Hey, you hear about that rad new player-created game type Overwatch fans are super into? You… have? Come on now, don’t lie. Overwatch‘s custom game options have been basically worthless since since day one. Thankfully, that’s about to change.
In a new developer update, Jeff “from the Overwatch team” Kaplan delved into the game’s new custom mode options and server browser, which are now available on the PTR for testing.
We already knew about the server browser, but in short, it will allow you to select from custom games being hosted in your region. In addition, custom games will soon grant XP, and CTF will become a permanent custom game option (with more re-purposed maps). The coolest thing here, though, is the breadth of options that will soon be available in custom games. A few examples:
- Turn on/off individual hero abilities
- More customisation on hero ability cooldown times
- Change payload speed
- Change capture speed on control points
- Allow/disallow individual heroes
- Enable/disable flag pick-up time
- Change CTF so a team’s flag has to be back at their base in order to cap the enemy flag
Kaplan offered an example custom mode where only Widowmakers are allowed, and there’s no cooldown on grappling hooks. So basically, Spider-Woman. And thanks to the server browser, it will actually be easy to find this stuff now.
Admittedly, Overwatch‘s custom options still aren’t on the level of some other multiplayer shooters (especially ones on PC), but this is a long-overdue step in the right direction. You can try out the server browser and new custom game options on the PTR right now, along with Bastion changes Alex previously reported on, and some tweaks to D.Va’s barrier.
Comments
9 responses to “Overwatch Getting New Custom Game Options And A Server Browser”
So can we please get XP while we’re in a skirmish waiting for a game? XP is based on playtime, so it’s only fair that we should get it for playing while waiting for the game to put us into a match (especially as I’ve been in some skirmish lobbies for upwards of ten minutes).
Yes, I know there’s no afk kicking in skirmish, but the easy solution is to reintroduce idle kicking in skirmish: kick people out if they’re idle and force them to forfeit the XP they would have gained in the skirmish but keep people in the “waiting for a match” list if they’re booted from the skirmish match for idling.
There’s just no good reason I should be able to earn XP in a custom game with 1 of my friends, yet not in skirmish.
Um, what’s happening to D.Va’s barrier!?
Basically before there was a small distance a bullet/whatever had to move before it would get eaten by DM. This meant people could walk up to Dva and shoot right in front of her at point blank and DM wouldnt do anything. Now, that distance has been removed, so if Dva has DM up, it will eat anything within its path.
This also means that if Roadhog hooks someone, you can put defence matrix up and block the shot from hitting your teammate.
This is not a huge change, but it is a minor buff to Dva.
Thanks! I’d already read the Bastion article but it didn’t have anything about her barrier.
Go back and check it out. http://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/01/heads-up-bastion-is-getting-better/
Also linked in the article.
That article doesn’t mention D.Vas barrier changes. razgrizace has answer me above
I see your Australian and playing competitve with our match making system designed to match players based on their technical proficiency with the game… bing… heres a US server enjoy the fair and balanced game of having a 200-300ms higher latency than the rest.
My favourite ping story is in Gears of War 1 with 4 Americans with <30 ping vs 4 Australians with 250+ ping.
Round one was a close game for us, but the Americans won
Round two *finding new hosts*. Game now hosting by an Australian and pings reversed. Australians dominate with no casualties.
Round three, all the Americans rage quit.
😛
I remember similar situations in CoD. Americans hosting, normal game for everyone. Australians orange/yellow ping, Americans green, all is normal. Host changes to Aussie, within 30 seconds Americans are screaming and yelling about how the game is unplayable with this much lag and quit.
Aussies all have a chuckle and continue playing the next match happily with crappy ping, same as every other day.