Capture the Flag has been in the game for 2 years - bots still incompatible

General Discussion
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I could go off writing all about why the bots in this game are bad-- and I probably will at some point, but this is the most recent thing that really got to me.

I understand that the game is primarily designed for PvP multiplayer, and that the devs don’t really care about updating bots, and that they also care WAY less about updating custom games, with the latest exceptions being added Sombra/Ana bots and Torb getting unbroken as a bot after his rework, but the lack of CTF bot support is something else.

We have had, all the way since Lunar New Year in Jan. 2017, the ability to select Capture the Flag as a gamemode for our custom games. CTF features VERY frequently in the Arcade rotation for modes. CTF is an extremely popular gamemode not only in OW custom games, but in games in general. CTF got a map made specifically for it in the form of Ayutthaya. CTF features 13 different maps that it can be played on at current. CTF is ordered immediately after the last official gamemode in the game on the Custom Games settings screen and has the longest list of available modifiers of any mode (including those that were added when CTF got reworked, strangely making it one of the only cases where players can play the original version of a mode).

Capture the Flag is important, no doubt about it.

It’s because of these reasons and more, that I’m willing to call the lack of Capture the Flag support Overwatch’s biggest problem when it comes to bots, even moreso than the paltry selection of heroes bots can use, AI flaws, downgrades from version-to-version of custom games (like them no longer being able to spawn in as heroes that aren’t on the playable roster), and even their absence in other modes like Free-For-All/Team Deathmatch.

I don’t really expect this post to go anywhere, and as always, I’m expecting some trash in the comments about how fixing this optional feature would negatively affect someone out there, but I really felt like I needed to write about it after I finally set up a map/mode rotation I’m happy with, only to be greeted by bots not spawning on Oasis.

Thanks for listening.

Edit: TL;DR version:

Bots have lots of issues, but not working on Capture the Flag is arguably the most important. The mode has received a ton of attention from devs AND players and optional bots would improve the custom games experience considerably for some players by a lot.

Edit 2: Jan 2017 was the release of Capture the Rooster, not Feb 2017. 'Fixed that

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By the way: Bots are not incopatible with also

  • Team deathmatch
  • Elimination
  • Free for all
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It’s interesting that they don’t work in CTF. Their current, highly advanced AI (run directly at objective) would work fairly well for that mode. Granted it would be better to have them intelligently interact with both objectives, but just having them do a full-time stampede at the enemy flag should be at least as effective as how they behave in other modes.

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Yeah, like I touched on, their functionality in those is still weirdly absent. Honestly, if there wasn’t the slightest bit of pressure to consider developer resources (which they arguably don’t do very well themselves, all things considered coughDevsHelpingWIthOWLandAslewOfOtherIssuescough), I’d talk about these modes more too-- it just seems like a very gamesense/DM-oriented mode would be hard for the bots to adapt to in some ways, whereas CTF, like Bombz said :point_down:

would be easier for custom game makers to work around with this current limited AI, especially compared to the nothing we have now, even if the last available objective-based mode in the game is more prone to teammates flubbing (like putting the flag on cooldown) than the rest.

I do ABSOLUTELY think all modes in the game should have functional bots of some kind though, and as Magy’s thread touched on in other ways, they need more work in general.

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I assume the reason for FFA / eliminatiom / Deatjmatch is because the bots would actually need to walk arround the map to look for oponents as there is no " objective"

And as we seen by blizz, thats too advanced for them

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The bot crusade for the flag!

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Maybe the issue is pathing towards a dropped flag. They might need fixed destinations in order to function properly.

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That’s a good point. They’d probably have no idea what to do if the flag ended up on a ledge somewhere. Even so, they could struggle at it for a while until it returned to the enemy base, and then resume their usual flag-charging rampage.

Having some quirks like that doesn’t seem like too big of a deal, though, especially given the current standard for AI in this game compared to the complexity of the game as a whole. Almost any scripted AI allows players to exploit something about its behavior if they want. I doubt this would be an exception, even if the devs put some considerable time into it.

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Do we even want Bots in CTF? CTF is such an awful mode to begin with. It has no place in this game at all.

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You’re right. Let’s just remove CTF. You don’t like it, so no one should be allowed to play it. I don’t know why the devs even left it in the game after spending the time to develop and improve it for Lunar New Year.
/s

I’m honestly a little sad that it’s so hard to block people on this forum, I haven’t seen a single productive thing in posts of yours I come across.

Also, this thread is about bots and their compatibility and functionality. If you continue to talk about your distaste for CTF, despite me establishing a topic, I will flag you for derailing. I’m aware some people don’t like the mode, as is the case with literally everything.

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A few reasons I figure are worth noting:

  1. The OW dev team is incredibly small now, making big changes to the core game incredibly unlikely.
  2. Keeping up with event skins and OWL already takes a fair amount of manpower.
  3. ActivisionBlizzard are going through a tough financial situation, and this makes the previous two points much more problematic.
  4. All the above are assuming Blizzard even cares to add bots to it; my estimation of their designers’ goals, is that they really don’t care about it. Unfortunately, the same can be said for small things like the arcade RNG during events and other small issues.

TL;DR: Blizzard likely doesn’t have the manpower for such a thing, and even if they did, they wouldn’t use it on making bots play CTF.

Personally, I’d love to play 6v6 elimination vs bots since I can only play it when it’s in the arcade…no one joins custom versions.

Get lost.

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You should put your “end sarcasm” after this sentence, because it’s absurd in its entirety. Do I have fun and post silly/satirical things sometimes? Yes. But many of my posts are productive and often very well received.

Is whatever. Sounds like self-righteous banter. What I am simply saying is that there are many OTHER AREAS in this game that Blizzard could spend time developing, rather than programming bots to function in a unpopular, and error-plagued mode that doesn’t suit what Overwatch is whatsoever.

CTF is fun in games where we don’t have unique abilities or different heroes. CoD, Halo, etc. It’s design is “off” in this game. It doesn’t work that well for this game in the state that it is currently.

If you like it, that’s fine. The statement in your first sentence is your own projection and comes across as you being a little irritable. Perhaps you often disagree with my posts. Feel free to block. People don’t always agree with you in the real world.

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Just play it with other people. It’s a PvP game, not PvE.

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agree. CTF with Pharah/Lucio is just stupid AF, how can anyone defend that joke

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Honestly, though I still see their apathy toward custom games as the main drive, I think this is a big reason toward them not bothering. Obviously I’m still going to voice my opinion on the forum designed to voice my opinion, but I know I’ll have to wait for anything to get done, if it ever will. 'Kind of sucks that the game is having another ‘pre-occupied devs’ lapse though…

v trash bin post replies lol v

Mercy’s in master and below. Please stop leaving us to try and dps and die - #10 by LUCIF3R-11758
This is literally on the front page of your profile, please just quit trolling the thread to increase your post count.

And you too

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Except it is not trolling ? This game was never designed so you shoukd play wih bots all day every day, It’s a PvP game, thats the main focus.

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I never play against bots, but OW is an FPS above all else. Is it best played against other players? Yes. Does that mean PvE or fighting bots is an invalid way of playing? No. It’s redundant pretentiousness to think so.

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Not invalid but the game is designed around PvPing, the main mode is competetive, and to an extent quickplay, that is how the game is meant to be played.

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Sounds like you’re saying it’s invalid, then saying that’s not what you’re saying.

Maybe this is why someone might think you’re trolling, but perhaps you’re just not thinking your posts through.

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Redundant, not invalid.