The basic concept behind an Attract Mode Screen is that it will show off whatever game’s content if the game is left idle for too long. An attract mode screen is simply a video that plays (and ends when it is finished or if the user makes an input) if the user goes away for a while. The attract mode screen will then play again after another time of inactivity has passed. Since Tower Unite is largely a multiplayer experience, activating attract mode while the player is AFK in the lobby or in the condos is seemingly useless, mainly because of the auto “AFK kicking” system I’m sure Tower Unite will have on its many servers. Instead, the optimal place for it would be on the main menu.
I know that the main menu already has some sort of cool background and a playlist of music, but an attract mode screen shouldn’t take away from these. The music and background are still observable, and all a player has to do to resume their main menu experience is to make some sort of input using the keyboard or mouse.
Think of an attract mode screen as an announcement trailer, except designed to be seen by someone who already has the game. A few good examples of attract mode screens that I can find are from games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 and LittleBigPlanet. These games have multiple attract mode screens that showcase what their game is about. Usually this is done by showing off gameplay as if the user would be watching a Let’s Play montage. The scenes are very short and concise, and make the user want to do the things described in the idle screen. There is no commentary, and the music used usually plays unedited for the duration of the clip.
Here’s an example clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6oaXHMhhf8
Conclusion: Introduce an attract mode screen that can be seen from the main menu if the player doesn’t make an input for too long that will show off the gameplay possible within Tower Unite.