[Feedback/Feature] Arcade mode - "quick start" option

[Hexerin]

Basically, add an option in the list when you select arcade mode (above "Design Hero") called "Quick Start". This option is automatically highlighted by default, so the player can just spam the A button on their gamepad to go straight into the arcade and get to the action.

When selected, this option will enter you into arcade mode using your previous selection (design or randomize), including any settings that were selected as part of that option (character customizations and name, etc).

Why this isn't a default feature in the current stable build is [probably because it's still beta]. I look forward to seeing it added in a future stable build, as it is a required feature if the game wants to call itself "complete".

 

[Dinodinodude]

Unless it's going to be a hell to program there's no reason not to. As long as it's grayed out for first-time arcade players, I don't see any issues from a player standpoint.

 

[DarkMetaknight]

Support, I don't see why not, while you're at it have a restart run button when you get game over for an instant re-run.

 

[Hexerin]

while you're at it have a restart run button when you get game over for an instant re-run.

It already does that as default behavior though?

 

[The G-Meister]

I personally don't see what the issue is. It doesn't take more than half a minute to go from the menu straight into a game, if that. Maybe if loading times are a bit longer than mine it might be a bit more of an issue, but if your loading times are longer than like 8 seconds your machine probably isn't best outfit for playing videogames.

 

[DarkMetaknight]

It already does that as default behavior though?

I thought it goes into the town? I was thinking more along the lines of instantly starting from the first floor again. (Before you say that you should be checking the town between runs anyway, quests like 3 floors with all elites with no level-ups take a lot of runs.)

Then again it takes like...3 seconds to move up from town, so we probably don't need a "quicker start" after you die.

I personally don't see what the issue is. It doesn't take more than half a minute to go from the menu straight into a game, if that. Maybe if loading times are a bit longer than mine it might be a bit more of an issue, but if your loading times are longer than like 8 seconds your machine probably isn't best outfit for playing videogames.

...Well, now that I think about it the "use a custom character" saves what you made aside from the name, so a quick start button wouldn't really save much time anyway, to the point that I question if it's worth making the button in the first place.

Maybe saving the name you last put instead would help more. (With being able to be changed, it's just entered in at the start to save typing.)

 

[Hexerin]

Reducing the number of clicks to obtain a given result is game design 101. It's not a matter of loading times or whatever, it's a matter of "there's literally no point to this, let's fix it".

 

[The G-Meister]

It's not really. It's about reducing the amount of stuff you have to do that's repetitive and tedious, which would be a better point to make. If I wanted to reduce the number of clicks to get a given result, I'd make a film

Things being tedious I totally agree with, but less than half a minute is in no way tedious. Sure, you can remove pressing 6-15 extra buttons (depending on how long your name is), but that's less than you'll press in a single Arcade room. And if you're taking a run even to the end of floor 2, or planning on doing multiple runs it takes up a tiny fraction of time or effort in the overall scheme of things.

 

[Hexerin]

If I wanted to reduce the number of clicks to get a given result, I'd make a film

There's a difference between removing extra clicks and removing useful clicks. There's always going to be a given number of clicks to accomplish a real task, no matter how much you optimize. For example, there's always going to be three clicks to get into arcade mode (arcade > sp/mp > quick start).

Sure, you can remove pressing 6-15 extra buttons (depending on how long your name is)

That's 6-15 additional keypresses in your keyboard's lifespan, along with the minimum 4 keypresses for confirmations and navigation. Per game session, of which you will have hundreds (if not thousands) over the game's lifetime.

You just write it off as some small thing, but if you actually take the time to look at it objectively then it shows how much of a not-so-small thing it is.

 

[The G-Meister]

That's 6-15 additional keypresses in your keyboard's lifespan, along with the minimum 4 keypresses for confirmations and navigation. Per game session, of which you will have hundreds (if not thousands) over the game's lifetime.

I factored in the confirmations Space for design hero, up to select start, space to confirm, type in whatever your name is, down to start, space to confirm, hold up. 6 presses total for a 1 character name. You also only have to do this each time you boot up the game, rather than each run.

In fact, in this thread alone I've probably pressed more keys trying to debate this issue than I have starting Arcade runs - and that's saying something, when I've racked up over 600 hours. I'm sure you're in the same position as well, in which case I could say that having this debate in the first place has been more detrimental to our keyboards than the issue was in the first place.

You just write it off as some small thing, but if you actually take the time to look at it objectively then it shows how much of a not-so-small thing it is.

I've had my PC about 2 years now, and I'm still using the stock Dell mechanical keyboard that came with it. It's had water in the cracks. It's been covered in dust. I bashed it on the desk the other day, and was surprised to see a large amount of gunk fall out of it. Only now am I starting to see slight signs of wear and tear. The W and S keys have had a small amount of their paint removed, and some of the keys I use for gaming are slightly shinier.

The point is, it's been through a lot, and I wouldn't be surprised if I've pressed over ten million keys - and I'm still typing with it now. If a stock keyboard performs this well, 6-15 presses is hardly significant.

 

[Hexerin]

-snip-

Look, the point is that there's plenty of reasons that can be brought up for adding it, while there's no real reasons against it other than the minor dev time it would take.

At the very least, they need to make it remember the last entered name in the meantime.

 

[The G-Meister]

while there's no real reasons against it other than the minor dev time it would take.

So you're dismissing everything I just said based on... nothing? I don't see your plenty of reasons for, and you haven't refuted any of my reasons against. I don't see how I can "Look" and come to that conclusion.

In the mean time, I'll pick up on this:

so the player can just spam the A button on their gamepad

The game isn't really build for spamming. I might admit that with certain builds, Arcade mode is a little ragequit worthy, but that is a problem that should be tackled at it's source, not by trying to mop up its effects. You can tell when a game is built to hop in and ragequit out. Look at R-FLEX, in which you can spam space to hop straight into the basic mode, and spam escape at any time to close the game down.

Also, if you use a gamepad you have a couple more reasons to be inclined to look negatively at my reasoning, and even more so without my 600 hours of game time. I've practically memorised the button combo at this point with a keyboard, and it might be a little more finicky with a controller, especially if you've got to type a name in.

 

[res7less]

It says so much about the scale of laziness of modern gamers that such a discussion is even possible. In the future developers will surely need to include a feature that shoves food into the player's mouth! Because... there is no reason not to, obviously

 

[The G-Meister]

We need the extra finger exercise man! It's how we burn dem calories!