Hi everyone, this is Jeff from the Lucasfilm Story Group...
I would like to think there is a clear lesson to be learned from Disney’s treatment of the Star Wars franchise and its fans: don’t antagonize your community. I have the impression that Jeff from The Overwatch Team didn’t get that memo.
From this interview he did with IGN:
It's something I hope in some ways influences people to think about how they want to be treated as a community.
I refer you to the article to see and judge if I took this quote out of context and if it is as insulting as I think it is. Icing on the cake, from the same interview, from the same paragraph, admittedly a bit of of context:
We feel like it's super important to keep the community together. That's one of our biggest goals.
Adding injury to insult this interview came in the context of what I think is a very underwhelming and overhyped Behind the Scenes of Overwatch 2 presentation released recently by Jeff and The Overwatch Team. From what I remember from the video -- which I am not going to rewatch for this here rant because I find it to be cringe of the highest order -- they are desperately trying to sell concepts like skill trees, which is a 40 year old game mechanic and dynamic weather, which is a subject that has attracted academic research not just by 2017 but as far back as 2008 as novel ideas. Jeff from The Overwatch Team was working on dynamic weather in World of Warcraft in 2006 for crying out loud.
Side note: I could not find any articles about the reception of this storm that was unleashed on the World of Warcraft players in 2006 and I do not want to link to old forum posts where several members of the community were trying to find ways to turn off the rain because it impaired visibility. You don’t have to take my word for it. Feel free to fire up your search engine of choice and look it up yourself. Giving just a cursory thought to the idea of having to play Overwatch (2) without being able to see what to shoot at I certainly can feel their pain.
Broadening the context a little bit this much ado about nothing was presented to an Overwatch community that has been ignored since the announcement of Overwatch 2 in 2019 but is devoted to the game regardless. From what I recall the gist of the fans’ reaction to this announcement -- including mine -- was that what was shown was not a new game but the same old Overwatch in different clothing. After recovering from suffering through the Behind the Scenes of Overwatch 2 video my speculation is that Jeff and The Overwatch Team did not like this reaction and went radio silent for more than a year but instead of trying to address the issue head on and coming up with innovative ways to improve the game they just put bells and whistles on Overwatch and doubled down on trying to sell it as a new game while at the same time making it just like any other game in its own and also other genres.
The fact that they spent a significant part of the video in question -- and apparently a lot of their time since we last heard from them -- going into excruciating detail about redesigning the Overwatch heroes -- the cringe was especially strong with that part of the presentation -- just reinforces my theory.
Personal note: What felt like an eternity on Widowmaker’s ponytail?! Seriously?! It’s an epic ponytail, no doubt about it, but the more they talked about it I actually felt its epicness decreasing. And I find that unacceptable. It’s epic. Period. Leave it at that.
In my experience the Overwatch community’s different factions’ opinions vary when it comes to gameplay, hero abilities, team compositions, and all that jazz but there is a consensus in the admiration for the personality and design of the characters. They are spot on. They do not need any rework whatsoever.
Personal note: If Jeff and The Overwatch Team give Mercy an overly pointy chin I vaguely recall seeing in some Overwatch 2 concept art or video -- I refuse to check -- I will consider it a high crime.
And I am willing to bet that Jeff and The Overwatch Team know it and this charade was only put on as a desperate attempt to sell Overwatch 2 as something that it isn’t: a new game.
Piling on the injuries the reaction of the faithful Overwatch community to the not new but just newly released details of their favorite game disheartens me to no end. I can only describe it as cognitive dissonance. My impression is that they so desperately like the game and its heroes, so desperately want it to succeed, and so desperately want to trust Jeff and The Overwatch Team that they are trying very hard to convince themselves that what they saw was not what they were shown: a naked Emperor. I may be way off on this but this is the only way I can read the reactions. And I have to admit that I’ve been there and done that. I will spare the details but based on my personal experience it’s not a good place to be and not a mentally healthy thing to do.
As far as what I think should be improved in Overwatch (2) I would bring up two things. One relates to what Overwatch is now, which is gamers playing against gamers (PvP for those who are lucky enough not to be in the know) the other is what I think would be a nice addition, which is gamers playing by themselves or as a team against computer enemies (PvE).
PvP: I am playing Overwatch on a PS4. It may be different on PC where it is not free to create a new account but on the PS4 matchmaking is broken beyond repair. I do not want to make my argument long. I have been playing Overwatch for years now. My ranking is the same now as when I first started playing. Exactly the same.
Personal note: And I watched countless hours of Stylosa’s OverAnalyzed! series, practiced shotcalling, learned to play several heroes on what I think is an adequate level so I can could flex if necessary, subscribed to the 2019 Overwatch League All-Access Pass to try to learn tricks from the pros. And the fruits of all of this labor was a slight decrease in my Skill Rating. Disappointing, to say the least.
And the games are not fun. The team you are on either crushes the other team or the other way around. Challenging and fun matches are few and far between. My working theory is that Jeff and The Overwatch Team’s secret matchmaking magical algorithm is very sensitive to gamers playing with multiple accounts. And I have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that some of the console accounts are created for trolling by despicable people just to use them to ruin their fellow gamers’ fun. My improvement proposal is to get rid of the magic algorithm and use artificial intelligence for matchmaking. Jeff and The Overwatch Team’s claim that their secret algorithm is so effective and efficient that within a couple of games everyone will be put in a bracket that reflects their skill and game sense to offer challenging matches is simply not true according my experience from countless hours playing the game.
Side note: I am confident that those unfortunate souls who are in the know will be able to relate when trying to illustrate my point above I say that you do not want to be on a team where the enemy Rein pins your Pharah right in front of your very eyes. I am the first to admit that I am not a good Overwatch player and my game leaves a lot to be desired but I have no business being in the same match with someone whose game sense so blatantly obviously needs improvement. And that player has no business playing in a match where I try to display my lackluster but still not so blatantly obviously lacking skills. It is a waste of both of our times.
Again, for all I know the algorithm could be working perfectly on PC but it sure isn’t on the PS4. My suspicion is that this problem if not addressed will get a lot worse and also impact PC players if the rumors are true and Overwatch will become Free-to-Play.
PvE: In the interview Jeff from The Overwatch Team -- besides telling off the community -- says that in Story Missions heroes from opposing factions cannot be on the same team. The presentation -- for the lack of a better word -- seems to imply -- as far as I recall -- that Story Missions can only be played with preset and fixed heroes. The only logical conclusion I can draw from these two pieces of information is that in Story Missions gamers will not necessarily get to play the heroes they want to play. Not even their preferred one from the predefined and limited list. For the love of the Gaming Gods, please, pretty please, with sugar on top, do not do this. If the players cannot play the heroes they want to play the fun goes out the window right there and then and salt takes its place. I firmly believe this must be avoided at all costs. I think it is a very bad idea to bring over the mental state of gamers playing a competitive game to what I assume is intended to be a chill cooperative experience. You do not want to have the instant hero lock phenomenon in that setting. You do not want one-tricks actively sabotaging the mission or just flat out leaving the game if they do not get to play their favorite -- and only 😉 -- hero. You do not want to ruin the fun right off the bat on the hero select screen even before the game starts. Alarm bells are ringing but I do not want to run circles around them so let’s move on.
Regarding heroes from opposing factions being one the same team I fail to see the problem. The Overwatch lore is disjointed and more implied than told. That is one of the things I like about it and I believe that it is intentional. It encourages those who are so inclined to play around with these characters and imaginary world in their minds and have some fun trying to connect the dots. If the pieces of Overwatch fan art I came across -- not just those 😉 -- are any indication fans do engage with the lore in very creative ways, some actively, many passively enjoying what others have created. Hell, it even inspired me to put together a few silly little things. Intended or not I would like to sincerely thank and congratulate Jeff and The Overwatch Team for making mine and other people’s Overwatch moments and creations happen. Well done!
Trying to get back on point after a teary eyed detour on memory lane -- Damn, I really loved this game until I didn’t! -- I think this disjointed lore not only allows for archenemies to join forces for an occasional common mission for an accidentally common goal for example but it creates opportunities for these colorful characters to interact in new and unexpected ways. There may even be interesting Asymmetric Multiplayer opportunities facilitated by opposing factions working together now that I am not just ranting but thinking about it. Although asymmetric gameplay is also not a groundbreaking new idea but I for one would be a lot more excited -- Correction: excited at all -- for what could come out of Overwatch enemies having to cooperate in some way, shape, or form than for yet an other game with yet an other skill tree in yet an other dynamic weather environment.
Phew, that’s a load off my chest. To some it up all I can say is I personally would be excited about Overwatch (2) if it was anything but what was shown in the Behind the Scenes of Overwatch 2 presentation. A separate Overwatch (2) Story Mode game called Overwatch Archives. Expanding the lore in Overwatch Seasonal Events. A Season Pass with regular Story Mode missions integrated into the current game or separately. An Overwatch animated series. Anything really. Oh, and just a tiny bit more respect towards the community from Jeff and The Overwatch Team.
I cannot find a better way to capture my feelings about the current state of Overwatch and to conclude this here rant than quoting this voice line from Zarya:
YOU HAVE FAILED YOUR TEAM
