Why I'm not playing Overwatch... Anymore

Excuse the clickbait-y title, but it's a question I find myself asking myself a lot lately, more accurately, since the Lunar New Year Event and now even more so with Brigitte's release. I've had a lot of games on my mind. But even though I love Overwatch, it hasn't occurred to me, for almost over a month now, that I should pop back in for a looksee.

Who's Brigitte you ask? This girl right here.

I play 5 of the 7 Blizzard titles in Battle.net (oops, Blizzard App) right now, and the only two I'm not playing are World of Warcraft (WOW) and Starcraft Remastered. So I've experienced Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone and Overwatch. Overwatch being special because I actually tried it on the Free to Play Weekend before actually making the purchase.

A list of Blizzard's current franchises on the Blizzard App

But out of the 5 that I have in my games library, I only find myself gravitating towards Heroes of the Storm (HotS) and just recently again, Diablo 3 (D3), after a 2 season hiatus. But never Overwatch. (Starcraft's a longer story but the TL:DR of it revolves around personal incompetence and the difficulty to maintain a high enough APM, self-loathing and multitasking problems. Why?

So here's what I've gotten to so far, after long, pondering sessions on the toilet seat (TMI, I know but not untrue) and multiple thinking gifs to demonstrate the amount of time I spent thinking about this subject, here's what I've gotten so far.

Just a heads up, I'll be using HotS and D3 a lot for comparison because I know those franchises a lot but just to shake things up, I'll also use Counter Strike Global Offensive (CSgo), to the degree of knowledge I have about it, as a game for comparison as well.

Player Incentives - Progression and Unlockables

What Overwatch lacks is the features that bring the player back to game daily, features which other games include in the form of Daily Quests and so on. The only form of progression you have, at the time of this post, is leveling up your account, which by doing so awards you a single, measly, loot box.

How it feels like after opening box after box of disappointments

You could also include the seasonal currency you get that allows you to purchase gold weapons but I've tried competitive in HotS and almost burned myself out of the game so I'll leave competitive to the players that actually go for that kind of thing and enjoy it.

And what do you get from that one measly loot box after leveling up?

4 cosmetic items with a 18.2% chance for Epic items and 7.4% chance for Legendary items. Which by the standards of the last Overwatch Anniversary Event means you have a 1.85% chance of getting the skin you want cause all of them are legendary (this isn't even including the probability of getting those legendaries in the sea of all the other legendaries), which are mostly what people want from the Loot Boxes anyway. And you only level up after playing 5 extremely long games, which take around 15-20 minutes per game, if not, you have to play up to 10 games, should your matches last between 5-15 minutes. Pair this with salty or foul-mouthed players that are pros at the blame game, the very apparent performance gap you and your teammates have against your opponents and unfair 5 vs 6 matches you'll have due to a missing teammate, there's only so much a person can take TO LEVEL UP ONCE. All for working towards a box whose contents you have no control over.

me, 100%

In Heroes of the Storm, you have a main account level, just like in Overwatch, each individual hero you use has their own level as well, the more you use a hero, the more they level up. Each time a hero levels up, you're awarded a Loot Chest (Overwatch - Box, HotS - Chest) and your account levels up as well, so your account level is the cumulative level of all the heroes in your roster. The difference here is that HotS also has Daily Quests, which once you complete award you Gold which you can use to buy new heroes. Daily Quests are what bring the players coming back day after day, and as your completing your daily quests, you're leveling up your heroes along the way. AND you can reroll bad Loot Chests using your hard earned Gold, which also gives you more incentive to check in every day. 

Overwatch's Lunar New Year Event

Overwatch's main attraction, which brought even yours truly back for a year or so, are different events based around real world celebrations or in-game crucial moments. The latest example would be the Lunar New Year Event for Year of the Dog. During which, new or unique limited time game modes are introduced as well as new limited time in game items are available which can be obtained from... LOOTBOXES!!! Overwatch allows you to buy specific items you want with Credits (or Coins), an in-game currency you get by getting duplicates from Loot Boxes. But for these limited time items, the cost is tripled that of a normal one of the same rarity. And should you get a duplicate of the event item, you're awarded the same amount of Credits as a normal item. Sure you get ONE complimentary Loot Box, courtesy of the Overwatch Team, but really, how much does that really add in the long scheme of things?

wait... Whut?

The incentives available in Overwatch to keep a person playing are very little, and the main events that are supposed to help with attracting players to continue playing do nothing to solve this problem. HotS uses a much more organic approach, by providing small, incremental rewards that keep a player engaged and invested. And these in-game items have no effect whatsoever in how well your character plays, they are simply cosmetic items that allow you as a user to customize the character to how you see fit. Seems very trivial, I know, but as Dota 2 and CSgo have proven, it's a lucrative business model.

Overwatch's Business Model

Heroes of the Storm's Business Model

Here's a diagram of how the business models of both games look. In Overwatch, there is very little you can work for as compared to HotS, which, judging by how interwoven the different currencies and ways of obtaining them are, makes playing Heroes of the Storm more rewarding. AND HOTS IS THE FREE-TO-PLAY GAME HERE.

Speaking of cosmetic items (nice segue, I know, I'm working on it)

Visibility and Accessibility of Cosmetic Items

Cosmetic items are what drive players to invest hundreds of hours on Loot Box hunting, they are a form of reward players get for their hours spent on a game. But for a game like Overwatch, you hardly get to look at the character skin you worked so hard for in game. The only times you get to the see the full skin while playing are when you die (which is from the person who killed you's point of view) and if you a get the play of game. Everyone else sees your hard-earned skin all the time you're in their vision range. 

One of my favourite Mercy skins, but also which I sadly do not own

This applies to Highlight Intros as well, since it only plays if you get Play of the Game, if you're a support player, that means no Highlight Intros like 99.9% of the time. Sprays are also hardly visible as there are so many different levels on Overwatch and so many facades, it's hard to notice which wall has a spray on it. That being said, a well-placed spray is still funny when you do actually stumble upon it.

... then back to salt

So I've selected the skin...

But I don't see most of it

In Heroes of the Storm, because of how the game is, you can constantly see skin you chose. The effects and such are always visible, and though I don't constantly go ohhh and ahhh at the changed effect or skin, there are those moments when I hearth back to base, I sit back and admire the amount of work put into the design of the skin which lead to me grinding to get it for myself.

Skin's right there

The same goes for sprays as well, it's laid out, on the ground for everyone to see. Banners too, which ultimately remind the players what they lack and then as they've worked hard to obtain it, the reward of their labours.

You plant a Banner if you capture a camp or objective, and it even has you name on it!

Sprays are there for all to see, completely visible for a duration of time, and I'm not including mounts

But Heroes is played from a birds eye view, Overwatch is from a first person point of view, these differences don't apply. Indeed they don't but the fact that it exists doesn't help Overwatch's case. Now compare Overwatch to CSgo, the same point of views and visibility but CSgo allows players to buy and sell skins they don't use. Which adds another method of acquisition for players that can't splurge on 50 Loot Boxes in one sitting. When you allow different and simpler avenues for players to get what they want, it encourages them to work towards it, given it's not as steep of a climb. 

Glad to know I can spend 10 cents or 300 dollars on a skin

I have to admit, being able to spend 8 cents on a cosmetic item in Dota 2 was what got me buying different in game items, which when you add up how much I've spent in total, it could easily amount to around 30 ringgit OR MORE. Now I'm not saying that Overwatch is bad for making the skins not visible and such, but the point I'm making here is that the visibility of the item affects how much the players want it. In order to counter this, they have to give players other ways of obtaining the skin.

Amount of In-Game Content

As a game that costs as much as it does, it should have other game modes that cater towards the single player experience. Because all games now require an always-on internet connection, to combat pirating and whatnot, I'm going to let that one slide. But Overwatch's primary gameplay experience revolves around its multiplayer experience, so there's very little you can do if you're on your own.

you, if you're looking for single player content

Overwatch delivers a solid multiplayer experience, don't get me wrong, but it's those times where that multiplayer aspect fails where the other features come into play to keep you enjoying the game. A game mode where all you have to focus on is the growth of one character you love and not care about what other people do, progression. Something that Diablo 3 definitely delivers. 

The game allows you to collect items and level up your character, and you keep at it, simply because you know you can get your character to a better spot,

better damage,

and better gear.

If not, give them goals to work towards, a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, in small increments within arms reach. A reason to keep playing the game they first fell in love with and wasted 2 days of their life, not doing anything productive in the real world because of the free to play weekend. Opening each loot box, watching with glee at the new skins they got to equip. Spending the first few Credits they got on a colour variation for a character they really connected with just because they liked the character that much. Entering a game with teammates all going through the same thing and treating each other nicely, because no one had ranks back then, everyone was just starting out. And how everyone just cheered when a teamfight went perfectly with 5 strangers you didn't know but all came together because they enjoyed the game so much.

But then again, how could you think Overwatch would have single player content? Like have you seen the posters?

There's no "I" in Overwatch, *checks Overwatch* Oh, thank god

So I'm not going to play Overwatch for now, but if there's anything I've learned from playing Overwatch, you'll just have to wait and see. Because things could always take a turn for the better.

THAT'S ALL AND HAVE FUN PLAYING THE GAMES YOU ENJOY!!!

Smoking Etiquette (because everything you do has some sort of etiquette)

Let me make myself clear, I do not smoke. I never have and I sure hope I never will. And I hate the act of smoking. But, my hate for the act of smoking and my hate for you as a person are separate. Smoking, I have hated from the moment I inhaled that dreaded cloud of carcinogens some inconsiderate human being has so graciously excreted from his bacteria ridden mouth (a trait to which we all have in common yet I put in for more dramatic effect). You, however, as a person, I have no reason to hate unless you provide me with one. And, without invitation, without me knowing you, you have managed to do so, by releasing smog which would then hit me in the face. Do not make me associate you with my hatred towards smoking by your inconsiderate actions of smoking irresponsibly. Do not increase my hate towards you by changing how I perceive you by not being considerate of others when you smoke.

How do you keep those two separate? The first thing you should know is what smoking does to you. But I needn't elaborate further, we're all educated here. I bet from the moment you set foot in school, you've already gotten the lecture and might still be getting the lecture from time to time. It's bad for your health, and basically the only benefit is the short lived stress relief that comes with each puff. A benefit greatly offset by cancer and dying and whatnot. Bad breath, difficulty of breathing, etc, I won't bore you with the details. What I'm getting to is that although you might be okay with those conditions, you might be at peace with that, I won't judge, your life is your own. But never assume that others share the same sentiment. I might not be at peace with the fact that every inhale decreases my life expectancy.

Hence a small amount of consideration is required in order for us to continue living our lives without me having to carry an oxygen tank around and not tempting me to bash your face in with it every exhale (a temptation that grows stronger with each exhale mind you). WATCH WHERE YOU'RE PUFFING FOR GOD'S SAKE. Is it so hard to simply turn your head away from people when smoking? Yet I see you gleefully filling the air with tar while conversing with your friends, without a care in the world for those around you. You've made this whole restaurant ground zero and I highly doubt that's a place you'd want to bring your pregnant wife or toddler for their breakfast. There are so many things you can do, simple things, that would make you a better person. I know it's completely possible because I have family members that smoke, I have friends that smoke and they're all considerate enough to not make me (or the people in the vicinity) to gasp for air (any friends or family reading this, you're off the hook cause you're awesome for doing so).

I use my uncle as an example because he's the best one. The amount of thought he puts into consideration extends even beyond what I have considered. When we were eating out, he would choose a seat at which the air would blow away from the table so that if he smoked, the smoke wouldn't drift towards us. He would sit at the edge of the table and not in the middle so that others won't breathe the smoke in. AND he blows the smoke away from the table and not towards people. When a pregnant woman or a group with children pass by our table, he would stop smoking all together. And as he puts out the cigarette, he would fan away the smoke, making sure the cloud in non-existent should they happen to pass by. And as a man with children, he makes sure that they don't breathe a particle of cigarette smoke even though he does. The same I cannot say for those of you who smoke in front of their babies and pregnant wives. FOR SHAME.

I don't expect you to go to his level, but even my friends exercise a good level of consideration when smoking, to which I feel is already adequate. When we eat together, they would sit at the edge of the table, away from the group that doesn't smoke and they blow the smoke upward, that way, the cloud won't hit others in the face but instead drift above their heads. So usually if we eat out, the smokers would sit on one side of the table and the group that doesn't smoke would sit on the opposite end. The ones that are casual smokers would sit in the middle, since they're okay with it. And that actually works. They would also try to smoke somewhere else if they could. There was this one time when we were on a field trip, me being new to the group, I was randomly placed with them in the same room. They excited brought in an ashtray and having seen my expression proceeded to say that they would just smoke somewhere else. I was actually the minority in that sense but they were considerate enough to leave the room. Even though we were travelling the whole day, and they would have probably preferred to rest in the room while having a puff or two.

See? It's that kind of consideration that differentiates a bad smoker from good people. The stigma of people normally hating smokers comes from the fact that the ones they hate have no regard for others when they are smoking. Hating the act of smoking and the smoker are again, separate, so long as you don't bring the two together, non-smokers won't hate you. My friends and family members are a good example for that and I am happy that I am surrounded with such nice and considerate people. They smoke but I don't care because what they it doesn't inconvenient me. They're smokers but they care about others when they smoke and you should too.

You, that inconsiderate smoker sitting at that table next to mine. While my sister carries her 2 month old baby in her arms.

And to those who vape, don't think you're off the hook, because you wouldn't spray someone in the face with perfume or deodorant (or spray a whole can in a restaurant next to people who are eating) so I don't think that whole "it's harmless" argument is valid. It's just as inconsiderate so it should also be practiced with etiquette.

Have fun and be considerate of others.

5 Reasons Why Dota is Better Than Heroes of the Storm

I'll be honest, I wrote the 5 Reasons Why Heroes of the Storm is Better Than Dota 2 without actually planning to make a list on the other side of the coin. It was only at the end of the post did I realize that having made the first list, another one would have to be made. The reason a list on why Dota is better than Hots would be hard was because I hated some mechanics that made Dota, Dota.

So a disclaimer is in order:

Although I still stand by my thoughts about Dota on my first post here, mechanics like gold and items have such a huge potential to be exploited when the playing field is uneven but become interesting tools for a turnaround in official league games. You will find me contradicting myself a lot as you read on and please keep this in mind while doing so, I find that those mechanics are unfriendly towards newcomers and have the chance to be exploited, hence I find that the game is better off without those mechanics to begin with. However after having played Dota for quite sometime, you see the potential of having those mechanics and I am a huge advocate for games that reward players for their experience, giving experienced players an added edge over less experienced players should they ever compete. Is it fair? I don't think so, but is it exciting to watch? It is when the playing field is fair. And having gotten those things out of the way, now on to the list~

1. Gold and Items

Hahaha, way to start the list, but hear me out. Gold gain plays a huge role in Dota 2, to the point you can never win against an opponent if you do not master the techniques of acquiring gold faster than your opposing team, ultimately giving you an advantage in team fights which will lead to you winning the game. The reason why gold is important because it allows you to purchase items, which can improve your hero is a variety of ways, from increasing their overall stats making them stronger, to even giving them access to a new ability provided by the item itself. The potential this gives you is massive, allowing you to go for an endless amount of combinations. Items also allow players to break the mold of a hero, allowing you to build your hero up to any role in game. Have you ever heard of a carry Crystal Maiden? Nope. But is it possible? Yes, through intense hardship. (Trust me, I've tried it)
Heroes of the Storm allows for different builds but not to the extent of Dota with the help of items. It just shows you know, just like the real world, gold can get you anywhere. (ughhh)

FEAR THIS FACE!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

The opportunities don't stop there, you can use items to make up for what your hero lacks, like I bought a Drum of Endurance and Sange and Yasha for Crystal Maiden when I was attempting to carry with her because of her low speed and low health which those two both provided. Then it was all damage and I got quite far but she still couldn't compete with those agility carries.

The huge array of items makes for some very fun experimentation when you want to switch up your build so it caters for those who want to play long term.

2. Map and Lane Control
Remember when I said I like games that reward experienced players? Well Dota has a bevy of layers for you to master, each giving you more control over the game. From creep farming, to creep stacking to wards, to creep blocking and so on. And that's just scratching the surface, there are denies and last hits, and experience gain. All encourage teamwork and huge coordination from your team, bringing your team closer to victory should you succeed. Creep camps are monsters or mercenaries (otherwise known as creeps) that have no allegiance in the battle, but ones you can slay to obtain gold, stacking those camps allow more creeps to appear, allowing you to amass more gold in a short period of time. The opposing team can counter this by blocking the camp, the game is programmed to spawn a new set of creeps should the existing area not have any, and hence placing an object in the vicinity prevents a new set from spawning.

The camp can be blocked if you place a ward within its area

You can use wards to increase your vision of the map, allowing you to scout enemy movements, you can deny your creeps (an act of delivering the last blow to your friendly creeps, denying them of the gold reward) and last hit (amassing gold faster with the rewarded gold) and the list goes on. Dota has a huge learning curve and that curve rewards experienced players, keeping them hooked on the game as they try to master other mechanics of the game.

TRUTH

I haven't even touched the surface, the list goes deeper from creep timing to even map manipulation, Dota gives its hardcore players plenty of features to delve into and master, justifying the reason why it is such a popular game in the competitive scene and how it got so popular given the fact its still a relatively new game.

3. Hero Selection
Dota has a wide variety of different heroes to choose from, a list that spans more than 95 individually distinct heroes with their own set of skills and abilities. Not to mention their own weaknesses and combos that go along with other heroes on the list. With such an expansive list, the possibilities of hero matching and team building in game are endless, with different combos and combinations leading to very interesting team fights. And Dota has its fair share of mind blowing gameplay and teamwork, a wonder to witness when you see each spell being followed up with another, ultimately killing all the heroes on the opposing team. The scene is a spectacle to see and the result is a wonderful game with a huge opportunity in the competitive arena due to its entertainment value.

A few examples~

Wait... you know what, I'm just gonna show you some videos, courtesy of DotaCinema, you can check out their channel on YouTube, it's quite cool!

If you're thinking like, wait, Faruq, did you like watch a playlist of all the Symphony of Skills just to make this post? Well, yes. Yes I did (I had fun so can't complain)

Another thing I'd like to add is that Dota's list of heroes are completely unique in the sense that those heroes exist simply because Dota exists, and you get unique and lovable characters with their own backstory and relationship with other heroes in the game. Heroes of the Storm relies on creating a medium for different characters from Blizzard games to come together which I admit has its merits but just as how Overwatch was a huge success because of its new and interesting characters, Dota benefits by doing the same.

The kind of heroes you get are completely varied, some have a sense of humour, others are serious, with many of them sporting even different accents, giving you hints of where the hero might originate from. Their dialogue in game also expresses this, from how they reply to you as you give them commands to how the interact with other heroes, Dota shows the connections between heroes and their personalities vibrantly and it adds to the world of the game.

The List of Heroes in Dota, which could be complete or incomplete, depending on when you read this

4.Tone of the Game

You can tell a lot about what the creators of the game have in mind on what they wish for their game by the tone of the game, which from Dota I'm kinda feeling it's a friendly competitive game. All this from the way the heroes talk in puns based on their backgrounds, abilities and overall nature, the way heroes have their own attitude (some cheerful, others despising humanity completely) to the art direction of the game, which is sort of cartoony but not to the extent that the game looks childish. It shows that the game creators know that it is a competitive game (one that can be overly competitive mind you) and wish to remind its players that it's all for the sake of friendly competition.

Heroes are colourful and decorated, further emphasizing the heroes' background and the game's lighthearted intention.

Windrunner, my favourite hero

Yunero, the Juggernaut

Lanaya, the Templar Assassin

Sven, the Rogue Knight

Axe... the Axe?

Rylai, the Crystal Maiden

Heroes of the Storm tries to be, but the game doesn't seem to compliment the direction they're going for (which is lighthearted friendly competition), most of the heroes come from very serious games, so trying to do so sometimes leads to scary results.

These are all skins available in game *shudders* (I even made the pictures smaller so you don't have to look at them as long)

WHYYYYYYY

Speaking of skins...

5. Open Creation for the Fans from the Fans

Skins are custom items you can equip to the hero you're using in game to somewhat change the appearance of the hero. It might seem very trivial, but giving you the option to customize the hero to your liking, to your own individual taste has a huge impact on keeping a person invested in the game. And it clearly pays cause skins are how Dota is actually making profit, the game being completely free. In fact, most games allow their users some sort of customizability, Dota takes this a step further by allowing fans to create their very own skins for heroes in game, leading to some of the most beautiful skins in game I have ever seen. Most of the best skins aren't even made by the creators of Dota, Valve but are from the community.

Yeay community!

It just goes to show, sometimes you just have to leave it up to the fans, especially in creative stuff, the world is filled with creative people so don't limit it to the people you have in your office, Blizzard!

Here are a few of my favourite skins~

The Aria of the Wild Wind Set for Windrunner (Yes, it's windrunner and that'll never change)

The Deadly Nightshade Set for Templar Assassin (one of my favourite heroes but also one that I play the worst at)

The Acolyte of Vengeance Set for Anti-Mage (Another hero I'm bad at but dat hood though)

As I said earlier, I play both games and I like both of them but that isn't to say that they don't have their own ups and downs. It just comes to show that you can like something and acknowledge its flaws. That being said, I hope you have a wonderful new year and.....

HAVE FUN PLAYING GAMES!!! =D))  (geddit, cause it looks like a double chin?)