Web Based Profiles, Matchmaking and Community Tools

Avatars always end up being offensive to someone. Im not offended easily but i reckon a good number of players will have Penis' and Unicorns uploaded just like every idiot that has ever played COD on XBOX Live. It just gets stupid and takes away from (or at least doesnt add to) the lore of the game or gaming experience itself. I would be fine with preloaded images like many other games.

I like the flag idea. Exactly how banners and flags will be incorporated or used in the game is beyond me. But i will play along.

League of Legends did a good job with Player stats and stuff. Im not a stat junkie but i know this info is important to a lot of people. Since this isnt really my forte im not sure i have much insight to add.

Achievements are fun! i know its a bit of an afterthought for most people, but there are a number of us that enjoy odd challenges like: "Kill 120 sheep in under a minute"

Clans, Guilds, Groups, Teams... call them what you wish, at some point we'll meet friends and foes. It would be nice to be able to chat with them outside of the game (or perhaps ignore them completely). A community page or chatgroup or something would benefit a lot of people. Personal pages may not be necessary, but i'll let the community decide how important this is to each user. It would be nice that if incorporated, it was ingame and not a URL.

Cola_Colin, the result is people playing the game when they don't enjoy it. If a game isn't good enough to hold a lasting attention, just give up. We shouldn't be encouraging people to waste their time this way.



treign, your **** hysteria makes you(and everyone else) a ****. Honestly.

I never came across an avatar anyone would call explicit in all the steam profiles I came across or time played Trackmania.

If something it's offensive always depends on your point of view. Also on the forum, moderators, community and culture. And my personal caffeine level.

Surely this problem is manageable?

A simple report button that suspends the avatar until review? (Once it's been reviewed it can't be reported again unless it changes. That will reduce 'report' spamming)

If it suspends the person automaticly, you could get suspended for no reason, meaning that there will be heaps upon heaps of trolls. More like, keep the avatar until review, then get suspended if you are found to have an offensive avatar.

That's what I meant when I said "suspends the avatar".

This sounds like more work for me. I changed my mind, custom avatars are not necessary.

So we've established you all hate any genuine player expression -- and just mean the extremely superficial kind(through stat tracking and trinklets -- and which by definition isn't player expression).

How about you express yourself through how you execute strategies rather than a tiny 90x90 pixel Avatar that everyone eventually ignores anyway?

I don't expect my Avatar to do anything for me here on the forums... I let my posts do the talking.

Exactly my point, nanolathe. Online environments should be developed in either one of two directions:

Either cut out all the expressionist crap, web based profiles, leveling, crests. None of this should matter in a game environment and online matchmaking.

Or if you're going to dilute your game lobby with "player expressionism" anyway, go all the way with it. Let players upload whatever craptastic memes for avatars they want, because in the end, this is all anyone really cares about. Suppliment this with options for flagging and disabling viewing custom content.

One way or the other. Not some sterile, Xbox Live-esque garbage.

No. It stops people from giving up after a few discouraging events ingame and gives them a chance to reach an enjoyable level. People who really dislike the game won't stay anyway.

You're terribly mistaken. Anyone who invests their hard money, or month's allowance or whatever in a retail priced game isn't going to give up easily from a few lost games.

Giving up on the game and giving up an ladder play are two totally different things. I know a ton of people who kept playing FA singleplayer/setons forever, but stopped playing ladder after a few losses discouraged them.

Also I myself did buy games in the past for 30€+ just to play them only an hour or two. If the game feels bad it sucks to put it away, but that's life.

Which players? because that's hard to believe. But maybe ladder play wasn't for them after all, and I don't see why drawing them into it is important; the well for competition is deep enough as is.

People give up on games, if those games are terrible. You didn't specity whether you quit because you lost.

People I know personally for the most part, you would not know their names.

I disagree. It can never be deep enough and in FA for example it is pretty dried up.

I agree Cola_colin. People playing competitively is a well that is never "deep enough as it is".

If you feel there's never enough competition, how about you demand greater marketing towards your pet game? because more overall players equals more overall competition -- and for heavier casting presence? which you know... entices players by showing off the positive aspects of nail-biting combat between pros. How about these honest methods, instead of demanding the pubbies who have no interest in playing ladder play ladder through a cruddy experience system?

Personally, I know millions of gamers who either feel ladder is a waste of time to begin with, or that quitting because of a few losses is laughably unheard of. You wouldn't know their names.

Giving up after a few losses is a sign of weakness. Anyone as far weak as this likely wouldn't contribute well to ladder play anyway.

You do not personally know millions of gamers. Stop lying acyeeem. You have anecdotal evidence and nothing more, don't pretend otherwise.

You personally have a problem with how many experience systems are implemented but that does not give you authority to declare carte blanche and decree that all Profile XP systems are and will be objectively bad.

You have a subjective opinion and you're willing to shout very loud. Good job, here's a cookie.

Anecdotal evidence versus anecdotal evidence.

Indeed, but the offensive manner in which you declare your own opinions, including this little gem;

is not on.

Temper your language ayceeem, there is no need for swear words and personal insults... ever.