[quote]As you all already know, the [b][u]Owl Sector[/u][/b] is an ARG released by Bungie to incorporate a new buff system to encourage players to play more Destiny and increase their Vanguard/Crucible/etc. Reputation gains. They are also known as Space AIDS, Space STDs, Space Disease, etc. Here's the gist of it: - Once you catch a buff ([b]Brilliance 3.2[/b], [b]Glory 2.1[/b], [b]Splendor 2.6[/b], [b]Magnificence 2.0[/b], and/or [b]Fortitude 3.1[/b]), you will gain a [u]bonus in Reputation gains[/u]. [b]EDIT[/b]: It appears that having 1 buff vs. 5 buffs of the infection grant the same amount of XP bonus regardless. - It is still a question of whether or not they stack with Reputation Boosters (Vanguard/Crucible/House of Judgment). So far, I've been stacking, but I can't tell if there's a difference. If someone could clarify on this, that would be great. [b]EDIT[/b]: [b]They do stack with XP boosters[/b] such as Reputation boosters or Focused Light boosters. A big thank you [b]MunkFishy[/b] for confirming this! - Some people have gotten it without playing with others who don't have the buff, but this was more the case when the ground zeroes of the event started. Now, [u]if you play with other Guardians who have already been infected, you can potentially transmit their buffs[/u] (more or less). Now, to answer the more important questions: [b]Can I get the rest of the buffs even if I'm already infected with only 1-4 buffs?[/b] Yes, you [b][u]CAN [/u][/b] get more buffs if you play with others who (supposedly) have the other buffs that you don't have. For example,I had all 5 and played in private matches with people who already had one or two. After a few games, they all transmitted all 5 buffs after killing me (or others) who already had all 5 buffs, or collecting my orbs. [b]EDIT[/b]: The person I played with switched characters mid game and it was one that had none of the buffs. However, it does seem that you can still transmit even if you have some of them as mentioned by various players. It could be that it is easier to transmit if you don't have any to begin with. [b]Is there a way to further increase my chance to transmit a buff?[/b] There seems to be an RNG (random number generator) for transmitting the buffs from someone who already has them, whether it be killing them in Crucible, or collecting their Orbs from them in Strikes. You just have to keep on playing either playlists with others who already have the buff(s). [b]EDIT[/b]: Remember that RNG could be the reason why everyone is so confused about how they're getting the buffs. It could be randomized by killing someone with a Super, collecting Orbs, Payback, etc. Having a fresh Guardian seems to place the RNG in your favor; otherwise it may drastically decrease your chances of transmitting more once you got one or more. [b]What's the best way to catch these Space AIDS?[/b] If you're a PvP Guardian, [u][b]Private Matches[/b] seems to be the most efficient way of transmitting the buffs.[/u] Just set the settings to [b]Mayhem Clash[/b], and try three different things: have your teammates pick up your Orbs, kill your opponents who need (if you're trying to infect others) or already have the buffs with your Supers (if you're trying to receive Space AIDs), or kill the player who killed you last with their Super (aim for the [b]Payback[/b] medal). Bannerfall seems to be the easiest place to find each other in the middle area and just Super one another. Coordinate kills to your liking. [b]EDIT[/b]: [b][u]Mayhem Rumble[/u][/b] is also a fast way to infect others as you just constantly kill each other with Supers. Make sure to go for those [b]Payback[/b] medals! Or if you're a PvE Guardian, play the [b]Taken War Heroic Strike[/b] playlist constantly and grab as many Orbs as you can. Despite the numerous Defender Titan "protection" joke that's going around, all Orbs have a seemingly small chance of transmitting the buffs from that Guardian. [b]How long do I have these Space AIDS? Forever? God I hope so because the upsides are wonderful![/b] I have no idea and I have yet to figure that out when I log back on Destiny tomorrow. It may last until Rise of Iron launches, but you may reconsider it being an overall good thing. Check the questions further below. [b]How does this relate to Destiny or Rise of Iron?[/b] As mentioned in the dialogues on the Owl Sector site ([url]http://owlsector.bungie.net/[/url]), the Owl Sector is an organization that first responded to the "[b]tech mites[/b]" swarming around some of the Guardians who have travelled to the [b]Dust Palace[/b]. They issued a quarantine, keeping Guardians in medical centers and away from the City. However, clearly as you can see in the game (and the website's dialogue), Guardians don't really care as they see it as a positive thing (hence the buffs) and still want to venture out in the system. On the flip side, it can potentially infect other Guardians. Storywise, this could be related to SIVA. [b]How the hell does this relate to the story in any way?[/b] [b]SIVA[/b], the main antagonist of Rise of Iron, is a Golden Age nanotechnology purposed for furthering...well Golden Age technology. As you can see in the recent Launch Trailer ([url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39jvouEt44s[/url]), the Iron Lords are fending off what seems to be nanotech swarms, which also resemble the tech mites swarming around Guardians' heads. These tech mites can be related to how computer viruses are spread (or any virus in general). The tech mites could be SIVA proxies or trojans, possibly unleashed by a located SIVA cluster which led to the infection of Guardians. The proxies are disguised as a good thing, and if it's a good thing, other Guardians might want it. In the short term (the four days before the release of Rise of Iron), it's a wonderful weekend for Guardians. However, when the DLC launches, because so many Guardians have already transmitted the disease and have already entered the Tower (or inside the Wall surrounding the Cosmodrome), SIVA has already infiltrated the Cosmodrome substantially via tech mite proxies and will reveal itself to be SIVA itself (thus ushering in the DLC's arrival). [b]So, WTFis the Owl Sector?[/b] The [b]Owl Sector[/b] seems to be an organization that first responded to the "foreign threat" that began to infect Guardians. What their true purpose is unclear; but we do know that there is a connection between them and [b]Clovis Bray[/b], a science organization located on Mars and the creator (or co-creator?) of SIVA (which could possibly explain how SIVA could've broken out when Rise of Iron launches). Their website (as provided above) is as much information we can possibly get about this mysterious organization. It also shows the map of the entire world (minus Antarctica) and the frequent appearances of buffs which seem to correspond to the regions. [b]Has Bungie done something like this before? ARGs and whole infection idea?[/b] They have done ARGs for Halo and Destiny in the past, and they are quite well-known for it. In terms of the story, if you're familiar with how the Flood from Halo first arrived in the Milky Way, then you may have a better understanding of what's going on. Long story short, the Flood arrived in the Milky Way via containers of seemingly harmless powder. Ancient, technological, spacefaring humans retrieved these containers floating in space, researched the powder, found no harmful effects on the powder, and began applying it to their domestic pets. The powder seemed to grant them increased physical efficiency, but after decades(?) the powder began to mutate the pets and became hostile; thus marking the first born Flood-incorporated species (which then led to the Forerunners finding out and using the Halos and whatnot, but if you want to read the whole story, look it up because spoilers). So yeah, this tech mite infection could be very similar to the origin story of the Flood. That is all for now. Prepare to become an Iron Lord when, [b][u]Rise of Iron[/u][/b] launches on [b][u]Tuesday, September 20th[/u][/b]. Horde those Engrams, collect those Legendary Marks, make peace with Eris about her ship, and watch those tech mites. If you have any more information on how the buffs work, or any thoughts on my interpretations of how the story will go in terms of this mysterious outbreak, please comment below. [b][u]EDIT: THANK YOU[/u][/b] - Thank you all for contributing to this thread. Personally, I think that's why the Destiny community is so awesome because despite the animosity, we come together to try to figure out the things that need to be figured out. Those with story theories, you all have great ideas referring to SIVA and the City's quarantine so hopefully one (or more) of us is on point. Those who helped clarify the buffs and how they work, I know it's frustrating trying to figure this out and getting all of them is a tedious struggle, but your diligence shows your commitment and dedication to the game. I'm sure Bungie appreciates all of you to the greatest extent. The Owl Sector and the buffs are still a mystery, so let's spend these last few days trying to figure this out together. I'll keep editing based off what I read from all you lovely Guardians and what I experience in-game when I sign back onto Destiny. :)[/quote] Well, that just about wraps up my day, how about you guys?