"We're reluctant to add hero bans"

[C100-21585]

8 days later…

Adds hero bans.

@JeffreyKaplan

Hero bans are not a silver bullet solution to making the meta move. If the problem we are trying to solve is that the meta needs to change more, hero bans might actually make the problem worse, not better. We do a have a solution in mind – an actual system – that we’ll talk about (next week’s dev update) but it is not hero bans.

I mean I hate to call an apple an apple but “hero pools” are hero bans. Just not player controlled ones.

[Noxgarm-2253]

Which was the only issue with hero bans: that they were controlled by players in a community that has abused EVERY single tools they’ve ever been allowed to use.

I see no problem here.

[tepeketepe-2342]

I’m fine with hero pools as opposed to player driven hero bans. There is in fact a big difference.

Baffles me how ppl can even begin to compare the two.

[what-21551]

It’s not an apple; it’s an apple.

[tuscoggy-2305]

One is decided by the players and the same heroes would be banend continuously.

Hero pools is decided by the devs who have actually data without a biased-view point and the heroes won’t be banned twice in a row.

[Spoonylegs-1702]

Wait what is happening I have been under a rock for a few days?

[LevelZero121-1625]

These are much better than hero bans by players though

[ChiefWamBam-1978]

It’s better this way, hero bans with the amount of characters we have would just be alone scenario of targeting people

With this, the playing field will always be even still, you won’t get the luxury of ruining someone yourself

[FreeHongKong-1146]

They’re killing their game, again

[Nevera-21704]

Just not player controlled ones.

And that’s a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge difference.

[Spoonylegs-1702]

I mean what is this pool system we are talking about?

[FreeHongKong-1146]

You know how blizz stripped us the freedom to play who we want, when we want? They took it a step further and introducing hero pools, like maps pools (also not what we wanted). So starting next season, you can only play heroes they give us.

[ȐĔƆƐĨPŦŜ-1436]

Which was the only issue…
I see no problem here.

What about the issue of player enjoyment, freedom, agency, creativity. The ability to play the same game they’ve come to expect for years? The fact that people will straight up boycott, meme, and deliberately trash the entire competitive experience?

You don’t see those issues or problems?

IQ check: What is the next number in the following sequence? 1,1,2,3,…

[LevelZero121-1625]

IQ check: What is the next number in the following sequence? 1,1,2,3,…

5

What about the issue of player enjoyment, freedom, agency, creativity. The ability to play the same game they’ve come to expect for years.

Games change, especially games still updating and bringing new content along with constant balance changes.

[MutedNerd-1917]

I mean I hate to call an apple an apple but “hero pools” are hero bans. Just not player controlled ones.

Yes, they’re very similar but there is a difference between Hero bans and the Hero pool system coming to Ranked.

Hero bans would most likely be in the hands of the player.

While Hero pools will not, which is a good thing IMO.

[colltrain-1449]

This is hero bans, just controlled by blizzard and not the player. I was fine with it either way.

[Sly-13591]

Because you seemed to have missed it, here’s the full paragraph that you’re quoting:

@JeffreyKaplan

But just implementing hero bans does not mean the meta will move. Studying other games, the end result is usually a “ban meta”. The downside of a ban meta, is that players are often at odds with each other when someone on their team bans an “off-ban-meta” hero. The same frustrations that players experience with the meta exist in a ban meta. Hero bans are not a silver bullet solution to making the meta move. If the problem we are trying to solve is that the meta needs to change more, hero bans might actually make the problem worse, not better. We do a have a solution in mind – an actual system – that we’ll talk about (next week’s dev update) but it is not hero bans.

In other words, hero pools bring the upside of hero bans without enforcing the “ban meta” he was talking about.

[Reith-1609]

Player-chosen hero bans*

Fixed for you.

[Spoonylegs-1702]

So instead of giving the players the power to pick and ban the characters they want, they just rebranded that power and gave it to themselves? Wow great job devs smart move. They must really hate this community.

[BaronVonOwn-1533]

I mean I hate to call an apple an apple but “hero pools” are hero bans. Just not player controlled ones.

Hero pools are the perfect example of the top-down, patriarchal, “customer is always wrong” Activision corporate culture. Let the customer ban heroes? No, they’re idiots! We’re Blizzard, we’re geniuses, of course we should be the ones banning heroes!