Ideas For A (Possibly) Better Lobby System (+ Other Linked Additions)

[KogSothoth]

I'm cooler than you. Or at least, I think I am. Or are you cooler than me?

 

At this moment in time, I just don't really know.

 

What weapons are you using? What levels are they? What mods do you have?

 

I don't really know. Guess I'll have to ask.

 

---

 

Most MMOs revolve around the idea that you are developing a character. The more you play, the better they get, the more personalized they become. But what can you do with this character aside from staring at it intently, whilst sitting alone? Brag about it.

 

Yes, you can go out in the MMO world and show off how awesome your character, gear and items all are. Unfortunately, this isn't such an easy task in Warframe. Of course, that's not exactly a bad thing; nothing crippling. But adding a way could easily make players want to play more, and could, in a non-evil way, be used to garner more income for the developers.

 

Now, most of my ideas are, in truth, ripped right from a similar game that has actually garnered some popularity, (and in turn, support from developers,) despite being a tacked on multiplayer addition to a game known primarily for its singleplayer. This game, of course, is Mass Effect 3.

 

Let's take a look at Mass Effect 3's MP Lobby, shall we?

 

 

Look at all those ego-boosters! Gawk at the majestic, and simply cosmetic, backgrounds!

 

From this simply lobby, you're quickly able to discern the veterans from the... new... people...? Yeah. And not only that, but you can also see the accomplishments of the players. Their work becomes brag material, their work becomes known! And thus, all that work is even more worth it, because who doesn't love people acknowledging their hard work?

 

Okay, I think I'll just get down to the real business now; my ideas for a better lobby system.

 

 

- An Actual Lobby ;

    Come on, admit it. Warframe doesn't have much of a lobby. You, kinda, see the others sitting around the map; you see the other's names; you can, if you actually open the chat, see what the others are saying; you can tell what artifacts the others chose and you can see, if you're on the same planet, where the others chose to play on.

 

In truth, I know a better lobby would need a lot of reworking. With the map taking up the whole screen, a lot would have to change, but it would be worth it.

 

My idea for this would be to have the map be placed in a smaller window within this new lobby and so, when you want to choose a place to go, the map would open up and let you easily see everything.

 

As for the looks of the lobby, well, there are hundreds of ways to do it. A simpler way to do it would be something similar to ME3's, though you'd always, most likely, want nice and big player 'boxes'. That way you could easily see the player's names, their frame, and maybe some other things that I'll talk about below. The more info, the better, as long as things don't start overflowing, creating a mess.

 

 

- Player 'Box'... Things... ;

    I honestly don't know what to call these aside from boxes. Anyways- yeah; Boxes.

 

These boxes would, at the basic levels, contain the player's name, their warframe of choice, that warframe's level, their artifact of choice and the player's mastery rank.

 

Now, as a player played more Warframe, they would have more to show off in these boxes. Some ideas being: (idea inception) player titles, earned from doing something that would also have to be implemented (achievements? challenges?) background images, also earned from doing stuff or through the market, (because, money) certain major stats, like the amount of times you have, "prestiged" (which I'll talk about below,) and the player's avatar, where having waaaay more avatars would come into play and could also be used to gain cosmetics through actual money.

 

Beyond the box would be even further in-depth things. Just click their box, and BAM! you're struck with an Avalanche (Rank 3, of course) full of stats. Here, you could learn more about all their stuff. You could look at their Warframe, it's level, its mods; You could look at their loadout, and those associated mods; You could see all their other stats; You could add them as a friend, invite them to your clan and much, much more!

 

 

- Cosmetic Items For Player 'Boxes' ;

    I just went over this above, so I'll be brief.

 

Pretty much, a good way to let players show off even more, is to let them unlock/buy backgrounds, avatars, titles and such. This way, you can also get people to buy stuff, minus any outrage for selling stuff for platinum. Well, I can't guarantee that; People will always complain.

 

 

- Achievements / Challenges ;

    Linked to the above cosmetic items, these achievements/challenges could unlock said cosmetic items. They'd possibly be a lot like the in-game challenges, except they would take much, much more time to unlock. I'M TALKING YEARS HERE. CENTURIES, EVEN.

 

Like the Lex? (Yes, yes I do. Very much, actually.) Well, how about if you got 5,000 kills with it (or any other single weapon) you unlocked a Lex themed background? (or whatever gun you were using)

 

The challenges could unlock a multitude of items, such a skins, titles, backgrounds, avatars, credits, mods, affinty, etc.

 

This system could go for ages. There would even be people out there who would go for challenges such as, "Get 10k Kela kills with an unmodded MK1-Braton", as long as it was there, and as long as it gave you SOMETHING. (Like a high five.)

 

 

- 'Prestige' System ;

    DE has talked about a prestige system, and I think it would be a great idea. Even as a basic system where you are able to re-level your gun, and have a ‘Prestige Level’ attached to it, that would be able to show off, would be more than enough.

 

What’s that, Kog has a 17^th Prestige Lex? Yeah. Yeah he does. He’s so cool. Ohmahgawsh. (…Sorry.)

 

Though, I also can’t help but think the polarity thingamabob would also be amazing.

 

---

 

As of now, those are all the ideas I have. I think? I probably have more, but I can’t think of them right now. I should be sleeping. But I’m not. And I have school tomorrow too, don’t I? Eh; YOLO, right?

 

Anywho, I truly believe that a better lobby system would make the social aspect much better, and the associated ideas could easily boost replayability ten fold.

 

Of course, these are just my ideas. You don’t have to use them. Or even care about them. Or even care about me. This thread’ll probably just die… AW YEAH, DAT OPTIMISM.

 

Anywho again, feel free to leave your thoughts. Or not. Peace out!

 

...

 

tl;dr mebeh make a better lobby system like me3 where we can show off cool things such a stats! titles! mods! prestige levels! stuff!

   

Edited April 22, 2013 by KogSothoth

[kiwicanfly]

+1, i hope we will get a actual lobby as the game matures