The Destiny2 gameplay last week reveal sparked controversy when Bungie Game Director Luke Smith and Project Lead Mark Noseworthy stated the game did not use dedicated servers. The studio attempted to clarify those remarks Thursday by bringing in one of their network engineers to explain how the shooter will run across the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
In an interview with IGN Fireteam Chat at the gameplay reveal, Smith said that dedicated servers was "not an investment that we made for 'Destiny 2.'" That doesn't mean Bungie has skipped improvements from the first game to the sequel.
Engineering Lead Matt Segur provided a follow up to explain the changes made that make the game's architecture unique.
Segur explained all "Destiny 2" activities are hosted by Bungie servers and not by player consoles like in the original release. He states one benefit as not seeing host migration in events like raids or Trials of Osiris matches, implying the new setup benefits both PVE and PVP activities.
That sounds tantalizingly close to an actual dedicated server solution, but the engineer goes on to explain the major change is Bungie has moved mission hosting and physics solution to its data centers. However, it's not a pure dedicated setup.
The sequel will continue to use Bungie's servers and peer-to peer technology, similar to the "Destiny 1." The servers will continue to store data such as character items earned and progression while the player consoles provide the determination over movement and abilities.
"This allows us to give players the feeling of immediacy in all their moving and shooting – no matter where they live and no matter whom they choose to play with," Segur said.
Those changes were not evident at the gameplay reveal event I attended as the controlled environment was not representative of what will happen in the real world.
However, Segur does say Bungie invested heavily in the network upgrades for "Destiny 2" and has no regrets on the direction taken.
Cheating on 'Destiny 2' PC will be a test
The debut of "Destiny 2" on the PC will present a new test for Bungie. The studio has dealt with cheating methods on the PS4 and Xbox One from players unplugging network cables to disrupting other players with Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
The PC release presents a different set of challenges as players will have game files sitting on their computers begging to be cracked open. Bungie will keep "Destiny 2" characters on its servers to keep the potential hackers at bay and promises to aggressively punish any other attempts at cheating.
'Destiny 2' beta will be defining moment
Bungie can talk about the unique "Destiny 2" network architecture in an attempt to satisfy the community, but the debate will remain until players actually go hands on. The first opportunity will be sometime this summer when the beta test is released.
Bungie does not have an exact date yet, but#PS4 owners should expect to get in first followed by XboxOne and PC gamers.
it will be the chance for gamers to learn how well Bungie's investments pay off and for the studio to get real world data its engineers can take back and use to make further improvements prior to release.
"Destiny 2" will release to the PS4 and Xbox One first on September 8. The PC version will launch sometime afterward.
