Ideas for Game Modes
The 3rd Mode
One of the biggest problems with QP is it’s lack of defined role. I’m sure many of you believe Quick Play is exactly that ‘a quick match where I can just play the game and have fun,’ others see Quick Play simply as ‘not Comp/Ranked.’ I believe the game could use is a third “standard” overwatch mode to sort this out. QP should be the casual mode as quick play should mean quick and easy where you can queue in and play how you want to play. The new mode would effectively act as Comp Lite where players play with the understanding that they’ll play the objective and take the game more seriously, but without having to risk their hard earned SR. Many players would love to better themselves on a new hero/role or train their game sense/shot calling/mechanics in a match with a competitive atmosphere without competitive consequences and feeling like they’re throwing/costing their team the win.
Essentially there’d be a casual mode, a try hard mode, and a try harder + points mode. I think this could help remove a lot of toxicity that develops in QP with people who have a different interpretation of how the mode should be played and toxicity in Comp where players want to play competitively but may not be as good on a hero they want to try out by providing a useful middle ground between the two other modes.
Possible solution for toxic players
Requiring a bipartisan vote against a player with a ratio of 3 (teammates) : 2 (enemies) maybe or 4:2 / 3:1.
^ I know this sounds like it’d be rife for further toxicity and abuse, it was something that came to me as I was thinking of a 3rd game mode and how to keep QP casual (the voting system doesn’t need to apply to QP either it’s just when I though of it).
Arcade Modes
Random Hero
Like Mystery Heroes in that you don’t get to choose your hero except you play as the one hero the whole round, maybe with the option to re-roll once per checkpoint/capture point)
- Maybe require at least one tank, one healer, one dps in the first random roll, the other 3 can be anything
Note: I use roll like roll of the dice aka a new random hero
Lockout.
Each game has randomly selected heroes that aren’t playable that entire match* (when you’re both offense & defense)
– Maybe like 6 heroes are locked out of selection each map
- I think if the lockout applied to you when you were on offense and when you were on defense it would be more fair for the two teams as they both had to endure the same restrictions but Arcade isn’t necessarily meant to always be fair so it could be changed to a new 6 locked out when you swap sides
Reborn
At randomly chosen times during a match everyone’s character gets insta-switched to a new random hero
– Idk about ult points/if you had an ult online
- I would make the system transfer a portion your ult points (not ult percentage) over to the new hero but since that’s not an already implemented system it’d be unlikely
Slots!
You choose what role you’d like to play and you get a random hero in that role (stacking could be on/off, idk yet) the visual for your choice could look like slot machines, Wheel of Fortune or the Price’s Right Wheel as it “rolls through” your options, it could even make it interactive while you “try” to click on your desired choice (it would be still be random).
- Game could indicate how many people signed up for which role, or maybe not so people don’t feel begrudged to fill
Mix’n’Map-tch
Control/Koth only maps that switch the map for each of the two/three rounds
Break EVERYTHING!!
Give each character wonky stats so everyone is completely off their normal gameplay
- update frequently so nothing is ever the same (weekly maybe)
What’s in the Box?!
Change some health packs to mystery boxes, it could be health, be armor, buff speed, half cool downs, increase jump height, decrease reload time, double the magazine, etc.
– the buff would last a set amount of time (maybe a minute, with a timer on screen),
- the buffs wouldn’t stack, you get a new box you get a new buff (could still be the same buff due to rng, but on a new timer)
“Control” Mayhem
Use the Elimination/Deathmatch/Capture the Flag maps for king of the hill matches
– Elimination maps have a somewhat central point so use that to act as the KotH point
- would repeat map per round (could have percentage points accumulate faster to compensate replaying the same map each round and speed things up)
– Since DM/CtF maps are larger could have hills that change location per round
- everyone has an objective indicators so it shouldn’t be troublesome to find the new hill
Multi-team KotH - the enemy of my enemy is also my enemy
3 teams of 4, 4 teams of 3, or even just 3 teams of 3 (if it gets too confusing/overwhelming)
Big Team Battle
Overwatch but teams of 8v8, 9v9 or 10v10 (anything bigger would likely be too much)
Big Team Elimination
10v10 - first team to 75 eliminations wins, can time out at 10 minutes (all these numbers could be changed I don’t what would the most practical in a game like OW)
– played on the standard maps, with random respawn points
Shields Up!
Characters with shields/barriers (Zarya, Zenyatta, Symmetra, Doomfist, Wrecking Ball, Lucio’s Ult) have a certain buff, like reduced knock back from cc, reduced damage, lower cool downs, lower reload time, etc
– Maybe even include characters with armor (Bastion, D.Va, Orisa, Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Winston, Brigitte/everyone)
– If we included shields, barrier, and armor that would instantly make 15 characters (over half the roster) meta.
– Of course this mode would be broken but it could be a breath of fresh air as people learn a new meta
- Disclaimer: I made this one up before GOATS was as prevalent so… maybe, maybe not, but good luck successfully pulling off GOATS in Arcade
Niche Switch (aka Partial Mayhem)
Compile a list of heroes generally regarded as niche and give them a phat buff, like: half the cool down of a specific ability (or two), double their magazine (within reason), knock back reduced by half, higher jump, etc.
“Overwatch Labs” (á la Rocket League’s Rocket Labs)
Mode specific for unique maps that don’t follow the typical game format
Reverse Hybrid Maps (I saw someone mention this the other day, loved the idea)
– For those that didn’t see the post it would be escort first and then capture point
- If Blizzard were to consider this they could do new maps and introduce them to Overwatch as a whole or if they didn’t think it would be a good fit for the general game/OWL (as many people bemoan 2cp/Assault maps) it could be an Arcade only thing with the same maps but in reverse.
Maze Map - Control map with a central point to fight over.
There could be a standard maze structure will set walls that occasionally go up and down (like Busan MEKA Base but less frequent) and jump pads at each of these points so you can see (but not go over) the open route to take
- Have a low map ceiling en route so vertical heroes (Pharah, Widow, Junkrat, Genji, Hanzo, Winston, D.Va, WB) don’t have an unfair sight advantage
– You could go really crazy and have the maze structure be far more RNG than I described, might be a little unfair but it is Arcade
Multiple Payloads
Could be executed in a variety of ways, *may require larger teams 8v8
– Both teams be on offense and push a payload to a central point to unlock the point for capture (Escort/Control hybrid map)
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You could have a flanker/ small team try to stall/sabotage the other teams push as they try to get to the point first
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You could have your team camp the control point while a small team stays with the payload to push it/defend from sabotage
– Offense/Defense style where offense can push multiple payloads to a point, only one payload needs to reach, this would force defense to have to defend multiple routes and could make for some fun mind games as offense tries to bait defenses
- This could be the entire match or it could then transition into a normal escort style map for the second half
– MULTI-Payloads with like 6 different payloads to keep the defense scrambling trying to stop progress from being made
Note: These are just some ideas I had for possible game modes please keep this thread constructive, positive and fun. Add your own game modes or expand on mine!
Side note: Blizzard I am available for hire ![:slight_smile:](https://d74zh8edaijub.cloudfront.net/en/overwatch/images/emoji/twitter/slight_smile.png?v=6" ":slight_smile:")
Regardless, I’d be game