The Overwatch beta has been back recently, including a new leveling system that, for the moment, does not seem to have an end. Each level passed gives you a loot crate that contains more or less rare rewards, and we all want this skin that makes us look (you can be jealous of my Angel Devil!) Not surprisingly that Blizzard counts in to sell. On the other hand, by leveling up, some stand out, and look at the competitive side of the game, and a ranked game mode.
Our friends at EuroGamer.net interviewed Jeff Kaplan about these two questions, of which here is a summary.
The progression system
The progression system is currently a good preview of what it will be when it comes out. However, before this date, players will see some additional adjustments, such as legendary skins for each of the heroes (Editor's note: at the moment, some heroes have no legendary skin, like Jackal, while Tracer has 5) and the team has planned other game modes, so we can expect a lot more content. Of course, there may be changes, but Blizzard feels confident with this system.
On the loot crates side, they will always be the way to get content that will be added in the future, such as new skins, new tags or new entry routines. On this part of the content, the creation team says it is particularly attentive to the community, whether on the forums or on Reddit. On the financial front, the option to purchase additional loot crates, currently unavailable, is confirmed by Kaplan, who also explains that the level system has no end!
GAMEPLAY BABY! G.A.M.E.P.L.A.Y.
If one player wants to unlock everything just by playing and another prefers the shortcut to purchase, that's fine. Kaplan recalls, however, that on the orc statue at the entrance to Blizzard studios, it is written that the priority will always be the gameplay. While speculation was rife about a possible store where you could buy THE skin you want, how profitable it would be for Blizzard, Kaplan believes the choice they made was the better one: rewarding players. .
With regard to the release date, Kaplan confirms that the game will be released no later than June 21, 2016, but that we can expect a release sometime in the spring of 2016. In fact, June 21, 2016 is the date. late spring legal ... But that clarifies things for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere!
Meanwhile, the studios are planning to take care of themselves and are far from twiddling their thumbs (or perhaps on Xbox One or PS4 controllers) when it comes to content. We saw the Bastion and Torbjörn balancing patch recently, but that's not all. Regularly, bug fixes are deployed, but also and especially the optimization of maps and models in terms of performance or the user interface. Kaplan also tells us about a new tutorial for new players, while the Co-op vs. IA has already arrived.
Classified parties
Regarding the ranked game mode, Kaplan explains that the studios are working on it and that they hope to be able to release a first draft by the end of March, beginning of April at the earliest. Nothing is certain however: Jeff explains that they do not refuse the possibility of withdrawing the mode to refine it if it does not suit them, and this even if the game is released because this mode could arrive after the release. (Editor's note: you have to be aware of the fact that this is a possibility, Kaplan insists on this point). As for the ranking model, most developers are themselves players first and foremost, on Blizzard games but also on games like Rocket League, CS: GO or League of Legends and are aware that there are many systems of rankings. Some of them have worked on the working systems of StarCraft II or Hearthstone, and are able to tell what goes and not in internal testing.
Kaplan, however, only commits its opinion when it expresses itself on the classified game system. According to him, only a 6v6 team ranking is "useful", because Overwatch is above all a team game where 6 players must play together. He recognizes that the community's requests for a solo ranking is legitimate. In fact, looking back, he realizes that each player has their definition of the word "Competitive"! His Game Developper instinct tells him that a competitive game mode is above all a balanced mode, with a solid and stable system. But over and over, he sees that for players, it often represents above all a serious game environment where they can see their progress as an individual through their own experience.
He compares a successful ranking mode to Hearthstone, where many players are content to obtain rank 20 for the back of the card and then two other groups: ranks 20 to 4 and those above. He separates them into two categories: "Casual Competitive" and "Hardcore Competitive" with humor, explaining that Hearthstone has managed to separate these categories while grouping them together on a single ranking system.
Hearthstone offers a good ranking system according to Kaplan
It is therefore possible to satisfy the vast majority of players in a single system, even if this turns out to be complex: in Overwatch, 6 players face 6 players, unlike Hearthstone. And that's just one of the variables that come into play: “on-the-fly” hero changes mean that a player can be the best Widowmaker in the world, having never played Angel! Impossible to predict whether or not this player will decide to play Angel for the first time or not, and above all, to determine the ranking he "deserves" with this hero, certainly different from his ranking with Widowmaker, for example. This thorny issue is not present in other games like League of Legends because your hero is not locked in Overwatch, and it is at the very heart of the game.
General Beta
Kaplan concludes the interview by answering some great classics about the beta: there will certainly be new waves of invitations, and this as the servers improve and increase their capacity. However, he is amazed to see the enthusiasm of the Onlywatchers for the game and their desire to play!
Regarding the length of this new beta phase, nothing has been decided yet, but he reiterates that players are aware that at times they may close the doors of servers like this. was the case at Christmas. To refine the balances, the doors will eventually have to be opened to the public, and this will also allow the server infrastructures to be tested. We can therefore expect a more or less open beta, although this is not mentioned in black and white!
Note, even if this had more or less been implied, that we now have confirmation that other heroes will be added later. No specific timeframe or information, but at least it's safe now.
@Nyrang_ Yes! We will be adding more heroes and maps after launch. No timing for specifics other than they will all be free.
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) February 22, 2016
Thanks to our friends at EuroGamer.net for this interview, and thanks to Jeff Kaplan for the clarification. Glad to see that they keep their promise of free cards and heroes, and that all of the content can be obtained free-to-play!
