I started playing broodwar in 2005, I found battle.net to be this strange and great place with so much option for communication and meeting people, it made it so fun, it wasn't just the game at all there was a huge social element that kept me going back years after i stopped playing seriously.
I have met so many people on battle.net from all over the world, made some really good friends and even met my partner on there. I went from friend group to friend group because it was so easy to make new friends and just relax and chat.
Now battle.net 2 is this cold and empty place, even though i have friends in the beta i barely have any interest playing it, there is nothing to make me want to go online, nowhere to idle and just chat about w/e or meet new people. I don't want some random channels saying your are meant to talk about a particular thing or weird stuff like that, the system in the original battle.net was perfect I don't understand why blizzard would change it, or completely subtract it, I have always thought during the whole time, blizzard is a great company, they aren't blind, they know what made the game successful, they wouldn't remove such an integral part... would they?
The social aspect has been removed so completely, even watching replays online with friends is gone. The hours me and my friends would spend playing, then watching reps, or more experienced players explaining things with reps, or just when everyone wants to eat or take a break from playing... This is no longer there, to be completely honest because of not being able to watch replays online i never really got into warcraft 3 and left it even though i had friends there. It just removed such an important social aspect for me.
It really does concern me, the so far complete lack of channels and social atmosphere, since it makes me uninterested in the beta, should I really spend so much on the game? I don't see myself playing it for long or enjoying the cold and lifeless multiplayer.
Some of the changes are pretty neat, it's easier to have a private conversation i guess, but the whole msn style of things for all conversations doesn't work at all. I want a place to go to chat with the people I am playing with, A place with new interesting people that might join in the fun... I want to play starcraft and I want the socialness which was such an integral part of my continued interest and enjoyment while i played it.
I think you're being a little hasty with your assumptions that Blizzard is neglecting to integrate a social network into Starcraft, and Battle.Net 2.0. Because the game is in Beta, they want their testers to play the game, and not just sit around in idle chat rooms. I would expect Blizzard would add chat rooms by launch. On another note, I too am disappointed in the fact that I am unable to watch replays with friends. That was such an awesome feature in SCBW.
yeah, well you could just add as a friend that last guy you fought.. I've already added two people but it's just that we aren't talking to each other for practice...
sides, why they removed the social stuff like B.net's chat rooms? Cause there was a thread before concerning pro gamers being harassed by anti or fanboys. (well, that's my assumption)
hmm...u might not consider changes in b.net but i think the b.net2 will change once the game goes live and i believe your so loved chatrooms will find their way back. Now is not the time to say such things... do you think sc and b.net were awesome off the bat. U can probably tell blizz your thoughts once the REAL SC2 action starts and just pull through till everythings set. I think something like this cant be a reason to quit sc2..so.... complain when its about time and not beforehand
I hoppe as well as you that this comes into the final version of Starcraft 2 at some point. Since going from having a chat room with what 30-50? People sitting around discussing chatting etc, you can kind of feel a void of non-socialism being.
Would be great as poster above stated, to watch replay with your friends, was really helpuful/good method to help people with strategies and sometime's just to get a good laugh
i'm not all that fuzzed about the chat rooms. though i was never one that used those much. but it would be great to invite people to watch a replay with me.. would make it easier to show friends what i mean and stuff. for example when one of my more newb friends wanted to find a decent build i would have loved to just show him a replay where i played against a decent toss (in his case)
On May 19 2010 18:51 Drakonis wrote: I would expect Blizzard would add chat rooms by launch.
I believe they actually stated they won't have it ready by launch.
As for the OP, I completely agree with your post. Oftentimes after playing, I would go 'cool off' on bnet, often times meeting back up with people I had played with earlier that night, chatting, sometimes setting up new matches, etc. It was a good atmosphere (aside from the spambots, but those can be dealt with).
How hard is it for them to add a god damn chat box at the bottom instead of introducing all these separate windows for each conversation and whatnot. Seriously how freaking hard is it?
Chat channels are great but I can't believe you can't find anyone to talk to while playing sc2. I mean you're posting on a forum filled with people playing sc2. How is it that you can't see a solution to your problem of not knowing anyone who plays sc2? There must be some way of contacting other people who share your interest.
Without chatrooms, I wont buy this game, and recommend all other not to.
And please shut up about how SC1 was not perfect at the start - we are talking about a basic feature present in all decent online games, including SC1 - why go away from it? Please do not tell me you think it would have been such a terrible effort to include it in the beta.
Unless proven wrong, one has to assume Blizzard left this one out for a specific reason, and that it will not come except public opinion dictates it.
On May 19 2010 19:01 KwarK wrote: Chat channels are great but I can't believe you can't find anyone to talk to while playing sc2. I mean you're posting on a forum filled with people playing sc2. How is it that you can't see a solution to your problem of not knowing anyone who plays sc2? There must be some way of contacting other people who share your interest.
even though i have friends in the beta i barely have any interest playing it, there is nothing to make me want to go online, nowhere to idle and just chat about w/e or meet new people.
Furthermore, I've known Tabyling for a long time now (05 i think?). We met on bnet and are good friends. The sheer amount of time we spent repping/chatcrafting in random channels etc far out weighs the time we actually spent gaming. Perhaps we're just not much of the gaming type, but the social aspects of SC1 are desperately lacking in SC2.
To date, my only fond memory of SC2 is gaming with Manifesto otherwise I've been mostly bored out of my skull. A few interesting questions to ask yourself are - How many games of SC2 can I recall vividly? (compare w/ SC1) - How many memories have I made during SC2? (compare w/ SC1 and specifically, where those memories occurred).
I agree with you TabyLing. I miss so hard chats and clan channels from WC3. Now, it seems that those chans are beeing replaced by #IRC but it would be a lot nicer in game.
It's a beta... They want us to test the functionality of the game. Making friends would be nice, but if your posting here you have access to a bigger Starcraft 2 playing community than you would currently on bnet. If you want to complain about the social aspect, do so about how unfriendly or unsporting people are. No GL/HF at the begining and no GG when they lose. As much as I get tempered when I get cheesed I still gg, and watch the replay to learn from my defeat. I'll note it again; It's a BETA. They'll probably add at launch the chat rooms and unless they've said a definitive no to group replays they'll have that as well.
+1 , i feel the same way. how hard would it be to implement chatrooms and online replays? i mean come on, why do i have to be offline to watch a replay, i don't understand this in the slightest. is there a technical reason for it? or is it just arbitrary, in which case it's just stupid. how do i swap replays now? do i really have to use a third party for something that seems pretty easily done?
On May 19 2010 19:07 Crimson.Slayer wrote: It's a beta... They want us to test the functionality of the game. Making friends would be nice, but if your posting here you have access to a bigger Starcraft 2 playing community than you would currently on bnet. If you want to complain about the social aspect, do so about how unfriendly or unsporting people are. No GL/HF at the begining and no GG when they lose. As much as I get tempered when I get cheesed I still gg, and watch the replay to learn from my defeat. I'll note it again; It's a BETA. They'll probably add at launch the chat rooms and unless they've said a definitive no to group replays they'll have that as well.
.. it's a Beta with less than two weeks left. If the social aspects were considered a major issue by Blizzard they should have attended to them by now (imo). However, from their interview answers on the subject it appears that this is not going to be the case. Oh well, it's not like I've purchased/will purchase SC2 at this rate anyway.
I get far more enjoyment from watching SC2 than playing the beta. Blizzard have succeeded in creating a really entertaining and fun game. That's excellent. They just forgot all the social aspects which make good games legendary.
Agreed. Not having chat channels, even if its just a beta was h u g e misstake. Just makes it impossible to get practice partners, and 2v2 partners if you dont know any1 playing. All this effort into making battle.net 2-0 so good etc, but i really dont see what has become better since there was nothing wrong with the battle.net used in warcraft 3, and the experience i got from this beta was alot worse then wc3. I liked the old ladder better, i liked the original battle.net without indentifiers, and i liked to be able to create more names for praccing other races etc.
I feel the same way... really miss the days where me and friends would chat randomly after games in channels, the new b.net is so cold, I know there are lots of people around but somehow people arent interacting with each other.
True. How hard can it be to just incorporate some IRC-like client in the game? I fully agree that Blizzard have a valid reason for not including chat channels in the beta, but "won't be ready at launch"? What the hell? I know first-years programming students that could do this in a day or three.
They've already got server infrastructure for Bnet, it's not like they'd need some revolutionary new network to send a bunch of chat messages.
@Pekkz, Is it confirmed that you won't be able to create new names in retail as well? It seems to me that the whole identifier system is utterly useless if you can't create additional characters, so I'm sure this'll be available at launch.
One additional thing I've noticed is that Blizzard insists on making the chat screens tiny. Both in BW and in SC2, the chat screen when you're selecting races and everything is just tiny compared to all the empty space on the screen. I don't need 75% of my 22" screen just to see who's in the game. Same goes for friends messages when you're in the menu. It's just a rather small screen and I haven't found out how to make it bigger.
On May 19 2010 19:07 Crimson.Slayer wrote: If you want to complain about the social aspect, do so about how unfriendly or unsporting people are. No GL/HF at the begining and no GG when they lose. As much as I get tempered when I get cheesed I still gg, and watch the replay to learn from my defeat.
Why do YOU gg etc.? Because you have been educated by a strong community, facilitated by chatrooms. There you have it.
They stated that they are working on it. However, they're having a slightly different approach since they felt that the chat channels in WC3 and SCBW was spammed a lot. Chat channels is going to be released sometime after launch.
On May 19 2010 19:07 Crimson.Slayer wrote: They'll probably add at launch the chat rooms and unless they've said a definitive no to group replays they'll have that as well.
On May 19 2010 18:56 moopie wrote: I believe they actually stated they won't have it ready by launch.
edit: also, yay facebook integration.... *crickets*
I agree this is such a huge miss. I have some confidence Blizzard will change this because it would simply be unbelievably strange if they didn't. The battle.net that is used for the Beta is a big mess running on old worthless WC3 code and 3 steps down from any sign of common sense.
As a gamer I'm not capable of deciding not to play SC2 over some chat functions though.
Yop I totally agree. Before I began massgaming on iccup the best memories of sc:bw I have are those of spending long nights chatting away in the channels, playing a couple of ffa's, ums' and watching replays inbetween. There was something really special about that and I feel kinda nostalgic looking back at all those funny/insightful conversations I had on b.net. I will never understand the reasoning behind blizzards decision to drop such an integral part of what made starcraft great.
I agree with you, but I guess I don't feel it as much as you do since I play SC2 with real life friends and we're always sitting together on ventrilo.
And I'm pretty sure Blizzard will add chat rooms when the game is released. As someone said eariler, the main purpose of the beta is to let the players test the game, not the chat functions.
I dont really care about channels and social atmosphere.The channels was really bad with a lot of shitty people (i m talking about wc3 channels) and blizzard knows that.I believe the communication is better now because is focused mostly to your friends.I dont like that you cant watch replay with someone else i hope they ll fix this.
I wholly agree and here's some additional thoughts I've had on their overall social goals:
It's hard for me not to be annoyed with their Real ID approach. If a gamer wanted to use their real name they would. If I didn't have so strong an association and history with mine I probably would use my real name. On one hand I get it, but to me it kind of feels like a betrayal of what gamers have always been about. Sounds dramatic, I know, but it's like they're trying to socially engineer us(even more grandiose) to be more respectable, or at the least appear it. They removed chat channels, those wretched hives of scum and villainy, they're having us use our real names and they're pushing the real world into the game via avenues like this, more of which they supposedly have planned.
Look, if we still had what we used to have I wouldn't be at all bothered. All this could just be features I could or couldn't use. But they seem to be pushing social media extrana at the expense of traditional gamer modes of interaction. God, you can't even name your custom games anymore. All the personality of Battle.net and a gaming community is gone, and I have to think that's what they wanted.
I've said it around here before, but launch day of WC3 was a very exciting and memorable time because of all the people streaming in and out and all the chatter. And whenever I came back to now classic Battle.net it was with like a sense of coming home. There are regularly around 50,000 people on SC2 and yet it feels completely barren.
Because of the features they've attached to real ID it isn't simply a question of whether or not you want your real name displayed. I've been and will continue to hand out my real ID to everyone I passingly know.
I remember when they first explained it and they were like "You don't go by Slayerx1153 to your friends in real life". First of all, to be grandiose again, that to me is another thing that comes off as them sneering at long-standing gamer traditions; many of us with established nick names are just as comfortable with them.
But it also shows a lack of perspective. Most of us don't work around gamers all day. Most of us would be lucky to have even one friend who games. And even if you did have a handful from my experience real life friends are the worst flakes for gaming. And usually suck. Point being that online friends are far more likely to make use of real ID features than real ones.
As for chat channels, I do believe they'll implement them at some point, but they've been asked the question five times the past few months and each time they've alternated their answer. It's frustrating that they're complicating the issue of a damn chat channel so much. And most pertinently they apparently won't be in by release so launch day will feel desolate instead of the hive of activity it should.
I miss the chatrooms and going to "local" chatrooms that were frequented by groups like high schoolers or clubs.
Back in BW, I knew channels that were frequented from different high school groups/friends which made it fun to play each other. Also channels back then where so fun to ask for games or even have easy access to observing.
who remembers on US west brood war kor - op nexus and brood war kor - namomo or something like that...those channels were my first exposure to OBsing korean games. These chat channels where so good once you find a good population type.
However with sc2 I feel like this element must be attained with more effort. Kinda hard to observe high level games unless you know someone. I am not too worried tho, I am sure there will be places to "meet" online. If not, just join a clan haha~
I personally think that, for a beta, it makes 100% sense to have NO chat channels. This means that there will be much more emphasis on playing instead of talking, thereby creating the necessary data they need for game balance and design.
However, I personally believe that chat channels are essential. It's almost impossible to host a tournament, let alone meet anyone online. Very very very unusual experience w/ no chat channels on there.
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More importantly, I like to keep my friends list VERY sparse. I only like having a few real life friends and some major practice partners on there since it helps me keep organized. However, with b.net 2.0, I have to have 100+ friends just for some functional social interaction to set up matches. Once there's that many people on the list, it's obnoxious to scroll through that giant list of names looking for the one you want.
It is true that I brought ALL of my friends I have on Bnet2 over from Bnet1. I haven't met anyone through gaming- though I haven't tried. The lack of chat channels has been- mind numbingly awkward. Well described as a cold and empty place, sir. LoL
Chat channels? Wait for it, they're gonna release it in the last protoss expansion
on a serious note, playing bnet without chat channels is stupid. I made some friends over battle.net chat channels which have became my real friends now. Cant imagine what appeal there would be if there were no chat channels in sc2
anyway, if there were no chat channels in sc2, it would be a big turn off for their other hits, such as the upcoming diablo 3 and a possible(possible!) warcraft 4? I do not know but in the old bnet people from the 3 games could interact with each other thru bnet, which made bnet chat channels a major sticking point even tho there was crazy lag and delay compared to today's servers such as iccup
I've been on Bnet since 1998 and there is not a single thing I'd change about it I would even keep it uncensored w/o mods/GMs let private channels moderate themselves and just remove pub channels if bots are such an issue
I'm not sure I will buy SC2 unless there are chat channels or something that fulfills that role.
I'm slightly suspicious that they might not add the irc chatrooms we are hoping for.
Why? 10 years ago irc was a popular way to chat. It probably made sense to make the first battle.net around this framework. Now Blizzard are trying to build the game around modern social networking e.g. MSN and Facebook. Most people do not use IRC to chat to their friends. IRC just isn't perceived as relevant anymore. It is like archaic internet.
Unfortunately it is still very relevant in gaming, IMO. Because IRC style chat is very useful for brining like-minded people together and for all the other reasons cited in the OP of this thread. It works in a way that the MSN/Facebook method cannot provision for.
But has the think tank at Blizzard HQ figures this out yet? You can see why we should be concerned.
On May 19 2010 19:01 KwarK wrote: Chat channels are great but I can't believe you can't find anyone to talk to while playing sc2. I mean you're posting on a forum filled with people playing sc2. How is it that you can't see a solution to your problem of not knowing anyone who plays sc2? There must be some way of contacting other people who share your interest.
even though i have friends in the beta i barely have any interest playing it, there is nothing to make me want to go online, nowhere to idle and just chat about w/e or meet new people.
Furthermore, I've known Tabyling for a long time now (05 i think?). We met on bnet and are good friends. The sheer amount of time we spent repping/chatcrafting in random channels etc far out weighs the time we actually spent gaming. Perhaps we're just not much of the gaming type, but the social aspects of SC1 are desperately lacking in SC2.
To date, my only fond memory of SC2 is gaming with Manifesto otherwise I've been mostly bored out of my skull. A few interesting questions to ask yourself are - How many games of SC2 can I recall vividly? (compare w/ SC1) - How many memories have I made during SC2? (compare w/ SC1 and specifically, where those memories occurred).
Try 2v2ing with skype. It's great fun. I spend more time 2v2ing than 1v1ing at the moment. Laddering 1v1 is pretty dull but with an active vent full of guys you've known forever it's not so bad.
They (Blizzard) has already officially stated that they are going to have chat rooms after retail release. I don't believe that not having a room to chat in is a reason to give up playing a game. It's Starcraft not Chatcraft.
On May 19 2010 20:02 Darpinion wrote: They (Blizzard) has already officially stated that they are going to have chat rooms after retail release. I don't believe that not having a room to chat in is a reason to give up playing a game. It's Starcraft not Chatcraft.
Quite the opposite,in fact.They have stated that there will be NO chat rooms. At least not in the original game(so 9 months+ best case scenario)
Yeah if you don't have a group of friends with skype etc, bnet 2.0 is a cold empty place. I guess it's intended since blizzard doesn't care about people sitting on the channels, they want player to beta test the game.
You should wait for the release for a more social game
People saying "it's not a chat game" etc .. Imagine if you do not have friends on beta, it can be pretty boring
I agree, I really wish people would start using the TL irc channel a lot more. It's a pretty cool place to be. Even in BW, you could only talk to people that were on your server, at least if you were using Bnet. The TL irc channel has people from everywhere.
Perhaps the downtime after the first phase of the beta is partly intended to let them implement the full range of social features planned for release (they claimed they limited them to have us more focused on testing after all), so we can give them a bit of a workout before the game ships?
On May 19 2010 20:02 Darpinion wrote: They (Blizzard) has already officially stated that they are going to have chat rooms after retail release. I don't believe that not having a room to chat in is a reason to give up playing a game. It's Starcraft not Chatcraft.
The game being incredibly dull is a good reason to stop though. Laddering is boring alone.
I think blizzard was fed up with all the advertising / spam that could happen in chat channels like that. Not sure why they can't find a solution though. Not to say its worth it to develop a new completely different system. The current one really sucks. The whole party thing is a mess and makes no sense. Half the time I encounter bugs with people not being able to join the party correctly / icons disappearing / etc etc. I feel like localized channels were a great social element...
On May 19 2010 20:02 Darpinion wrote: They (Blizzard) has already officially stated that they are going to have chat rooms after retail release. I don't believe that not having a room to chat in is a reason to give up playing a game. It's Starcraft not Chatcraft.
Quite the opposite,in fact.They have stated that there will be NO chat rooms. At least not in the original game(so 9 months+ best case scenario)
As I said they keep giving different answers but the latest answer was that there will be chat channels ideally in some patch after launch.
On May 19 2010 19:14 Liquid`Nazgul wrote: I agree this is such a huge miss. I have some confidence Blizzard will change this because it would simply be unbelievably strange if they didn't. The battle.net that is used for the Beta is a big mess running on old worthless WC3 code and 3 steps down from any sign of common sense.
As a gamer I'm not capable of deciding not to play SC2 over some chat functions though.
I feel the same way exactly. I would expect Blizzard to add this feature (maybe even into the beta when it starts up in phase 2?) into SC2 later because it's such a huge part of the game experience. Didn't they at some point say that they were developing Battle.net 2.0 in concordance with SC2 or something? I can't imagine they aren't planning this kind of stuff.
But, yes, Blizzard has me by the balls. I just can't choose not to play this game over some missing chat functions.
This is so true. What personally messes me up the most is the inability to watch replays with people. It's hard to believe that they wouldn't implement that - how hard can it be? I need this system to watch my games with a practice partner. I don't want to have to send a file (with an annoying name so I can't even properly store my replays) for someone to see it.
The worst thing is I think blizz said they wouldn't put that into the game for a while... So ridiculous.
On May 19 2010 19:07 Crimson.Slayer wrote: It's a beta... They want us to test the functionality of the game. Making friends would be nice, but if your posting here you have access to a bigger Starcraft 2 playing community than you would currently on bnet. If you want to complain about the social aspect, do so about how unfriendly or unsporting people are. No GL/HF at the begining and no GG when they lose. As much as I get tempered when I get cheesed I still gg, and watch the replay to learn from my defeat. I'll note it again; It's a BETA. They'll probably add at launch the chat rooms and unless they've said a definitive no to group replays they'll have that as well.
.. it's a Beta with less than two weeks left. If the social aspects were considered a major issue by Blizzard they should have attended to them by now (imo). However, from their interview answers on the subject it appears that this is not going to be the case. Oh well, it's not like I've purchased/will purchase SC2 at this rate anyway.
I`m fairly sure I recall Dustin saying in one of his recent interviews that chat rooms will in fact be implemented (of a slightly different kind but I doubt it will change the good social side of them). Not like you need much testing of a simple chat room. The "final stage" of testing is still ahead of us and I think it`s safe to say there will be lots and lots of new non gameplay related stuff introduced, including chat rooms.
I agree whole heartedly ,100% concur with the OP. Brood War was/is not only the pinnacle gold standard (platinum now!) for all rts games because of not only the game engine but also the dynamics around it. One of the greatest social aspects of the game that for sure has not gone unnoticed (i hope) is /was the community channel. Sometimes some very bizarrre things would happen and you would meet a whole mob of apes..but the flip side was you could also find the reverse a whole group of similar fun minded, manner people that shared the same interests and could broaden not only your game experience but things outside of it. I miss those days. Unlucky for you guys now I post here!
This is beta though. If you feel like your navigating a cold and barren maze in search of cheese while someone is observing you...maybe you are!
I`m fairly sure I recall Dustin saying in one of his recent interviews that chat rooms will in fact be implemented (of a slightly different kind but I doubt it will change the good social side of them). Not like you need much testing of a simple chat room. The "final stage" of testing is still ahead of us and I think it`s safe to say there will be lots and lots of new non gameplay related stuff introduced, including chat rooms.
Indeed, they've already said they will be adding chat rooms, calm down.
well i can understand why they dont have such features in the beta. Its there to try the game out. I remember how easy it was to get stuck idling forever rather than playing games back in the days. I do agree thought, it would be pretty bad not to have a proper channel system in the retail. That would actually be a downgrade from b.net1
I met a good friend in WC3 through its chat system, I would have never met her otherwise because our skill level is too different. SC2 will need a chat system, hopefully sooner rather than later.
On May 19 2010 18:51 Drakonis wrote: I would expect Blizzard would add chat rooms by launch.
I believe they actually stated they won't have it ready by launch.
As for the OP, I completely agree with your post. Oftentimes after playing, I would go 'cool off' on bnet, often times meeting back up with people I had played with earlier that night, chatting, sometimes setting up new matches, etc. It was a good atmosphere (aside from the spambots, but those can be dealt with).
Yea, I think they have..The problem is.. HOW HARD IS IT TO PROGRAM A FUCKING CHAT ROOM? Wouldn't it take like 1 guy and like 5 hours? Seriously..
We're agreed. This is pathetic and Blizzard is a joke for not implementing chat channels. It's an aggravating and bewildering decision that Blizzard has yet to give a clear answer for. Even worse than omitting LAN.
Why would you intentionally limit functionality? It just reeks of such arrogance. Truly disgusting.
It's a shame there's not chat. And the announcement that chat won't be in the release didn't help. I actually believe that it prevents me from playing more.
I remember reading somewhere that chat rooms won't be available on release - but rather in a future patch. Could someone please find and link the sauce?
I raged over these issues so many times in other threads. I totally agree with your view. B.net2.0 is as soulless as it gets.
Just imagine we had a tl.net channel when beta went live (hilarious) and the little other rooms that would spawn with it, all the clans who represent in their channel or just simple meetup points for tournaments.
I will play of course, but over the amount of months and years without features like online replays and chatrooms would make it so massively dull. I can see myself play 3-4 games and then leave because there is nothing that binds you to it but playing.
On May 19 2010 19:04 Metaspace wrote: Without chatrooms, I wont buy this game, and recommend all other not to.
And please shut up about how SC1 was not perfect at the start - we are talking about a basic feature present in all decent online games, including SC1 - why go away from it? Please do not tell me you think it would have been such a terrible effort to include it in the beta.
Unless proven wrong, one has to assume Blizzard left this one out for a specific reason, and that it will not come except public opinion dictates it.
Wait, seriously?
You might as well go play Perfect World or something if chatting is that important to you in a game.
On May 19 2010 19:04 Metaspace wrote: Without chatrooms, I wont buy this game, and recommend all other not to.
And please shut up about how SC1 was not perfect at the start - we are talking about a basic feature present in all decent online games, including SC1 - why go away from it? Please do not tell me you think it would have been such a terrible effort to include it in the beta.
Unless proven wrong, one has to assume Blizzard left this one out for a specific reason, and that it will not come except public opinion dictates it.
Wait, seriously?
You might as well go play Perfect World or something if chatting is that important to you in a game.
im not saying hes right, but if you dont think chatting and a good social framework for bnet is important, you are missing out on alot of the fun online gaming offers.
My friends and I just use skype or vent, and it works fine. Granted, if they don't eventually put in channels etc. that's really bad, but I'm sure they will eventually.
On May 19 2010 19:04 Metaspace wrote: Without chatrooms, I wont buy this game, and recommend all other not to.
And please shut up about how SC1 was not perfect at the start - we are talking about a basic feature present in all decent online games, including SC1 - why go away from it? Please do not tell me you think it would have been such a terrible effort to include it in the beta.
Unless proven wrong, one has to assume Blizzard left this one out for a specific reason, and that it will not come except public opinion dictates it.
Wait, seriously?
You might as well go play Perfect World or something if chatting is that important to you in a game.
im not saying hes right, but if you dont think chatting and a good social framework for bnet is important, you are missing out on alot of the fun online gaming offers.
Yeah, it was a really nice feature of Bnet, I mean I've been playing SC1/D2 for years and years but I mean...to not even buy the game because of it? That's unreal. It sounds like he's just saying that to stick by his OP, but he's probably already pre-ordered the game. Ha.
i kinda expected them to add chat channels so i wasn't is outrage over this, but im seriously getting worried. What total fucking brain meltdown could cause them to think chat channels aren't an essential part of the battle.net experience? really no sarcasm here, this is incredibly retarded by blizzard.
This isn't xbox shooter game, this is a computer game
computers have keyboards attached to them
I demand chatrooms in my online multiplayer game. How will you have clan channels and stuff? And what other Blizzard game doesnt have chatrooms since Diablo came out over 1000 years ago?
What is this, 1989?
edit: I havent met anyone on sc2 so far because its just random forced matches with strangers who disappear forever when the game is over, so I have to post on TL forums instead
I too want a social structure within the game beyond the instant messaging stuff which is not in itself bad btw. The msn like functionality and the ability to create parties is amazing for one on one communication, theorycrafting with practice partners and just having some chilled discussions in a game party without having to agree on channels. The current system is good for the aspects of the game that it is meant to be for.
A more public chat system however or some kind of channel system is essential for filling certain other aspects of the social side. Everyone wants such a system and blizzard has in fact more than once said that they ARE adding such a system so I don't understand why these threads won't die. I doubt you will see this chat system in the beta, because from a game developers point of view it makes no sense. You can test a communication platform in house without setting up more distractions for the beta testers who you want to spend 100% of their time actually playing the game. Expect to see chat on July 27'th though.
Something I would love to see added though and I have not heard anything about this being implemented is some functionality for sorting and structuring your buddy list into categories or something. That would be infinitely helpful in getting rid of some of the chaos of having anything more than 20 friends.
On May 19 2010 19:01 KwarK wrote: Chat channels are great but I can't believe you can't find anyone to talk to while playing sc2. I mean you're posting on a forum filled with people playing sc2. How is it that you can't see a solution to your problem of not knowing anyone who plays sc2? There must be some way of contacting other people who share your interest.
even though i have friends in the beta i barely have any interest playing it, there is nothing to make me want to go online, nowhere to idle and just chat about w/e or meet new people.
Furthermore, I've known Tabyling for a long time now (05 i think?). We met on bnet and are good friends. The sheer amount of time we spent repping/chatcrafting in random channels etc far out weighs the time we actually spent gaming. Perhaps we're just not much of the gaming type, but the social aspects of SC1 are desperately lacking in SC2.
To date, my only fond memory of SC2 is gaming with Manifesto otherwise I've been mostly bored out of my skull. A few interesting questions to ask yourself are
- How many games of SC2 can I recall vividly? (compare w/ SC1) - How many memories have I made during SC2? (compare w/ SC1 and specifically, where those memories occurred).
I just want to, first, agree with the OP and most of the follow up posts. Blizzard, really needs to add some core functionality that was/is missing during beta.
I really don't see a point to chat channels or replay watching in a beta environment; i truly don't, these things should not be a part of beta...
We are generation Y in that regard, the generation of entitlement. Don't, for a second, think we deserve anything!
Those features, the ball is really in Blizz's court. This is not 1998 anymore, SC2 will not dominate the scenes blindly as it did back in the 20th and early 21st century - if Blizz wants to take a shot at connecting the RTS communities, it's gotta provide features...I hope and highly assume, they understand this.
--Now the "How many memories have I made during SC2 comment...."--
Take that question and frame it in the context of any frickin thing in your life, things that caused great emotion and/or memory in the past will be MUCH harder to trump later in life. I remember CoD 1 & 2 causing such great emotion and energy (epic SP), but no longer does that happen.
I agree with pretty much everyone here that, without the channels and chatting, the beta seems to be cold and distant in comparison to our usual friends and clans in SC1 (and the future social networking with Facebook- if this is more than just a rumor- is going to be a complete joke IMO)...
But a question about that:
Was it absolutely necessary that they include those things (namely channels) in the beta? I mean, the beta is about finding imbalances and problems with the gameplay itself, right? Maybe they just assumed that whatever StarCraft Channels 2.0 they were going to implement didn't require our input? I mean, I really never had a problem with the original StarCraft channels (though I'm sure they'll look much different in SC2). With the exception of the spambots, of course... but then you just move to a new channel and tell your friends. So perhaps Blizzard didn't want to give everything away about StarCraft 2 (or maybe the whole thing isn't even set up yet!), and only wanted us to help balance the races as much as possible?
In 1998 two neighbors and I began playing StarCraft. We stumbled onto a channel that had some ex-beta ladder players in it and they were pretty good. This channel became our home and during the next few months after launch more people started showing up in this channel.
As it turned out during one of our in between game converstations, a large portion of us lived in California... not only in California but we realized that 5 of us lived in the same city. We met up a few days later and since 1998 those have been some of my closet friends. I've lived with them, drank with them, been to weddings, kids births, and graduation parties.
All because we happend to be in the same SC channel 12 years ago. This can't happen now.
It is odd coming off of WoW for them to not focus on the social aspects of SC2 more. Facebook integration? Welcome to reality Blizz, we don't use facebook to talk to our internet gaming friends.
I'm fairly certian we'll be seening new functionality after the servers come back up for the last 2 weeks.
Personally... as former wow player the thought that I'll be chatting with my wow buds while playing is farly big. I'm sure most of the social feature are just like 3v3 and 4v4 they don't need tuning so they want everyone online playing what they want to test
If I remember correctly, Bnet 2.0 will interegrate all Blizzard games and the incoming ones, including Diablo 3 eventually. As I think its been said before, as much as we don't agree with it the purpose of the StarCraft beta was to balance the game in multiplayer, not checking if the community will use a chatroom system or not. They really wanted us to play, not sit in a chat room so much.
Which they did, so they probably got what they want, and I expect that when they close down and return the beta in the last few weeks before the game comes out, I believe some sort of chat system (Not the PM one) will be inserted into the Battle.net. I'll be one person to say that I'm kind of excited that they're integrating the games together in causeBnet, cause a lot of my friends play WoW, not SC2. >:
On May 19 2010 23:09 Spidermonkey wrote: In 1998 two neighbors and I began playing StarCraft. We stumbled onto a channel that had some ex-beta ladder players in it and they were pretty good. This channel became our home and during the next few months after launch more people started showing up in this channel.
As it turned out during one of our in between game converstations, a large portion of us lived in California... not only in California but we realized that 5 of us lived in the same city. We met up a few days later and since 1998 those have been some of my closet friends. I've lived with them, drank with them, been to weddings, kids births, and graduation parties.
All because we happend to be in the same SC channel 12 years ago. This can't happen now.
...But it could happen when StarCraft 2 actually comes out; that's the point that many people (including myself) are making. Your anecdote, while touching, doesn't imply that you can't befriend people after the game comes out. You make it sound as if people can't become friends through StarCraft channels unless it happens before the game comes out.
the whole no private chat option is definitely something they need to put in. The whole division thing bugs me too since they are meaningless except to give people who are very new to b.net a false sense of accomplishment. The fact that you can't see the server top 100 player etc is also pretty annoying. Not to mention regional segregation. It's not even about playing and interacting with player from other regions at the same time (which you'd think a system 10 years later would have), it's that I don't even get a chance to log on to other servers.
There are things I do like about new b.net. I like how ladder search game works. I like now that people can't dodge anyone, or random, they can't abuse a particular match up or get free wins from their friends. But over all beta b.net is a step backwards. We shall see what they adds in for the real release.
I know a lot of couples who met from SC, some are even married now.. SatN-The-Feared and Hera-The-Feared got married.. and I believe SupaMerc and BabyMerc are still together (havent heard from them for afew years tho)
Its pretty incredible how things work out from video games.
On May 19 2010 23:09 Spidermonkey wrote: In 1998 two neighbors and I began playing StarCraft. We stumbled onto a channel that had some ex-beta ladder players in it and they were pretty good. This channel became our home and during the next few months after launch more people started showing up in this channel.
As it turned out during one of our in between game converstations, a large portion of us lived in California... not only in California but we realized that 5 of us lived in the same city. We met up a few days later and since 1998 those have been some of my closet friends. I've lived with them, drank with them, been to weddings, kids births, and graduation parties.
All because we happend to be in the same SC channel 12 years ago. This can't happen now.
...But it could happen when StarCraft 2 actually comes out; that's the point that many people (including myself) are making. Your anecdote, while touching, doesn't imply that you can't befriend people after the game comes out. You make it sound as if people can't become friends through StarCraft channels unless it happens before the game comes out.
No no no, I'm not saying that. As soon as channels come out all my personal bitching goes away. What I'm saying is that from past beta experience I don't hold out hope for something that Developers say "we'll add later".
On May 19 2010 23:09 Spidermonkey wrote: In 1998 two neighbors and I began playing StarCraft. We stumbled onto a channel that had some ex-beta ladder players in it and they were pretty good. This channel became our home and during the next few months after launch more people started showing up in this channel.
As it turned out during one of our in between game converstations, a large portion of us lived in California... not only in California but we realized that 5 of us lived in the same city. We met up a few days later and since 1998 those have been some of my closet friends. I've lived with them, drank with them, been to weddings, kids births, and graduation parties.
All because we happend to be in the same SC channel 12 years ago. This can't happen now.
...But it could happen when StarCraft 2 actually comes out; that's the point that many people (including myself) are making. Your anecdote, while touching, doesn't imply that you can't befriend people after the game comes out. You make it sound as if people can't become friends through StarCraft channels unless it happens before the game comes out.
No no no, I'm not saying that. As soon as channels come out all my personal bitching goes away. What I'm saying is that from past beta experience I don't hold out hope for something that Developers say "we'll add later".
This *is* Blizzard we're talking about here, the company that adds real functionality to their games in patches like chat in replays and CPU throttling 10 years after release.
If they say it's going to be in, I'll believe them. They've got a strong enough track record with regard to patching that I'm willing to put a little faith in them.
On May 19 2010 23:09 Spidermonkey wrote: In 1998 two neighbors and I began playing StarCraft. We stumbled onto a channel that had some ex-beta ladder players in it and they were pretty good. This channel became our home and during the next few months after launch more people started showing up in this channel.
As it turned out during one of our in between game converstations, a large portion of us lived in California... not only in California but we realized that 5 of us lived in the same city. We met up a few days later and since 1998 those have been some of my closet friends. I've lived with them, drank with them, been to weddings, kids births, and graduation parties.
All because we happend to be in the same SC channel 12 years ago. This can't happen now.
...But it could happen when StarCraft 2 actually comes out; that's the point that many people (including myself) are making. Your anecdote, while touching, doesn't imply that you can't befriend people after the game comes out. You make it sound as if people can't become friends through StarCraft channels unless it happens before the game comes out.
No no no, I'm not saying that. As soon as channels come out all my personal bitching goes away. What I'm saying is that from past beta experience I don't hold out hope for something that Developers say "we'll add later".
This *is* Blizzard we're talking about here, the company that adds real functionality to their games in patches like chat in replays and CPU throttling 10 years after release.
If they say it's going to be in, I'll believe them. They've got a strong enough track record with regard to patching that I'm willing to put a little faith in them.
I'm more inclined to believe them then most companies but forgive me if I'm still overly cautious.
On May 19 2010 23:36 TheYango wrote: They've got a strong enough track record with regard to patching that I'm willing to put a little faith in them.
They also have DUSTIN BROWDER....
I like how a few bad interviews is enough to make people believe that everything bad about this game stems from him, when in actuality he probably didn't touch a lot of the things people dislike.
I only have one friend on battle.net after playing 300+ games. That person I met here on teamliquid. Battle.net in its current state fucking blows. There is no community whatsoever. Some of you that are very prominent, where are you actually meeting people? Inside the game or outside? Be honest.
While I would definitely prefer if we had chat channels, it's not a make or break situation for me. I communicate to the community via TL and the popular livestream / UStream channels for Starcraft related content. I just love the game itself, so the fact that I can't sit in a chat room isn't a big concern. I can chat elsewhere with fellow SC2 players until the channels are implemented.
To say it is completely easy is quite ignorant. As a programmer by profession myself, you can't make claims like this without knowing how the current code base functions, and how a feature like that implements into the current Bnet 2.0 infrastructure. The people stating "It's so easy, It can be done in a day or two" are the perfect example of stupid clients every programmer hates dealing with. Making a "chat UI" in a UMS game like we have seen someone do has nothing to do with integration of chat into B.net code base.
Until you've been given access to view the entire b.net code structure, and fully understand it please don't pretend to know how quickly is can be done.
Met most of my gaming friends through SC1 chat channels. I still play games with them, we've made CS and guild war teams. It is very disturbing that this social aspect is lacking in SC2. I can easily see someone being turned off from the game because of the lack of interaction, currently. If someone is new / doesn't have friends to game with, it is almost impossible to meet a group of people on SC2. Yeah, you can meet one or two individual players, but there lacks a community that the chat channels provided.
In short, b.net 2.0 needs to upgrade to b.net 3.0 if Blizzard wants to appeal to the newer crowd. The crowd that played SC1 won't have as many problems adjusting because they probably already have a core group of friends to play with, but newer customers are going to be floating in the void.
On May 19 2010 23:09 Spidermonkey wrote: In 1998 two neighbors and I began playing StarCraft. We stumbled onto a channel that had some ex-beta ladder players in it and they were pretty good. This channel became our home and during the next few months after launch more people started showing up in this channel.
As it turned out during one of our in between game converstations, a large portion of us lived in California... not only in California but we realized that 5 of us lived in the same city. We met up a few days later and since 1998 those have been some of my closet friends. I've lived with them, drank with them, been to weddings, kids births, and graduation parties.
All because we happend to be in the same SC channel 12 years ago. This can't happen now.
...But it could happen when StarCraft 2 actually comes out; that's the point that many people (including myself) are making. Your anecdote, while touching, doesn't imply that you can't befriend people after the game comes out. You make it sound as if people can't become friends through StarCraft channels unless it happens before the game comes out.
No no no, I'm not saying that. As soon as channels come out all my personal bitching goes away. What I'm saying is that from past beta experience I don't hold out hope for something that Developers say "we'll add later".
Ah okay, fair enough :-) I wouldn't worry too much about them not including channels ;-)
On May 19 2010 19:07 Crimson.Slayer wrote: It's a beta... They want us to test the functionality of the game. Making friends would be nice, but if your posting here you have access to a bigger Starcraft 2 playing community than you would currently on bnet. If you want to complain about the social aspect, do so about how unfriendly or unsporting people are. No GL/HF at the begining and no GG when they lose. As much as I get tempered when I get cheesed I still gg, and watch the replay to learn from my defeat. I'll note it again; It's a BETA. They'll probably add at launch the chat rooms and unless they've said a definitive no to group replays they'll have that as well.
Come on man, I don't know what to say. Read for once? There is information everywhere that it's not just BETA and they won't have the chat rooms. Isn't that something to complain about?
agree 100% with OP. in sc1 i went online to play and to chat with friends and new ppl, actually more than i wanted to play. in sc2 i only go online to play no channels is retarded along with crashing at any button i click in bnet 2.0
sides, why they removed the social stuff like B.net's chat rooms? Cause there was a thread before concerning pro gamers being harassed by anti or fanboys. (well, that's my assumption)
So, instead they introduced identifiers, which means if someone messages me, I can't even block him cause I can't see what his identifier is ?
Anyway, I haven't had very many annoying people I've wanted to block, but it's gonna be an issue for some.
On May 19 2010 23:45 MorroW wrote: agree 100% with OP. in sc1 i went online to play and to chat with friends and new ppl, actually more than i wanted to play. in sc2 i only go online to play no channels is retarded along with crashing at any button i click in bnet 2.0
I love how this bug hasn't been fixed yet - it's been around since patch..... 9? 10?
On May 19 2010 23:45 MorroW wrote: agree 100% with OP. in sc1 i went online to play and to chat with friends and new ppl, actually more than i wanted to play. in sc2 i only go online to play no channels is retarded along with crashing at any button i click in bnet 2.0
Definitely agreed, I spent way more hours chatcrafting and watching reps with people in sc1. SC2 beta has just been getting to know the game, then deciding to forget about it until the rest of the functionality is available and my friends can play.
Yeah, I think from what I've read they will be adding these chat rooms. I don't understand y they didn't in the first place it really confuses me. Anyway I personally don't care too much really, but it does seem something is really lacking and I know many people really want it.
I can completely understand the decision not to implement them until release. But to not have them at release? to seemingly forget about them until the community got upset, and then say it will be in a future patch... I dont know, seems like some weird priorities there.
I miss bw channels. A couple of gosus hanging out, the noobs, the bm guys trash talking, the dodgers, the people always afk, the flame wars and the constructive discussions. Bnet 2.0 has no taste so far.
I agree with you about the chatting. There is much less chillin. There is practically no point in logging onto SC2 unless you want your graphics card to work overtime or you're playing a game.
On May 19 2010 23:45 MorroW wrote: agree 100% with OP. in sc1 i went online to play and to chat with friends and new ppl, actually more than i wanted to play. in sc2 i only go online to play no channels is retarded along with crashing at any button i click in bnet 2.0
Definitely agreed, I spent way more hours chatcrafting and watching reps with people in sc1. SC2 beta has just been getting to know the game, then deciding to forget about it until the rest of the functionality is available and my friends can play.
Agreed. I can understand why Blizzard wouldn't want channels in for a portion of Beta. Funnel us to game testing, that's fine. However beta is nearly done and we are going to see a sort of open beta/demo right before launch. If Blizzard was planning on implementing chat for that, great, it all makes perfect sense... but they aren't. Blizzard said chat channels are an AFTER launch feature.
At this point, given how crappy the ladder system is and the lack of socail options, I miss the old b.net.
The system in the original Starcraft was horrible and encouraged spam fests. Chat channels as they were, were major fail.
I think some form of private chat channels would be good, as long as the creator can boot people. But most chat channels are fail. I don't miss them 1 bit.
i hope they get over it and implement normal chatrooms even if i never would use them its like playing iccup atm, but thinking of the older times when bw was new first thing i did after login was joining brood war deu-1, oftentimes just chilling there and talking i agree it feels kind of cold atm
I agree with you, but I don't think the game completely falls apart without chat channels like you seem to suggest.
I've used the practice partner thread here and have a friends list full of mannered, active gamers around my skill level to practice with. So it's still fairly social every time I log onto b.net for some SC2.
Okay, guys, Blizzard already has addressed this. So stop whining and read this post :
They said that they can add in Chat Rooms any time they want, they already have the code, but they want a better system, so instead of adding it in BETA, there seeing if there is a better system. They still want the same community feel, why would they not? Think for a second. The interegating WoW and lolfacebook, so it creates a community. And you think they don't want to? When the games out they will know if they have a better system or not, if they don't, well here are the chat rooms. At school, so can't find source, but what they have done so far is they want to create a community. Why do you think they forums? Why do you think they allow a bunch of fan sites.
On May 20 2010 00:07 Savio wrote: The system in the original Starcraft was horrible and encouraged spam fests. Chat channels as they were, were major fail.
I think some form of private chat channels would be good, as long as the creator can boot people. But most chat channels are fail. I don't miss them 1 bit.
Spam is easily solved and nobody is obligated to join a chat channel if they don't want to.
On May 20 2010 00:51 Enragemana wrote: Okay, guys, Blizzard already has addressed this. So stop whining and read this post :
They said that they can add in Chat Rooms any time they want, they already have the code, but they want a better system, so instead of adding it in BETA, there seeing if there is a better system. They still want the same community feel, why would they not? Think for a second. The interegating WoW and lolfacebook, so it creates a community. And you think they don't want to? When the games out they will know if they have a better system or not, if they don't, well here are the chat rooms. At school, so can't find source, but what they have done so far is they want to create a community. Why do you think they forums? Why do you think they allow a bunch of fan sites.
So let me get this straight. They have the code. They don't implement the code. They have something way better!!! Just not...yet. They cant have both because that would implode the universe. So we get. Nothing.
I have no WoW friends, i only befriend chicks on facebook and as for the "community" argument. We are the community, we've been here for more than 10 years. Why take away (or not implement) such vibrant tools like chatrooms and online replays?
On May 20 2010 00:51 Enragemana wrote: Okay, guys, Blizzard already has addressed this. So stop whining and read this post :
They said that they can add in Chat Rooms any time they want, they already have the code, but they want a better system, so instead of adding it in BETA, there seeing if there is a better system. They still want the same community feel, why would they not? Think for a second. The interegating WoW and lolfacebook, so it creates a community. And you think they don't want to? When the games out they will know if they have a better system or not, if they don't, well here are the chat rooms. At school, so can't find source, but what they have done so far is they want to create a community. Why do you think they forums? Why do you think they allow a bunch of fan sites.
So let me get this straight. They have the code. They don't implement the code. They have something way better!!! Just not...yet. They cant have both because that would implode the universe. So we get. Nothing.
I have no WoW friends, i only befriend chicks on facebook and as for the "community" argument. We are the community, we've been here for more than 10 years. Why take away (or not implement) such vibrant tools like chatrooms and online replays?
If they have a mediocre system that they know they can do better/will do better but just haven't had enough time to hash out yet (yes it's close to release, w/e) and they release that mediocre chat system, all they're going to get is a bunch of feedback (read: bitching) on a chat system they know they don't want to keep. Pretty pointless on their part because a lot of feedback is going to waste. Useless for them, very frustrating for us.
Could I perhaps entice OP to look into social networking sites such as facebook.com or myspace.com ?? If you're so interested in meeting mass amounts of people, perhaps check those out. Or maybe if you want to meet people AND game with them...Just use steam more, and go find a different game to play?
Like with the language filter? Or because there's the xbox live dude working on the battle.net and he probably thinks achievements are more important than chatrooms, online replays,useful statistics, or just an interface that doesnt look like it's been designed for TV's?
Although I agree with the fact that its ridiculous to have no chat rooms, I really like the 2v2 idea where you can 2v2 with your friend. Hopefully they will add chat rooms really soon after the release, I don't know why they wouldnt.
On May 20 2010 01:26 RoosterSamurai wrote: Could I perhaps entice OP to look into social networking sites such as facebook.com or myspace.com ?? If you're so interested in meeting mass amounts of people, perhaps check those out. Or maybe if you want to meet people AND game with them...Just use steam more, and go find a different game to play?
Not that I'm a good representative sample of all SC players, but I'm more likely to want to talk about playing SC2 on an SC2 chat room than on my facebook wall or various facebook groups.
SC2 and real life rarely mix, and they don't typically mix well.
Not that I'm a good representative sample of all SC players, but I'm more likely to want to talk about playing SC2 on an SC2 chat room than on my facebook wall or various facebook groups.
SC2 and real life rarely mix, and they don't typically mix well.
For people that chatting is absolutely essential to their game experience, as a temporary fix, alt tab and open the TL IRC to chat or view one of the various popular live stream / ustreams that have many people chatting. This is the means I will use until chat channels are available.
Honestly, you're more likely to get more mature, intelligent conversation out of those means than you would in a typical b.net chat channel anyways.
On May 19 2010 18:45 TabyLing wrote: I started playing broodwar in 2005, I found battle.net to be this strange and great place with so much option for communication and meeting people, it made it so fun, it wasn't just the game at all there was a huge social element that kept me going back years after i stopped playing seriously.
I have met so many people on battle.net from all over the world, made some really good friends and even met my partner on there. I went from friend group to friend group because it was so easy to make new friends and just relax and chat.
Now battle.net 2 is this cold and empty place, even though i have friends in the beta i barely have any interest playing it, there is nothing to make me want to go online, nowhere to idle and just chat about w/e or meet new people. I don't want some random channels saying your are meant to talk about a particular thing or weird stuff like that, the system in the original battle.net was perfect I don't understand why blizzard would change it, or completely subtract it, I have always thought during the whole time, blizzard is a great company, they aren't blind, they know what made the game successful, they wouldn't remove such an integral part... would they?
The social aspect has been removed so completely, even watching replays online with friends is gone. The hours me and my friends would spend playing, then watching reps, or more experienced players explaining things with reps, or just when everyone wants to eat or take a break from playing... This is no longer there, to be completely honest because of not being able to watch replays online i never really got into warcraft 3 and left it even though i had friends there. It just removed such an important social aspect for me.
It really does concern me, the so far complete lack of channels and social atmosphere, since it makes me uninterested in the beta, should I really spend so much on the game? I don't see myself playing it for long or enjoying the cold and lifeless multiplayer.
Some of the changes are pretty neat, it's easier to have a private conversation i guess, but the whole msn style of things for all conversations doesn't work at all. I want a place to go to chat with the people I am playing with, A place with new interesting people that might join in the fun... I want to play starcraft and I want the socialness which was such an integral part of my continued interest and enjoyment while i played it.
I agree... you should post this on the Blizzard beta forum if you haven't already. I don't think they will have chat rooms by launch, but if enough people complain they make include this "feature" in one of the expansions.
It's only a beta so please stop saying you can't talk with your friends...
the only thing I agree with you is the fact that you won't be able to watch replay with friends. I'm pretty sure they said something about adding this feature in a patch later on but I would have been really happy to be able to do that right at the start.
On May 20 2010 00:51 Enragemana wrote: Okay, guys, Blizzard already has addressed this. So stop whining and read this post :
They said that they can add in Chat Rooms any time they want, they already have the code, but they want a better system, so instead of adding it in BETA, there seeing if there is a better system. They still want the same community feel, why would they not? Think for a second. The interegating WoW and lolfacebook, so it creates a community. And you think they don't want to? When the games out they will know if they have a better system or not, if they don't, well here are the chat rooms. At school, so can't find source, but what they have done so far is they want to create a community. Why do you think they forums? Why do you think they allow a bunch of fan sites.
Are you serious? Why do they have forums? They have forums because just about every major game developed has forums both pre and post-release. It's difficult to generate and maintain hype about a game without giving a venue for fanboys to crusade against anyone who criticize something about it. Also, do you think TL.net went to Blizzard to get permission to make a site about Starcraft? Of course not. Fan sites are free advertising for the company. There's no reason any sensible company would put a lockdown on those. Besides, it would be difficult to shut down fan sites anyway (if for some strange reason, they wanted to) because there's this thing called "freedom of speech" on the internet.
For everyone constantly reminding us that this is a BETA, let's all remind ourselves that we're at a point in this beta where we're like 2 months away from the game's retail release. If there's a feature as simple as chatrooms that isn't yet implemented, it's generally pretty safe to assume that we're probably not going to see it at release. All that talk about how they want people to play the game rather than idle in a chatroom is complete BS to me simply because people idle in chatrooms when they don't want to play. In that case, instead of idling, they'll just turn the game off and go do something else anyway. It's not like you force people to play more by not implementing chat channels. The "it's just beta" argument also immediately fails just on the fact that it's already been stated numerous times that chatrooms are NOT going to be in the initial retail release of the game. The fact that they already supposedly have the code to implement chatrooms (which I don't doubt because it's not complicated to write up) and can implement them whenever they want, but are for some reason unwilling to implement them at release is a completely legitimate cause for concern because it obviously means that they don't actually have an intention of implementing it at all. If they did, why wouldn't they just do it?
Talking about how they want a community feel doesn't work when their initial plan at release is to not have open social interaction within the game. A game should not have to rely on fansites like TL.net or other programs such as Skype or Ventrilo for players to adequately communicate with eachother within the community so any such suggestions really have nothing to do with the issue at hand... Would Blizzard have released World of Warcraft without a general chat channel despite the fact that players could communicate through these other methods? Of course not, because that would be stupid. Why would it be considered any less stupid here?
I am well aware of Browder talking about having "something better" in mind or some BS like that, but I would immediately write that off as a load of bullshit simply because creating a venue for social interaction is not complicated. All this Facebook integration or whatever is just nonsense because while it's how we interact with our real-life friends, it has absolutely no relationship in most instances with the way we interact with our gaming friends. I've never had a gaming friend on my Facebook and I never will because my gaming life and my real life are two completely separate things and I've no desire to combine them. Chatrooms were an integral part of the Battle.net experience and frankly, they got it right the first time around. Whatever complaints of SPAM could easily be addressed by squelching spammers and having private, moderated channels so I don't see what part of the experience actually needs to be improved... This is all a massive miss on Blizzard's part. They're so far off the mark, but every interview Browder gives makes me feel that they might just be so arrogant that they don't realize how far off they actually are. Why bother asking the community for input if you're not going to listen to it?
Maybe I would actually be more convinced if Browder had given some details into what this supposedly "better system" actually is, but without any such details I will simply continue to assume that he's got a mouth full of shit that he's spewing to make it seem like he's actually in touch with how people feel. Of course I know I'll immediately be pounced on by a bunch of rabid Blizzard fanboys, but I'm just calling it the way I see it. You may be the type to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I'm not. Suffice to say, there's no way I'm buying this game at launch... I am simply not the type that finds "fun" in sitting there laddering all day against random strangers I don't know and will never talk to again. Community is a big part of the game for me and seeing as how I don't have any friends on real life that play Starcraft or plan to play Starcraft 2, having no open community interaction within the game would not jive with me at all. I'll definitely wait to see what Blizzard does with this game before shelling out my money for it.
Yeah I agree with this too and I agree with posting it on the bnet forums, even if it's been posted there before. Dunno why blizz has to be so retarded about this but if they don't have a chat system it is going to hurt long-term game sales. . If I do not get into the first release of sc2 because blizz doesn't give me chat channels, I will not be buying the expansions.
On May 19 2010 18:45 TabyLing wrote: I started playing broodwar in 2005, I found battle.net to be this strange and great place with so much option for communication and meeting people, it made it so fun, it wasn't just the game at all there was a huge social element that kept me going back years after i stopped playing seriously.
I have met so many people on battle.net from all over the world, made some really good friends and even met my partner on there. I went from friend group to friend group because it was so easy to make new friends and just relax and chat.
Now battle.net 2 is this cold and empty place, even though i have friends in the beta i barely have any interest playing it, there is nothing to make me want to go online, nowhere to idle and just chat about w/e or meet new people. I don't want some random channels saying your are meant to talk about a particular thing or weird stuff like that, the system in the original battle.net was perfect I don't understand why blizzard would change it, or completely subtract it, I have always thought during the whole time, blizzard is a great company, they aren't blind, they know what made the game successful, they wouldn't remove such an integral part... would they?
The social aspect has been removed so completely, even watching replays online with friends is gone. The hours me and my friends would spend playing, then watching reps, or more experienced players explaining things with reps, or just when everyone wants to eat or take a break from playing... This is no longer there, to be completely honest because of not being able to watch replays online i never really got into warcraft 3 and left it even though i had friends there. It just removed such an important social aspect for me.
It really does concern me, the so far complete lack of channels and social atmosphere, since it makes me uninterested in the beta, should I really spend so much on the game? I don't see myself playing it for long or enjoying the cold and lifeless multiplayer.
Some of the changes are pretty neat, it's easier to have a private conversation i guess, but the whole msn style of things for all conversations doesn't work at all. I want a place to go to chat with the people I am playing with, A place with new interesting people that might join in the fun... I want to play starcraft and I want the socialness which was such an integral part of my continued interest and enjoyment while i played it.
You played WoW? If yes, you are one of these Persons who spam/talk all Day long in the *Trade* Chat, right? TBH... i think a Game is not there for heavy chatting, there is Facebook Twitter and all the stuff out there to do this. A Game is there to play it. And Private Chat, Group Chats is more than enough to communicate in the Game to make Groups or something like that.
WoW... why do all ppl talk in the Trade Chat? Instead of going in a private Chat? Most of them just wanna annoy other People (Spam.. etc.), or they want to distinguish oneself in a Public Chat, there is no other reason for it! And thats why we dont need any Public Chat like the Trade Chat in WoW. open up a Group Chat invite your People you wanna talk with, and thats it! Why do youw ant to distinguish yourself or annoy other People?
Didn't read all the posts here but I agree with everyone saying that laddering alone is boring. I used to play all the time with all 3 races and now I haven't even touched the game in 2-3 weeks besides some UMS maps and watching streams. Come to think of it the most fun I had was when I was playing with friends instead of just mindlessly grinding away at the ladder.
On May 20 2010 00:51 Enragemana wrote: Okay, guys, Blizzard already has addressed this. So stop whining and read this post :
They said that they can add in Chat Rooms any time they want, they already have the code, but they want a better system, so instead of adding it in BETA, there seeing if there is a better system. They still want the same community feel, why would they not? Think for a second. The interegating WoW and lolfacebook, so it creates a community. And you think they don't want to? When the games out they will know if they have a better system or not, if they don't, well here are the chat rooms. At school, so can't find source, but what they have done so far is they want to create a community. Why do you think they forums? Why do you think they allow a bunch of fan sites.
Are you serious? Why do they have forums? They have forums because just about every major game developed has forums both pre and post-release. It's difficult to generate and maintain hype about a game without giving a venue for fanboys to crusade against anyone who criticize something about it. Also, do you think TL.net went to Blizzard to get permission to make a site about Starcraft? Of course not. Fan sites are free advertising for the company. There's no reason any sensible company would put a lockdown on those. Besides, it would be difficult to shut down fan sites anyway (if for some strange reason, they wanted to) because there's this thing called "freedom of speech" on the internet.
For everyone constantly reminding us that this is a BETA, let's all remind ourselves that we're at a point in this beta where we're like 2 months away from the game's retail release. If there's a feature as simple as chatrooms that isn't yet implemented, it's generally pretty safe to assume that we're probably not going to see it at release. All that talk about how they want people to play the game rather than idle in a chatroom is complete BS to me simply because people idle in chatrooms when they don't want to play. In that case, instead of idling, they'll just turn the game off and go do something else anyway. It's not like you force people to play more by not implementing chat channels. The "it's just beta" argument also immediately fails just on the fact that it's already been stated numerous times that chatrooms are NOT going to be in the initial retail release of the game. The fact that they already supposedly have the code to implement chatrooms (which I don't doubt because it's not complicated to write up) and can implement them whenever they want, but are for some reason unwilling to implement them at release is a completely legitimate cause for concern because it obviously means that they don't actually have an intention of implementing it at all. If they did, why wouldn't they just do it?
Talking about how they want a community feel doesn't work when their initial plan at release is to not have open social interaction within the game. A game should not have to rely on fansites like TL.net or other programs such as Skype or Ventrilo for players to adequately communicate with eachother within the community so any such suggestions really have nothing to do with the issue at hand... Would Blizzard have released World of Warcraft without a general chat channel despite the fact that players could communicate through these other methods? Of course not, because that would be stupid. Why would it be considered any less stupid here?
I am well aware of Browder talking about having "something better" in mind or some BS like that, but I would immediately write that off as a load of bullshit simply because creating a venue for social interaction is not complicated. All this Facebook integration or whatever is just nonsense because while it's how we interact with our real-life friends, it has absolutely no relationship in most instances with the way we interact with our gaming friends. I've never had a gaming friend on my Facebook and I never will because my gaming life and my real life are two completely separate things and I've no desire to combine them. Chatrooms were an integral part of the Battle.net experience and frankly, they got it right the first time around. Whatever complaints of SPAM could easily be addressed by squelching spammers and having private, moderated channels so I don't see what part of the experience actually needs to be improved... This is all a massive miss on Blizzard's part. They're so far off the mark, but every interview Browder gives makes me feel that they might just be so arrogant that they don't realize how far off they actually are. Why bother asking the community for input if you're not going to listen to it?
Maybe I would actually be more convinced if Browder had given some details into what this supposedly "better system" actually is, but without any such details I will simply continue to assume that he's got a mouth full of shit that he's spewing to make it seem like he's actually in touch with how people feel. Of course I know I'll immediately be pounced on by a bunch of rabid Blizzard fanboys, but I'm just calling it the way I see it. You may be the type to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I'm not. Suffice to say, there's no way I'm buying this game at launch... I am simply not the type that finds "fun" in sitting there laddering all day against random strangers I don't know and will never talk to again. Community is a big part of the game for me and seeing as how I don't have any friends on real life that play Starcraft or plan to play Starcraft 2, having open community interaction within the game would not jive with me at all. I'll definitely wait to see what Blizzard does with this game before shelling out my money for it.
Do you just ignore what I say? Do you read posts. I said they HAVE the code, there holding back to implement it because they want to have a BETTER system. There last resort is chatrooms. No matter what there will be chatrooms or something better. Your bluff on not buying the game is ridcolous because you don't have facts, but are basing off your own opinion. I'm not a fan boy, but look at the facts.
On May 20 2010 01:57 travis wrote: Yeah I agree with this too and I agree with posting it on the bnet forums, even if it's been posted there before. Dunno why blizz has to be so retarded about this but if they don't have a chat system it is going to hurt long-term game sales. . If I do not get into the first release of sc2 because blizz doesn't give me chat channels, I will not be buying the expansions.
Retarted? They know we want chat rooms, but they want to improve chat rooms, not remove them. Your whining like an 8 year old, "I wont buy there expansions". THEY KNOW THAT. For christ's sake they know if they dont have chat rooms people will be upset. They aren't stupid, there is a reason why there are on top. They want something BETTER then chatrooms, if they can't figure anything out. Well then, there are your chat rooms. This complaint is a false complaint, because Blizzard knows.
On May 20 2010 01:57 travis wrote: Yeah I agree with this too and I agree with posting it on the bnet forums, even if it's been posted there before. Dunno why blizz has to be so retarded about this but if they don't have a chat system it is going to hurt long-term game sales. . If I do not get into the first release of sc2 because blizz doesn't give me chat channels, I will not be buying the expansions.
Retarted? They know we want chat rooms, but they want to improve chat rooms, not remove them.
what are you talking about? they already removed them.
Your whining like an 8 year old, "I wont buy there expansions". THEY KNOW THAT. For christ's sake they know if they dont have chat rooms people will be upset. They aren't stupid, there is a reason why there are on top. They want something BETTER then chatrooms, if they can't figure anything out. Well then, there are your chat rooms. This complaint is a false complaint, because Blizzard knows.
ok then i will wait until their facebookesque crap comes out and then I will complain ok? I want chat rooms, not social networking features. I want to actually be able to communicate with other players in real time in a way that is directly functional rather than "cute". I already have forums. There isn't anything better than a chat room for chatting.
I want to be able to say to a room of players "hey, does anyone want to play?" Then I want that entire room of players to see that, and for anyone who is interested to be able to answer. Make sense?
There not putting in chatrooms right now because they want to find a better system. I'm not saying there IS a better one, but if they find one, I will guarentee you would like it. THEY KNOW u want to communicate. They want people to be able to share replays, watch replays together. This is the very start of the game, they are focusing on gameplay > polished features for the beta. I bet the 2nd phase will contain all the other things.
I totally feel the exact same way about the social aspect. Additionally, I just feel that this game isn't as 'fun' as its predecessor. For example, in BW 1v1 when I would be playing, my adrenaline would be pumping and I would be totally into the game. When I would win it would feel extremely rewarding and I would be itching to get the next game started. In SC2, it lost that 'fun' aspect. So much to the point that it sometimes feel like I am forcing myself to play and not doing so out of enjoyment.
The game and interface has a whole slew of problems atm. Hopefully blizzard will fix it up before final release or I'm sure many including myself will be very disappointed.
You played WoW? If yes, you are one of these Persons who spam/talk all Day long in the *Trade* Chat, right? TBH... i think a Game is not there for heavy chatting, there is Facebook Twitter and all the stuff out there to do this. A Game is there to play it. And Private Chat, Group Chats is more than enough to communicate in the Game to make Groups or something like that.
WoW... why do all ppl talk in the Trade Chat? Instead of going in a private Chat? Most of them just wanna annoy other People (Spam.. etc.), or they want to distinguish oneself in a Public Chat, there is no other reason for it! And thats why we dont need any Public Chat like the Trade Chat in WoW. open up a Group Chat invite your People you wanna talk with, and thats it! Why do youw ant to distinguish yourself or annoy other People?
Games are about more than just playing, there's a large community aspect to them. Communities that enhance the playing experience. Chat channels and forums are the way to form communities, not fucking Twitter and Facebook.
I never talk in trade or any other channel but I very much value that the constant chatter is there. Half the time I don't even read it but just seeing it scroll by lets me know I'm not alone. And that plays a part of why people congregate in capitals in WoW: there's no default global chat and most people don't want to hang around in a lifeless zone. Think about that.
I honestly won't miss public channel a lot. They were always full of trolls and ppl insulting each other over silly matter or spamming retarded stuff. Not being able to create your own channel sucks though.
So considering they already have the code for a chatroom, why the hell wouldn't they just implement it now and when they get a "better system" (assuming that it's actually better), why don't they simply upgrade it to that when they finish developing it? By the way, what exactly is this supposedly "better system"? Do you have any details about it. Have you HEARD any details about it? Or do you just believe whatever Browder spits out of his mouth in an interview at face value? Because I have a method of giving free electricity to everyone across the world. So I think we should go cut off everyone's electricity now because I will have my method soon. Worst case scenario, if I don't have it by some arbitrary time, then we could go reconnect everyone's electricity with their own system. Oh, and for all the people whining, you can just buy own own generator if it annoys you that much. Obviously what I just said is absurd because if the goal is giving people electricity, we would continue to use the old system until a better system is ready to implement. Blizzard's current method of not implementing anything until they have a better system and if they can't find one, to THEN go ahead an implement the older system that they could have already implemented makes no sense...
I read every word of your post, did you read ANY word of my post?
The facts: There's no open social interaction in the beta. It's already been stated that there will be no chatrooms at release. There are absolutely no details surrounding this "better system" that they have in mind to replace chatrooms. They already have the ability to implement chatrooms whenever they want, but for some reason are not doing it despite the fact that they don't have any other system ready to implement yet.
Those are the facts and every single thing I said was based on those facts. And the thing about me not buying the game was not a "bluff". There's no point in me bluffing with Blizzard as they don't give a damn whether I buy the game or not. I'm just saying that I'll believe it when I see it. Buying a game on release date is stupid because that's how you waste a lot of money on bad games. The only exception to this is if you somehow tested the game before and you already knew it was good. Starcraft 2 at this point, doesn't fit into that category for me. While it's certainly an adequate game to play when you're playing it, the beta so far has shown the total package to be lacking. And unfortunately, there's no much to indicate that it will get better any time soon or even by the game's release date. This is shown by the fact that everyone arguing that it will be improved is talking about how it will be patched after release or how it will be improved in a subsequent expansion pack. I'm of the opinion that I shouldn't have to settle for a mediocre game until an expansion pack comes out and if that's the case, I'll just wait until the expansion pack comes out and proves that it's actually worth buying before buying the game at all.
sides, why they removed the social stuff like B.net's chat rooms? Cause there was a thread before concerning pro gamers being harassed by anti or fanboys. (well, that's my assumption)
So, instead they introduced identifiers, which means if someone messages me, I can't even block him cause I can't see what his identifier is ?
Anyway, I haven't had very many annoying people I've wanted to block, but it's gonna be an issue for some.
On May 19 2010 23:45 MorroW wrote: agree 100% with OP. in sc1 i went online to play and to chat with friends and new ppl, actually more than i wanted to play. in sc2 i only go online to play no channels is retarded along with crashing at any button i click in bnet 2.0
I love how this bug hasn't been fixed yet - it's been around since patch..... 9? 10?
But you can block people if your not in game anyway you just open up the chat window select the arrow in the window, right click his name, block communication.
First off, a big reason why they might not have chatrooms, the beta is to be played to make the game thoroughly tested for launch. Chat rooms do not aid in that function, so idly hanging out just wastes time and money.
Second, yes there was a problem with pros getting harassed in BNet, but they can just do the same thing as Bnet and put in the identifiers like BNet 2.0, and don't show the indentifiers to people you don't want to. Make it so people require identifiers to chat with people in private messages, and like in BNet make it so people can be restricted from a channel for not being in a clan or something. Allow us to have bots, not hack the code to do it, allow us to have a bot per channel ran server side, it would make sense.
The lack of any social aspect of them game really eliminates half the fun of the game. As much as people are all serious about laddering, etc.. you can't say that any one of you don't enjoy just hanging out in a channel where all your friends hang out in when they aren't in a game. It's so much fun just interacting, and when I get on starcraft 2 right now, it actually feels like I am just some random kid playing when there is like 30k people online, its ridiculous.
I really want channels back or some kind of public interaction, because I get bored and feel like I'm playing elder scrolls or something by myself when I'm playing. Even when I do customs, it's not like we all go to a chat after the game or can just mess around..
ok then i will wait until their facebookesque crap comes out and then I will complain ok?
Facebook integration is INCREDIBLY easy and requires so little time. It can be done by a web team with so much ease. To stream to facebook is simply pulling database data that already exists holding SC2 data onto facebook. The facebook infrastructure allows this to be done by anyone with any web programming knowledge at all in very little time. What makes this even easier is they already have this infrastructure developed for WoW.
I find it funny that people criticize them for wasting time adding social networking but have absolutely no knowledge from a programming and development perspective of how this works, how they are designed, or how they are implemented. If you're going to express strong opinions on topics, become at least somewhat educated on them.
I myself am a programmer by profession, namely in the web development area; so I am sure my arguments are backed with more knowledge on the topic than a lot of the people that are criticizing Blizzard's approach.
Starcraft was made in 1998 and Broodwar came out soon after...this means there was at least 6 months and cents of updates, patches, fixes, bugs, problems, issues that you were not around for....so of course you walked in on an awesome game.....why make such opinions about a game that is still in the beta stage
On May 20 2010 02:45 gundream wrote: Starcraft was made in 1998 and Broodwar came out soon after...this means there was at least 6 months and cents of updates, patches, fixes, bugs, problems, issues that you were not around for....so of course you walked in on an awesome game.....why make such opinions about a game that is still in the beta stage
Starcraft was considered an awesome and entertaining game even before the release of Brood War. We didn't have to wait until Brood War came out to be able to have open chats with eachother either... Balance issues are understandable, but we're talking about a basic game feature here... Beta tests back then were also different from beta tests today. Today, betas are used just as much to promote the game and advertise the in-game experience as they are to actually test the game. Certainly Blizzard's recent betas have been more about hyping the game than testing features, which is why Blizzard recent games have gone into beta much more polished than other companies.
i think you shouldnt rely so much on such online-chats and communitys (ofc on TL you should ;]) because if you look outside the window, you can see so many people, be potentialy your friend and you could see him/her every day without even going online. i never saw the communication system in bw and i dont say its bad but after 10 years, i imagine there are many changes. during the beta are of course also many changes and possibly after 10 years there are also just a few people. so go outside and see people, you can see every day if you want. its not so heartbreaking then
im pretty sure i read dustin browder say they have no intention of bringing the chat channel system back, because they didnt have enough time to release date, and with all the stuff they are working on now (facebook integration oh jesus i cant wait for this shit).
It puzzles me as to how stupid blizzard can be, to remove one of the most basic components of a multiplayer setting. BW had an ok chat channel system, which was further improved in wc3(with clan system, active friends list and such), and now they removed it, lol
EPT
and not beforehand 
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