Respawn’s Apex Legends has Changed Multiplayer Communication and it’s Awesome

Unless you’re a pretty avid gamer, you probably haven’t heard of the latest battle royale multiplayer craze taking over the community. Respawn’s Apex Legends has quickly risen to be one of the most popular games of 2019 so far. Never heard of it? That’s okay. But you’ve probably heard of Fortnite, right? It’s something kind of like that, but a bit more serious, more polished, and a lot more fun. To go over the basics real quick, a battle royale game is a multiplayer style game in which a large group of players (generally around 60) are dropped into a large arena with absolutely nothing. Usually these players are matched into cooperative squads of three or four. From there, players scavenge for weapons, armor, ammo, health kits, and any other things that might give them the edge over one another. The next objective is to destroy your opponents. As time goes on, the size of the arena get progressively smaller and smaller, leaving less and less space to run, hide, or even fight. Whoever survives the longest is crowned champion. Basically, think The Hunger Games but without the dystopian famine and teenage drama.

So why is this new Suzanne Collins novel come-to-life any different from its various other competitors like Fortnite, Call of Duty, Battlefield, or PUBG? Well, many people like the fluid controls, the personable cast of characters (see image above), the colorful art style, but for me, given what I’m studying and the theme of this blog, it’s that sweet communication system.

Image from: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/19/apex-legends-ping-guide-how-to-use-ping-system-ping-menu-explained-heal-requests/

Apex Legends utilizes something new (yet, surprisingly simple) called the ping system. Using button commands, players can highlight and point to things in their line of sight. They simply point the reticle in the center of their screen (usually used to aim a weapon) and place an extremely precise ping. Players can even access a large wheel menu that allows them to pick more specific pings that send very detailed messages, including: “opponents over here,” “let’s explore in this direction,” and “[insert piece of equipment] in this container/building.” Pings come in distinct shapes and colors to very quickly denote what the pinger might be referring to (red for enemies, orange for exploration, and blue for actions). These commands and communication are all non-verbal, the pings simply appear on every teammates’ map and heads-up display, and usually the in-game character will announce that a ping has been placed. Players don’t have to speak a word to each other in order to be perfectly clear about the situation and what the next move might be. This is especially useful and desirable, given what the alternative has been until now…

Image from: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/how-to-deal-with-gamer-rage-enrage-them-even-more

Since the dawn of online multiplayer games, most have offered open voice chat, a system by which each player plugs in a microphone and actually talks to one another. Ugh. If you’ve ever experienced what that is like, you’ll know that voice chat mostly consists of aggressive gamer-jocks, squeaky-voiced children, and teenagers so wired on Mountain Dew that it is impossible to hear what they’re saying. It’s not that physically talking is an ineffective means of communicating, but this method comes with a lot of grievances and turn-offs that make many want to unplug, disconnect, or even mute their teammates (yes, you can absolutely do that). It becomes even harder for people who have difficulty talking to strangers online, such as introverts like me, or for gamers who can’t afford a microphone to plug into their game. To put it bluntly, voice chat sucks. But the ping system, a form of completely non-verbal communication built into the gameplay, eliminates all these annoyances, and still allows players to work together effectively, making it truly genius and fun for players who just want to enjoy the game.

I find that, despite the lack of vocalizations, I actually care about my teammates. This silent connection we share inspires me even further to win the game. Because of the ping system, almost all communication is limited to the objective of the match. Players focus on the next task at hand and are not irritated by any potential toxic personalities, instead they are free to imagine their teammates as amicable and cooperative (especially if they play nicely). It creates an optimal environment for gaming, without any sort of distraction or annoyance to interrupt the intensity and thrill of the match. Though I am sure some players seek out this silly form of banter and interaction online, it is important to note that Apex Legends does not neglect it. Voice chat is still available and enabled for players to utilize, but often, when random strangers are matched up together to form squads (another feature unique to Apex Legends), the ping system becomes a preferred means of cooperation. Most players aren’t here to joke around. They’re here to win and the ping system promotes that exact type of mentality.

Image from: https://www.gamerevolution.com/guides/497295-apex-legends-total-wins

When I first started writing this post, the ping system was a unique feature of Apex Legends. Now, at the time of publication, it would appear that Fortnite, the ultra-rich gold-standard for battle royale games, has copied the ping system. Players can now utilize the same exact features and buttons to communicate in Epic’s arena. But I think it’s too late. Too many people have fallen in love with Apex Legends and appreciate the innovative design on it’s original platform. With almost 50 million new players giving it a try within its first month of release, I think Apex Legends proves that a fresh and efficient communication system (combined with several other fantastic game features and a large dose of Fortnite fatigue) is very much appreciated by the gaming community.