Consequential Ideas on a Budget

[turtle-13106]

@Kettu-2165

HotS is doing…ok?

@Kettu-2165

It seems the writing is on the wall.

How the turntables turn. It’s pretty amusing no new content being announced at Blizzcon is where some draw the line. Anyway, as this is apparently the only thread on this forum where ideas are proposed with considerable thoughtfulness I’ll try to fill the gap as JeanFrancois seems to be in a time-out to contemplate his unconstructive posting sins.

Recently I’m seeing posts claiming that the game is failing to generate revenue and further limiting its development. I think focusing on heroes is smart. Being creative with how to get heroes in players’ hands at more reasonable prices serves to both accommodate players who are or would be interested in the game and to improve the chances of the game seeing more revenue. Heroes are the only content that really matters. Both the super-dynamic bundle and the rent-and-buy ideas have promise.

@JeanFrancois-1217

The loot boxes aren’t the star of the show for once; they are meant to get you looking at the Shop and waste the gold you’ve been accumulating for years (the rerolls are pretty hilarious too).

@JeanFrancois-1217

Greatly reduced the buying power of gold through its conversion rate into shards relative to shard buying power and introduced a third purchasable currency to replace gold. The point was to reduce the capacity of veteran players to obtain things through the only currency that had previously existed and they had accumulated with playtime.

These conspiracy theory parts were wrong. Apparently back in the day gold did not unlock cosmetics, with a few exceptions. So gold being at all usable for cosmetics actually favors players - veterans most of all. The HotS “2.0” changes were not a blatant attempt to milk players but they were certainly beside the point and questionable. Gems appear to also have been Blizzard’s attempt to lower prices, as they introduced a whole bunch of lower level content. Kind of silly, but that also favors players/consumers.

The map suggestions are interesting. It’s certainly true that after a while many maps start to blend into one another. Straightforward five on five fighting over a centralized objective begins to relegate differences to aesthetics. I’ve also been noticing that some maps have been made dimmer? I don’t know if this is another socially sensitive attempt on Blizzard’s part to be accommodating or not but it’s reducing the appeal and range of maps. Players should be given options to dim or should just use the gamma setting.

The reporting system issues go without saying. Something needs to be done, and at this point a reset of the penalties makes sense too. Players need to feel safe being able to voice their frustrations. The line needs to be clearly defined and enforced both ways. If now is not the time for systemic change then at minimum silences need to go back to just being silences. Present-day Blizzard’s overly-sensitive decadent culture is of course the real obstacle.

The most controversial idea here is without question the one aimed at expanding the game’s core gameplay. It may also be the key one, so it needs to be treated seriously. This game is going nowhere without empowering/challenging/rewarding players more. The progression-type power level stuff is the one area that could truly be called antithetical to this game as it biases fighting and is done by the other MOBAs. Expanding core fighting, on the other hand, should fit with the spirit of this game.

@JeanFrancois-1217

Offer a broad set of generally useful activatable short-acting powers, allow players to equip four at a time to their hero, place ultimate abilities on T, place a toggle to access the selected powers at Spacebar, assign the powers to QWER. The toggle has an 8-second cooldown after a power has been activated, each power has an individual 60-second cooldown. If Heroes of the Storm is to be the brawler among the MOBAs it needs to attempt to excel in the capacity of its heroes to brawl. Details are in the following thread.

@JeanFrancois-1217

[Mysterious Mark - Heroes realize that since entering the Nexus they have been branded. A complex symbol of some kind has been seared into them. Its numerous sections are imbued with different powers.]

Players would choose four powers out of a full set. In-game before the gates open they should be able to make adjustments as well as during drafts. I’ve come up with this set of powers:

• Basic ability cast times, intervals, and delays of any sort are reduced by 25%. Basic ability travel times are reduced by 25% [missile speed increased]. Basic ability summons move 25% faster. Lasts 10 seconds.

The intent is to quicken the application of basic ability effects, including something like the growth rate of Malfurion’s Entangling Roots. Animation may also be involved in for instance Zagara’s Infested Drop speed, which I do not see covered in the listed properties (rare).

• Effect over time aspects of basic abilities last 25% longer. Time progress toward the first extra tick of tickrate abilities is rounded up. Lasts 10 seconds, applies at the time of casting.

This refers to any effects that apply for a duration, including stuns.

• Basic ability ranges are increased by 25% for 10 seconds.

This includes both casting ranges and the length of skillshots.

• Basic ability area of effects are 25% larger. Lasts 10 seconds, applies at the time of casting.

There is sense in increasing the durations of these first few powers beyond 10 seconds.

• Basic ability cooldowns are cleared after 3 seconds.
• Basic ability cooldowns recharge 30% faster for 10 seconds.
• Dash in a direction [range 10, missile speed 18]. Can be cancelled with movement command.

Somewhat longer and faster than ETC’s Powerslide. This was intended to replace a teleport but there is an interesting version of a teleport too.

• Teleport [range 6]. After 1 second you can teleport back to the initial spot. If you haven’t done so, after 6 seconds you are teleported back to the initial spot. [Alternatively you could be unable to activate the return teleportation and would just teleport back after 6 seconds.]
• Movement speed is increased by 20% for 5 seconds.
• Gain unstoppable for 1 second.
• Gain [full] invisibility for 2 seconds not revealed by movement.

Could be made more interesting by damage taken not revealing the hero either.

• Gain a 500-point shield for 5 seconds. It scales per level [standard 4%].

Intended to be more valuable for lower HP heroes.

• Regenerate 50% of full health over 20 seconds.
• Regain 50% of full health and 50% of full mana after 6 seconds [at once]. Channeled, not cancelled by damage [considering not cancellable by the player], 20 second cooldown if interrupted.
• 20% of damage dealt is returned as health. Lasts 6 seconds.

This includes ultimate abilities. Enhancing healing seems like a good idea.

• All healing and regeneration experienced is increased by 20% for 8 seconds.

All inclusive, from allies and self effects. Was considering limiting it to from allies.

• Link yourself to an ally for 6 seconds, suffering 50% of the damage they receive instead of them.

The ranges on this one are key. At the moment I’m thinking it’s most appropriate to have a big casting range and not have the link be dependent on distance subsequently.

• Accumulate inactive armor at a rate of 1 per damage sustained equivalent to 1% of your maximum health. Apply accumulated armor at any point after 1 second up to 6 seconds when the accumulated armor is automatically applied. Armor is capped at 50 and lasts for 6 seconds.
• Healing performed on other players is increased by 25% for 8 seconds.

This one also includes ultimate abilities.

• Basic ability damage is increased by 20% for 8 seconds.
• Basic attack damage is increased by 20% for 8 seconds.
• Basic attack speed is increased by 20% for 8 seconds.
• The range of ranged basic attacks is increased by 20% for 8 seconds. Melee heroes gain charge [range 3] on their basic attacks for 6 seconds.

For melee heroes this is a stickiness power, 25% shorter than the range of Li-Ming’s teleport and 20% longer than Artanis’ Twin Blades.

• Can basic attack while moving for 6 seconds.

I don’t know if this would require considerable animation work but it’s significant.

Although this is a first draft it wasn’t thoughtlessly assembled. Traits need to be included along with basic abilities in a number of these. I believe there is a considerable degree of choice which powers to select. Decision-making and execution mid-game should improve dynamism. Counters should be inherent. The point is to challenge players more, hopefully increasing the margin for players to outwit and outperform their opponents. The presence of these powers from the beginning of games and unrestricted access is in line with the desire to focus on the core fighting experience rather than on a concept of development or progression. Only new players should have restrictions as they are learning the game, and not for long.

So we have:

1. Basic abilities application quickened
2. Basic abilities effects lasting longer
3. Basic abilities ranges extended (casting and skillshot travel distances)
4. Basic abilities areas of effect enlarged (includes cones)
5. Basic abilities cooldowns cleared
6. Basic abilities cooldowns recharge faster
7. Dash power
8. Teleport power with forced return to initial spot
9. Increased movement speed
10. Self-cleanse
11. Full invisibility not revealed by movement
12. Shield
13. Regeneration
14. Half the Hearthstone effect on the spot
15. Life-leech on damage
16. All healing and regeneration experienced increased
17. Life-link to sustain damage instead of target hero
18. Armor activation based on damage sustained
19. Healing performed increased
20. Basic ability damage increased
21. Basic attack damage increased
22. Basic attack speed increased
23. Basic attack range increased, charge to target for melee heroes
24. Basic attacking while moving

There is a large subset of these powers that should be useful to any particular hero. Traits would also have to be included in these powers I believe. The next step would be to illustrate how they would apply in specific cases. The fundamental thinking here is that:

1. Due to these powers being short-acting and activatable they present more dynamic choice and execution than the attempt the early developers made at Artifacts. There is also no serious progression component “gating” power. If anyone pulls up the design of Artifacts we could compare and contrast, consider how the gameplay effect could be different.
2. While the powers are clearly empowering and “synergistic” counters should be inherent. Gaming fundamentally works in this way.

I think the reality is it’s time to get bold. Get bold or die. The writing is on the wall as clearly as ever for this game. If its developers don’t get smart and aggressive it will indeed become another Blizzard relic. Some people are fond of Blizzard relics but time moves on. Whoever has been cast to work on this game needs to start experimenting, and not on little random Anomalies. Too much talk of passion, not much evidence of it. Some people confuse passion with preservation. That’s how one of the worst movies in the history of movies and a disgrace to its franchise happened - Star Wars Episode VII.