#especially skorri

[saphig-iawn]

I remember when Curse of Osiris had dropped and was in full swing, I was just amazed at the story content. Osiris became more than a name on a page, we discovered the fate of Saint-14, the Vex (already my fav enemy) became more nuanced than before. Like, what we thought was an unfeeling faceless hivemind literally built a mausoleum for one of their greatest enemies, laid him to rest in peace, and then protected it with a vex mind specifically built to protect it even after they had won existence and the actual light of our sun had gone out. We learned of Osiris' prophecies and tried to find how they matched up to our past and possible future. We actually saw the Vex's arrival on a Mercury that was (at that point) an actula garden world! And Reddit cried about two tokens and a blue and claimed the game was dead...

My least fave thing is when a YT content creator BOLDLY declares that the Destiny community is 'in a slump' or 'a downward spiral' or 'not having a great time' because I'm always over here like... what community are you talking about mate? The one that bitches about PvP on twitter and reddit? Or the one who harass devs and stalk them irl? Or maybe the ones who treat Destiny like a full time job they have to play 40+ hours a week or they'll perish and then complain there's nothing to do?

Because... I don't know that community. The fandom is doing fine. People who actually make the shit are having a grand ole' time out here and have a much healthier relationship with the game. We're not yelling 24/7 about how much we hate the game while also haveing 2,000+ hours in it.

Whatever fucking 'Destiny community' you're talking about I ain't a part of. And neither is the rest of the creator/fandom space. Maybe stop playing PvP long enough to realize those Twitter and Twitch people you see... aren't the entire community.

[goldenluvv]

At first, I liked Lord Saladin Forge because they brought a fun pvp mode and nice gear, but now I think Saladin is one of my favorite characters in Destiny 2 due to a variety of reasons

Nothing about past humanity really matters too much in Destiny, but Saladin makes sure that's not the case with any of their friends and allies. Every voiceline while playing PvP, the little bits of lore on all the Iron Banner gear, and especially the interactions they have with others. Even the Eliksni and Cabal are valued and remembered in some of their gear.

It takes a lot to get someone playing weapons based on lore rather than gameplay-feel, but all the Iron Banner weapons have a good amount of sentimental attachment to them now.

I will continue to use Bite of the Fox and Jorumn's Claw, not only because they're excellent weapons in PvP, but because Skorri and Jorumn are characters I'd like to remember. ☝️🐴

[a-rebellious-waffle]

The simple acts of cleaning up sometimes yielded great treasures for those patient enough to search the ruins.

Warlocks were especially good at cleaning. If you had to define a reason, some (Hunters) would say that they're just using the Light to guide them, like those ancient "Star Wars" flicks that they found in that one engram once. Others (Titans) would say that because they're disciplined enough to focus on the task at hand- i.e sorting a bookshelf- they can see things that others miss.

(Their excuse for missing things is that their discipline comes from martial skills.)

Warlocks just shrug. Each one has their own different answer. Some say that they're just talented at finding things. Modest ones say that they're lucky. The Praxics don't answer the question.

The truth is a little bit more... long-winded.

A graduated Warlock who has not done anything extraordinary to prove their worth often departs on a pilgrimage to gather some sort of knowledge. Some head to the Ishtar Collective on Venus. Some depart for Io, in search of knowledge about the Light. Some seek out the Arcology on Titan.

Each one combs the ruins of their selected haven, paging through a thousand years of history in search of just one more bit of lost arcana, one tiny piece of scripture more. The process can take months, or even years. Days can be spent searching for just one black talon. This makes Warlocks very, very patient.

So it is with cleaning.

That's why a Warlock can find your little Techeun Bangle, your Conspiracy Theory-D, and your Khvostov. That's why they can find their Memory of Skorri, or their Lumina. They're just very patient.

That doesn't make them good snipers, though. So don't ask one to provide overwatch.

[lordshaxxion]

Vermilion

By all accounts, SIVA was rather pretty. The way it pulsed and glowed and shimmered right before Cidrex’s eyes made it a sight to behold. But then his eyes came to rest on the Iron Lords it had run through, corrupting their armour, their weapons and even their blood and bone and sinew. It was like a virus. A corrupting disease as it spread among the bodies of both the dead and the living. Disgusting.

The silence was deafening from where he stood on the ridgeline, staring down at the massacre before him. Out of all the Iron Lords that had descended upon the SIVA replication chamber, and only he, Saladin and Othion had come out alive. Jolder had perished sealing the chamber, Perun and Gheleon gave themselves to protect Cidrex. Felwinter and Timur had died fighting together, their weapons turned against themselves. Othion and Saladin had been just outside the chamber when Cidrex had been forced to retreat, when Lady Jolder had detonated the explosives that sealed their fate.

Saladin’s rage had been unmatched in the moments that followed as he tore into everything he could find that wasn’t an ally. Othion had been in tears as he mourned while Cidrex was just silent. He’d felt numb. Now he stood on the ridge they had initially descended from to combat SIVA, staring at the bodies that were covered in writhing red vines. Hundreds and hundreds of Iron Lords, and their Wolves, lay slain in the snow-specked dirt. SIVA continued to spread among the bodies, latching onto weaponry and armour as it went, contaminating the dead and desecrating them in a way that made Cidrex feel sick.

“Othion. Cidrex.” Saladin’s voice rang out across the ridge, making both Warlock and Hunter look up. “Come. There is nothing left for us here.”

So he’d burned through his rage eventually, Cidrex thought as he heaved himself up and grabbed his ax as he went. Othion was silent still as he walked with his mentor, Cidrex trailing behind and thinking to himself.  Tradition called for the stitching of vermilion stripes into the material as memorial to the fallen, but his cloak was already red. The loss of the Iron Lords cut deeper than any wound and Cidrex was beginning to feel that mere patches of red on his cloak wouldn’t suffice as a memorial.

When they returned to the Temple, Cidrex sought out Tyra and asked her for a favour. A rather large favour, all things considered. He knew she was a learned scholar of many things from the Golden Age and even from the time before the Traveler’s arrival to Earth, and he’d hoped she would know a thing or two about tattooing.

“Why?” Was her question to the Hunter after he’d approached her and asked, Cidrex sighing and rolling his sleeves up from the large woollen jumper he was wearing.

“The vermilion stripe, you know it’s meaning.” He said, “My cloaks are all red as they are and I feel something more personal is in order to remember the fallen Lords by.”

“So tattoos?” Tyra asked, “Red markings?”

“Yes. One for each Lord.” He said, watching the cryptarch’s expression change.

“Cidrex, there were hundreds-”

“I know. But stitching hundreds of patches of red into my cloak doesn’t feel like it’s enough. Please, Tyra, I know you know methods of ink-marking that were thought lost after the Collapse. I need this.” Cidrex said. She watched him, watching him try to keep himself composed. The battle was still fresh in his memory and the memories still stung him. She couldn’t refuse him this.

He was sore. The metal tube method Tyra had learned was an excellent one, certainly got the job done, but with nothing to ease the pain short of his Ghost putting him to sleep it made the job all the harder. Tyra had refused to do all four hundred-odd marks in one go, claiming it was too much for both of them to take in one day.

Cidrex stared at his forearms curiously, watching the skin heal gradually from its ordeal. The vermilion stripes, small and only about a centimeter thick, lined his forearm from his wrist to halfway towards the elbow. Neatly done, despite Tyra’s worries about her work. Cidrex reassured her that they were beautifully done and promised to find her riches from the Golden Age when he next went traveling.

By the next session, Cidrex had learned to tune out the pain and focus on something else while the cryptarch worked on his biceps. Saladin hadn’t necessarily approved of his decision to have these markings done, but Othion had supported him fully as he understood how important this was to the Hunter. Cidrex had made friends with a great many of the Iron Lords and their Wolves, known to many and friend to all as he was often described as in conversation. He’d teased Felwinter and Timur much, but they never had anything ill to say about him nor him about them in return. He was fierce in combat, especially when paired up with Jolder or Lady Efrideet. Skorri had often found him a nuisance when she was trying to compose songs, but simultaneously found him to be an inspiration half of the time when he collected bets against Radeghast. Silimar had often playfully made little figurines for the Hunter, many of which Cidrex had used to creep Gheleon out. The Hunter had to watch them all die.

By the final session, Cidrex’s body was aching. The vermilion marks covered both of his arms, tracked up his neck until there was just one that sat vertically in the middle of his bottom lip. The ones on his body were for friends, those he considered family. The one on his lip was special; he’d had a partner that had perished in the fight against SIVA. That one had hurt the most.

The Red War was upon the City, the Red Legion decimating all that stood in its path and Cidrex had been witness to dozens of Guardians, fellow Hunters, be felled by the merciless Cabal. The Farm was a small reprieve from the horrors out there beyond its bounds, but Cidrex felt no level of peace there. He felt the way civilians and Guardians alike stared at his arms; it was too hot for him to wear his usual battered armour and he’d been forced to wear just a tank top as he helped where he could around the Farm. To be seen with so many vermilion stripes was to be seen as a bad luck charm, especially to other Hunters. Each mark was a representation of the dead, specifically those close to the carrier. So to see well over four hundred marks on this Iron Lord made others strive to avoid working with him for fear of their own deaths.

“Hey, Guardian.” A civilian said, gesturing to a huge Exo Titan from where he was walking with Cidrex back to their tent from an all-night patrol.

“Name’s Spades, what do you need?” He rumbled wearily, looking down at them. He was exhausted, he didn’t really want to help.

“We need a hand moving this stack of logs.”

“I-”

“I’ll help.” Cidrex interrupted, already tying back his hair (he hadn’t had a chance to cut it in the months since the Red Legion had descended upon the City) and setting his hands upon his hips. “Where do you need them moving to?”

“No offence, lil guy, but how are you gonna help us move all these?” The civilian snorted derisively, looking Cidrex up and down. The Hunter squared his jaw, rolling his shoulders and moving over to the logs before picking up one and hauling it over his shoulder.

“Where do you need this moving to.” He deadpanned, eyes narrowing in a challenge to the civilian, their taunts dying in their throat. Spades merely chuckled and walked off, passing Zavala and Cayde on the way to rest.

“Spades.” The Titan Vanguard interrupted the Exo, “Were you aware of Cidrex’s marks?” He asked, the other Titan looking back at his partner and nodding.

“Course. Why?”

Zavala looked uncomfortable, though not as much as Cayde did from beside him. He’d been talking beforehand, now he was just staring in silence. “I… wasn’t aware he carried so many with him.”

“Well over four hundred, Commander.” Spades said calmly, watching as Cidrex moved the logs with ease across the Farm. “And not a day goes by when he doesn’t mourn them.”

[themothyards]

A Mothyards “I Told You So” Segment

Because I desperately need an outlet to vent about how awesome I am, I’d like to present a short list of Mothyards “I told you so’s” that have emerged over the course of Destiny. Note that I’m not claiming any responsibility for Bungie’s decisions, but I am, you know, just sayin’.

Moths

Oh, boy. The story behind this one is elaborate and long-winded. But here’s the summary. I’ll add this screenshot for further evidence:

Uh-huh.

What makes a Guardian a Guardian?

Yeah, yeah. Zavala says Guardian in the trailer, not Titan. Still.

Iron Lords and Poetry

Poetry has been a part of the Mothyards since January 2016, and has been specifically associated with the Iron Lords. In Rise of Iron, Bungie continued that tradition.  I’m not saying that I invented poetry, especially since I suck at it; I’m just saying that I maybe kind of might sort of view Skorri’s unwritten Iron Song as an in-game callout post aimed squarely at me.

All I’m saying is, you guys saw Arthurian/Viking poetry-reciting Iron Lords here first. Am I right? Am I right or am I right?

Explosive throwing knives

In Destiny 2, the throwing knives used by the reworked Gunslinger class explode. I mean, I’m happy.

How to use your weapons

Did you ever use “Disassembly Required?” Me neither. Still, I’ll leave this here:

A-hem. Well, thank you for your indulgence. We will now return to our regularly-scheduled nonsense.

Cordially,

The Mothyards

[thesevenseraphs]

Bungie Weekly Update 2/9/17

This week at Bungie we’re studying our notes.

Patch Notes that is. After a design pass on the Sandbox, Destiny HotFix 2.5.0.2 will arrive on Tuesday. At this moment, we’re checking and rechecking all the details that will get published for your scrutiny. There are statistics to verify and changes to confirm. We cross-reference information provided by every discipline. Designers. Testers. Engineers. Ninjas.

On the morning of Tuesday, February 14, those bullet points will be fired from this here blog. When we’re delivering content, we tend to get started around 10AM Pacific. Our deployment team will push the Big Red Button* and the servers will do their thing.

That’s when you’ll be able to jump into the Crucible and sample the Sandbox tuning for yourselves. After hundreds of hours of playtesting, iteration, and more playtesting, we’ll subject ourselves to the ultimate test: The moment when you go in to play.

*Metaphorical Satire: no such button exists

Notes from the Sandlot

Yesterday, we returned to our Twitch channel for a conversation about how combat in Destiny is about to change.

Josh Hamrick and Greg Peng

were in the hot seat. The chatter on stream was all about your expression of power in Destiny. The ways you fight and your means of defending yourself are the things they think about all day.

Weapons and abilities were the focus of this work. The post-show dialogue has observed the absence of changes to Artifacts – namely Skorri’s. You haven’t heard the last from the Live Team, and the Sandbox is always an important part of their exploration of where the game should go next. With 2.5.0.2 almost off the workbench, our design team is looking at another future release as a potential vehicle for some tuning on artifacts as well. Time will tell, and you’re always a part of the conversation. 

Damage Per Second?

Just outside the PlayTest Lab at Bungie, “DPS” stands for “Destiny Player Support.” The acronym still applies to firepower, but it’s about solving problems instead of destroying your enemies. These warriors fight on the #Help forum.

This is their report.

Next week, Destiny Hotfix 2.5.0.2 will be delivered to your console. There is no expected downtime for this deployment. This hotfix fully focuses on Sandbox tuning. There will be no other changes to Destiny, nor will any known issues be addressed. Prior to accepting Destiny Hotfix 2.5.0.2, please note the following:

Hard Drive Requirements: Players should ensure they have the proper amount of console storage space available to complete the full installation process. For more information, please see the Console Storage Space guide.

Interrupting Update Downloads: When receiving a patch or update for Destiny, please do not interrupt the download or install process. Doing so may force some consoles to re-download all previous patch data. Once this occurs, it cannot be undone and may only be resolved by allowing all deleted patch data to be re-downloaded.

Wired Connections Recommended: Players that are using a wireless or wifi connection may want to switch to a wired connection for the download and installation process. Wireless connections are susceptible to a variety of different sources of interference and may cause issues in the stability of the Destiny download or installation. For more information, please see the Network Troubleshooting Guided Support.

The Sandbox show was not the only conversation we had on our streaming set this week. We also talked to the Guardians who host IGN’s Fireteam Chat. Hard to believe that they’ve released 99 episodes (or 99.5.0.2 episodes, to be exact). Have we really been a community for that long? Their 100th episode will be a great chance to take a look back at our journey as a community. We joined them on the show and pried open our archives to share some memories of our own. You should tune in tomorrow and check it out. Any seasoned Destiny fan is sure to be hit with a wave of nostalgia.

Next week, we’ll take a look at your reactions to the new Sandbox. Change is never easy, especially when it happens in a place where bullets (and space magic) are flying past your head. No matter how you fight, it’s a safe bet that you’re about to enter a period of adjustment. Good luck out there, and be sure to let us know how you fare.