we want a deep and engaging system where you can keep learning and improving for ten years
I'm sorry to disappoint but the time for deep and intricate systems has come and passed.
For the past 10 years, MB2 has enjoyed relative stability, being kept afloat by the renewed interest in Star Wars thanks to The Force Awakens, and all other media that came after it (movies, games, shows). People CRAVED for more SW, and so we had new players constantly joining in. Even if most of them left, new blood always rushed in after some big release.
Now, I don't want to be too harsh here, but I think that stability was mostly squandered. We had all the time in the world to come up with new content, and yet... All I can remember is ENDLESS balancing, number changes, adjustments and reworks with a side dish of maps and models. All this time spent for nothing, because duel mains still can't agree on exactly how deeply the lightsaber hilt should go up their asses when they do a PB MB ACC ACM 360 degree swingblock.
What we have NOW is a situation where people don't give a rat's ass about Star Wars anymore. The franchise isn't dead per se, but it is oversaturated and plagued with low effort failures. Your average Joe doesn't want more SW. And that means no more new players for free.
Understand this - the time for playing with numbers is over. If you want this mod to survive, you need to focus whatever effort you can spare on making it as noob friendly as possible. New players are now a luxury, you HAVE to fight for them, fight tooth and nail for them to stay.
I'm sure you can figure out what to do, but let me give you a few pointers:
1) The fucking keybinds - you NEED to minimize the number of buttons and figure out a good default layout ASAP. This shit is horrible, to the point of me not even binding the slap key on SBD because I couldn't be bothered. You think a new player would be?
2) Tutorials - I understand that finishing the in-games ones might be too much to ask, but we need AT LEAST youtube videos to explain how everything works - gamemodes, mechanics, classes. Also, these tutorials need to be FRONT AND CENTER, not buried in the "help" tab of the launcher among other things. Like, put them straight into the main menu so the noob physically cannot miss them.
3) Let go of the idea of making MB2 a competitive e-sport. It WON'T happen. Competitive communities form naturally around casual ones, so focus the game on being as casual-friendly as possible. People want to nadejump? Fucking let them. Casuals LOVE funny things in games. Some peepee poopoo rifle/grenade/ability is too strong? Let it be strong, buff other things instead. Let classes have STRONG things and build around those. Make things FEEL GOOD to use, and worry about exact balance later.
I'm sorry to say it, my good oldies, but balance is no longer a concern. Soon there won't be anyone left to appreciate your amazing balancing ideas. This game needs new blood, and that means accessibility and FUN.
If someone makes a video about this mod and it blows up and brings 10000 new players into MB2, I can guarantee you that 9999 will leave the next day. 1 person will stay and play legends, because at least that part of the mod is just no-brain stupid fun.
So, ya know, think about it. Just my 2 cents.