Iron Docks, Dev Interview, Blue Tweets, Setup of the Month, Ghostcrawler on WoW

[Krommm]

I think my only disagreement with GC here this time is that LoL is one of the most casual games ever created. You can play games all day in League sure, but the same applies to WoW, Farmville, Hearthstone, ARPGs (D3/PoE/TL etc), Pacman, Tetris, etc.

I would argue that it is easier to become great at WoW than it is to become excellent at LoL. WoW content starts off easy, then throws players into much tougher content. (arguably easy or moderately challenging for those of us who aren't bad or new to the genre.)

LoL is a mixed bag even if you discount ranked games. There is a very brief tutorial, the controls are simple, but you will get completely wrecked until you learn item choices, team synergies, champion strengths/weaknesses, general champion gameplay, and mostly get some experience. You'll get matched against professional hardcore players and the most terrible of teammates/opponents.

Both games are difficult when matched against equal or better opponents. Or in the case of WoW PvE, some of the heroic content can be challenging as well. Neither game does well on the accessibility and teaching front. Part of the issue stems from the majority of players not caring if their performance dictates victory or defeat.

At any rate it sure seemed like Riot really wanted to attract casual gamers with 4 hero abilities, 2 picked universal spells, mouse clicking/camera movement and the recall button being the only keys available in playing the game. The fights are flashy and for many it is easy to watch. Disregarding WoW's PvP imbalances, the UI is really poor for PvP formats and is really awful to watch. (Imbalance + Skill Bloat + Poor easy to read UI = Very few tournaments)

Anyways, I'd rather he just tell us what he did if he is going to prattle on. "I made people's jobs easier, was in charge of balance and features, but also had no bearing on how good or bad things turned out."

Note: I don't think LoL or WoW are hardcore at all. For the most part they are largely casual, which is why I can't take GC's comment seriously about not having "to have to worry about attracting casual gamers." I also don't blame him for any imbalances, just his staunch defending of some poor decisions as he seemed to bear the "messenger" role well.

[Toiran]

I think my only disagreement with GC here this time is that LoL is one of the most casual games ever created. You can play games all day in League sure, but the same applies to WoW, Farmville, Hearthstone, ARPGs (D3/PoE/TL etc), Pacman, Tetris, etc.

I would argue that it is easier to become great at WoW than it is to become excellent at LoL. WoW content starts off easy, then throws players into much tougher content. (arguably easy or moderately challenging for those of us who aren't bad or new to the genre.)

LoL is a mixed bag even if you discount ranked games. There is a very brief tutorial, the controls are simple, but you will get completely wrecked until you learn item choices, team synergies, champion strengths/weaknesses, general champion gameplay, and mostly get some experience. You'll get matched against professional hardcore players and the most terrible of teammates/opponents.

Both games are difficult when matched against equal or better opponents. Or in the case of WoW PvE, some of the heroic content can be challenging as well. Neither game does well on the accessibility and teaching front. Part of the issue stems from the majority of players not caring if their performance dictates victory or defeat.

At any rate it sure seemed like Riot really wanted to attract casual gamers with 4 hero abilities, 2 picked universal spells, mouse clicking/camera movement and the recall button being the only keys available in playing the game. The fights are flashy and for many it is easy to watch. Disregarding WoW's PvP imbalances, the UI is really poor for PvP formats and is really awful to watch. (Imbalance + Skill Bloat + Poor easy to read UI = Very few tournaments)

Anyways, I'd rather he just tell us what he did if he is going to prattle on. "I made people's jobs easier, was in charge of balance and features, but also had no bearing on how good or bad things turned out."

Note: I don't think LoL or WoW are hardcore at all. For the most part they are largely casual, which is why I can't take GC's comment seriously about not having "to have to worry about attracting casual gamers." I also don't blame him for any imbalances, just his staunch defending of some poor decisions as he seemed to bear the "messenger" role well.

That's because you are connecting a casual gamer with a skill level, when it's being used in it's original and intended form, being, time.

Casual = Time, Accessibility = Low(er) skill levels.

[Deleted]

GC thinks wow is for casuals and league is the epitome of "hardcore"...hilarious how delusional he is.

besides, everyone knows the only "hardcore" moba, is dota2.

Heh, HoN is much harder than dota imo ;p

[Shudder]

He's the one who came up with the term tourist mode and wrote the infamous learn to play blog. People are acting surprised for some reason that he hates casuals. I do too, I cringed when Blizzard nerfed raids. I cringed when they give us 4/4 upgrading. Can you imagine the amount of eye rolls in his office when they had to nerf LFR garalon? These people are bad and honestly they shouldn't be playing this game. They can go back to candy crush. Go back to two difficulties instead of this ridiculous four and make heroics heroic again.

[Nellyel]

is he really saying LOL is not for casual gamers? ROFL. its the easiest game out there, not only that...its free, apples and oranges GC, apples and oranges. and LOL is a brutally easy game, with a terrifyingly toxic community. if you're really saying LOL is hard then i dont know what dota2, or sc2 are.

[Reek]

either ghostcrawler is just trying to cover his ass and take some of the hate off him, or this goes to show just how much say a lead designer has.

GS doesn't even have to talk about WoW or hold these Q&A's, he's doing this because he wants to. People have opinions and not everyone is gonna agree with everyone...that's life. Just reading the back and forth is embarrassing, the WoW community is a bunch of whiny ass spoiled kids that think the world owes them something because a f*cking video game isn't how they want it.

I could never be a dev, having some 13 year old punk ass kids talk shit to you 24-7 and then have to tip-toe over everything you say, it's ridiculous.

[corebit]

is he really saying LOL is not for casual gamers? ROFL. its the easiest game out there, not only that...its free, apples and oranges GC, apples and oranges. and LOL is a brutally easy game, with a terrifyingly toxic community. if you're really saying LOL is hard then i dont know what dota2, or sc2 are.

Once again, casual =/= easy. GC did not make that connection, you did. Go reread his post more carefully.

[Spotnick]

Then, when you get to max level, it drops you off the deep end. Movement, positioning, optimal rotations, stay out of the bad, min-maxing. It's a different game and there's no tutorial. That's where it fails. Oh and contrary to their assertions, proving grounds (current ones at least) does nothing more than test your abilities. It doesn't teach squat.

I don't know for you, but it's the community that taught be end-game in WOW. If I didn't join a friendly guild, I would have probably ended up thinking the game was over.

And now with the guild invite spam stuff, you're most likely to join a guild who just cares about your money income than to teach you how to play.

Right now, if you level in dungeons, people are so impatient towards new players it's unbearable.. you try to learn how to play and people kick you out and call you names.

[SunbakedDuck]

ITT: "My game is harder then yours!!"
Its kind of hilarious how little people know, i mean look at the numbers (facts) there's what , 32 MILLION active monthly players (and these are a little old, if anything there's more now) and now look at the ranked stats! Yeah! Rating and competition! Oh shit suddenly 90% of the ranked players are where? That's right.. IN THE BOTTOM! There are 5(6) tiers and the overwhelming majority is bronze/silver where people run around like they have downs, so where does your argument hold water?
You cant say League is a easy game when nearly everyone who play the game ACTUALLY SUCK AT IT! lol , im sry if i come off rude but it's just hilarious: D Ghostcrawler used the word casual in a different way , as in how easy it is to get into the game not how much skill you need or don't need.
I have done heroic raiding and it is a lot easier then League, whenever i play WoW for a while and go back to league it seems like i need to have abnormally fast reflexes, suddenly you have LESS than half a second to react to something or you're dead(which isnt even a big deal in WoW), but in WoW , you have so much more time to react to things. Even with this said keep in mind i have little to no experience in PvP , the balance is horrible and the game just was not designed with that in mind so obviously i don't have any input about how +2700 rating games are being played at , it's hard no doubt but this was a discussion about how hard it is to get into the game. PS: please don't talk about the number of buttons to press in WoW compared to League , thats not relevant when you can play high end PvE with the same amount of buttons lol..

[voskopoula]

It is very sad to see GC using wow as a target dummy/black sheep so that he praise LoL.

[katmandu26]

Well... if GC feels that way about WoW, I'm glad he's not here any more.

[Granyala]

As I thought: most people completely misinterpreted his statement.
He is talking about development freedom and it's very understandable that he enjoys not having to worry about making stuff accessible to new gamers.

[Deleted]

GOSTKAWLER come back to blizz, these morons are ruining the game :<<<<<

[Trassk]

GC has always been up his own ass when it comes to any level of variant to a community. At least we know the real reason this contentious butthole left the game, it wasn't simply 'so he could seek new opportunities' he has a general hate for casual gamers.

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GOSTKAWLER come back to blizz, these morons are ruining the game :<<<<<

No. He's dug his own grave, he can lay in it now.

[MasterHamster]

GC has always been up his own ass when it comes to any level of variant to a community. At least we know the real reason this contentious butthole left the game, it wasn't simply 'so he could seek new opportunities' he has a general hate for casual gamers.

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No. He's dug his own grave, he can lay in it now.

You were the kind of person to constantly misinterpret his tweets huh?

[Trassk]

As I thought: most people completely misinterpreted his statement.
He is talking about development freedom and it's very understandable that he enjoys not having to worry about making stuff accessible to new gamers.

What isn't there to understand? He wants to only cater to 1% of wows playerbase and is just short of saying fu to the rest of them. And as people have been saying, this sack of farts goes on to claim the current game he's working on is for hard-core, when anyone who's played it knows he's speaking out that ass mouth of his.

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You were the kind of person to constantly misinterpret his tweets huh?

Try reading between the lines.

[edw]

Some people here are throwing things like "LoL is more casual then WoW" ... now, I don't play LoL, I play Dota2, but the games are similar and both of them are harder to master by far then WoW ... in wow you can get away with anything ... in LoL or Dota you make a mistake it costs your team, make another and it costs your game.

Ghostcrawler is right about wow ... it is made for casuals, 90% of it in may optinion is made for casuals, the 10% is the heroic content that ... guess what, only a small percentage of players clear it.
So yes wow is made that even a gandma can clear it (LFR ?) ... LoL and Dota are unforgiven, you will get stomped, you will be called a noob if you are one, if you rage and leave you will be punished ...

[Fkiolaris]

It really seems that some people will take anything that isn't "WoW is the best" and get upset about it. I read what the guy said (twice) and I find that he is not smearing WoW in any way. What he does say is that after 16-years on working with a very specific first-principle in the design of the products he was associated with, it is nice for him to have a change.

[Granyala]

What isn't there to understand? He wants to only cater to 1% of wows playerbase and is just short of saying fu to the rest of them. And as people have been saying, this sack of farts goes on to claim the current game he's working on is for hard-core, when anyone who's played it knows he's speaking out that ass mouth of his.

Try reading between the lines.

Damn, you sure sound angry. What did he ever do to you (except not giving you the moose he promised)?
From a design PoV I completely understand his statement. Also I do not like to overinterpret stuff, been wrong too often.

[Gilian]

As I thought: most people completely misinterpreted his statement.
He is talking about development freedom and it's very understandable that he enjoys not having to worry about making stuff accessible to new gamers.

What's new. People in general tend to get their feelings hurt way too quickly which results in misinterpretation. Some comments here are just ridiculous... 'hatred for casual players'. Seriously, get over yourself.