Dear Bungie, I realize that you don't know who I am outside of the account attached to this post, but I've been supporting your company since 2001 (i.e the release of [i]Halo: Combat Evolved[/i]). I was one of the countless others that stood outside of a game store to purchase [i]Halo 2[/i], and I was one of the countless others that finished the fight in [i]Halo 3[/i] (I even have a small poster signed by Master Chief to commemorate the deed). Simply put, I'm a loyal customer. And since you started this new adventure with the [i]Destiny[/i] series, I've still been here supporting you. I got the game just a month or so after its release, and I would be lying if I said it wasn't a steady source of entertainment for me. At the same time, I would also be lying if I said this game was even remotely close to what we -- anyone that has played any of your previous games ([i]Destiny[/i] excluded) -- all know you're capable of. I have purchased every expansion from [i]The Dark Below[/i] to [i]Curse of Osiris[/i]. I've dealt with every buff and nerf to weapons and abilities; every quality of life change; every major disappointment whether it be from the story or the lack thereof. I've engaged in lengthy discourse over the matter with my fellow players - sometimes condemning your decisions, other times supporting them - both online and offline. I've casually browsed the forums here and there, and it seems the universal consensus is: you're screwing us, [i]royally[/i]. Let's take a moment to talk about it. [b]Removal of Standardized Content[/b] By this, I mean things like private crucible matches, individual strike selection (on normal and heroic setting), individual mission selection (on normal and heroic setting), heroic strikes, and things of this nature. Why were these removed in [i]Destiny 2[/i]? If history serves as any indicator (and the release of CoO), it's so that you could re-implement them as "new features" with upcoming DLC. By no standard of decency is this acceptable, Bungie. We know it. You do too. [i]But why?[/i] The reason why this is a bad thing is that it feels dishonest, even criminal. It comes off as shady, lazy, and really inconsiderate. That's like trying to give my Guardian the ability to shoot her gun and call it a new feature. All of the things I listed are standard - they should have been in the base game. They aren't new features or new content; they're basic mechanics that we, the players, already were accustomed to for years. [b]Thin, poorly constructed plots[/b] The lore behind this game is incredible (pst, my dream career is to write for you). Of all the things I've seen people complain about on this forum, the story is rarely - if ever - one of them. You made this magnificent universe filled with memorable characters and incredible events, but here we are five expansions in, and outside of singular story development (i.e the campaign directly tied to my character as the protagonist), it feels like the entire system is the same place it was at the beginning of [i]Destiny[/i]. To keep things relevant, we'll use [i]Curse of Osiris[/i]. In the trailer, it was insinuated that the main threat was the fact that the Vex had begun amassing an army of machines from the past, present, and future (super cool). Instead, the bulk of the story revolved around the Infinite Forest and finding a single robot that wanted to bring about a dark future. [b]Side note[/b]: The concept of the Forest is cool, but like most of your efforts regarding the [i]Destiny[/i] franchise, it was horribly executed. The fact that every simulation always involved my Guardian running across the [b]same[/b] big gap, opening doors and sometimes killing yellow/orange health enemies to open other doors, was painful. There was nothing "infinite" about the Forest, other than how sad and just cringe-worthy it was. Think of what you could have [i]really[/i] done with the Infinite Forest, had you wanted to. How many unique places have we been in [i]Destiny[/i] and [i]Destiny 2[/i]? Why not incorporate that into it? Have us on Mars in one, Venus in another, etc. Would it have taken more time in development? Yeah, but it would have been [b]far[/b] more engaging than what you gave us. I would have loved to run through the Vault of Glass again during one mission, and then Dreadnaught during another (especially if they were randomized each time I entered). But I digress. The story of [i]Curse of Osiris[/i] was shamefully underwhelming. We had hardly any interactions with Osiris, this Warlock I've been reading about since the release of [i]Destiny[/i], and those we did were pretty disappointing. The missions were painfully straightforward, boring, and did nothing but to serve as the stepping stone for the next mission on the list. There was no development, no consequence, [i]nothing[/i]. No to mention, Osiris' cameo in the fight against Panoptes wasn't even cool (when did he become Goku?). You could have made both him and Ikora more involved; actually helping us kill the enemies we were fighting. Not just with their abilities, mind you - similar to how Zavala assisted us in the battle at the Tower, but even better. I get you're trying to sell this whole, "You are Legend" bit to the players. That's cool. But I don't think you realize what a major problem that poses for your ability deliver a meaningful story. Nothing feels dire because, well, I'm me - I can solve anything. That's a problem and it's become the backbone of your story as a whole. Food for thought. [b]Compromising your integrity for the bottom line[/b] It's a business. We get that. But just because you're Bungie doesn't mean people won't stop playing your games if you continue down this dark road. Look at what happened to that game [i]For Honor[/i], or [i]The Division[/i], or any other game that thought they could just half-ass everything and get by. What do I mean? I mean that it's a shame Eververse received more attention than the rest of the DLC. If you had put even half the effort and interest into [i]Destiny 2[/i] and [i]Curse of Osiris[/i], I'm sure a lot of these hateful posts flooding the forum wouldn't be here. We know you want to make money. Everyone does. But at some point, Bungie, you're going to have to ask yourself if it's worth it. Is trying to line your pockets with money worth losing the faith of the community you claim to cherish so much? You know the old saying, "Actions speak louder than words." So far, you've done a lot of talking and nothing else. [b]A new planet with the exploration value of the tower?[/b] So, remember when I said people feel like you're screwing your fanbase? They're talking about this stuff. Sure, it's bigger than the tower [i]if[/i] you include the Infinite Forest, but I'm not. Mercury is absolutely beautiful - [b]beautiful[/b], man! - and you limited us to an area the size of a small circle. Like, what? No one is ever here. I ran around a few hours before work and saw two, maybe three people. You could have done so much with this planet, Bungie! [i]Oh yeah, smart guy? Like what?[/i] For starters, you could have played to the fact you very blatantly said the Vex were amassing an army from the past, present, and future. That's three unique areas right there. The planet could have been carved up according to those sectors, filled with Vex from each of those eras, with the center (the current area) being a melting pot. You could have used various means to show the development of the Vex from their clunky, rustic beginning to the sleek, lethal machines they are now, to the beautifully dangerous weapons they'll become in the future. Couple that with a [b]proper[/b] Infinite Forest and you have some [b]real[/b] groundwork for a DLC. [b]Rehashed armors and weapons.[/b] A great deal of the armor sets in [i]Destiny 2[/i] are nothing more than reskins of the same model. Example: for the Titan class, The Shelter In Place, the Noble Constant, the Retro Grade set, and the EDZ set are literally the [i]exact[/i] same model with just a bit of color, some thematic additions (moss, webbing, rust), and nothing else. It would be nice to have something more unique available to us, but not necessarily requiring a raid or Trials of the Nine completion to obtain. When I first saw the trailer for [i]Curse of Osiris[/i], the thing I noticed right away was how unique Osiris' armor was. There hasn't been anything like it in Destiny that I've seen. That's what I'm talking about. Armor and weapons play a critical role in this game, and the fact you offer shaders and ornaments means you understand how gamers tend to value aesthetics. Having a more generous catalog of armor to choose from would be refreshing, and also give renewed purpose to the grind. [b]Suggestions? The Cure?[/b] There's really only one thing that can cure sloppiness - patience. You're rushing to deliver us content that's failing to expand the [i]Destiny[/i] experience in a meaningful way. The most frustrating thing about all of this is that we all know you can do better than what we've currently experienced, and that you have all the resources and competence to deliver a truly astounding game. You need to start taking your time; remember to take pride in your work. No one here values Eververse more than the game and the content you deliver, so stop putting so much emphasis on it. You need to shift your priorities and start focusing on what truly matters or the Destiny franchise is going to crash and burn. People are returning your game. Major streamers are finding greener pastures and taking their viewers with them (one of your more prominent streamers, Krafty, is even disenchanted with the game now. Fortnite much?). Whatever you have planned for this next expansion for [i]Destiny 2[/i], scrap it. Start over, but this time do it right. Sincerely, Sibellae