[b][u]New Luke Smith comments on Raids below this OP[/u][/b] I went back and watched the IGN Raid/Nightfall video a number of times and then sat back and thought for a while. Then I watched it again. I really did miss what Luke Smith was outlining for Raids. I am guilty of not seeing the trees through the forest. Not sure if it is because most of the last 15 plus years I have mainly been an FPS player, the fact that Bungie made Halo - a game I have loved and played since the beginning - or because of distractions while watching the video. It doesn't really matter. [b]Point is my stance on MM, or LFG, for Raids was wrong.[/b] Here is why I came to understand that. Destiny is truly different from what I and many others are used to. It is a grouping of a few different experiences drawn from FPS, open world exploration, campaign, MMO - Bungie calls in a shared world shooter for a good reason. Here is an analogy I hope you all can follow and appreciate, so read it through. Compare Destiny to a camp ground at the base of a tall mountain. I know, but stick with me. You can take your family and friends camping in the campground at the base of the mountain. There are campsites, running water, showers, a lake for swimming and fishing, natural trails, etc. [b]This is the base lower levels of Destiny[/b]. You need only basic camping knowledge and low level survival skills. [b]This is campaign, exploration and entry level Crucible.[/b] As your camping skills progress and your friends and family gain more experience you camp in more rugged terrain, tackle more arduous trails, begin climbing higher and more difficult areas. [b]This is higher level of mission play and the Crucible.[/b] Still with your regular friends and capable family members. Then, you reach a point were your desire to push higher up the mountain requires more preparation, better equipment and better training and skills. You make a series of attempts and find you are able to tackle this higher level of the mountain on a regular basis and take an experienced friend or two to count on for support and any trouble you get into. [b]Nightfall/High Level Crucible/Highest level campaign[/b] Then one day you look up to the peak of the mountain. You look at yourself. You feel you are experienced enough to make an assault to the peak, but know you can't do it alone. You need real experienced climbers to help you, the best gear and have to able to tap deep down into your inner survival instincts to reach the highest level. [b]This is the Raid.[/b] This is a simplistic analogy, but I hope that it helps other to understand what I finally did. No experienced and prepared and well equipped climber wants to group up with some people he found in town that say they are willing to try it. [b]Match Making.[/b] You want a group you can count on. Fellow climbers that know what this climb will take, have prepared for it physically, have the right equipment, etc. [b]This is your character development and weapons knowledge and build[/b].You want climbers that will not leave when the going gets tough, [b]randoms[/b], but will struggle through all the way to the top. It may take a few assault attempts to reach the top, but your team will make it if you stick together and support each other. After that, the next mountain will be different, offer different challenges, but you have a team that you can count on. I get it now. Thanks for reading. [b]New Luke Smith comments made on Neogaf.[/b] http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=123373556&postcount=1085 "I understand everyone's frustration about the decision to not have matchmaking in a post-matchmaking world. I also understand the limitations that this places on the activity's adoption at scale. That barrier to entry - the requirement that you get a group of people together and venture into something that is going to challenge your ability to work together (first) and your thumbs (second) - is a barrier I was willing to erect to preserve the activity goals. Bleeding edge hardcore groups will invest some significant amount of time in figuring out the encounters and making their way through the Vault. I fully expect groups to beat Normal mode in the first week its available. This is intentional, I'd like any group that is motivated and willing to cooperate to make their way through the Raid on Normal. I've talked some about thumbskill challenge vs. investment challenge vs. cooperation challenge in some interviews, and the Normal Raid difficulty prioritizes cooperation challenge and investment challenge. I expect Hard mode to take longer. Once your group learns the encounters, you will be able to get through the Raid significantly faster than 3 hours. However, the first time through, learning everything and arranging your group will take some hard-to-predict amount of time until some clan releases their strategies on YouTube. The Vault of Glass is in many ways an activity that will build groups from the disparate people who come together to try and make their way through it. It's very much a team-building exercise. If you're going to stream it this Fall, please feel free to let me know here. I'd love to tune in."