With this new horrible Crapdate that just ruined Arcade.
THIS IS GOING TO BE LONG... BUT IF YOU CARE ABOUT ARCADE (ESPECIALLY IF YOU DESIGN SINGLE/CO-OP- OR MULTIPLAYER MAPS) PLEASE READ AND ADD YOUR THOUGHTS.
Ok, I am mad and want to scream at Ubisoft for their DAMAGING change to arcade. It is very clear to me that they must be out of touch with the reason we love(d) Arcade. It is so clear that they are just not listening or understanding what made it great or that they really just want to kill it. So, I want to offer my thoughts on why I love(d) it and why arcade pushed me to buy the game and also made me play it every night and create a new map for it every couple week. I don't just want to complain and rage although that is where I am at now. I want Arcade to be successful not be pushed to the side like it is now. See there were problems with Arcade. For example I was VERY sick of playing both of toy room maps, the ship swinging map, the Airport map etc...over and over and over again. Those maps are good maps but man they (and others) are just picked way too much. But I kept playing each night so I could pick one of my created maps when I had the chance to pick. I think the over-played map issue happened due to poor UI interface/planning and NOT that players just wanted to play the same maps over and over again. So, it was poor UI planning not the players fault.
So, why did Arcade get me interested and keep me interested?
I love variety. I have been playing FPS for several years on PC and on console. I WAS a huge Battlefield player. My favorite part of battlefield besides playing on a clan was when a new map was released. I just love new exciting maps. It keeps the game going and it keeps the players playing (if they aren't more money of course). I would still be playing BF3 if they were still making maps for it. That game would have never gotten old if they just keep the framework and added more maps. I never needed BF4 and definitely didn't need BF1. BFBC2 was great except for the horrible movement mechanics. So, a new map makes me happy. I love them and that is the main reason I love what FPS can become. So, Arcade brought the ability to try new maps every day. And that was awesome.
I love creativity. I love when others are creative and make things out of the norm. So, going back to Battlefield…Sorry, UB…but Battlefield has great maps...but they are all made by Dice. This is cool but Dice maps are all Dice maps. I actually must be the only person who liked BF Hardline. I liked it mainly because maps… they weren't like Dice maps. They were made by another group of creative minds. NOW, FC5 Arcade allows for this type of creativity. Sure, many player created maps are going to suck but you will also get a core of really great maps being made in the process. Maps that would have never been thought of by the UBI devs. Now let’s point out that I can easily create my own maps. This really pushes my interest into playing more and more Arcade. I feel like I am part of something big. I feel like my creativity can be appreciated. It feels really rewarding when others tell you that they like your maps. So, creativity keeps me coming back.
So, I am not the only one…Most games on Steam that allow for player modding have a huge dedicated following. It keeps players coming back. Arma games, G-Mod, Cities: Skylines, Skyrim…to name a few. If you want to keep players you need to give them a reason to stay. So, creative variety keeps players happy.
I have ideas that would keep Arcade relevant and populated.
1. Allow for more players at once. 6 per side really limits the game mode options and the size of the map. This leads me to the 2nd thought.
2. Allow for more game modes…Capture the Flag type game, Conquest type game, Rush type game modes… Siege type mode. Arcade doesn’t need all of these just some. The only multiplayer game is death match. Death match is fun but only allowing for death match type modes is very limiting and will make the game old to many players quickly.
3. Make the Arcade FREE FOR ALL!! I actually have to give credit to a friend for this idea. He is right imo. If Ubisoft offered a well thought out Arcade game for free this game would really pull and keep (if done correctly) tons of players to Ubisoft. Trust me players would flock to it…(again if done correctly). Make it free but charge map makers for really unique assets. Give players perks in other games like Assassin’s Creed, South Park, Division, Far Cry etc. So, when they level up they level up perks/skins (etc) in the Pay For games that Ubisoft offers. I would love to play this game and know that I am getting cool stuff in other games that I may not even own yet…and yet is the special word. I may be more willing to buy a $60 game knowing that I have all these perks for it already. This brings me to the next idea which is tied to this one.
4. (assuming that Arcade is Free-to-Play) give the map makers assets from more games. Who wouldn’t want South Park assets…or Division or…you get the idea. More variety = more interesting maps = more Ubisoft patronage.
5. Allow more flexibility. Allow me to make a map with 20 airplanes if I want to. I know memory is an issue to be concerned with…and I understand limits…but more give and take. I often feel limited when designing a map. Allow me to make the decision that if I want 20 helicopters then I am going to have to limit other things then. This (going back to idea 3) could cost me more money but that is fine with me JUST as long as I don’t feel nickel and dimed for everything…just special extra nice things. I don’t want to pay for everything but would pay a couple bucks for the ability to make Conquest style games or have a ton of helicopters at my disposal. Also allow more options per item. So, why can’t I allow Choppers to respawn etc?
6. Allow for a market place. Heck you don’t even have to make all the extra assets at Ubisoft. Allow other novice graphic artist to sell their assets like Unreal engine and Unity Engines allow.
Now, onto the UI experience and design.
The Arcade user interface needs to be easier and more flexible for the casual player. I hate that I have to expect someone navigate to another screen if they want to Favorite my map. Why isn’t that option on the voting screen???? If I vote that I like a map wouldn’t it be wise if I also could Fav. it too, right there? Also, making the favorites easier to navigate to, would really help the repeat of maps issue too. Next time I get to pick a map, all of my favorites show up easily (even more easily than the Featured maps do).
Three ideas for Picking Maps UI:
1. I should be able to set up my “Picking“ screen the way that works best for me. Maybe I do want featured maps to show up on my first “Picking” screen or maybe I want my Favorites to show up…or maybe I want new 3.5 stars and above maps to randomly populate on my first “Picking” screen. Give the player options. Many players will just pick what they see on the first screen for lack of knowing that there is an F key to filter or because they don’t want to miss their opportunity by being timed out. Others just don’t know that there are a ton of other options to choose from. Players need options and they need to be easily directed what to do. They need to have personalization. Players need to be given the power to make their Arcade maps organized and easy to get to.
2. Allow “Pickers” variety on the “picking” screen. Show them some “Featured Ubi. Maps” in one column, then another column of their “Favorites”, and another column that is easy to sort like “new maps” or “highest rated player created maps this week/month/all time” etc. This will show players that there are tons of great arcade maps to choose from and not just the featured. Of course, I need to mention again that adding a map to one’s favorite should be on an auto populated screen like the voting screen and not on a manually chosen screen. I also need to point out that players should be able to change their votes later. I have voted maps positive that I later can’t stand anymore and vise-versa.
3. If players have a easy way to favorite maps then the UI could just populate all the current players (in that server) favorite maps on the first “Picking” screen. This way everyone in the server is represented on the picking screen. Just another idea to mix up the first “Picking” screen variety.
I hope that someone in Ubisoft reads this and finds it helpful. Asking the map makers for help will only make Arcade better. We understand the ins and outs a little more than the “just players”. I would love to help make Arcade awesome. If you are a fellow map maker please join this by adding your thoughts. It is obvious that we need to help Ubisoft with this. Being angry only shortens our lives….
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