NEXT SEASON: A NEW RANK MODLE/RULE?
I've been playing Apex since the day it launched, and I hope the following suggestions will gain more player support.
There are still sixty players and twenty teams, with three players per team. However, if any team successfully kills another team member, the number of players in the opposing team will be added to their own team.
Under the new rules, If Team A successfully kills one member of Team B, Team A would have 4 players, and Team B would have 2 players. Similarly, if Team B successfully kills 2 members of Team A, Team B would have 4 players, and Team A would have 2 players. If Team B continues to kill the remaining 2 members of Team A, Team B will have 6 players, and Team A will disappear.
Everyone can ask AI how many outcomes would be! I'll omit that part, even though it might excite you.
Currently, We know that at the beginning of a match, players can be quickly eliminated due to lack of weapons or other reasons, leading to a frustrating cycle of entering and exiting games. With this new mode, we aim to eliminate this frustration. Similarly, many skilled players often find themselves unable to showcase their abilities due to the lack of weapons or early eliminations. This is a waste of their time and skill. We believe that the gameplay should not be interrupted by such short-lived rules, forcing players to repeatedly start new matches. This repetitive experience is something many players are currently facing. Additionally, this incentive-based mode will effectively deter camping behavior.
What are we ultimately trying to achieve with this type of game?
Based on my understanding, we want to achieve three things:
- High kill counts: We should encourage players to get more kills.
- High damage output: The game mechanics should incentivize dealing more damage.
- Clear rewards for high kills and damage: Players should be able to earn substantial rewards for high kill counts and damage output.
I believe these three points are the ultimate goals of game design in this genre. This also explains why Apex has seen a decline in player numbers; it has strayed from these three objectives.
Similarly, as rules change, so too should the reward system. Apex's economic system should also change accordingly. How can you make your in-game currency more valuable? Make it liquid! You can refer to World of Warcraft for this.
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Shooting games can also be learned from other game modes. One such element is the gold system. I think the gold spending system needs a complete overhaul.
For example, you could add a spectator mode. This mode would allow players to bet on teammates with a higher chance of winning or on teams with a higher kill count using their remaining in-game currency, similar to betting on horse races.
The benefits of this are obvious:
- Increased player engagement.
- Increased revenue from in-game currency purchases.
- This will create a snowball effect, benefiting not only the game developers but also the players who excel in the game. For instance, if a player has exceptional skills and is highly regarded by the community, they can convert their in-game currency into real-world earnings. This ensures player retention and attracts new players.
The above is a general framework and quite rough, but I believe the direction is correct. Of course, many details need to be further refined to achieve this goal. However, I believe that establishing this mechanism and defining the ultimate goal will make the game development process more meaningful and make players more engaged.
Any suggestions to improve this are welcome! It would be amazing if EA decided to implement this model.