Wicc
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During the development of HotA, there were many philosophical discussions about the present and future of Heroes, about its place in the gaming industry, and so on. I will share my perspective on this issue; it doesn't entirely align with the official position of the HotA team, but since I've been away for almost a year now, I can speak freely.
So, the main problem with Heroes is that it has a high barrier to entry – the games take a lot of time, and a lot of theoretical knowledge is required because without a thorough understanding of the game mechanics, it's impossible to achieve any significant success. Because of this, the influx of new players into Heroes is not as large as in other, simpler, and more dynamic games. This problem can be addressed, or it can be ignored, but in any case, it shouldn't be exacerbated.
For example, regarding SoD vs. HotA – I've been saying for three years that I don't see them as competitors, but rather as complementary game modes. Not everyone believes this, but that's fine. The reason is simple: if SoD can attract players, then let it be SoD. This is a case where the interests of the Heroes community as a whole are more important than the interests of individual groups.
Personally, I prefer HotA; I believe that the future lies with it, which is why I organize tournaments for it. However, I fully support the competitive scene for SoD. For example, the idea of combined tournaments for game modes that are not well-developed in SoD (blitz and mirror matches) was implemented at my initiative for this very reason (so that at least some players would be drawn away from 6lm10a). The wider the audience, the better, and players can figure out the game version and settings themselves; the main thing is to have those players.
For the same reason, I persuaded Baratortcha to create an official HotA league for SoD. Off-topic – I was quietly annoyed for two years by the fact that SoD players preferred to complain instead of looking for a solution to the problem, which was obvious :smile32:
For example, regarding the mandatory official HotA in tournaments – the speakers above are absolutely right; the very fact of payment (even if it's only 50 rubles) raises the barrier to entry. Therefore, such initiatives are a bad idea; a new player should be able to play for free and fully, that is, with official HotA. The most logical solution here is to create one-time accounts for tournament games. Later, when the new player understands the game and gets hooked, they won't have a problem spending 168 rubles on official HotA. And if a new player doesn't want to play with official HotA, that's fine. I repeat: reaching a wider audience is the primary goal; all other criteria are secondary. If there are players, Heroes will live on.
Therefore, if a handful of capricious players leave for other pastures, so be it; the air will be cleaner, and the competition for prize places in tournaments will increase. But if you put obstacles in the way of new players joining, the damage to the Heroes community will be much greater, even if it's not immediately apparent.
It's easy to separate, but difficult and time-consuming to unite. This is not only true in Heroes; it's true in life as well. Therefore, if there are any contradictions for which a compromise is impossible, the most reasonable thing to do is simply to separate the disputing parties into different tournaments; there are plenty of them.
So, the main problem with Heroes is that it has a high barrier to entry – the games take a lot of time, and a lot of theoretical knowledge is required because without a thorough understanding of the game mechanics, it's impossible to achieve any significant success. Because of this, the influx of new players into Heroes is not as large as in other, simpler, and more dynamic games. This problem can be addressed, or it can be ignored, but in any case, it shouldn't be exacerbated.
For example, regarding SoD vs. HotA – I've been saying for three years that I don't see them as competitors, but rather as complementary game modes. Not everyone believes this, but that's fine. The reason is simple: if SoD can attract players, then let it be SoD. This is a case where the interests of the Heroes community as a whole are more important than the interests of individual groups.
Personally, I prefer HotA; I believe that the future lies with it, which is why I organize tournaments for it. However, I fully support the competitive scene for SoD. For example, the idea of combined tournaments for game modes that are not well-developed in SoD (blitz and mirror matches) was implemented at my initiative for this very reason (so that at least some players would be drawn away from 6lm10a). The wider the audience, the better, and players can figure out the game version and settings themselves; the main thing is to have those players.
For the same reason, I persuaded Baratortcha to create an official HotA league for SoD. Off-topic – I was quietly annoyed for two years by the fact that SoD players preferred to complain instead of looking for a solution to the problem, which was obvious :smile32:
For example, regarding the mandatory official HotA in tournaments – the speakers above are absolutely right; the very fact of payment (even if it's only 50 rubles) raises the barrier to entry. Therefore, such initiatives are a bad idea; a new player should be able to play for free and fully, that is, with official HotA. The most logical solution here is to create one-time accounts for tournament games. Later, when the new player understands the game and gets hooked, they won't have a problem spending 168 rubles on official HotA. And if a new player doesn't want to play with official HotA, that's fine. I repeat: reaching a wider audience is the primary goal; all other criteria are secondary. If there are players, Heroes will live on.
Therefore, if a handful of capricious players leave for other pastures, so be it; the air will be cleaner, and the competition for prize places in tournaments will increase. But if you put obstacles in the way of new players joining, the damage to the Heroes community will be much greater, even if it's not immediately apparent.
It's easy to separate, but difficult and time-consuming to unite. This is not only true in Heroes; it's true in life as well. Therefore, if there are any contradictions for which a compromise is impossible, the most reasonable thing to do is simply to separate the disputing parties into different tournaments; there are plenty of them.
