As we reported on the 15th, Bungie will have a panel at PAX on the 31st – “So our game is called Destiny. Now what?”
Design Lead Luke Smith will be moderating a conversation about boosting Destiny into orbit, and keeping it there for the months and years that follow. Technical Art Director Ryan Ellis will provide a look back at how Bungie has built Destiny. Design Lead M.E. Chung and Engineering Lead Luke Timmins will talk about how they intend to keep the world alive with action and danger and rewards.
Bungie will discuss the challenges that surround launching a brand new game and keeping it in orbit. Join them for a look back at how they built this brave new world, and a look forward at how they intend to keep it packed with action that can engage and surprise for a long time to come. Moderated by Design Lead Luke Smith, the conversation will feature Technical Art Director Ryan Ellis, Design Lead M.E. Chung, and Engineering Lead Luke Timmins.
This article will be updated with all of the new and interesting information that’s released during their panel and interviews.
UPDATE: Tidbits from the panel (8/31/14 by Agrios Endendros)
- Technical Art Director Ryan Ellis was ill and not in attendance.
- The stream went down for a few minutes and it appears power was out at the venue during that time as well.
- You may have heard that over 500 people were making Destiny. That includes testers and everyone involved. Only about 30 designers are actually making Destiny.
- Bungie uses an internal “Reddit” called “Tiger Core” to communicate and work out game related issues. What emotes would be used was a huge studio divide. New challenges were faced because of the overlapping open world. No one design team could simply call a space their own. Structural elements that are important to a story mission may conflict with a public event in the same area and it is up to all of the separate teams to coordinate and work out these issues.
- In the Waking Ruins “bubble” on Venus, raid groups will see those not yet in a raid and vice versa. If you are exploring that bubble, you may discover a group of 6 players constructing something in that space that you have never seen before. You’ll see characters you’ve never seen before. You can jump in and help, then follow them through the door to see what’s inside.
- Sounds like facial hair and the ability to toggle your helmet will not be available yet at launch.
- Auto Rifles will be given a nerf so that they aren’t “super powerful god-killing machines”.
- Unlike previous games, Bungie has the ability to adjust much more on the fly to get the game exactly right and they intend to take full advantage of that. They will release patch notes with each adjustment. The first patch will already be applied at launch.
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[divider] Unfortunately so close to release, we’re not getting much new content to discuss. If you haven’t already, join our community forums with dozens of other Destiny fans to talk about everything we know so far.
While you’re waiting, check out the second video in a new series by My name is Byf: