Blizzard Adding Custom Server Browser and Permanent CTF Mode to Overwatch

ffronw

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Oct 24, 2013
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Blizzard Adding Custom Server Browser and Permanent CTF Mode to Overwatch

Blizzard is bringing a custom server browser and a permanent Capture the Flag mode, as well as major custom game changes, to Overwatch in the near future.

A couple of weeks back, Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan talked about [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/169384-Overwatch-Capture-the-Rooster-Mode-Isnt-Permanent-But-Could-Return] the Capture the Flag mode Blizzard had added to the popular shooter in its "Year of the Rooster" event. He said that there were a number of challenges inherent in creating the mode, and that it wasn't planned to be permanent. But you can toss that out the window now, because Blizzard is bringing the CTF mode to the game permanently in the next update.

The announcement came in a new developer update video that you an watch below. Not only will the mode be added as a custom game mode in the next patch, but the Overwatch team has revamped nine King of the Hill maps for CTF.


In fact, it sounds like the whole next patch will be focused around custom games. The server browser that was announced at Blizzcon is also coming in the next patch, and with it will be the ability to tweak options in the games you set up. For example, you'll be able to change the pickup time for the flag in CTF, cause the flag to drop when an evade ability is used, or require both flags in your base for a capture. You'll also be able to adjust settings in other modes as well, with Kaplan specifically mentioning a mode with Widowmaker's grappling hook refreshing quickly, allowing you to pretend to be Spider-Man. Kaplan also mentioned making a mode with a triple-health Roadhog taking on a team of six players, as a sort of "Boss Fight" mode. You can even make the payload move faster, assuming anyone pushes the damn thing.

Another big change is that custom games will now award experience, just like Quick Play, Arcade, and Competitive do. The previously reported Bastion buffs [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/169415-Next-Overwatch-PTR-Update-Bringing-Buffs-to-Bastion] will be in this patch, as well as a small tweak to Mercy that makes her invulnerable for a brief period after using her resurrect ultimate.

All of these changes are now available on the Overwatch PTR, which means we'll probably see them make their way over to the live game in the next few weeks.

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Feb 7, 2016
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CTF was pretty fun until a very obvious biased meta started forming around specific characters.

At least the meta in standard CP and escort maps could still be rather loose, but in CTF it felt like the same characters were almost always required.

I can only imagine CTF has been the most popular because the game has had quite a long time to build up more players from all their sales. I'd love to see some statistics between all the special event game modes, because everyone I know has been begging for another Junkenstein's Revenge type gamemode.
 

Arnoxthe1

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Dec 25, 2010
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Wait, wait, waiiiitt...

Overwatch DIDN'T have a server browser? And this shit is advertised as an actual feature now? What in the actual fuck?

Fuck you, ActiBliztard.
 

Rednog

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Arnoxthe1 said:
Wait, wait, waiiiitt...

Overwatch DIDN'T have a server browser? And this shit is advertised as an actual feature now? What in the actual fuck?

Fuck you, ActiBliztard.
Wait, wait, waiiiitt...
So you decided to complain about a game you've never played and don't clearly don't care about.
There wasn't ever a need to have a server browser in the first place. With matches being extremely short and quickplay filling in less than a minute there wasn't ever a point. And the only other mode being competitive, a server browser was pointless.

Arcade is a newer introduction, with various alternative modes, special events etc. And now they're expanding it to let people create custom rule sets for those alternative modes. That's when you actually need a server browser.

As bad as Activision Blizzard can be they're actually doing a decent job at listening to the fan base.
 

Arnoxthe1

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Dec 25, 2010
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Rednog said:
So you decided to complain about a game you've never played and don't clearly don't care about.


1. I'm pretty darn sure with my Intel HD Graphics 4600 I'm not gonna be playing Overwatch.
2. I actually WAS interested in at least trying it out but couldn't for the above reason.
3. Even if I liked the game, I don't want to have to install and run another bloody game client besides Steam if I can help it, and I just generally don't wanna support Activision's bullshit.

Rednog said:
There wasn't ever a need to have a server browser in the first place.
Uhhh yeah, there is. There's a HUGE need for it. If Overwatch didn't do very well and ActiBlizzard decided to shut down the servers, you would be absolutely 100% fucked without one. Server browsers obviously prevent this. Furthermore, games used to always have a server browser. This is just classic reselling of features that should been in the game in the first place, custom games options included. The only saving grace to this whole debacle is that the update is free.
 

A'tuin

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May 6, 2013
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Arnoxthe1 said:
The only saving grace to this whole debacle is that the update is free.
You're the only one who is trying to make a "debacle" out of this. A game with great reviews (91 Metacritic score) added a great, free feature. They're not "reselling" anything since it's 100% free. The game was good and now it's even better. Even if you don't like the game, the game is still better than before. There's absolutely no way you could spin this into a "debacle".
 

Arnoxthe1

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Dec 25, 2010
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A said:
Arnoxthe1 said:
The only saving grace to this whole debacle is that the update is free.
You're the only one who is trying to make a "debacle" out of this. A game with great reviews (91 Metacritic score) added a great, free feature. They're not "reselling" anything since it's 100% free. The game was good and now it's even better. Even if you don't like the game, the game is still better than before. There's absolutely no way you could spin this into a "debacle".
Why wasn't the server browser/custom games options there in the first place? THAT'S the debacle. You still have not answered me that. And I don't care about game scores, I'm talking about a standard feature that should have been in the game day one. I would have said something a lot sooner but, of course, I didn't know until now.
 

IceForce

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Arnoxthe1 said:
Why wasn't the server browser/custom games options there in the first place? THAT'S the debacle. You still have not answered me that.
It's been explained to you in this thread already. A server browser was, strictly speaking, never needed.
The game has built in matchmaking that (supposedly) automatically puts you in a game with other players of a similar skill level to yourself. The idea is to keep the game fun yet challenging for players of all skill levels, (because stomping noobs can be fun but isn't exactly challenging, and getting stomped by high-level players is definitely not fun).

A server browser will effectively allow people to bypass the matchmaking entirely, so theoretically a Bronze-tier player could join a match filled with Grandmasters (be interesting to see how that goes).

Put simply, a server browser is a nicety, but not required in a game like this. It's just the icing on an already very large and delicious cake. As far as I can tell, the devs only added this feature because enough people asked for it. So if anything, this shows that the devs do listen to feedback.
 

Arnoxthe1

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Dec 25, 2010
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IceForce said:
It's been explained to you in this thread already. A server browser was, strictly speaking, never needed.
And I just told you guys why it was, strictly speaking, needed. >_>

IceForce said:
The game has built in matchmaking that (supposedly) automatically puts you in a game with other players of a similar skill level to yourself. The idea is to keep the game fun yet challenging for players of all skill levels, (because stomping noobs can be fun but isn't exactly challenging, and getting stomped by high-level players is definitely not fun).

A server browser will effectively allow people to bypass the matchmaking entirely, so theoretically a Bronze-tier player could join a match filled with Grandmasters (be interesting to see how that goes).

Put simply, a server browser is a nicety, but not required in a game like this. It's just the icing on an already very large and delicious cake. As far as I can tell, the devs only added this feature because enough people asked for it. So if anything, this shows that the devs do listen to feedback.
So wait... You believe that matchmaking is a lot better than a server browser, but you still think server broswers are a great feature?

And before you say it, let me just head you off at the pass there. I don't have beef with matchmaking. I have beef when that's all there is.