The interviews with Jeff Kaplan have concluded. See the notes below for highlights. I will update links both streams with the starting time indexes once the streams are completed today (which won’t be for several hours still). These interviews will also be listed in my dev post directory later as well.
Update: both streams have concluded with the VOD now available. I have time indexed these video players to start at the interviews.
Topics discussed on Emongg’s stream:
Click here for Emongg’s stream (starts at Interview)
- The balance changes was made with strong consideration to GOATS, especially the Reaper changes
- Jeff Kaplan emphasizes the little secret is not a new map, but the Ana Bastet promotion
- “We’re not super happy with Competitive play”
- “There are reasons why SR goes up and down that we don’t elaborate on.”
- “Its good at assessing your skill level is at, but there is not a lot of progression to it.”
- “One of the biggest challenges of Overwatch period is that this is a team game which causes problems because players race to play certain heroes.”
- Jeff Kaplan typically plays the Tanks when he plays Overwatch casually, despite playing all 29 heroes.
- Jeff Kaplan wants to find ways where players can play the heroes they want without any abuse by teammates.
- Kaplan explains why solutions like locking Competitive to 6-man stacks causes more problems than what it solves.
- Jeff Kaplan explains that different queue types (solo queue, team queue) doesn’t necessarily solve the problems that they intend to solve. Introducing solo queue would kill all forms of grouping.
- In pursuing the idea of a role queue, they are strongly considering the factor of how the actual skill of each hero/role a player has.
- “I don’t understand the ‘crabs’ thing.”
Topics discussed on Fran’s stream:
Click here for Fran’s stream (starts at Interview)
- “We are working on more comics.”
- Hero 30 is “progressing very nicely”
- We want Guilds to be about playing Blizzard Games together. It sounds like Guilds will be expanded to a multi-game network. They are not sure if this would happen though.
- Donator Message: “Jeff Yikes”
- Overwatch Archives event is coming back. There might be something cool on the horizon to be looking forward to.
- “I don’t [think there is a meta expiration date], the players do.”
- “There are times I think, ‘What the hell do you people want?’”
- “Players at the competitive levels are going to optimize.”
- Jeff thinks Overwatch League Season 1 was very fun to watch throughout the whole season.
- “I want to provide the experience that each player can control the experience they want.”
- Explains why LFG really works and why investing a little more time results in a better quality experience.
- No massive changes for Competitive anytime soon. There is stuff in the works but it is complicated. We have some significant changes that we would like to make, but it is not anytime soon. VERY FAR AWAY!
- The main issue with making changes with Competitive Play touches the matchmaker and the matchmaker is one of the most complex pieces of the system (from an engineering standpoint).
- “We have big plans to improve ranked but we need more time.”
