When a possibility presents itself, typically you simply must take it. And that’s precisely what Future 2’s senior narrative designer Robert Brookes did when he discovered the dungeon in Season of the Deep could be happening beneath the Arcology on Titan. Brookes had an concept and it concerned one in all Future’s most prolific villains: Oryx. Extra particularly: Oryx’s considerably lifeless physique floating above Saturn.
Again within the unique Future, gamers have been handled to an growth referred to as The Taken King which centered on Oryx, one of many mighty Hive gods who was recognized for his ability as a navigator. Brother to Savathun and Xivu Arath, Oryx had the ability to “take” beings, breaking their will and making them combat for him. After defeating him within the marketing campaign, gamers took to the King’s Fall raid and beat him once more, sending his physique floating off into the rings above Saturn.
“I’ve a wall of Submit-It notes of issues I need to do someday,” Brookes defined throughout a roundtable Q&A session I used to be invited to. “Oryx’s physique was one of many notes on my wall.” Evidently Brookes, like many others, have considered Oryx’s semi-lifeless physique floating via area lengthy earlier than it was included in Season of the Deep.
With regards to writing tales in Future, apparently Brookes has a myriad of concepts he would like to discover, nevertheless it all comes down as to if it feels proper. As a participant, the revelation of Oryx’s physique within the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon doesn’t really feel pressured, and regardless of the very fact it was a shock, it felt like a pure development of the story.
A part of why the revelation felt proper is thanks, partly, to how Bungie tells tales in Future. The writers will create “deadends which have locked doorways” as design lead Brian Frank places it. These deadends and locked doorways are will be seemingly insignificant, like Oryx’s physique floating off into area, or giant, like introducing the jubilant Calus.
To listen to Bungie put it, the author’s didn’t know for certain how Calus’s story would finish. The aim of his creation was to grow to be this enduring character, one which the writers may make the most of when the timing was proper. Say what you’ll about Calus’ final demise, his creation wasn’t myopic. They won’t have been in a position to see the tip, however the unique writers of Calus had a protracted view and the data that this type of character might be helpful for the narrative staff later down the observe.
For Brookes, the timing couldn’t have been extra excellent with Season of the Deep and his sticky word Oryx’s physique. “The second we have been going again to Titan I used to be like, ‘I’m wondering if I can…’ after which as quickly as I knew the dungeon was going to be underneath the Arcology I used to be similar to crashing via a window simply being like ‘We’ve got to do it! Physique! Proper right here!’,” Brookes jabbed his finger into his palm to emphasis the purpose.
“And that’s like after we have been speaking in regards to the lengthy view on issues. It’s a must to go away your self open to those issues.” Brookes stated. “We by no means would have essentially deliberate to have this second on this season on this method, however all the celebrities aligned the place it was the precise proper second and all of the sources have been excellent, the story lined up and all the pieces that might have made this succeed did, and we simply needed to roll with it.”
It’s the seeds the Bungie writers plant which will or might not blossom that permit the staff to create tales and moments like having Oryx’s physique within the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon. The small choice to have Oryx float off into area, as a substitute of disappear like Crota’s, allowed somebody like Brookes the chance to create an awe-inspiring second for gamers.
“Oryx is such a beloved piece of Future historical past, so the chance to proceed that story and inform it in a smart style that lined up with all the pieces else we have been doing so completely, it couldn’t have been a greater overlap of prospects,” Brookes stated.
It doesn’t sound like Brookes is completed along with his sticky notes both. Through the roundtable, the writers not solely hinted on the reality the Vex is perhaps the foremost risk after Remaining Form, but in addition identified that Savathun spent a while on Titan and should have spoken with Ahsa. Brookes supplied one closing mysterious query with regard to why Savathun may need to resurrect her brother, regardless of his hatred of necromancy, “What use would she have for a navigator?”
With the damaging portal now carved into the Traveler and no clear technique to navigate via, maybe Future 2 gamers are one step nearer to understanding the type of sticky notes Brookes has on his wall.
