The game is a new genre unto itself
It's a FPS + MMO Lite + Co-op Drop In/Out + Community Shared + Loot + RPG Experience
Also known as a Shared Online Shooter
The main draws for the game are 2 distinct features
1. The gunplay. It's the best out there. Most try other shooters, but harken back to Destiny gun shooting "feeling". It is regarded an experience you have to try and will fall in love with.
The TTK (time to kill) gets adjusted, but feels good enough where it gives you a sense of accomplishment.
2. Community. From Day 1 if you were lone wolf/solo/insular or introvert player, this game did put up a huge barrier/wall for you to leave such playstyle
Yes Matchmaking would've eased such barriers, but it unto itself became a networking feature.
You had to search out like minded people or try to recruit or join. GAF has a huge Destiny following due to our large pool of members and most of us appreciating each others company cause we had a common interest.
Same goes for other websites that players visit and aggregated a player pool.
First it was gunplay, the universe, the raid, the loot and Bungie pedigree that kept people hooked. Once that was gone, Community took over as the sole purpose.
I know this may sound blasphemous, I'm not trying to offend or make it equal as a grand gesture, but a lot of players are like military soldiers. We've enjoyed the company of our fellow comrades/squad so much, that once we leave (deploy home aka leave the game) we feel that loss, that you feel guilty and want to continue that bonding and being around it.
I've been away from the game for almost a year now due to health issues and the first few weeks hit me hard while in the hospital. Like Damn I let my buddies down, I wasn't there for Raid reset, no checkpoint passing, no shooting the shit with strangers now I called friends, and getting to experience something funny, endearing or jubilation from the game.
This game really brought out the best in everyone. From playing with GAF and strangers, it's complete different from say a COD. The culture of COD is very known and really Destiny never felt remotely like that for me at all, I put in roughly close to 1000 hours before getting sidelined or I would be 2000+ easily on this.
Game had a helpful nature that the elders went helped the newer players get their feet wet and join the ranks.
I went out of my to teach GAFfers how to farm destination materials. Hell one GAFfer admired that he just followed me and w/o communication or any friendship taught him the route/loop.
Then once they became a GAF member (lurked, but didn't know me at the time) it dawned on them I was the same person I helped farm those materials.
Small world huh?
What sucks right now is players are invested. The friends they've made and Community has given this game great longevity. Bungie should be seeing this (maybe they are, but it's not showing up on the dividends front). Most games would die for such retention with this content value delivered.
Games go through lulls, dry stages, but this game deserves some transparency. If it gets stigmatized it would be hard to brush off. Now there are other SOS genre games being created. The Division if successful and caters to those scorned and rips away chunks of players who invested much into Destiny, might find greener pastures on the other side. Hell if The Division does constant updates/communication flow it will trump Bungie and its IP. I mean games are a business, competition is always good. Hopefully Bungie responds.
