404Architect is still talking even after saying he was going to shut up lol.
404Architect: I know below I said I was done, but a glut of good questions came in right after that sign-off, so I am going to address anything that came in prior to 1:30pm PST to the best of my ability and then be finished. Thank you all again for the civil approach, I know many of you feel as passionately as I do about Destiny and its current state.
JamesDarrow: First of all, thank your time and willingness to talk with us all. In the face of what a number of gamers felt, myself included, your desire to speak with us is appreciated.
I have a decent number of questions, so please feel free to only answer as many as you like. At the same time, if an answer comes close to compromising you, please don't disclose. Small sects of gamers aside, I don't think any of us want to see someone have their job put on the line.
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1: You mention tension from higher ups and a lack of cohesion about the vision for the game. Was it always this way from the beginning stages, or was this something that came in later and closer to release?
2: It's mentioned that large portions of dialogue and cutscenes were excised or redone. Any idea on how much of this was actually completed work (voiced dialogue, rendered cutscenes, etc)?
3: We know the adage, "Vote with your wallet." At the same time, like you've pointed out, if sales figures don't look good, one of the parties might pull the plug on the game. What would you recommend as the best way to convey (community email, petition, etc), for the gamers like myself, that while we might be hesitant to further invest in a fractured title, we would be willing to do so if we felt confident that it helped bring back what Destiny could have been?
4: I'm a full-time employee at my day job, along with working on my own fledgling authorial career at the evenings. As such, the amount of time I can invest into a title per day when I'm in full-swing is sometimes counted in the minutes, rather than hours. As such, can you tell how much of a focus the design team has for other content besides large reputation grinds and (sometimes) lengthy raids/strikes? For example, further campaign missions or side-stories, etc.
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I've been a long-time follower of Bungie's work, even before I picked up the pen for my own turn at story-telling. Partly because of my background in writing, I pay a lot of attention to stories and campaigns. Due to this, my own voice does echo the sentiment of many other players out there in that the story (at least) has some problems.
At the same time, you guys did build a wonderful game in many other aspects. The art and sound assets are great, and a number of the mechanics are absolutely top-notch (gunplay, sparrows, etc). While there are issues, you guys did good with a number of other aspects and should feel proud.
Thank you for your time and answers, it is truly appreciated.
404Architect: 1: Team cohesion was breaking down the closer the final deadline came. 2013 was particular turbulent and when Joe left that was the final nail in the coffin for much of what came before.
2: Many of the lost cinematics you've seen in trailers or teasers, most of which may never see the light of day again due to how Destiny's story was altered. Cinematics for the original storyline were completed past what you know as the end of the primary story now (the Black Garden.) There were cinematics for each race's introduction (of which now only Exo remains, homogenized to incorporate all guardians.) There is a significant amount of unused voice work which is now being saved for incorporation into DLC, though not all of it can be salvaged.
3: Keep speaking out about how you feel. It may not make the difference you hope for, but it may inspire change. To quote an old fan-movement I am fond of, "crackers do matter."
4: I can't speak to that part of development.
Thank you for the other kind words, a great deal of time and effort went into making Destiny. It pains me to know so much was produced that many may never see.
elthomas21: Will there be any kind of free content updates that aren't just re-dressing of the same old story missions etc? Or are is all of the real "meat" being saved for the paid DLC?
404Architect: I do not know what the plan is for future DLC with any certainty. I will say that opinions about the lack of story is being heard loud and clear.
coporate: I heard that there were at one point over 25 completed cinematics which were later cut to 8, could you confirm?
404Architect: That number does not sound accurate at all.
gunlova: "Lack of cohesion", was that due in part to the massive growth Bungie experienced between Reach and Destiny?
404Architect: No.
itsatrickgetanaxe: Is there anything you could offer that would prove that what you're claiming is true? Anything that might prove you worked at Bungie?
404Architect: Unfortunately, no. I realize this casts a shadow of doubt over everything I say.
StaticSilence: I was under the impression that bungie was to maintain creative control of destiny. Isn't what is happening with activision what you were trying to escape from Microsoft?
404Architect: Activision isn't as instrumental in what happened to Destiny as you may think. There were many egos at work.
RagnarokSam: Did the original vision include more planets/locations? It seems the grimore cards mention Mercury and Saturn in some context, but perhaps that's just supplemental lore rather than anything that was intended to be player interactive.
404Architect: Yes. Several more were planned.
cpp_is_king: Will we see them in an upcoming DLC?
404Architect: The original content that is being withheld is being reskinned for DLC. I don't know to what extent, in what capacity, or when it will drop, but the plan going forward was to use the old assets to get a development "head start" on new content after key departures.
Einchy: What's the general morale in Bungie right now with all the backlash to the story?
Was it expected or did it come as a shock to everyone?
404Architect: I can't speak to morale.
dylanbarket: What are the chances that we will see player to player trading or gifting introduced?
404Architect: Unlikely, if the attitudes leading up to the release haven't changed. But the court of public opinion still has some sway.
creativethien: Are you still at Bungie?
404Architect: I cannot answer that.
DreadNot_Z: Yeah....I love the other elements, but the lack of story and flow really hurt...
404Architect: I agree with you, and this was not the original intention. The original storyline flowed well between all three start points.
TheFiremind88: This confuses me a little. A lot of what was cut, was cut so that it could be released later, to buy time to develop new content(If I understood this correctly)... If this is the case, why is the story going so far off from the original vision, as opposed to just coming out as intended, only delayed to buy time? Honestly, the idea that a lot got pulled to be released later doesn't really bother me, if it's in the name of giving you guys the time you need to develop more quality content, but what caused this complete morph in the direction of the story?
404Architect: I may not have explained that as well as I could have. Without revealing too much that could identify me, I will say that there was an original "design" for Destiny that was leading it in one direction. Voices were raised in dissent and (for reasons combined both of inability to meet deadlines and creative differences) the game was steered onto a new course. After Joe departed, there was a void that needed to be filled. Some of the already produced game content contradicted the new direction chosen for the story and was cut, changes both major and minor would need to be made to make it work with the released version. This content was held back to be released as DLC once re-tooled while new content (which, if the direction hadn't changed, we would've been working on already) was being designed.
Basically, the last-minute about face with Destiny cost us development hours, which needed to be made up for somewhere.
coporate: I think it should be noted that if the story was re-worked, it was done so because there were script and story problems from the beginning. While the current iteration may not be better, it's may not be worse either.
404Architect: Some people strongly believed the original story did not work. I disagree with that vision, and so did others who are no longer with Bungie.
404Architect: There are whole factions that were cut as well, some directly tied to the original story and will need to be extensively re-tooled for the new storyline.
lemon_rhind: Was that Osiris?
404Architect: Osiris was one of several. The removed factions were associated with the original storyline which was abandoned. They may reappear in new forms, or they may not.
