Tag Archives: Overwatch

Heroes of the Storm 2.0 Impressions, Overwatch, and WoW Clones

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Over the past few months, I’ve found my interest in Heroes of the Storm waning. I’m starting to worry it will be like Guild Wars 2: a game I was once very passionate about that I then totally lose interest in.

Samuro the blademaster in Heroes of the StormI’m not sure how much of this is just my own burnout and how much is due to the game itself. It does seem to be a bit of a different game than it once was. After that big rebalance they did to prevent snowballing (which it had no effect on), everything seems so much more bursty and unforgiving. Add to that Blizzard’s apparent aversion to add any more heroes that aren’t super squishy, and the game’s becoming almost as much a nerve-wracking one-shot fest as Overwatch.

Still, I have enough history with the game to make me reticent to write it off too easily, so with the big 2.0 update, I once again delved in to see how things had changed. My full thoughts form my latest article on MMO Bro, but in the end, it’s not that different.

Also on MMO Bro, I take a look back at the WoW clones of yesteryear and how they’ve evolved over time.

Speaking of Overwatch, I’ve been playing the free weekend again. They have a new(?) mode called Total Mayhem where everyone’s health is doubled, and it is so much better.

I mean, it isn’t balanced very well, since the game wasn’t designed for this. The mode also includes reduced ability cooldowns, and between that and the increased health pools, a good Lucio can keep his team alive almost indefinitely, leading to some frustrating stalemates sometimes.

I earn Play of the Game as Mei in Overwatch

I also seem to perform better in Total Mayhem. A little.

Even so, I consider this a vast improvement over standard Overwatch. You actually have time to react to threats. You don’t just get constantly one-shot out of the blue. There’s room for tactical play, and when you do land a kill, it’s so much more satisfying.

I’m not sure if it’s a permanent mode or not. It’s surprisingly difficult to get a clear answer on that. If it is, I’m tempted to finally pull the trigger and buy the game, especially with the sale on right now. Heck, I’m tempted either way.

But then again I already wasted so much on the new computer, and I’d probably get bored of it fast.

Sigh… self-control was never my strong suite.

So What’s Christie Golden Doing?

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/equip_tinfoil_hat

So I’m possibly reading too much into something small, but I stumbled across a rather intriguing story last night. It seems Christie Golden has suddenly moved to California so that she can work at Blizzard’s main offices for a secret project that will last until October.

The Emerald Dream in World of WarcraftI’ve been a pretty big fan of Christie Golden’s for a while now, as both an author and a person. She’s written a number of excellent tie-in novels for Blizzard’s various games, and I have had enough sporadic contact with her over the years to determine she is a pretty excellent person. Therefore, the news of her doing more work with Blizzard excites me.

But what’s really intriguing is the question of just what she’s doing there. While I’m not an expert, I have done some research on the process for how authors produce tie-in novels for Blizzard, and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t normally require actually working at the Blizzard offices for months. Why would it?

Again, I might be jumping the gun, but my mind has turned to the possibility that she may be writing an entire game. It would explain why she needs to be in close proximity to the development team(s).

But what game?

Christie Golden has the most history with the Warcraft universe, but I’m not sure things quite add up for her to be working on WoW. It seems a bit early for them to be designing the plot of the next expansion in detail, and the continuous nature of WoW’s story doesn’t mesh with the temporary nature of her job at Blizzard.

Given she is in theory only there for a few months, I would think she’d be working on something with a clear beginning, middle, and end. A game that can be finished.

The Spear of Adun's Solar Core in StarCraft II: Legacy of the VoidThe only other Blizzard franchise she’s worked on in the past is StarCraft, so perhaps she could be writing a new mission pack. Blizzard’s said they were moving on from story content for StarCraft II, but they could always change their minds.

However, I see no reason she must be limited to franchises she’s already worked on.

We do know something is in the works regarding Diablo, though whether it’s an expansion, Diablo IV, or some kind of spin-off is anyone’s guess. I have a little bit of trouble picturing someone as sweet as Christie Golden working on a series that’s basically all torture and brimstone, but then I remember how dark some of her past writing has gotten, and it doesn’t seem quite as far-fetched.

The possibility that really intrigues me, though, is that she could be working on Overwatch, either a story mode within the current game or entirely new title in the same universe that focuses on story instead of PvP. There’s clearly a strong desire for such, and the Overwatch universe seems the perfect fit for her emotive, character-driven style of writing.

Regardless, I hope it is a new game she’s working on, because any game written by Christie Golden is a game I want to play.