Regarding Destiny 2 , Bungie talks about an Alpha, about Freedom-Slots, and about a Day-One-Patch.
Last night, on June 9th, Bungie released a podcast. In it, the developers, including Game Director Luke Smith and Senior Gameplay Designer Jon Weisnewski, casually chatted about their first VR experiences, horror movies, and also a little about the upcoming MMO shooter Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 has an Alpha – but the community must stay out
Many Guardians have been wondering for months whether Destiny 2 will have an Alpha. After all, there was a so-called “First-Look-Alpha” for Destiny 1 on June 12, 2014, which allowed interested players to get a first impression of Destiny. Before the release, hardly anyone had a concrete idea of what Destiny would actually be.
This is no longer necessary for Destiny 2. Both gaming press and players know what foundation the MMO shooter is built on and what they can expect from Destiny 2. Therefore, there will not be a public Alpha.
An Alpha phase is already taking place. However, this one is “internal” and “private”; presumably, only Bungie employees and family members are allowed to take a look at this Alpha build. The goal of the Alpha is to ensure that the subsequent Beta can run as smoothly as possible.
When does the Beta start?
The specific start date of the Beta will be announced at the E3 2017 . Most likely during the Sony conference, which takes place on Tuesday at 3 AM.
Some developers are reportedly working full-time to put together the Alpha and Beta builds. These versions of Destiny 2 only offer a “microcosm”, just a glimpse of the shooter. And these builds still need to be created. There is a lot of work involved.
Day-One-Patch for Destiny 2
Additionally, the developers announce a Day-One-Patch. At Bungie, they are continuously working on Destiny 2 and are trying to deliver the best possible player experience right at launch.
However, it takes a long time until all the discs are burned and shipped around the world. In these weeks, the Bungie mill does not stand still – instead, they are processing user reports from the Beta.
Therefore, you can expect a patch right at launch that will implement all adjustments that could not be included on the discs.
Freedom-Slots in Destiny 2
A large part of the podcast discussed the new weapon slots in Destiny 2. We have already reported on these.
- There is the Kinetic Slot, which includes the weapon types Auto Rifle, Pulse Rifle, Scout Rifle, Hand Cannon, Pistol, and SMG.
- The Energy Slot includes the same six weapon types as the Kinetic Slot, but these weapons deal elemental damage (Arc, Solar, Void).
- The Power Slot includes all weapons that can kill with a single shot in PvP, such as rocket launchers, shotguns, or snipers.
The Kinetic Slot and the Energy Slot are internally referred to at Bungie as “Freedom-Slots”, as their primary goal is to grant Guardians maximum freedom in weapon choice.
You could, for instance, run around with two hand cannons or with an auto rifle and a scout rifle – you can now combine the six weapon types as you like.
Luke Smith was initially skeptical about this and wondered: Who would want to do something like that – run around with two pistols? But then he tested it, and it was incredibly fun. It is extremely cool to have the freedom to combine weapons however you want.
Energy weapons provide advantages in both PvE and PvP. In PvE, they deal more damage to enemy shields, while in PvP, they can take down a foe out of their super faster. You have the choice of which weapon you make your energy weapon.
Additional info from the podcast: Luke Smith mentioned a SUROS shotgun that fires not shot but a precision round per shot. Reminds one of “The Chaperone”.
Interesting: Destiny 2: The main change from Destiny 1 is this new weapon system
