PvP Queue Menu Overhaul
intuitive, expansion-ready interface and queue overhaul
Background:
The PvP Queue Menu is fairly cumbersome. It won't scale well to new factions - let alone new PvP Maps (which I'm sure the developers would love to create).
For every new map, the queues become more scattered.
For every new PvP mode, the queues become more scattered still
For a new faction, this only compounds the issue.
This proposal boasts a new PvP Queue UI. It's more intuitive for the casual player - yet just as robust. It scales better for multiple factions and gameplay modes.
PvP Queue Menu Overhaul:
The default public queue system would be significantly retooled.
Public Queue
Default, public queue users would select from the following
- Ground or Space
- FED, KDF or RSE
- Capture & Hold, Arena or Warzone
However, the specific maps themselves would automatically cycle (allowing new maps to be developed without ruining existing ones). Lesser-used maps would get rotated and new maps could be included without fear of fragmenting the queues even more.
There would also be an integrated, global PvP channel added directly to the PvP Queue. No needing to add the channel manually!
Also, a PvP [tag] system would be useful. Simple copy and paste you tag - it would then adjust you queue settings to whatever data that tag contains.
New players wouldn't be needlessly confused when new factions are added - it's simple yet powerful for most players. The new user interface would be far less cluttered.
The current system would make a never-ending scroll list if new factions, maps, or modes are added.
PvP is meant to be exciting - not like sorting an Excel Spreadsheet to find a map with players.
Private Match Menu
Private queue system would have far more options (to support premades/fleets): from filters to custom kill/time limits.
Tournament Menu
Allows players to create their own tournaments! Auto-bracketing tools would help expedite the process. Individual brackets would be configured much like the single, private match menu.
However, a robust set of overall options would help organize PvP tournaments with little hassle: from participant lists (including on/offline status) to number of players per match.
Benefits:
- User-friendly interface design
- Less Clutter
- Shorter list
- More intuitive
- Scales better for
- new factions
- new maps
- new PvP modes
- new map sizes
- Cycles maps (no wasted maps at bottom of list)
- More robust options for Private Match Creation
- Tournament Support
- Integrated, global PvP Channel in the PvP Queue Window
Comments
Last night was my first real PvP match, (low level), and as has been pointed out, the lower levels are basically dead. I finally ended up finding a ground match. When we all spawned, it was 3 F vs. 1 K. The Klingon left understandably, but this left 3 of us in a deserted facility. After several log-out attempts, I ended up on the other team somehow, and had to fight. At this point I just logged out and waited 15 mins for the instance to reset. It was still a real pain.
Never-the-less, the PvP menu was pretty confusing when I first brought it up.
It is very confusing for new players.
It is also unmanageable should the developers add ANY new content to PvP.
I mean seriously, whats the point of those planets being there if one can just que up from anywhere via the PvP interface?
That's a great criticism.
However, the UI allows so many more players than everyone packing their things for Eti Eridani. :cool:
- Reduce the number of queues you can be in at the same time to ONE. Why? Because multi-queueing messes up the ones you don't join.
- Increase the frequency of the queues 'popping' by having fewer. Easiest answer is to eliminate the ability to pick a specific map. This would also help some maps get played more often.
- Eliminate the prompt to join when the queue 'pops'. Just yank the player into the match they queued for.
All of these of great reasons to rehaul the PvP Queue (especially the interface). Cycling maps would be great, since developers could create as many maps as they want - without worring about it burying other maps in the old queue list.
Let's do this!
Hopefully, it could help the PvP Queues "play good" too - or better at least.
That's been something I've been waiting for honestly. A PvP Lobby or Channel that everyone gets, so you can recruit, organize, and discuss PvP. Many don't know about the existing PvP channels, and we need a more visible method to try and draw in players to PvP to keep it going.
I like The GUI idea though, and the idea of cycling maps. Honestly, seeing Cracked Planetoid FvK multiple times in the current GUI is rather confusing.
( --| Updated PvP Queue Menu |-- )
Menu looks great. Simplicity is the key, especially for new players. And like you said, it can support new factions when they come in, without adding too much confusion.
EDIT: And if you really wanted to enhance that, make this a true lobby like system, where everyone in the "PvP Lobby" shows up, like a friend list would be. So you could basically join the lobby and be available to be invited to matches in addition to self-queueing. Like a "LF PVP" flag as we have an LFG flag now.
I was thinking that players could copy their settings over to make a [tag] link.
For example, if you are set-up for Space, C&H, FvK: the system would generate a tag reading [Space, C&H, FvK] that users could click on to load your settings. YOu could post your tag in any chat channel.
For private user's, the person creating the match would have a tag like [Jack@Darren_Kitlor's PvP Match] that people could copy and paste to invite friends, fleet-mates.
No fuss, no muss, and ease of geting into the same queue as a friend or someone in global PvP Channel Chat.
Sound nice?
Yep, that works. Does what I was looking for, and allows you to do it in chat channels as well, like OrganizedPvP and PremadePvP.
and people still try to get into the match that requires the higher number of people even though if they all clicked on the lower person match we could get one started sooner
Exactly. I get tired of playing the "which queue will get me in fastest?" minigame or the "I wonder if anybody is trying out the bottom of the queue list maps" minigame.
Even small portions of the use mockup would go a long way.
there is a serious base problem
here it is.........pvp is not popular
even in wow only a small fraction of players engage in it
in eve your forced to
so it boils down to this:
KDF is a tiny fraction of Fed players because it launched PvP only
95% of fed players have NO interest in PvP
so for every 10 klingon players waiting for pvp, you got 1 or 2 fed
they get mauled...and stop playing PvP
To be honest, unless you force pvp on everybody (which I would not do)
it will be a tiny tiny part of the game...and never balanced..ever.
toying with the que is a waste of time, it will not fix it.
only workable fix...give Klingons full PvE quickly...reduce the number of PvP areas to a few
good ones.
There are way too many and they are empty and will stay empty
the mistake in concept was the assumption that almost all Feds would get into
pvp heavy, the plan was put just enuff PvE in the fed side to lvl them up then they
would all jump on the PvP bandwagon.....war is everywhere ! great plan...never happened,
but looked good on paper.
That's a sizable part of it.
However, these factors make it even less popular in STO:
PvP will never be as popular as PvE but it could be a heck of a lot better.
focusing Klingons on PvP.....poor choice, but it was done
it will take some serious time to fix.
oddly enuff...the best cure.....UGC
they need to put the spurs on that...yesterday
Zinc was surprised at the idea of UGC PvP Maps - if only because the team hadn't thought of it until it was brought up in a recent interview.
He said he'd bring it up at the next meeting.
UGC taps the creative power of the star trek fan base...and they are very creative.
but it will take guts, to let them do it.
most MMO developers turn 8 shades of green when someone suggests giving the players
your creative tools...but this is one case where it is the right move.
( --| See the PvP Queue Overhaul Mock-Up |-- )
Also, cycling maps based on ground/space, arena/c&h/warzone would go a long ways toward showing off the "forgotten" maps for public/casual pvp queues.
This allows developers to creat more maps (and, hopefully, more modes) without the list getting longer and more content being forgotten in the long lists we have now.
I can see PvP management tools like the [tag] system simplifying things for new comers.
It still wouldn't be the prettiest part of the game but at least it would encourage more people to try it.
also, dstahl said they're working on redesigning the icons around the ui map to include a pvp button (instead of it being hidden in the queue).