Suggested Online Arena Tab Organization

[CptTrips]

Looking at the UI today, I had a thought I will hazard to suggest.

I'd simplify the tab structure into 3 tabs (order of listed arena intended):

1. Premium
    *Melee [Note: shortened name.  Cleaner.  "Open" suggested f2p. ]
    *Axis vs Allied
    *Special Events 1
    *Special Events 2

2. Free-to-Play
    *Training Arena
    *Match Play
    *World War I
    *Steal the Sheep [Note: Do we need this?]
    *AI Arena [Note: This has indented sub arena list like the Mission Arena does.  Also don't show player count on these or maybe include active agents.  Different than player v player.]
         -WWI: Western Front
         -WWII: Eastern Front
         -WWII: Pacific
         -etc
    *Custom Arena  [Note: This has indented sub arena list like the Mission Arena does. ]
        -CptTrip's Playhouse
        -POTW: Pig Pen
        -etc

3.  All [Note: a listing of all arena.  Column headers should be clickable to sort by that criteria.]


I think for a player, this organization would be more meaningful and simple.  Especially trial members, it makes it more obvious where the free-2-play stuff is. 

Mission Arena?  I could write an essay.  Executive summary: I just done't see a path to success for this.  I wish I did.  The UI workflow is just too complex for your average knuckle-head and there is too much waiting overhead and you'd need an cadre of content providers to fill it. 

Personally, I think the better use for the mission system are AI-Augmented arena.  Players can jump in and simply take off and fight the AI that are in the air.  They don't have to be a system admin to set it up, and they don't have to waste their valuable gaming time waiting around for something to start.

$0.02,
CptTrips 

[bustr]

A tab that say's free to play will meet the expectations of younger demographics. It's cosmetic but, it will be a sign saying here is free, no money(credit card) needed. The little Ascii tags next to the MA, AvA do not trigger the free candy buttons in the brains of the kiddies by the lack of them next to other menu selections. Even a windowing division of the main menu window with horizontal tag bars and labels, Customer Subscription Arenas and "FREE Arenas" would work. On Steam the free concept was dinged heavily as being confusing or misleading.

Marketing even at the last portal into the arena is critical to push the right buttons. What draws customers into video games is no different than what satisfies other emotional needs like saturating fast food with sugar\fat or salt\fat and all the glitzy packaging. Modern video games target emotional responses specifically to hook customers to return for another fix.