I really wanted to talk about this video. I'm surprised by the support I've seen on this video over in the /r/destinythegame subreddit because I think it's overly dismissive of real issues and the communities feelings towards it.
One of his points that really stuck with me was when he said that the FOMO doesn't matter when it comes to seasonal stories because I can look up videos or other resources online to try to catch up.
Is that really a good enough solution to deflect criticism from Bungie?
What about triumphs or titles?
This video really left a bad taste in my mouth, but I recognize that I'm in the minority on this.
The only FOMO aspect I hate is missing out on armor as I quite enjoy fashion. It use to be shaders but I’ve come to learn it’s not worth playing things like Trials, Crucible, or IB if I am not enjoying the game, so the “fear” of missing shaders has passed me by thankfully.
Genuine question though. What do you want him to say about FOMO? He’s offering solutions for a situation that doesn’t currently have one.
Is that really a good enough solution to deflect criticism from Bungie?
Maybe this is just me but I don’t think Datto is deflecting criticism for Bungie in this video. As it stands right now, there are no measures in place to view any previous seasonal cutscenes or anything other than the random channels who re-upload stuff. He isn’t defending it. He’s just stating the situation, and here’s what you can do if you’re concerned about missing something.
Just want to say I agree with your second point, I also didn't get the conclusion that he's dismissing criticism. I understood his message as simply if you're not enjoying the game then take a break- criticism or feedback is still valid but don't force yourself to try to engage in a game that doesn't bring you some form of entertainment
I personally agree with Datto, but I am coming from a position where none of the titles or triumphs matter to me. I play the weekly story mission and then peace out unless I have friends to play with.
I am not done with D2, but the fun and excitement around the game really has waned since 2022. I think this mainly has to do with all my friends no longer playing as I am a very social gamer, so I am not really interested in grinding for guns for a small stat boost that I won't even notice because I don't play high level content anymore.
If I were to be really honest, the constant negativity of the Destiny community itself with every patch and every new update annoys me to the point where I feel I am not allowed to enjoy the game because some bug broke the game or whatever. It's become some permissive to just shit on everything you don't like, offer some half-assed solution as if people know how to develop anything, and then act smug about it. Kinda over it. If you don't want to miss anything in the game, that's your perogative, go play the game. But if you constantly go back into the game and get pissed off at a change or some new problem or whatever grinds your gears, just get off and stop playing. If the story means enough to you, you'll play, if it isn't, you'll move on.
If everything you listed matters to you, then don't stop playing. But don't complain about the grind if you still do it. Then you're just kicking yourself in the shins and complaining about having to walk. Bungie has enough data on the players to know that the systems they have in place not only work, but make them enough money to continue development of the game in whatever direction they want. If you want things to change, stop giving them your playtime and your money.
I haven't personally played since the expansion was released because I recognized that I wanted a break and wasn't having fun. I do recognize, though, why others would feel trapped by playing the game. There are triumphs and story missions that are time limited. The seasonal story will disappear and then there's the social aspect and feeling like you're falling behind in your social circles.
I feel like it's a tad hypocritical to say "Don't like the game? Take a break/quit then and stop complaining" and then in the other breath go "I can't stand the Destiny community and all of it's complaining, so all criticism is invalid." You can stop interacting with the Destiny community if you wish (or go on the low sodium variants) just as easily as a player could just stop playing the game.
I am not done with D2, but the fun and excitement around the game really has waned since 2022. I think this mainly has to do with all my friends no longer playing as I am a very social gamer, so I am not really interested in grinding for guns for a small stat boost that I won’t even notice because I don’t play high level content anymore.
That’s fair, I did leave all the destiny communities I was a part of because of the negativity, when I do play I like to play completely fresh and without any information so I am avoiding spoilers and anything else that could be a bother.
I think the most important thing is to have perspective on what the game can be and what it is. If we put too much meaning personally onto the game then every time it disappoints us or doesn’t feel right we make it seem like it is a personal attack or problem that only the developer can solve. I would argue that this mindset is extremely dangerous as it just leads to endless hype and disappointment. I found the more I just let things happen and not think too much about it I enjoyed the game more. But that’s just me.
I don’t think it’s too hypocritical to complain about the community and still say take a break, the community is so bad at actually being a helpful voice to the game itself. Sometimes the negativity of the community itself is the problem because it means when playing the game with people they can drag it down. I had to cut out certain people just to have fun and it shouldn’t be like that, but everyone is different. I honestly have read enough bad takes from the community in general to not take it seriously anymore. Too many armchair developers and designers who haven’t made anything to the scale that D2 is. Not that I am saying Bungie has done a perfect job far from it, but there is so much we don’t know about what goes on behind the scenes that to make such terrible takes makes it hard to take it seriously.