Arc Raiders' Sliding Could Get *Really* Wild – Are We Ready For Zero-Friction Mayhem?
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Arc Raiders' popular sliding mechanic could get a major shake-up, with Embark Studios' executive producer hinting at dynamic map conditions that alter friction, potentially leading to 'Tribes-esque' hypermobility. This tantalising prospect, sparked by Rock Paper Shotgun's Edwin Evans-Thirlwell, could open up wild new player experiences and community-driven chaos.
Alright, listen up, you digital adventurers! Jeff's here, and I've just had a peek into a potential future for Arc Raiders that's got my brain doing a triple kickflip off a pixelated cliff. We're talking about *sliding*, mate. Not just your average 'slip-on-a-banana-peel' kind of slide, but something with real *oomph*.
Turns out, Arc Raiders already has a cracking sliding mechanic. Our pal Edwin Evans-Thirlwell over at Rock Paper Shotgun (great name, by the way, sounds like a proper wizard duel) even called it out as one of his favourite bits in a launch-day write-up. He reckoned it gives those heavily-laden packmule characters a "gambolling giddiness." And fair dinkum, who doesn't want to feel like a migrant penguin on a quest for loot?
Practically speaking, this slide is a lifesaver – makes you harder to hit, lets you flank, retreat, even regenerate stamina. The catch? You might just slide yourself right into a hornet's nest. Been there, done that, got the digital T-shirt.
Now, Edwin, being the observant sort, started pondering: "Hang on, isn't this almost like the hypermobile ski shooting in Tribes: Ascend?" And honestly, my mind went, "Aha!" What if Embark Studios, the clever folks behind Arc Raiders, actually leaned into that? What if they let us mess with the friction, making this crouch-walking pillage-'em-up a *bona fide* movement shooter?
He put this very idea to Aleksander Grøndal, Embark's executive producer, before launch. Grøndal, bless his cotton socks, chuckled. But here's the kicker: he *didn't* shut it down! "Certainly, that's something we could play around with," he said, as reported by RPS. He even mused about "different conditions that could change the way that the players are moving around on the map," like if it gets "whiter and colder, friction might change." Suddenly, my wizard brain is imagining ice slides, mud-skids, maybe even zones where the very air pushes you along. Bloody brilliant!
Apparently, sliding has been in the game since its "original inception," though it used to be a lot, erm, *slidier*. It's been toned down and tied to the ability tree now, which makes sense for balance. But the idea of map-based friction changes? That's a different beast entirely. It hints at a dynamic world that reacts to players, rather than just being a static arena. Very exciting stuff, if you ask me.
Now, Grøndal did add a caveat, of course (there's always one, isn't there?). He wants to ensure the game doesn't "lose its core tenet around trying to create consequence to your actions." Every slide, every move, should "feel deliberate." And look, I get it. We don't want utter chaos where everyone's just flailing uncontrollably. But sometimes, a bit of *controlled* chaos is exactly what the digital doctor ordered!
Scanning the digital tea leaves of the internet, there's a mix of opinions out there. Someone even called the current sliding "OP" and then, in a stroke of genius, someone else suggested Embark introduce "a second health bar specifically for your ass" to keep it in check. Honestly, that's the kind of player-driven creativity I absolutely adore! It shows people are engaged, thinking, and dreaming up wild possibilities.
So, to Embark, I say this: Why not give the Hornets' nest a little kick? As Edwin himself pondered, why not "furtively add a friction setting in the course of your seasonal updating"? Imagine the custom server possibilities, the community challenges, the sheer, joyful mayhem. It's a risk, sure, but isn't gaming all about pushing the boundaries? Let's see how much digital friction we can truly handle.
*(Huge thanks to Edwin Evans-Thirlwell and Rock Paper Shotgun for poking this very cool idea into existence! You can read the original article here)*
Tags: ArcRaiders, GameDesign, MovementShooter, GamingNews, EmbarkStudios
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun