Big Download talks to Blizzard about eSports and PvE/PvP
by Mike Schramm 
May 13th 2008 at 11:31AM
Our newest sister site Big Download is just a week old, and yet they're already playing with the big boys -- Steven Wong has posted an interview with Blizzard's Lead Designer Tom "Kalgan" Chilton, as well as Paul Della Bitta and Joong Kim of Blizzard's eSports division about what it's going to take to tune the Arena game just right. As he did before, Kalgan confirmed that the Arena Tournament Realm is acting as a laboratory for changes and updates to classes.Della Bitta confirms, also, that Blizzard is still interested in letting players watch the matches, either via television or some other way (we heard that way back when from WSVG's President -- when they were still around, anyway). And Joong Kim lays out a simple timeline for the Arena tourney: Blizzard expects the online portion to be finished mid-July, and the Global Finals will start later in the year, around October (which is when another big Blizzard event is taking place... coincidence?).
Wong doesn't get Kalgan to list a favorite class (obviously -- think of the torment that would cause on the forums), but he does confirm yet again that Blizzard isn't giving up on keeping both the PvP and PvE games the same. They want players using the same abilities as much as possible in both types of gameplay, and apparently they're committed to juggling both of those flaming torches for as long as they can.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, PvP, Interviews, Arena
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Preston May 13th 2008 11:37AM
The eSport focus is ruining this game.
Freehugz May 13th 2008 11:41AM
for some.... and making it much more enjoyable for others. Funny how things work
Preston May 13th 2008 11:46AM
It's only being made more enjoyable by a small group of Counterstrike players who level whatever the latest flavor-of-the-month class combination is according to ArenaJunkies.
This game is supposed to be an MMO, not some first-person shooter where you duel around pillars 10 times a week.
jerzz80 May 13th 2008 2:05PM
I ask, why do you think this way? What wow is doing with the PVP game shouldnt affect you in your PVE world.
The PVErs that get mad at nerfs or gear changes made to balance PVP, need to realize that your game doesn't change that much.
Everything is still the same. Stop QQ over nothing.
Are you guys just so afraid of competition that the thougth of it going on makes ur stomach cringe?
Badger May 13th 2008 2:34PM
"The PVErs that get mad at nerfs or gear changes made to balance PVP, need to realize that your game doesn't change that much ... Everything is still the same. Stop QQ over nothing."
Uh ... One set of Talents, buddy ... One set of Spells ... One set of Racials ... Are you seeing a pattern here?
You change one Talent / Spell / Racial Ability and it affects everybody, not just a subset of players. There are no separate skill sets for PvP and PvE gameplay, so if something is tweaked to benefit PvP gameplay, it affects PvE gameplay, too.
Everything is NOT the same. The most noticeable changes that were originally going to be made to affect PvP gameplay - for example, the lengthened Drinking cooldown - were repealed on the PTRs when they had a considerably negative experience on survivability in PvE gameplay, but major balance changes have occurred that affect all gameplay styles. For a good example, look no further than the bizarre Mortal Strike Death Wish shift in the Arms and Fury talents for Warriors.
Jagoex May 13th 2008 2:39PM
@jerzz80
You must not raid all that often.
Many of the PvP-centered changes that were reverted, including the Life Tap nerf, were reversed based upon the immense effect they would have had in PvE.
Balancing PvP on such a grand scale without affecting PvE is pretty much impossible, and given the stubborn attitude our lead developer has taken in wanting the two permanently linked, it's only a matter of time before huge changes like that do not get reverted.
http://jagoex.blogspot.com
Preston May 13th 2008 3:31PM
I don't even consider myself a "PvEer." I just think that trying to funnel MMO classes into little duals for end-game PvP is ridiculous. It's never, ever going to be balanced, it's not as fun as large-scale battles, and it leaves out certain classes and specs.
Arthomis May 13th 2008 11:41AM
So does this mean that PVE players should get ready for nerf bats because something we do will make someone mad in an arena match
Preston May 13th 2008 11:48AM
That's exactly what you should expect. Blizzard is full-steam ahead on making this an "eSport" and getting WoW onto Korean television, no matter how impossible it is to balance this game because of its different classes.
Badger May 13th 2008 11:41AM
"Della Bitta confirms, also, that Blizzard is still interested in letting players watch the matches, either via television or some other way (we heard that way back when from WSVG's President -- when they were still around, anyway)."
They could borrow a page from the tome of "Guild Wars" and add a "Spectator mode." Open up a little in-game browser window that lists current matches and their Arenas, select a game, and hit "Watch."
RogueJedi86 May 13th 2008 6:43PM
Or Replays from Starcraft...........somehow.:)
Loadead May 13th 2008 11:44AM
Before anyone else says it...
"roar roar roar welfare epics! grumble. grumble. fap! grumble. *adjusts bedpan* roar"
jerzz80 May 13th 2008 2:13PM
lol
These PVE guys get mad at nothing. They look at wow like its a real world and the PVPrs are like illegal immigrants with rights we shouldnt have. Get off ur horse. Or even better, delete ur character.
Buuty May 13th 2008 11:52AM
Who on this planet would ever want to watch an arena match?
Again, it must be stated: Arenas are ruining WoW.
Eternalpayn May 13th 2008 5:04PM
If you could watch Arena teams, you would have people just messing with the other team. CCing them all, /spitting, killing all of them but one, rezzing them, etc, etc.
ringu0 May 13th 2008 11:53AM
What's up with draenei being Grand Marshal?
Buuty May 13th 2008 11:54AM
oh hell yeah, didn't notice that. Anyone?
Kaylek May 13th 2008 12:54PM
I'm just wondering if the Tier 3 warrior escaped your notice. Blizzard put out a lot of this kinda stuff for BC hype, like the more well-known Tier 2 female blood elf paladin with the ZG polearm (can't think of its name to save my life).
Muddy May 13th 2008 12:12PM
"Kalgan confirmed that the Arena Tournament Realm is acting as a laboratory for changes and updates to classes"
Why?????
That is sheer madness, pvp is only part of the game, you'll continue to ruin pve just to make the few kiddies happy.
Windigo May 13th 2008 12:19PM
Kalgan should have been fired a long long time ago. He has always been blizzards worst developer since day one. Lets us not forget just how badly he messed up the warrior class at release. A tank that couldn’t hold agro. 31-5-15 being the standard tanking spec. The original PvP system. Nothing Kalgan has ever designed has come out well.
Most of WOW's best developers moved onto other games and companies leaving us with the bottom of the barrel like Kalgan to continue the game and we the player have paid for it.
Kevin Beardslee, Mark Kern where are you when we need you? Oh that’s right Red 5 Studios along with the rest of warcrafts best developers. Why couldn't you have taken Kalgan with you and made him a janitor or something?
Yes that’s right my fellow wow players we are stuck in a rut that most great games like warcraft fall into. This was a fantastic game. The best developers on the team became hot commodities. No great developer wants to work on the same title year after year. So they move on. The fantastic development team that made our great game has moved on. What is left are the dregs. The developers who weren't regarded by their peers as being very good at what they do. They get promoted not because of the quality of their work but by attrition as the better developers move on to new companies and new titles.