One of many extra contentious additions to the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon was the bosses’ immunity shields. Earlier than gamers may deal harm to a boss, they first needed to bust down the protect. This led to a couple prevailing methods and a complete lot of bellyaching from the group. Whereas Bungie heard the critiques, the builders held agency on their choices, and now Brian Frank, Design Staff Lead, has provided some extra perception into the reasoning and design ideas.
In a latest roundtable Q&A, I needed to the touch on the design choice of the boss mechanics within the newer Warlord’s Spoil (recognized internally as Ridgeline) in comparison with Ghosts of the Deep, particularly, the immunity shields. For these not within the know, in Ghosts of the Deep, after performing the mandatory mechanics to provoke a harm section, the participant would then need to knock away the boss’ protect earlier than dealing harm to its well being. This resulted in gamers both utilizing Heavy ammo, Supers, or Arbalest to knock the protect away, after which beginning the harm section correct. The top consequence was harm phases the place both numerous ammo was wasted on a protect as a substitute of well being or being locked into utilizing a single weapon to knock it away in a single go.
“The underside line reasoning for why we held the road on that’s that these combatants have customized conduct when the protect is energetic,” Frank defined when speaking about Bungie’s agency stance on holding the shields. “We have been form of caught with like, properly, if we simply take [the shields] off, then they don’t seem to be going to see the cool factor that [the combatants] do.”
It’s a tricky scenario. Bungie clearly needed gamers to expertise the brand new enemy conduct however sadly the strategy during which it was applied created an enormous barrier for some gamers. Little doubt eradicating the protect, whereas retaining the conduct, could be an enormous endeavor. The issue then comes all the way down to useful resource allocation.
Supply: Bungie
The opposite facet of the immunity protect is that of complexity and problem. For Bungie, Ghosts of the Deep was a chance to essentially push into that concept of bringing the problem again to Future 2. “It is a part of why we held the road and that was additionally within the context of eager to carry problem again to the sport,” Frank stated. “We form of pushed fairly exhausting with Ghosts of the Deep.”
Whereas Bungie has continued to say it, the workforce does pay attention, and that is evident within the builders’ strategy to Warlord’s Spoil. “That was positively some extent of suggestions that we targeted on once we have been engaged on [Warlord’s Ruin],” Frank stated. To that finish, the workforce seemed into methods to retain the problem but in addition give expert gamers a method to min-max their methods.
“The actual fact you will get to break in a single section was a really intentional selection,” Frank stated when discussing the ogre boss battle and the concept of gamers having the ability to activate all 4 totems in a single go versus one-by-one. For Bungie, this meant the boss battle felt quicker, particularly when in comparison with the ultimate boss of Ghosts of the Deep. It was even thought of how solo gamers would be capable of velocity up the method. “They most likely can’t get all 4, it could be doable, however they’re going to get at the least get two,” Frank stated.
Supply: Bungie
One of many gripes gamers have with Ghosts of the Deep is how arduous the doorway encounter is, even when enjoying with a full squad. There’s merely no strategy to velocity it up. A part of what makes the dungeons (and raids) so pleasurable is understanding tips on how to turn into hyper environment friendly on the encounters by perfecting the usage of the mechanics. It positively appears Bungie has turn into extra conscious of this and has been making acutely aware design choices that enable gamers to hurry issues up.
One other facet the workforce needed to discover in Warlord’s Spoil was rewarding gamers who wish to interact with the boss’ well being threshold in distinctive methods. In Warlord’s Spoil, gamers can deal harm proper as much as the well being chunk however not surpass it. This edging of well being bars has trickled over from raid clears, the place ammo conservation is crucial. “We have been fairly intentional about the way in which the thresholds work on this occasion. When you can actually strategize and plan for maximising this chance, you are able to do harm proper as much as the road, however don’t cross it, after which get the DPS once more,” Frank stated. “The assembly of the DPS stage and pushing approach additional previous it – we simply perceive that gamers are going to take pleasure in that chance to optimize and specific mastery and the way they’re doing harm to the bosses.”
Supply: Bungie
“We bought to some extent the place we’re like, properly, in the event that they’ve earned that additional time and so they’re doing good on harm and so they nonetheless have to fret about ammo economic system after they really attain the highest of the encounter, then positive, allow them to go at it,” Amanda Baker, Check Engineer stated. “Allow them to have their enjoyable and I believe that labored out rather well for us in the long run.”
I’d need to agree. There’s comes a time in each Future 2 participant’s life the place they need to study the advantages of edging a boss’ well being bar. Generally it is advisable to take the boss proper as much as the road, however don’t cross it, as a result of that subsequent harm section goes to be so highly effective if you unleash all of it.
General, the workforce definitely nailed Warlord’s Spoil, at the least with regards to the stability of problem versus one thing that may really feel unfair or tedious. In comparison with Ghosts of the Deep, gamers now have extra company to work together with the bosses in a way that fits their playstyle and ability degree. Even the builders acknowledge the success of the boss mechanics and design in Warlord’s Spoil. “I believe for the higher we will agree it is a extra profitable format,” Frank stated.
On the finish of the dialogue, it’s clear that Bungie is – to make use of a drained expression – listening to the playerbase. Whereas not a lot might be accomplished in regards to the shields in Ghosts of the Deep and not using a full redesign, the workforce took the suggestions and perfected the formulation with Warlord’s Spoil. Check out our full Future 2 developer interview for extra perception into Season of the Want.
