‘Destiny’ Story Receives ‘Loremaster’ John Ryan From ‘Guild Wars 2’


John Ryan, the lead story writer for MMO Guild Wars 2 has been hired by Destiny developer Bungie as a new editor/loremaster.

Destiny has been described by some as the the best and worst game of 2014. The promise of a rich and vibrant world from the House of Master Chief was all but assured from even the most cursory glance at the artwork that was released before the launch of Destiny. Erik Kain from Forbes laid out an excellent comparison between what was shown and what was given and the great disparity between the two.

Those hungry for action-filled gameplay that is meticulously managed and curated by its developers will find Destiny a rich and vibrant world. Gamers who were expecting a grand science fiction opera with giant ridable frogs, medieval armor, and weapons, and a bustling metropolis were given an beautiful world but devoid of anything resembling an involving story.

The hiring of John Ryan as the new editor and lore master for Destiny shows that Bungie is indeed aware of the narrative situation. Many unverifiable rumors have surfaced over the months in regards to Activision’s heavy-handed influence on minimizing the story, or that Bungie’s lead writer quit in a great tiff leaving the narrative hamstring. Regardless of the truth, which we may never know, Destiny was released with arguably very little to no story. What we did receive was a treasure trove of lore.

Grimoire cards, those bottom-of-the-screen achievements you receive from waking a dead ghost or killing a specific number of enemy type, are full of details on the world of Destiny even if they don’t provide you with insight as to your guardian’s purpose. Sadly most players don’t even read the Grimoire cards as they are only accessible in the Destiny app or on Bungie.net. If John Ryan was brought over from Guild Wars 2 to simply write more grimoire cards then it is an empty move as Grimoire cards are a poor way to tell a story regardless of their accessibility.

House of Wolves is the next expansion for Destiny which isn’t due for several months yet and we mustn’t forget the Comet leak which Inquisitr showcased a potential for much greater changes in store for the $500 million, 10-year franchise. John Ryan as lore master for Destiny shows that Bungie is taking steps to rectify the abysmal state of the game’s narrative. Hopefully we will see his contributions sooner rather than later.

[Image Source | Bungie]

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