Also, the lack of proxy chat left me getting overloaded with chat invites from people who wanted to talk. Much more intrusive and arduous a task than having proxy chat and the ability to mute the children.

Dude I totally get what you are saying! I think people are only against it because they think your taking a hit at bungie.

I think Bungie made the right call about the Fireteam only chat. I actually gained more friends in a smaller amount of time the way it was set up. It kept the interactions game/mission related. Others have commented that it was silly to send an invite just to watch them go to orbit then back; I didn't find this to be that much of an inconvenience, I don't really remember it, but I imagine this could be made a seamless interaction. The only thing I did was set my Fireteam such that anyone could join. I sent no invites at all. I just played the game. This system creates a clear starting point for the interactions and that contributes to it being a more natural/organic experience. It keeps it a positive action; internally saying "yes, I want to play with them." In other games it's a "no, I don't want to hear you." Everywhere outside of the Tower was a 'mission.' The Tower is the social hub of the game and that's where the 'on-by-default/publc/prox chat' people want belongs if it gets added at all. I also think a clan message board in the Tower would be a good idea as well. There are situations that a Fireteam could be automatically created; PvP, Strikes, and anywhere else that the game puts you on a team. This could override the individual Fireteam settings and then the 'to orbit and back' doesn't need to happen. Besides, prior to those team events we're all in orbit already and it would just make sense to do it there. Public Events; there could be a setting like "Public Event Chat: On/Off" This way a 3 person Fireteam could be doing the Explore missions, join a Publilc Event, communicate with the randoms/non-teammates during the event, then finish the event with their Fireteam still intact. I don't how difficult any of these things would be to add/change. I'm not even asking for them. The thing that has bothered me most about the chat debate is that, often, it's both sides saying "my way is better and you're wrong." I think there are ways that the wants of those for public/prox chat can be met that won't cause those of us that don't want it to go back to excluding ourselves. I loved how it worked in the beta. I loved how I would be in a 'public' space and I didn't have to select 'mute all' to enjoy my experience. I can see where some things could be changed to satisfy more, if not all, with regard to chat settings. But if nothing changes I'll be totally cool with that. Other things I loved about the chat; it was in surround sound, it was affected by the environment, and it was impacted by distance.

The other reason they don't have proxy chat is it's not nearly as easy as it was before. Things have changed both the culture, tech, and needs have all changed. When I match make multiplayer the lobby and game is silent, even in strikes I played 6 in the beta and no one was talking at all. So I just go straight to party chat with my friends, clan, or girlfriend. Yeah I met a lot of people through game chat, and matches but didn't really meet anyone through proxy chat. Yeah there were some fun moments with proxy chat while playing hide and seek in halo but it was mostly irritating for me and them. Proxy chat just isn't important anymore. This is a hyper connected world. We don't need proxy chat, with all the connections we have made. I personally would rather not have than have to deal with the problems it had. Just my two cents.

should be options for Prox chat --- on / off best thing for everybody.

Dude, I do not want to be playing in Old Russia with some fireteam of untermenschen running after me trying to grief me. Screw that, proxy chat should only be available in Strikes...wait, but no one uses microphones there anyway.

It would be nice if they made an easily-modifiable chat system. For instance, easy muting, quick opt out when you don't want to hear other people at all, variable max distance. That way, you'd only hear what you wanted to hear.

It's not just cod man. Shit talking tots on FIFA. Halo. Etc I'm not playing to have to hear the high pitched prepubescent voices of preteens and elementary school kids who think they're way cooler than they really are cause they can scream about how they -blam!-ed my mother into an xbox or ps mic. I almost always mute them. Introduce public chat and that won't be possible, or it will be an unnecessary hassle.

So many overt generalizations in this post it makes my head hurt.

I don't have a problem with a lack of proximity chat. Yes most of my friends are people I met online, and have never met in person. But I didn't need proximity chat to become friends with them in those games either. Fire teams aren't limited to those already on your friends list. You can matchmake strikes to find random new people. As well as form fireteams on the fly to tackle world events and world bosses with nearby players.

Could be that was the concern with raids, too.

At PAX they mentioned prox chat, and seemed positive about adding into the game. I think it's more a feature that wasn't able to be finished within the given time frame. I believe we will see it as a free update for Destiny soon.

I rather the bandwidth went to game-play and combat , am happy with party chat, It worked fine In the Beta.

It's amazing to me that almost everyone here are bragging about voice chat and prox chat, etc. When that same amount of players in most games I've played since online gaming was created, stay silent or stay on party chats. Which brings me that my next point in Alpha and Beta I met some new friends without trouble. I was exploring and met an equal lvl 5 Guardian and after a while I realized he was still with me as were another one who just joined the fight. I got their attention after the slaughter with some waving and dancing and then I examinated both characters and then invited them into a party chat. They accepted and done, we became a fireteam. No nuisance, no grievances and no trolling. Conclusion: invite your friends over to a party chat and there.