Not sure if this has been posted here yet, but (apparently) Hearthstone Creative Director Ben Thompson (since when?) shared his thoughts on tournament mode. Just nice to hear Blizz say anything about the 'dead' format.
What a weird interview. Why go through a long list of speculations before simply asking why it was cancelled? Now we still don't know what Blizzard thought tournament mode should be and what they think the community expects from it, only that there is a "gulf" between the two.
Edit: Although to be fair to the interviewer, the answers given are so abstract that it wasn't really possible to make an informative story out of them.
Now we still don't know what Blizzard thought tournament mode should be and what they think the community expects from it, only that there is a "gulf" between the two.
Blizzard has never known what tournament mode should look like, and have been saying such since at least TGT. I remember Young Woo going on The Angry Chicken way back at that time and discussing that very issue. The statement was that they WERE interested in a Tournament mode but didn't have a clear route of what 'tournament mode' would actually look like that the public would want.
After that, I went out and started writing posts and asking questions to try to get some kind of consensus of the matter. My findings? he has a point.
The community agrees that they want something labeled 'tournament mode' and a few very vague ideas on what that would mean. But when you start actually asking for details on how it would work everyone has their own personal idea that doesn't sync with anyone else. I've heard of systems similar to Starcraft's mode. I've heard of something akin to Arena. I've heard of some kind of sandbox that just tracks games. That it should be privately set. No, fully automated.
Given that a good few folks here were flat out saying that the thought of tournament mode was the big thing keeping them here, that means if it's NOT good, even if it has big "This is a BETA and not the final version!" stamped on it, it'll get torn apart of it isn't a fully formed and great system.
Also during that time, I got to see a game really ***REALLYYYY*** screw the pooch on their tournament mode to the point where it would've been better for them just to not bother.
I think instead of trying to force in some nebulous mode that they have no clear roadmap for that will just piss off the community more:
1. They should focus more on giving tools for the ACTUAL tournamnet scene. See what specifically they would need and get them that. THEY probably have a solid consensus on what they need.
2. They need to experiment a lot more with the Brawls. Go put out test fires of 'tournament systems' (don't call them 'tournaments' just name it something else) and see what seems to sync well. That will provide the feedback they want without the backlash of putting out a 'failed tournament system'.
3. use expansions to add in more modes. Not just PvE ones, but others. It'll fit so long as its themed. So if they did, say, a pirate expansion that had a mode where a 'captain and a first mate got together and fought another team on one ship, where they worked together and...basically two-headed giant mode.
It will give them new avenues of providing content each expansion and basically solidifies the idea of 'adding new modes' to the game that we sorely need.
Oh, and this:
When we looked at something like tournament mode, we did something with tournament mode for the very first time that we’d never done before in the history of Hearthstone. What that was was to announce a new mode to the game, a new feature to the game, so early that it started to take on a life of its own.
Not sure if this has been posted here yet, but (apparently) Hearthstone Creative Director Ben Thompson (since when?) shared his thoughts on tournament mode. Just nice to hear Blizz say anything about the 'dead' format.
Interesting. I'd admittedly forgotten all about Tournament Mode until you posted this. I didn't realise it had been that long since it was announced. I think we originally were expecting it with Witchwood.
That said, the worrying part of this interview is the fact that they are saying, "We've not decided to not do tournament mode, just that it's on an indefinite hiatus..." Which, to me pretty much sounds like they are never doing it?
Not sure if this has been posted here yet, but (apparently) Hearthstone Creative Director Ben Thompson (since when?) shared his thoughts on tournament mode. Just nice to hear Blizz say anything about the 'dead' format.
Interesting. I'd admittedly forgotten all about Tournament Mode until you posted this. I didn't realise it had been that long since it was announced. I think we originally were expecting it with Witchwood.
That said, the worrying part of this interview is the fact that they are saying, "We've not decided to not do tournament mode, just that it's on an indefinite hiatus..." Which, to me pretty much sounds like they are never doing it?
Not so much. Just that they put it back to where it was before. In the "Great idea but no clue how to make it happen" slot. Again, Tournament mode has been in that slot since TGT.
Honestly if they feel that wishy washy about a mode that's so much in demand, it might be for the best. Blizzard is MORE than willing to nuke a project they feel isn't up to par, even if it's ready to ship that day. It's something I feel you can trust them on: if they felt that they need to stop working on something, it's best to trust them on it.
Will it mean they won't come back to it? Maybe. If it was dead they would flat out say it was dead. So if they DO figure out a way to make it work they'll make it work.
Whether they will ever find that way is another matter.
My opinion, just forget about it until you hear a DATE linked to an announcement of the mode.
I don't mind personally that the mode has been cut for the foreseeable future. There's lots of views about what the mode 'should' be, but imo it comes down to these two most common suggestions; a player run non-automated 'anything goes' format (a looking for group mode for HS if you will) and a conquest best of 5 semi-automated format like the actual tourneys.
If you give the players one version the other will complain and vice versa. T5 will just get a headache with all of the players they don't end up pleasing so it really doesn't seem worth the effort for the hassle.
Not sure if this has been posted here yet, but (apparently) Hearthstone Creative Director Ben Thompson (since when?) shared his thoughts on tournament mode. Just nice to hear Blizz say anything about the 'dead' format.
https://venturebeat.com/2018/10/16/hearthstones-in-game-tournaments-are-on-hold-so-blizzard-doesnt-disappoint-you/
The first thing I took from this was the appointment of Ben Thompson as creative director for the game. Did I miss any fanfare of his appointment?
It's also...interesting the way that this has been released to the press within 24 hours of the nerf announcements.
Golden Hero Collections thus far; -
Europe: Druid, Hunter, Paladin, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior (9/9)
Americas: Druid, Mage, Paladin Shaman (4/9)
Everywhere else: Workin on it.. (0/9)
What a weird interview. Why go through a long list of speculations before simply asking why it was cancelled? Now we still don't know what Blizzard thought tournament mode should be and what they think the community expects from it, only that there is a "gulf" between the two.
Edit: Although to be fair to the interviewer, the answers given are so abstract that it wasn't really possible to make an informative story out of them.
Blizzard has never known what tournament mode should look like, and have been saying such since at least TGT. I remember Young Woo going on The Angry Chicken way back at that time and discussing that very issue. The statement was that they WERE interested in a Tournament mode but didn't have a clear route of what 'tournament mode' would actually look like that the public would want.
After that, I went out and started writing posts and asking questions to try to get some kind of consensus of the matter. My findings? he has a point.
The community agrees that they want something labeled 'tournament mode' and a few very vague ideas on what that would mean. But when you start actually asking for details on how it would work everyone has their own personal idea that doesn't sync with anyone else. I've heard of systems similar to Starcraft's mode. I've heard of something akin to Arena. I've heard of some kind of sandbox that just tracks games. That it should be privately set. No, fully automated.
Given that a good few folks here were flat out saying that the thought of tournament mode was the big thing keeping them here, that means if it's NOT good, even if it has big "This is a BETA and not the final version!" stamped on it, it'll get torn apart of it isn't a fully formed and great system.
Also during that time, I got to see a game really ***REALLYYYY*** screw the pooch on their tournament mode to the point where it would've been better for them just to not bother.
I think instead of trying to force in some nebulous mode that they have no clear roadmap for that will just piss off the community more:
1. They should focus more on giving tools for the ACTUAL tournamnet scene. See what specifically they would need and get them that. THEY probably have a solid consensus on what they need.
2. They need to experiment a lot more with the Brawls. Go put out test fires of 'tournament systems' (don't call them 'tournaments' just name it something else) and see what seems to sync well. That will provide the feedback they want without the backlash of putting out a 'failed tournament system'.
3. use expansions to add in more modes. Not just PvE ones, but others. It'll fit so long as its themed. So if they did, say, a pirate expansion that had a mode where a 'captain and a first mate got together and fought another team on one ship, where they worked together and...basically two-headed giant mode.
It will give them new avenues of providing content each expansion and basically solidifies the idea of 'adding new modes' to the game that we sorely need.
Oh, and this:
Yeah, don't do this gain. EVER.
One does not simply walk into Mordor,
unless they want to be the best they can be.
The most interesting thing of this article was that Ben Thompson is creative director replacing the Brode. Was this even announced?
Interesting.
I'd admittedly forgotten all about Tournament Mode until you posted this. I didn't realise it had been that long since it was announced. I think we originally were expecting it with Witchwood.
That said, the worrying part of this interview is the fact that they are saying, "We've not decided to not do tournament mode, just that it's on an indefinite hiatus..."
Which, to me pretty much sounds like they are never doing it?
Not so much. Just that they put it back to where it was before. In the "Great idea but no clue how to make it happen" slot. Again, Tournament mode has been in that slot since TGT.
Honestly if they feel that wishy washy about a mode that's so much in demand, it might be for the best. Blizzard is MORE than willing to nuke a project they feel isn't up to par, even if it's ready to ship that day. It's something I feel you can trust them on: if they felt that they need to stop working on something, it's best to trust them on it.
Will it mean they won't come back to it? Maybe. If it was dead they would flat out say it was dead. So if they DO figure out a way to make it work they'll make it work.
Whether they will ever find that way is another matter.
My opinion, just forget about it until you hear a DATE linked to an announcement of the mode.
One does not simply walk into Mordor,
unless they want to be the best they can be.
I don't mind personally that the mode has been cut for the foreseeable future. There's lots of views about what the mode 'should' be, but imo it comes down to these two most common suggestions; a player run non-automated 'anything goes' format (a looking for group mode for HS if you will) and a conquest best of 5 semi-automated format like the actual tourneys.
If you give the players one version the other will complain and vice versa. T5 will just get a headache with all of the players they don't end up pleasing so it really doesn't seem worth the effort for the hassle.