• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 03:58
CEST 09:58
KST 16:58
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Team TLMC #5 - Finalists & Open Tournaments0[ASL20] Ro16 Preview Pt2: Turbulence10Classic Games #3: Rogue vs Serral at BlizzCon9[ASL20] Ro16 Preview Pt1: Ascent10Maestros of the Game: Week 1/Play-in Preview12
Community News
StarCraft II 5.0.15 PTR Patch Notes79BSL 2025 Warsaw LAN + Legends Showmatch2Weekly Cups (Sept 8-14): herO & MaxPax split cups4WardiTV TL Team Map Contest #5 Tournaments1SC4ALL $6,000 Open LAN in Philadelphia8
StarCraft 2
General
StarCraft II 5.0.15 PTR Patch Notes #1: Maru - Greatest Players of All Time Weekly Cups (Sept 8-14): herO & MaxPax split cups Team Liquid Map Contest #21 - Presented by Monster Energy SpeCial on The Tasteless Podcast
Tourneys
SC2's Safe House 2 - October 18 & 19 RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series Maestros of The Game—$20k event w/ live finals in Paris Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament SC4ALL $6,000 Open LAN in Philadelphia
Strategy
Custom Maps
External Content
Mutation # 491 Night Drive Mutation # 490 Masters of Midnight Mutation # 489 Bannable Offense Mutation # 488 What Goes Around
Brood War
General
Soulkey on ASL S20 ASL TICKET LIVE help! :D ASL20 General Discussion BW General Discussion NaDa's Body
Tourneys
[ASL20] Ro16 Group D BSL 2025 Warsaw LAN + Legends Showmatch [ASL20] Ro16 Group C Small VOD Thread 2.0
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Muta micro map competition Fighting Spirit mining rates [G] Mineral Boosting
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Borderlands 3 Path of Exile Nintendo Switch Thread General RTS Discussion Thread
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion LiquidDota to reintegrate into TL.net
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread UK Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
The Happy Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion MLB/Baseball 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Linksys AE2500 USB WIFI keeps disconnecting Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread High temperatures on bridge(s)
TL Community
BarCraft in Tokyo Japan for ASL Season5 Final The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Too Many LANs? Tournament Ov…
TrAiDoS
i'm really bored guys
Peanutsc
I <=> 9
KrillinFromwales
A very expensive lesson on ma…
Garnet
hello world
radishsoup
Lemme tell you a thing o…
JoinTheRain
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 2212 users

A short rant on casual player retention.

Blogs > Myrkskog
Post a Reply
Myrkskog
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Canada481 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-26 07:36:19
October 26 2012 07:34 GMT
#1
Blizzard's latest and greatest idea on how to retain casual players has arrived in the form of a new "leveling" system. I'm sure everyone is familiar with it, but for those who aren't, prepare to be dazzled;

http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/7681240/Heart_of_the_Swarm_Preview_Leveling-10_25_2012


/yawn. Who cares about more portraits. How are portraits going to motivate anyone other than the most hardcore achievement whores to ladder at all? How are portraits going to get the casual player interested in watching the GSL? Did you guess that it won't? You are right, and blizzard would be lucky to have you.

A big part of the casual experience that gets very little attention is team games. Casual ladder players enjoy team games. Want to improve the experience of casual players? How about making some decent 3v3 and 4v4 maps to keep us playing. This seemingly impossible solution gives a little hug to E-Sports as well. The motivation to watch an MLG or GSL is much higher when a casual player's experience is in some way relatable to the professional experience. Sorry, Nexus Wars, I still love you!

As it stands, 90% of the 3v3 maps are smaller than David Kim's cock. And given how much time he and Dustin Browder spend ass fucking each other, they are probably less shitty, too. There is only 1 expansion for each team member and then they have to fight over the single remaining expansion. It turns into a 2 base 10 minute bore fest every time. 4v4 is hardly better.

As someone who played a ridiculous amount of 3v3 in Broodwar, it drives me crazy that Ulaan Deeps and Dig Site are still in the game. Look at the new maps for this 3v3 season. Monsoon and Silent Dunes. Are you fucking kidding me? A frequent rotation of decent 3v3/4v4 maps is how you keep the casual ladder players happy, not 25 more useless portraits to throw on the pile.

But therein lies the problem, and it is the same problem that has plagued SC2 since its release.

Maps.

Blizzard just doesn't get it. After 2 years they still can't comprehend the role maps play in their game. They simply react to the community's outrage about maps without ever really understanding it. Just look at HoTS. As soon as Blizzard is solely in charge of maps again, they go right back to the same dumb maps as the release of Wings Of Liberty.

It's like Blizzard is a severely retarded person who has a habit of pooing into his hand at the dinner table and putting it on his plate beside the broccoli. He knows that those around him scold him when he does it, but he never genuinely clues in as to why it is wrong in the first place.

+ Show Spoiler +
Fuck Ulaan Derps.

[image loading]


*
Torte de Lini
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Germany38463 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-26 07:59:15
October 26 2012 07:56 GMT
#2
Such vulgarity and hostility really clouds your main arguments by cheap attempts of wit.

How are portraits going to get the casual player interested in watching the GSL?

They won't. This is to retain a player-base to which you can introduce fans of the game and transform them into fans of a scene. Portraits won't transform people to the scene, it will merely give them more reason to play and continue to play.

A big part of the casual experience that gets very little attention is team games. Casual ladder players enjoy team games.


Is it because team-games are typically less serious that you attribute a majority of a "casual" base to like team games over custom games, FFA, 1 vs. 1, etc.? Additionally, what defines a "casual" type of player and what is the percentage of casuals over total users?

As it stands, 90% of the 3v3 maps are smaller than David Kim's cock.
Vulgar crap.
And given how much time he and Dustin Browder spend ass fucking each other, they are probably less shitty, too.
Vulgar crap.

If you want them and their development team to change something, direct your anger into more constructive posts like you are doing here, except cut out all the explicit shit that makes you sound both irritable and childish.


It's like Blizzard is a severely retarded person who has a habit of pooing into his hand at the dinner table and putting it on his plate beside the broccoli.


I agree on your two main points to update the team maps and to find new ways to retain a "casual" player-base, but I think a lot of what you wrote is misguided on how to convert players into fans of E-Sports.


I also think it's narrow-minded to think that they're only introducing portraits to retain playership. I mean, it's been talked about 1,000 times that a clan system is coming. In addition, the experience bar is a much better way to display progress (something a lot of people enjoy), while the rewards aren't to everyone's liking; it's still pretty good.

You also ignored the map/match-up and other stats that would be included in your profile. I'm not sure why that wasn't more of a pinnacle point of your post. Really unfortunate.
https://twitter.com/#!/TorteDeLini (@TorteDeLini)
Daswollvieh
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
5553 Posts
October 26 2012 10:30 GMT
#3
Wow, OP really manages to sell his point short, but it´s gonna get edited soon, anyway.

Otherwise I agree. To clarify, I´d add: A "casual", not-competitive online gamer is mainly interested in various aspects of team games, be it social interaction, or a relieved burden of responsibility etc.

The social aspect of a game is not as well adressed through chat channels, networking and unlock opportunities as it is through social gameplay, i.e. teamplay. If SC2 supported teamgames better, then that could be a major motivation to play for many people.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 2h 3m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Nina 179
ProTech77
OGKoka 13
StarCraft: Brood War
actioN 770
Hyuk 274
Leta 132
Dewaltoss 32
Rock 20
NotJumperer 19
Sacsri 18
ajuk12(nOOB) 17
SilentControl 8
League of Legends
JimRising 513
Counter-Strike
shoxiejesuss395
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King63
Westballz28
Other Games
summit1g7831
C9.Mang0337
crisheroes300
Hui .146
byalli143
NeuroSwarm65
Trikslyr22
trigger2
Happy1
Organizations
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH282
• LUISG 22
• Light_VIP 13
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• iopq 1
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Upcoming Events
RSL Revival
2h 3m
Zoun vs Classic
Map Test Tournament
3h 3m
Korean StarCraft League
19h 3m
BSL Open LAN 2025 - War…
1d
RSL Revival
1d 2h
Reynor vs Cure
BSL Open LAN 2025 - War…
2 days
RSL Revival
2 days
Online Event
2 days
Wardi Open
3 days
Monday Night Weeklies
3 days
[ Show More ]
Sparkling Tuna Cup
4 days
LiuLi Cup
5 days
The PondCast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2025-09-10
Chzzk MurlocKing SC1 vs SC2 Cup #2
HCC Europe

Ongoing

BSL 20 Team Wars
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 3
BSL 21 Points
ASL Season 20
CSL 2025 AUTUMN (S18)
LASL Season 20
RSL Revival: Season 2
Maestros of the Game
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1

Upcoming

2025 Chongqing Offline CUP
BSL World Championship of Poland 2025
IPSL Winter 2025-26
BSL Season 21
SC4ALL: Brood War
BSL 21 Team A
Stellar Fest
SC4ALL: StarCraft II
EC S1
ESL Impact League Season 8
SL Budapest Major 2025
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025
PGL Masters Bucharest 2025
Thunderpick World Champ.
CS Asia Championships 2025
ESL Pro League S22
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.