[Interview] Destiny: On Launch, the Loot Cave & a Vision of the Future

SBFord

Destiny came out of the gates in a big way not too long ago. Bungie has been exceedingly flexible in ensuring that the game stays playable and that issues are resolved in a speedy fashion. We caught up with Destiny Community Manager Eric "Urk" Osborne to talk about Destiny's beginning, where it is now and what the future holds.

Read Garrett Fuller's Destiny: On Launch, the Loot Cave & a Vision of the Future.

psiic

Yea that's why no one I know played it past the first month. 

 

Too many BS promises not enough delivery.

 

 

Dragnelus

Im gonna turn destiny in and gonna buy dragon age for the pc

rojoArcueid

is it just me or nobody dares ask if they are even planning on moving away from the boring reputation grind and add actual content variety?

 

Nothing currently in the game is a "memorable experience for players".

Mange1

Yea that's why 3.2 million played it after no one you know played it. 

 

I am hopeful for the future but I feel the game has peaked already,  these next 2 DLCs probably won't get to much attention if players didn't already have the deluxe pass.  I was hoping they'd be very creative with what they add but so far it's just going to be dungeons, raids, and new maps with the same rules.  They def need to really touch down into the "MMO" aspect of the game by adding something players can do with lots of other guardians instead of a 6 man maximum.

CrazKanuk

Originally posted by psiic

Yea that's why no one I know played it past the first month. 

 

Too many BS promises not enough delivery.

Mmmmmmk. Check out DestinyLFG.net or DestinyLFG.com. Both sites are showing like 500+ requests per hour, and that's only people who are currently, actively looking for a group...... and only those looking for a group at those particular sites..... and NOT those who are currently playing and NOT looking for a group.... AND it's during the middle of the day and their stats are still actively updating every few seconds....... 

 

But nobody is playing........ MAN! Arguments rooted in fact are like my weakness. 

CrazKanuk

Originally posted by rojoArcueid

is it just me or nobody dares ask if they are even planning on moving away from the boring reputation grind and add actual content variety?

 

Nothing currently in the game is a "memorable experience for players".

 

I can't entirely disagree, but I would be more interested in knowing whether or not their actually going to introduce a passable story. 

 

I know we don't want to call it an MMO, but it is a persistent world with many MMO elements. Dungeons, Raids, Dailies, RNG Loot, so in that regard, are you asking too much that they remove the grind? What's a better system for this? I am not saying that they're perfect. I'm more interested in knowing what a better system is, simply because I can't say I've played an MMO where there wasn't the gear grind. 

rojoArcueid

Originally posted by CrazKanuk

Originally posted by rojoArcueid

is it just me or nobody dares ask if they are even planning on moving away from the boring reputation grind and add actual content variety?

 

Nothing currently in the game is a "memorable experience for players".

 

I can't entirely disagree, but I would be more interested in knowing whether or not their actually going to introduce a passable story. 

 

I know we don't want to call it an MMO, but it is a persistent world with many MMO elements. Dungeons, Raids, Dailies, RNG Loot, so in that regard, are you asking too much that they remove the grind? What's a better system for this? I am not saying that they're perfect. I'm more interested in knowing what a better system is, simply because I can't say I've played an MMO where there wasn't the gear grind. 

well the grind is already there and it is a pseudo mmo so it will be there for the most part. Im sure you have noticed that everything in the game involves doing the exact same things over and over to gain reputation to get some gear. Side missions in exploration mode are just typical mmo tasks involving killing the same enemies over and over in the same piece of map or collecting or scouting. Bounties are more side tasks involving the exact same things you are doing already but now they are called bounties (that doesnt make them different in any way). A good example was the Queens Wrath event, i would expect an epic event as they implied, but it was more of the exact same bounties and tasks only with reputation to someone else.

That is all there is in the game at the moment, and that is what i mean with moving away from the rep grind. Add different type of content, new features, gameplay, whatever they want to add to make the game varied. But apparently all we are getting with the upcoming expansions is more bounties and rep grind killing the same old enemies in the same old areas. 

I stopped playing the game half way through the Queens Wrath because i couldnt take it anymore. If i play again it will probably be only pvp, and that already could use some extra maps so i hope The Dark below adds more.

 

EDIT: more story of course is part of "new content" too but we already know more story is coming.

CrazKanuk

Originally posted by rojoArcueid

Originally posted by CrazKanuk

Originally posted by rojoArcueid

is it just me or nobody dares ask if they are even planning on moving away from the boring reputation grind and add actual content variety?

 

Nothing currently in the game is a "memorable experience for players".

 

I can't entirely disagree, but I would be more interested in knowing whether or not their actually going to introduce a passable story. 

 

I know we don't want to call it an MMO, but it is a persistent world with many MMO elements. Dungeons, Raids, Dailies, RNG Loot, so in that regard, are you asking too much that they remove the grind? What's a better system for this? I am not saying that they're perfect. I'm more interested in knowing what a better system is, simply because I can't say I've played an MMO where there wasn't the gear grind. 

well the grind is already there and it is a pseudo mmo so it will be there for the most part. Im sure you have noticed that everything in the game involves doing the exact same things over and over to gain reputation to get some gear. Side missions in exploration mode are just typical mmo tasks involving killing the same enemies over and over in the same piece of map or collecting or scouting. Bounties are more side tasks involving the exact same things you are doing already but now they are called bounties (that doesnt make them different in any way). A good example was the Queens Wrath event, i would expect an epic event as they implied, but it was more of the exact same bounties and tasks only with reputation to someone else.

That is all there is in the game at the moment, and that is what i mean with moving away from the rep grind. Add different type of content, new features, gameplay, whatever they want to add to make the game varied. But apparently all we are getting with the upcoming expansions is more bounties and rep grind killing the same old enemies in the same old areas. 

I stopped playing the game half way through the Queens Wrath because i couldnt take it anymore. If i play again it will probably be only pvp, and that already could use some extra maps so i hope The Dark below adds more.

 

EDIT: more story of course is part of "new content" too but we already know more story is coming.

Yeah, I'll agree with you on the Queen's Wrath event, I was definitely expecting more, too. I mean Iron Banner at least switched up PvP was they knew it in the game to that point. 

 

As far as the gear grind goes, though. Again, if you don't like MMORPGs then you won't like it. If you played any early MMOs like Vanilla WoW, EQ1, those SUCKED! Like when they went back to a more classic rep grind with WoW:MoP, I'm pretty sure that there were temper tantrums happening across the Universe, it'd been dumbed down so much. Thing is, it wasn't that bad, actually. Now, that being said, if you HAVE played lots of MMOs, then I would expect that you'd appreciate the more subtle diversities. Things like:

-Daily Mission Ramp - You can set it to solo, or set it to super difficult and do it with friends

-Bounties - Basically daily (yeah, these could use some more diversity, for sure). Both PvE and PVP (5 of each) to choose from

-Weeklies - Weekly Strike, Raid, and mini Raid (Nightfall)

-Just doing strikes in general (you can ramp the difficult on this too)

There is actually a great diversity of stuff to do on a daily basis. It's definitely more fun to do it with friends. Also, you're rewarded much more heavily if you work with groups. I mean you can gain much more rep and upgrade materials (which help progress you to max level), by working with a group. Also, you can only get best-in-slot gear by working with a group. 

Oh! Also, you can actually trade upgrade materials, gear, tokens for gear (engrams), and weapons between your characters, which is nice. Once I hit 20 with my second character, it was basically level 23 immediately. 

Anyway, yes, it is a grind, but I've never found a game where the grind was any less worse than this, really. If we're talking about being able to buy purple gear. 

 

holyneo

I rather play FireFall

superconducting

Sub-par game designed from the ground up to sell to you piece by piece in the form of expansions.

Sorry Bungie but I ain't fallin for this.

seafirex

I was really into it at release until i discovered this :

Well for me what i don't like is the fact that money is account wide. On a console? in 2014? for real?

How can i play with my son or wife? I don't want or should need to re-farm all the cash all over again if he or she gets gear or items with the money i made on my character. To be more specific before some start arguing with this : I don't play as much as my son, i work so i can't do it as much as he does it. And trust me when i say you must do lot's of questing or grinding to get cash or token for pvp and it gets used fast.

Also the maps are way too much limited, you can't get to higher grounds except by jumping on cases, take a ladder or stairs or the road or rock formation in the middle of the maps. Forget exploration really except going underground in tunnels otherwise you fall in the river on the side of the cliff to reach the other area of the maps that you can see clearly in front of you, if you do fall or try to reach it you die. For real? in 2014 i can't swim or go around on the side of the map? I can't grab the pipes to move to higher grounds or jump on rocks to do it and must walk on the road on specific path given by the devs? And you even let me jump so high but make me slip each time i get on top of a rock because of invisable walls?

Every thing is instance base. No question there, and to be honest 2 or 3 days my son had done all the quest, and once they are done they are done for all the character you have on the account. What a suprise when i tried to play again my character and i see that all the quest are done, i get what ? replay the quest already done no extra bonus xp because my son had used it by doing the quest, etc. Piece of crap this game is seriously. It would have been a very good game but omg it is worst then a fps. At least fps game you make your own progress with each character you start. Cash is for each characters or items, etc. Not in this game they are account wide even the progress. 

 

I am still playing this game even with all this and really want to like it but i hope they change all this crap about it if they want to keep there players.

 

Edit : and yes i know this is a mix of fps and mmo. But it is done so bad it is not even funny.

Estrange

Originally posted by psiic

Yea that's why no one I know played it past the first month. 

 

Too many BS promises not enough delivery.

 

 

You do realize your small segment of buyers doesn't represent the whole? Perhaps the people you associatec with tend to have the same mindset? My clan is growing and thriving. I never have to wait longer than 10 secs to find a match made group. 

Estrange

Originally posted by Mange1

Yea that's why 3.2 million played it after no one you know played it. 

 

I am hopeful for the future but I feel the game has peaked already,  these next 2 DLCs probably won't get to much attention if players didn't already have the deluxe pass.  I was hoping they'd be very creative with what they add but so far it's just going to be dungeons, raids, and new maps with the same rules.  They def need to really touch down into the "MMO" aspect of the game by adding something players can do with lots of other guardians instead of a 6 man maximum.

 

Smaller groups are the future. 

Estrange

Originally posted by seafirex

I was really into it at release until i discovered this :

Well for me what i don't like is the fact that money is account wide. On a console? in 2014? for real?

How can i play with my son or wife? I don't want or should need to re-farm all the cash all over again if he or she gets gear or items with the money i made on my character. To be more specific before some start arguing with this : I don't play as much as my son, i work so i can't do it as much as he does it. And trust me when i say you must do lot's of questing or grinding to get cash or token for pvp and it gets used fast.

Also the maps are way too much limited, you can't get to higher grounds except by jumping on cases, take a ladder or stairs or the road or rock formation in the middle of the maps. Forget exploration really except going underground in tunnels otherwise you fall in the river on the side of the cliff to reach the other area of the maps that you can see clearly in front of you, if you do fall or try to reach it you die. For real? in 2014 i can't swim or go around on the side of the map? I can't grab the pipes to move to higher grounds or jump on rocks to do it and must walk on the road on specific path given by the devs? And you even let me jump so high but make me slip each time i get on top of a rock because of invisable walls?

Every thing is instance base. No question there, and to be honest 2 or 3 days my son had done all the quest, and once they are done they are done for all the character you have on the account. What a suprise when i tried to play again my character and i see that all the quest are done, i get what ? replay the quest already done no extra bonus xp because my son had used it by doing the quest, etc. Piece of crap this game is seriously. It would have been a very good game but omg it is worst then a fps. At least fps game you make your own progress with each character you start. Cash is for each characters or items, etc. Not in this game they are account wide even the progress. 

 

I am still playing this game even with all this and really want to like it but i hope they change all this crap about it if they want to keep there players.

 

Edit : and yes i know this is a mix of fps and mmo. But it is done so bad it is not even funny.

 

I am confused. There is nothing keeping you from doing the missions again at your own pace. Also, if your son finished the PVE content in three days, he was living on the console. Content burners burn. Also, there is nothing keeping you from making two characters of the same class, if you want one for each of you. The story starts again for a new character. I think you need to chill.

Zilego

Is it just me, or did it seem like the guy never really answered any of the questions asked.

acidblood

Originally posted by Zilego
Is it just me, or did it seem like the guy never really answered any of the questions asked.

Yeah pretty vague answers, which in a way is smart (can't be held accountable for what you don't say), but ultimately it all comes down to what is delivered. I got the special edition with the season pass, so I'm getting the first two DLCs regardless, but unless they are really something worth playing I won't be hanging around for the the third.

MysteryB

Love Destiny, my friend bought an Xbox One just for Halo: MCC and I made him get Destiny, he now says he doesn't know how he's gonna have time for both haha, screw the haters, Bungie you did it again!