So blizzard, do you track BG win:loss?

08/29/2011 05:47 AMPosted by Nasar

Because after this weekend in AV, I think you need to take a look at them- very closely.

Player feedback is an essential part of our development process, but this kind of thread helps illustrate the value and the pitfalls of anecdotal feedback.

What makes it useful? It's personal and emotional. It tells us about what it feels like to play World of Warcraft from an individual's perspective, where the big picture might seem pretty remote and unimportant.

The pitfall? It's personal and emotional, which is good, but very subjective. It's a tiny (though important) sample when compared against the whole of every battleground game happening everywhere. We have a duty to objectively look at the big picture. For example, our stats tell us that the ratios for various battlegrounds are pretty close to 50% win/loss for each faction, though that might not matter much to you when you're in the heat of the action.

So, when we're looking at what a quest feels like anecdotally, if it's too frustrating, then we can probably adjust that. When it comes to a system like the Battlegrounds, where the dynamic is almost exclusively player driven, but is working really well, it's not a good idea to mess with it because the big picture looks great.

Speaking personally, I've found that my mindset plays a huge role in how much fun I'm having. In the midst of a losing streak, I try to remember my winning streaks and landslide wins, or I adopt a philosophical approach and do what I can, where I can. If I get too frustrated, I do a different, more relaxing in-game activity for awhile or step away entirely. My bottom line is that how I think and feel about what I'm doing in-game can mean the difference between having a great time (even if I'm on a losing team), and table-flipping frustration.

Blizzard needs to redesign the Horde side, make it so that the Alliance cannot simply bypass all the Horde defenses.

As we've said elsewhere, battlegrounds require a ton of effort to create, and modifying them even slightly is extremely labor intensive. It will probably be more worthwhile to create new and better battlegrounds in the future, than go back to continually tweak and modify the old ones.

08/29/2011 02:41 PMPosted by Fanahlia

Daxx, you should have put your table flipping emoticon in your post.

I thought about it, but I didn't want it to lose its savor.

Whilst I appreciate the post Daxx, and I will admit mine was made in frustration at a terribly bad weekend in AV, - I was not refering to the overall stats, I was refering to this weekend, and this weekend alone. Which is cleary stated in my OP.

Part I will admit is in frustration with AV itself, this place is one of the few things that has kept me playing wow. - and to see it become such a joke is very disheartening.

I meant to acknowledge your frustration and empathize with it -- I'm sorry if that didn't come across in my post. I know all too well how incredibly frustrating a losing streak can be.

08/29/2011 06:49 PMPosted by Kolzi

If that's your solution, I hope you consider granting us the ability to veto certain maps for our random bgs just like you can veto certain maps for playing the ladder on starcraft 2.

I'll bring it up in our next developer meeting, but in all likelihood, since that could potentially dramatically impact queue times for random Battlegrounds, it probably won't fly.

08/30/2011 10:13 AMPosted by Bigbadorc

i like these kinda quotes. its says they rake in the cash from subscribers, and they dont play the game. like that episode from south park: make love, not warcraft. " i dont have an account, i have a life. " instead of listening to players telling them what it feels like. maybe they ought to play the game to get a first hand perspective on what it feels like to play the game then they themselves can see what needs to be fixed and what doesnt. they will experience the every little annoyance that players experience every day.

I do avidly play the game, but it would be arrogant to assume that my experiences match your experiences, or are capable of encompassing everyone's experience of World of Warcraft. With that in mind, getting personal feedback from people who aren't me is still pretty useful. I'm sorry that you chose to interpret my statement to suggest that we don't actively play the game, because that simply isn't the case.

08/30/2011 01:56 AMPosted by Sunryse

Why don't you just come out and say it Daxx? The devs are getting lazy and creating new things just isn't worth the time.

It's unfortunate that there's a perception of our development teams as "lazy" that gets bandied about so casually. It's frustrating, because they're some of the most dedicated, passionate and hard working people I've ever met.

Regardless, elsewhere in this thread, I said that there would be a greater emphasis on creating new Battlegrounds on the future. I should note that we're slowly working toward new technology to make the creation and modification of battlegrounds something we can do more readily too.

I would strongly disagree with that philosophy. Constant adjustment to the playing surface is the approach that EVERY single major sport in the world has taken.

I also might have made it sound like the older Battlegrounds will never change again. That's not what I meant to get across. We've redone AV several times throughout the years, and it may see more changes in the future. I just wanted to note that the emphasis is going to be shifted a bit, that's all.