The MMO Fortnite struggles with the complexity issue. The target audience is unfamiliar with certain upgrade mechanics as they originate from the mobile gaming sector. Tutorials are lacking.
In a longer interview, the Creative Director of Fortnite discussed the problems of the game.
Fortnite made a relatively last-minute decision to become an online game and appear on PS4 and Xbox One. After this decision, the interface was restructured.
For this reason, several tutorials are still lacking in the game. This should improve in the next six months.
Fortnite too complex – it feels intimidating
Currently, many players find Fortnite intimidatingly complex. According to the Creative Director, it depends on whether players have experience with “evolution-based RPGs”; especially the leveling up of items and characters with certain ingredients overwhelms many players at first, who are unfamiliar with it.
Those who are familiar with this system from other games have no problems and adapt quickly.
In the coming months, they intend to continue working on this weakness and simplify the interface so that information is locked at the beginning and then becomes available later when the player is ready for it.
Cultural shock: Update system “Evolution” comes from mobile games, which is why many are unfamiliar with it
Mein-MMO says: What the Creative Director does not reveal: The “Evolution system” he refers to is prevalent in Asian Free2Play mobile RPGs and is part of monetization. Similar systems are included in games like Marvel Future Fight or War of Crown . These Free2Play games face constant accusations of being either too grindy or “Pay2Win”.
The ingredients needed to elevate a hero to the next quality level must be grinded, and many players then resort to using their credit cards. This monetization model, which includes “extremely rare rarity levels and upgrading”, is a factor behind the incredibly high revenues from mobile games in Asia right now.
Difference between Asia and the West
The difference in the model is roughly:
- In the games we know, one gains experience points by playing and using a character themselves
- In Fortnite, one has to “feed it with other characters and items”: with experience points earned when “deconstructing” other items, or those gained in missions into a “large pool”
Such systems are not common in full-price games and on PC here. Therefore, most core gamers are not familiar with these mechanics, and an understanding of them must first develop: Fortnite seems incredibly complex to them. Also because tutorials are missing to explain the model in detail.
But only with an understanding of this model can related concepts of Fortnite such as leveling, endgame, and progression be comprehended. The monetization and the cash shop are also understood only when one has grasped the evolution concept.
Fans of Asian mobile RPGs would likely have fewer problems settling into Fortnite than PS4 players who are accustomed to a very different type of game.
How much money one can spend in Fortnite can be seen here:
Player spends $1500 in Fortnite, gets the wrong mythical hero
An overview of the “power level” and the systems behind it can be found here:
Fortnite: Increase Power Level – How you & your base become stronger
