Skip to main content

Suggestion: Revitalize the Social Hub as the Core Player Entry & Community Space

Feedback

Prior to Eldegarde’s launch, the social hub served as a lively space where players could test builds, duel, socialize, and experiment. Since the introduction of permanent PvP arenas and dedicated PvE zones, the hub has largely become unused resulting in fewer organic player interactions and less community presence outside structured content.

I’d like to propose redesigning the social hub into a centralized social and onboarding space that players load into when launching the game.

When players start the game, they automatically enter an instanced version of the social hub:

  • Each hub instance supports a set player cap

  • When full, a new instance spins up automatically

  • Players can freely swap instances (similar to Guild Wars 1 town instancing)

This creates a consistently populated, living space where players can naturally interact before jumping into content.

1. Centralized Content Access

  • Portals or menus to queue/load into:

    • PvE maps

    • PvP arenas

    • Events or special content

  • Makes the hub the “home base” of the game experience

2. Dedicated Dueling & Training Areas

  • Open dueling arena with spectator space

  • Practice zones for build testing

  • Training encounters similar to GW2 PvP lobby:

    • Practice against specific mobs

    • Learn attack patterns and mechanics

    • Safe environment for new players

3. Vendor Presence

  • Physical stalls for key vendors
    or

  • A centralized vendor board listing all shops

  • Encourages players to browse, linger, and interact

4. Social Systems

  • Visible dueling requests

  • Public build testing areas

  • Informal coaching and mentoring opportunities

  • Organic matchmaking through conversation rather than menus

Posted by _griffon ·
2 comments

Log in to comment and vote

Comments2

  • Inquatsi

    •

    Feb 11

    Resounding Yes for the suggestions here! Also, I’d like to expand on the very real issue that the Arena game mode added that you touched on.

    Like you said, before the permanent Arena was added, the Social Hub was the centerpiece of player interaction (outside of actual extraction runs). It served multiple functions:

    1. Casual PvP practice

    2. New player onboarding (learning from more experienced players)

    3. Socializing, getting to know other players (ties back to the two above)

    4. Generally just a fun place to interact and PvP with people!

    Now when the Arena was introduced, it has really negatively affected the Social Hub experience, because many people are just queuing up for that more “formal” PvP matchup and ignoring the Hub.

    This is very bad, not only because the Hub used to be way more fun when it was more active, but also because it very badly affects the new player onboarding experience:

    In social hubs it used to be very easy to approach more experienced players and casually practice PvP with them, while getting constant tips on how to improve, how to play your class, how to play against their class, etc.

    On the other hand in the Arena, there is no room for such interaction. It is very competitive. It is also (currently) very gear-dependent. New players with bad gear and bad skills will have a very bad time playing against more experienced opponents (see this for example). This is the new “casual PvP” experience of Eldegarde… Also, people don’t usually even communicate/banter on VoIP in the Arena; the whole experience is very streamlined hardcore PvP. Nothing wrong with that per se, except that it currently seems to come at the cost of the Social Hub experience which used to be so much more enjoyable and I would argue, very good for the game and new player retention.

    Now, tying back to your suggestions, I think systems like you suggested would help very much to bring back the good qualities from the Social Hub, while still allowing the Arena to co-exist but not overlap.

  • ziomatrixx

    •

    Feb 11

    Having this become the defacto area when logging into the game will help with the mini mmo feel as well and when guild halls come into play they can be located right there in town! I love this idea.