Feedback on the game - It's great my favorite of the series.
Arcade Multiplayer
Hero mode worked a few days ago but the last 2 times I tried to play it couldn't fine me a game. The problem with regular mode is that is the same maps over and over. Farm Cry, Abandoned, Neon Warrior etc.
If I play for 2 hours I might get the chance to vote for one of my maps 2 or 3 times. I have played my maps 3 times, it let me play each map 1 time. I spent 6 hours making one map.
This wouldn't be so bad if I could play other peoples maps so its not always the same, but hardly ever does this happen. People always vote for the same maps. It's sad to see so potential fun going to waste.
It's killing arcade and I would suggest that you give people a lobby browser or at least alternate player map / Ubi map and not rely on 15 second votes. it's not enough time to organize anything and you're bleeding players left and right. Giving people real freedom to create AND to play those creations will help you grow. If you grow instead of bleed out you can implement cosmetic purchases in the shop which few people mind and everyone will be better off.
People miss lobbies and dedicated servers. Instead of trying to phase these things out, bring them back and gain the edge over the competition like EA.
I definitely agree here on map selection. The interface for selecting maps and the time available really make things difficult. I'd venture to say the biggest problem is that people don't know you can choose other maps than those presented when your a map selector. The tiny button at the screen entitled "Filter" doesn't scream out "other map options here." This leads people to continuously choose the featured maps. Even if you know how to get to other maps, it's a race to find one. I have a friend who made a pretty good one 3 1/2 stars) but even knowing exactly how to find it, it takes 3/4 of the time available to select it. Anyone who hasn't memorized or who wants to think a second won't be able to select one.
This too fast mentality applies to voting too. You have just a few seconds to vote, so you're often voting on a familiar picture or map name because it's easier than taking the risk on a bad map or looking up the details.
I'd venture to say the Hero mode is not used because it too isn't obvious. I've only ever been able to use it for crazy adventures in single/co-op. It doesn't match me in multiplayer.
If I could pose a suggestion, I would clean up the interface to make things more obvious. Players also be able to set up their map selection screen before going into arcade. Maybe the first line is dedicated to curated/featured maps and the rest can be preprogrammed by the user. Map voting should also be more clear on special rules/character choices. A few extra seconds should be given towards map selection. I know this adds time to the fast-paced feel, but it shouldn't feel out of control. Maybe map voting could result in the choice of the next few maps for the "lobby" for back to back play.
I'm hoping the next DLC or patch improves Arcade.