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R55Max may go overboard sometimes, but overall his thoughts are correct: we need a version that would satisfy both camps, and concessions should be made not only by SOD players but also by WoG players. What we need is unification, I guess... fixed settings as a standard. WoG, as a platform, is ideal, and the future lies with it — there's no point arguing about that. What needs to change is the mentality.
Utopian visions come to me:
- "Heed the three stacks and the built second level, brothers" — on one side.
- "Renounce experience and embrace neutral morale" — on the other.
And everyone merges in a single ecstasy, heralding a great future for our beloved game.:smile23:

Now a bit more seriously.
Regarding the esports future for Heroes, we need to grasp two things:
1) Sponsorship — this is advertising that will be seen by a certain number of eyes (participants, viewers, just bystanders). The larger this number, the more prospects the discipline has. For Heroes, let's face the truth, the target audience is catastrophically small; by the standards of War/Star, it's practically non-existent. How to promote Heroes to the masses is a big question.
2) Time. Let's take the most popular esports disciplines: Warcraft, StarCraft, Quake, Counter-Strike. For all of them, the average match time falls within the range of 20-60 minutes. This time frame is essentially the golden ratio in pro-gaming, allowing an average-sized tournament to fit into a single day. If we play Heroes the way we like them — i.e., strategic and thoughtful — they will simply be indigestible for the established offline tournament system. If we simplify everything, speed it up, and mirror it, we risk losing the essence and spectacle.

I generally don't understand the desire to push Heroes to the level of top-tier games. Heroes is a very specific game, and if it is to reach some level, it must do so in its own unique way. We need something like a regular league on a separate website, with good notifications, with 2-3 divisions (top, mid, newcomers), with good moderation, built-in regular broadcasts, and a unified rating system (something like the Battle.net ladder). That is, we need to unite, help each other, and not argue. Not flaunt our ego by dropping out of tournaments, but play until the end. If there is a serious approach, there will be viewers; if there are viewers, there will be advertising and, consequently, prize money. Obviously, the prize pool level in Heroes will be many times lower than in top-tier disciplines, but no one is planning to make a living from Heroes money; the incentive is what matters here.

And of course, the big question is — should Heroes even aim to break out anywhere? And will anyone be willing to take that on?

"Well, as for the prize for 1st place in Quake, say $30,000, I also find it funny when comparing these prize figures to poker tournament prizes."
In poker, prize pools are formed from participant entry fees; in Quake, only from sponsors. These can't really be compared.