Although I haven't played Left 4 Dead, I think that being lost when new is to be expected in most maps when it comes to UT that doesn't have the DM or Invasion style map.DW_WailofSuicide wrote: A more common complaint might be "I'm lost," which from a map design standpoint is something I'd like to avoid as well. I hear that pretty frequently from newer players in Forgotten Fane, and that's actually something I'd like to work on more for that level. In a game like Left 4 Dead the map design is really well done for singleplayer and even new players generally feel pulled along the correct path.
I find that the best thing about Forgotten Fane is that it isn't so linear when completing the objectives. You can split the team throughout the map until the very last room. The freedom that this map allows for the players to decide which objective they can do first is the beauty of it, and this is what makes it distinguishable from the rest of the pack. If I were you, I wouldn't tamper with it too much, except to add a few team progress points such as for the last door that the team has to go through.
Being lost in a map would be the least of my concerns on the list that ME has at the moment.
About the learning curve being so tough in the beginning, I don't know if that is such a bad thing considering how limiting the maps are on the server right now. A bigger issue probably is how time consuming it is to create a map for ME. A lot of factors play into creating/converting a map for ME when it comes to striking the right balance of gameplay and experience. If one can figure out a way where High levels and low levels can both play the same map that can be worthwhile for each of them, that would solve the biggest issue I think. The maps that specialize only for a particular rank seems to me a bigger issue than the mere learning curve, and it is probably the cause of it that makes it that much harder. I understand this can't be avoided for the direction Ant had for MonsterEvo, but this is one of the main reasons for it's difficulty.
Just a theory, but combining a FPS game with puzzle like sequences such as the marine pass-code in Utopia will turn-off the majority of the FPS gamers. FPS games tend to put more emphasis on eye coordination and mindless shooting rather than using your brain to get to the next objective. Not to take away from the Trial servers, but that's the reason why only a few play it.
Yes his feedback is legitimate (not sure about constructive), but I thought it was obvious to what style of gameplay ME has to offer. His comment about not wanting to spend 20 minutes to learn about a game, but rather to just be able to "press START on a game" is fine. This causes him not to enjoy the game, and my point is that there probably isn't much you can do to to change that fact since it isn't in ME's nature for the style of play that he is looking for. If you want to be really efficient at ME, it requires the player to invest a lot of their time in learning how to play whether it is through asking, reading, or mere trial and error.
*Edit: However, this is great feedback if one ever want to learn how to make a game and sell it to the masses. And I could write or sing a pop tune if my aim was solely to please others while being in the music business. Although, it will sound like crap tomorrow, at least the majority will feel entertained just for a moment today. It comes to the point where you have to decide who you want to please? Ultimately, the best approach is to create something you want to play, and having others enjoy it too is a plus but shouldn't be the sole means of motivation.