Kirise
OG
I believe in elegant solutions for complex challenges. These three solutions take advantage of technology Blizzard either already has (or will have) in place, or would involve only minor interface changes. To make the most from what WoW offers, Blizzard would improve games for both XP-on and XP-off by implementing the following three features.
Problem: Balancing player skill in non-rated battlegrounds.
Solution: Implement personal battleground ratings for all characters.
If Blizzard made personal battleground ratings universal for all characters, and not just for Rated Battlegrounds, game matchups would bring much more consistency. Even if Blizzard hid the ratings for normal battlegrounds to avoid drama (definitely worth considering), closer matchups generate greater player interest. In the short run, such a system could unfairly sway one way or the other for a given player (depending on “PuGmades†and other positives and negatives of teammate play). But in the long run, these would iron out. If Blizzard decided to keep the ratings public, it would bring some accountability to players -- at some point, you can only win more by working as a team. This solution would also give Blizzard feedback on class balance in different brackets. If nearly all the players above 2200 rating in a particular bracket played the same class, that would make a quantified case for the need for some attention to class balance.
Problem: Knowing how many players on both factions queue for a battleground.
Solution: Display the information in the battleground queue interface.
Old-school PvPers used to go to an NPC battlemaster and see how many games were currently in progress. Simply add "H: 12 A: 7" next to each battleground (including the random battleground entry) to show players how many of each faction are currently in a game or waiting for a pop. We really don't need any more details than that. While http://www.49pvp.com/qlist does a great job showing us all kinds of neat information, using an external site remains clumsy. This simple interface alteration, using information already known to battleground servers, would help players much more than the "average wait time" indicator.
Problem: Newer players struggle to learn and refine their skills.
Solution: Implement dungeon challenge mode for all dungeons.
Dungeon challenge mode became a hotly anticipated feature for Mists of Pandaria upon announcement. While the mode will certainly see many revisions before release, even something as simple as a timer for the duration of an instance run will create a goal for competitive players to reach. You could not complete old-school Uldaman without getting a good grasp on threat management, mana management, crowd control (stop the runners!) and focus fire. Veterans and new players alike will enjoy taking on serious challenges as they level up. Reaching for these goals would not only encourage players to learn the game, but would also encourage players to help each other. With solid PvE skills, players interested in PvP begin with a better foundation. Field awareness, prioritization, quicker response time, and adjusting for the unexpected all help new players to learn the basics of the game, and allow veteran players a fun way to gel as a team to reach difficult goals.
Any one of these three solutions will make a positive impact on battleground participation in the short term, and promote interest in the game as a whole over the long term. Put together, these solutions will help players take responsibility for their own skills, make the most of their game time, and have more fun in the process.
Tremendous thanks to Playroom for conjuring up the article images!
Problem: Balancing player skill in non-rated battlegrounds.
Solution: Implement personal battleground ratings for all characters.
If Blizzard made personal battleground ratings universal for all characters, and not just for Rated Battlegrounds, game matchups would bring much more consistency. Even if Blizzard hid the ratings for normal battlegrounds to avoid drama (definitely worth considering), closer matchups generate greater player interest. In the short run, such a system could unfairly sway one way or the other for a given player (depending on “PuGmades†and other positives and negatives of teammate play). But in the long run, these would iron out. If Blizzard decided to keep the ratings public, it would bring some accountability to players -- at some point, you can only win more by working as a team. This solution would also give Blizzard feedback on class balance in different brackets. If nearly all the players above 2200 rating in a particular bracket played the same class, that would make a quantified case for the need for some attention to class balance.
Problem: Knowing how many players on both factions queue for a battleground.
Solution: Display the information in the battleground queue interface.
Old-school PvPers used to go to an NPC battlemaster and see how many games were currently in progress. Simply add "H: 12 A: 7" next to each battleground (including the random battleground entry) to show players how many of each faction are currently in a game or waiting for a pop. We really don't need any more details than that. While http://www.49pvp.com/qlist does a great job showing us all kinds of neat information, using an external site remains clumsy. This simple interface alteration, using information already known to battleground servers, would help players much more than the "average wait time" indicator.
Problem: Newer players struggle to learn and refine their skills.
Solution: Implement dungeon challenge mode for all dungeons.
Dungeon challenge mode became a hotly anticipated feature for Mists of Pandaria upon announcement. While the mode will certainly see many revisions before release, even something as simple as a timer for the duration of an instance run will create a goal for competitive players to reach. You could not complete old-school Uldaman without getting a good grasp on threat management, mana management, crowd control (stop the runners!) and focus fire. Veterans and new players alike will enjoy taking on serious challenges as they level up. Reaching for these goals would not only encourage players to learn the game, but would also encourage players to help each other. With solid PvE skills, players interested in PvP begin with a better foundation. Field awareness, prioritization, quicker response time, and adjusting for the unexpected all help new players to learn the basics of the game, and allow veteran players a fun way to gel as a team to reach difficult goals.
Any one of these three solutions will make a positive impact on battleground participation in the short term, and promote interest in the game as a whole over the long term. Put together, these solutions will help players take responsibility for their own skills, make the most of their game time, and have more fun in the process.
Tremendous thanks to Playroom for conjuring up the article images!
