Your first impressions? E-sport viable?

[Winfernal]

Hi.

I didn't watch much SW when i was younger, or now, when i am a little older (18). So this will be an MMO that will bring me many first impressions, without hype. You see, i've played WoW for a while. And before that, Warcraft. So i had expectations there on how it would be as an MMO. And now, i'll most likely switch to SWTOR.

So. I'm asking you beta-testers first;

- There are many "fail-mmo's" (Let me reprhase this one a little. No RIFT is not a failure per se, hence the " sign. But it is mediocre in the MMO world, and the time i was there, for 5 months, it went the exact same road as WoW. Implenting LFD, destroying communities, etc. And i dont want SWTOR to do this. It should be an unique game, with community and personality, and not another mindless, grinding, mmo "failure".) out there. Or MMOs that tried to compete, but ended up as the famous Queen song. What do you think about the hopes of this game? Will it be another "RIFT"? Or will it compete?

- And for PvP. For an MMo to compete these days, or any game for that matter. It should be viable for e-sport. How is this game doing? Are there foundaments in SWTOR-PvP that would support e-sport and competative PvP? (And i don't mean "e-sport or die" here. And im heading more against the question about "competative PvP", instead of "e-sport" purely.)

Hoping for some answers. Thank you!

And as i answered an user on the SWTOR forums.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandrax
Err, it doesn't need to be viable for e-sports to compete.

No, not per se. But it is an vital factor. PvP and e-sport will create longtivity and larger scenes for modern MMO's in the long run.


If you're here to talk down on e-sports. Don't bother. No one cares. Answer my questions instead.

[emidas]

I think your perception of a fail-mmo needs some work. Rift isn't a failure. I don't like it either, but it's not a failure.

There is no ranking beyond valor from what I've seen, and no "arena" like concept to provide e-sport competition. So, no.

If that turns you off, sorry.

[Winfernal]

I think your perception of a fail-mmo needs some work. Rift isn't a failure. I don't like it either, but it's not a failure.

There is no ranking beyond valor from what I've seen, and no "arena" like concept to provide e-sport competition. So, no.

If that turns you off, sorry.

RIFT is one of the flops that have arrived lately. I've played it for 5 months. It's just another snowflake.

The pvp will already have something of a matching system so that people play against equally strong groups. I bet this could easily transition into a full-out ladder system for set groups. I don't know if the format is tournament friendly, 8v8 seems a little big compared to other e-sports; but if they get the balance right... who knows, maybe they'll take the chance of introducing something smaller.

Competitive PvP definitely, tournament probably no time soon

This is the answer i got from the SWTOR forums. So, there is a small hope. If you're not a BETA tester, don't answer.

[Sevyvia]

MMOs are just not e-sport material. I'm sorry. WoW arena was a travesty while it was with MLG (And it wasn't MLGs fault), and SW:TOR would be as well. I am going to be playing SW:TOR so I'm not just going on about it being terrible, but MMOs are not designed around being e-sports. Stuff like Starcraft 2, balance is a -huge- topic in that, and it -must- be at a decent state, otherwise the game dies. That's simply not the case with an MMO. There have been big imbalances in all MMOs to this day and many of them have taken very long to get fixed, or still aren't. That is not compatible with a serious e-sport.

[Nirawen]

Been alot of talk from the Dev's over the last year or so about what type of e-sports-centric features they would possibly be adding after release, but as it stands now and how I think it'll turn out is not too focused on e-sports really. I cant remember what they said was on the wall of crazy as far as PvP goes, may be worth having a search or if someone else remembers, but there'll be plenty of competitive PvP and i'm pretty sure they will add rankings of some kind further down the line.

[emidas]

RIFT is one of the flops that have arrived lately. I've played it for 5 months. It's just another snowflake.

The pvp will already have something of a matching system so that people play against equally strong groups. I bet this could easily transition into a full-out ladder system for set groups. I don't know if the format is tournament friendly, 8v8 seems a little big compared to other e-sports; but if they get the balance right... who knows, maybe they'll take the chance of introducing something smaller.

Competitive PvP definitely, tournament probably no time soon

This is the answer i got from the SWTOR forums. So, there is a small hope. If you're not a BETA tester, don't answer.

You can be snippy all you want, but I did answer your questions. There is no current "e-sport" environment in beta. If you're looking for an answer that isn't there, I can't help you.

EDIT: Go look up the interview Swifty and Athene did with SReid. He stated there were no current "e-sport" plans, though they're always looking into ways to improve the game and it's something they'll consider at a later time.

[Winfernal]

And i'm not saying that it on life or death needs e-sports to compete. But i've tried so many new "groundbreaking" mmos, and many have failed. I played RIFT for 5 months, it was just another snowflake in the mmo-world. And then you have other flakes, like AoC.

And RIFT had terrible PvP. If there is an ounce of competative PvP in SWTOR, i'm happy. For now. I'm tired of wasting money...

[jvbastel]

And i'm not saying that it on life or death needs e-sports to compete. But i've tried so many new "groundbreaking" mmos, and many have failed. I played RIFT for 5 months, it was just another snowflake in the mmo-world. And then you have other flakes, like AoC.

And RIFT had terrible PvP. If there is an ounce of competative PvP in SWTOR, i'm happy. For now. I'm tired of wasting money...

If you're looking for lots of competitive pvp, tournaments, e-sports, SWTOR will not be your type of game, try a few subforums higher.

For your first question, no it's not just another snowflake. While i'm still skeptical, I can see this game become very successful

[Winfernal]

If you're looking for lots of competitive pvp, tournaments, e-sports, SWTOR will not be your type of game, try a few subforums higher.

For your first question, no it's not just another snowflake. While i'm still skeptical, I can see this game become very successful

If not an e-sport game. I'd love to see this game rising above all the other MMO's that tried. The Star Wars IP is an IP with HUGE potential.

[Mister K]

MMOs are just not e-sport material.

That's it is incorrect. As of now, sure but if a developer develops a MMORPG purely for eSports then there you are, in future alot of games will be eSports, gaming will be very big within next 50 years, considering that virtual reality will make a comeback and so forth.

Huttball has great potential, maybe not eSport material but definitely inhouse tournaments, like SWTOR World Cup kind of thing, where you play throughout the season to get into top X teams and then you get the playoffs, winner could win titles/vanity items. Oh and as any other "sport" you could spectate for X amount of credits (more gold sinks are needed).

---------- Post added 2011-11-23 at 12:39 PM ----------

You can be snippy all you want, but I did answer your questions. There is no current "e-sport" environment in beta. If you're looking for an answer that isn't there, I can't help you.

EDIT: Go look up the interview Swifty and Athene did with SReid. He stated there were no current "e-sport" plans, though they're always looking into ways to improve the game and it's something they'll consider at a later time.

Few developers on Bioware team said that they would like to see something similar to Arenas or eSport kind of gaming since they like that kind of gameplay. It was @E3 I believe.

[Simca]

From what I've heard, the PvP is a lot like it is when WoW first came out (well more like WoW in the post patch 1.4 era) - not super balanced or well-supported but has lots of future potential for expansion.

[Dakia]

I sincerely hope that they don't try to go E-sport with it. The nerf/buff roller coaster goes in to overdrive when that happens.

[Gxeternal]

I could see hutt ball tournys, maybe not an official e sport, but i can see guilds competing in server developed leagues and such. Once we get the option to make full premade teams that is. As it is now with only being able to que up with 4 player teams and the rest random people, no it wont work.
And i would much rather there was NOT an arena in this game, i hated arena in WOW, and i hated that it seemed most of the class balancing was done with PVP and arena in mind.

[Mister K]

From what I've heard, the PvP is a lot like it is when WoW first came out (well more like WoW in the post patch 1.4 era) - not super balanced or well-supported but has lots of future potential for expansion.

Yeah alot of potential, although I find it quite balanced, then again I am a healer. So far the only issue id have is that Range tends to dominate melee in Warzones, this normally happens in most MMOs and also depends on players skill.

I hope they remove Voidstar and implement another Warzone with similar twist like Huttball. As I say, lots of potential, especially with Huttball.

[Tekkommo]

I hope not. Arena was a big problem in WoW.

[Mister K]

I hope not. Arena was a big problem in WoW.

Due to the way they have implemented it, I know plenty of people that liked Arena. There was class inbalances but there will always be, whether there is or isn't Arena in TOR. You will still see nerfs and buffs, sure not as big but you will. Blizzard have said before, they did not have Arena in mind when designing the game, therefore making it a mistake once they have implemented it in TBC. Although people tend to cry when they get there nose drilled into the ground when they loose a match, go on forums and cry the hell out for nerfs/buffs and then Blizzard listens.

[terrahero]

MMO's can be used for e-sports. But not in the form of WoW's arena. 3v3 is to fast and to confusing for everyone who isnt experienced in high-end WoW pvp to follow or understand. Makes it hard to understand who is winning, especially if it can be over in a split second.
But battlegrounds are far more cooperative to viewers. There you can look beyond the simple "confusing abilities" and look at the bigger picture. Who is winning? Well how about the team with more flag caps? Or more resources? And by the looks of it, that guy is running the flag to their base now.

That is gameplay people can relate to and understand. So actually, i think rated BG's can be a form of e-sport. But not arena. And even tough i dont know jack about the SWTOR gameplay or classes, i did have a fun time watching for example Huttball footage. And in larger scale pvp you can cover up the inevitable inbalance issues of some classes. 3v3 has to much problems with overpowerd comps or classes, such an inbalance becomes much smaller when teams become 10v10. And tactics take more place on a global level, instead of having 1 class global another. As there are diffirent roles and objectives, and even if someone dies its not the end of the world as the conditions are completely diffirent.

[Deleted]

From what I've heard, the PvP is a lot like it is when WoW first came out (well more like WoW in the post patch 1.4 era) - not super balanced or well-supported but has lots of future potential for expansion.

You've heard pretty wrong then. The PvP is being done by Mythic, who did the PvP for WAR and DAOC; so if anything, it'll be balanced. I've heard Sorcerers and Sages were OP for a while, but they were fixed fairly sharpish I believe, besides that, things are at a lot more balanced in beta than they are on Live WoW. As for well supported; it'll be supported, of that I have no doubt. Blizzard aren't good at PvP, Mythic are.

[Fitzbert]

E-sports are the single most stupid thing ever.

It isn't sport.

'Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness'

last time I checked, you don't train to run a marathon in under 2 hours by playing an E-Sport.

Sport implies an athlete, no one who sits in a chair looking at a screen, pressing buttons in the right order in the right time is an athlete.

Last time I checked snooker, pool and darts were sports and you don't see a snooker/pool/darts player running marathons in under two hours in order to play their game.

Think before you speak. Chess is a sport for fuck sake.

[Mister K]

E-sports are the single most stupid thing ever.

It isn't sport.

'Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness'

last time I checked, you don't train to run a marathon in under 2 hours by playing an E-Sport.

Sport implies an athlete, no one who sits in a chair looking at a screen, pressing buttons in the right order in the right time is an athlete.

Welcome to the 21st Century. e(lectronic)-Sports are growing, not shrinking and will be for awhile. Its not stupid, your view is different then the millions of others. It is mainly big in FPS games but it will carry over, it is the new generation of gaming, many people are gaming now then ever before and its only going to grow, its how our society evolves.

Electronic sports (e-sports) comprises the competitive play of video games. Other terms include competitive gaming, professional gaming and cybersports. One of the founding fathers of electronic sports leagues is Angel Munoz, founder of the Cyberathlete Professional League.[1]

Games that are played as electronic sports normally belong to the real-time strategy (RTS), fighting, first-person shooter (FPS), massively-multiplayer online (MMOG), and racing genres. They are played competitively at amateur, semi-professional and professional levels including in leagues and tournaments. The definition of a pro gamer is someone who's sole income is generated from gaming.

~Wikipedia