Being teased is fairly annoying, but at least it’s a confirmation that Blizzard are actively looking to change things up.
Plenty have been calling for Blizzard to use Legacy of the Void as a reset button for StarCraft 2’s online experience. It can be an infuriating, intimidating adventure and fans have been divided on what the best route forward is. I’d like Blizzard to replace the default ladder with a new mode altogether; others would prefer the ladder be split into two, with the core experience remaining unchanged.
David Kim, the lead multiplayer designer on StarCraft 2, responded on the weekend that the design of the ladder would be “evolving over the next year” from Legacy of the Void’s first season. “Please check out the SC2 panels at Blizzcon for more details,” he added.
Blizzard’s intention to rapidly shake up the SC2 experience was already apparent late last week when the schedule for Blizzcon this year inadvertently went live, with a panel titled “The Future of StarCraft II” the second showing immediatelyafter the opening ceremony. Only the World of Warcraft: Legion expansion had a higher prominence on the schedule, according to what MMO Champion captured before Blizzard pulled the info down.
The first day of Blizzcon will kick off early Saturday morning our time November 7. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with the formula that, in principle, has remained largely unchanged since the late 1990’s. But will they take the fans with them?
Comments
4 responses to “StarCraft’s Ladder Is Changing — But Blizzard Won’t Tell You Until Blizzcon”
i really dont see and issue with current ladder system apart from trolls and smurfs really but they infest every single game. perhaps its because i actually accept that i suck at playing and thus dont try to blame it on being “cheesed” or other bullshit excuses (except lag and family/pet emergencies)
I think people want the ladder experience to be less intimidating and more enjoyable so players come back to the game — but it’s a vexing issue.
I don’t really understand the intimidation of playing ladder. Click search, find opponent, start game. What do people find intimidating? That they might lose?
Ladder points and ranking, basically.