My thoughts on the Overwatch experimental changes!
Contents:
- queue times.
- tank Changes.
- Other ideas instead of a set 1-3-2 queue.
Experimental is now live, allowing players to try new balance updates, rulesets, and game modes that might be awesome or might not ever make it past the “Experimental” stage. One of the primary uses for this testing ground is for players to provide feedback for wild changes to the standard game you’re used to playing. For more information on this new mode, see our patch notes !
1. queue times.
The whole point of the overwatch dev team to switch the role queue from a 2-2-2 to a 1-3-2 is becuase of the long “<10mins” queues that come along with playing dps and that dps players have been complaining about since launch of the role queue system. Okay heres an example, your queuing up for dps in normal quick play the estimated time underneath says "< 6 mins " compared to tanks " < 2 mins " and supports " < 2 mins " and this isnt just a full guess in fact if your a dps main you probably have tried playing tank or support once or twice and realised how short the queues are. so why does the overwatch team want to possibly introduce another system for role queue, well in my opinion having longer queue times does make you more distracted, less focus and less ready to play, whilst if you play support you get into a game in 30-90 seconds and your not going to tab out to play another game or watch a 12 min youtube video you are going to stay in the game and be focused and ready to play your best. This is why the dev team introduced the “while you wait” system, 2/3 of the player base plays dps and this is apparent with how short the queue times are in the experimental mode, from “< 10mins” to just “< 2 mins” really does show how many people play and pick dps. But before we get ahead of ourselfs and congratulating the overwatch team for making damage queues 4 mins shorter, think of what is about to happen to the tank queue times, its been apparent only one day after the launch of the experimental mode that tank queues have swapped from “< 2mins” to “< 6 mins” with one tweak tank queue times have become longer and having the balance changes to all tanks at the same time as this makes the rest of the team to heavily rely on this one tank, double shield meta gone… but now theres a higher chance of damage players and support players dying more often (especially on defence) because of the lack of shields, now thats where the updates and balance to the tanks come to play.
Heres the main point im trying to get to, in the perfect world 1/3 of the player base would play tank, 1/3 play damage and the other third play support, but thats not going to happen without huge nerfs or changes to dps heros, and buffs or additions of more heros to tank and support!
2. tank changes!
Now theres lots to talk about, these balance updates to the tank roster are great and make the fluidity of playing a tank better, but the whole point of them is so shields can be a reliable way to protect your team, changing the speed of regeneration and the overall heath of the sheilds and even the overall heath and armour to the tanks making them better “body blocking” heros to save the team. Now most heros just got a couple changes but the big big one is roadhog, having his “take a breather” ability heal 25hp/s in a range just smaller than lucios “cross fade range”, this extra healing makes team fights more interesting because before when you killed the enemies supports you won the team fight, but now that roadhog can heal all 3 dps players at 25hp/s in a range just smaller than lucios which does a bit more than half of that at only 16hp/s. Now this isnt going to sustain 4 players against ults like, molten core, blizzard or any high damage ults, But we need to rember this will add a tiny bit more complexity for when you should use hogs take a breather as now it can heal allies as well as yourself. I think the tank changes are great but the fact dva can hold her defence matrix for 4 seconds scares the living hell out of most mcree, mei, zaria and bastion players.
3. other ideas instead of a set role queue.
Ive been thinking of something like this after they announce season 21’s hero pool and season 19’s map pool to have a role pool, let me explain quickly.
Having a switched role every week or fortnight, so lets say today its 2-3-1 and in a fortnight its 1-2-3, but keeping damage above 1 so 2 or 3. This idea may be stupid but having something like role pool plus a hero pool with differentiate the comps and meta that you play each week even more than just having a hero pool.
Conclusion of the 25th February Experimental Mode.
Personally I dont really care about queue times that much, but what i do know is if im picking damage to play quick or competitive play i know im going to be there for 6+ mins, and about the tank changes i think they are great and very useful, but way to overpowered with 2 tanks but since there are only 1 its great.
I cant wait to see what the overwatch team has for us to test and experiment with in the future.
- TheClaySlay