the server you were playing on. If it's successful, you'll keep your progress and your Fireteam.

Sounds like many a Guardian will benefit. What feedback will we receive when Connection Recovery is in progress?

DF: When you encounter a recoverable error, your screen will fade to black, as it always has. A message will inform you that we are attempting to reconnect you and will tell you what kind of error you've encountered. After a short time, you will either be respawned in the game or you will be returned to orbit.

Are we rolling this out for every activity?

DF: For now, Connection Recovery is limited to the new Trials of Osiris event. We know that disconnections are going to be especially frustrating in Trials, so it seems like a good place to start. Once we have a better feel for how it's going to perform in the real world, we plan to add it to almost all activities - if all goes well.

Or "when we're ready," to build on the current theme. We know this is just one more reason to make you anxious for House of Wolves. We aim to inform, Guardians - not to tease. Your wait is almost over.

Agents of Shield

The fearless teammates of Destiny Player Support are the unsung heroes of our living, social world. On the #Help forum, their yellow shields signal the first and last word about the issues that separate a Guardian from their game. Every week, they invade the Update to talk to you about their work.

DPS :The Web team has been busy updating and redesigning the Bungie Help page to make articles easier to navigate and read. Be on the lookout for these changes in the near future.

Along with those improvements, we have updated our Digital Upgrade Program article to include Expansion II with the upgrade program from last-gen to next-gen consoles. You can read our above-linked FAQ or visit the Destiny the Game website for more information.

This is not the last you will hear from them. They'll be back next week. If you can't wait that long, look them up in their base of operations.

#DestinyMOTW

No embedded tweets this week. We're going straight to the source. This highlight reel was sent to me by no fewer than three people on the Bungie team.

WINNER: For excellence in slam dancing.

We're always watching. We know you're watching us right back. Let's keep this staring contest rolling.

There is more news to come this week. We'll talk to you when fresh bits are speeding toward your preferred platform through the digital plumbing that keeps us connected.

DeeJ, out.