IGN First: http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/07/30/destiny-the-endgame-is-only-the-beginning-ign-first
If you need friends...
Its there
Some posts from Luke Smith , lead raid designer for Destiny
Raids are “extremely crafted,” six-player, friends-only gauntlet runs that might best be described as gut-checks. Yes, they will be difficult, and they will absolutely require communication and cooperation. That’s why Bungie isn’t supporting matchmaking for them; the developers don’t want them to be played by disparate groups of strangers. But Smith is quick to point out that they’re not like Strikes – the instanced dungeon-like runs that might take a mere 20-60 minutes – but more like MMO raids in that you’re going to want to buckle up and get comfortable for a couple hours.
“The activity is going to take you and your group of five buddies into a place that you’ve never been,” Smith explains. “A place that you will return to frequently. And [it will] demand of you things you’ve never even really been asked to do in a shooter before.”
If you need friends...
Its there
Some posts from Luke Smith , lead raid designer for Destiny
I understand everyone's frustration about the decision to not have matchmaking in a post-matchmaking world. I also understand the limitations that this places on the activity's adoption at scale.
That barrier to entry - the requirement that you get a group of people together and venture into something that is going to challenge your ability to work together (first) and your thumbs (second) - is a barrier I was willing to erect to preserve the activity goals.
Bleeding edge hardcore groups will invest some significant amount of time in figuring out the encounters and making their way through the Vault.
I fully expect groups to beat Normal mode in the first week its available.
- This is intentional, I'd like any group that is motivated and willing to cooperate to make their way through the Raid on Normal. I've talked some about thumbskill challenge vs. investment challenge vs. cooperation challenge in some interviews, and the Normal Raid difficulty prioritizes cooperation challenge and investment challenge.
I expect Hard mode to take longer.
Once your group learns the encounters, you will be able to get through the Raid significantly faster than 3 hours.
However, the first time through, learning everything and arranging your group will take some hard-to-predict amount of time until some clan releases their strategies on YouTube.
The Vault of Glass is in many ways an activity that will build groups from the disparate people who come together to try and make their way through it. It's very much a team-building exercise.
If you're going to stream it this Fall, please feel free to let me know here. I'd love to tune in.
We store insertion points for you each week.
You can resume where you and your group left off. That way, you can play an encounter or two, call it a night, get back together and pick up later in the week.
Each week, your progress and loot eligibility is reset.
(A given encounter only rewards players once a week)