Overview
The discussion reviews the evolution and design of free loadout systems in extraction shooters, analyzing how different games handle them and highlighting the approach taken by Arc Raiders to balance new player retention with the genre’s risk/reward core.
Extraction Shooter Genre Challenges
- Extraction shooters are intentionally difficult, with communities often resistant to quality-of-life improvements.
- New players struggle with harshness, leading to possible player base limitations.
- Developers face challenges in making games accessible without diluting the core, punishing mechanics.
Historical Approaches to Free Loadouts
- DMZ weakened the genre’s scarcity and risk by allowing repeated access to strong saved loadouts, undermining gear fear.
- The Cycle Frontier introduced basic free loadouts with cooldowns, but additional in-game features let players exploit these for low-risk gains.
- Players often use free loadouts for economic reasons or for quick raid entry, influenced by in-game incentives.
Contemporary Game Mechanics
- Arena Breakout Infinite and Delta Force provide “quick kits” limited by tickets, but abundance of free gear and tedious inventory management reduce meaningful risk.
- Players can exploit safe pockets by smuggling high-tier ammo, further undermining the system’s intent.
Scav Runs and PvE Elements
- Scav runs (Escape from Tarkov) or Covert Ops (Arena Breakout) offer random low-level kits and inject PvE pressure, but are not directly transferable to Arc Raiders.
Arc Raiders’ Distinct Loadout System
- Free loadouts have no prior info, customization, or limiting tickets, and offer minimal effectiveness and supplies.
- No safe pocket slots or significant carrying capacity, meaning low investment equals low reward.
- Augments replace backpacks and determine armor access, limiting the ability to upgrade gear mid-raid.
- Investing in personal loadouts grants more slots and abilities, encouraging calculated risk.
- In-raid crafting is available, aiding sustainability without overpowering free kits.
Design Takeaways and Intended Use
- Arc Raiders’ system supports player learning and recovery after losses without undermining invested players.
- The design maintains risk/reward balance—players are encouraged to use free loadouts sparingly.
Recommendations / Advice
- Game developers should carefully balance accessibility features so they do not compromise the core genre experience.
- Successful free loadout systems facilitate onboarding and recovery but must avoid excessive generosity that negates risk.