I'd like to advocate that Toribash, in its current state, is not a scaleable game (meaning that as the player base gains the potential to grow, the game will become unsustainable and uninteresting). I've been thinking about this subject a little recently and would like to express my thoughts to the community and its developers in the form of this topic.
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• Top 10 Steam games

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  Toribash's current approach to customisation is, for one, by the use of customisable textures. I decided to compare this to the top 10 games currently being played on Steam, Toribash's platform of choice: of these games, only one of them - also the oldest game out of the 10 - uses customisable textures. That game is Team Fortress 2 (TF2). TF2 allows users to upload custom "sprays" and paint them, for example on walls. While this may appear an innocent and fun concept, there is no sense of moderation in this area, and games were (and possibly still are) congested with inappropriate sprays including, but not limited to, distracting images and pornography. Toribash has an age rating of 13 ("Teen") from ESRB, and Steam requires a user to be 13+. The definition of a "Teen" rating is as follows:
  
  
  Originally Posted by http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.aspx

  TEEN
  Content is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. May contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling and/or infrequent use of strong language.

  
  No mention of sexual content such as the inappropriate textures that would inevitably be uploaded by users if the game were to grow. This would require a "Mature" rating, requiring users to be the age of 17 or above. This significantly limits Toribash's potential player base, as many of its players are young (just look at the Discord server).
  
  How can this issue be resolved for the release of Toribash Next (TBN)? Of the top 10 games on Steam (listed above), 8 out of 10 of those (Grand Theft Auto V and Football Manager 2019 excluded) use a predefined skin system. This is also present in other prevalent (and top grossing) modern video games, such as Fortnite, Overwatch, League of Legends and Destiny. Especially in third person games, where players can constantly see their character - League of Legends and Fortnite included - these systems are incredibly popular with players. When a player is in a game of Toribash, they are constantly looking at their Tori, thus making appealing skins coveted items. For this reason, I believe that Toribash would greatly benefit from a skin system, to replace the current texture system.
  
  TL;DR: Replace the texture system with a predefined skin system, because people will abuse it. Not to mention, the current system greatly enables texture theft, plagiarism and scams.
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• The next issue is one that I've seen complained about multiple times but has been brushed off as "just the way the game is": the matchmaking system (or lack thereof). Despite the arguable stubbornness of developers relating to this, it needs to be changed. Let's take a look at, as a comparison, the Player vs. Player game mode selection screen for Destiny 2:
  
  

  Destiny 2

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  Options 1, 2, 3 and 5 are matchmaking (majority!).
  Option 4 is a private game (comparable to Toribash's current "servers" setup).
  When compared to that of Toribash (below), Destiny's selection screen offers players matchmaking for the most part, with understandable descriptions when they're hovered over. I will cover why I think that this is a superior screen, and why that of Toribash should hold more focus on matchmaking:
  
  As a previous member of the Help Squad, I found that a lot of new players are confused when they realise that they need to wait in between every single one of their games. In 2019, that's not the way that people want to be playing games; people want fast, action-packed gameplay... not sitting around chatting with the "community" (that we love so dearly that we're stuck with old forums and game setups). This is Toribash's mode selection screen:
  
  

  Toribash

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  Scenario: Let's say that I'm a new player. I see this screen, and the biggest box is Free Play. Great, I'll click that. ...Oh, I'm in Single Player with no idea of what to do, my enemy isn't responding to my moves. This game sucks.
  
  If the new player hasn't already given up and uninstalled the game, he'll move along to the next option: Ranked (the matchmaking system that all modern games use, finally!) - oh wait, that one's only for brown belts and above. Toribash has long had an issue with new players not sticking around, but why would they, if all they have is singleplayer and a confusing-looking server list that forces them to wait for minutes - or hours - for a game? Looking at a range of popular games: Fortnite, Overwatch, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Dota and Rainbow Six Siege (the list goes on), it's clear that modern players of multiplayer games want to be able to quickly queue up and be matched against someone, or some team. For this reason, I believe that TBN should place much more focus on matchmaking. Ideally, completely remove the queueing system that is present in all games, except for perhaps betting servers and so forth.
  
  I understand that the developers have expressed that games with more Toris and Ukes present will reduce queue times, but not everybody wants to rely on their teammate(s), and who even knows if that idea will take off?
  
  TL;DR: Replace pretty much everything with a matchmaking system, so that players don't become bored and lose interest. Side note: include a game mode with some fun mods! Personally, I don't want aikido all the time. Throw in some stupid mods wherein players can actually focus on fun instead of being competitive.

I'm going to respond to this post with more criticisms - I have a couple in mind - but please do leave feedback etc.

Bit of a rant

You make some good points. However, I disagree with a few things. I don't think that the custom textures thing is an issue, because people will mostly find this game through steam, and, even if the game did get a mature rating, it would still be easy for young players to play it. If a game is rated mature and it is on Steam, it just means you have to enter your birthday to visit the store page. This happens no matter what you Steam account birthday is, and getting around it is as easy as saying your birthday was the 1st of January 2000. I honestly doubt the game would get a mature rating due to this, and, even if it did, it would not cut off any of the player base.



I can see why you think more matchmaking would be good, but I don't believe it would work in the long term. This game will always be niche, and I think that, after the initial release, there won't be enough players left for matchmaking to work. People will become frustrated with the long waiting times, and quit the game. At least with the current system they can watch other people fight and they know when they will be able to play.



I think the best solution is to keep the room system, but have multiple fights going on at the same time. This would be the default system, but there would be an option to change the server to the queue mode we have now, so that bet servers still work.


I agree that the menu needs to change, though. Free play should not be the largest and first option.

I agree with alot of this. I remember a time when there were hundreds of players and servers for every belt, if you kept ranking you got to go into the higher servers. Now after like blue belt youre suppose to go into public rooms where youre matched with this master belt player who is streaking. If I was new, this would make me leave. I know that, since theres not many people playing, that having those servers would just cost more money, but matchmaking is terrible.


I also feel like there should be more explanation on a game mod or server. The first time I played Boxshu, I didn't know that hands and feet could dm another player, or how I was suppose to GET to the other player. I hadnt played in 5 years, I had forgotten how to play.

about the art - a system similar to steam workshop for art would be interesting.

matchmaking - isn't the problem with current matchmaking is that nobody uses it? that system is dependent on players using it, and with such a niche game, it naturally struggles.

new player experience - yeah, it's an issue that has existed for as long as the game has existed, and there are several improvements (such as the new tutorial, which is still confusing for new players imo) in current TB which might transfer to mext.