We're very used to matchmaking features in games to bring people together. However, we're not often trying to think outside the box to come up with new ideas to serve that same function. People are complaining about the lack of matchmaking, but in reality they are complaining about the lack of social features that work toward bringing people together. We need social features to help drive proper communication and camaraderie. What's most important is not reducing the randomness of the people we meet, but creating a temptation for us to want to communicate with strangers. Meeting new people shouldn't be taboo! Meeting new people is inevitable, and so we should be working to let these people be social together and foster community rather than finding ways of fooling ourselves into thinking reaching out to Reddit or Clans will mean we meet people who we completely know and trust. Instead we should try to foster social communications with the strangers we meet within the game. So let's hear all of your ideas. What new feature can we create to bring people together? Maybe you'd just improve upon an existing feature? We have clans, we have groups, and yet much of that is still very external (i.e. They're not in the game). *** The key here is that the feature MUST be within the game. Anything that takes us out of the game out of necessity (rather than being something optional like the Companion App) is a major inconvenience for players. *** [i]Edit: The following have already been suggested (but you can feel free to improve upon them if you wish). 2nd Edit: I've expanded the suggestions list, going into more detail and providing credit to those who suggested it (click their name for a direct link to their reply). For a TL;DR just read the dashed portions of each suggestion.[/i] [b]Suggested by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67470903/0/0/1]The Gamer[/url], [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67199462/0/0/1]Khorick[/url], [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67258958/0/0/1]Tanmeister69[/url], [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67195897/0/0/1]Folchinator[/url], [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67190907/0/0/1]NEWNS[/url], [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67196437/0/0/1]RaunchyRam[/url], [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67174006/0/0/1]NineBreaker[/url], and [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67698918/0/0/1]AaOo[/url]:[/b] - Text chat, voice chat, proximity chat, Companion app chat ... chat is the most suggested feature so far. [b]*expanded by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67638251/0/0/1]DawnBlue[/url]:[/b] 1. Assign buttons or have options to provide the ability to swap between Fireteam and Proximity Chat. Pressing the assigned button will switch Fireteam chat with Proximity chat (i.e. It will swap what your primary chat option is and dictate who you can listen and talk to). Holding the assigned button will let you listen to your secondary chat option without swapping. 2. Have an option to be able to disable Proximity chat. [b]*expanded by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67683957/0/0/1]RadBrad31[/url]:[/b] 1. Have voice chat enabled by default for Strikes. Allow options to disable voice chat and mute individuals. [b]Suggested by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67165633/0/0/1]Deus Phasmatis[/url], and [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67203755/0/0/1]Caballero[/url]:[/b] - Better implementation of Clans and its associated features into the game itself, such as seeing if clan members are online or being able to plan clan events ingame. [b]Suggested by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67196274/0/0/1]What Up C[/url]:[/b] - Preset phrases or tools assigned to the D-Pad where we can either communicate with "Hello's" or join a Fireteam with specific intent like "Wants to join your Fireteam for Strike 'X'" [b]Suggested by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67610481/0/0/1]DanielKBoom[/url], [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67638251/0/0/1]DawnBlue[/url], [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67174725/0/0/1]CaptainMericah[/url], and [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67153274/0/0/1]EmceeSchw3pp3[/url]:[/b] - Bulletin Board in the Tower or Game Menu where you can look for a group or queue up yourself for any specific category of activity within the game. [b]*expanded by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67610481/0/0/1]DanielKBoom[/url] and [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67638251/0/0/1]DawnBlue[/url]:[/b] 1. You could gear-check/inspect players right within the bulletin board or menu 2. You could queue up with specified intent (e.g. I want to be the sniper, and I want to do achievements at the same time). This includes all necessary traits such as difficulty and mission. 3. There were polls or quiz systems in response to queues (e.g. "Would you be comfortable talking with us on mics?" or "Would you be comfortable playing the sniper & doing achievements?") [b]*expanded by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67387721/0/0/1]AJAX1234[/url]:[/b] 1. Make it a mercenary board where you can pay players to raid with you. - A preset checklist/filter you could mark to help the game phase you with players of the same personality at the Tower (e.g. "I prefer meeting people who are playing Crucible matches right now" or "I can't use a mic at this time") - An -optional- rating system where you can rate fellow Guardians on Friendliness, Cooperation, and other positive factors (with the impact of the rating varying depending on play circumstances. e.g. someone who invites you for 5 minutes and then rates you low will have less meaning then if someone does a whole raid with you and felt your cooperation was 'meh'). - A feature where you can string together preset text or phrases like in Dark Souls. Preferably these messages would go to a player directly, or would be placed on a message board in the Tower as a type of 'queue-up' feature. [b]Suggested by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67216249/0/0/1]Final Rune[/url], and [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67168794/0/0/1]OroBouros[/url]:[/b] - We invent our own social forms and gather around specific hubs in the Tower in order to signal that we want to be invited for something. Either this will be natural as in hanging around an NPC who gives rewards for a specific Raid, or artificially created as in hanging around well-known sites around the Tower. - Phase players so that when you enter a specific wing in the Tower you will only meet people who are on the same missions and strikes as you. This wing, or lounge, would allow players to gear-check and communicate before creating a team. [b]Suggested by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67196448/0/0/1]ShadowKnightMDH[/url]:[/b] - Be able to search for Fireteams and Raid teams in orbit, while also allowing you to talk to them. [b]Suggested by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67196579/0/0/1]Titus Stryker[/url], and [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67175727/0/0/1]Random Hammond[/url]:[/b] - Larger party cap [b]Suggested by [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67595299/0/0/1]Kaidra[/url], [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67203108/0/0/1]Richard[/url], and [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/67470903/0/0/1]The Gamer[/url]:[/b] - Matchmaking (despite the intent of the thread, matchmaking has still been concluded by some as the one solution they'd like to see).