Recently we have discussed how we incorporate feedback into our design decisions. In addition to valuable feedback on the forums, another important form of feedback we receive is gameplay data. Our data collection is extensive. We track nearly every player action, from individual bullets fired to weapon purchases, and the resulting data can be used to help us evaluate game design decisions.

A straightforward way to visualize the data we collect is through heat maps. Heat maps can reveal player preferences, choke-points in maps, sight-lines for snipers, and much more.

Click here to view a series of heat maps showing firing locations for 6.5 million bullets recorded while beta testers played de_train. Players have fired a weapon in nearly every inch of this map, though of course some locations are more popular than others. Take a look, head to the forums, and let us know what you think!