What we learned from Jeff during FRAN’s BlizzCon “interview”

General Discussion
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Interview can be seen here https://m.twitch.tv/videos/331193544

My take aways:

  • echo IS a hero
  • echo is NOT hero 30
  • she will prob be a tank or healer (it was as much sincere as it was tongue in cheek if she could work as a tank
  • ashe’s grenade’s flight is worked out so you should be able to hit it if you don’t move cursor
  • confirmed 6 heroes in development
  • they know brig is controversial but they also do find humor in the response (make of it what you will)
  • he hates no limits (Jeff…get it out of mystery heroes pls…why would it work there?!? My take on it MH + Hero Stacking = Broken...any chance we get alternate version? (game log included) - #2 by syncerror-2477
  • he sat down leaned over and took about 8 shots with Ashe…I believe he missed once…make of it what you will
  • was ashes bike always just passed the gate right after 2nd objective? (Not about Jeff…just noticed it during the video and can’t remember)
  • dynamite (I keep saying grenade) can be swallowed by dva
  • he sounded tired of the mercy complaints…don’t expect major changes (there’s a separate thread about this - shocking)
  • and though not his exact words he did admit that they don’t always get things right
  • probably won’t be seeing hero banning
  • role queue is highly debated amongst the devs…he did stress that lfg is set up to allow it if that’s what you want…but a forced queue would probably lead to issues they don’t really want…doesn’t mean they aren’t considering it
  • separate queue for solo vs team probably won’t be happening anytime soon either
  • comics comeback?
  • community doesn’t realize what story mode would actually mean for the dev team in terms of time/work that would actually involve
  • tournaments could happen (but again time/effort)
  • he hates golden weapons in comp (we knew this already)
  • SR reset is not happening…MMR reset prob not happnening either
  • you are in the ELO that you belong in
  • Geoff hates recoil…
  • I wish I could’ve been at the hero dev panel
  • clans/guilds - def in the works…again…time
  • streamers are def part of the feedback loop (I know we like to question how important they are)

Thoughts?

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hmm…interesting, but yeah…people underestimate how much work a story is, making competent AI that will give a player a challenge, getting actors in for voice acting, possible animation for cutscenes, having to hire more story artists, story board artists, and such

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I also wonder if the implication is that we want story mode for each hero (as opposed to one big story?)…that would probably be even worse?

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I mean, if every dev team came and said that, yeah the overwatch dev team was the smallest dev team there, i wouldn’t be surprised, FPS games is new for blizzard, and it seems that blizzard took this project on without consulting activision’s shooter devs, which…personally…they should have

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oh god that would take so long…that…it wouldn’t be worth it…and well…from what i seen with blizzard games, they aren’t into the traditional campaign story, that games like cod, gears, or battlefield has

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and well…yeah, i am also tired of the mercy stuff, because, while there are people who just want her to be fun, many either want her to be the best, while some want her to be the worst, and the last 2 are the most vocal

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Good on Jeff to address so many questions relatively openly.

Supremely disappointed that single player campaign isn’t coming, but still I understand why. I rather have high-quality events like Retribution instead of half-a55ed stories.

Can’t say I’m surprised about the Mercy bit. They’ve gone too far for a rework to happen anyways. Still, tired of complaints doesnt mean there isn’t a problem.

Good that they realize Brig is controversial, and I can see why they find it funny, but hopefully they realize it’s a problem from the pickrates at world cup.

Not surprised MMR reset wont happen. It shouldn’t.

He can hate golden weapons, but some form of cosmetic reward for dedication in game should definitely exist

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i mean, if i remember right, he hates golden guns because it caused a split in reasonings to play comp, either to be the best, or just farm comp points, instead of just giving players incentive to play more comp

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I know what you mean. Comp should be for the hardcore and not for people to earn cosmetics. Essentially, it’s like some people are there for arcade lootboxes (which contain cosmetics) and some are there for hardcore grinding.

But still, some form of incentives or rewards, say, platinum guns or exclusive cosmetics, for over (X number of hours) in the game should exist, if only to keep players in the game.

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He spells it out in the video as well…incentivizes comp for people that don’t want to be there

Doesn’t think that should be the case

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they probably have thought of it, but they are worried that what they put htem in for, won’t happen, like instead of rewarding those who play a hero for a long, mastering them, that they will encourage people to just be selfish in their picks, instead of playing for the team

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As much as a story mode would be cool, I agree that people really don’t understand how much work would need to be put into it. Like it took the devs a year to make the Retribution event and it’s pretty short (makes sense since it’s only an arcade mode but still it’s short.) So imagine how long it would take to make a campaign that’s at most a few hours long?

Also I kind of expected the Mercy comment because it’s tricky to balance a hero like her. Since they want her to be balance and also viable.

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ah, well…when everyone else has gold guns and you dont…well…you want one, just to prove you are just as good as them

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and, lets be honest, almost everyone here is biased to the heroes they play, they want them strong and their counters weak

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That’s only for specific hero hours, which I have thought of.

If they said “Play 500 hours of Reaper to get Reaper platinum guns” you can bet your house I would onetrick Reaper forever.

But if they said “Play 300 levels to get your choice of a Platinum gun”…that becomes something very different.

Much like gold guns, the hero you invest time on does not have to be the hero you get the cosmetic for

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Yeah that’s pretty true for some people on the fourms.

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possibly, but…well, why risk it?

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so, they look at the forums and reddit with grains of salt, looking for ideas that are good, but aren’t purposely putting a hero in leagues above the rest, and well, you give people an inch, they take a mile

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Is there a risk in that case?

“Invest more hours in the game to get some extra cosmetics”

The only real risk I can think of is people playing the game for the grind and not for the fun, which drains them out, but I don’t think that would happen unless for the most hardcore grinders

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as folr the plat guns, well…that may just make people just stand around in games instead of trying to win, and if get so many wins, well…then people would leave the instant they think they won’t win