Jonathan Larsson · @Reinforce
6th Jul 2017 from TwitLonger
random ranting, re: Overwatch balance updates and org situations
So as most of you know I tend to do occasional write-ups on Medium, I enjoy going through things in my mind in a more structured and restrained way, but this time I wanted to give me thoughts a bit more loosely.
Currently there's a lot of discussion going on in the Overwatch scene, generally concerning two topics. Game balance issues, and "orgs dropping like flies". I've followed it to some extent, but not really cared for it much as popular topics come and go, to only return no matter the conclusion.
re: Game Balance issues:
So a lot of people, have for a long time complained about D.Va, but it has mostly been irrational dumbwit comments without any proper basis to give anyone something to go on. Balancing is a complicated things, just like fixing bugs, change one bad thing, maybe two new bad things pop up. It's a never ending cycle. Therefore, I can understand the slow approach Blizzard has taken to try and "solve" the issue at hand, may we not forget, that 1-2 months ago people were amazed by the flashy Genji, Tracer, Soldier and most recently Soldier play we got to see (and people themselves play as they no longer were forced to fill D.Va or Zarya/Roadhog every game).
The fact is that at least in EU/NA, the meta has not really been an issue in ranked for the most part, because we were still seeing some diversity which people were fine with, it's just recently that people have been fed up with it, and it's almost like they expected Blizzard to have a patch ready to go whenever people eventually got tired of the current D.Va and flank-heavy meta, but realistically it's not like Blizzard could have foreseen what the meta settled on, and fix what at the time wasn't broken.
Could it had been foreseen that D.Va might have been slightly overpowered? Sure, it could have, but equally one could have expected a double hitscan composition becoming insanely overpowered, had D.Va undergone some tuning at the same time at Blizzard rolled out changes for McCree not so long ago. It's a dangerous, sensitive game of balancing, and I don't blame Blizzard for not taking action sooner rather than later. People will yell "Well, look at Valve not having problems with balancing Dota!" and while being a good example for great game balance, with Dota 2 having over 100+ heroes, there's naturally more heroes that counter each other to prevent characters having ridiculous pick rates, rather than in Overwatch, where a balance change can make, or break, a character for months to come.
I'm confident that Blizzard will figure out this sooner than later, may we not forget, that people were equally tired of the Beyblade meta, and the triple tank meta towards the end of both, but eventually those balance changes dropped, they changed the game, for us to only look back at them half a year later with rose-tinted glasses. "Smh".
re: "Orgs dropping like flies"
Another thing that has been asked, frequently, over and over again, is what I think of organisations dropping out of Overwatch following the uncertainty of Blizzard sponsored tournaments and leagues.
Overwatch esports experienced quite an euphoric state last fall, with big tournaments, big prize money, and a lot of exposure. However, Contenders and Overwatch League got delayed, and thus we entered the phase of a deserted landscape. Organisations rightfully so, dropped their teams, as they were wasting more money on essentially only practicing with little to no exposure for the monthly cost of running an Overwatch team. It seems fairly straight-forward, and so people complained at Blizzard, for not supporting external tournament organizers, or hosting tournaments of their own. A "small", admitted, "fuck up", from the side of Blizzard.
However, we've just gone through Season 0 of Overwatch Contenders, with Season 1 starting the week of August 14th, and not to forget the World Cup around the corner, with four different events this summer. It's the consistency we've all been waiting for, the support we've wanted, and the exposure for organisations we have been missing in the equation. So what is there really to be upset about? The bad times are behind us, so let's not gloom about the past, and instead look forward to the future.
Players will say they're "threating" to retire due to the stagnancy of the scene, but chances are, those players were already playing for part-time salaries to begin with, and so quitting real-life for a shot at the stars, is something you'll have to accept the consequences of, it's not Blizzard's fault. It's just life, and sometimes your choices just doesn't pay off for whatever reason (or you're just not good enough... (trust me when I say Blizzard also probably would have liked to have teams stay in the scene and have a fully-booked calendar in early 2017, shit happens).
Am I biased because I've yet to be dropped from Misfits? Of course, but even if I were to be dropped, I'd have to look forward and continue fighting for what's to come, rather than to be stuck in the past, and be optimistic about my chances when something does come around. A lot of players seem to have this idea of self-importance to Overwatch as an esport, but honestly in the big picture, we're all just temporary marketing tools. If Effect decides to pursue a career in CS:GO, then in the future, someone will take his place in Overwatch, put that jersey on and smile for the camera, answer questions in those interviews, play on that big stage, and eventually, he'll be forgotten. Just like for any other player out there. It's just the grim reality of sports.
Blizzard won't let Overwatch esports die before it even began, we've just experienced the prelude.
Note: It's 2:20 AM and I just really want to write this up so I'm exhausted and could have gone into more depth, but you'll just have to take it for what it is. brb sleep