Destiny 2 ViDoc | Becoming Legend - Part 2: Shaping the Magic
Summary
TLDRThe video script from Bungie's team highlights their collaborative approach to game development, focusing on the creation of 'The Pale Heart' in Destiny. They discuss the design process of weapons like Khvostov, which emphasizes player skill, and the unique 'No Hesitation' gun that can heal allies or harm enemies. The team also shares insights on developing new supers for subclasses, inspired by past elements like Radiance and Arc Blade, and the iterative playtesting to refine the gameplay experience. The goal is to create a memorable, challenging, and satisfying experience for players, pushing the boundaries of what a Destiny strike can be.
Takeaways
- ๐ค Collaboration is key at Bungie, with various departments like testers, designers, and artists contributing to the game's development.
- ๐ 'The Final Shape' is described as a love letter to the game, emphasizing the emotional connection and narrative elements.
- ๐ซ The Khvostov gun is highlighted as a returning 'old friend' in 'The Pale Heart', symbolizing the narrative continuity and player's journey.
- ๐ฏ The Khvostov gun's power is tied to player skill, requiring precise aiming to bounce bullets effectively, adding a layer of challenge.
- ๐ข The number seven is a recurring theme in the game, used for its significance in Bungie's legacy and as a tribute to the game's lore.
- ๐ The Ace of Spades and other weapons are themed around a deck of cards, adding a creative twist to the weapon design.
- ๐จ The weapons in 'The Pale Heart' are designed with a two-tone aesthetic and are influenced by characters from Cayde's past.
- โ๏ธ 'No Hesitation' is a unique weapon that can heal allies or harm enemies, offering a gameplay mechanic not found in other weapons.
- ๐ The 'Song of Flame' super ability is an evolution of 'Radiance' from Destiny 1, focusing on combat and featuring a distinct visual style.
- ๐ก๏ธ 'Twilight Arsenal' is a super ability that creates axes inspired by Titan's shield, providing a new and visually rooted gameplay element.
- โก 'Storm's Edge' super ability is a callback to 'Arc Blade' from Destiny 1, with a focus on agility and explosive gameplay.
- โฑ๏ธ The duration of the 'Storm's Edge' super ability was reduced for balance after initial playtests showed it was too powerful.
- ๐ฎ The developers aim for abilities to feel seamless and immersive, making players feel like they are one with their character.
- ๐ Feedback from playtests is crucial, with adjustments made based on player understanding and satisfaction.
- ๐ The chaos and surprise elements in the game are intentional, aiming to delight players in unexpected ways.
- ๐๏ธ The strike in the game is designed to be challenging, with the goal of being the hardest ever made, pushing player limits.
- ๐๏ธ Inspiration for the game's environments comes from 1930s pulp novels and adventure films, creating a sense of uncovering ancient mysteries.
- ๐จ The iterative process between design and testing is highlighted as essential, with constant refinement leading to the best results.
Q & A
What is the core philosophy of Bungie's team when it comes to game development?
-The core philosophy of Bungie's team is collaboration, where input from various sources such as testers, designers, effects artists, and animators come together to create a magical experience.
What does 'The Final Shape' refer to in the context of the script?
-In the script, 'The Final Shape' seems to refer to a phase or version of the game development process where ideas and elements are refined and brought together.
How does the Khvostov gun relate to the narrative of the game?
-The Khvostov gun is significant as it is the first gun a player gets in the game and it reappears in 'The Pale Heart', symbolizing an old friend's return and creating a narrative bookend.
What was the challenge in redesigning the Khvostov gun for 'The Pale Heart'?
-The challenge was to make the Khvostov gun good and powerful without changing its essence, and the solution was to make its effectiveness dependent on the player's skill.
Why is the number seven significant in the context of Bungie's games?
-Bungie has a long-standing tradition of incorporating the number seven into their games as a symbol of their fondness for it, and it is used in various aspects of 'The Pale Heart' weapons.
What is the concept behind the 'No Hesitation' weapon in the game?
-The 'No Hesitation' weapon is designed to do something unique with other weapons; it shoots harmonic bullets that hurt and burn enemies but heal and have a strong effect on allies.
How does the 'Song of Flame' super ability differ from the 'Radiance' ability in Destiny 1?
-While 'Radiance' from Destiny 1 had fire wings, 'Song of Flame' focuses more on combat and has a different visual representation, featuring a halo around the player inspired by medieval paintings.
What was the inspiration behind the design of the axes in 'Twilight Arsenal' super ability?
-The design of the axes in 'Twilight Arsenal' was inspired by Titan's shield, with the concept of the axe being a broken-up version of the shield.
How long does the 'Storm's Edge' super ability last in its initial and revised versions?
-Initially, the 'Storm's Edge' super ability lasted for 24 seconds, but it was toned down to 12 seconds after playtests to make it more reasonable.
What is the goal of the playtests and iterations mentioned in the script?
-The goal of the playtests and iterations is to refine the game elements, such as abilities and weapons, to ensure they feel awesome, and that players have a satisfying and clear understanding of how to use them effectively.
What is the vision for the new strike in the game?
-The vision for the new strike is to push the boundaries of what a strike can be, drawing inspiration from 1930s pulp novels and adventure films, and to create a challenging and memorable experience that players will find both difficult and delightful.
How does the team ensure that the chaos and creativity in the game are well-received by players?
-The team ensures this by maintaining a tight relationship with testers, iterating based on feedback, and aiming to surprise and delight players in unexpected ways.
Outlines
๐ฎ Collaborative Game Development and Weapon Design
This paragraph discusses the collaborative nature of game development at Bungie, emphasizing the importance of input from various roles such as testers, designers, effects artists, and animators. The speaker describes the development of weapons in the game, using the Khvostov as an example, highlighting the challenge of maintaining a weapon's identity while enhancing its power. The narrative aspect of the game is underscored by the return of the Khvostov in 'The Pale Heart'. The design choice to make weapon effectiveness dependent on player skill is mentioned, as well as the incorporation of the number seven as a nod to Bungie's fondness for the number. The paragraph also touches on thematic weapon design, referencing Cayde's hand cannon and the 'No Hesitation' weapon, which has unique properties of harming enemies and healing allies. The introduction of new supers to the Light subclasses and the evolution of the 'Song of Flame' super are also detailed, with a focus on creating a combat-focused experience and innovative visual effects.
๐ ๏ธ Refining Gameplay Mechanics and Enhancing Player Experience
The second paragraph delves into the iterative process of refining gameplay mechanics to enhance player experience. It begins with a discussion on adjusting the starter builds for Titans, replacing Drengr's Lash with Diamond Lance to create a clearer and more satisfying combo with the Knockout ability. The speaker emphasizes the importance of player feedback and the iterative nature of game design, where nothing is ever truly final. The paragraph also touches on the creative freedom in designing challenging and memorable strikes, drawing inspiration from pulp novels and adventure films. The speaker expresses a desire to push the boundaries of what a strike can be, aiming to create a challenging and memorable experience that players will discuss and strive to master. The importance of collaboration between designers and testers is highlighted, as well as the value of fresh perspectives in the playtesting process. The speaker conveys a passion for creating a unique and engaging experience that feels inevitable and perfectly crafted.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กCollaboration
๐กThe Final Shape
๐กKhvostov
๐กSkill-based Gameplay
๐กNumber Seven
๐กCayde's Hand Cannon
๐กNo Hesitation
๐กSong of Flame
๐กTwilight Arsenal
๐กStorm's Edge
๐กPlaytesting
๐กGrand Master Difficulty
Highlights
Bungie's team emphasizes the importance of collaboration among various roles such as Testers, Designers, Effects Artists, and Animators.
The development of The Final Shape was inspired by a love letter concept, focusing on narrative and weapon design.
Khvostov, the first gun in the game, is reintroduced in The Pale Heart, symbolizing an old friend's return.
The Khvostov gun's power is tied to player skill, requiring precision and timing to bounce bullets effectively.
The number seven is incorporated throughout the game as a nod to Bungie's fondness for the number, including the Khvostov's bounces and stats.
Ace of Spades and other weapons in The Pale Heart are themed after different suits of a deck of cards, reflecting Cayde's iconic hand cannon.
The No Hesitation weapon introduces a unique mechanic that allows it to heal allies or harm enemies based on the target.
The new Guardian health bars provide clear feedback on the No Hesitation weapon's healing effects.
The Twilight Arsenal Super creates axes inspired by Titan's shield, breaking it up into pieces.
Storm's Edge Super recalls Arc Blade from Destiny 1, with a focus on throwing daggers and rapid movement.
The initial duration of the Storm's Edge Super was reduced from 24 seconds to 12 seconds for balance.
A bug with the grapple and Blink Dagger interaction was identified and is intended to be fixed.
The goal of the abilities is to make players feel like they inhabit their character, with the controller melting away.
Pristmatic received positive feedback with each playtest, indicating successful iteration.
Titans' starter builds were adjusted to improve clarity and player satisfaction with Diamond Lance and Knockout.
The chaos and surprise in the game are intentional, aiming to delight players in unexpected ways.
The new strike is designed to be one of the most challenging, pushing the boundaries of what a strike can be.
The strike draws inspiration from 1930s Pulp Novels and adventure films, involving uncovering and destroying ancient cities.
The development process involves close collaboration between designers and testers, with continuous iteration.
The final strike aims to be memorable and challenging, with a focus on creative and surprising gameplay.
Transcripts
This team
and Bungie in general,
is all about collaboration.
Testers, Designers, Effects Artists, Animation,
all these sources of input from everywhere
coming together, and like, that was
magic for me.
The Final Shape,
it felt a little like a love letter at times.
We really thought about bringing that forward
to the weapons.
Like Khvostov,
it's the first gun you get.
There has to be the narrative bookends
of the first gun I got in the game,
it's here in The Pale Heart.
It's like this old friend returned.
How do you make this thing really good
and really powerful
without making it
not what it is?
And that was really challenging.
What we ended up deciding on is
it is about your skill.
Oh, it's all in the wrist.
A little like,
it's gonna bounce several times down
this line of guys.
You're just really good at bouncing this bullet.
It's fate almost.
This thing's dope.
Help.
Yeah.
And we pepper in the number seven
as many places as we could.
So, it bounces seven times.
It's got a bunch of sevens in its stat.
You get seven bouncy bullets
when you pick up an orb of power.
Bungie has a long legacy
of loving the number seven
and this felt like the right place for it.
Cayde has this iconic
hand cannon and that in a lot of ways has
become a symbol.
We took Ace of Spades and we went,
where's the rest of the deck of cards?
We had this really cool
opportunity to theme all The Pale Heart weapons
after different suits.
It has this two-tone feel to it.
The opposite side of the gun
is the inverse of that idea.
They look freaking awesome.
It also has like these fantasies of characters
that have influenced Cayde.
These guns are part of his past.
We wanted something that you can't do
with any of your other weapons
and we came up with
No Hesitation.
It shoots these harmonic bullets
that if you're targeting an enemy,
it'll hurt them and burn them,
but if you're shooting an ally,
it'll heal them.
I love this thing.
Oh, I'm so glad.
We had to build a lot of the language
and with the new cool little Guardian health bars,
you can see that
the healing effect on it is very strong.
For a while we were calling it
the "just don't die" gun.
It has its own little energy bar
like the glaive does,
and that energy bar
is charged by any damage whatsoever.
It's like,
we know what we did.
Since you are returning to The Traveler,
we wanted to focus on
bringing new supers to the Light subclasses.
For Song of Flame, we wanted to
plus up Radiance from Destiny 1,
and have it be combat focused.
If you remember, Radiance from D1
has fire wings.
We kind of ate
that visual space with Dawn Blade
where you've got these like awesome flame wings.
In a split second,
if a player sees a character
Solar with wings,
they're gonna see that it's Dawn Blade.
We had to come up with something different.
Zach, our VFX artist
came up with the idea of this halo around you,
like a medieval painting.
Twilight Arsenal
is a one-off Super
that also creates these axes.
Coming up with visuals
for that axe,
it was an interesting challenge.
How do we want to root this in Destiny?
We took a lot of inspiration from
Titan's shield.
What would it feel like
if the axe was the shield broken up?
And when you look at it side by side,
you can definitely see that connection
between the two.
Storm's Edge.
We wanted to call back to
Arc Blade in Destiny 1,
throwing the dagger and zipping over there,
blowing up stuff.
How long do you have in the Super?
Initially you had,
you had a long time. You had-
24 seconds.
We did not earn any friends in those playtests
the first day. -No people were pretty-
but we toned it down
and now you only have 12 seconds
and it's a lot more reasonable.
We found a problem where
when I
grapple and then you cast Blink Dagger out of it,
I fall for the floor,
right?
Whereas,
if I'm in midair
and I Blink Dagger, I should be held in midair,
right?
And it sucks,
so I want to fix it.
It's the things like
the camera shake,
the way the rumble spikes
and then falls back off.
We need all of our abilities to feel awesome.
We wanna make it so that the controller
melts away.
You stop thinking about "What do I have to do?"
and instead you just inhabit your character
and you don't have to think about it.
The game just plays.
The great thing about Prismatic was
every playtest we did,
the feedback got better and better.
We have gone back and forth on what
starter builds that players will get
in mission one.
Okay, we're gonna start the Titans
with Drengr's Lash their Strand aspect
and Knockout.
One of the notes we got is players just weren't
understanding how those two things
comboed in a loop.
Well, we're gonna drop Drengrโs Lash,
and instead we're gonna put in Diamond Lance.
Now ability kill is making your Diamond Lances
your knockout punch.
Hey, that makes a Diamond Lance.
You throw your Diamond Lance at the floor,
everything's frozen,
Now you can punch stuff again
and get amplified with Knockout.
Once we made that switch,
all of a sudden it clicked in player's heads.
This loop becomes a lot more clear
and players were much more satisfied
with their starter loadouts.
At the end of the day like,
the chaos is the point.
Yeah.
If you aren't surprised and delighted
in a way that you didn't expect, like
we f***** up.
Yeah.
This strike is probably one of the coolest strikes
that we've ever released.
I started my destiny journey playing strikes.
I really wanted to push the expectations
of what a strike could potentially be.
This strike,
it's sort of a memory out of
The Witness's history, of it's race
and what its buildings may have looked like in the past.
A lot of the inspiration comes from
30's Pulp Novels,
adventure flicks, uncovering ancient, hidden cities
that have not seen a living soul in eons,
and then subsequently destroying those cities,
moments later.
Imagine you're
in a narrow hallway.
You need to escape it.
Lava is descending.
Obstacle is coming out of the walls.
You made this slide towards the closing door, and
you are dead.
The door just closed right in front of your face, so-
That happens a lot.
I have seven Gilded Conqueror titles.
I want this strike to be the hardest strike
we ever made.
I want people to
scream and cry over this strike.
Oh no.
And just say,
"How do I complete this strike on Grand Master difficulty?"
And I'll be like,
yes.
That's kinda one of the fun parts about making a strike.
There's so much freedom and creativity
to do wild things,
and then testing that is just a lot of fun
that back and forth.
We have a very tight relationship with test as designers,
and I couldn't do anything I do
gameplay wise without test there at my side,
but as soon as I can get fresh eyes on it,
I think that's where it really comes in.
We ran a lot of playtests
and every time I would invite people, I'm like,
this is final.
This is final playtest,
but it's never final.
We just can't stop.
It's really not just one department
creating something special.
When you see all those things combined
in the iteration and the back and forth,
and when you get to this end result where, it just
feels like it couldn't be any other way.
We hit on something amazing here.
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