AND Destiny 2 a ping system would solve many problems in Bungie’s hit FPS, and one gameplay mechanic in Destiny 2 Season 21 proves how such a system is becoming increasingly vital.
Recent talk of a possible ping system has come all the way down to Toland, a being allegedly communicating from the Ascension Realm and represented by a ball-like shape in Destiny 2 Season of the Deep. Rangers briefly encounter Toland in a seasonal Deep Dive activity that uses matchmaking to attach players in the event that they usually are not already on a Destiny 2 fireteam. Interacting with Toland causes the creature to “Call Darkness”, making the activity harder and granting greater rewards , including triggering the Weekly Challenge requirement. However, the catch is that each one three fireteam members must interact with Toland to trigger this effect… and lots of players do not know they’ll interact with Toland or understand the entity’s role on this activity.
This is why Destiny 2 players are rightly demanding a ping system that some Guardians have wanted for years. Thanks to the ping system, players can mark Toland as an indicator that there’s an object within the environment that fireteam members must interact with. But Toland will not be the one use case. Players may also use impulses to assist others find Lore Shards and secret chests in Destiny 2 Ghosts of the Deep dungeons, goal heroes as a team in Destiny 2 Nightfalls, and even show fireteam members secrets in various destinations similar to Region Chests or Lost Sector Entries.
Ping systems have gotten increasingly more common in FPS and TPS games. While it wasn’t the primary game to feature such a system, Apex Legends made a splash when it unveiled its ping system with its 2019 launch. Many considered the sport’s novel and robust approach to location tagging to be a real innovation in the way in which games were played. The developers of Fortnite immediately recognized the possible value the ping system could bring to their Battle Royale game and released the Fortnite ping system lower than a month later.
Ping systems work well as an alternative choice to messaging for players who’re shy or not focused on being harassed based solely on their voice, accent or affects. And since Bungie is so concerned about accessibility, a ping system could help players communicate with one another without having to actively face potential harassment from Guardians who is perhaps frustrated, elephants, or simply plain offended teammates.
With the launch of Destiny 2 Lightfall, Bungie introduced the Commends system, which included all-new graphics, end screens, and development. The system is designed so as to add positivity and camaraderie to player interactions. Still, even with all this effort, the final result seems relatively superficial in practice, as Guardians often assign random Commendations to random party members. Alternatively, the ping system is a way for players to speak inside the context of the sport, fostering teamwork and a positive attitude.
The Destiny 2 team can also be reportedly working on the Looking for Group (LFG) system, which is able to undoubtedly be helpful once implemented and appears to be a large development endeavor. However, many third-party tools are designed to deal with this issue, including Discord channels, LFG console systems, and apps. On the opposite hand, a third-party solution for the ping system will not be possible. The ping system can positively impact every player in the sport, unlike the LFG system, which might primarily affect those that are in search of other Guardians for group activities.
As an FPS game, a ping system could be very invaluable to Destiny 2. And actually the developers of Destiny 2 have played games like Apex Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Rainbow Six Siege, and lots of other shooter-based multiplayer games which have systems implemented ping. So why didn’t Bungie resolve to integrate the ping system into their game?
Any answer could be speculation, however the most certainly reality is that the event of such a system was simply not justified by a cost-benefit evaluation. But with The Toland problem within the highlightat the very least it’s value reconsidering how much the ping system can realistically affect the general gaming experience.
Perhaps, just like the berries which might be lost on the subject of Toland, Bungie just needs something to point its developers in the fitting direction.
