Armor 2.0
My first major systems design after moving over to the sandbox discipline was Armor 2.0, a revamp of how armor works in Destiny 2 and the genesis of the modern version of buildcrafting that persists in the game to this day. I pitched, designed, and shepherded this feature all the way to ship, and it’s one of the most important designs I’ve contributed to Destiny.
Key Design Elements
Buildcrafting Mods
Armor 2.0 introduced a large number of selectable mods intended to create specialized builds. With different sockets holding different types of mods, and different armor pieces having different sockets, the system created combinatoric decision-making in the armor space that fostered player creativity.
Armor Energy
A critical element of balancing new, more powerful armor mods was the introduction of armor energy, which imposed costs and limits on armor mods. This required new investment engineering, new UI, and new sandbox design to accomplish.
Universal Ornaments
Built at the same time as the player sandbox side of Armor 2.0, universal ornaments introduced the ability to change the appearance of your armor using earned and MTX ornaments. This was a part of the feature that I pitched and implemented into the engine.