[quote]Even the largest body lets itself be pushed where it needs to be, seduced into nice, warm loving orbits. Persistence is the key. Seafloors transform and then yank themselves skyward, shattering the icy crust. New worlds awaken in the swirling depths. You build homes around this half-born sun ripped by storms and supersonic wind[/quote] ~Dreams of Alpha Lupi, Ghost Fragment: Jupiter #2 How many of you have taken the time to read the Grimoire cards, those inconspicuous things that flash at the bottom of your screen when you collect a fallen Ghost or visit a new area for the first time, prompting you to visit Bungie.net for more information--how many? I've seen the complaints about Destiny's story, many of which were offered up by me to my friends planning on buying the game themselves: "It's brilliant, guys, it really is, but there are some very odd flaws--communication, PvP options, and I know it begs minimalism, but the story is just so..." I've felt the same unslated emotions when traversing through the environment, unaware not of where I am but [i]why[/i] I am. I've read the back cover and the chapter names. I know the synopsis. But the pages aren't opening up to me. I'll ask again--how many of you have read the Grimoire cards? Because they're beautiful. Sifting through them I see the very tantalizing threads of a story, one rich with specific people and places and events--Saint-14 and the first "disastrous" attempt to reclaim the moon and the discovery of Crota. There is a world here that Bungie has methodically built, rich with history and meaning. You don't have to take my word for it; read the cards. They're proof enough. So why can't we see this in game? Though beautifully crafted, I feel removed from everything when I have to open up my laptop and read these small text blurbs. It's a world separation, akin to the Venus and Mercury that Bungie tantalizes us with almost as a promise for more yet feeling so far away. I understand the concept of "unintrusive storytelling", the desire to appeal to a wide amount of people--the gamers who don't want lore shoved down their throat, breaks in the fluidity of combat or exploration. I understand the minimalism. But the story is there. The history spreads out and links to the world like intangible vertebrae, something you know exists, you know holds support, something you can read about without being able to see it or touch it. More than anything, I wish we could.