This morning there was a Heroes of the Storm press conference with Dustin Browder that we attended to take notes on the design philosophy and information about the upcoming game. A lot of this is more detailed information and if you want a basic overview of how the game plays you can find it here.
Throughout the questions, Browder stressed that all the details are still under development and they were currently making sure the big picture was correct as far as ideals and development vision were concerned. He also made a big point to mention that all the designers play lots of League as well as Dota and they like what those games do, and want this to be a different experience.
Below is a separate, video interview we did with Robert Khoo, a developer on HotS who is in charge of hero design.
When will we get it?
Signups opened for the beta this weekend because they feel they are on the cusp of being able to offer it to the public. No hard quarter estimates as usual, though they want people to know it will be around the corner.
How will HotS deal with issues of community toxicity?
They aim to develop the game around mechanics that support a positive environment. In game this means focusing more on objectives rather than straight mechanics such as last hitting, and designing around fun and clear team work. Out of game they will be doing it through incentives such as bonuses for playing with people you know, and building systems that encourage interaction within the community.and makes it easy to find and make friends through the chat channels. Specifically he referred to vanilla WoW and said they want to go back to the feel of your reputation being so important that it means people are always nice to each other to keep up their cred on the servers.
What is the design philosophy behind shared experience?
It came from the idea of wanting supports to be able to easily gain experience. There is a hero in the game, Abathur, who is extremely weak to the point of being unable to even fight directly and having essentially no attack damage, and they found there was no way for him to gain experience because of it. When they gave supports like him attack damage and hit points, however, they found it made spellcasters much too strong. Shared experience is how they intend to build up hero diversity and allow for hard spellcasters to exist and be useful as commander units, rather than people who are always physically in the battle.
He referred to it as "the socialist approach" to team game building, and left it by saying if you want a game where you can be 10 levels higher than your teammates as the carry, then this isn't the game for you.
One thing they will consider adding is a chart that shows you how much experience you contributed to the team total (right now it just displays a single number for each team).
What is max level, and game time?
Max level is 25, and the game aims for 20 minutes. The 20 minute quote is all over their press materials, and they arrived at that number because "it just feels right", citing Brood War, Warcraft 3, and Starcraft 2 as examples of how that works.
How will skill choices work?
At certain levels you are given the choice between 2 or 3 talents, which is how you build your heroes in this game (as opposed to leveling up individual skills). They are things like more attack damage, more attack speed, or more range on one of your active abilities. They want to add functionality for choosing between different sets of these before the game, so you would pick which set of choices you want at levels 1, 4, 7, etc that you have some instances of "building" your hero before the game even starts, as you do with a CCG deck. These would not function as any kind of skill tree, but rather be discreet choices you would choose between several sets of talents for each applicable level.
This way it gives more choice in between games, though your options will still be more limited within the game.
What about esports?
Not at all worried about it currently. They would like to add features so that the community is able to take it competitive if they feel like it, but it is not a goal. Their goal is to design a fun, objective based game people play with their friends and not something that is only good for the very hard core audiences. When asked about the audience they're targeting, Browder was unable to give an answer and said the goal is to make a fun game that works and see who picks it up.
The platform itself is based on the SC2 engine so many features will be shared between games, and all of the features like shared replay watching and spectator clients will be similar for both.
How will map creation work?
It will be outsourced to the community. After the various issues early in SC2's career with maps not changing often enough for the community, the plan is to have a powerful map editor available to the public at large who can contribute in the same way that people make maps for previous Blizzard RTS games. Browder stressed that the custom games is one of the things that makes Brood War, Warcraft 3, and Starcraft 2 great and the team is planning on letting the fans do as much as they want as far as making new game modes.
The game currently has 3 different game types, and they plan on keeping the ladder pool somewhere between 3 and 5 with active rotations, the specifics of which are far off from being set.
How big will the full hero roster be?
The plan is to keep going until ideas start to repeat. Currently at Blizzcon there are 18, and internally the number is closer to 30 with heroes they're testing and balancing. There is no goal or set design for it yet, Browder said he would like to keep going until he runs out of gas on ideas but has yet to hit that point.
There will also be little concern given for lore concerns on hero designs, so the possibility for weird stuff is out there and won't limit what each hero is capable of.
Feels like they're taken out much of the required skill needed to succeed in this kind of game. Basically dumbing it down or making it simpler — whatever you prefer.
So basically what they did with Heartstone. Take Magic and dumb it down & simplify it as hell.
On November 10 2013 06:32 Trasko wrote: I am legit excited for this game!
I don´t know. I´m not. It starts with the game name. There is already Hots. Next thing: I´m not interested in making lot of friends in the internet. It happened in WoW, got me addicted for a while. But apparantly they want that to happen again with that "socialize thing".
It is quite funny though, that chat rooms are possible at launch.
On November 10 2013 06:32 Trasko wrote: I am legit excited for this game!
I don´t know. I´m not. It starts with the game name. There is already Hots. Next thing: I´m not interested in making lot of friends in the internet. It happened in WoW, got me addicted for a while. But apparantly they want that to happen again with that "socialize thing".
It is quite funny though, that chat rooms are possible at launch.
So your not exited for a game because u dont like the name and dont want to make friends.
Game is looking to be quite interesting so far. There are far simpler custom WC3 and SC2 maps that have sustained a large player base over a long time just because they are fun to play.
On November 10 2013 06:50 [F_]aths wrote: This could be the game I needed all the time.
Yeah, for me too, I like the gameplay of MOBAs or "hero brawler" but a single game can take an hour (not often, but happens), it appears that HotS goes directly to the midgame and have a lot of action.
Sounds good.The shared experience provides a lot of flexibility when designing heroes and the way skills work seems to be a good alternative to having items.
With a map editor, maybe mapmakers will be able to create their own versions of DotA using Heroes assets of they feel that HotS isn't measuring up. Perhaps there will be enough assets for Warcraft rts remakes.
On November 10 2013 06:32 Trasko wrote: I am legit excited for this game!
I don´t know. I´m not. It starts with the game name. There is already Hots. Next thing: I´m not interested in making lot of friends in the internet. It happened in WoW, got me addicted for a while. But apparantly they want that to happen again with that "socialize thing".
It is quite funny though, that chat rooms are possible at launch.
So your not exited for a game because u dont like the name and dont want to make friends.
Names are not that important. But if a company fails like this it is saying something. And yes, I don´t want to make friends on the internet. I gave you my explanation already. You can also add some features of this game to my list I don´t like in Hots: No gold, shared exp, ...
Well, my opinion won´t prevent you from trying it. After all, you can do what you like.
As suspected this sounds more like WC3 custom maps than what it was originally talked about as 1+ years ago.
At least personally WC3 custom maps is the most 'fun' I have ever had in a Blizzard game so that sounds cool, if it is that. I'm not too interested in this whole shared experience, no item, dota-like thing. But if there will also be people making tower defenses, hero siege, footmen frenzy, etc... but in a modern engine, then I will definitely play it. But I don't really know how that business model works around buying and earning heroes if you're encouraging custom map creation. Do people have to make custom maps around those rules? Not really explained.
Also kudos to Heyoka for wearing the NP shirt interviewing the designer.
~
On a side note I don't buy this whole 'shared experience' so that supports can be more supporty. Because sure, that does allow you to do that, but it invites so many other issues. There are other ways to solve that problem, you give them experience for supporting, be that through healing or vision or whatever. I think that an asymmetric growth allows for much more interesting dynamics in a team game.
It's not about 'well the carry is 10 levels higher than others', that's not really the point, the point is that you can build line-ups around focusing resources on certain heroes and this allows for much deeper strategy. And more importantly it allows for come-backs. I'm not seeing how a team comes back from a big deficit if the entire team is lower level than the other, which I guess plays into the 'games should only last X minutes', but what makes every team game great is when you have a huge comeback after getting your face kicked in for 90% of the game.
i just hope they wont dumb it down so its low skill curve, if a moba game could find balance between dota skill curve and keep it still fun for new guys to keep playing.
this game could be a blast but if its Another League copy cat its meh for me i want games to have a lot to learn and make plays, i dont want the game to hold my hand i want to hold the game.
i love that there is diffrent spell choices and that there is diffrent maps, my biggest question will be esports.
becuse lets be honest its the esport that keeps the moba alive and its fun ofc.
But core part is ppl trying to be better and better, ive played dota since start, and games without esportscene that "works" can die out pretty Quick.
and if this is f2p i hope its not a silly system like talent level system like lol. where you have an edge against others becuse you picked right talents and it becomes a Dice in picking builds.
and then rune system also, its your gameplay spells and items you pick and how well you play and your team play that should determine talent system and trait system have no Place in competetive mobas.
and please just becuse i said League of legends dont take this the wrong way and start a League vs dota battle, we are more mature than that!
On November 10 2013 08:18 TheBloodyDwarf wrote: Stop saying HoTS when there is already HoTS and Blizzard is using Heroes instead of HoTS
I don't know why people care so much if it's called HoTS. I mean, by the time this game comes out, Legacy of the Void will be out and no one will care about Heart of the Swarm anyways. How many people still say WoL regularly in any up to date discussion? Eventually no one will even mention HotS in reference to Starcraft by the time this releases.
It looks alright, i don't know what people are so hyped about (another) Dota ripoff that i would put money on it not being as good as dota was and still is.
On November 10 2013 10:07 sc14s wrote: It looks alright, i don't know what people are so hyped about (another) Dota ripoff that i would put money on it not being as good as dota was and still is.
On November 10 2013 08:18 TheBloodyDwarf wrote: Stop saying HoTS when there is already HoTS and Blizzard is using Heroes instead of HoTS
I don't know why people care so much if it's called HoTS. I mean, by the time this game comes out, Legacy of the Void will be out and no one will care about Heart of the Swarm anyways. How many people still say WoL regularly in any up to date discussion? Eventually no one will even mention HotS in reference to Starcraft by the time this releases.
LotV is still years away most likely, while this game sounds like it could be coming out any time now..there will be significant overlap between the two games..
One thing I really love was Browder's comment "We don't have a target audience, we just want to make a game that works and is fun and we'll see who picks it up" That is exactly what games should be about
I think it's a smart approach to start with the fun side first. Games like LoL did not pop out because of its hardcore mechanics. It was the fun side that brought people and made eSports mainstream. What makes the games competitive is not the mechanics but the amount of people playing.
If anyone has played TF2, it is a beautiful FPS game with a lot of strategies and very well developed mechanics. However, it's so hard to play even for a semi-casual player like me, which is why we don't see that game in the eSports scene.
On November 10 2013 11:13 MattBarry wrote: One thing I really love was Browder's comment "We don't have a target audience, we just want to make a game that works and is fun and we'll see who picks it up" That is exactly what games should be about
I really hate to call someone a liar, but yeah...
That was Blizz North's mantra, not present day Blizz. They have their thumb on marketing demographics, and while this game doesn't interest me in the least, it is a smart move for the company for sure.
We'll see how much they "don't care" about esports when the ToS is released lol. They can get away with that rhetoric when they have the legal team to cover it. :D
On November 10 2013 10:07 sc14s wrote: It looks alright, i don't know what people are so hyped about (another) Dota ripoff that i would put money on it not being as good as dota was and still is.
edited for bad grammar and spelling :S
I am hyped because it's not a Dota ripoff.
You could perhaps expand on why I would be interested in it other than nostalgia after spending so many years in the blizzard universe(s).
On November 10 2013 06:32 Trasko wrote: I am legit excited for this game!
I don´t know. I´m not. It starts with the game name. There is already Hots. Next thing: I´m not interested in making lot of friends in the internet. It happened in WoW, got me addicted for a while. But apparantly they want that to happen again with that "socialize thing".
It is quite funny though, that chat rooms are possible at launch.
So your not exited for a game because u dont like the name and dont want to make friends.
Nearly laughed my eyes out, exactly what I was thinking.
Anyways, I'm very excited for Heroes. I think it looks like it solves basically every problem I've ever had with MOBAs to make me not want to play them. I'm always interested in MOBAs, but just can't stand the long game time, lack of diversity between certain heroes, and horrible community. If all goes well, this could be perfect.
I'm a little skeptical about their control of the community, because that's the category in which there is the most outside influence. Thus, it's unlikely that their goals will come completely true if they don't do it perfectly.
BUT, they could end up doing it well enough. I have faith in Blizzard, but that will be difficult and I'm hoping they can pull it off.
On November 10 2013 11:13 MattBarry wrote: One thing I really love was Browder's comment "We don't have a target audience, we just want to make a game that works and is fun and we'll see who picks it up" That is exactly what games should be about
I really hate to call someone a liar, but yeah...
That was Blizz North's mantra, not present day Blizz. They have their thumb on marketing demographics, and while this game doesn't interest me in the least, it is a smart move for the company for sure.
We'll see how much they "don't care" about esports when the ToS is released lol. They can get away with that rhetoric when they have the legal team to cover it. :D
I'm seeing a Blizzard that has learned a little (hopefully more, but I don't wanna incur too much pointless backlash) from their mistakes. One that has stood out for a long time is complacency.
On November 10 2013 11:13 MattBarry wrote: One thing I really love was Browder's comment "We don't have a target audience, we just want to make a game that works and is fun and we'll see who picks it up" That is exactly what games should be about
I really hate to call someone a liar, but yeah...
That was Blizz North's mantra, not present day Blizz. They have their thumb on marketing demographics, and while this game doesn't interest me in the least, it is a smart move for the company for sure.
We'll see how much they "don't care" about esports when the ToS is released lol. They can get away with that rhetoric when they have the legal team to cover it. :D
The fuck are you talking about with the terms of service?
I'm confused as to what you could possibly be implying, but it seems negative, so I'll guess you're saying that Blizz is going to get greedy and use their ToS to keep eSports broadcasting to themselves? And also, what does their legal team have to do with it? Saying they aren't looking to develop eSports as a part of a game is not at all legal-system related.
If my assumptions about your thoughts on the ToS are correct, I wouldn't count on it. Mapmaking is completely outsourced to the community in a purposefully easier and faster version of a MOBA. The buzz words are fun, community, fun, and fun. Why, if they were going to try and promote eSports in a game, would they purposefully promote a vision of that game as easier and more fun for a general audience?
I don't get all the Blizzard mistrust on these forums, we're all here thanks to a Blizzard game after all...
On November 10 2013 11:13 MattBarry wrote: One thing I really love was Browder's comment "We don't have a target audience, we just want to make a game that works and is fun and we'll see who picks it up" That is exactly what games should be about
I really hate to call someone a liar, but yeah...
That was Blizz North's mantra, not present day Blizz. They have their thumb on marketing demographics, and while this game doesn't interest me in the least, it is a smart move for the company for sure.
We'll see how much they "don't care" about esports when the ToS is released lol. They can get away with that rhetoric when they have the legal team to cover it. :D
The fuck are you talking about with the terms of service?
I'm confused as to what you could possibly be implying, but it seems negative, so I'll guess you're saying that Blizz is going to get greedy and use their ToS to keep eSports broadcasting to themselves? And also, what does their legal team have to do with it? Saying they aren't looking to develop eSports as a part of a game is not at all legal-system related.
If my assumptions about your thoughts on the ToS are correct, I wouldn't count on it. Mapmaking is completely outsourced to the community in a purposefully easier and faster version of a MOBA. The buzz words are fun, community, fun, and fun. Why, if they were going to try and promote eSports in a game, would they purposefully promote a vision of that game as easier and more fun for a general audience?
I don't get all the Blizzard mistrust on these forums, we're all here thanks to a Blizzard game after all...
LoL and Dota exist thanks to Blizzard's editors, as well (in addition to boatloads of community work, but that's beside the point).
That's one way of seeing it. I'd rather believe we are all here because of specific persons who developed the original SC, and put much less faith into a faceless corporation. Maybe you're right that Blizz will suppress their greed, we'll see. Devil's in the details.
The dev game. There'll probably be an official video soonish.
Mirroring what most are saying; it looks fun. I certainly understand concerns that personal skill might not sway games as much but I think team skill will really need to be balanced out well to not cause snowball games.
The dev game. There'll probably be an official video soonish.
Mirroring what most are saying; it looks fun. I certainly understand concerns that personal skill might not sway games as much but I think team skill will really need to be balanced out well to not cause snowball games.
I really like how this looks so far. Definitely interested in playing. I like the approach of "fun first, esports later" they had for this. Different objectives making comebacks and multiple ways of gaining an advantage possible seems like a good way to make the game different from others in the market while keeping it fun
Very good idea for blizzard to try and make a different kind of moba rather than cloning dota. On the other hand, that dev game didn't look particularly interesting. It is in alpha so it's a bit early to be negative :p
I hate how people think that only hard games becomes esports. Its all about popularity If alot of people play a game then you can be sure that fans of the game will host tournaments, and if this is succesful you can be sure that the company that created the game will take over. Look at league and dota 2 for example, both are very casual game that became esports because millions of players play the game.
Not that i care of heroes of the storm turn into a esport or not, but i cant wait to play it looks different and fun.
This video is higher quality and shows all three matches.
I think this game could be a lot more successful if it played like Diablo 3; if it did, that would be the last push the game needs to fill a niche that Dota and LoL don't fill. Have players controls their heroes like it's Diablo 3 and make neutrals and creeps behave like D3 monsters. It's obvious that they're placing more emphasis on beating the shit out of your opponents so they might as well make it more fun and direct.
On November 10 2013 15:38 brieN wrote: sounds like a game in between lol and dota. they arrived way too late to the party and will get very few people to play.
Riot should be very afraid. This game will absolutely dominate LoL.
I've played a ton of LoL and I have to say that game is incredibly boring and has terrible character design.And by terrible character design, I mean I hate all of the LoL characters and couldn't care less about any of them.
Heroes will be fast, fun, and include awesome Blizzard characters! Basically the exact opposite of LoL.
Dota 2 will continue to thrive since it is the high skill alternative to the casual MOBA games. It's entertaining and has respectable, talented professionals.
On November 10 2013 15:38 brieN wrote: sounds like a game in between lol and dota. they arrived way too late to the party and will get very few people to play.
How in the world does it sound like it's between lol and dota? There's no last hitting, global xp, no items, and varied objectives.
On November 10 2013 16:37 KissMeRed wrote: Riot should be very afraid. This game will absolutely dominate LoL.
I've played a ton of LoL and I have to say that game is incredibly boring and has terrible character design.And by terrible character design, I mean I hate all of the LoL characters and couldn't care less about any of them.
Heroes will be fast, fun, and include awesome Blizzard characters! Basically the exact opposite of LoL.
Dota 2 will continue to thrive since it is the high skill alternative to the casual MOBA games. It's entertaining and has respectable, talented professionals.
I think you're underestimating how big of a foothold Riot has in the moba scene. We don't talk much about league on TL, but it is far and away the most popular video game world wide. The only thing that comes close (in the USA) is Call of Duty. Even in the stronglands of dota (China) and starcraft (korea), League is insanely popular. Blizzard has a huge mountain to climb.
It seems like they reviewed all the mistakes they made with WoL and HotS and listened to the criticisms of the community and are channeling it into making a great game.
I really like the direction Blizzard are taking with this and I'm more than excited to get into the beta. I have a feeling this will be my go-to game for a long time if everything turns out the way it seems it will.
LoL is ALOT bigger then starcraft2 in korea btw its the most viewed game on afreeca and played in internet cafe. but you are right League is massive right now all aroudn the world
On November 10 2013 06:32 Trasko wrote: I am legit excited for this game!
I don´t know. I´m not. It starts with the game name. There is already Hots. Next thing: I´m not interested in making lot of friends in the internet. It happened in WoW, got me addicted for a while. But apparantly they want that to happen again with that "socialize thing".
It is quite funny though, that chat rooms are possible at launch.
So your not exited for a game because u dont like the name and dont want to make friends.
Nearly laughed my eyes out, exactly what I was thinking.
You can ignore my second post, you can ignore the explanation in my first post. Doesn´t matter to me. Get addicted yourself and see, that there is nothing to laugh about.
Game doesn't look particularly good, just like Diablo 3 didn't look particularly good. But it will ride the wave of hype just like D3 and the masses will play yet another game that probably doesn't deserve a second glance.
On November 10 2013 15:38 brieN wrote: sounds like a game in between lol and dota. they arrived way too late to the party and will get very few people to play.
How in the world does it sound like it's between lol and dota? There's no last hitting, global xp, no items, and varied objectives.
Yeah this is nothing like lol or dota. But I like the direction it's going.
Everybody can see that this game is heavily objective based. Dota only has 2 objectives: tower and rosh. LoL has tower, baron, dragon, 2 buffs. HotS seems to try to push the game flow through various objectives. It's an interesting idea really.
On November 10 2013 11:13 MattBarry wrote: One thing I really love was Browder's comment "We don't have a target audience, we just want to make a game that works and is fun and we'll see who picks it up" That is exactly what games should be about
Well, Blizzard has never been all that original. Even Browder's comment is borrowed from someone else.
One thing about my game design is that I never try to look for what people want and then try to make that game design. I always try to create new experiences that are fun to play.
Game Looks so good. Please Please Please Blizzard, Closed-Beta should be 2 Weeks, get the hype at it´s tide and launch Open-Beta Destroying Lol and Dota2 :D
On November 10 2013 19:45 plgElwood wrote: Game Looks so good. Please Please Please Blizzard, Closed-Beta should be 2 Weeks, get the hype at it´s tide and launch Open-Beta Destroying Lol and Dota2 :D
I don't think this game will destroy LoL and Dota2. It looks more a "side game". You can play Heroes and SC2, or play LoL and Heroes or Dota2 and Heroes.
At this point, people who already play Dota2 or LoL for a long time will not leave their games.
On November 10 2013 19:45 plgElwood wrote: Game Looks so good. Please Please Please Blizzard, Closed-Beta should be 2 Weeks, get the hype at it´s tide and launch Open-Beta Destroying Lol and Dota2 :D
I don't think this game will destroy LoL and Dota2. It looks more a "side game". You can play Heroes and SC2, or play LoL and Heroes or Dota2 and Heroes.
At this point, people who already play Dota2 or LoL for a long time will not leave their games.
Been playing LoL since pre-Season 1. I will definitely quit for Heroes. LoL is garbage compared to Heroes.
On November 10 2013 19:45 plgElwood wrote: Game Looks so good. Please Please Please Blizzard, Closed-Beta should be 2 Weeks, get the hype at it´s tide and launch Open-Beta Destroying Lol and Dota2 :D
I don't think this game will destroy LoL and Dota2. It looks more a "side game". You can play Heroes and SC2, or play LoL and Heroes or Dota2 and Heroes.
At this point, people who already play Dota2 or LoL for a long time will not leave their games.
Been playing LoL since pre-Season 1. I will definitely quit for Heroes. LoL is garbage compared to Heroes.
I never played LoL, so I won´t comment on if it is a good game. But how can you judge that easily, if you haven´t play "Heroes" yet?
ok, now that I think more about it, baneling/ultra ride would be fricking awesome i wish they made some maps that would suit the starcraft universe, they are too warcraft/diablo-ish now
On November 10 2013 22:42 ETisME wrote: ok, now that I think more about it, baneling/ultra ride would be fricking awesome i wish they made some maps that would suit the starcraft universe, they are too warcraft/diablo-ish now
Maybe they can grab inspiration from popular SC2 Mobas like Storm of the Imperial Solstice/Aeon of Storms.
Honestly, I wish those would grow to be as a popular custom like DotA...
Oh you said maps. Well, I dunno then. They could probably be too small, maybe too big, maybe a lot of rocks.
I love the fact that they're not aiming the competitive market (they would probably fail against LOL and DOTA 2 already so popular), it's a smart move. And designing the game with the right mentality: it must be fun.
Moba by Blizzard? This might be worth a try. The graphics look better than LoL and hopefully it is better than Dota 2's match finding. If I could actually communicate with match find teammates I would actually casually play a MOBA once in a while.
My least favorite thing about MOBAs is the length of games--when you consider how bad the community is for games like LoL, there's nothing worse than being stuck with some mouthbreathing asshole who keeps yelling "deny" for close to an hour or freaking out over every minor thing, yet it happens far too often. Putting a premium on making games a little faster and reducing the number of douchebags you have to play with would go a long way towards making me interested.
On November 10 2013 19:45 plgElwood wrote: Game Looks so good. Please Please Please Blizzard, Closed-Beta should be 2 Weeks, get the hype at it´s tide and launch Open-Beta Destroying Lol and Dota2 :D
I don't think this game will destroy LoL and Dota2. It looks more a "side game". You can play Heroes and SC2, or play LoL and Heroes or Dota2 and Heroes.
At this point, people who already play Dota2 or LoL for a long time will not leave their games.
Been playing LoL since pre-Season 1. I will definitely quit for Heroes. LoL is garbage compared to Heroes.
I never played LoL, so I won´t comment on if it is a good game. But how can you judge that easily, if you haven´t play "Heroes" yet?
He probably never played LoL before and just tried to make a point or tortured himself playing that ''garbage'' game all these years.
Toxicity is a gigantic issue when it comes to gaming. I don't feel like Blizzard's solution of incentives for playiing with friends you know or making the game based more on teamwork than individual skill/carrying is really going to work. I feel like instead they have to come down hard on those who act toxic.
It's like in Starcraft 2. I've been called a n***er about six times in the last year, and that's just the examples where I've been called a racial slur. Other offensive slurs have come up countless times as insults towards me too.
I will still play (and probably enjoy the absolute crap out of) HotS but I feel like their promises will be somewhat empty. Another concern is the map editor and modding tools they're supposedly bundling with the game too. If they're anywhere near as complex and difficult to use as the Starcraft 2 Map Editor or still require expensive $1500+ 3D modelling programs like 3DSMax to make custom models for, then forget it.
I feel like the SC2 Map Editor and the monday morning mindfuck it is was the first nail in the coffin for the SC2 Arcade.
Meh. I played that SC2 mod years back that played like a moba, also in WC3 there were mods like it. It sounds great, you play it for a couple of days and then simply realize that there's no depth and due to a lack of items, balancing is horrible.
This is just another game on Blizzards recent game lineup that is average at best and won't live up to its expectations. How I wished we could have the pre-WoW Blizzard back that did not destroy the lore with every single new game aside from the games themselves being shitty.
Who doesn't remember the part of the WC2/3 lore when they mentioned the zerg invasion?
On November 11 2013 01:49 zdfgucker wrote: Meh. I played that SC2 mod years back that played like a moba, also in WC3 there were mods like it. It sounds great, you play it for a couple of days and then simply realize that there's no depth and due to a lack of items, balancing is horrible.
This is just another game on Blizzards recent game lineup that is average at best and won't live up to its expectations. How I wished we could have the pre-WoW Blizzard back that did not destroy the lore with every single new game aside from the games themselves being shitty.
Who doesn't remember the part of the WC2/3 lore when they mentioned the zerg invasion?
Why are we bitching about lore in a non-canonical Blizzard spinoff title?
It's just an anecdote as some of my friends kept talking about how Blizzard games are all about the wonderful lore. Not that it matters anymore after Blizzard has been destroying the lore for all 3 major franchises with WoW, SC2 and D3.
Bring back Bill Roper please. All went downhill since he left. (Now working for Disney.)
On November 10 2013 22:42 ETisME wrote: ok, now that I think more about it, baneling/ultra ride would be fricking awesome i wish they made some maps that would suit the starcraft universe, they are too warcraft/diablo-ish now
Definitely! I agree 100%. Need at least one Starcraft themed map in here.
On November 11 2013 01:49 zdfgucker wrote: Meh. I played that SC2 mod years back that played like a moba, also in WC3 there were mods like it. It sounds great, you play it for a couple of days and then simply realize that there's no depth and due to a lack of items, balancing is horrible.
This is just another game on Blizzards recent game lineup that is average at best and won't live up to its expectations. How I wished we could have the pre-WoW Blizzard back that did not destroy the lore with every single new game aside from the games themselves being shitty.
Who doesn't remember the part of the WC2/3 lore when they mentioned the zerg invasion?
The WC3 moba mods were the worst. Especially the dumb one called Defense of the Ancients. That one was definitely the worst. No depth and horribly balanced.
Blizzard needs to go back to its roots and make platform sidescrollers and fighting games. Lore that could be summed up in one screen was the best.
cool thing, really interested how the outcome of this will be. so far it looks very lol'esque. also kinda funny, that in in the cinematic trailer raynor sttarts with the same phrase annie (lol champion) uses^^. from the ingame material is saw so far the camera looks to be a bit too close for my taste, but this can obviously change or be intentional for the promo...
however since they say they don't really care about eports in this case i'm not sure as to how this will work out. currently it seems like every somewhat big title being developed has a clear focus on esports...
They talked about community being able to make their own battlegrounds. One site even said they could make a side-scrolling MOBA? http://hotsoffthepress.blogspot.com/