During a Guardian Radio podcast appearance, Bungie community manager David “Deej” Dague mentioned that the first Destiny downloadable content pack, The Dark Below, will incorporate fan feedback and make improvements to the game. The incorporation of fan feedback to improve the game sounds nice; but how is Bungie going to execute that? What improvements are being made? Will the game become less grindy? Will the DLC pack fix the numerous story and character issues? Dague’s statements sound nice, but they are nothing more than platitudes. It would really help to hear the specifics about how The Dark Below will incorporate fan feedback.
Dague stated that the game is getting updates every week since its launch last month. However, many of those updates have not brought major improvements to the game. The updates have done things such as nerfing more favored weapons, hotfixed exploits like the Treasure Cave and made it impossible to knock Atheon over the edge. Do these changes really make the game stronger, stable and more diverse? I am not sure they do.
The announcement on the podcast would have been a lot more effective if Dague had gone into greater detail about how fan complaints will be addressed in The Dark Below. Dague would not even say what specific feedback or complaints would be taken into account. The game’s story is inherently broken. The presentation was a misfire. I love the ambiance and the locations of Destiny, but the story has left me befuddled. Will the supporting characters become more interactive and less cold in The Dark Below? Will the burning questions that are teased and dangled in front of the player in the early parts of the game be answered? It would have been fine if Dague said, “We have heard you loud and clear. The Dark Below will address the story issues. We are tightening things up so Guardians have a clearer perspective of who and what they are defending.” Currently, the cards that the Grimoire provides are not sufficient. They are decent for world building, but they do not repair the numerous flaws within the story.
Until there are actually more specifics regarding how The Dark Below incorporates so-called fan feedback, I will remain skeptical. What Dague said sounds good, but the his comments lack substance. Bungie had the opportunity to specifically reveal what fan feedback is being addressed. The company does not have to get into spoiler territory, and it would be nice to know more details about what is in the works. Specific information would convey a good-faith message that the game players have invested in will become a fuller, well-rounded experience.
The Dark Below DLC pack is due out in December.
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