Blizzard looking to change Overwatch Prestige leveling

[WindKnight]

Ok, the current PTR (test region) is up with a bunch of changes, with Blizzard saying these changes may not make it to full time unaltered, or at all.

The one that has garnered the most attention is a change to how leveling up works after you prestige.

Currently, prestige works by resetting you to lvl 1, and the xp to gain a level starts at 2k, and growing till it caps at 22k about lvl 22. This essentially means prestiging gives a 'burst' of quick levels (and lootboxes) up to about lvl 10-15, which many players see as a 'reward' for prestiging.

Blizzard seems to have noticed some players have been moderating their play so they get that burst of lootboxes during seasonal events (IE, the stuff that drops for a limited period, and can't be bought with game cash/only bought at a greatly inflated price). They specifically talk about people hitting 100 and taking a break till the event, but I know of people close to prestiging who rushed through the last few levels to get the burst of boxes, or else playing a little extra or a little less to hit 100 about the time the event will start.

As such are looking to make prestige levels be gained at a flat rate of 20k, eliminating the burst of boxes to 'stop people not playing'.

The reaction has been... mixed to put it politely. Someone crunched the numbers, and worked out going from 1-100 is about 8.5k less XP than before, but a lot of people were very invested in that burst if boxes (I've only prestiged once, but yeah, that little rush of loot felt good).

Also, this feels to a lot of people (myself included) like a way to stop people using that burst to get around the artificial scarcity of the event lootboxes, and to try and push people into buying the lootboxes with real money. Maybe I'm being unfair, but this does feel like a very money driven move.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Eh? Really? The old system allowed for that kind of burst? 0_o I thought they'd have totally made sure that didn't happen from the get-go. Weird.

 

[Zhukov]

Man, Blizzard really are being a bit obnoxious about this business.

Doesn't affect me personally because, seriously folks, they're just fucking skins, get over it, but it does leave a bit of a bad taste in the mouth.

I wonder how many people actually buy loot boxes. Would be interested to see sales figures.

 

[Elijin]

I've heard the arguments about keeping a healthy player base by avoiding situations where player participation drops off due to waiting for events (Hell, I happened to hit level 101 about a week and half before the Halloween event and decided to just play other things until it started)....but, I don't buy it.

The event loot boxes don't count any stockpiled boxes, can be purchased with real life dollars, and event cosmetics are sold at inflated price point. They can talk about 'maintaining healthy player retention outside of events' to their heart's content. It wont convince me this isn't a decision based in greed.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Well, that kind of sucks.

I happened to be pretty close to level 100 when the event started, and I've been trying to grind out a level a day in order to get that "prestige" and get those quick levels under my belt during the event.

Probably wouldn't have been playing nearly as much as I am if it wasn't for that small boost in box getting.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I've heard the arguments about keeping a healthy player base by avoiding situations where player participation drops off due to waiting for events (Hell, I happened to hit level 101 about a week and half before the Halloween event and decided to just play other things until it started)....but, I don't buy it.

The event loot boxes don't count any stockpiled boxes, can be purchased with real life dollars, and event cosmetics are sold at inflated price point. They can talk about 'maintaining healthy player retention outside of events' to their heart's content. It wont convince me this isn't a decision based in greed.

I find it really hard to call them greedy, when what were talking about here are SKINS! They're like Daimonds, they can't do much of anything other than look pretty.

https://youtu.be/WVVWnwlncck?t=20m55s

They seriously have no value beyond what people put on them. a $400 charizard card in my youth it worth about $50 bucks today.

 

[Elijin]

I've heard the arguments about keeping a healthy player base by avoiding situations where player participation drops off due to waiting for events (Hell, I happened to hit level 101 about a week and half before the Halloween event and decided to just play other things until it started)....but, I don't buy it.

The event loot boxes don't count any stockpiled boxes, can be purchased with real life dollars, and event cosmetics are sold at inflated price point. They can talk about 'maintaining healthy player retention outside of events' to their heart's content. It wont convince me this isn't a decision based in greed.

I find it really hard to call them greedy, when what were talking about here are SKINS! They're like Daimonds, they can't do much of anything other than look pretty.

https://youtu.be/WVVWnwlncck?t=20m55s

They seriously have no value beyond what people put on them. a $400 charizard card in my youth it worth about $50 bucks today.

That's the silliest strawman.

Loot boxes have stuff people want in them. Loot boxes can be purchased (infinitely) for $$$. This change, creates a situation where during a time which loot boxes will be in higher demand, it is slower to unlock them organically. Slower unlocking, means a % of people are more likely to drop some money on buying boxes straight up during the events.

You can be jaded all you like. I'm not even inherently against what you're saying, I wont ever buy loot boxes as they're cosmetics, its no big deal. But being willfully ignorant that its a discussion about a luxury one party is prepared to pay for and the seller is making a change to the supply vs time of that luxury in their favour....Well, you're just being absurd.

 

[WindKnight]

Well, that kind of sucks.

I happened to be pretty close to level 100 when the event started, and I've been trying to grind out a level a day in order to get that "prestige" and get those quick levels under my belt during the event.

Probably wouldn't have been playing nearly as much as I am if it wasn't for that small boost in box getting.

Well, the change isn't live yet (its only on the test region), and may not go live depending on feedback, but I'd honestly be surprised if it didnt. I think you have maybe a week though to get that prestige in.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Well, that kind of sucks.

I happened to be pretty close to level 100 when the event started, and I've been trying to grind out a level a day in order to get that "prestige" and get those quick levels under my belt during the event.

Probably wouldn't have been playing nearly as much as I am if it wasn't for that small boost in box getting.

Well, the change isn't live yet (its only on the test region), and may not go live depending on feedback, but I'd honestly be surprised if it didnt. I think you have maybe a week though to get that prestige in.

I highly doubt it would go live during this event. Most likely they're preparing to make this change so that the Christmas event won't have that little loot boost people are taking advantage of.

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

It always bugged me that your main source of boxes was from levelling up.

Like, as your level goes up, the time it takes you to get a box increases. That, in itself, makes sense from a freemium perspective, but it always seemed dumb that you just prestige and then burst through ~20 levels in a couple of days.

Every level should require the same amount of XP, so that the same amount of time invested playing the game gets you a loot box, regardless of what level you are.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

It always bugged me that your main source of boxes was from levelling up.

Like, as your level goes up, the time it takes you to get a box increases. That, in itself, makes sense from a freemium perspective, but it always seemed dumb that you just prestige and then burst through ~20 levels in a couple of days.

Every level should require the same amount of XP, so that the same amount of time invested playing the game gets you a loot box, regardless of what level you are.

Well it does, after the first 20 levels.

I always saw that little burst in loot drops as a sort of thank you for playing so long. Leveling 100 times isn't exactly quick.

 

[WindKnight]

It always bugged me that your main source of boxes was from levelling up.

Like, as your level goes up, the time it takes you to get a box increases. That, in itself, makes sense from a freemium perspective, but it always seemed dumb that you just prestige and then burst through ~20 levels in a couple of days.

Every level should require the same amount of XP, so that the same amount of time invested playing the game gets you a loot box, regardless of what level you are.

Well it does, after the first 20 levels.

I always saw that little burst in loot drops as a sort of thank you for playing so long. Leveling 100 times isn't exactly quick.

Also, you can argue the initial rush of boxes from going 1 - 20 the first time is meant to make the eventual grind of 20 - 100 more frustrating, and get new players more likely to buy boxes.

Blizzard likes that rush when its a tool to use against players, not when players use it against them.

 

[Frankster]

Seems a bit of a petty change, some folks liked that rush and can't help but agree this is more driven by a desire for $ rather then concern about some players not playing due to wanting to hoard loot boxes for event.

seriously folks, they're just fucking skins, get over it

You might not care but for some cosmetics and looks is a very big deal and a major part of games they play.

 

[Zhukov]

seriously folks, they're just fucking skins, get over it

You might not care but for some cosmetics and looks is a very big deal and a major part of games they play.

Oh, I like cosmetic crap in games too.

But if missing out on being able to paint a skull face on Zenyatta is the worst thing to happen to you this week then, yeah, get over it.

Like I said, I think Blizzard is being incredibly petty about this. "Someone might use the prestige leveling thingy to get a few more event loot boxes you say? Close that loophole!"

But if something like this is enough to get someone to drop real money on a virtual dice roll for some pretty pixels then that's on them. If they're even considering it then they clearly have enough expendable income that I'm not remotely concerned with how they spend it.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I've heard the arguments about keeping a healthy player base by avoiding situations where player participation drops off due to waiting for events (Hell, I happened to hit level 101 about a week and half before the Halloween event and decided to just play other things until it started)....but, I don't buy it.

The event loot boxes don't count any stockpiled boxes, can be purchased with real life dollars, and event cosmetics are sold at inflated price point. They can talk about 'maintaining healthy player retention outside of events' to their heart's content. It wont convince me this isn't a decision based in greed.

I find it really hard to call them greedy, when what were talking about here are SKINS! They're like Daimonds, they can't do much of anything other than look pretty.

https://youtu.be/WVVWnwlncck?t=20m55s

They seriously have no value beyond what people put on them. a $400 charizard card in my youth it worth about $50 bucks today.

That's the silliest strawman.

Loot boxes have stuff people want in them. Loot boxes can be purchased (infinitely) for $$$. This change, creates a situation where during a time which loot boxes will be in higher demand, it is slower to unlock them organically. Slower unlocking, means a % of people are more likely to drop some money on buying boxes straight up during the events.

You can be jaded all you like. I'm not even inherently against what you're saying, I wont ever buy loot boxes as they're cosmetics, its no big deal. But being willfully ignorant that its a discussion about a luxury one party is prepared to pay for and the seller is making a change to the supply vs time of that luxury in their favour....Well, you're just being absurd.

Just want to add a little to this, the event skins also cost triple to buy if you want them, but do not give you triple the gold when you get a duplicate, making them even harder to buy with the in-game currency.

I just got a duplicate ghoul and skin. It's a purple. Normal purples cost 250 and give you back 1/5 of your coins when you get a duplicate, 50. The ghoul skin costs 750, because it's an event skin, but still only gives you 50 coins as a duplicate, 1/15 of its value.

That's pretty bullshit.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

So people paying full AAA price for the game, putting in hundreds of hours and not moving off to a different multiplayer experience still not good enough for you, Blizzard? You gotta artificially restrict goodies from the game then manipulatively squeeze even more cash out of your loyal player-base? That's a pretty shitty business model for the consumer. Taking advantage of those who get suckered into these tricks, those who may not know better or may not be able to hold themselves back. I have no stake in this game, but that is still a pitiful way to treat already committed customers. Pushing as far as they can, and people will still let them.

 

[Fijiman]

Well that kind of sucks. Granted I'm nowhere near even the first prestige yet so this doesn't won't affect me for a while, but it's still kind of a dick move on Blizzard's part.