Can we just talk about what we think of Overwatch as a game? Please?

[Texas Joker 52]

What I can't help but wonder is if there's a limit of one player per-character: Only one person can play Reaper, either period or on either team, everyone else has to pick someone else. That'd be understandable, but I can also see it forcing someone into playing a character they aren't familiar or comfortable with. As someone who can have a hard time adapting to different playstyles, I can attest that if it works out badly, it's not fun.

There's no limit to a number of similar characters. That kinda gives a hint that if the game is gonna be f2p, all the characters are gonna be unlocked right away.

Ah, so there can be more than one Reaper, Winston, Mercy, etc. on either team? Good to know.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

It's a TF2 knock-off. What else is there to talk about, if not skins and their design?

Tracer = Scout
Reinhardt = Heavy
Torbjorn = Engineer
Widowmaker = Sniper
Mercy = Medic

etc.

That is kinda a limited way to think about it. If you compare LoL to Dota, I'm pretty sure there's going to be more than a dozen of similar characters. Similar either in their abilites and role or in their overall design. That doesn't make one game a rip-off of another, there are numerous of underlying differences in the game itself that make them similar in some ways, but very unique in another.

 

[Bakuryukun]

we really shouldn't JUST talk about the game, social context is definitely important and warrants discussion, BUT we can and should talk about the game itself as well as the issues that surround it.

So far I think the game looks pretty neat, It does look pretty simple to me, which personally is a breath of fresh air considering how chaotic Team Fortress 2 has gotten.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I like it a lot. I'll probably end up playing it. Couldn't care less about the other aspect that everybody else is concentrating on. And it looks like a Pixar movie!

 

[ShinyCharizard]

I reckon it looks like great fun, already signed up for the beta and looking forward to seeing more.

I think Widow Maker will be the class I choose at this point, love me some sniping.

 

[Cryselle]

It's a TF2 knock-off. What else is there to talk about, if not skins and their design?

Tracer = Scout
Reinhardt = Heavy
Torbjorn = Engineer
Widowmaker = Sniper
Mercy = Medic

etc.

Filling a similar role as is not the same as them being equal to each other.

Tracer and Scout are both speed based chars, but it looks like the way that they actually play will be very different. Scout is (usually)about jumping, correct use of buffs/debuffs, and getting behind an enemy for a point blank shotgun kill. Tracer seems more horizontal and chip damage based, and the 3 second rewind ability looks like it'll be the move that separates the skilled players from the newbies.

Reinhardt and Heavy don't look like they play similarly at all. Seriously. Reinhardt uses his shield and charge abilities to close for powerful melee hits, Heavy is a medium range mobile turret. If anything, Bastion seems like he'll be playing a lot more like Heavy than Reinhardt will, with the turret mode and self-repair abilities.

Torbjorn and Engineer seems like a fair comparison, as does Mercy and Medic. I'll grant you those two.

Widowmaker and Sniper will play very different I think due to Widowmaker's mobility and her ultimate. Being able to both see through walls and, more importantly, grant your teammates the ability to ALSO see through walls is a game-changer if timed right. She also seems far more capable in general combat than Sniper, making her usable in ways other than strict camping.

The biggest thing, though, that I think will differentiate TF2 and Overwatch is that there are several more abilities in Overwatch that seem to synergize between different characters. TF2 had some of these, with Heavy/Medic being the most common and obvious one, but when I see something like Winston's immobile bubble shield that allows friendlies to shoot out of, on a short range character, I see a game that is designed with such synergies to be practically required to win.

 

[loa]

That reaper guy just does his thing, doesn't seemingly need to aim and everything around him dies and you get your multikill.
Doesn't seem like compelling gameplay to me yet but it's just a trailer anyway.

 

[Ferisar]

That reaper guy just does his thing, doesn't seemingly need to aim and everything around him dies and you get your multikill.
Doesn't seem like compelling gameplay to me yet but it's just a trailer anyway.

BUT IT'S ZED WITH SHOTGUNS

WHAT ELSE COULD YOU WANT

-insert Zed laugh here-

OT:
I'm really stoked for it. When I first saw the trailer I was like "oh god damn it not another MOBA" and then they were like "class-based shooter" and I was all "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
^ Literal retelling. Literally.

 

[Cryselle]

You have to charge that ability by dealing/taking damage, and I'd wager that Reaper is probably a pretty damn fragile character. The compelling gameplay is in surviving long enough to charge it, pushing the button and getting the multikill is just the reward for a job well done.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Looks fun enough, just not sure it's going to do anything to really distinguish itself.

Blizzard games are in large part about the community. If they manage to attract a lot of players (and they always do), the game will do just fine. And it looks like a fun shooter, so distinguishing itself from the rest of the multiplayer crowd isn't their primary concern.

 

[The Wykydtron]

As I said in another thread, this feels like another dumbed down Blizzard game. There's only a handful of things you can do per character, and half of those are just variants of each other locked behind cooldowns of ten seconds or longer. Pharah can walk, multi-jump and fire AoE rockets, and can intermittently high jump, fire AoE grenades and fire an AoE ultimate. If you want to do more than jump and fire AoEs, too bad. At least TF2 lets you use your rocket launcher or your shotgun.

Limited options for each class is kinda the point of a class based game. And your comparison with TF2 doesn't make any sense.
Oh, you want to hit someone from afar with a Demoman? Too bad, because your class is designed for close quarters and utilizing explosions. Oh, you want to kill multiple enemies with a sniper? Too bad, because your class is designed to eliminate single enemies from afar. Oh, you want to be fast and reach the point in shortest amount of time? Too bad, because you're not the scout. I can keep going.

Having only a handful of things you can do per character is what class based game is about!

You clearly have not noticed the way Demos get countless faceless and nameless artillery kills by firing randomly into the air towards the point and end up landing at least one pill on someone. The dominations without even knowing which class the guy is playing happen pretty often.

OT: Yeah looks good, I'll try the beta if I get an invite at least. There's no harm in trying right? Hopefully it won't be like TF2 where I can only play like an hour tops because I just get bored with it or burned out on it far too fast. The Medic in Overwatch is a freaking angel anyway, that's hype as fuck.

I guess we could debate whether only a 6v6 is good because there will never be a full roster playing at once (can you pick multiples of the same class 3 Snipers 3 Spies style?) but grass grows, birds fly, people speculate team numbers in an FPS.

 

[Cryselle]

I don't think anyone doubts that Overwatch is going to do well commercially. It's going to make money, tons of people are going to play it. The real question in my mind is whether people are still going to be playing it 5 years after launch. Because that's the real measurement of multiplayer games, I think. The ones that people look back on and say "This was a major title" are the ones that not just got a fanbase, but managed to hold it long after the graphics and technology became outdated.

 

[Zhukov]

I think it looks potentially fun.

Of course they could still screw up the map designs or something and it's not like I've played it yet or anything, but I intend to give it a shot if my poor long-suffering computer can handle it.

Reaper's ult looks kinda OP though. Blink in, press ult button, kill everything?

 

[Cryselle]

I guess we could debate whether only a 6v6 is good because there will never be a full roster playing at once (can you pick multiples of the same class 3 Snipers 3 Spies style?) but grass grows, birds fly, people speculate team numbers in an FPS.

You can pick multiples of the same class. Blizzard has said that the intended balance should make it okay for 2 of the same class to be on a team, but any more than that and you may start to struggle.

And y'know, on the 6v6 thing, I think that's actually one of the things that interests me. I like TF2 and all, but the way the game changes depending on how many players are on a server can be a pretty big deal. Too many players and a map feels crowded, and AOE trumps everything because you can hardly /not/ hit someone if you point in vaguely the right direction. Too few players and it becomes gimmicky in different ways, there's pretty much a sweet spot with every map. With a locked 6v6 size, the maps and balance can be designed with those numbers in mind, making playstyle the deciding factor of what is best to play.

 

[Ferisar]

Quick note: Yes. You can be multiples of the same character. That's all I wanted to clear up!

 

[The Wykydtron]

I guess we could debate whether only a 6v6 is good because there will never be a full roster playing at once (can you pick multiples of the same class 3 Snipers 3 Spies style?) but grass grows, birds fly, people speculate team numbers in an FPS.

You can pick multiples of the same class. Blizzard has said that the intended balance should make it okay for 2 of the same class to be on a team, but any more than that and you may start to struggle.

And y'know, on the 6v6 thing, I think that's actually one of the things that interests me. I like TF2 and all, but the way the game changes depending on how many players are on a server can be a pretty big deal. Too many players and a map feels crowded, and AOE trumps everything because you can hardly /not/ hit someone if you point in vaguely the right direction. Too few players and it becomes gimmicky in different ways, there's pretty much a sweet spot with every map. With a locked 6v6 size, the maps and balance can be designed with those numbers in mind, making playstyle the deciding factor of what is best to play.

Oh lord, I can see the 6 Widowmakers now...


I wonder if the double Medic gimmick would work with Mercy. Y'know two Medics charge uber, uber themselves twice and just run in with an Ubersaw or something. The random chaos in enemy ranks is hilarious. Eh actually since her revive is an ult the no holds barred blitzkrieg onto the first point wouldn't be so good. Or do you start the game with ult?

I would say 6v6 makes it possible to fill the team with friends (another similarity to MOBAs) but good luck having 6 friends willing to play another FPS over TF2. Or y'know in my case having 6 friends in general.

 

[Jandau]

First of all, yes, this thread needed to be made. I was quite sad to see that the announcement news thread quickly devolved into another "Is this sexist" shitflinging contest that is becoming all too commonplace...

That being said, I'm curious if Overwatch isn't actually Titan (the "cancelled" Blizzard project)? Or rather, a retooling of what Titan was shaping up to be. I mean, this is the first announcement, and the game seems like it's pretty far along in development. It has what appears to be a decent sized roster of characters and several maps already, and looks playable. This leads me to believe that Blizz didn't scrap Titan, but rather limited its scope to a more focused game instead of an MMO as was initially planned.

As for the game itself, it looks really fun. Their 3 core franchises aside (WoW, SC, Diablo), Blizz seems to be aiming for a more casual market with games aimed at people who like gaming, but maybe can't invest time needed into more "hardcore" titles. Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm and now Overwatch all seem to be aimed at lowering the barrier to entry into their respective genres.

And you know what? I'm fine with that. There are tons of hella-complex CCGs on the market. Hell, there's Magic: The Gathering. But maybe I don't feel like researching decklists for hours. Maybe I don't want to learn dozens of items in LoL just to play one Champion. And maybe I don't want to dive into the (by this point) convoluted realm of TF2. But maybe I want to experience the fun bits of those games. Blizz seems to aim to deliver just that. And there's nothing wrong with that!

Overwatch is pretty much the first multiplayer FPS in over a decade that I'm actually interested in.

 

[Erttheking]

You know, you have anything in common with ANYTHING and people are gonna scream to the high heavens on how it's a rip off. No one tell anyone that technically DOTA is a rip off of Warcraft.

Anyway, I think I made my view on the game clear on the thread I made. I think it looks awesome. Looks really fun to play. Signed up for the Beta and I am eagerly awaiting it.

*Looks down* And apparently it's also a baby's game...oh boy.

 

[sataricon]

What's there to talk about?
It's a TF2 clone.

You like TF2 and you are under 9 years of age go play Overwatch.