Competitive or Casual

Competitive or Casual

 It’s no secret that Crucible is struggling. That’s an understatement. Most “critics” are looking at player numbers, how long it can take to find a game, and uneven matchmaking. The ping system, lack of chat, and bare bones tutorial are also in the crosshairs. Major streamers moved on after a few games on launch which surely didn’t help.

 Most of these are symptoms of an underlying problem with Crucible, that being, the input lag. Sometimes weapons feel like hit scan, sometimes like projectiles. Ajonah’s sniper rifle and Shakirri’s pistol are two that come to mind. Your first shot can kill an enemy but you won’t see them die until halfway through your next shot. Switching between abilities is also delayed. You get stuck slamming “Q” until you can’t “Q” anymore. This input lag takes away from the more enjoyable aspects of the game. Most people who’ve tried the game, and left, note it “feels off” and I think this is the root of it.

 The recent update brought the much talked about voice chat to the game but it didn’t improve player numbers. Anyone who’s been regularly playing used Discord if they wanted to coordinate with their teammates. Voice chat didn’t really add much and not everyone uses it. I’d argue it was a decision that catered to the casual Crucible player and I worry that this is the direction the game will continue to follow. The things bothering the people who don’t continue to play will become the priorities for development. Don’t get me wrong, improving quality of life isn’t going to hurt anyone (mini-map, better pings, damage feedback, etc.) but if decisions about the core mechanics of the game are guided by “making it easier for new players” it becomes a slippery slope. I fear its already heading this direction.

The proposed changes to the map and spawning (https://www.reddit.com/r/PlayCrucible/comments/hkho76/i_love_the_new_spawn_map_concept_opinions/) are another step in the casual direction. The mentality behind having fixed drop-in points, fixed hives, and a fixed area for objectives is that each team has an equal chance; thus, making competition fair from the start. Consistency lends itself to an easier learning curve for new players too. In its current state figuring out where to spawn, when, is a challenge. Looking for close drop points is disheartening when you see your team fighting at the final hive, but maybe you’ll think twice about your engagement next time, or maybe you’ll realize that a late game kill gives you enough time to win based on the far spawn points.

Predictable spawn points won’t ruin the game as new strategies and “meta” will evolve from it but, to me, the risk is that it stifles the big picture gameplay that makes Crucible unique. And here I was promised randomness and chaos, damnit! The game will creep closer and closer to status quo competitive MOBAs with this type of thinking. “A mirror map would make this more even, maybe you just spawn at one place, and there’s lanes where you can be assured stompers will be, let’s make it so each team gets one hive they have to defend, seems fair.” I hear there’s a market for a third person MOBA (R.I.P. Paragon). Stripping Crucible of its uncertain environment could be counterproductive to its premise but making combat crisp would only add to its competitiveness, if not also its casual player base.


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