Weekly Update - May 1st, 2020 — MIDNIGHT GHOST HUNT

Hey there, Ghost Hunters!

Greetings, and welcome to another Weekly Update.

This week, we are going to explore the data from our community map idea poll we conducted over the last week.

Thanks so much for voting, and submitting your map ideas not listed. The map team has a lot of great ideas to draw from now.

Let’s break down the top 5 maps you voted for!

The top 5 have come in nearly neck-and-neck!

Midnight at the Museum taking 1st place was a bit of a surprise, but a very welcome one. It may not be something you’d expect to be haunted, but it really evokes a strong image in one’s mind.

The team is hoping to focus more on map creation in the near future. Before we begin this process, we take into account how many “propportunities” a map offers.

“Proportunities” are the opportunities to create interesting and unique props for each of these map ideas. We really want to nail down unique and interesting tropes to pull from with each map concept, and let Ghosts possess them to wreak havoc on those pesky Hunters!

The Museum could see a possessable T-Rex exhibit, cannons that actually deal damage on the Ghost Ship, or working fun house mirrors for the Carnival, and so on. We like map ideas that have a lot of neat things to possess, giving the map a distinct flavor and unique gameplay moments.

As the data above shows, Midnight at the Museum is absolutely an idea worth exploring in the near future. When we envision this map, we’d like to see a wide variety of sections to explore. A dedicated science area, an exhibit showcasing fossils and hidden treasures, and much much more…

Ghost Ship sailed into second place, and we love this idea. Plenty of propportunities to be had, and so many eras of ships to explore. We are a big fan of all things old and nostalgic and would likely explore a ship from the 1800s-1900s. Could be a pirate ship, or it could be more like a luxury cruise liner. We’d just want to make sure it feels distinct from the Victorian-era Mansion map. Let us know what you think!

Medieval Castle claimed third place, and we have a lot of great ideas for this. The suit of armor seen in our E3 teaser trailer would finally have a home, and maybe even join the ranks of other displays and weaponry! We could also explore the castle grounds, maybe there is a moat with a working drawbridge, or high castle walls.

We are keen on ensuring all of our maps are designed with relevant environments, intriguing and unique props, and most importantly are fun to play.

Though we can’t promise every single one of these maps will make it into the game, it has given us a really good idea of what the community wants. That’s really important to us!

Let us know if you like these ideas, or if you have any better ones. We are all ears!

Thanks again to everyone who voted and submitted their ideas!