One of the prevailing assumptions that came to many minds when Bungie decided to go “indie” was that communications between the devs and players would be more transparent and honest. That so far has seemed to be the case, and no more is that apparent than in a big ol’ wall-o-text blog post from Destiny 2 director Luke Smith.
In this blog, which Smith called “Director’s Cut,” fans of the online shooter can get a remarkably candid look at the decisions that have brought Destiny 2 to where it is now, including a number of insights and thoughts on updates like balancing combat encounters for an ever-changing meta (one of which being the use of an internal team code-named Velveeta for their ability to cheese their way through PvE challenges), toeing the line between being an action game and an RPG, and even a word on how bringing content to the game’s Annual Pass was a significant strain.
“During the annual pass, we invented new, bespoke ways to earn rewards each season. Each of these mechanics – each with their own lessons – were valuable, but also put the team into an unsustainable development cycle. We needed to develop a more systemic, standardized set of mechanics for progression to keep our teams healthier. We’re going to take this problem on in D2Y3.”
Smith also brought up the game’s Eververse in-game store, remarking that its existence does indeed help fund ongoing updates and creative efforts such as Zero Hour. He also gives a nod to shifts being made to the store and its Bright Dust economy, mentions that the store will be located in the Director, and promises that it will receive class-specific content.
If you’ve been a regular player of Destiny 2 from around the Season of the Drifter to present day, much of what’s being expressed will likely be enlightening. As for what’s next for the game, Smith promises that the next edition of Director’s Cut will focus on topics related to the upcoming Shadowkeep expansion and changes planned for this year, including Supers and PvP, armor-related matters, damage, and sources of Powerful gear.
