Why Crucible Labs is a great new feature
For those uninitiated, Destiny 2’s competitive online multiplayer (PvP) offering is called “The Crucible”. In Destiny 1 we had access to 6-7 distinct game modes, varying in objective, scoring, and team size. In Destiny 2 they reduced those options into 2 playlists, each featuring 2-3 of those game modes.
Up until a few weeks ago, there were fewer distinctions between Quickplay and Competitive playlists. Quickplay promises quicker matches, pairing you with other players based on your locations. It also features game modes that I suppose Bungie considers to be more casual in nature. Those game modes are Clash, Control, and Supremacy.
On the other side, we have the Competitive playlist, which matches you based on your skill level. It is considered to be more team-focused, and as a result, features the more objective-based game modes of Countdown and Survival. The recent addition of ranks for both playlists, coupled with meaningful seasonal pursuits is starting to give players an even greater reason to play. With increased attention comes increased scrutiny and criticism about certain shortcomings in the Crucible.
Enter Crucible Labs
Crucible Labs, released this past Wednesday, is a way for Bungie to test out new crucible game modes. Since its release, its been getting a lot of backlash for not living up to the potential as testing grounds. It’s an interesting phenomenon considering that this is one of the few aspects of the game where Bungie has delivered on exactly what they said they would. The dissatisfaction seems to be coming from those who somehow assumed that this would be a test server for previewing and testing more major changes they would be considering.
In a game like Overwatch or The Division, there exists something called a player test realm, or PTR for short. Blizzard and Massive respectively use these PTRs to test out entire upcoming patches, which typically include some assortment of sandbox changes. The sandbox of a game is the aspects of the game that players interact with. Everything from the strength of weapons, to how you move, to how enemies react.
So the question remains, why doesn’t Bungie use this as an opportunity to test upcoming sandbox changes? The latest sandbox pass has made the game feel much better to play. The new exotic weapons tuning has gone a long way to improve things. But many players, including me, believe that there are still many opportunities for sandbox improvements. Having the ability to observe and give feedback for upcoming changes could go a long way to course-correct the feel of playing the game.
The answer may be complicated, but it really boils down to the simple truth that Crucible Labs was never intended as a PTR. It’s silly for people to expect that from this feature. A PTR typically requires an entirely new build of the game, which can’t coexist with the current live build, and is a nightmare to setup for a console player base. A PTR may come to Destiny someday, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. Crucible labs are doing exactly what it is intending to, which is to preview new Crucible game modes.
Showdown
Moving on to the specific game mode we received, which is titled Showdown. It has already suffered a bit of misplaced criticism. For those who haven’t had a chance to check it out, Showdown is a multi-round 4v4 deathmatch-style game mode where the objective is to get as many kills as possible before the time runs out. It’s simple in nature, but I think it will play a very important role. Bungie seems to be testing this game mode out for the Competitive playlist.
The multi-round aspect, a feature reserved for the Competitive game modes, is probably the strongest tell. Although, it goes much deeper than that. Showdown is most likely their answer to the increased complaints of solo players being matched in with fully stacked teams. The team of solo players typically don’t communicate in any way, yet are being thrown into a heavily objective-based game mode where coordination and communication are key. Showdown keeps things simple. If you are a highly skilled solo player, you can jump in and show off some skill.
Showdown doesn’t solve the solo vs. stacked issue entirely, but it’s a good step in the right direction, and with some tuning, would be a welcome addition to the Competitive playlist. It’s important that we, the hungry community, acknowledge and commend the steps Bungie is taking to be more transparent with their development. One extra step I would love to see is more insight into their design goals with each of these new game modes. Tell us why they created it, and what they hope it will bring to players. I for one am very excited at the potential for Crucible Labs, especially heading into the fall, and can’t wait to see what creative new modes they’re cooking up.
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