LOS ANGELES — "Destiny" has been one of the most popular video games over the last few years, mainly due to its pedigree — the game was made from Bungie, the same company that produced the original "Halo" games — and the way it constantly changed and improved through regular updates, patches, and downloadable content.
But one of the big themes in "Destiny" was the back-and-forth between the game's players and the developers at Bungie. Though it's a great game today, "Destiny" was very rough at launch. Fans and reviewers criticized the game's incoherent story and frustrating in-game progression systems, among other aspects. Players — especially those who loved the game, embraced its potential, and played it for hours every single day — demanded specific changes and quality-of-life improvements. In turn, Bungie would work to address those concerns and desires to put them into the game over time. It was a perpetual cycle of give and take.
At the "Destiny 2" event in Los Angeles on May 18, which Business Insider attended, Bungie's game director Luke Smith said the sequel would be "a new beginning for everyone. It's a convergence for veteran players and new players into our universe."
But this game is a new beginning for Bungie, too. It's an opportunity to start fresh with players, especially after the rocky launch of the first "Destiny" game. So for Smith, who was one of the lead designers on the first "Destiny" game, and who now leads efforts on the sequel, this fresh start means focusing on a phrase he's used repeatedly while talking with Bungie's various teams about "Destiny 2": "How do we unhide the fun?"
SEE ALSO: We just got our first major look at 'Destiny 2' — here's what we learned
This "unhide the fun" mantra applies to some of the most simple aspects of "Destiny 2." Take the map, for instance. In the first "Destiny" game, each planet had a map, but it wouldn't tell you anything — either about landmarks, or where to go. In "Destiny 2," the map is is a real, interactive map. And now you can immediately jump from planet to planet without having to go to orbit first, which is a huge time-saver. "That's one way we're unhiding the fun," Smith said.
Another big change in "Destiny 2" is the weapons. The variety of weapons, and how they behave, was a big highlight in the first "Destiny" game, but Smith and the team at Bungie wanted to take that variety even further and, more importantly, improve the balance between those weapons in your arsenal.
That's why Bungie changed the three weapon slots each player has. Previously, all players would have primary (scout rifles, hand cannons), secondary (sniper rifles, shotguns), and heavy (rocket launchers, machine guns) weapons. In "Destiny 2," those slot names will become "kinetic" (weapons that fire bullets), "energy" (weapons that fire lasers and alien ammunition), and "power" (shotguns, grenade launchers, and other heavy weapons).
According to Smith, the inspiration for the weapon changes came from "the community's desire to have cool primary-feeling weapons with energy types on them," as well as the desire at Bungie internally to balance PvP, or "player versus player" multiplayer matches. In the first "Destiny," PvP was fast-paced and frenetic, but lots of people complained about getting killed in a single shot, usually from a shotgun.
Smith explained why minimizing the impact of one-hit kills was so important in "Destiny 2":
"One-hit kills are often something you couldn’t react to. You don’t know how you could’ve done it better, right? And if you don’t know how you could’ve done it better, it means you’re never going to improve. So, improvement is a huge part of mastery, wanting to get good at something. One of the reasons I believe people love video games as their choice of entertainment and hobby is because it’s an opportunity to improve at something. You’re gaining mastery. No matter what game you’re playing, you’re ultimately getting better at it. And the weapon slot changes also spark a desire to do things like reduce the amount of one-hit kill weapons that are available — and when they are available, we let you know when they are available. We’re presenting more information to you because when we present the information, players consume it, and it’s an opportunity to get better. Teamwork, facilitation, it’s all based on more information."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider