Some of you probably know of TotalBiscuit. He does a lot of custom map reviews and SC2 stuff. He has recently uploaded a video of him talking to Mephs and playing Mephs map 'Smashcraft'. And not only that, but TB rated Mephs map quite highly. By this time tomorrow it will probably be the most popular map on bnet.
By this time tomorrow it will probably be the most popular map on bnet.
I'd be surprised if he even makes it to the first page. Top of the list? No chance. If you want to refer to Star Battle, don't. That map was unknown and shot to the first page after exposure. Meph's map is old news.
I doubt it'll go high for a long time, though TB has the tendency to boost stuff. Most people who like that type of gameplay can download Bloodline Champions for free and play that.
I doubt it'll go high for a long time, though TB has the tendency to boost stuff. Most people who like that type of gameplay can download Bloodline Champions for free and play that.
I agree. But not with your reasoning. You said "can" but neglected to mention "will." I doubt most people would consider BC over SC2. The real reason is that his map is tailored to a niche audience. It doesn't have the nice learning curve that SotIS does. It doesn't have enough depth for the long run. The gameplay makes it a "in between rounds" type of thing for a lot of people.
I agree. But not with your reasoning. You said "can" but neglected to mention "will." I doubt most people would consider BC over SC2. The real reason is that his map is tailored to a niche audience. It doesn't have the nice learning curve that SotIS does. It doesn't have enough depth for the long run. The gameplay makes it a "in between rounds" type of thing for a lot of people.
I think what you said is perfect! As I said in the other thread, I love the game, played it manyyy times, but as of late... I just dont touch it. your thoughts are spot on.
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@Karawasa: Go
I guess most people that consider BC over SC2 are old WC3 people who enjoyed AoS/Arena Maps the most. They probably have SC2, but given the fact that LoL, HoN & BC are available for free and work better in most ways (or they can just keep playing DotA and what not in WC3) I doubt that there is really such a big audience in SC2 for this stuff to begin with or at least not as much as there was in WC3. I guess those people rather play those "f2p" things that are way better than most stuff we see on SC2 (because most SC2 maps are just goddamn copy-paste-projects from other popular maps) and enjoy different maps in SC2 now.
And I've long given up on teaching people stuff like "learning curve", "depth" and what not (SotIS doesn't really have those either, to be honest, at least not as it should have). They don't listen anyways. So I take it as a basic fact that you have to play a map at least 10 times right now to be decent at it.
I'm a visual whore so if I can play with better graphics, that is by default a better game. Not to mention the editor is more powerful. In my book SC2 > WC3. The only reason one would even consider this relation in the first place is because BNET is so bad. But WC3 BNET is not good enough to make up for the other differences (where SC2 wins).
Whether it stays on page 1 or not is irrelevant, the fact is that there are quite a few sponsors and casters becoming interested in supporting the game as an e-sport. Though it is almost to page 1 now (only 100 hours away, or so?). But we all know BNET popularity is a reflection of which maps are the highest quality right? Just look at maps like Marine Arena, or all those tug/TD maps that have claimed the top spots for the longest time.
Thanks for the "support", though! Glad to see all the "popular" maps drawing the niche that I was aiming f- oh wait, they're not. Lol.
SOTIS is a terrible DOTA clone, and people can play HON or LOL instead of that, but they still play it. Many people are telling me Smash is better than BLC, so I take that compliment quite highly. Time will tell though.
Can't really say I owe mapster anything, other than a front page feature I've asked numerous questions to so-called vets around here for help with various things. All I've gotten from Mapster mods since I've joined was hostility and arrogance, for people who really have nothing to show for it (with the exception of OneTwo), the fact that I'm being asked to include a mapster advertisement in my promo vid is absurd.
I doubt it'll go high for a long time, though TB has the tendency to boost stuff. Most people who like that type of gameplay can download Bloodline Champions for free and play that.
You can play 2 heroes for free, then you have to buy the rest. I think the biggest draw for my current audience is that they get the same gameplay, for free, with more hero selection, options, and a bit more in-depth gameplay with the reactive abilities.
Also as I said, a lot of BLC players have actually told me up front they enjoy my map more than BLC. Idk what it is about BLC but I'm not digging the action, its too slow for me and doesn't feel like any of the characters have any variety. All of the tanks are the same, all of the dps are the same, all of the casters work the same, it just wasn't distinguishable and the characters had no versatility or dynamic to them that made them different from one another.
I guess that's to be expected from Funcom, they tend to make pretty drab games.
Whether it stays on page 1 or not is irrelevant, the fact is that there are quite a few sponsors and casters becoming interested in supporting the game as an e-sport. Though it is almost to page 1 now (only 100 hours away, or so?). But we all know BNET popularity is a reflection of which maps are the highest quality right? Just look at maps like Marine Arena, or all those tug/TD maps that have claimed the top spots for the longest time.
Anyway, seeya at the top.
You're at 2300 as we speak and need to break 3600 to hit page 1. 100? Try 1000.
Regardless of what BNET popularity is a reflection of, it still represents what is being played the most. That's the only quantitative metric worth anything. You can disregard it all you want, but you've still got less players.
Doubt we'll be seeing you at the top. If you break page 1 that would be an accomplishment. But I don't see you holding it. Contrary to what you say, holding it is important.
You speak of sponsors and casters showing interest, but that means nothing yet. When you have something solid to show come back here and gloat.
Also you go on so heavily about how there's no "replayability" to a game like this, but if that was the case, WoW Arena would've shrivelled up years ago, let alone the fact that its still an active competitive e-sport even to this day.
All you need to make a game like mine replayable is promote a competitive meter such as PSR or a global rankings, team-based play. That's it.
But it also has to have a certain level of "skill appeal", to players that are rewarded for improving at the game, while offering enough diversity (in this game, the diversity is presented in the depth of using character mechanics, and team compositions).
You talk in terms of TD logic, this game appeals to people who play repetitive, short games, like fighters. Street Fighter can be said to have "no replayability" but people will be playing it competitively for years to come.
on page 1 when i open eu custom maps... congrats, being outspoken (even juvenile hurtful, maybe not far from the truth if there is such thing) sells copies
I agree that SC2 > Wc3 simply because of the engine and graphic enhancement. But, the only real problem, other then the mentioned bnet, is the lacks of creeps. Wc3 had a creep for anything, leaving a diverse of possible maps. While, on sc2, there are very few units that you can really make a large variety with. And from what I've seen, though do not quote me on this, the models take a lot more space (Percentage wise) on sc2 then on wc3, leading to not very many imports being possible.
You can play 2 heroes for free, then you have to buy the rest. I think the biggest draw for my current audience is that they get the same gameplay, for free, with more hero selection, options, and a bit more in-depth gameplay with the reactive abilities.
Also as I said, a lot of BLC players have actually told me up front they enjoy my map more than BLC. Idk what it is about BLC but I'm not digging the action, its too slow for me and doesn't feel like any of the characters have any variety. All of the tanks are the same, all of the dps are the same, all of the casters work the same, it just wasn't distinguishable and the characters had no versatility or dynamic to them that made them different from one another.
I guess that's to be expected from Funcom, they tend to make pretty drab games.
Actually, it's 4 heroes, switching every other week or so. Similar to what LoL & HoN do. It's a business model, otherwise they couldn't gain money. You still don't have to buy anything in those games, you can just play and buy new Heroes over time and keep them. I wouldn't call it "the same gameplay" since your map is different in terms of controls to a good degree already. It's also not "for free" - it costs you the price of SC2. I don't know how all of you always come up with your "for free". It's just better price/reward for most customers to get free maps out of us (though, when it comes to quality... oh dear, it doesn't come down to a better price/reward thing). I agree on the characters though, I think it's 10 skills all over repeated with different effects. That's kinda good though, because it means, while you still have to play different with every character to be good, you don't need to learn an overwhelming amount of stuff. LoL, HoN & BLC were made for "in-between" to begin with, if you ask me, so it makes sense to dumb it down a bit for a broader audience. Takes away the e-peen pro stuff though, so that's the price for it.
And Funcom is just a small Publisher, not a Developer. Get things straight, please ;)
I'm also not saying that Smashcraft is totally bad. I'm just saying that I doubt it can hold itself up there in the long run for a massive amount of players (and that I don't like the massive amount of "just another copy" I've come to see these last few months in maps & games. But that's just me being bitter, don't mind that). We've seen that kind of behavior in the SC2 community before and I guess it'll happen again. I'd really like to know what you planned ahead in terms of increasing it's replayability and getting people to come back to play it every week or so for the next few months. Because I don't see it staying up on the first page in the long run right now, due to lack of content. A bunch of heroes, a few arenas and competitive play. That's it :\
Also you go on so heavily about how there's no "replayability" to a game like this, but if that was the case, WoW Arena would've shrivelled up years ago, let alone the fact that its still an active competitive e-sport even to this day.
Rofl. Saying "WoW Arena" in the same sentence as "competitive e-sport" makes me laugh very long and hard. It never got off to the start they had wished and since Cataclysm hit, nobody really plays it anymore. 90% of the people play Arena to get their PvP Gear for BGs from it (because BGs don't hand out current epic gear anymore and Arena is now very fast & easy to faceroll), just doing their few games for their weekly cap. Because rated BGs need too many people to win them. When it comes to PvP, Blizzard is probably the biggest failing company I've ever seen. But hey, WoW was PvE focused to begin with, so I don't blame it for being bad at the stuff on the side. The other 10% are your usual "hardc0re pvp-r0xx0r" or people that have big sponsorship and came in from other games to begin with (sk & folks).
Also, it's 5AM here. I'm not to blame for any failures in my writing.
Oh yeah I'm not referring to WoW arena as an e-sport because I think its a GOOD one, but the fact is people still play it competitively, and people are still getting paid to do it. As far as I'm concerned I got offered to play it pro, but I had a good paying job at the time so it wasn't a point. I find WoW arena to be an RNG fest with whatever is FOTM considered to be the shit that you play constantly (oh look rogue OP now lets play that). Blizzard can't balance their game for PVP to save their lives.
I do have more plans for more content in the future. That also depends entirely on what Blizzard provides for the editor of course. If it were up to me I'd make the game standalone, because you may or may not believe it, but this niche is in high demand right now. There is a market for these small-scale MOBA arena games, I think BLC is the first to pioneer into it, but as far as hitting the mark, they're a bit shy of it.
I never knew what BLC was till I presented the alpha to people, and remember rrowland wanted to make a game like mine? Yeah, its not that unique of a concept, but the execution of presentation is what matters here.
There's only so much "content" you can offer in a custom map. Saying my game has no replayability depends on your view of these types of games. We have had a small community of dedicated players for over a month, and they still play constantly. All they care about is the competitive scene for the game, so that is my target audience, I don't care if casuals play it once or a million times, I want the game to thrive in a competitive environment.
Future features will include "EX Moves", more robust statistics tracking, achievements, and possibly custom hero skins for getting to higher PSR ratings. Plus, new heroes will be added constantly in the future, greater diversifying the composition possibilities and also the strategies. A rotating map pool to constantly change terrain and balanced maps to give a variety of strategies a viable use.
So yeah there's not much now, but like any other game I have no plan of stopping where its at now, there will be a lot of expansion in the future, but also remember I'm limited by BNET's limitations, and the editor's. For ag ame like this, adding progressive shit like levelling, items, farming...would break the heavily skill-based play. Games like DOTA really aren't as skill-intensive as they look, you get fed, the game snowballs in your favor and you feel like you're just killing everyone because you're an amazing player, but thats just how DOTA games work. I wanted to ensure that my game catered to people who want 100% skill based play, like most fighters require the same, you never see top ranked players losing to middle ranked players, because everything you do on an individual level decides the game.
Some people are so good they often can 1v2 and turn a bad round around quickly. I'm seeing so many creative uses of the heroes evolving every day, and with more players, I don't care that it ever hits page 1 or not, I want the game to thrive competitively and nothing else. That is my goal for the game, so as long as that community exists, Smashcraft will live. Even though we are not near #1 spot, our chat has people creating ranked games 24/7 now, and our chat #s exceed both SOTIS and Star Battle at all times of the day, so that says more to me than our position on the map list.
A game like mine will most likely juggle itself between page 1 and 2 just because its a short game, so even with a lot of people playing, it gains less popularity than those longer DOTA clones with more players. Thats just the system though, nothing I can do to change that. Also, people playing ranked instead of the pub lobbies (people in-house a lot as well) means they don't open to public, which means no pop gain. Given all these factors the game realistically would be on page 1 by now if those 300-400 hrs a day being played in ranked/in-house were counted. I'd rather offer more options to my players however than just take a cheap shot at easy popularity.
Also, the PSR ratings will eventually be visible on our website (when we got a website rolling) showing everyone's global rankings.
@Mephs: Go
There is a good demand for Arena/AoS type gameplay (I refuse to call it MOBA, just because it sounds goddamn stupid) right now, but than again, we also have a demand in the FPS market for games that aren't another bastard-child of Halo. The CoD Bubble will burst sooner or later and it'll drag a lot of people down to hell. So, yeah, there is a lot of void in all the areas right now that could be filled with money-makers in the near future.
If you're only concerned about a small audience of competitive players, that is great. I tend to come from a background where less players is less pay, so I try to design in a way to get a bigger chunk of people to play instead of a small dedicated bunch (though those are greater for feedback).
Having online rankings, achievements and new maps/heroes is probably the general way to handle content in this type of game, so I don't wonder about it. For myself, I must admit that I'm bored with the way current hero designs are in all of those games. They tend to repeat themselves quite a bit, no matter what game you play. That neither SotIS nor DotA is really innovative and caters to faceroll players a lot more than people who value "skill" is probably a fact better left alone, or the fanboys swarm us.
Well, anyways, we'll see how it goes with Smashcraft and it's content. As I said, I'm not convinced of it for quite a few different reasons, but that's just me.
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Some of you probably know of TotalBiscuit. He does a lot of custom map reviews and SC2 stuff. He has recently uploaded a video of him talking to Mephs and playing Mephs map 'Smashcraft'. And not only that, but TB rated Mephs map quite highly. By this time tomorrow it will probably be the most popular map on bnet.
I want TB to review my map sometime :(
I'd be surprised if he even makes it to the first page. Top of the list? No chance. If you want to refer to Star Battle, don't. That map was unknown and shot to the first page after exposure. Meph's map is old news.
I believe it'll shoot up on EU, US I don't even think it will. =/ It might like 2 days, that;s all I give it. :/
I doubt it'll go high for a long time, though TB has the tendency to boost stuff. Most people who like that type of gameplay can download Bloodline Champions for free and play that.
I agree. But not with your reasoning. You said "can" but neglected to mention "will." I doubt most people would consider BC over SC2. The real reason is that his map is tailored to a niche audience. It doesn't have the nice learning curve that SotIS does. It doesn't have enough depth for the long run. The gameplay makes it a "in between rounds" type of thing for a lot of people.
I think what you said is perfect! As I said in the other thread, I love the game, played it manyyy times, but as of late... I just dont touch it. your thoughts are spot on.
Looks like meph got the actors to look different depending on whos looking at it with the team color icons
yourself is different then your allies ... interesting.
@Karawasa: Go I guess most people that consider BC over SC2 are old WC3 people who enjoyed AoS/Arena Maps the most. They probably have SC2, but given the fact that LoL, HoN & BC are available for free and work better in most ways (or they can just keep playing DotA and what not in WC3) I doubt that there is really such a big audience in SC2 for this stuff to begin with or at least not as much as there was in WC3. I guess those people rather play those "f2p" things that are way better than most stuff we see on SC2 (because most SC2 maps are just goddamn copy-paste-projects from other popular maps) and enjoy different maps in SC2 now.
And I've long given up on teaching people stuff like "learning curve", "depth" and what not (SotIS doesn't really have those either, to be honest, at least not as it should have). They don't listen anyways. So I take it as a basic fact that you have to play a map at least 10 times right now to be decent at it.
Just throwing this out here, since my baby, WC3 was mentioned. WC3 > SC2 > WoW > etc.
That is all. :D
@StatusQ3: Go
I'm a visual whore so if I can play with better graphics, that is by default a better game. Not to mention the editor is more powerful. In my book SC2 > WC3. The only reason one would even consider this relation in the first place is because BNET is so bad. But WC3 BNET is not good enough to make up for the other differences (where SC2 wins).
Whether it stays on page 1 or not is irrelevant, the fact is that there are quite a few sponsors and casters becoming interested in supporting the game as an e-sport. Though it is almost to page 1 now (only 100 hours away, or so?). But we all know BNET popularity is a reflection of which maps are the highest quality right? Just look at maps like Marine Arena, or all those tug/TD maps that have claimed the top spots for the longest time.
Thanks for the "support", though! Glad to see all the "popular" maps drawing the niche that I was aiming f- oh wait, they're not. Lol.
SOTIS is a terrible DOTA clone, and people can play HON or LOL instead of that, but they still play it. Many people are telling me Smash is better than BLC, so I take that compliment quite highly. Time will tell though.
Can't really say I owe mapster anything, other than a front page feature I've asked numerous questions to so-called vets around here for help with various things. All I've gotten from Mapster mods since I've joined was hostility and arrogance, for people who really have nothing to show for it (with the exception of OneTwo), the fact that I'm being asked to include a mapster advertisement in my promo vid is absurd.
Anyway, seeya at the top.
Why this video isn't linked on the front page is beyond me.
You can play 2 heroes for free, then you have to buy the rest. I think the biggest draw for my current audience is that they get the same gameplay, for free, with more hero selection, options, and a bit more in-depth gameplay with the reactive abilities.
Also as I said, a lot of BLC players have actually told me up front they enjoy my map more than BLC. Idk what it is about BLC but I'm not digging the action, its too slow for me and doesn't feel like any of the characters have any variety. All of the tanks are the same, all of the dps are the same, all of the casters work the same, it just wasn't distinguishable and the characters had no versatility or dynamic to them that made them different from one another.
I guess that's to be expected from Funcom, they tend to make pretty drab games.
You're at 2300 as we speak and need to break 3600 to hit page 1. 100? Try 1000.
Regardless of what BNET popularity is a reflection of, it still represents what is being played the most. That's the only quantitative metric worth anything. You can disregard it all you want, but you've still got less players.
Doubt we'll be seeing you at the top. If you break page 1 that would be an accomplishment. But I don't see you holding it. Contrary to what you say, holding it is important.
You speak of sponsors and casters showing interest, but that means nothing yet. When you have something solid to show come back here and gloat.
Turn on the "Custom" filter.
Also you go on so heavily about how there's no "replayability" to a game like this, but if that was the case, WoW Arena would've shrivelled up years ago, let alone the fact that its still an active competitive e-sport even to this day.
All you need to make a game like mine replayable is promote a competitive meter such as PSR or a global rankings, team-based play. That's it.
But it also has to have a certain level of "skill appeal", to players that are rewarded for improving at the game, while offering enough diversity (in this game, the diversity is presented in the depth of using character mechanics, and team compositions).
You talk in terms of TD logic, this game appeals to people who play repetitive, short games, like fighters. Street Fighter can be said to have "no replayability" but people will be playing it competitively for years to come.
on page 1 when i open eu custom maps... congrats, being outspoken (even juvenile hurtful, maybe not far from the truth if there is such thing) sells copies
hope your fanbase sticks with your mod, glhf
@Karawasa: Go
I agree that SC2 > Wc3 simply because of the engine and graphic enhancement. But, the only real problem, other then the mentioned bnet, is the lacks of creeps. Wc3 had a creep for anything, leaving a diverse of possible maps. While, on sc2, there are very few units that you can really make a large variety with. And from what I've seen, though do not quote me on this, the models take a lot more space (Percentage wise) on sc2 then on wc3, leading to not very many imports being possible.
Actually, it's 4 heroes, switching every other week or so. Similar to what LoL & HoN do. It's a business model, otherwise they couldn't gain money. You still don't have to buy anything in those games, you can just play and buy new Heroes over time and keep them. I wouldn't call it "the same gameplay" since your map is different in terms of controls to a good degree already. It's also not "for free" - it costs you the price of SC2. I don't know how all of you always come up with your "for free". It's just better price/reward for most customers to get free maps out of us (though, when it comes to quality... oh dear, it doesn't come down to a better price/reward thing). I agree on the characters though, I think it's 10 skills all over repeated with different effects. That's kinda good though, because it means, while you still have to play different with every character to be good, you don't need to learn an overwhelming amount of stuff. LoL, HoN & BLC were made for "in-between" to begin with, if you ask me, so it makes sense to dumb it down a bit for a broader audience. Takes away the e-peen pro stuff though, so that's the price for it.
And Funcom is just a small Publisher, not a Developer. Get things straight, please ;)
I'm also not saying that Smashcraft is totally bad. I'm just saying that I doubt it can hold itself up there in the long run for a massive amount of players (and that I don't like the massive amount of "just another copy" I've come to see these last few months in maps & games. But that's just me being bitter, don't mind that). We've seen that kind of behavior in the SC2 community before and I guess it'll happen again. I'd really like to know what you planned ahead in terms of increasing it's replayability and getting people to come back to play it every week or so for the next few months. Because I don't see it staying up on the first page in the long run right now, due to lack of content. A bunch of heroes, a few arenas and competitive play. That's it :\
Rofl. Saying "WoW Arena" in the same sentence as "competitive e-sport" makes me laugh very long and hard. It never got off to the start they had wished and since Cataclysm hit, nobody really plays it anymore. 90% of the people play Arena to get their PvP Gear for BGs from it (because BGs don't hand out current epic gear anymore and Arena is now very fast & easy to faceroll), just doing their few games for their weekly cap. Because rated BGs need too many people to win them. When it comes to PvP, Blizzard is probably the biggest failing company I've ever seen. But hey, WoW was PvE focused to begin with, so I don't blame it for being bad at the stuff on the side. The other 10% are your usual "hardc0re pvp-r0xx0r" or people that have big sponsorship and came in from other games to begin with (sk & folks).
Also, it's 5AM here. I'm not to blame for any failures in my writing.
Oh yeah I'm not referring to WoW arena as an e-sport because I think its a GOOD one, but the fact is people still play it competitively, and people are still getting paid to do it. As far as I'm concerned I got offered to play it pro, but I had a good paying job at the time so it wasn't a point. I find WoW arena to be an RNG fest with whatever is FOTM considered to be the shit that you play constantly (oh look rogue OP now lets play that). Blizzard can't balance their game for PVP to save their lives.
I do have more plans for more content in the future. That also depends entirely on what Blizzard provides for the editor of course. If it were up to me I'd make the game standalone, because you may or may not believe it, but this niche is in high demand right now. There is a market for these small-scale MOBA arena games, I think BLC is the first to pioneer into it, but as far as hitting the mark, they're a bit shy of it.
I never knew what BLC was till I presented the alpha to people, and remember rrowland wanted to make a game like mine? Yeah, its not that unique of a concept, but the execution of presentation is what matters here.
There's only so much "content" you can offer in a custom map. Saying my game has no replayability depends on your view of these types of games. We have had a small community of dedicated players for over a month, and they still play constantly. All they care about is the competitive scene for the game, so that is my target audience, I don't care if casuals play it once or a million times, I want the game to thrive in a competitive environment.
Future features will include "EX Moves", more robust statistics tracking, achievements, and possibly custom hero skins for getting to higher PSR ratings. Plus, new heroes will be added constantly in the future, greater diversifying the composition possibilities and also the strategies. A rotating map pool to constantly change terrain and balanced maps to give a variety of strategies a viable use.
So yeah there's not much now, but like any other game I have no plan of stopping where its at now, there will be a lot of expansion in the future, but also remember I'm limited by BNET's limitations, and the editor's. For ag ame like this, adding progressive shit like levelling, items, farming...would break the heavily skill-based play. Games like DOTA really aren't as skill-intensive as they look, you get fed, the game snowballs in your favor and you feel like you're just killing everyone because you're an amazing player, but thats just how DOTA games work. I wanted to ensure that my game catered to people who want 100% skill based play, like most fighters require the same, you never see top ranked players losing to middle ranked players, because everything you do on an individual level decides the game.
Some people are so good they often can 1v2 and turn a bad round around quickly. I'm seeing so many creative uses of the heroes evolving every day, and with more players, I don't care that it ever hits page 1 or not, I want the game to thrive competitively and nothing else. That is my goal for the game, so as long as that community exists, Smashcraft will live. Even though we are not near #1 spot, our chat has people creating ranked games 24/7 now, and our chat #s exceed both SOTIS and Star Battle at all times of the day, so that says more to me than our position on the map list.
A game like mine will most likely juggle itself between page 1 and 2 just because its a short game, so even with a lot of people playing, it gains less popularity than those longer DOTA clones with more players. Thats just the system though, nothing I can do to change that. Also, people playing ranked instead of the pub lobbies (people in-house a lot as well) means they don't open to public, which means no pop gain. Given all these factors the game realistically would be on page 1 by now if those 300-400 hrs a day being played in ranked/in-house were counted. I'd rather offer more options to my players however than just take a cheap shot at easy popularity.
Also, the PSR ratings will eventually be visible on our website (when we got a website rolling) showing everyone's global rankings.
@Mephs: Go There is a good demand for Arena/AoS type gameplay (I refuse to call it MOBA, just because it sounds goddamn stupid) right now, but than again, we also have a demand in the FPS market for games that aren't another bastard-child of Halo. The CoD Bubble will burst sooner or later and it'll drag a lot of people down to hell. So, yeah, there is a lot of void in all the areas right now that could be filled with money-makers in the near future.
If you're only concerned about a small audience of competitive players, that is great. I tend to come from a background where less players is less pay, so I try to design in a way to get a bigger chunk of people to play instead of a small dedicated bunch (though those are greater for feedback).
Having online rankings, achievements and new maps/heroes is probably the general way to handle content in this type of game, so I don't wonder about it. For myself, I must admit that I'm bored with the way current hero designs are in all of those games. They tend to repeat themselves quite a bit, no matter what game you play. That neither SotIS nor DotA is really innovative and caters to faceroll players a lot more than people who value "skill" is probably a fact better left alone, or the fanboys swarm us.
Well, anyways, we'll see how it goes with Smashcraft and it's content. As I said, I'm not convinced of it for quite a few different reasons, but that's just me.