Info about Ace of Spades: Battle Builder:

Official game description:
Say hello to the creative shooter. Ace of Spades: Battle Builder is the first-person shooter that lets you create your battleground, destroy it, then create it again. Up to 32 players choose from seven unique classes and jump into team-based, multiplayer mayhem across an endlessly evolving battlefield, to construct, destruct and take out the opposition.
Key Features
------------
*   **CONSTRUCTION, COMBAT AND CREATIVITY** - Complete strategic and creative freedom is at your disposal to annihilate the enemy however you like.
*   **MULTIPLAYER MAP CREATION** - Ace of Spades: Battle Builder includes a map creator mode, which allows you to collaborate with up to 23 friends and make your very own Ace of Spades battleground! Custom tools and over 400 prefabricated structures will help you build the ultimate multiplayer maps, which you can upload and share via Steam Workshop.  
*   **CUSTOM GAME MODES** - Play the way YOU want to play! Host your own match or create your own mode using the wide selection of settings available to you. From fine tuning your favourite mode & classes, to turning TDM into a Spade-only grudge match with predefined teams, as a lobby host you can:  
*   Set your lobby to invite only, friends, or open, and also have full control over who joins with the host ‘kick’ function  
*   Sort players into specific teams – great for clan matches, or for playing on the same team as your friends  
*   Choose the map you want to play, official or player made  
*   Set the size of the match, and it’s duration  
*   Set up vanilla game modes or tweak them to suit by using an extensive set of customisable game rules
    Tons Of Insane Game Modes
    -------------------------
    *   **Team Deathmatch** - The Grandaddy of them all. Kill the enemy; try not to die doing it.  
    *   **Zombie Mode** - Survive the onslaught of the living dead. Failing that, join them.  
    *   **Classic CTF** – Back to basics, one class, one loadout, the classic rifle. You know what to do.  
    *   **Capture the Flag** – No FPS is complete without CTF. Protect your flag, take the enemies’.  
    *   **Demolition** - Demolish the enemy’s base before your own is decimated.  
    *   **Diamond Mine** - Dig up precious diamonds & defend the diamond carrier as they attempt to cash in their discovery at your team’s base for points.  
    *   **Occupation** - A game mode that pits offence against defence. The defensive team must protect their teams based in the green occupied area of the map while the attacking Blue team try to destroy the enemy position by successfully detonating bombs.  
    *   **VIP** – Play in 1930’s era Chicago or LA’s Alcatraz and protect your mob boss from the opposing Mafioso.  
    *   **Territory Control** - Claim key tactical areas of the map for your team, gain a majority territory control of the map to win, or even better go for glory and take over the entire map!

Release date: 

Categories: First-Person Shooter, Sandbox Creation, Class-based Combat, Map Editor, Voxel-based Terrain, Team-based Combat, Destruction Mechanics


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The target game 'Ace of Spades: Battle Builder' is a multiplayer-focused title with no documented story campaign or endgame mode. The provided evidence mentions 300 hours and 100 hours as amounts of playtime individual players have invested, but does not define any typical completion threshold, story duration, session length, or endgame loop. Since these metrics cannot be reliably extracted or generalized from the reviews, all playtime fields are set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is fun immediately when playing with friends in co-op or zombie mode, but its multiplayer-centric design and dead online population in 2026 mean that solo or matchmade sessions offer little enjoyment; the primary blocker is lack of friends to play with.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: Playing with friends in co-op or zombie mode
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Dead online population in 2026; Very little content outside multiplayer; Requires friends to have fun
  - Unlock drivers: Having friends to play with; Playing co-op or zombie modes
  - Conditions: Play with friends; Play in co-op mode; Play in zombie mode; Play jokingly or casually
- Player Archetypes:
  - Nostalgic Veteran (no buy)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia for the original game and desire to revisit the classic experience.
    - Playstyle: Originally enjoyed slow-paced building and strategic play; now feels forced into a fast-paced shooter style.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: old-school player; community original; Ace of Spades 0.75 fan
    - Reference games: Minecraft; Team Fortress 2; Call of Duty
  - Frustrated Multiplayer Seeker (no buy)
    - Motivation: Social multiplayer gameplay with friends or a vibrant community.
    - Playstyle: Seeks cooperative or competitive matches but is forced to rely on friend groups or abandon the game due to lack of players.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: multiplayer enthusiast; cooperative player
    - Reference games: Team Fortress 2; Minecraft
  - Creative Strategist (sale)
    - Motivation: Creative expression through building and tactical adaptation to a changing environment.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on constructing fortifications, modifying terrain, and strategizing around destructible maps rather than just run-and-gun gameplay.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: builder; strategist; creative player
    - Reference games: Minecraft; Team Fortress 2


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Original game was better (weight 0.61): Many players feel the game was much better in its early versions (especially before Jagex or specific updates), citing lost fun and strategic gameplay. Nostalgia for the original version is strong.
- Variety of game modes (weight 0.52): The game offers many modes like Classic CTF, Zombies, TDM, VIP, and more, which keeps gameplay fresh and provides options for different preferences.
- Destructible and constructible terrain (weight 0.42): The ability to fully destroy and build terrain is a standout feature, including digging tunnels, building bridges and fortifications. This tactical depth is highly praised.
- Nostalgia and childhood memories (weight 0.38): Many reviews express strong nostalgia, mentioning the game was a big part of their childhood or youth, and they have fond memories of playing with friends.
- Multiple classes and weapons (weight 0.38): The class system (including Engineer, Medic, Specialist) and variety of weapons (like SMG) are well-received. Classes are generally considered balanced except for some mentions of sniper.
- Good multiplayer community (weight 0.34): Positive comments about the community include nice initial community, active servers, and private servers still being up. Cooperative modes and balanced play are appreciated.
- Large and diverse maps (weight 0.29): Maps are described as huge, diverse, and varied, including different architectures like cities and islands. The destructible environment also changes the map during a round.
- Workshop and map editor (weight 0.28): Steam Workshop support for custom maps and the built-in map editor are praised, allowing for additional content and community-created experiences.
- Tactical and strategic gameplay (weight 0.27): The combination of building, destruction, and different classes encourages strategic and positional gameplay, requiring adaptation and team cooperation. It is considered more tactical than typical shooters.
- Fun with friends (weight 0.26): Multiple reviews mention the game is especially fun when playing with a friend or in co-op mode. This social aspect is a core positive experience.
- Unique voxel/concept (weight 0.26): The game is consistently described as a unique voxel shooter that creatively combines elements of Minecraft and Call of Duty. This hybrid concept is considered innovative and fresh.
- Good performance and graphics (weight 0.21): The game is described as lightweight, fast, and with good performance on Windows. Graphics are considered beautiful for the game style and fresh, aiding enemy identification.
- Positive developer engagement (weight 0.18): Developers are considered great, with mentions of community engagement, early exciting updates, and developer responsiveness like the merchandise discussions.

Common complaints:
- Servers are empty or dead (weight 0.58): Multiple players report that servers are completely empty, with no one online or no servers available at all. This suggests the game's multiplayer component is effectively dead.
- Developer Jagex mismanaged the game (weight 0.24): Players blame Jagex for ruining the game after acquiring the rights, citing neglect and poor updates that killed the experience.
- Class balance issues (weight 0.19): Sniper and heavy classes are overpowered, while engineer and miner are underpowered. Sniper is especially problematic on open maps.
- Votekick system is broken (weight 0.15): The vote kick system is frequently buggy and heavily abused, with good players being kicked on false pretenses.
- Game delisted from Steam (weight 0.11): The game has been removed from the Steam Store, making it inaccessible to new players and signaling its end of life.
- No single player mode (weight 0.11): Players complain that there is no single-player campaign or story mode, limiting options when multiplayer is dead.
- Poor server performance (weight 0.11): Servers are reported to have high ping (80+) and bad performance, contributing to a poor multiplayer experience.
- No anti-cheat system (weight 0.11): The game lacks an anti-cheat or instant cheat detector, allowing cheating to go unchecked.
- Game is not worth the price (weight 0.1): Players feel the game does not justify its full price, given its dead state and poor quality.
- Game is a total mess (weight 0.09): Some players describe the current game state as a travesty or a steaming pile of crap, expressing strong disappointment.
- Graphics are off-putting at first (weight 0.08): The graphics may take time to get used to and could be off-putting for new players initially.

Gameplay feedback:
- Building and digging mechanics (weight 0.72): Core mechanics include digging tunnels and building forts, towers, barricades, and bridges, which allow players to alter the battlefield. This was a unique and beloved feature that set the game apart from other shooters.
- Class system with multiple roles (weight 0.55): Players appreciate a class system featuring roles like Assault, Miner, Engineer, Medic, Specialist, Sniper, and others with unique abilities such as jetpacks, rocket launchers, and shotguns. This variety adds strategic depth to gameplay.
- Various game modes (weight 0.49): Multiple game modes are available including Capture the Flag (CTF), Team Deathmatch (TDM), zombie mode, protect the boss, VIP protection, diamond mine, and wall-to-wall battles. This variety keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.
- Hybrid of Minecraft and TF2 (weight 0.37): The game is often described as a hybrid of Minecraft (building/destruction) and Team Fortress (class-based shooter), with some comparisons to Battlefield and Roblox. This unique combination of genres created a distinct gameplay experience.
- Map editor and custom maps (weight 0.23): A built-in map editor and mod support allowed players to create custom maps, bridges, bunkers, tunnels, and trenches, fostering creativity and extending replayability. The Battle Builder mode was specifically designed for this purpose.
- Weapons and explosives (weight 0.19): There is a large variety of weapons, including rocket launchers, bazookas, shotguns, and explosives. Players could choose three weapons per life or class, adding customization to combat.
- Teamwork and strategy (weight 0.15): The combination of class synergies, building defenses, and tunnel warfare encouraged teamwork and strategic planning. Digging tunnels for surprise attacks was a notable team mechanic.

Performance notes:
- Severe lag and crashes (weight 0.27): Players report frequent lag spikes, severe screen lag when building, and crashes across various scenarios, including at launch and after the Battle Builder update.
- Windows 10 compatibility issues (weight 0.11): A bug on Windows 10 made the game unplayable, and after a Windows 10 update, mouse input was not recognized, halting gameplay.
- DLC update causes crashes (weight 0.07): A DLC update introduced instant game crashes that persisted for months, severely impacting the experience.
- Brazilian server lag (weight 0.06): High lag is specifically reported on Brazilian servers, indicating regional network issues.
- Poor Mac performance (weight 0.06): On Mac systems, the game suffers from bad performance compared to the Windows version.

Recommendations:
- Do not buy (weight 0.72): Many players across multiple clusters strongly advise against buying the current version, calling it a waste of money and unplayable.
- Play free alternatives instead (weight 0.5): Multiple reviews recommend free community versions like Build and Shoot, OpenSpades, or the original browser game instead of paying for this revamp.
- Avoid Team Deathmatch mode (weight 0.2): Players specifically advise avoiding the Team Deathmatch mode due to spawn camping, recommending Classic CTF and Zombie modes instead.
- Uninstall due to Jagex decisions (weight 0.18): Some players uninstalled and refuse to buy future Jagex products due to changes made to the game, hoping for a patch.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.34): Players are deeply disappointed that the original charm of the game was lost after Jagex's buyout, with updates like Battle Builder ruining the core FPS and strategic trench-warfare experience. The game was abandoned by the developers, leading to empty servers, no community, and a sense of wasted potential from greedy management and poor decisions.
- Frustration (weight 0.25): Frustration stems from severe technical issues like high ping, frequent crashes, poor optimization, and rampant hackers with no anti-cheat, making the game unplayable. Class imbalance, especially overpowered snipers and marksmen, alongside toxic community behavior and griefing achievements, further ruins the experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.17): Players fondly remember the original blocky, simple Ace of Spades before Jagex's changes, recalling fun times digging tunnels, playing zombie mode, and engaging in balanced battles with friends. The nostalgic memories center around the game's unique building mechanics, classic three-weapon loadout, and the joyful experiences of their youth.
- Sadness (weight 0.08): Sadness arises from the game being completely dead with no players online and servers shut down, making it impossible to revisit childhood memories. The game's decline from a great experience to an unplayable state filled with griefers and hackers leaves players mourning its loss.
- Anger (weight 0.07): Anger is directed at Jagex for abandoning the game, introducing pay-to-win DLC, and shutting down servers without providing offline play, effectively ruining a beloved childhood game. Players feel cheated by a developer that neglected the game, fixed only unimportant things, and destroyed fun classes and mechanics.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Enjoyment came from the unique building and destruction mechanics that enabled crazy moments with friends, along with the pixel art style and varied gameplay that provided hundreds of hours of fun. The game's entertaining multiplayer, good shooting feel, and creative possibilities were highlights for many players.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement was generated by epic battles, the ability to destroy or build the entire game world, and the variety of modes like Coop and Zombie mode with friends. The creative building possibilities and satisfying explosives added to the thrill.
- Love (weight 0.03): Players loved the game deeply, with some having played it with their kids and others always wanting it as a child, indicating a strong emotional attachment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Satisfaction came from the tactical depth, strategic gameplay, dynamic maps, good combat, and great building mechanics that allowed for creative tunnels and huge structures. The game also ran well with no bugs and nice graphics, and players reported a lack of real cheaters.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance was caused by overpowered snipers and high ping that detracted from the experience, as well as an annoying minor community and abusive votekick system.
- Fun (weight 0.01): Fun was derived from the Zombie mode and satisfying explosives, which provided enjoyable gameplay moments.
- Immersion broken (weight 0.01): Immersion was broken by bad sound quality, which detracted from the overall experience.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Joy came from simply having fun playing the game, reflecting positive emotional experiences.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement arose from successful comparisons to Battlefield 3 and Minecraft, and the irony of false hack accusations from losing players.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise was experienced upon discovering that servers had been shut down since 2018, shocking players who were unaware.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude is expressed for the fun times, classes, and modes the game provided, with one player noting that their gaming account was created specifically for this title.
- Sympathy (weight 0.01): Sympathy is felt for Ben Aksoy, the original developer, who could have been a successful indie developer if not for the game's handling by Jagex.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness was associated with positive emotions from 6 years ago, recalling a time when the game was enjoyable.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom resulted from repetitive matches and getting tired of just fighting each other without enough variety.
- Sarcastic satisfaction (weight 0.01): Sarcastic satisfaction came from the ironic experience of playing as a sniper: you can kill an enemy sniper but are immediately killed by another sniper, highlighting the class imbalance.}