The conversation surrounding PvP in ARC Raiders has been ongoing since launch, and it isn’t more likely to change anytime soon. As players proceed to get downed by extraction campers and betrayed by those that initially claimed to be friendly, some have been begging for Embark so as to add a bounty (repute/karma/notoriety) system of some kind that might discover these players. It would sound nice to those that have found ARC Raiders‘ PvP frustratingly difficult to address, but this bounty system would undercut the sport’s strongest points.
The proposed bounty system in ARC Raiders would essentially allow players to place a bounty on other Raiders whom they consider have treated them unfairly. The concept is that the system would then notify other players in the sport of the bounty, and they might be encouraged to seek out the marked Raider for a probability at higher loot and potentially even coins. There’s some variance within the discussion, after all, as some propose something like a notoriety or repute system that marks the player in-game. An idea like that might be best saved for a unique game, though, as ARC Raiders simply is not the place for it. In truth, it will almost definitely wreck the sport’s core loop and only make things worse for many who are already frustrated with its PvP.
Why a Bounty System Would not Work in ARC Raiders
- It could foster a “revenge” loop in ARC Raiders that encourages PvP gameplay
- It could probably require ARC Raiders to have a report system, with such systems being infamous for being misused
- It could likely increase toxicity within the ARC Raiders community
- The event cost of a bounty system in ARC Raiders would presumably be high
A Bounty System in ARC Raiders Would Only Encourage PvP
Interestingly enough, players who’re requesting a bounty system in ARC Raiders would probably never expect it to backfire—but it surely almost definitely would. Certainly one of ARC Raiders‘ standout features is how well it balances PvE and PvP gameplay. ARCs patrol the surface, players may be encountered, and there are a plethora of the way to search out loot between the 2. This helps ensure ARC Raiders is not just a PvP game while concurrently keeping the world grounded in its lore.
If a bounty system were implemented, there is a high probability that it will throw off that balance, making each round more about hunting down other players than ARCs. ARC Raiders would likely change into the PvP experience that those requesting a bounty system aren’t keen on. Any variation of it will emphasize PvP gameplay, while possibly promoting a “revenge loop” that overtakes the PvPvE loop. At that time, ARC Raiders‘ very identity could be in jeopardy, and it will bring it that much closer to being “just one other competitive shooter.”
A Bounty System in ARC Raiders Would Put Too Much Trust in Players to Be Objective
Bounty mechanics in ARC Raiders would presumably require a report system of some kind to be put in force as well. Since those are infamous for being misused, it will likely result in actual unfairness and in-game abuse, as opposed to what’s arguably only a perceived unfairness. Competitive games which have a report feature make it very easy for players to “tattle” on one other player who might need knocked them out, even when the kill was completely fair and well throughout the framework of the gameplay. In such games, there’s essentially nothing stopping one player from reporting one other out of anger for being killed. That is one among the fundamental explanation why a report-driven bounty system would only complicate things in ARC Raiders.
Fairness in a game like ARC Raiders is basically only contextualized by the design and any anti-cheat initiatives it has in place. As such, there is no such thing as a way for it to trace when a player is treated “unfairly” beyond those boundaries with no report system. The concept is that, when a player is downed by an extraction-camping or backstabbing Raider, they might put a bounty on that player’s head. Then, should players find themselves in a round with said goal, they might be alerted to the goal’s presence and be encouraged to hunt them down. Ultimately, this is able to put an excessive amount of trust in players to be objective after they are downed by one other Raider. Not only would the boundaries of ARC Raiders‘ gameplay must be stretched to redefine what’s fair and unfair, but there isn’t any way of knowing when a player is being honest and objective or just reacting emotionally.
One other way the proposed bounty system could come back to bite the players who’re asking for it’s by increasing toxicity throughout the game’s community. Almost as soon as players began falling victim to lying Raiders and extraction campers in ARC Raiders, there was a sentiment swirling across the community that those that play in that manner are “toxic”—and that sentiment remains to be alive today. Nonetheless, ARC Raiders thrives each on the specter of the ARCs and the strain that comes from not knowing who to trust. That form of design philosophy doesn’t inherently make a community toxic, but a bounty system would likely only encourage toxicity.
One purpose behind a bounty system would seemingly be to discourage what some players have claimed is toxic behavior in ARC Raiders, but there may be a greater probability that it will only increase hostility in the neighborhood. It could single out a playstyle or two as incorrect, making these players the villains. It’s one thing to cope with tense encounters or unpredictable PvP, but it surely’s one other when the community starts using those moments as excuses to harass or goal players. A bounty system risks turning what needs to be a traditional in-game conflict in ARC Raiders into personal grudges, where players feel justified in stalking or dogpiling someone just because the sport gave them a mechanic to do it.
It Would Presumably Cost Too Much to Make Space for a Bounty System in ARC Raiders
Finally, implementing a bounty system in ARC Raiders would presumably cost far an excessive amount of from a development standpoint. Embark would wish to design the principles, construct UI, arrange back-end tracking, after which consistently tune it to forestall abuse, all for a feature that runs against ARC Raiders‘ current PvPvE philosophy. At that time, it becomes hard to argue that point and resources spent on a bounty system could be higher for the sport than doubling down on latest ARCs, regions, events, or quality-of-life updates that serve your complete player base.
ARC Raiders Is Great With out a Bounty System
A big a part of this argument comes right down to how a bounty system would throw off the pace of ARC Raiders. It is not unusual for a game to be divisive—especially a PvPvE title—but divisiveness doesn’t at all times justify changes to a game’s structure or gameplay loop. Again, a bounty system might sound nice at first, but it surely would likely do more harm than good. Even after a month, ARC Raiders remains to be dominating on Steam alone, proving its popularity even with no bounty system in place. The risks of adding such a feature are only too high, and while it is likely to be difficult for some to regulate to the PvP demands of the sport, that is probably the most effective path to take for now.